Silky dawn
Sunrise in the Sahara desert
Sunrise in the Sahara desert
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Nov, 2015Views
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Fall Award 2020
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this during a vacation in Morocco. While there we took a trip in the desert with camels starting from the city of Merzouga and slept there for a night in a tent campTime
Sunset just after the sun went below the sand dunesLighting
The light was already almost perfect and clouds from the storm (yes there was a storm in the desert!) that was going away made the top of the frame even more dramatic beeing lighted in a blue/violet hue. The exposition was manual, the sand reflecting the sun was tricking the camera so I shoot in full manual.Equipment
Since the trip in the desert was with camels I could take too much of my equipment and I decided to travel just with a Nikon D300 and the 18-200. I didn't have a tripod too so I created one use my bag.Inspiration
The trip in the desert was already a one time experience and I knew I was going to have the opportunity to take great pictures there but I didn't know exactly what to expect since it was my first time. While riding through the camp the storm made me disappointed, it was great to see rain in the desert, but at the same time the sky was gray and light flat. Fortunately, that same storm created a stunning and dramatic sunset.Editing
The post processing was done in lightroom, as I usually tend to do, the highlights were reduced while the shadow opened up, I intentionally shot underexposed to get the great colors in the sky so I brought back the sand part with a +0.3 exposure just in the dunes. I played also a bit with contrast to balance the sky and the sand.In my camera bag
I switched one year ago to full frame and now I bring around a Nikon D750 with a Tamron 15-30. This is my basic kit and what I use 90% of the time.Feedback
I mainly shoot landscapes and architecture and both of those shots are related to the weather conditions and light conditions. Be prepared to have stunning light days or flat days, and in later case don't force yourself to take unsatisfactory pictures but just have the patience to wait for a better situation. Don't let yourself demotivated by your equipment and if the scene is beautiful try to take the shot anyway. Fr example while shooting this picture I left my Tokina 11-16 and tripod in the hotel choosing to travel light and with an all-around lens. I took the shot anyway using the bag as a tripod and it turned out really good. If possible take always several pictures with different compositions and exposures since it always hard to tell from the camera screen and to render the scene in the way you seeing it.
