Smoke and Sunlight
Apr, 2015Views
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Winner in Broken Pieces in Nature Photo Challenge
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
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Magnificent Capture
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Behind The Lens
Location
This picture was taken in the woodsy area that surrounds my humble South Carolina home. I remember sitting on my front porch with my neighbor when a fire truck pulled up into my yard to inform my family that someone driving on a nearby road reported seeing smoke and fire above the trees. We were all told to stay near the house and away from the woods, but for an aspiring photographer and a pyromaniac, there was no way we could follow those rules. Our young, rebellious souls sneaked through the woods using a path we had previously discovered to avoid the firefighters and cautiously wandered around until we found the burned area. By the time we got there, most of the fire had been put out and everyone had moved on to find the origin of the "disaster", but the thick smoke, charred trees, and glowing embers under a blanket of ash still remained- and that was more than enough for us to have a blast.Time
Oh gosh, I honestly can't tell you the exact time or date. But I know for certain that it was sometime in the late afternoon because I was incredibly grateful for the sunset. I also recall the air being warm as we trekked through the trees, but the wind was cool and grew slightly chilly as the sun dove deeper beyond the horizon, so it must have been in that beautiful transition from Summer to Autumn (late August/early September).Lighting
I was just giddy out of my head to watch the smoke catch rays from the just-setting sun. When I saw beams of magical light surrounding me, I could have cried. It was like a fairytale; something I had only dreamed of seeing in real life. There was no way I could walk away from there without taking hundreds of pictures of it, this one just happens to be one of my favorites.Equipment
I took this before I had the privilege of owning my own D-SLR, so the camera I had at that point was what I like to call an "advanced point-and-shoot.": Canon PowerShot Sx500 IS. No other equipment.Inspiration
It was very much a spur-of-the-moment, adrenaline-based shoot. Not something I had ever planned out in my head as I was laying in bed late at night or anything like that. But once I got out there and looked up at the sky, I immediately felt like I was in another world. To me, it was like Disney's Tarzan meets mystical fairies. I just knew I had to capture the magic I felt in that moment. It may seem simple to other people, but to me it was surreal.Editing
Honestly, the only post-processing I did myself was a minor contrast boost. But the camera I was using at the time came with built-in filter effects and I did use the "Toy Camera" effect for this shot.In my camera bag
To be the realist I try to avoid being, I'm not at all wealthy and therefore not very well-equipped. But I make do with what I've got, just as I always have. I started out carrying around a small Fujifilm point-and-shoot and have since then upgraded through a few point-and-shoots until I finally got my very own *fanfare* D-SLR, courtesy of one of my dad's former co-workers who was down on her luck and didn't know how to use it properly anyway (no judgements, just saying). So the one I carry around now is a Canon EOS Rebel XT and I have two lenses that came with the deal: a Canon EF 28-200mm and a Canon EF-S 18-55mm. I also just bought a flash diffuser set from Amazon and have been carrying it around with me everywhere.Feedback
Set some woods on fire. .... Just kidding, that's illegal.
