A couple of weeks ago I visited Lac de Neuchâtel near Estavayer-le-Lac in Switzerland with photographer friends Michael Diblicek and Athena Carey. The plan was to do some long exposure photography together. It was a very windy day with dark clouds. Luckily there were also a few little patches of blue, to let some sunlight slip through once in a while. We searched for interesting locations along the borders of the lake for quite a while. At some point, we got lucky and stumbled into a little hidden beach with 6 or 7 abandoned piers in various states of decay. So we found our subjects, had some big waves, an exciting sky with cloud movement and patches of light hitting Lac de Neuchâtel. Great ingredients for creating minimalist lake landscape in B&W.
Tranquillity, a soothing lake landscape with two piers
A soothing minimalist lake landscape in black & white, with two abandoned piers in a tranquil lake ( Lac de Neuchâtel) on a foggy day.
Because (and despite) of the wind, I decided to go for exposures of one to three minutes to smoothen the water as much as possible. I expected the waves and light patches to create a subtle milky effect in the resulting photographs. The minimalist lake landscape in B&W to the right is one of the photos I got away with: a rough-looking lake magically turned into a tranquil one. Its title is Tranquillity. I hope you like this fine art photograph!?
The photograph was taken using a Nikon D3x with a Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. A stack of 2 neutral density filters pushed the exposure time to 4 minutes.
Click on the photograph to learn more about it or if you want to buy a print or a licence.
Cheers, Johan 🙂
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Interested to see more minimalist lake landscapes in B&W? Tranquillity is part of our Minimalist photography theme. You will see similar photos there, including:
Alternatively, check out our Black & White Photography portfolio to find more B&W photographs.
fantastic minimalism.
Thank you Ben. Always appreciate your feedback!
This is so excellent. I love it!!
Thanks again Sinead 😀
Wow. This is indeed a tranquil and serene photo.
Thanks for the kind words Gabriel :)
Perfect title! Excellent shot! :)
Thanks again Neil !
Love the negative space in your LE!
many thanks again Sharon 😀
brilliant!
thanks for having a look. Glad you like this :)
yes 🙂 the dive was definitely worth it .. you are most welcome!
Julia Anna: very kind. Really appreciate your feedback!
Thanks again Aileen and Shane!
tranquility indeed! this is pure Zen. : )
Another wonderful work!
This is really gorgeous Johan! Love it, composition and tones, perfect!! :)
Superba …liscia!
Thank you Sabrina !
Thanks Francis and Laurent !! Very kind 🙂
Really great comp Johan. This is so serene and I really like the inclusion of the mountains on the horizon, it adds so much more depth to the photo. Great work!
Superb composition and light, Johan !
Excellent LE and processing work, Johan.
Thanks a bunch David !
Wonderful in simplicity Johan!…
Dank je wel Jan !
Gorgeous light and tone
Thanks again Nathan !
Stunning Johan, really like the composition and fantastic tones
Thank you very much Rohan! Really appreciated.
You’re definitely talented at LE photography Johan! Great exposure and composition. The smooth tonal gradations are a great touch and it’s that what makes a great seascape LE photograph! Or for that matter it’s what makes a great BW photograph in general – Looking forward to more!
Thanks for the feedback Joel! Highly appreciated!!!
Mikko: thanks again Mikko!
Steve: thanks Steve. Glad you like it 🙂
Sinead: love it that you love it!
I love it! The effect worked perfectly….it is so serene and beautiful.
So amazingly calming – beautiful soft light
Very peaceful and magically beautiful Johan!
Beautiful….well composed and processed!
Thanks for the kind words Sharon. Highly appreciated!
@Markus: thank you as well Markus!
@Walter: thanks for the compliment! I love +Hengki Koentjoro’s work as well 🙂
@Eric: thank you! Yes, it was good fun. Pitty you are not closer to CH. You could join one day :)
@Piper: thanks thanks thanks 😉 Glad you like it! Long exposure photography is different but very relaxing as well! For me it is a nice change from what I usually do.
LOVE LOVE LOVE….This inspires me to get out of my box and try something new.
Great LE Johan , I’m sure u had good fun with Athena and Michael
Great shot and a well deserved winner Johan , your work is reminiscent of that of one of my favourite Monochrome Photographers, Hengki Koentjoro who does consistently amazing work.
