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Aperture 8/1 ISO 320 Shutter 1/160

upload_date

Mar, 2018

Views

2300

Likes

+293

Awards

Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Photo Contest Vol 41

Curator's Choice

Peer Award

+685

Outstanding Creativity

Absolute Masterpiece

Superb Composition

Top Choice

Magnificent Capture

All Star

Superior Skill

Virtuoso

Emotions

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Behind The Lens

Location

The photo was taken in National Park Museum Shipka which is located on top of Shipka Peak (1,326 m) in the Balkan Mountains. It is a historic landmark with great importance for every Bulgarian and is one of my favorite locations when we come in my wife's hometown Gabrovo.

Time

The image was taken on the 17th of March in the middle of the Golden hour during the sunset. Even though it was the beginning of the Spring season in the mountain that day the weather was far from warm. There were very strong gusts of wind which made me retake some of the images in the panorama as they were creating vibrations in my rather steady tripod. Low clouds were storming through the scene very rapidly as the high ones were illuminating the foreground with the last rays of the sun.

Lighting

My initial composition was set on what is now behind this image. It is "The Big Russian Monument" honoring the fallen during our Liberation war. There are 8 old canons surrounding the monument and overseeing the region. I wanted to take a close-up of the canons with the two monuments in a diagonal line with the gorgeous cloud that was getting brighter and brighter. However after much ducking, crawling and almost tumbling down the slopes I decided to give up from this idea. The light was about to start fading so it was time for improvisation. After verifying that the single image won't work I decided to go full scale with the panorama just to be safe and crop afterwards. However when the stitching came out I was in love with all the lines and curves it produced and barely changed a thing in terms of composition.

Equipment

I shot this with Nikon D750 + Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 triggered remotely with the Phottix Aion wireless shutter release. Tripod used - MeFOTO GlobeTrotter Carbon

Inspiration

My main drive that day which lead me to the peak of the mountain was the knowledge that there are strong gusts combined with fast low clouds above the monument. I was imagining a monochrome long exposure of the monument for quite some time and this afternoon appeared to have the right conditions. From the main road to the monument at the top you have to take the 894 stairs. There is a road of course for the elderly people and the lazy guys but it is closed after 5 o'clock and I was planning to stay longer. So here was I racing through the stairs. I had to stop several times to catch my breath but I finally made it to the top. I started setting my camera on the tripod when I noticed that my battery is missing. The one that I took straight from the charger at home and put it in my pocket and left in the car when changing clothes...genius. I knew I was not going to make it second time through this staircase and was thinking for a plan B. It was a 30 minute drive to another peak with historical monument from the days when Bulgaria was a communist country - mount Buzludzha. As I headed towards it I noticed parts of the above mentioned "Big Russian Monument" situated just above the road. I saw the big cloud coming in its direction and decided that this will be it. Plan C was set in motion and I was racing through the steep hills to reach my final location. Even though the sunset didn't evolved in something more colorful that evening I was more than happy with the beautiful scenery I was given the chance to capture and share with all of you.

Editing

Initial images were very dark as I underexposed in order to maintain the data in the highlights. So I had to restore some of the lost details from the darks in ACR as well as to apply correction to the WB. After stitching the panorama I did further enhancements in Photoshop in order to emphasize on the light coming from the cloud and the way it illuminated the peak. I tried to recover as much color as possible in the sky for the viewer to feel the warmth I felt as I was watching this unfold in front of my eyes even though the gusts of winds were piercing through my chest. A mild vignette was added as a final touch to further lead the eye of the viewer into this picture.

In my camera bag

As a result of this trip I now have a second battery in my bag :) The rest of my gear is orientated towards my main love - night photography. Apart from the Nikon D750 and Tamron 15-30 f/2.8 I have in my bag a prime Samyang (Rokinon) 24mm f/1.4 and Sigma 50mm Art f/1.4. As accessories I have a custom Bahtinov mask for precise focusing at night, a Lee system with a Big Stopper, a Godox flash and manual pano head with pano rotator.

Feedback

The best advice I've heard and I believe it works is to shoot as much as possible. Don't be easily disappointed by bad shooting conditions and things not turning out the way you wanted. Seek the opportunity and it will present to you. Learn to adapt to changes and remember that you can always make lemonade from those lemons. Don't follow in the footsteps of others and leave your own trail by showing us your unique point of view. And remember - as long as it puts smile on your face you are doing it right!!! Cheers!

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Behind The Lens

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