StacyWhitePhoto

Mesa Arch Sunrise

NIKON D800

settings

Aperture f/18.0 ISO 100

upload_date

May, 2014

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400

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+28

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Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

View from the top of the 244 stairs inside the St. Augustine Lighthouse.

Behind The Lens

Location

This was taken at the very well known Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah.

Time

This was taken at sunrise. The thing I didn't realize about this location is that the entire opening in the rock is only about 20 feet wide. Because it's a very well-known location, it gets extremely crowded. I woke up at 3am to travel to this location and waited about 2 hours in the dark, bundled in many layers of clothes, to be there to capture this shot when the sun came up.

Lighting

Shooting sunrise is always a surprise. Is it coming up where you expect it? Are there clouds that you can't see that are going to block the sun? Obviously, the sun came up bright and clear and I was able to capture the sunburst as it came over the tops of the mountains.

Equipment

This was shot on my Nikon D800, with my 16-35mm wide-angle lens. It was done on a tripod with a remote shutter release.

Inspiration

I've seen this location photographed lots of times, and since I was in the area I had to go and get it at sunrise. It was definitely an interesting experience being at an iconic location and experiencing what it's actually like to shoot there. I wasn't prepared for being there with so many people!

Editing

I cropped and straightened the image and went through my standard process... adjusting the exposure, highlights, and setting the white and black points. I always check for dust spots - especially in the sky - and fix any of those that show up. After I had this done, I decided to see what it would look like it black and white, so I ran it through Nik Silver Efex and decided this was the version that spoke to me.

In my camera bag

No matter where I go, I always try and carry 2 bodies... usually my D850 and my D5. Depending on the location and what I will be photographing, I usually have my 24-70 on one camera and my 70-200 on the other, so I'm ready to capture anything! If I'm expecting wildlife, I'll pack my 80-400mm and my teleconverter. If there's no expected wildlife, sometimes I'll pack my wide-angle or macro lens just in case I need it. I'm not big on traveling light!

Feedback

If you are going to be photographing a well-known location, do a little planning and make sure you know the best time of the day to photograph - is this place better for sunrise or sunset? If you're planning sunset, make sure you go when there's enough light - there's nothing worse than getting to a location and discovering that it's already in shadow. When traveling to a specific location, remember to look around you! There are always opportunities for interesting shots... you just have to be aware of your surroundings and look for unique frames. When you're at your location, don't forget to look behind you! Sometimes there are things that you don't expect behind you. Take lots of photos - but make sure they're different! Try a different angle, height, lens, focal distance, shutter speed, aperture setting, etc - take your time and explore the area.

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StacyWhitePhoto

Mesa Arch Sunrise

Behind The Lens

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