DSCF1798 - Version 2
Aug, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at the summit of a pass heading through the Brooks Mountain Range in Alaska as we were heading north to the Arctic Ocean on our BMW motorcycles. This was a significant moment for us as the journey through the tundra was to commence shortly and the mountains would soon be left behind. I've developed a passion for documenting my adventures around the globe through photography and enjoy sharing my sense of discovery with others though the images I capture.Time
This photograph was taken in the evening, after 8:00 pm, but you'd never know it was that late when you are north of the Arctic Circle in the summer months! The perpetual sunlight provided plenty of time for both travel and photography. And the mosquitos to feast on us whenever we stopped. Yikes!Lighting
The shadows were lengthening at the time and there was limited sunlight shining on the mountains with such broken cloud cover, so timing and speed were both important elements to focus on that allowed me to capitalize on the truck's appearance when I was setting up to take a few shots. Its so important to know your gear in those moments!Equipment
This image was shot on a Fujifilm X-Pro1, 14mm F2.8 R lens, ISO 800, f10, 1/125Inspiration
The trip through the Brooks Mountains felt a little like a scene out of the Lord of the Rings. Traveling by motorcycle in remote, isolated locations in challenging surroundings certainly heightens one's sense of vulnerability. I wanted to impart a bit of the sense of awe that we were feeling being in a vast wilderness sharing the road with the very occasional behemoth.Editing
This image was very straightforward in post-processing using Apple's Aperture software, which they no longer support, so I've subsequently moved on to Adobe's Lightroom/Photoshop.I always shoot both RAW and JPEG versions of my images and the RAW version of this photo simply required a minor exposure and colour adjustments. I usually adjust the RAW versions of my images and use the JPEGs as colour references as required. Fuji's JPEGs typically look very good straight from the camera and I'll often upload them to social media as I travel.In my camera bag
I've been a landscape photographer for the most part so the setup I've noted earlier has been my go-to gear, although I've enjoyed the versatility of a Fujifilm 18-55mm zoom as well. However, given that we predominantly travel by motorcycle, space and weight is a valuable commodity. Lately I've been getting acquainted with Fuji's X100T. It is very robust but quite small compared to a DSLR or my XPro-1for that matter, due in part to its fixed 23mm focal length. It takes beautiful images and I'm truly beginning to enjoy it's versatility as I use it for everything from street photography, to landscapes to portraits.Feedback
I saw the truck coming from quite a distance and knew that I wanted to use the dust billowing out behind it to impart a sense of the movement of the truck. The semi was an important element in the composition of this photograph as it symbolized the purely industrial nature of this highway through virtual wilderness. I think the photograph captured the essence of that very well.
