rvaavphotography
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
During high school, I was lucky enough to have a chance to explore some of the rooftops of Richmond with some friends. I captured this picture through a broken window in an abandoned cookie factory overlooking the river city skyline just as the sun came up over the dome of the Science Museum of Virginia.Time
It was a freezing morning in December. I woke up early, chugged a coffee, and made my way downtown. The yawns from the city could be heard in the distance, as I trekked in the frost towards my destination. Before the sun rose, I could hardly open my eyes, but after capturing this image from the top story of an abandoned factory in Richmond, I felt wide awake.Lighting
Before the sun rose that morning, everything was gray and dull. It was a winter day, and the chill in the air was palpable. As soon as the sun crested over the first of the buildings along the skyline, everything glowed gold and pink. I took many versions of this picture, each one a little different than the next, as the sun continued to rise. I settled on this as my favorite because of the way the world looked on fire through the broken glass.Equipment
This image was shot on a Nikon D3100 with an 18-55mm lens.Inspiration
The inspiration for the photo came from my love of the river city (Richmond, Virginia). Richmond is full of derelict buildings that some people consider eyesores, but to me, they represent the history of the city. By framing something beautiful, like a view of the city skyline, through something most people see as distasteful, a broken window, I was able to put a spin on the city I grew up in. No longer an eyesore, this ruin became something incredible.Editing
Lucky for me, this image required no post-processing. The sunlight hit the window just right, and after many takes with the same framing, I was able to choose my favorite without enhancing the image at all.In my camera bag
I consider myself a budding photographer, so at the moment, my bad only contains my Nikon D3100 and my kit lens.Feedback
Although most photographers consider golden hour (the period of time shortly after sunrise or before sunset) to be the optimal picture taking time, I think that landscape photography allows for much more flexibility. If I were photographing people, the direct sunlight would have been too harsh, but for the purpose of this photo, the dramatic lighting made the image much more profound.