...And it dawned on me, at last... [explored on 2022/05/01]

... that I should not merely survive my everyday life...
I am wandering through a muddy existential swamp, struggling to live through my days, constantly on the verge of physical and psychological exhaustion. I have been in need for a good early morning photographic session for months, but sadly lacking the inner spark to actually ignite it. I forced myself, at last, even "knowing" that it would have been an unsatisfactory trip; I was back to the little enchanted world of the meanders of the river Adda, downstream the Lake Como - my little secret garden. A deep peace pulsed around me, if not within myself, a striking variety of bird calls interweaving with each other to compose a rich living tapestry, a symphony unfolding over the low murmurs of the lazy waters.

We have been experiencing a severe drought for the last months, the major Italian rivers reduced to thin, shallow streams snaking along gravel banks. The rivers are revealing long hidden mementos of the last war and even fossilised skeletons of ancient animals living in the Padan plain when it was a swampy savannah.
I have tread on places usually covered with water, nonetheless the river is still able to show its beauty in this specific location.
The sky was still unnervingly cloudless, as it always is lately, yet there was a beautiful, golden light - and the trees were wearing their springy, festive dress, encrusted with amazingly coloured filigrees of budding leaves.

To be honest, I am posting one of the most flawed photos from that session - technically speaking, at last. Yes, it is endowed with a huge lot of technical flaws, but I have fallen in love with it (and no better alternatives capturing that fleeting moment) so I processed the bracketing and I am posting it, hoping that it can still send positive vibes to your souls.

Explored on 2022/05/01 nr. 34

I have processed this picture by blending an exposure bracketing [-2.0/-1.0/0/+1.0/+2.0 EV] by luminosity masks with the Gimp (EXIF data, as usual, refer to the "normal" exposure shot), then I added some final touches with Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Along the journey I tried the inverted RGB blue channel technique described by Boris Hajdukovic, which has contributed especially to the trees in the distance and their reflections. As usual, I gave the finishing touches with Nik Color Efex Pro 4. Raw files processed with Darktable.

Taken in: Italy / Lombardy / Olginate / Fornasetta Superiore (show map)

Taken on: April 10, 2022

Tags:

Italia

Italy

Adda

fiume

River

meanders

wetlands

zona umida

autumn

fall

autunno

alba

early morning

sunrise

daybreak

dawn

golden light

golden hour

hills

leaves

colours

colourful

palette

foliage

water

reflection

riflessi

harmony

armonia

silence

quiet

light and shadows

pioppi

salici

poplars

willows

hillsided

colline

glowing light

shining

spark

glow

Nikon

D750

the Gimp

Darktable

luminosity masks

24 mm

wideangle

zoom

calm

peace

tranquillity

serenity

pace

serenità

Nikkor

24-120 mm

color efex pro 4

mirror image

fleeting

sunshafts « less

Sets appears in: • Explored photos • Silent banks more » • Sunrise « less

Groups appears in: • Flickr Addicts • Scenic Splendor more » • ! FavTop Master 500+ (P1, A+F4) « less

Camera: Nikon D750, f/18.0, 1/25 sec, 24mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D750
Aperture:	f/18.0
Exposure Time:	0.04 sec (1/25)
Focal Length:	24mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	GIMP 2.10.24
Show full info

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