Trees Become Ghosts, Great Smoky Mountains NP
May, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on the trail to Grotto Falls at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This trailhead is off the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, which is a short drive from Gatlinburg.Time
I took this picture on the hike back from the falls themselves, just after 6pm. It had started pouring rain while I was at the falls on this April afternoon, so I was hiking quickly with my head down and my gear put away. But then the fog appeared, and I was stopped in my tracks by the disappearance of the trees into the mist.Lighting
I was a bit worried about being able to capture the brightness of the fog contrasting with the ground disappearing into shadow, so I shot a few extra exposures at +/-1EV, but the final image is actually the matrix-metered aperture priority image. The camera-metered image turned out the best.Equipment
This image was captured on a Canon 6D using the Canon EF 25-105MM F4L lens, mounted on a Manfrotto tripod. 24mm, F4.0, 1/25 sec., ISO 100, in Aperture Priority mode.Inspiration
I love shooting in fog! The way that things disappear into the depths of image, you can't get that in many other shooting conditions.Editing
I imported the RAW file into Lightroom and bumped the exposure a bit, then used the Whites and Blacks sliders to make sure the photo had both a black and a white point. I increased the Vibrance slider a bit to give the lush greenery a slight glow. That was it for this image.In my camera bag
I've switched to Fuji gear since this image was taken, but capability-wise, my kit is similar to what I used to carry with Canon. I always have my Fuji XT-1 body (usually with a battery grip), which typically has a walk-around zoom attached (Fujinon XF 18-13mm), and the body is either on a sling strap or attached to my backpack straps using a Peak Capture Clip. I always carry a wide zoom (Fujinon XF 10-14mm), a telephoto zoom (Fujinon XF 55-200mm), and a super-sharp fast prime lens (Fujinon XF 56mm F1.2). I also use a Manfrotto carbon fiber tripod with a Giottos head. In my Mindshift Gear backpack, you'll find my iPhone, which I use to track my hikes and also as a remote for the camera. I also carry screw-on circular polarizer filters in a few sizes, and square Lee Filters neutral-density filters (Big Stopper and Little Stopper). The backpack also holds cleaning cloths, an intervalometer, a multi-tool, extra batteries, and a notebook for keeping notes on the shots and locations.Feedback
Embrace non-sunny weather! I love landscape images with crystal blue skies, but many of my favorite images were captured in less than ideal weather, including fog, snowstorms and rainstorms. Weather, good or bad, can help you create a mood with your images.
