Sunset over camp at Peeler Lake
Apr, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo on the Northern Boundary of Yosemite National Park. A friend and I had backpacked in from outside the park and crossed the park boundary that afternoon. I had noticed some hazy skies that day which I knew would make for an amazing sunset. This picture was taken to capture the great view of the sunset that we had from our camp.Time
This photo was taken during that magical hour before sunset when the sky and the clouds light up as if they were on fire. In fact, there was literally a fire nearby and the smoke in the sky made for a magical sunset. For this particular photo, I actually didn't intend on taking one of our camp. I was actually running around with my little portable tripod trying to find good places to set up and capture the sunset from different vantage points with different things in the foreground like ponds, streams, etc. Then I caught this viewpoint with the sun perfectly setting behind our camp through the clearing in the trees. It's funny how often your best photos from a particular photo shoot are actually not the ones you went through hours trying to find the best vantage point for.Lighting
For this image I took 3 bracketed photos that were 2 exposure stops apart so I could create a nice HDR image. With one exposure and the brightness of the sun on the horizon, I knew the foreground would turn out darker than I wanted it to be or the sun would be washed out. So, I used 3 exposures to capture the foreground, middle ground, and horizon and then blended them together. This enabled me to capture something closer to what the naked eye could see at that moment.Equipment
I took this photo with a Sony A7 camera, a Sony 10-18 wide angle lens, and a Joby Gorillapod tripod.Inspiration
Honestly, the inspiration came from seeing the sunset. Before I embarked on this trip, I knew I would be shooting photos but I always let the trip and the conditions dictate my inspiration. When I saw the hazy skies I knew it would be a nice sunset so I made sure to eat dinner early and spend the entire Golden Hour running around looking for that magical vantage point that would spark my inspiration.Editing
Yes, I started with 3 images that I combined using Photomatix HDR Pro. Then I took the combined HDR image and one non-HDR image and used Photoshop to blend elements of each photo into one. This enabled me to create a more realistic look that still had the benefits of HDR so you could see the foreground clearly and without as many shadows but without overexposing the sunset and horizon.In my camera bag
Most of my photos are taken on backpacking or hiking trips which means I try to pack light and plan for the place I am going without bringing anything extra but just enough to capture good photos. This requires some pre-planning and an idea of what types of photos I'll be taking, but at the least I always have my Sony A7, a Carl Zeiss 24-70mm lens, some lens cleaners, a polarizing filter, my Joby Gorillapod, and a remote trigger. If the trip allows for it or calls for it, I'll also bring my wide angle lens, extra batteries, prime lenses, etc.Feedback
I think the best advice I can give is try to not plan your photos out too much in advance. Get an idea of where you are going and what you'll need but be free to let the moment happen and capture what happens and not what you planned on capturing. Doing this will make you much happier in the moment and it will help you appreciate it more. Plus the memories that you will have when editing the photos are always richer and more memorable than some pre-planned shoot that went exactly as you planned.
