joshbryant

Storm over Madison River Valley

A storm looms over the Madison River Valley in the western part of Yellowstone National Park about an hour before sunset....
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A storm looms over the Madison River Valley in the western part of Yellowstone National Park about an hour before sunset.
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Jun, 2016

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Awards

Action Award

Zenith Award

Creative Winter Award

Curator's Selection

Top Shot Award 21

Legendary Award

Member Selection Award

Winner in Landscape Reflections Photo Challenge

Absolute Masterpiece

+16

Superb Composition

+11

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

Peer Award

Magnificent Capture

All Star

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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo in the Madison River Valley of Yellowstone National Park, which was the second of 3 National Parks I was visiting with my family for this trip.

Time

It was about an hour or so before sunset, but I wasn't there for a sunset shot.

Lighting

The combination of being in the golden hour and having the storm clouds forming over head provided for some great lighting. It really made the green grass pop.

Equipment

I rented a Canon 5DSR and 11-24mm f/4L for this trip. I also used my Sirui carbon fiber tripod.

Inspiration

I was actually looking for Moose to photograph. A Park Ranger told me some had been spotted in the area. I drove all the way to the west gate of the park, stopping at every pullout without spotting any Moose. While driving back to camp I decided to check a pullout near the river one last time. This is when I noticed a storm had rolled in behind me. As soon as I saw it, I knew I needed to get a shot. I jumped out of my van and quickly swapped lenses, then ran down to the river bank to setup for the shot. The river was glassy smooth providing beautiful reflections.

Editing

I shot 7 exposures and merged them to HDR in Lightroom, then took it to Photoshop to make a few adjustments with a couple Topaz Labs plug-ins. My goal was to keep it looking natural and bring out a lot of details. I think it accurately portrays the awe inspiring beauty that I saw that evening.

In my camera bag

I have a backpack that fits both my work and hobby in it. Currently I'm carrying around my Canon T3i, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, EF 24-70 f/2.8L II USM, EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro, and EF-S 10-18mm lenses. I also have 3 different sizes of CPL filters and UV filters, 3 spare batteries, a Speedlite 430EX-RT III flash, cleaning supplies, a Sirui carbon fiber tripod, my work laptop, and misc cords and chargers. I usually take the laptop and chargers out to reduce weight when I go out to take pictures.

Feedback

Be prepared to setup quickly for a shot you weren't expecting to take. Lighting changes quickly around sunrise and sunset, especially when weather arrives. It started raining minutes after I took this shot. If I hadn't acted quickly, I would have missed it. Stability is vital for a shot like this, so a tripod is absolutely essential. Having a light weight tripod that could be setup quickly was really what made this shot possible.

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joshbryant

joshbryant

Storm over Madison River Valley

A storm looms over the Madison River Valley in the western part of Yellowstone National Park about an hour before sunset.... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow joshbryant

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A storm looms over the Madison River Valley in the western part of Yellowstone National Park about an hour before sunset....
Read more

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Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.