Moab Afternoon
May, 2014Views
183
Likes
Awards
Fall Award 2020
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Superior Skill
Exceptional Contrast
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 20 rankTop 30 rank week 1
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah.Time
This was the end of the day when I was starting to walk back to the car and hoping for some beautiful color at sunset.Lighting
There were a few clouds in the sky and the sun was setting, so the lighting was pretty even, even though it was getting darker.Equipment
This was shot with a Nikon D800 and a 24-70mm lens.Inspiration
I have a weird love of dead trees! No matter where I am, trees like this one always capture my attention. Sometimes their branch patterns are really unique, but there's no good angle of it - or the background isn't right for the image that I want. This one was just about perfect - the red rocks and swirling clouds in the sky worked! Since the tree is tall and thin, I decided to shoot this vertically.Editing
I always have to straighten my horizon... no matter what I do, I'm always a little off. In Lightroom, I used the graduated filter to darken the sky a little and add some drama, I cloned out a few dust spots on my sensor, and adjust the white and black points. I then added a little bit of contrast and made a slight adjustment to the white balance.In my camera bag
These days, what I have in my camera bag depends on what I'm photographing. For the most part, I always have my D850 and my D5. I prefer to have a short lens like a 24-70mm on my D850 and go with something longer on my D5. This really depends on where I am and what the environment is like - it's usually either my 70-200mm or my 200-400mm. I prefer to have a lens on each body so if I see something interesting, I can just grab the appropriate camera and lens so I don't have to change lens too often in the field. Although it doesn't usually fit in my bag, I always have a tripod with me when I'm photographing landscapes.Feedback
When you see an interesting item or tree when out, I try and view it from as many angles as possible to see what backgrounds and shapes are the most interesting. Sometimes I like a few different perspectives and will take photos from multiple locations around the object. There's nothing that frustrates me more than getting home from a trip and wishing I had moved a little to the left or right and taken another photo!
