Flared Up
A British Army Household Cavalry Regiment sniper overlooking the plains of Canada searching for potential threats.
A British Army Household Cavalry Regiment sniper overlooking the plains of Canada searching for potential threats.
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Jan, 2016Views
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Awards
Spring Selection Award
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took the photo at the British Army Training Unit in Suffield (BATUS), Alberta, Canada whilst the British Army were conducting the 2015 Exercise Prairie Storm 4.Time
This was taken at roughly 1600/1700 hours, after chasing a group of snipers across the Candian Prairies from the early hours that same morning. The terrain was difficult to traverse but the light on the prairie is simply sublime and made the trek easy.Lighting
I always have loved my star bursts, as the afternoon was creeping by, the sun was lower and once the Snipers had stopped moving it gave me the perfect opportunity to capture the soldier with the sun low enough behind him for the shot I wanted.Equipment
I used a wide angle 14-24mm Canon Lens on a Canon 5D MkIII.Inspiration
I love snipers and I love starbursts, the icing on the cake was the long grass surrounding him which only added to the atmosphere of the final image.Editing
I did some post production which included basically levels and sharpening along with playing about with the vibrancy of the image and the clarity to really make the starburst effect pop out.In my camera bag
Usually two Nikon D4's with a wide, standard and long. Along with two flash guns and a set of pocket wizards. A Manfrotto tripod with head and on top of that is a full compliment of military equipment such as helmet and body armour.Feedback
Always have a plan of what you want to take it before leaving on a job, be patient but be prepared to deviate or adapt that plan. I wanted a sniper in long grass, I followed the snipers for hour after hour, I got some nice shots of them on the move and taking up various positions. It wasn't until their final location that I found myself looking at snipers through long grass giving me the opportunity to capture the image I had originally planned for. It may have taken 10-12 hours to capture but it was worth it.
