JBordons
FollowThis photo was taken late in the afternoon through a glass window at the Desert View Watchtower.
This photo was taken late in the afternoon through a glass window at the Desert View Watchtower.
Read less
Read less
Views
2976
Likes
Awards
Action Award
Peer Choice Award
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Virtuoso
Superior Skill
Genius
Top Ranks
Categories
JBordons
September 15, 2017
Thank you, Kristie. The Canyon is beautiful. I had one day to shoot and, for the most part, the weather cooperated. I love the atmosphere captured in this photo.
Nicci007
September 20, 2017
It is really incredible when you get that perfect mixture of a good angle and height as well and it just gives you an image that looks as amazing as this!
JBordons
October 02, 2017
The weather cooperated for the one day I was at the Canyon. I'd like to return. I was amazed how much lighting changed the look of the Canyon. Thank you for your comment, Nicola.
carlodelman
November 21, 2023
Beautiful landscape. Suggestion--- See how it would look as a black and white print..
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken from a north-west facing window in the Desert View Watchtower, located near the east entrance of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA.Time
Late afternoon of December 30, 2016.Lighting
It was overcast and a bit hazy, and there was glare on the window glass.Equipment
I used a handheld Sony NEX-7 with a Zeiss 24 mm f/1.8 lens.Inspiration
I didn’t plan to take this photo. I saw the scene through the corner of my eye as I passed a window in the stairway when descending the tower. I backed up to take another look. It was a photo-worthy scene, but I didn’t think I could get a clear shot through the dirty window. I’m glad I tried anyway. Note to self: take the photo, even if you aren’t confident it will turn out.Editing
The post-processing attempted to reproduce scene I remembered seeing. The jagged rock window frame was cropped out and shadows were lifted. I increased the clarity and contrast enough to attenuate glare (from the window glass) and haze while preserving the sense of depth and rays of light streaking from Grand Canyon’s South Rim. To restore the tone in the over-exposed clouds, I placed the sky in a layer and adjusted the contrast and luminance curve. No color adjustments were made.In my camera bag
I like to travel light, taking only what I think will be necessary. When this photo was taken, my bag contained only the camera, mounted lens, extra battery, and lens pen, and pen and paper.Feedback
To improve the likelihood of capturing a sharp and saturated image through the dirty window, I pressed the lens and hood against the glass, used a large aperture, and focused manually on the part of the scene that needed to be sharpest (the rock layers near the center of the photo). This technique minimizes the visibility of the window debris by throwing it way out of focus. A polarizing filter would have helped too, but I didn’t have one in my bag.