wheeler peak
Dec, 2014Views
42
Likes
Awards
Member Selection Award
Staff Winter Selection 2015
Good job
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Top Ranks
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 2Top 20 rank week 1
Top 20 rank
Top 20 rankSame photographer See allBehind The Lens
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Wheeler Peak, in Great Basin National Park. I went out there for a few days to explore the park and also visit Lehman Caves which was awesome. In our last minute scramble to find a campsite we followed the road that led us here and had to get out and explore a bit and take some photos.Time
This was shot during the very beginning of sunset if I remember correctly. The sun was going down and he hadn't found a campsite yet so we were rushing to find an open site, but absolutely had to stop when we reached this area.Lighting
As the photo was pretty spur of the moment the lighting wasn't planned, but certainly worked well. With the sun just out of the right side of the composition it gave it that nice natural bokeh effect. The setting sun also gave it nice long shadows in the areas that you can see individual shadows and since there are so many trees, so far below they create a sort of texture, and that side light really sets it off.Equipment
This was shot with my Nikon d7000 and a string going from the camera to under my foot in order to help stabilize it a little, as at this point in time I had not invested in a tripod yet.Inspiration
The whole point of the trip to Great Basin National Park was to explore and photograph, so while this particular photo wasn't planned out in advance, the timing of coming to this place was just right to get a great shot. It was just after winter and the snow had cleared from the main areas of the park, but remained on distant peaks, and just the sight of this place was the inspiration to capture and remember it.Editing
Yes, I shoot all of my photos in camera RAW and typically will add some saturation if needed, as well as alter the highlight/shadow settings if need be. Another thing I did with this photo was use a black and white filter with a blending mode on the sky to make it pop a bit more, it was a little washed out and bland originally.In my camera bag
I don't carry a lot of equipment most of the time, as I will usually hike A LOT to find my shots and inspiration. A typical day shooting for me would include my camera around my neck with the strap, a tripod attached to my backpack, and possibly some white lights if I am going to be shooting in low light situations and want to emphasize a certain object.Feedback
Great Basin National Park is a MASSIVE place. You could easily spend a weekend there without even coming across a green forest, as most of the park is desert. I would say plan your trip ahead of time to make sure you actually go to the places with nature and wildlife you want to see. Within the park there is a guided tour of Lehman Caves as well, another great place to get some good shots. While the park is in a desert climate, there is a lot of green forests, running rivers, lakes, and even a glacier to be seen within it, so again plan your trip. For this specific shot, get high on a ridge, or at one of the many lookouts in the park later in the day and wait for the right lighting to come.
