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An explosion of light in Golden Ears Provincial Park.

An explosion of light in Golden Ears Provincial Park.
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cameraCanon EOS 70D

settings Aperture f/2.8 ISO 640 Shutter 1/80 Focal Length 16/1 

upload_dateApr, 2016

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3 Comments |
kerrybatt
 
kerrybatt May 18, 2016
Great phot. I think would be outstanding had it been taken during sun rise or a little later
RGHunt
 
RGHunt May 13, 2019
Very beautiful.
adiestiano
 
adiestiano December 29, 2020
Cool

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Tags

#golden ears #light rays #sunrise #sun #light #rays #canada #trees #tree
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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo in Golden Ears Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada, It's just over half an hour's drive from where I live.

Time

I took this around 9am. The sun had risen a while earlier and I thought I'd missed out on any chance for light rays until I saw those elusive beams cutting through a fog patch that was rolling through. I ran over to this spot to capture it. Moments later it was gone as quick as it came.

Lighting

The lighting is the key for this photo to turn out. The sun was diffused by the clouds and still pretty low in the sky which allowed me to shoot right into it and still preserve some detail in the forest. I love the way that the sunlight filtering through the fog between the trees creates such a surreal story-book environment.

Equipment

I shot this on a Canon 70D with a 16-35mm f/2.8 lens. The only other necessary equipment for this photo was coffee and snacks while I staked out the right conditions for shooting.

Inspiration

I'd heard stories of people seeing light rays in Golden Ears and seen some pretty cool photos, but I'd never seen them myself before this day. You can never guarantee when they'll show up, so when I saw them I was so excited to capture them. To me, this environment looks like a fairy-tale enchanted forest, and I love feeling so immersed in an other worldly setting so close to the city.

Editing

I use Lightroom to process nearly all of my images, and this one was no exception. I decided to edit it a little differently than I would usually edit a photo because I wanted to highlight the mossy forest floor as well as make sure the beaming light was emphasized. I did this by bringing up the shadows, and playing around with the highlights and whites so get my beams looking separate. I shot the original photo very dark in camera so that the light wasn't overblown. To be honest, I'd actually make some changes if I were to be processing this image today because I've learned some tricks since then.

In my camera bag

I typically carry two camera bodies for a number of reasons. Firstly, I like to have a backup should anything happen to one body and an incredible scene unfolds in front of me. Often a sunrise might never happen the same way again, and I'd hate for a technical glitch or physical damage to be the reason I miss out on capturing it. Another reason is so that when my friends who don't have cameras come along on adventures they can experiment and be included. Those two bodies are the Canon 70D and the Canon 5DMkII. I never leave for an adventure without the 16-35mm because wide angle shots are my favourite. I also bring a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 and a Canon 50mm f/1.8 for when I feel like achieving a real shallow depth of field. Extra SD cards, batteries, protein bars and a headlamp are also a must!

Feedback

The key in my opinion to capturing a photo like this is twofold. Be patient, and be ready. Know your composition and settings ahead of time so when the opportunity arises you can maximize your time shooting this beautiful and elusive phenomenon. Don't give up if you don't see it right away. I definitely thought that I had missed out and was ready to pack it in moments before this was shot. And most of all, have fun! A morning spent in a quiet calm forest is never a morning wasted if you ask me!

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