Lonely Tree Sunset
A lonely aspen tree in front of an awe inspiring sunset captured at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Rocky Mountains bordering the eastern side of the Sa...
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A lonely aspen tree in front of an awe inspiring sunset captured at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Rocky Mountains bordering the eastern side of the Salt Lake Valley in Utah.
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Aug, 2014Views
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Awards
Action Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award
Great Shot
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Jaw Dropping
Top Class Lighting
Peer Award
Exceptional Contrast
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Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was taken as the sun was setting over the beautiful trees of Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Rocky Mountains that border the easter side of the Salt Lake Valley in Utah. The conditions were just perfect for only about 2 minutes and I was lucky enough to be setup to capture the breathtaking scene.Time
A lone and aged aspen tree in front of a beautiful sunset in the Rocky Mountains that border the eastern side of the Salt Lake Valley in Utah. This shot was taken on a very warm summer night in July of 2014 at about 10pm in Big Cottonwood Canyon near Solitude skii resort at a place called Guardsman Pass. Like many of the nights in this beautiful location the scene was breathtaking for a few minutes before it was completely gone.Lighting
I wanted to draw out all of the amazing orange colors of this particular sunset without completely silhouetting the tree. In order to do that I had to bracket the exposure and then blend them together.Equipment
Shot with a Canon 60D and the Canon 55-250 f/3.5-5.6 kit lens (yes, good shots can be taken with a kit lens) at a focal length of 118mm, f/11, and 1/80th of a second shutter speed. I had the camera mounted to a tripod and did a 3 shot bracket but only used the two end shots.Inspiration
The beauty of the scene was incredible. I had tried for weeks to capture a scene like this but was never in the right place at the right time to make it happen until this moment. I haven't had it all work out like this since so it is a good thing I got it when I did.Editing
Yes, blended two bracketed shots and then adjusted the highlights, shadows, and vibrance in Lightroom.In my camera bag
This shot was taken several years ago, so the gear in my bag has changed. Now I tote a Canon 7DM2 camera and shoot landscapes using either the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 or Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 lens. Still have the kit lenses in my bag and since the Canon 55-250mm f/3.5-5.6 lens is still my longest lens I use it when I want to shoot a panorama tighter than the Tamron allows me to go at 70mm.Feedback
Knowing how to use your camera in manual mode, watch the historgram to make sure you shoot to the right (especially important with Canon camera bodies), and how to bracket shots is critical for getting a shot like this. Then in post you have to know how to HDR merge photos and how to adjust clarity, highlights, shadows, and vibrance in Lightroom.
