Lake Ray Hubbard looks unusually smooth and ethereal when captured by using a photography method called daytime long exposure.
Lake Ray Hubbard
The lake, technically it’s a Dallas reservoir, was made in the 1960s. They built the Rockwall-Forney Dam across the Trinity River’s East Fork. And then boom! That’s when the lake came to life. They named it after a guy who presided over the Dallas Parks and Recreation System board from 1943 to 1972. Not the country singer. Since then, folks have been flocking there for all sorts of fun stuff like boating, fishing, and just chillin’ by the water. It’s become one of the go-to spots for people in this area of Texas to go and hang out for the day.
For two years I live in an apartment that was on the Rowlett side of the lake. While living there I occasionally visited some areas of the lake near me to photograph it. For the most part, I felt the photos were uninteresting and needed a different perspective of the lake. I photographed the lake at different times of the day, from remote locations, and various vantage points. Nothing was doing the trick. Then while watching some photographers on YouTube I noticed some of their photos of bodies of water during the day looked really smooth and cool. That is when I began to do some research into daytime long exposures.
Daytime Long Exposure Photography
Daytime long exposure photography is very similar to its more commonly known nocturnal counterpart. This type of photography challenges us to explore the play of light and motion during daylight hours. We do this by attaching specialized filters to my lens called neutral density filters and using extended exposure times. This technique can unlock a realm where bustling city streets transform into ethereal streams of motion and serene landscapes blur into dreamlike visions. As you can see in these photos of Lake Ray Hubbard.
I’m not a photographer but I enjoyed your article. I will pass it along to a photographer friend. My favorite pic is the one of the sole branch sitting on the serene water.
Thanks a lot Leslie! I’m glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing it! That photo and the white one are my favorites.