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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo near the end of the Bald Rock Trail boardwalk, in Cheaha State Park. The end of this trail leads to an overlook boulder that is the highest point in the state of Alabama.Time
It was about 4:15 pm on the last day of 2015 when I began down the Bald Rock Trail, and I finally captured this shot at 4:53 pm.Lighting
I had hoped to capture the last sunset in 2015 amongst this mountain top, but thick fog deemed a decent sunset unlikely. As the sun quickly dropped, the fog began to diffuse the light and brighten the setting with an orange glow, despite it being after sunset. Walking back, the boardwalk grew eerie and the incoming fog and lighting provided me with the perfect shot.Equipment
For this shot I used my Sony A7S, paired with the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 art lens, on top of the Manfrotto Befree tripod.Inspiration
With the plans for my original shot falling through, I made the best of my hike by looking for other shots in the falling light. Stepping back onto the trail, the eerie sight of fog rolling through the trees and over the wooden planks of the boardwalk reminded me of a horror movie. The emotions evoked from the scene laid out before me was what drove me to capture this moment and share it with the world.Editing
Originally, this was shot in full color. However, I knew the Sony A7S captured great details in dark areas, and the color version of this photo didn't quite portray the true emotions I felt while taking the photo. It was bright, washed out, and primarily orange. It wasn’t until I took the photo into lightroom and converted it to black and white that I started to regain the emotions I had in that original moment.In my camera bag
I do a lot of long distance hikes and overnights when on my landscape photography trips, so weight is something I have to consider while packing. The first thing I always bring is my Sony A7S because it is lightweight and can capture details even when it is completely dark.Then I make sure I have my incredibly sharp Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 and the equally sharp Sigma 35mm f/1.4. My Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens, Manfrotto Befree tripod, intervalometer, and some cleaning tools are the last in the bag before I hit the roadFeedback
The best advice I can give to anyone trying to capture something similar is to be willing to adapt quickly. After 500 miles of driving, to capture the last sunset of 2015 from this mountaintop, thick fog swiftly destroyed those plans. I looked around for another opportunity and finally landed on this ghostly boardwalk. So, be willing to adapt. Even if the circumstances aren't anywhere close to what you had in mind, you never know what you might end up with.