Early fall in Midwestern Illiniois.
Early fall in Midwestern Illiniois.
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kathyk_abq
August 22, 2017
Really stunning capture and edit. There is a real feel of peace and home here.
loristaleytruzy
November 10, 2017
I love the softness of this one. Which editing program are you using?
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken a short distance from my home. I love old barns, and the early fall iron weed created a great foreground to help anchor the shot. I've scouted this area a number of times, so I arrived an hour early to set up and wait for the light. Iron weed pulls a lot of butterflies, so I hope to go back in the fall to try and incorporate some into a second shot.Time
It was about a half hour before sunset. The warm tones of the setting sun filled the scene.Lighting
Like most landscape photographers, I prefer the early morning and late evening light. I appreciate the shadows and directional light that comes with that time of day, and the color tones common with the rising or setting sun.Equipment
I have a Nikon D800E combined with a 17-35, f2.8 lens. I don't recall the exact exposure settings, and I'm not where I can look them up. However, I did do an exposure blend of bracketed shots, as well as, a focus stack to get my near-to-far depth of field. Tripods are an essential piece of equipment, especially when it comes to exposure and focus stacked images.Inspiration
I love the rural landscape. I live in the Midwest where there are a lot of farms, fences, barns, hay bales and all things country life has to offer. I'm big into old barns and do my best to record them before they disappear. There's been a number of instances where I return to a location only find out the barn has been torn down or destroyed by wicked Midwest storms. This scene is a rare find because it has so many elements that I find interesting and complimentary to the overall composition.Editing
Yes. That's one of the things I like the most. I shoot in Raw format, so post is very important in order to achieve the vision I felt at the time. I follow the same basic routine, but I'm always on the lookout for new techniques in order to bring the Raw files to life. While I enjoy the post process, it can be a time consuming. I've found it's better to slow down and take more time working an image. I can't tell you how many times I've rushed the process only to be disappointed with the results.In my camera bag
Right now I only carry a Nikon D800E. I have a D700 but use it as backup. I have a number zoom and prime lens: 70-200mm, 85mm prime, 50mm prime, 28mm prime and a 17-35mm zoom. I use the 17-35mm for 90 percent of my work. I also use a shutter release and have graduated ND filters, which I don't use very often. That's most of the gear I keep with me other than lens cloth, mini flashlight and that kind of stuff. I also use a free depth-of-field calculator app from time-to-time.Feedback
Advice....Be patient and scout the location so you know how and where to set up. I can't tell you how many times I arrived at a location with only minutes or seconds to get the shot. That rarely works out. Become familiar with your equipment and settings. Once your comfortable and confident with the equipment your work will improve. I've spent a lot of time on trail and error and wasted opportunities that I can't get back. Today, I'm much more confident and can get my gear set up in seconds instead of minutes which means a higher probability of getting the shot. Also, soak up as much information as you can. The Internet has lots of great photographers willing to share their expertise and sites like Viewbug that will help you achieve your photography goals. Find a photographer who you like and follow them. You'll be surprised by what you will learn.