Landscape around Serre Ponçon lake

I can't explain why but this image done in 2005 in the Hautes Alpes mountains is one of my favourite landscape photo and i realized 2 days ago that it was not on this blog :)

Dusk light on Serre Ponçon lake

Dusk light on Serre Ponçon lake

An image from the archives ...

Serre Ponçon dam was built from 1955 to 1961 on the Durance river.
The lake is the third biggest artificial lake in Europe.
It's a famous place for tourism with the mountains all around and also for sailing and windsurfing because of special winds blowing here.

I spent two days here for work in 2005. This photo is one of the first i did arriving on the place and the morning after i did another one which is still one of my favourite landscape and which doesn't seem to be one this blog :)

Annecy - End of afternoon at the lake

End of afternoon on Annecy lake and Veyrier mountain

Dusk colors on Annecy lake - long exposure with Hoya ND 400

Dusk on Annecy lake and Veyrier mountain

I recently found some new clients around Annecy.

On friday i had a nice meeting with one of them for prints delivery and after that i spent the end of afternoon around the lake and at the Imperial beach.
I walked a lot but just did a few images. This one was done around 8 pm and i used my Hoya NB 400 for the long exposure plus a 5 stop soft GND filter for the balance between sky and foreground.

Weekly commented photo #13 - Annecy lake and Tournette mountain in the early spring

Annecy lake and Tournette mountain in the early spring

So, this photo is obviously a long exposure done in full day light. As usual for this kind of images i used my Hoya ND 400 filter and as often i added a 0.9 soft GND filter over the sky and snowy mountains.

The photo was done just before the end of the afternoon one day i was exploring the west side of the lake and i think i'll have to return in one or two months when the forest will be more green.
I started the day with a drive on the road of Semnoz mountain overhanging the lake but didn't found any very interesting place for landscape photography. The road offers some nice views on the lake but also on the high density of villages and houses all around.

After this little excursion in the mountain, i returned closer to the lake at one place i had noticed in the morning. I stayed there until dusk, did this image and a few other with softer colours (One can be seen here).

End of afternoon at Annecy lake

End of afternoon at Annecy lake

Weekly commented photo #6 - Winter light in Provence

Winter light on the Lac des Escarcets

This image was done in february 2008 so she's now 3 years old.
While i was living in Provence, this place was one of my favourite winter spot for photography. In summer it's really less interesting because the lake is dry or almost and, another important point, winter light is very better here.

This lake is a protected natural area managed by the Conservatoire du Littoral et des Rivages Lacustres. Many and many birds are living in the vegetation all around and it would probably be a very interesting place for a wildlife photographer.

Since the day i've discovered this place, i've loved the colours of it's red ground. Under some special lights these coulours can be truly amazing and make me think to some american or australian deserts.

My first image of the lake was done about one year before this one (and you can see it here)
After this first one done just before dusk, the winter ended without letting me coming back in really good conditions but at least i could explore many places around the lake.

In 2008 by a sunny winter afternoon i decided to make a new try on this very little but colorful beach i had noticed one year before.
I was a little disapointed when arriving because some huge white clouds were standing above the lake making the light really dull. I decided to go for a little more scouting and about 2 hours later i remarked that a small wind was clearing the sky.
I ran back to the beach and arrived when the afternoon was about to end, just for this clear and beautiful view.
In these days (and i still do it), i was often stitching two or more photos to make some 5x4 images without loosing too much pixels.
As i was using a panoramic head my setup was a little long but i had the time to be ready before the light turns too dark.

Technical details :
Two vertical images were used to make this photo.
They were taken with a Nikon D200 and a 17 mmlens.
I also used a tripod, a Nodal Ninja panoramic head and a remote shutter release.
Raw files were processed with SilkyPix and stitching was done with PTGui.

Annecy - Dawn on the lake at Imperial beach and 5 sites to discover

Annecy, dawn on the lake at Imperial beach

Another image from Annecy lake at the Imperial beach.
Done the same day but a few time later than this one.

The 5 sites to discover if you're interested in photography :

• http://www.xavifuentes.com
  Beautiful long exposures from Xavi Fuentes.
  
• http://www.friedmanphoto.com
  Amazing panoramic landscape by Stevel Friedman.
  
• http://dudewithcamera.com
  Various and beautiful images from Jesse Pafundi.
  
• http://www.85mm.ch
  Street photography by Thomas Leuthard.
• http://www.mikehollman.com
  Stunning landscapes from New Zealand by Mike Hollman

Annecy - Dusk on the Imperial beach

Annecy - Dusk on the Imperial beach

After my first attempt with photographying this place at dawn, i decided to come back the day after for some dusk images.
I initialy wanted to frame the big diving board really closer but i don't know why, i changed my mind on the last minute.

