Dillon Pair in a Pasture 2
Mar, 2015Views
1153
Likes
Awards
Featured
Contest Finalist in Blast From The Past Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Top Ranks
Top 20 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2Top 10 rank week 1Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken outside Dillon, Montana. I was on the way back from Bannack, a ghost town not too far away, when I drove past this. At the time, I was unclear about photographing objects on private property, so I parked on the side of the road opposite this property and ran across the road for a stealth shoot of about 15 seconds.Time
This was mid-afternoon. I look for sky drama and was watching the sky as I drove, so I almost missed this, since I don't typically watch for potential landscape shots in the middle of the day.Lighting
Montana storms provide really interesting camera fodder, so I was thrilled that the sun (right side middle of the frame) was blocked enough by a cloud set that I could fairly safely shoot in its direction.Equipment
This is my all-time favorite hand-held shot. It was taken with a Canon 60D and Sigma 10-20mm lens. No flash, no tripod, since it was an in-and-out stealth shoot.Inspiration
I am intrigued by the mystery surrounding anything left behind: Who owned it? What did it carry (family, cargo, moonshine)? Why was it abandoned? What happened to the people who used it? These two looked like a couple of tired out old timers to me.Editing
There are grasses involved, so even if I'd had it on a tripod, I would not have bracketed it. In Lightroom, I created a couple of virtual copies, upped and downed the exposures to 2 and -2, respectively, then pulled them all through Photomatix. I stuck with the Default preset, then adjusted levels and colors back in Lightroom. I never add any color to anything (except cat eyes when I'm feeling adventurous), so the colors you see are the colors that are there; I just brought the luminosity up or down until I liked what I saw. I also pulled it through Topaz Clarity for a little micro color boost.In my camera bag
I bought the Think Tank Airporter so I could have everything with me, always. I have Canon 60D and 70D camera bodies, and Sigma 10-20mm, Sigma 150-500mm, and (my favorite) Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lenses, along with a circular polarizer on every lens and Cokin full and graduated filters nearby. An external flash, one steel Manfrotto tripod with leveling base and gimbal head, and one Reged CF tripod with Manfrotto ball head also accompany me everywhere, although when I travel, I stick with the 10-20 Sigma and a Canon 70-300 longer lens. I'm planning to fill the obvious kit gap with another Canon, probably the 24-70mm f/2.8 L II.Feedback
A wide-angle lens and a filter to block out the harsh sunlight when shooting in the sun's direction are necessary. A tripod would have been good on this one, and plan time to take multiple shots. And, ask for permission to shoot the subject from other angles, like inside the fence, once you've taken your initial from-the-road shots. Time of day would have been important if the sun weren't hidden, since it was behind the subject, and the morning light on these two beauties would have been stunning.
