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Contest Finalist in One Tree Photo Contest
Hero Award
Contest Finalist in Experimental Underexposure Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Playing With Exposure Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Compositions 101 Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Social Exposure Photo Contest Vol 2
Peer Award
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
Peter Hay Golf Course close to Pebble Beach Golf Course, 17 Mile Drive, Monterey Peninsula, on the Pacific coast of southern California.Time
About an hour before sunset.Lighting
Golden hour light hitting the heavy moss on the tree is what caught my eye. Without the light, the image would not have the impact.Equipment
Nikon D800E, 70-200mm zoom lens.Inspiration
Prior to taking the photograph, a deer was feeding on the golf course and I had been waiting (hoping) it would step into the light, filtering through the trees. It never did... but I had the chance to study the location, noticing the light hitting the tree moss. I liked the shape and simplicity of the tree and the fact it was a peaceful time and too late to tee off...Editing
There was considerable Photoshop work on the image because there was an enormous garbage can to the left of the bench. Also, the area behind the tree was thick with natural, wild shrubs. Since there was low light, thought it would work to clone out the shrubs and blacken that area. Also highlighted the moss and trunk in Camera Raw.In my camera bag
On road trips, I generally pack two cameras. The Nikon D800 and a Canon 1DX plus long and wide-angle lens so I don't have to keep changing lens. In my pack, I carry a camera and extra lens, battery, lens brush, ND filters, polarizing filter and tripod. For long, heavy lens used for birds, a monopod. Usually take a small flashlight and water (I live in Arizona!). Remote control if using filters for long exposure or HDRs.Feedback
Next to composition, lighting for me is a key factor. Light usually draws me to a location where I pan to see where the light is having the most impact. If I see something interesting composition-wise, I study the area closely. Sometimes will take test shots to see if the contrast with work and if I will need to do an HDR. Then, I like to take shots from several perspectives...shoot high, low, side...I can't always tell if the shot really worked at the time until I look at it on the screen, so all the extra images are kind of the "shotgun" affect...I'm often surprised that the image I thought would be best, isn't, that it looks much better from a different angle or exposure. Experiment all you can!