Scapes Judges’ Choice: Daybreak, Ju San Ji, Ju Wang San National Park, South Korea © Geoffrey Schmid-Showcase 2018
Bio: Geoffrey Schmid finds his greatest pleasure when putting himself in position to witness strange and beautiful displays of light and unique landscapes. He works to capture these moments creatively, respectfully, and, when at all possible, dynamically.
The rejuvenating, therapeutic qualities of working in nature keep him getting up in the cold, dark hours again and again in hopes of getting an image worthy of printing big and displaying prominently.
Geoff enjoys doing most of his own printing and framing. He has sold fine art prints at shows, online and in gift shops, licensed images to publications worldwide, and has earned a few awards in the process. He has been a NANPA member for over ten years.
Photographer: Geoffrey Schmid
Winning Image: Ju San Ji Pond, Ju Wang San National Park, South Korea
Related to your winning Showcase image:
How did you get the image?
Until recently, this was an obscure location in one of the lesser-traveled national parks in Korea. Locals know that a low fog regularly appears over the lake at dawn. I arrived and hiked in before sunrise with a plan. The friendly carp were a welcome surprise.
What was special about this opportunity you had to capture the image?
Without spending some time in the area and talking to the locals, I never would have discovered this scene. In a country with as much history as South Korea, the hand of man is always evident in even the most natural locations. The willow trees, roots submerged for most of the year, are over 300 years old.
What equipment and camera settings were you using to capture the image?
I used a Canon 5D MkIII with 16-35mm f/4 on a low tripod extended over the water with a graduated ND filter to knock down the sky a bit and used a polarizer to cut the reflection and render my finned friends in the foreground appropriately.
Related to your nature photography:
How long have you been photographing and what, in particular, got you into nature photography?
I became very serious about photography at a precociously early age. I saved up and bought my first SLR camera when I was 12 years old. Catching the nature photography bug now feels like it was inevitable. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, hiking, climbing and backpacking, I couldn’t consider not doing this!
Describe your nature photography experience level and current status.
Starting out with film and the black and white darkroom provided a firm foundation in exposure and sharpness, and a lot of the technical aspects have become second-nature for me. However, my sense of composition has always been intuitive. I’d never say I mastered anything because there is always more to learn.
How should people follow you or see more of your work?
My primary venue is my website at www.geoffreyschmidphotography.com. I’m not a big fan of social media and don’t maintain much of a presence on the popular forums and websites, but I will often try out new images by posting them to my accounts at flickr and 500px.
My NANPA Portfolio is: https://nanpa.org/portfolio/geoffrey-schmid/