Johan Peijnenburg good evening and that looks wonderful.
ooo, this is such an incredible picture Johan Peijnenburg
Thanks Ada :)
Excellent minimalistic long exposure shot. Great work !
Danke Carsten!!
Boy oh boy I can just stare at this stunning, tranquil image for hours. Absolutely goegeous!
Thank you very much for the compliment David!!! Really glad you like it so much 🙂
No doubt abouts. It’s a superb photo. The finest greys ever I saw.
Very kind words Gilberto! Thanks!
Sophie: thanks, thanks, thanks!
Johan: thanks for the compliment Johan!
Martin: danke vielmals!
Peter: thank you as well for the kind words!
Martin: it does, doesn’t it 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!
Allan: thank you and glad you like it!
Christian: that’s what I wanted to achieve. Thanks!
Sumit: thanks Sumit. Glad you are back :)
Surreal shot. Great!
Hey Johan Peijnenburg. Congratulation for the MCM Most Popular Photo of the Week. Bravo a Masterpiece.. Chapeau
A great capture Johan – well done !
An amazing minimalistic LE image with an interesting pov!
Great great great Johan !!
Very nicely done!
Wellness for my eyes 🙂 I love the calm mood of this shot. Great one!
Johan Peijnenburg congrats on the MCM pic of the week!!!
Nice pic…
Looks icy. Nice shot
Goldie and Gabriele: thank you!
Jerry: thanks again!
Samia: thanks for the very kind words!
johan peijnenburg,this is not a mere photo,it is serenity whithin a photo.amazing horizon
Johan: as I had the pleasure of saying earlier in the week, this is a gorgeous photo!! Congrats, but it is no surprise that this beauty was the most popular MCM photo.
So peaceful, and almost eerie… well done!
Congratulations!
@Thomas: thanks you. Glad you feel zen!
@Francesco: thanks and hope all is well in Italy!
@Lili: thanks for the compliment 🙂
@Wilfried: thanks! Did you ever try LE’s or is that too dangerous .. uhm, slow for you?
@Andy: thanks a bunch Andy!
@Patrice: merci!
I did LE’s, I like that kind of photography. But I can’t afford to carry a tripod up to mountains and on climbs that are known to push you to your personal performance limits and beyond… Additionally, you’d never have time to use it. But – luckily – I can enjoy yours :-)!
I was expecting an answer like that Wilfried:) Have a great weekend!
Great minimal image Johan! Silky smooth, masterful!
I really need a ND filter… 🙂 Cool shot, peaceful..
Johan, this is of absolute tranquility, it’s almost frozen! Good you preserved the structure of the clouds, and the framing is… perfect. Thank you for posting this one, my friend!
Tranquility indeed. Beautiful :)
Pure beauty Johan! Well done my friend!!!
beautiful. makes me want to just sit there and look at it – and maybe meditate
Maurizio, Randall, Kerry and Sandy: thank you all very much for the kind words :)
That is so cool, Johan! Great work!
Soooo smooth! Just stunning, Johan!
Such a beautiful image, Johan! Strong composition!
Great minimalist shot
I like this one pretty much, where have you taken this?:)
Hey Laura. Thank you. This is Lac de Neuchâtel near Estavayer-le-Lac. I am hoping to go shoot long exposures near you, but that all depends on when I can pick up certain gear :)
@Ian: thanks Ian! It was a great day with some nice results 🙂
@Christopher: thanks for the compliment Christopher and nice to meet you!
Stunning–beautiful in its simple composition and timeless mood.
Nice! Really liking the Le Johan. Looks like it was a productive day for you guys!
@Gemma, @Don, @Ben, @Dawid: thanks all for the nice comments!
@Anette: thanks! Have you gone practicing with the new stuff already?
what do you think ? Sitting at home and babysitting our dog or what -:)))) just this morning I went up to our lake in the forest and did a few test runs. I need to check them out later. To busy now. Btw, there was a big stopper on the fotoflohmarkt, but sold already. Did you buy it ? Was 200CHF. Cheaper to get it than sent from the UK! I got now all my stuff….ooohhh all, yeah. Me happy 🙂 Wildlife here, my daughter just told me there is a black panther running loose in Swissy! Shall we go after it, would be like finding a needle on the Matterhorn 🙂
Anette, what new stuff did you get?? :)
Was just curious Anette 🙂 I received my stuff from them as well!
