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FollowLightning strikes and headlights shine as twilight sets on Monument Valley in Navajo Nation, near the Arizona-Utah border....
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Lightning strikes and headlights shine as twilight sets on Monument Valley in Navajo Nation, near the Arizona-Utah border.
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Behind The Lens
Location
Monument Valley, Navajo Nation (Utah/Arizona border) The two formations on the left are called The MIttens.Time
twilightLighting
I got lucky with the clouds, and even more so with the lightning.Equipment
tripod-mounted Pentax K-5 with DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 lens and cable releaseInspiration
Monument Valley provides all the inspiration you need. I planned a vacation around getting some awe-inspiring shots of the American southwest. Wherever I go, I look at books and postcards in gift shops to get ideas about what photos are possible. The light streaks are car headlights. There is a rough yet popular dirt road that leads around some of the rock formations in Monument Valley. People were leaving this area at the end of the day.Editing
I used Photomatix to lighten up the scene and provide some contrast. The original exposure at about 1 minute wasn't long enough. It reminded me of reciprocity failure when I used to use film.In my camera bag
The equipment I take with me varies by the situation. For this occasion, I probably had my Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 super-wide zoom with me. I also took a circular polarizer for daylight shots, and a Pentax K10D converted for infrared capture, which is really fun. Sometimes I take a Sigma fisheye lens as well.Feedback
I was standing just to the side of the main hotel parking lot, so it's an easy shot, given some dramatic weather -- a clear sky won't do. Have patience for long exposures and do a bunch of them at varying lengths.