Horseshoe Bend at Golden Hour
Jan, 2016Views
3074
Likes
Awards
Action Award
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Rugged Landscapes Photo Contest
Member Selection Award
Featured
Contest Finalist in HDR Landscapes Photo Contest Explore Series
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
Genius
Top Ranks
Top 20 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 20 rank
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Horseshoe Bend, near Page, Arizona during winter of 2015. This famous spot is an overview of a small part of Colorado River. As touristy as this place is, it didn't fail to take my breath away.Time
I made some plans ahead to try and capture the scenery at sunset to try and bring up the gorgeous red color of the rocks. So, I went just before sunset which was around 8:10 p.m. that day. Got there probably 25 minutes early, walked 5 minutes from parking space to the bend, set up tripod and tried a few angles and compositions using a couple of wide lenses that I had. This particular shot was the most pleasing of them, taken at 8:15 p.m.Lighting
The nice, fiery, red look was mostly contributed by the golden hour. I was lucky to be able to catch the sunset. This place isn't tricky to shoot as it is beautiful to watch any time of the day.Equipment
I shoot this with a Canon 6D with Canon 17-35mm f/2.8L, set up on a tripod. To get a whole view of the bend, you really need an ultra wide angle. I'd suggest something on the range of 16-18mm for full frame and a 10mm for any APS-C cameras. If you don't have anything wider, I would suggest doing a panorama instead.Inspiration
Ever since I've been into photography, I have seen too many pictures of this Horseshoe Bend in Arizona. I had since put this place down in my bucketlist. I am continuously amazed by the wonder of nature and this spot isn't an exception. This country holds numerous jewels of nature and I'm happy I got to experience the views of Colorado River in the Southwest.Editing
My landscape photos are typically shot in RAW, just like this one. For processing, I applied some HDR-looking filters to expand its dynamic range. This brought out the different contrasting colors of the scene. Other than that, I did a little dodging on the walls of the canyons and the riverside to highlight formations and help draw viewers eyes to look deeper into the scenery.In my camera bag
For my trips, I usually pack my 6D with my 17-35mm f/2.8L, a 50mm f/1.8 II and a 70-200mm f/2.8L. I also bring two spare batteries for the body, a cleaner/brush pen, extra memory cards, and my tripod. For this particular trip to the Southwest, I also brought my Samyang 14mm f/2.8 for astrophotography or landscape when I think I needed the extra wideness on my compositions.Feedback
Like I've mentioned above, this place is so beautiful on its own that you would not need anything extra to get something extra special. You can come here at anytime to capture the beauty of this place. However I have to say that sunset would be the best time to photograph this place. Come early, do some test shots, find your best composition, and stick around till the sun is lost in the horizon. In addition to that, remember to bring the widest lens you got. The bend is pretty big and deep, an 18-55mm on a crop camera would not allow you to get everything in frame.
