Blue Ridge Sunrise
This image was taken just after sunrise on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the USA. The light was very warm and highlighted the leaves which had already turned their ...
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This image was taken just after sunrise on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the USA. The light was very warm and highlighted the leaves which had already turned their fall colors.
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Mar, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was taken while on a photo tour through the states of North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky. The location was on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Roanoke, Va. I got up well before dawn to drive about forty miles to this location from the campground I was staying in.Time
This was early in the morning just after dawn. It was a cold and windy morning on the Parkway, but I had the location all to myself and I though the resulting photograph was well worth the early rise and the cold wind.Lighting
The most significant thing about the lighting was its warmth in contrast to the dark grays and blues in the clouds. The sun had just crested the horizon giving the extremely long shadows and ridges of light.Equipment
The camera used was an Nikon D 800 with the Nikkor 24-120 lens. I used a tripod as the exposure required was fairly long. Mater of fact, I use a tripod on almost all my landscape shots as I am usually taking photographs early or late in the day or under cloudy conditions.Inspiration
I am always looking to take photographs at the edges of light, either morning or night. On this occasion, my mission was to see what kind of light and what the atmospherics would be for the location. I was not disappointed. The contrast of the falls colors, warm early light and the colder tones of the sky just made the shot for me.Editing
Yes, there was post-processing. In this case I took five shots at different exposure settings and combined them into one file with Photomatix and then completed the final touchup in Lightroom to create a print to match what I remembered seeing when I took the photograph.In my camera bag
I usually have my Nikkor 24-120 lens on my camera and in the bag I will have my Nikkor 80-400 and a Tamron 90mm macro. Tagging along but not in the bag is my Sigma 150-600. I also carry my Nikon SB 800 flash and a diffuser for the flash head.Feedback
The most significant things to keep in mind is to scout the location the evening before if at all possible. You will then know exactly where you want to be when the sun rises. The next thing is to get to your location well before sunrise so that you will be set up and ready to go when the conditions are right.
