ViewBug community member arpandas is a landscape photographer who knows how to capture the perfect light and moment. Enjoy our conversation below and learn the tips and tricks behind his awarded image.
Location:
I took this photo at Lake Bled in Slovenia, one of the most beautiful countries in Europe.
Lighting:
Most amazing and most difficult lighting situation I have ever photographed. Since I was taking the photo from the top of the mountain and I was capturing a wide view of the area during the sunrise, different areas had different kinds of lights. During the sunrise and sunset, you already have the most dynamic light condition that is a strong contrast between highlight and shadows.
Equipment:
I used a Canon 6D, a Manfrotto tripod, a 17-40 f/4.0 L series lens, Lee Big stopper, and also Lee Landscape polariser filter.
Inspiration The main inspiration came from Max Rive, an amazing landscape photographer. I always admired and followed him and his works and he is one of the inspirations for me. He generally stands in his picture himself to describe the scale of the image. In this case, it was not me but a friend of mine was standing on the edge of the mountain and looking towards the lake. The clouds were moving towards him and it can be described as a freeze-out of time.
Post-Editing:
I always think post-processing is an important part of photography nowadays. It helps to amplify the image. For this image, I used different exposures with the same setting as my ISO, aperture, focal length were fixed. I used 4 different exposures for different positions as I said the light was not the same everywhere and also an exposure with the LEE BIG STOPPER for the cloud motion. However, the cloud was not moving in this direction. So I added another radial blur filter in photoshop to point it to the observer to create more drama. I used Tony Kuyper Luminosity masks to blend everything. I mainly used Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop CC for post-processing.
In my camera bag:
A camera, a wide-angle lens, Tripod, a dry cloth, a cable release, a Led light for the night, and the filters.
Tips:
If you take a selfie put your camera in continuous mode with some gap of time so that you can go to that location. If you have wireless shutter release or you can connect your camera to your phone you can also do that. First think about what you want to accomplish with your photo, then capture it properly. Capture all the exposures needed by looking at your histogram so that you don't lose anything. Choose sunrise or sunset so that you have the most dramatic light. Also, choose partly cloudy weather to have dramas in the sky.
Check out these landscape photography video tutorials if you want to learn more about landscape photography and Monument valley photography tips.
