Luray Reflections
A reflecting pool at Luray Caverns in Virginia.
A reflecting pool at Luray Caverns in Virginia.
Read less
Read less
Feb, 2016Views
788
Likes
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
Top Ranks
Top 10 rank
Top 10 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 20 rank
Top 20 rank
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was taken at Luray Caverns in Virginia.Time
This image was taken on a Sunday morning since I was advised to be on the first tour through the caverns to minimize the large number of people who typically trek daily through this attraction. Since these caverns are underground all the light was man-made.Lighting
I utilized the man-made lighting that was available and chose to shoot with a 5-6 stop bracket and then combined the images later in my Photomatix Pro HDR software.Equipment
Since I was on vacation I only had my Nikon D3200 and my f4.5 18-200 mm lens in my bag. I fortunately remembered to bring my tripod which made all the difference for this shoot.Inspiration
I took many shots while on this tour, but this one is my absolute favorite. The way that the stalactites reflect in the pool below give the impression that you are entering the jaws of a mammoth prehistoric creature.Editing
I could not have achieved the wonderful detail and contrast without using Photomatix Pro software. It give me the ability to not only combine multiple exposures, but to also manipulate the data and mold it into the particular look that I had in mind.In my camera bag
Currently I always carry my Nikon D610 and several lenses. My go-to lens recently is my f4.5 24-120mm but I am fond of my f4.5 70-300mm for long distance shots. I always include my SB-800 Speedlight which comes in very handy when I need some unexpected fill light. Other lenses include f2.8 85mm and my f1.4 50mm.Feedback
Make sure that you use a tripod for these kind of slow exposures. I also recommend using a relatively small aperture opening to keep the depth of field in tack. Of course that all depends on the final look you are trying to achieve. A professional HDR program for final editing made all the difference for me in this shot.