Weekly commented photo #3 - Annecy, dawn on the Imperial beach

Annecy - Dawn on the Imperial beach

This beach is named Imperial beach because it's in the park of the Imperial Palace.
It's a very well know and appreciated place for all the people living in Annecy. They bath here in summer and have some walks in other seasons. When i was a child, what is a palace now was an old and derelict buildind but the diving boards were ever there and i loved to play with them. It was a frightening but very exciting game.

When i moved back to Annecy in july, it was one of the first places where i wanted to come and make photos.
The two first times i arrived there at dawn, the gates to the beach where locked by chains. A little disapointed i made other images of the lake and abandonned the project waiting for the doors to re-open.
Recently, while speaking with a friend of mine, he told me that the gates were no more locked and seemed suprised because he had some walks here almost every day. Perharps did i just arrive too soon in the morning ...

On saturday morning, i arrived in Annecy at about 7 am, found the gates opened and did a few tests searching for the best point of view.
The image presented here was done about one hour after my arrival and is my real fav from this day.
I have others with the same composition done a little time before but the light is a little more dull and others made later with different framing but the blue is a little too intense for my tastes.

On the technical side, the photo was done using a Nikon D200, a 17-35 zoom, a Hoya ND 400 filter for the long (more than 100s) exposure and a 0.6 soft GND filter to balance sky and foreground. Raw file processing was minimal and done with SilkyPix.

If you like long exposure photography with or without filters, you can click here to find all my posts about it or here if you just want to see the ND 400 in action.

Don't forget : click on the image to see it large :)

Annecy lake - Winter dawn at the pier

Winter dawn at the pier

Another done at the pier of Menthon Saint Bernard on the border of Annecy lake.
Made a few hours before the one in the previous post.
I remember i turned around some times to find the right composition with my wide angle and i realized that the best solution would probably be a crop at processing time. The original image is not too bad but i really prefer this version.

2011 project - The weekly commented photo

The Tournette mountain and Annecy lake from Menthon Saint Bernard

Every post here is done with one image and a little (sometimes very short because of my bad english) text.
Sometimes i speak about the photo, sometimes about my life, sometimes about other things i've found on the web.

In 2011 i'll give me a little assignment : Every friday i'll write a post showing an image (old or new) and explaining why and how it was done.
Why will include things like personnal mood or commercial reasons. How will give some technical informations about the making of.

One year is 52 weeks so i can hope to find the time to play that little but serious game.

A very cold dawn on Annecy lake

A very cold dawn on Annecy lake

I went yesterday morning to a new place around Annecy lake. More precisely it was the pier of Menthon Saint Bernard. It was really soon and really cold. I expected more snow on the mountains but the dawn light was beautiful.

A big thank you to Nikon for making large bodies still comfortable to use with frosted fingers.

Annecy - Autumn colors on the city

Annecy - Autumn colors on the city

An image from a few weeks ago, when the trees still had some colorful leaves.
The big church is the Visitation Basilica and was built in 1909 to 1930. I think the monastery on its left is really older but i'm not sure :)

Today in the evening, we had the first snowfall just around the house. I hope a nice view tomorrow morning ...

Annecy - Autumn colors over the channel and some beautiful images from China

Annecy - Autumn colors over the Vasse channel

This is the same channel going to Annecy lake that the one you have ever seen here. Done a few hours later and from the other end of the channel.

After these few words, i'd like to share some beautiful images from China i've discovered some days ago. They are from Ferit Kuyas and you can look at them here.

First snow and autumn light on the Veyrier mountain

First snow and autumn light on the Veyrier mountain

The Veyrier mountains is 1291 m high and above the east coast of Annecy lake.
I've a special relation with this mountain because it's where i've learned rock climbing and i've spent many years on the little cliff just above the lake in the middle on the image.

First autumn snow around Annecy lake

First autumn snow around Annecy lake

This snow arrived on the mountains surrounding the lake during the night between sunday and monday. I was at the lake really soon monday morning under a relatively dry weather and could catch a few pleasant scenes before the light became really dull.

I've to find some time to explore these mountains. I'm sure they keep some amazing high views of the lake and the city.

Annecy lake and the Swans Island

Annecy lake and the Swans Island

The Swans Island is an artificial island done on Annecy lake in 1854. A couple of swans was given by Geneva city and they started to live there ...

I've tried GND filters on this scene but i prefer the result of this HDR image done from many exposures processed with PictureNaut and Oloneo PhotoEngine. Autumn colors and details on the island are really better.

Annecy - clouds over the lake

Autumnal mood by a cloudy morning on the border of Annecy lake.
In the background you can see the first snows on the Tournette mountain.
Not sure many boats had been rent this day.

Annecy - dawn over the channel

Annecy - Dawn over the Vasse channel

The very first lights of a new day on this famous place in Annecy.