Jeff Bartlet - Alberta Autumn Social Media Campaign-8
Apr, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was taken below Athabasca Falls in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. It's one of my favourite locations in the national park simply because it is so rarely photographed. It takes a little bit of scrambling to get into the right position. The classic images of this location are usually from the bridge looking towards my camera rather than up the centre of the canyon.Time
The idea time to make this image is on an overcast day, when the mountains can be a true challenge. Cloudy skies give perfect balanced light, which fills in the deep canyon without the usual shadows and highlights that plague us on sunny days. Another option, and the one I used when I photographed this, was to wait until just after sunset. It made for a longer shutter speed, but provided the even lighting that I wanted.Lighting
The idea time to make this image is on an overcast day, when the mountains can be a true challenge. Cloudy skies give perfect balanced light, which fills in the deep canyon without the usual shadows and highlights that plague us on sunny days. Another option, and the one I used when I photographed this, was to wait until just after sunset. It made for a longer shutter speed, but provided the even lighting that I wanted.Equipment
I used a Nikon D800 camera with a 16-36 mm lens to capture this image, which is my favourite setup for landscape photography. I would have also been using my over-used Gitzo tripod, as it was a reasonably slow shutter speed. Although I didn't use them in this instant, I shoot many landscape images with Lee graduated neutral density filters. I prefer to capture the image in camera and limit my post processing time, so the filters allow me to capture a single frame rather than shoot multiple exposures that would need to be blended in post-processing.Inspiration
This image is located just twenty minutes from my house and I've photographed the location dozens of times. On this particular evening, I was showing a group of photography friends around Jasper. It was their first visit to the area, so it was an absolute must-see location. I made sure instagrammer @LaurenEPBath was in the frame to give it a bit of scale and to give her an epic profile photo!Editing
I would have done some minor post-processing in Adobe lightroom. Although I try to capture images in the camera, basic post-processing is always essential. My typical workflow includes tweaking the white balance and adjusting contrast with the highlights/shadows and whites/blacks slider. I try to avoid adding clarity, but will often use curves to pull more contrast into an image. I have a custom import setting that automatically turns on the "remove chromatic abberation" and "enable lens profile corrections" features on as I import. Both of these settings are essential.In my camera bag
I carry a lot of gear, so I'm constantly joking that I need to hire an assistant that's willing to carry my bag! Most people would probably quit on my the same day. I use two different cameras, but typically only carry one with me on a daily basis, depending on what I will be photographing. My Nikon D800 is the landscape workhorse, while the newer D750 does a better job in low light and has a faster fps for action sports. I typically carry four lenses: 16-35, 24-70, and 70-200 mm, along with a 20mm prime which I use primarily for video or night photography. Along with the lenses, I carry a Lee filter kit with both big stopper and little stopper ND filters, four different graduated ND filters, and a circular polarizer. The only other items in my camera bag are spare batteries, a lens cleaning kit, and a few miscellaneous items that come and go. Because I often shoot in the mountains, I also always carry a few outdoor essentials. I always have a raincoat, SPOT Gen 3 to call for emergency help, a headlamp and a snack.Feedback
I love the number of photographers I see exploring the Canadian Rockies. The area seems to gain popularity every year. The downside is, plenty of people are not showing smart outdoor practices while they create their images. I always encourage people to respect nature, but it should be especially obvious for landscape photographers. I always go out of my way to leave no trace. Whenever I leave the trails, I try my best to walk on hard surfaces so I don't cause erosion. I'll also never camp or stage a tent in an illegal location to create an image, simply because it would encourage other people to do the same thing. If we all work together to minimize our impact, then these wilderness areas will stay beautiful for the next generation of photographers.
