Happy Endings
Happy Endings
Instagram @HooverTung
Jan, 2016Views
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leslielynn
June 28, 2016
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Maricopa, Arizona, USA, where the train tracks cut across the north side of this small town.Time
This was taken on November 12, 2015, at 6:32 PM (ignore the metadata, forgot to change time zone), which was shortly after the sun fell below the mountains in the far distance.Lighting
I happen to come across the scene while the sunset was quickly fading away. I noticed the reflection of light on the train tracks leading me to the silhouetted mountains. This was the moment I knew this was the shot I wanted.Equipment
This was shot on a Nikon D750 body along with an AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR Lens. With the lens, I used a Hoya HD Glass 8-layer Multi-Coated Circular Polarizing filter, which helped draw out the otherwise faint clouds. Unfortunately, this was one of the few times I left my tripod behind since I wasn't planning on staying so late. The first thing I did was to ensure I had VR switched on from the lens to steady the camera. I then took off both of my shoelaces and wrapped one around my neck and the other around my belt. From there, I took both ends of the laces and tied it to my tripod release plate. I then held the camera in front of me while having some tension from my neck and belt to my camera and very slowly pressed the shutter button. This wasn't going to replace a tripod, but it was the best I could do while shooting at 1/50th of a second.Inspiration
I was visiting my brother in a small town in Arizona. I had decided to catch a ride using Lyft (peer-to-peer ride-sharing company similar to Uber) to the local casino (Ka Ching). It was easy to find a ride going there, but unfortunately, there wasn't a single driver around to bring me back to where I was staying. After 30 mins of failing to find a ride, I decided to walk back with the directions Google Maps had provided. After nearly an hour and 30 minutes of walking, I noticed the sun setting. I was tired and very disappointed that I wasn't going to be able to capture that beautiful golden blanket in the sky. Not long after, I made a right turn and noticed the train tracks in the distance. When I got to the middle of the tracks, I knew this was a photo I wanted to capture. Knowing I only had just a few minutes to salvage what was left of golden hour, I quickly pulled out my camera and sprung into action. Yes, a 15 min car ride turned into a dreadful 2 hours of walking, but in the end, it was all worth it! Hence, the photo title, "Happy Endings." This was one sunset I'll never forget.Editing
Since I was shooting at 1/50th of a second, 400 ISO, F10, the photo was underexposed. Using Adobe Lightroom, I had boosted the exposure a bit, along with the shadows, whites, and saturation within the Basic panel. A bit of vignetting was added to draw the attention down the middle, and lastly, the crop tool was used to correct the slight tilt in the horizon.In my camera bag
Along with my Nikon D750, I never leave home without the Nikon 24-120mm lens, which is attached to my camera most of the time. I also carry a Nikon 50mm F1.8 prime lens for the rare occasions I need to shoot wide open in a dark or crowded location. And of course, what every landscape enthusiast needs is a tripod. I'm currently using "Manfrotto 054 Magnesium" Ball Head mounted with a "Manfrotto 190 Go!" tripod. Let's not forget the filters: Hoya HD Circular Polarizer and a Breakthrough X3 ND 10-stop, MRC16 filter. Other accessories are two spare batteries, two additional 128gb SD cards, a "Bower" LCD timer and remote shutter release, "Foxnovo" disposable raincoat for myself, an "Altura" camera jacket and of course a few bags of silica beads to help minimize the moisture that may be trapped in the camera bag.Feedback
Although this photo wasn't planned, it's ideal to wait for a day when there are beautiful clouds in the sky. It's the type of clouds that set the mood of the photo. And of course, you should always have a tripod with you when shooting with slow shutter speed, but when you're in a situation where you do not have a tripod with you, don't forget you can always use your shoelaces as I had used for this photo.
