Flying into Dawn
Sep, 2014Views
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Contest Finalist in Fstoppers Volume 5 Photo Contest
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Behind The Lens
Location
I grabbed this at Highpoint Scenic Vista. A half mile trail leads to the vista which overlooks the Susquehanna River and Lancaster County, PATime
It was dawn on a crisp fall day. The sun had just come up over the ridges and the fog has settled into the valley. I remember the dew was settling in as well as I had to keep wiping my lens.Lighting
This is all natural lightEquipment
I shot this with my Canon 6D, 24-105 f4 L. I was mounted on tripod and had a 2 stop ND Grad in place.Inspiration
I found this vista by accident and had been here several times before but was finally able to get set earlier enough to get the sunrise. I had been snapping various shots as the sun was rising. I picked this location as I I loved how the fog had settled into the small valleys and gave some depth to the scene. The mowed path created a nice line. The dew was forming and was catching the sunlight on the blades of grass.Editing
I did deepen the blacks and bump the shadows up. I also used a graduated filter to tone the sky down a bit more. I also added two curves layers, one for the highlights, one for darks, and blended those. I added some clarity.In my camera bag
My Canon 6D, 24-105mm f4L, tripod, polarizer, variable ND, ND grads.Feedback
Be vigilant! I had visited and shot at this location several times and never got the shot I wanted. Don't get discouraged. Go back to the same location again at a different time of day, or season. Stay and shoot longer and really work a location. The flock of birds in this shot was luck. They just happened to fly into my frame, but I was set and ready to go.
