Sethvdl
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo while I was in the Portland Japanese Garden while visiting the city for a class. I'm originally from Southern California and so I was instantly captivated by everything I saw in Oregon. It's so green there!Time
This was taken about 2PM on my tripod. I typically would find that time to be not particularly great, but the weather was just perfect for this time of day. It was misting on and off and the clouds would cover the sun from time to time, highlighting really interested plants and forms in the garden.Lighting
Definitely! This was tricky because as I mentioned before, the clouds and weather were being quite random. This shot was one of about 30-40 or so and I can say that each one of those were completely different depending on how much light the clouds wanted to let through. It was really testing my patience and how much I was willing to sit and wait for the perfect moment.Equipment
For this photo I was using a Canon 70D with a Sigma 17-50mm 2.8 lens. I had it attached to my Proline tripod and just started shooting away. I initially had a few filters on here to take the shot but then decided to not use them.Inspiration
I've got a big affinity for water. Lakes, rivers, streams, waterfalls, all of it. Being from California, Southern California to be exact, we don't have things like this down here. At least, not to my knowledge, and so when I knew I was heading up to Portland to explore the city, I knew I wanted to see this place. In my mind I couldn't fathom how such a large city could have such a gorgeous and captivating landscape and once I started walking down the path I was just thinking of a thousand ways on how I wanted to capture this moment.Editing
Landscape photography can be tricky, and usually you need several exposure/shots and then merge them together. However with this photo there wasn't a need for any of that at all. I was able to take the RAW photo, ensure the exposure was perfect, and I was good to go.In my camera bag
In my pack I've got several things, and if you notice, compared to what a lot of people shoot with, they aren't too expensive either. First off I've always got my Canon 70d with me. I haven't got the money for a full frame yet but I'm not gonna lie, I love this camera. As far as lens go I've only got two with me, a Sigma 17-50mm 2.8 and a Rokinon 14mm 2.8. Landscape are fantastic, and so the ultra wide 14mm Rokinon is a must for me, especially since it doesn't break the bank. Other tools I usually always have on me or in my bag is my tripod, intervalometer, polarizing filter, and gradient filters. All those are in my bag almost solely for doing landscapes. Oh and batteries. Lots and lots of batteries.Feedback
My advice is to just seek new things. I never thought that I would just drive to Oregon, and I managed to get amazing photos because of it. Go out and explore. I've found that has been the best medicine for me. The other thing that I would say would to just be patient. You've traveled this far, take the time to set up, compose the shot, and if you need to, wait for the perfect lighting. Invest some quality time in your shots and you're going to get some really good quality images.