Sierra Valley
Took a week of searching to find the best place to get a picture of the place my mom grew up in, but eventually found this fence that became the center-piece of...
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Took a week of searching to find the best place to get a picture of the place my mom grew up in, but eventually found this fence that became the center-piece of my composition.
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Feb, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
My mom grew up in the Sierra Valley of Northern California. Facing south on my grandpa's front porch is Beckwourth Peak, the valley's most prominent feature. I decided to try to capture a sight from my mother's youth in a kind of nostalgic way.Time
I drove around most of the day before I found the spot I wanted. It had to have been 4pm on a very overcast day.Lighting
It was overcast, and everything looked one-dimentional. I decided to add a heavy foreground focus to take advantage of the extremely diffuse light.Equipment
I used a Canon Rebel T3i, a Sigma 18-200mm f6.3 lens on a relatively cheap tripod.Inspiration
I'm very close to my mother and I wanted to create a way for her to be able to remember her childhood home. This picture became extra special a few months later because we found out she had terminal cancer. She's still fighting her illness, but this picture is hanging right next to her chair so she can see it every day.Editing
The biggest thing I enhanced was the clouds. I made them a little bit darker. I also cropped it into a 16:9 aspect ratio. I also balanced the shadows and brought the vibrance of the foreground.In my camera bag
Just my T3i, the Sigma 18-200mm and a Canon 50mm f1.8. I try to keep things as simple as possible.Feedback
A few things come to mind. First, use the light to your advantage. Landscape photographers don't always get the conditions they envisioned. Being creative with the light you have will help you create in ways you hadn't done before. Second, practice makes perfect. Photography is a perishable skill. If you want to be ready to capture a scene at the last minute, equipment availability is always second to the skill you posess. Take every opportunity to practice the basics of photography.
