krisfarruggia
FollowClimbing my first 14er with my buddy Jesse...definitely no joke!
Check out my website at
http:--krisfarruggia.com to see what else I'm in...
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Climbing my first 14er with my buddy Jesse...definitely no joke!
Check out my website at
http:--krisfarruggia.com to see what else I'm into...
Read less
Check out my website at
http:--krisfarruggia.com to see what else I'm into...
Read less
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Contest Finalist in Mountain Tops Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in See The Distance Photo Contest
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artcrowther
June 24, 2016
Superb perspective. And, well done, for climbing all the way up there. No small feat, indeed.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo during the beginning of hiking my first 14er (Mt. Evans) just west of Idaho Springs, Colorado. It was less than an hour in (so long before I began gasping for air) and the view looking north along the ridge was just too beautiful to pass up.Time
The photo was taken on July 27th 2013 at 8:20 am. This being the first 14er for both my buddy Jesse and I, we started pretty early in the morning...something like 7:30am...and despite living in Denver (a higher elevation) and considering myself to be in pretty good shape I was dying for a break. This little ridge just screamed for attention so I asked Jesse to walk out as far as he was comfortable for me to grab the shot.Lighting
I'm a completely self-taught photographer...and although I scour the web for tutorials and gobble up all the shooting info I can; lighting is the one thing that still stumps me. It's the thing that I hardly ever cared about when I started shooting a few years ago and now is the first thing I consider always. The best part about shooting just after sunrise or just before sunset is that it's REALLY hard to mess up the lighting...and especially in the summer at such high altitudes it creates such dynamic angles and really brings photos to life.Equipment
I shot this handheld with my Canon 5D Mark III using the kit lens (Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM) racked almost all the way in at 28mm. I always shoot in manual and for this my settings were 1/100th at f/22 with ISO 100. Aside from a UV filter and a strap that was about it :)Inspiration
What makes this photo awesome is that it really takes advantage of the compression (or lack thereof) of the wide end of that kit lens (or any wide angle in general). Was the ledge dangerous...sure probably...but in reality Jesse wasn't that far from me (maybe 35 feet) and the mountain actually curved back around on the left side of the photo (just out of frame). The unbelievable view and the fact that the wide angle exacerbates the perspective made it awesome...and that couple with the fact that I think just being up there feeling like you're literally standing on top of the world warranted the hero shot :)Editing
I definitely did, as I do with most landscape photos. I did all of the post in Lightroom and started first by using the Adjustment Brush to essentially sandwich two exposures together (basically bringing down the sky as I'd exposed for the rocks and the subject. I increased the blacks and shadows while decreasing the highlights and whites, then increased the clarity, sharpness (for landscape) and vibrance while lowering the saturation. Essentially the goal was to make the horizon, sky, and valley pop but also show the awesome shadows in the rocks cast by the sun rising. And I was looking for a quasi-film look...hence the low saturation.In my camera bag
If I'm carrying my LoPro backpack I don't have much room...so aside from my 5DM3 body I will always carry my Canon 70-200mm f.2.8L IS II lens. Of all the lenses I've purchased thus far that one has absolutely blown me away. The compression is unreal and it's tac sharp at any focal length. It hurt my wallet to buy and hurts my back to carry but it's SO worth it! I'll also carry my kit lens because it's just plain awesome and always has been...and for a third it'll depend on what I'm shooting. I'm really loving the Sigma 50mm Art and the Canon 100mm Macro too...both awesome lenses! And aside from the lenses and camera, I'll always bring the appropriate UV filters and both a variable ND and polarizing filter. You'll never know when you need those and it REALLY sucks when you don't have them if you do!Feedback
You can't go wrong with the golden hours...the lighting is always gorgeous. If you're after capturing a 14er it'd be better to start as early as you can so you're not stuck in bad weather or something...and take LOTS of water and TONS of pictures...this is one of about 500 I took that day. Digital film is free :) And don't be afraid to play with the dynamics of the lenses at different focal lengths...this image alone really helped me to grow my understanding and be a better photographer.