112314-208
Nov, 2015Views
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Awards
Staff Winter Selection 2015
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Superior Skill
All Star
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Top 30 rank
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
My teenage son, Tyler, and I had spent the day walking and riding around Natchez taking photographs. We had just finished with a carriage ride and decided to take a walk towards the river to watch the sun set. Upon reaching the Mississippi River bluff we decided to head down to an area called "Under the Hill" which takes you down a steep decline from a bluff down to the river. That provided the vantage point for this shot.Time
The photo was taken right at dusk. The sun had gone beyond our view and the night sky was rapidly taking over.Lighting
.The photo is 100% the lighting as shot. The street and business lighting provided the lighting to allow the Riverboat to be exposed while still capturing the colors in the sky. I normally shoot in Manual, however was not having luck capturing the shot I wanted so changed to AV and that made all the difference in the shot.Equipment
This photo was taken with a Canon T3i using a Tamron 70-300 f/4-5.6. I did not use a flash and I rarely use a tripod. This was hand held.Inspiration
My son and I decided to walk down the riverfront, to an area known as "Under the Hill". The sun was setting and the entire scene was breathtaking from the perfect blend of oranges and purples in the sky to the reflections in the water. I just couldn't believe we had walked into the perfect setting.Editing
I used very little post-processing - mostly in lowering the "highlighting" to give more definition and detail. I try to shoot adjusting my camera settings to get the shot from within the camera and not rely on post-processing.In my camera bag
I carry a backpack camera bag to allow me to carry different lenses, back up batteries, cleaning wipes and many times my wallet to prevent me having to also carry a purse. My bag always has my Canon T3i and my Tamron 70-300 f/4-5.6, the kit 55mm lens (mostly because I imagine there will be a need at some point but have yet to really use it). My Tamron is my steady go-to lens except for when shooting sports when I switch to carrying my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8.Feedback
Patience, and unfortunately luck are both what I consider what it takes to capture a similar photo. Patience is needed because the lighting is going to continuously change as the sun goes down, which changes the entire composition of the photo. This also means being willing to change and adjust your settings as the lighting changes. And then luck - simply because Mother Nature does things her way. You can see a scene and return to the same spot night after night and never see that same scene as the sun, rotation of the Earth, cloud cover, etc all play a role in the scene. My number 1 rule is always have your camera, battery and memory card ready.