@Diego New stuff is Lee filters. We have found a reseller in the UK which has most of the “stuff” in stock. Well, now maybe not anymore. Johan and me have been shopping last week and the week before 🙂
Now I just want a Singh Ray filter reverse. That is costy and the shipping is more than 60 US bucks, …. are you still sitting on your chair Diego ? :)) The shipping is insane from the US. I also want a new bag ( old one will fall appart soon, finally found what I was looking for ) Europe, forget to search for it, it is not sold here in Europe. I wish I would still live in Asia. There I could get everything. But to add another 65 US bucks on a quite expensive bag. Will check Ryan air if they fly over. Than at least I can have bacon and eggs :)
I like the tension in this one. The whole left side, although empty, balances this frame out nicely. Well done!
Thanks Olivier!
Very nice Johan!
Hi Johan … I viewed large and small. Large is much better, as usual. Wonderful image, love it :)
Superb shot Johan Peijnenburg
Nice one Johan , love the crop and the horizon in the top 3rd.
wow, what a wonder, so calm and in a perfect light
@Maggy: thank you. I always love your enthousiasme 😀
@Yasmin: thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks …… 😉
@Michael: thanks for the kind words Michael!
@Guy: thank you and thanks for stopping by!
Thanks Robert and Suzanne!!
@Margaret: you’re too kind 🙂 Glad it’s not a nightmare 😉
@Andrew: your comment made my day! Much appreciated!
I’ve had this image sitting on-screen for awhile doing things and just beautiful to look at the screen when walking by. Really love what you’ve done here Johan. it’s an awesome minimal comp too with a great feel. Great work as always.
This is incredibly beautiful! It’s like a dream and I don’t want to wake up! It’s extraordinary!!!!
Love the almost infinite quality of the horizon line. Truly lovely image.
Wonderful work! Johan
Great composition and tones.
Love the long crop, very good work on the exposure choice too.
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful……… ;)
Wowww, what a great work, Johan!!! Outstanding image!!!
@Vitor: Thanks 🙂
@Nikola: Very true! Thanks!
@David: merci David 🙂
@Kurt: glad you like it Kurt! It was an all or nothing day 🙂
@Emanuele: glad there is a story for you and that you like it!
@markus rienzner: glad you like it Markus!
@Paul Turkowski: thanks for the kind words!
@Steve Aldrich: thanks Steve. Well spotted. Thanks for stopping by!
Great LE work Johan ! This image gives me a suggestion: the two piers say me something about the continuity and the interruption of existence…
Gorgeous work Johan! I’m glad it worked out as this is a very beautiful scene.
Perfect LE my friend!! :)
Great work Johan as I say before, minimalism, LE and water surface a great combination….
Very cool image!
Beautiful work!
Yes, Johan. I need to learn to make images like this. Not right away of course…but hopefully some day!
thanks for the compliment! If the passion is there, you will get there. And it actually is a nice and different way of photographing:)
I agree. I’m very passionate with it at the moment. :)
Then you will get there … along with the right filters 🙂
I like those hints of places beyond.
Awesome work Johan! Really like this composition.
wow..the composing is wonderful and this long exposing image its brilliant!!!
Wow, that’s a stunning LE Johan. Love the Pano 2:1 format, it really works so well with this.
Beautiful processing, love all that central light in the centre of the image. Wonderful smooth water.
And the hills and town in the top right really give some wonderful balance to the overall image.
pfjew, really glad you like it! You saw a preview of this one on my LCD using the hoodman thingy remember? Now you know why i wasn’t shooting in portrait mode :D
Yeah, i can see why now, the horizontal format is class.
the only doubt I had was about where to put the horizon and subsequently the piers. All three options I had worked quite well, but liked this one best.
personally i think it works well as it is in terms of composition and horizon.
It was quite difficult to get any height here , giving us the opportunity to pull the piers down from the horizon.
The fact that you used both piers in the composition, compensates for the additional height.
thanks for the confirmation! The one I took sitting down on my knies on the windy pier, worked out very well as well to my surprise. How were your images from this location?
