michaelmarcoux
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jannaschroeder
December 27, 2017
wow great shot!! does anyone else see the face??? perfect nose and lips and brow dead center top of photo! I saw it right off,,
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was one of many photographs I have taken at Lower Antelope Canyon before the cancellation of photo tours and the ban on photographers with tripods. I'm so grateful that I was able to take so many photos there that can only be produced with the use of a tripod.Time
This shot was taken shortly after 2 pm. in late fall.Lighting
The summer photo tours take place too early in the day and often the direct sunlight ruins the shot so I prefer to go in late fall or winter when the sun is low. This part of the slot is quite narrow with a bend at the end so no sky was showing but more light was able to enter ahead. Because of the wide variation in light I had to make this an HDR shot using several exposures so that dark and bright areas are visible.Equipment
I used a Nikon D7200, Nikon 10-24 mm wide angle lens at 10 mm and a tripod and wired remote.Inspiration
I had done an earlier trip to the canyon and realized that if I wanted to get the most out of my shots I would have to learn to do HDR. I asked a photographer friend for advice, did some reading and was excited to see what I could capture. I wasn't disappointed. I was also intrigued by the face I could see in the shot.Editing
Since this is HDR I had to experiment to see how many of my exposures to include for the best results in Photoshop. A little cropping and I was done.In my camera bag
These days I have upgraded although I still bring along my D7200 in my car. As I usually shoot wildlife now I carry my Nikon D850, Nikon 500 mm PF lens (which I highly recommend), a 1.4 teleconverter, tripod with a Jebu gimbel and a wired remote. I would love to try my newer gear in the slots if they ever allow tripods in the slots again.Feedback
I would suggest shooting late fall, winter or early spring for the best light and as early or late in the day as possible. Direct sunlight ruins the shot. Perhaps photo tours using tripods will be resumed as the recent travel restrictions may mean that the slots will not be as busy - let's hope. Use a wide angle lens as it's a narrow space and a tripod as many shots look best in HDR. Without HDR the darkest areas aren't visible and the sky is blown out.