Grand Canyon, Horse Shoe Bend at Sunset
Jan, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was shot at Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon, Page, Arizona, USA.Time
I shot this photo at somewhere around 8:30 - 9:00 just as the sun was setting over the horizon.Lighting
I used no special lighting. The lighting is natural.Equipment
The photo was shot with a Nikon D810 mounted on a tripod. I was using a Nikkor 14 -24mm wide angle lens at 17mm.Inspiration
I had seen photos of Horseshoe Bend and it looked just spectacular. So, I visited Horseshoe Bend to see it for myself and to capture some of my won images. This photo was shot as the sun set while perched on an predipice right up against the edge so the wide angle would capture all of the Colorado River below. As the sun set there was about a 20 second window where just as the last sliver of the sun dipped below the horizon it produced an amazing rainbow aura. I was fortunate to have had every set up to capture it because it was completely unexpected.Editing
I shot the photo in RAW and processed it in Adobe Lightroom. There is very little manipulation of the image, a bit of saturation and shadow adjustment. No photoshop.In my camera bag
Depending on the shoot I normally carry my Nikon D810 and the Trilogy / 14-24mm / 24-70mm / 70 -200mm. I shoot most of my Landscapes with with my 14 -24mm, then my 24 - 70. I rarely use the 70 200. Usually I also have a tripod, especially if I know the light will be low. I now have a graduated neutral density filter to fit my 14-24mm lens, however, I did not have that at the time of this shoot. For this shot I used no filter.Feedback
I use some iPhone apps to help prepare for landscape shoots. I use Accuweather so I know the conditions in advance (always hoping for some cloud drama) and Photographers Ephemeris so I can pre scout the location of the sun at any given time of day. These two apps allow me to better prepare in advance where i want to be in relation to subject to get the light I want. Other than that you just have to have the right equipment and get yourself out there, which often times is at least half the fun.