Jerry: thanks Jerry for the compliment and having a look “on white”! Sorry, forgot to mention you irt the theme … I am losing track 🙂
Dylan: thank you! Hope all is wel in SA!
All is well, winter is making its way over here. Do you want it back so you can send us more cool photos of mountains? ;-)
thank you … but nah … I have plenty of winter stuff still to proces. I am enjoying the warmer weather now :)
Glad I’m not the only one behind schedule.
I sometimes catch up, but then I always decide that it is better to go shooting then sit behind a computer screen :)
Go shooting I say! Have a great evening Johan, you can be proud of this one.
tomorrow again 🙂 Have a great evening as well!
Like it very much Johan
Johan for me, the soft but pronounced horizon is my favourite aspect of this gorgeous photo.
White is the proper background for it, indeed. :-)
@Mark: glad you like it Mark!
@Robin: thanks! Yes, it was. It is getting warmere here now by the way 😀
@Hengki: thanks for the compliment Hengki!
Yeah, for warm, Johan! ;oD
Great minimalism
Exquisite, Johan! It’s really hard to believe that the water was rough––it’s just perfect!
Amazing shot!
Superb minimalist image Johan ! It is incredible how areas by lakes can be so interesting sometimes! Congrats!
thanks! Yes they can. This was my first attempt for LE’s at Lac de Neuchâtel. It was worth it!
Hey thanks Milena and Peter! Glad you like it!
Gorgeous!
wonderful temperate light and nice details…, fantastic LE work, Johan.
Instant bliss, I get lost in this, so beautifully done and phenomenal seen large!
that is very nice to here Louisa!!!
@Mikael: thank you!!
@Matthias: thanks for the rocking comment! And yes, you should get them. They are hard to get … I did get lucky though … broke a big stopper last week and received a replacement today already …. hihaaa:)
I really need those Lee Filters, too. This rocks so much Johan Peijnenburg
lovely le shot with a sweet, lonesome composition and tonality too.
Very nice Johan
Wow Johan, what a sublime mood you created here !! Like the beautiful tones and the balance due to the negative space plus the 2:1, my prefered format :))
Thanks Stefanie! Thought the 2:1 fitted the subject better. It was a struggle to decide where to put the horizon … in the middle worked and at the bottom as well.
It´s perfect for me as it is Johan :)) Oh and I forgot to add this hint of a village on the upper left, glad you left that inside :))
thanks and well spotted. I did “mystify” that village and the mountain range behind it a touch to balance the image a bit better.
Perfection !!
thanks again Beverley :D
Great shot, I am impressed by your LE captures.
Merci Yann! It’s fun to do am getting the hang of it :)
Yeah why not Diego. I will just call it a alpine photo walk instead of a Swiss photo walk :)
awesome! I’ve to find the right weekend… free from my “wedding planner” stuff ;)
Just let me know Diego and maybe we can make it work. Maybe there would be others who like to join as well …
simply gorgeous .. love it, Johan!
Thanks a buch Liz and Meg. Appreciate it a lot !
Wonderful ~ I love this :)
So peaceful :)
Thanks Keith and Sudip for the kind words and the visit :)
Lovely photo Johan! It just whispers serenity ;)
Amazing Johan, Love it :)
@Dane: thanks for the compliment Dane!
@Diego: thanks! Any lakes near where you are?
of course! there’s a little one, the Lake of Ceresole Reale, it’s the starting point of many hiking path :)
thanks …. that’s only a 4 hour drive for me 🙂 It’s located in a national parc no? Is it nice over there
yes Gran Paradiso national park… some Bearded Vultures live there ;)
I am going to check it out Diego. It is a nice route via one of my favourite mountain passes!
so we can schedure a visit :)
Awesome shot! I’m taking notes :)
@Shelly and @Rznag: thank you !!!
@Manuel: glad you like it Manuel!
@Athena: thank you 🙂 I was sitting on an overturned boat yes! Looking forward to the next one as well!
Outstanding!
So serene Johan! And I know just where you were standing (or sitting on the overturned boat?) when you took this. 🙂 It was a lovely day with you and Michael. I am already looking forward to the next. :)
Wow Johan, this is a stunning and breathtaking seascape, really incredible!
superb shot Johan .. i like this a lot
Beautiful!
Very peaceful, love the composition!!!!
Thanks a bunch Dave!