A Guide to Lake Photography

We have given some tips on how to make perfect travel photos, let’s see how to take a perfect lake photo at this time!

With over 100 million lakes around the world, there are so many bodies of water for us to capture.  Lakes are scattered all over the planet and come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. With our Fotorians about to start the lake photography mission.

For excellent quality lake scenes,  photographers always go out in the early morning to capture the sunrise, they may even stay out late and finally the way for the sun to set. In advance, it’s good to get a predetermined location picked out, so you know where to setup and what scenery to expect.

• Picking the perfect scene

Before heading out to shoot, it’s important to go out and look for prospects; a potential value of scenery can captivate and inspire you to wake up early. There are many lakeside objects to capture, a swaying boat, or a lakefront condo. Use those objects as a foreground and position the lake in the background for a unique shot.

If you find no scenery around that can be used as a foreground, try positioning a person in front of the lake with their back to the camera. This helps with depth perspective as well as giving you something to focus on.

• Creating the feeling being one with the lake

Instead of the typical shot, standing on the shore, try getting out on the lake to get a different perspective. Different angles are going to create unique perspectives and give the viewer a sense of being there. This first person perspective also puts your boat at the foreground of the shot, helping your audiences get a perspective of the size of the lake.

The boat in the foreground is also a part of the beauty of the photo. Whether it is a rusty haul or a ripped spinnaker, these things are what make the vessel special. The ship should take over about 1/4 of the photo that way the rest of the scene is visible while still being able to capture the small details of the ship and give your photo some character.

Try zooming in with a big aperture and then use a flip-screen viewfinder, which most cameras have, to take a photo as if your audience was swimming in the lake.

• The use of shore scenery and manufacturing a reflection

While shooting lakes, it should be noted that shorelines can create a great scene. Unique objects sticking up into the clouds or their reflection bouncing off the calm water.

In this photograph, the two most noticeable elements are the clouds which are like fire in the sky and the windmills that are neatly arranged along the shore. Without these windmills and the clouds in the sky, such a lake landscape is plain. We also can feel just how calm the lake is by seeing the reflection perfectly reflected like a mirror.

In the early morning or evening, because the low temperature, the water’s surface often creates a thin mist. Select the location where the sun is sure to hit, shrink the aperture and pay attention and reducing exposure, then you can shoot a golden mist scene.

• Pay attention to the size of the lake

Remember that as a photographer, your mobility can’t be always limited. Step back from the shoreline to show the size of the lake.

When walking on icy lakes, pay attention to those parts that have no completely frozen, pay attention to the shape of the representative of the puddles, and take a low position to get the reflection in the puddle, using an ultra-wide angle lens, and with the puddle in the center position of the screen.

Or you can climb up to a place where you can overlook the whole or most of the lakes and use the shape of the lakeshore to show the size and vastness of the lake.

• Focus on traces of human activity

In addition to focusing on natural lakes in this area, the human environment is also an indispensable aspect. Since the birth of human civilization, the waterfront is home to most of the world’s indigenous people. So lakes, of course often always hold traces of human activity, which are sometimes worth shooting.

Bring a waterproof camera and a partner to swim with, then shoot some photos with the camera half-way in the water can capture the depth of the lake and to see the horizon.

Follow the local fishermen or fishing enthusiasts to the lake and shoot them immersed in their favorite activity.

If you are shooting the stars of the sky, the location next to the lake is also a very good idea. The frozen or still lake can reflect the light of the stars and create a more eye-catching image. You can also keep your tent lit up; a bright color tent is more noticeable from a distance.

• Unique views and exotic lakes

Lake Powell in Western Australia is one of the world’s rarest lakes. It boasts a natural pink color and is enthusiast photographers dream. Such a location should not be missed for perfect lake shooting.

The small lakes that exist in the desert are also rare. The simple geological formations and monotone tones generally present in the desert are the perfect backdrops for these precious diamonds in the rough.

In winter bound ice lakes, huge cracks can form in the ice and the water underneath becomes clear. These cracks create very beautiful lines, which show the magnificent power of nature.

Over the past couple years, getting a bird’s eye view is no longer just a fantasy. With the emergence of drones, a new creative space for photographers has emerged. Armed with a drone and a camera, take to the skies and see the lakes from a totally new perspective.

Throughout the world, there are beautiful lakes just waiting to be photographed. This mission we ask you to go out armed with any camera that you have and captivate some beautiful scenery.