Secret Stairs Mara Lake

by Connie
(Langley, BC, Canada)

This is a hidden staircase located in the forest outside my brother-in-law's home leading to a lake.

I was hoping to capture the curve that makes you wonder ...where do they go?...........what's at the top? .....

I love the fact they are enveloped by all the beautiful foliage and the way the light showcases the stairs.


This is one of those scenes where, as Connie states, makes you wonder . . .

It's good to get a certain element of wonderment into a picture. Artists have been doing this for centuries – after all, we're still wondering what the Mona Lisa is smiling at!

The good thing about Connie's photo is that it adds this wonderment. So could it be improved?

Well, the stairs are partly hidden. I think a different angle would have emphasised this "hidden-ness".

Imagine if the photo had been taken from a slightly lower viewpoint, and with some foliage obscuring the lens a little. It would be as if we, the viewers, were peering through the forest.

Another area where this photo could be improved is with the light. I wonder if Connie has the chance to visit this spot in the late evening, or better still, early morning?

The reason I bring this up is that the light is better late in the day and early in the morning. In the middle of the day the light is quite harsh, and the result is too much contrast in the photo. Go back to Connie's photo – the stairs are bright white but the foliage has some very dark patches.

The best time for these sort of photos is in what photographers call the "golden hour" – it's the hour after sunrise, and the hour after sunset.

My final tip is a bit of a cheat really – this photo could have some mist added in Photoshop. Not too much, just a little to emphasise that wonderment that Connie was after!

Just my thoughts, and thanks for the submission Connie.

Ed.

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