Clouds shroud Napali Cliffs, Kauai
Aerial view of Napali Coast shows isolated beaches, turquoise water and shapely cliffs, topped with white puffy clouds. Dramatic and colorful coastline....
Read more
Aerial view of Napali Coast shows isolated beaches, turquoise water and shapely cliffs, topped with white puffy clouds. Dramatic and colorful coastline.
Read less
Read less
Aug, 2014Views
212
Likes
Awards
Great Shot
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
All Star
Exceptional Contrast
Jaw Dropping
Superior Skill
Peer Award
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankCategories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
Shot this other worldly view of the Napali Cliffs in Kauai from a helicopter.Time
Late afternoon, around 4pm, the low light was coming in under the clouds from the West -- perfect!Lighting
You never know what the clouds are going to do on Kauai. I was booked on a morning flight, but the whole island was socked in with fog. Luckily, the company was able to rebook me in the afternoon, when the lighting was awesome on the west coast, as you can see.Equipment
I shoot with a Nikon D800 and the Nikon 24-70mm lens. I always use a circular polarizer for my Nature photography.Inspiration
Some friends of mine said the helicopter ride was the highlight of their week in Kauai, so on my last day I decided to spend the extra cash and treat myself. It was well worth it!Editing
I always do a little post processing of my RAW files in Lightroom and Photoshop, but this image didn't need much of anything. I always evaluate the exposure, white balance, the shadows and the highlights of my nature photography.In my camera bag
I carry the Nikon D800 and a second camera body the Nikon D700 as backup along with extra batteries. I rely on the SanDisk compact flash cards. I carry three Nikon lenses for nature photography: the super wide 16-24, the mid range 24-70, and the 70-200mm. I use Sing Ray circular polarizers for the 24-70 and the 70-200. Whenever possible, I use a Really Right Stuff tripod and ball head. When shooting sunrise and sunset, the Sing Ray graduated neutral density filters are essential.Feedback
When shooting from a helicopter or plane, use a shutter speed of at least 1/500 second. That may mean you need to raise the ISO up higher than you normally would when shooting outdoors. The fast shutter speed is essential to counteract motion blur. You don't want to come home with blurry images! Also, the helicopter or plane moves fast and won't go back and repeat a view, so shoot everything that looks good, and edit later. Have fun! You are so lucky to be up there!
