joelmcnaryjr
FollowBridges on a winter morning, Phoenixville, PA
Bridges on a winter morning, Phoenixville, PA
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in my home town of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. I got up early on January morning after a fresh snowfall and walked downtown to bridges over the creek that cuts through town.Time
This was taken early in the morning, about twenty minutes after sunrise. I had been taking pictures from other angles and worked my way over to the low bridge (not seen in the photo, but the one I am standing on to take this shot) in time to catch the early morning sun on the high bridge.Lighting
I tend to find that the best time for magic light is about twenty minutes after sunrise. The light from the sun is a warm gold at this time, but it doesn't fall on the landscape equally, leading to naturally occurring highlights. This shot illustrates that; the light from the sun casts the further, higher bridge in a warm glow, but that light hasn't yet crept its way down to the lower footbridge, leaving that bridge and the creek itself with still a bit of a bluish cast to it.Equipment
This was shot from a tripod with a Canon T4i, 18-135mm lens. It was a .4 second exposure at f/29 using an ISO rating of 100, and at a 35mm focal length. I used no other equipment for this shot.Inspiration
This is one of the rare moments when I actually got the shot I envisioned in my head. The snow had fallen the day before, and I knew that the storm clouds were going to be gone by morning. I wanted to get the early morning sunlight on the snow and set out before sunrise to get myself in position. I worked some other views as the sun was coming up, but I knew where I wanted to be at twenty minutes after sunrise, so I made sure to be there and got this shot. I would prefer a little more snow on the branches surrounding the footbridge, as the bare branches make the scene a little too busy for my liking, but overall the shot is what I was going for.Editing
I straightened the image and cropped it a little bit, but no significant alteration was made to the color or contrast. I do as much work as I can in the camera, but seem to have a slight tip in how I hold one (even on a tripod), leading me to adjust most of my images by 1 or 2 degrees.In my camera bag
I focus more on lenses than boxes, so my camera box is a simple Canon T4i. I have an 18-135 mm f/3.6-5.6 as my primary, all-purpose lens. I also carry a selection of prime lenses: 50 mm f/1.4, 85 mm f/1.8, and 24 mm f/2.8. I keep a couple of speedlights in the bag as well as a mish-mash of accessories: radio triggers, cable releases, filters, etc. About half the time I also have my (economy) big glass with me: a Tamron 150-600 mm f/5-6.3. My photog vest and rain covers are always close at hand, and I make sure to have a gray card for unusual lighting conditions. My tripod straps to the outside of my bag, so I am rarely without anything I need short of studio backdrops and lighting.Feedback
Make sure your alarm clock does not have snooze functionality and invest in Starbucks stock. Early mornings are key to shots like this, but don't be too disappointed if the light right at sunrise isn't quite as golden as you think it should be -- the warm, golden light will show. Study your maps and sunrise charts to make sure you are in the right place for your shot (apps like The Photographer's Ephemeris are great for this). Do not ignore the proper clothing for the job! In the winter, this means hats, boots, gloves, and earmuffs -- you will be outside for a significant amount of time, and you want to make sure you are comfortable and not freezing your fingers off. I found that the head tubes are great -- they can be a scarf or a complete head covering, are lightweight, and will fit under a hat.