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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Forty: Expressing the force and beauty of moisture in motion > Warm duck, Benton Hot Springs, California, 2006
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19-OCT-2006

Warm duck, Benton Hot Springs, California, 2006

Not only does Benton Hot Springs live up to its name, but it also has a hot lake of sorts – a collecting pond. A large pipe feeds water from an underground hot spring into the pond. I was able to backlight the pipe, and by shooting at a very fast 1/1250th of a second shutter speed, I can stop the spout of hot water as it gushes into the pond. Using a 420mm telephoto focal length, I reach out to bring a distant duck into the image, cloaking duck, pipe, and pond in a hazy golden veil of steam. Seeing an oblivious duck floating in a steaming hot pond makes for a memorably incongruous moment.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
1/1300s f/11.0 at 88.8mm iso100 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Phil Douglis31-Oct-2006 17:52
The golden light is a key element in many of these image, Jenene. Nature gives us this light for a few hours a day, and we must be able to plan our activities so we can take advantage of it. I also use my "cloudy" white balance choice all the time, even in the sun, which warms the light and intensifies red and yellows. So that, too, plays a role here.
JSWaters31-Oct-2006 16:12
One thought strikes me in these images so far, and that is how well the golden light conveys the essence of these places, whether it's in the cloudy mist on the lake or the gleaming light on the rocks.
Jenene
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