YetiBacklash

The Dark and The Light

Clouds haunting at shoulder-height, cliff-side within the world's oldest mountain range.

Clouds haunting at shoulder-height, cliff-side within the world's oldest mountain range.
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Jul, 2016

Views

834

Likes

+216

Awards

Chatter Award

Zenith Award

Editor's Choice

Great Shot

Member Selection Award

Peer Award

+36

Top Choice

+32

Outstanding Creativity

+30

Superb Composition

+25

Absolute Masterpiece

+16

All Star

Magnificent Capture

Superior Skill

Virtuoso

Emotions

Impressed

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Behind The Lens

Location

I captured this photo from high atop a cliff edge in the Appalachian Mountains, where storm clouds unfurl their billowing plumes like sails and pass, not high above, but directly before your eyes. These living breaths of motion align in fleets of fluid formation, ships of the sky, above the unseen boundaries below. States of Tennessee and the Carolinas meet at the foot of that darkness, a union lost beneath the cloud canopy's surging strength of sheer shadows. Georgia's roots of the range disappear from sight somewhere in the darkened distance, the Appalachian tail and southern Trail enveloped together under a drawn shade of clouded curtains.

Time

I captured this image at dusk, as the setting sun kissed against ridges of surrounding mountaintops and broadsided the growing commotion of clouds.

Lighting

The lighting in this image consists solely of horizon rays from natural sunlight, though the growing darkness against a bluing evening sky absolutely and profoundly augmented the capture's illuminated limits in temperature and color.

Equipment

I used a NIKON D810, 1/1250 sec. f/18 145mm, ISO 800

Inspiration

My significant other was going through serious cancer treatment at the time and, most days, understandably couldn't stomach getting out of bed. For better days, and just days when she was fed up or defiantly inspired, we would go for drives, walks, etc. - almost always happening upon some memory or scene made to make us wonder if it might all turn out okay. This capture was one I took on such an occasion, albeit far from all-that-focused on the mesmerizing scene at hand. Our gentle hike was slow and gloom-driven, but the mountain air was clear and quiet. Together, we arrived at the trail's utmost cliff edge view just as the sun was setting. In those massive waves of cresting clouds, I recognized shadows of lightless dismay intermixed with flourishes of brilliant, bright hope. Seeing flowing shapes of my own feelings move across that sky, I closed my shutter and, together, we smiled. It was a good day, then, and we've had many more.

Editing

If my photography practice and execution can themselves be described as minimalistic, intuition based, and totally unapologetic, then my photo editing or 'post-processing' would be best described as... well... *ahem*... 'Decidedly Unenthusiastic.' I use the most basic built-in photo editor on my PC, minimally adjusting approximately six out of the twelve-ish available modifiers until, 5-10 minutes later, my initial capture looks pretty much exactly how it started... if, maybe, a little bit more clean and fresher :)

In my camera bag

Bag? No bag. Well... I do use an $8ish dry-sack pouch to keep my camera safe and dry. Occasionally, I'll store that together in a small travel pack, but I'm what some might call, 'a camera minimalist,' .... Others might prefer, 'camera masochist,' though. I once bought a $20 tripod? :) Used it a few times, I guess. But I prefer my camera around my neck and my focus on the view surrounding, rather than obsessing over some satchel over my shoulder that only serves to equip distractions. (No offense whatsoever to those who could put camera-batman's utility belt of gear, flashes, and gizmos to shame. Yours is an expertise that I'll never dream to obtain!)

Feedback

This captured image is far from perfect, and that's just the way I like it. My advice for anyone trying to capture something similar? Aim with intuition. Frame only with emotion. If you're staring at a screen of settings instead of enjoying such an awe inspiring sight as it actually occurs.... no dimensions of digital resolution or efforts in editing later will ever serve to properly compose an adequate replacement.

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YetiBacklash

YetiBacklash

The Dark and The Light

Clouds haunting at shoulder-height, cliff-side within the world's oldest mountain range.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow YetiBacklash

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