Nightfall
on the mountains of the Western Cape, South Africa
on the mountains of the Western Cape, South Africa
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Apr, 2016Views
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Awards
Fall Award 2020
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Genius
All Star
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
Emotions
Relaxed
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo on the mountains east from Cape Town, South Africa. Wonderful place for night photography. Usually I have to walk a lot to find the right spot, but in this case it was very close to a tarred road.Time
It was a cold winter evening, the sun had just set and the afterglow was still up in the sky to the west. Due to the dry climate and the low light pollution, the Milky Way was already visible in the sky.Lighting
This part of the world is fantastic for night photography thanks to its very low light pollution and clean air. The light comes from the afterglow as the sun had just set below the horizon. This photo is a single exposure.Equipment
I used a Canon EOS-6D with Canon 24-105mm mounted on a Manfrotto tripod. No flash, no filters, nothing else.Inspiration
I love night photography and South Africa has plenty of wonderful spots for this kind of photography. I spent many nights and hours walking on mountains and beaches with camera and tripod, looking for the right spots. Now I know many places for good night photography off the beaten tracks.Editing
I just used the software supplied by Canon to convert the raw file into jpg, then I did a little bit of post-processing with Photoshop. I did not change the colors, just a bit of dodge and burn.In my camera bag
I am about to change my equipment, so at the moment I still do not know what I will get, but probably Canon and Manfrotto will be in my bag.Feedback
The right spot is very important so everybody wishing to capture photos like this one needs to know the place very well. Explore the places in daytime before going at night, walk a lot, wear sturdy shoes, leave the tarred road and walk on untarred roads, footpaths and tracks. Do not go alone as some places in South Africa are dangerous, talk with local people that you trust, bring a local friend with you, shoot plenty of photos, be patient patient and patient and ... the good results will come.
