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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
Everyone was taking this from across the lawn; the iconic shot that you've seen a million times. There's nothing wrong with that but I walked around the back of the tower looking for a different angle; I was in fairly close. "A good photograph is knowing where to stand." Ansel AdamsTime
This was taken in mid-September, just about 5:30 pm. The shadows were getting long and the clouds were perfect.Lighting
I think this would have been a very different shot in the middle of the day, or the morning for that matter. You can seen that the columns and arches are casting long shadows and the church next door throws the bottom left of the tower into shadow as well. It's almost a Rembrandt or loop lighting.Equipment
Nikon D5100, ISO 200, 1/160 @ f6.3, 24mm (35mm equivalent=36mm)Inspiration
Well, it's the Leaning Tower...I was there and so of course I had to photograph it. Up until this point though, the only thing I was getting were pictures i had seen before...Editing
In Lightroom, yes...I cropped it a little, warmed it slightly and decreased luminance in the sky. It also had a touch of sharpening and was adjusted for the lens profile.In my camera bag
At that time, the D5100 was my primary camera and I still love the results I get from it. It's fairly simple to use and compact. My primary camera now is a D7100 which has expanded my capabilities considerably. The lens is a Nikkor 24-120mm FX VR; I also have a 70-30mm FX VR. I usually have a Nikon SB-800 with me which I use with a Gary Fong lightsphere, although it obviously didn't play a role here.Feedback
One of my favorite apps these days is "Sun Seeker", although I didn't have it at the time this was taken. If you're trying to time any sort of natural light shoot, it's incredibly helpful in predicting when and where you ought to show up. Other than that I'd say don't settle for boring pictures; if you look through the viewfinder and see something you've seen before...don't bother.