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Mountain and flags #1

Mountain and flags, Dachstein Massiv, Austria

The story behind this image

How do you feel about putting people and buildings in your landscape photos? Are you a purist, refusing to point your camera at anything that has even a hint of the presence of man? Or are you, like me, a pragamist, including anything in your photographic endeavours that actually works as a photograph?

I took this photo while Liz and I were waiting for our turn on the cable car that would carry us up to the top of the Dachstein glacier.

The elements, (flags, mountain, people) are tightly composed, giving a structure to the composition. But most importantly the family group shown in this photo are organised and purposeful, looking like they're just setting off on an epic day's hiking.

To get this shot first of all I set myself up in position with the flags where I wanted them relative to the mountain, and then I waited as several people wandered past. I saw this family striding along and when they were in just the right spot in the frame I pressed the shutter.

Image data


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Filename - mountain flags 01.jpg

Camera - Canon 5D

Lens - 24-105mm zoom @ 35mm

Exposure - 1/640sec @ f11, ISO400

Location - Dachstein Massiv, Austria

This image - 800x533px JPEG

Conversion - ACR & PS-CS2

Comments - Fast shutter speed used to freeze motion.