christianwicklein
christianwicklein
Sunlit Majesty

Sunlit Majesty



Cypress Tree tunnel taken near Point Reyes Lighthouse in Northern California

Cypress Tree tunnel taken near Point Reyes Lighthouse in Northern California
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cameraNIKON D600

settings Aperture f/8 ISO 200 Shutter 1/10 Focal Length 1050/10 

upload_dateAug, 2015

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Awards

Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Backgrounds Photo Project Selection
Contest Finalist in Around The World Photo Contest Digital Camera World
Contest Finalist in Composing With Arches Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in Be My Tour Guide Photo Contest
Runner Up in Photographer Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 12
Contest Finalist in Photographer Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 12
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14 Comments | Report
sweetpea72
 
sweetpea72 September 30, 2015
Love it... Been here before :)
FaithPhotography
 
FaithPhotography October 02, 2015
So beautiful to look at.
joneirypichardo
 
joneirypichardo October 10, 2015
amazing
Farooq34
 
Farooq34 October 15, 2015
Amazing picture. Very inspirational for beginners like me.
ThruDawnsEye PRO
 
ThruDawnsEye October 22, 2015
So beautifully done.
EmilyKentPhotography
 
EmilyKentPhotography November 22, 2015
Fantastic lighting and capture!! I just visited this grove yesterday morning for the first time. Magical!
nandicmb PRO+
 
nandicmb February 19, 2016
Congratulations on your many Awards!
Tiff
 
Tiff June 04, 2016
Great Shot, Well Done!
AngTess
 
AngTess September 02, 2016
Amazing photo capture portraying 'hope'
MELLIE1955 PRO+
 
MELLIE1955 December 03, 2016
Beautiful!! This photo should be in a children's book. It reminds me of the book Where the wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.
christianwicklein
christianwicklein December 03, 2016
Thank you so much!! I love that book!
Mrsviruet PRO
 
Mrsviruet September 03, 2017
Beautiful
Craig-101
 
Craig-101 December 29, 2017
That is a shot I've been after for a loooong time! Nice one ????????
mariadel PRO
 
mariadel March 13, 2020
Enhorabuena!!!
nickywarren
 
nickywarren October 11, 2020
Beautiful

Submitted to Photo Contests

Tags

#sunlit #fog #cypress #Point Reyes #california #beauty #bright #golden

Behind The Lens

Location
This image was taken in Point Reyes, California. It was along a narrow, windy road leading to a lighthouse. There's almost nothing around, just little patches of wetland, and out of nowhere this beautiful tunnel of trees leading to an old communication station.
Time
I woke up at 4am with the intention of getting this shot under the cover of fog. I wanted it to have that extra spooky feel. However, by the time I arrived I was sorely disappointed. No fog at all. I did what any good photographer would do: I waited. As I sat there in the darkness I realized I was not alone. In my mind I was being watched by nightmare beasts, waiting to attack. The creatures in the dark turned out to be local cows allowed to roam in the area, and barn owls hunting for food in the early morning. As the sun rose and the fog finally rolled in, the shadows began to subside. I relaxed and started clicking my shutter. I got this shot around 6:30am.
Lighting
I love how the sun lit up the fog as it moved through the empty spaces between the trees. The light was diffused through the tunnel and provided a beautifully soft view of the underside of the canopy. The experience was quite magical.
Equipment
I always take my trusty Nikon D600 on every shoot. I tried using a 20mm and 24mm but I couldn't get the right feel for the scene. Luckily, I had just purchased a Nikkor 105mm macro and was itching to use it. The lens worked out perfectly for this shot and I got exactly what I had envisioned. All I had to do was back up. The camera was atop a Dolica tripod and I used a wired shutter release.
Inspiration
I had seen some similar images online and was inspired to put my own creative spin on it. I did some research and realized this tree tunnel was nearby, so I decided to give it a try and see what would happen. Most of the time I am drawn by instinct to a certain idea for a shot. I act quickly, pack my stuff and just go for it.
Editing
I did some post-processing to this shot using Photoshop CC. I used what I learned from the team at Phlearn (Find them at Phlearn.com or on YouTube) to make this image what it is. As I was helping my idea of the image come through, I found that it needed more light so I brightened the center using the gradient tool and existing colors in the image. I accentuated the contrast between the trees using tons of layers. I do a lot of playing around with the images in Photoshop. I allow the image itself to inspire how I edit it.
In my camera bag
I only carry a small backpack and a Dolica tripod. I have my trusty Nikon D600 and five lenses: 20mm, 24mm, 50mm, 105mm and 70-300mm. I like to shoot long exposures so I carry around some Cokin filters. And always extra batteries. I keep it simple and portable so I can move any time and in any way I need to.
Feedback
Shoot what moves you. Shoot what makes your heart beat and where your passion draws you. Shoot what is interesting to you, not what other people think or tell you. Think about what gets you up in the morning and starts a fire inside of you that cannot be quenched until you get the perfect shot. I still haven't taken my best shot, but I will keep trying until I get it. For this particular shot, look for things out of the ordinary, something that stands out. Do your research. Know what you can expect to get in camera, and what you can do when post-processing. Have an idea of what your image is going to look like before you even take your first shot. Your vision of the photograph is the most important part of the whole shoot.

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