Behind the Lens: Capturing "Blueberry leaves" (ep2)

As previewed in my last episode, I want to continue my series "Behind the Lens: Capturung..." with my photo "Blueberry leaves".

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  Blueberry leaves (Lapland - Sweden)

You might have read my first "Behind the Lens" featuring Lapporten. After capturing that moody sunset, I continued my hike towards the Abiskojaure river. The light was fading, and the sky grew increasingly overcast. I wasn’t sure if I would get another opportunity to shoot with beautiful light, but I remained hopeful, pushing forward along the trail.

My journey led me to the well-trodden Kungsleden trail, a famous route among hikers and nature enthusiasts. The first part of the path took me through an area frequently used for camping, but on that particular day, there was only one. The distant sound of a rushing river added to the immersive atmosphere — normally, a scene like this would be enough to satisfy me after already capturing one successful shot. But my creativity wasn’t done for the day; an insistent drive kept me searching for another great shot.

As I followed the trail further, I reached a viewpoint at a bend in the Abiskojaure river. The scene before me was breathtaking — the river curved along steep rock edges, its roar echoing through the valley. The upper edges of the cliffs were adorned with stunning, colorful red leaves from blueberry bushes.

I was searching for the perfect composition. The edge of the cliffs was partially steep, while other sections were densely covered with trees. Achieving a balanced composition was challenging — the cliffs rose and fell unevenly, the river curved, and I had to ensure that the rock face on the opposite side of the river didn’t dominate the frame. 

I experimented with different compositions—positioning myself in the middle of the bend, capturing the scene from the top of the viewpoint, and moving down to the water’s edge, incorporating rocks in the foreground for added depth. However, none of the shots felt quite right. The compositions seemed unbalanced, distracting elements kept creeping into the frame, and the scene lacked the impact I was hoping for.

Eventually, I found a small patch of blueberry plants right at the edge of the cliff. I positioned my tripod about 10 cm from the cliff’s edge, hoping the ground was stable enough. From above, I couldn’t tell whether I was standing on solid rock or overhanging, root-covered ground.

While I had used a slight telephoto lens for my shot of Lapporten, this location called for a dramatic wide-angle photo. I used my manual Laowa 12mm lens, which I love not only for its excellent focal length for dramatic shots but also for its superb mechanical craftsmanship. I carefully set up my camera, adjusting my composition to include both the river’s curvature and the dramatic mountain backdrop. A long exposure technique helped smooth the water’s surface, enhancing the scene’s tranquil feel. To achieve the desired exposure, I used an ND64 filter. The foreground leaves, only about 20 cm from the lens, posed a challenge — even at f/11, the depth of field wasn’t enough to keep the entire scene sharp. To overcome this, I took six additional shots at varying focus points, intending to merge them later in Photoshop for a fully detailed composition.

Though I had been uncertain about the lighting conditions when I started my hike, this moment proved that nature always has something special to offer. It’s not always about golden-hour perfection—sometimes, the moodiness of a scene tells a more compelling story. This shot, taken at Abiskojaure’s river bend, became one of my favorites from the journey, a testament to the patience and persistence that landscape photography often demands.