This image was taken in a place, named Situ Gunung. In the Indonesian language, "situ" means lake and "gunung" means mountain.

I wanted to take some photos there, showing the beauty and the tranquillity of the Indonesian landscapes. Driving and looking around, this place seemed perfect for what I was looking for. 
From other people, I got the hint that the best time for taking pictures there was around 7-9 AM.

Just after sunrise, the rising sun, shining trough the morning fog gives really a very beautiful light, rendering all the beauty of this landscape

The picture

I am using a NIKON D3s camera with a Nikon 70-200 VRII f/2.8 lens. It's a single hand held shot in RAW; no tripod was used.

EXIF data

⁃   Focal length 70 mm

⁃   ISO 200

⁃   Autofocus

⁃   Automatic White balance

⁃   Aperture f/4.5

⁃   Exposure time 1/125 sec

⁃   Metering centre weight average

Processing


I have been using Nikon NX 2 Capture and Photoshop CS 3, with the Nik Software Color Efex plug in.

To start, I opened the RAW file in 'NX 2 Capture'. I did some exposure optimization and  tone controls, using 8 color control points (6 at the background to give the image a more 3D look and 2 at the boat).

Then I opened the file in Photoshop CS3 and applied a 'curves adjustment'. I also sharpened the image slightly with 'unsharp mask' (20/20 settings)

The Nik Color Efex plug in was then used to apply a better color tone contrast across the image. This was done via the bi-color blue & yellow setting, creating a gradient of colder tones in the upper part of the image and warmer tones in the lower part

The opacity of it was then reduced to 50%, making the final tones and color settings

Outcome

The light at that time of the day was very beautiful. It made a beautiful landscape a magic one. The processing only enhanced this. For me, this image summarizes perfectly the beautiful scenery of the Indonesian countryside.

It still is my most popular image on 1x and I am of course very happy with this appreciation

Hints

⁃   Look for the ideal light conditions. In my case the early morning light 'made' the image. If I would have    
     taken it in more harsh light conditions, it would have lost a lot of its magic.

⁃   Look for the right moment to take your picture, e.g. special composition or scenery.

⁃   Try to photograph also with your heart and try to catch moments of beauty and emotion.

Biography

Hardibudi resides in Jakarta, Indonesia. Professionally he is running a company, producing art glass. Photography has been a passion of his, since 5 years now. He describes it as: "It let's me express what I see and what I feel through my viewfinder".