alexiusvanderwesthuizen

Mist rolling in from the South

Capturing light trails left by headlights of cars on roads and highways with the sun setting in the west and mist rolling in....
Read more

Capturing light trails left by headlights of cars on roads and highways with the sun setting in the west and mist rolling in.
Read less

NIKON D5100

settings

Aperture f/22.0 ISO 100 Shutter 30/1

upload_date

Apr, 2013

Views

3640

Likes

+235

Awards

Featured

Superb Composition

+45

Absolute Masterpiece

+42

Top Choice

+22

Outstanding Creativity

+13

Peer Award

+11

Superior Skill

Jaw Dropping

Exceptional Contrast

All Star

Magnificent Capture

Genius

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Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in a suburb of Johannesburg South Africa, from the roof parking of a local shopping mall. The mall is situated close to a major highway and has other roads leading to it.

Time

The time of day was 18h22. It was the start of springtime in the Southern Hemisphere so the sun had already started disappearing beyond the horizon.

Lighting

This is the product of all natural lighting. Utilizing a fabulous combination of natural and artificial lighting. A bit tricky at stages. With a lot of ambient light from the sun still present in the sky, using a white balance of incandescent would have totally ruined the shot, therefore I decided on an auto white balance.

Equipment

My trusty Nikon D5100 with a Nikkor 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 VRII ED and a tripod. Nothing else.

Inspiration

I always remember having seen postcards when I was a kid, where you could see the effect of moving light, and I remember how fascinated I was with it. Now finding moving light from vehicles passing by is very easy. I beleive however in combining it with a whole range of other elements. I first took a shot of the same scene at night, but it fell flat in comparison with this. I didn't plan on taking this hot when I returned one afternoon to take photos of the setting sun. I then noticed that mist started appearing on the left side of the horizon. I waited it out and could already see in my mind's eye what I was about to capture. I waited and then at the right moment I started with a gentle pace of just leaving the shutter open for 30 seconds. There were however certain parts that were still dark, so I decided to employ the camera's built in HDR function. What further inspired me was the fact that I had all the focal qualities in the frame. Starting at the circle you have so many elements that lead the eye into the shot, moving it up, and just when you think that your eye will leave the shot, it's brought back to the start by the returning lights on the highway.

Editing

I did my basic editing in View NX2 and later imported it into Lightroom just to do a slight amplification of the contrast and clarity.

In my camera bag

Just my Nikon D5100, a Nikon Coolpix P7100. my wireless remote and my Nikkor 18-200mm lens. I travel very light.

Feedback

Firstly, find your spot. It's no use having the technical abilities and equipment to boot, if your landscape is not pleasing to the eye. Always remember to have your tripod handy. Even if there is till enough ambient light. If faced with a situation where the ambient light from the sun is still too much, set your white balance to auto. In order to get that nice star burst effect from the street and other lights, make sure you set your aperture to F22. The time of day will also leave you with the challenge of ensuring that you don't have dark spots. I recommend using the on-board HDR feature, or bracketing your exposures. Ideally your ISO setting should be at 100. That allows you to get enough light, but not too much that will burn everything to pieces. Because of bracketing or HDR, it's crucial to ensure your tripod doesn't move. The last thing you want is a ghost image of any element in the photo. Lastly, be patient. You may not get the mist on your first go. Make sure you know what is happening with the weather and be prepared to wait for the elements to get together.

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alexiusvanderwesthuizen

alexiusvanderwesthuizen

Mist rolling in from the South

Capturing light trails left by headlights of cars on roads and highways with the sun setting in the west and mist rolling in....
Read more

Views

Likes

Awards

Top Ranks

Categories

Submitted to Photo Contests

Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

Discover more photos See all

Behind The Lens

Location

Time

Lighting

Equipment

Inspiration

Editing

In my camera bag

Feedback

See more amazing photos, follow alexiusvanderwesthuizen

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alexiusvanderwesthuizen

Mist rolling in from the South

Capturing light trails left by headlights of cars on roads and highways with the sun setting in the west and mist rolling in.... Read more

Views

Likes

Awards

Top Ranks

Categories

Submitted to Photo Contests

Same photographer See allBehind The Lens

Discover more photos See all

Behind The Lens

Location

Time

Lighting

Equipment

Inspiration

Editing

In my camera bag

Feedback

See more amazing photos, follow alexiusvanderwesthuizen

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes. Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Capturing light trails left by headlights of cars on roads and highways with the sun setting in the west and mist rolling in....
Read more

Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.