IanDMcGregor
FollowDawn on the Saskatchewan prairie with silos juxtaposed by the morning sky.
Dawn on the Saskatchewan prairie with silos juxtaposed by the morning sky.
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Behind The Lens
Location
Captured at one of my favorite winter locations, this farm sits along a gravel "grid" road just north of Yorkton Saskatchewan. I love this location for two reasons; its wide open views of the rising sun in the winter months and its close proximity to my former home.Time
Like a lot of my landscapes, I prefer to shoot at dawn. I enjoy this stillness of this time of day and the pallet the rising sun often presents to the camera. This shot was captured just after 6am.Lighting
This photo is all naturally lit by the rising sun and the partially obstructive layers of cloud.Equipment
Although I often do take a tripod with me, once there is enough light in the sky I will usually chose camera settings which allow me the freedom to move and get just the right frame. This shot was handheld using a Nikon D800 and Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens.Inspiration
The light across the grain bins and the texture in the foreground caught my eye. I think it lends itself to an interesting composition.Editing
I always shoot RAW. Therefore some post processing is required in all of my images. I typically sharpen, adjust the contrast and light/dark areas where required - and this was my process in this image. Sometimes I like to adjust the overall vibrancy and brightness in an image, and I have also made some minor tweaks to these values as well. My preference is single shot photography - I rarely take multiple shots and blend or focus stack, but clearly there can be advantages to doing this.In my camera bag
When shooting in the winter months on the Canadian Prairie, you need to be prepared for extreme cold. I have been out shooting in temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius with a blowing wind. I always carry heat packs and extra batteries! For a landscape shoot like this, I have a tripod, my camera body and perhaps two or three lenses. On occasion I bring ND filters. My Nikon has an SD and CF slot which is adequate for photo outings close to home. My choice of lens for these types of landscape is something wide, like the 14-24mm used here.Feedback
Get up early! Get out to a spot you are already familiar with and be ready for when the light first starts to appear. This is when the most magic happens as far as color. I am sure there are those who will argue the same for the end of daylight, but I find there are less interruptions in the morning hours from people and cars. Also I have seen a lot of great wildlife appear in this quiet time: bonus! Also, don't be afraid to get down low and bring the whole perspective, including the foreground.