Racetrack
Taken after a 3 mile hike with only the full moon's glow guiding me. Very freaky hike, worth the shot. I was alone up there with only the wind for noise an...
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Taken after a 3 mile hike with only the full moon's glow guiding me. Very freaky hike, worth the shot. I was alone up there with only the wind for noise and the few cars that passed in the valley lighting it up to look like a racetrack on Mars.
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AnkarloAdventures
June 02, 2016
Thanks! It was taken at Zion National Park in Utah. I was on the Canyon Overlook trail near midnight.
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on the Canyon Overlook trail in Zion National Park.Time
It was a about 12:30am, I hiked the 1 mile trail to the top without my headlamp or flashlight because the moon was so full and it lit up the entire landscape around me. I made the hike alone and there was no one on the trail that night so it made for a spooky evening jaunt, but once the shutter was open I wasn't thinking about the potential wild animals or vampires on the summit with me.Lighting
I took a few long exposure snaps and was up there for about an hour when I saw this car driving in the canyon. I quickly, set up my camera to get a shot of the car on the road. I hadn't seen a car the entire time I was up there so to my surprise as one car drove up the pass another car was driving down which gave me this neat duel color on the road. While processing the photograph I felt like it looked like an indy-car racetrack on mars...hence the name.Equipment
I shot this photograph with my Canon 5D Markiii. I used my Canon 24-105 lens which in a lot of ways is a very kit lens but has become my durable and trusty, catch all lens, over the years. I used my Cullmann Magnesit Aluminum Tripod, which is light weight and great for strapping to your camera bag or hiking pack and forgetting you have it until you need it. Finally, I used a remote shutter release cord I got on amazon for super cheap, but has done the trick for years.Inspiration
Honestly, I took this photo because of how overcrowded the park was that day. My wife and I love the outdoors and love going to National Parks. That year we visited 8 national parks. Of all the national parks we had gone to, Zion felt a little bit like a theme park; people packed in buses and on walkways to go and see all the attractions. I wanted to get away from the busyness of the commute and just be in the beautiful nature that the park had to offer...the middle of the night was the best time to do that. I am also a big fan of night photography and anything adrenaline related, so a hike alone in the star filled night was right up my alley. I will say, after that night and an early morning hike up Angel's Landing, Zion NP became one of our favorite parks of the trip. It's too spectacular to let the crowds deter you from visiting the park.Editing
I use Photoshop and Lightroom a ton for my post-processing. On this photo, I chose to keep the processing to a minimal, because the photo was so interesting as shot I wanted to do very little so not to take away from its natural intrigue.In my camera bag
My bag changes a lot depending on various shoots, as I know it is with most photographers. I often do big trips and many shoots across the country, so it's more like a camera crate that I keep in my car along the way. In my crate you'll find a Canon 5D mark iii and a Canon 7D, a Canon 50mm 1.4, Canon 24-105mm and Canon 70-200mm 2.8, GoPro Hero 4+ and all the various attachments, DJI Phantom 4 Pro, 2 tripods and a monopod, some gaffer tape and duct tape (always useful) and several wallets full of CF, SD and Micro SD cards...you'll also find (oddly enough, because you've probably noticed by now I am a Canon man through and through) a Nikon Speedlight SB-600 (it was a gift) which surprisingly works well with my cameras.Feedback
Don't let the crowds give you a false sense of security, the park is still very much so a wild and vast land. If you decide to make this hike make sure to let someone know where you're going and how long you plan to be there...if you get into trouble out there it may be a while before you receive aid. Don't only go up with your camera equipment, but make sure you have water and protein bars; it is still the desert after all. Hiking with a full moon makes the hike a lot more manageable because there are a couple areas with small passes and long drops that aren't as visible with just a head lamp. With that said, a moonless night would bring out some amazing star shots over the canyon. I'd suggest hiking it during the day to get a feel for the trail before heading out that night. In any case the hike and photos are amazing and if you happen to be the only one out there you'll experience the park like you're the only one on earth sitting on the edge of the galaxy, it's quite peaceful. My favorite motto while in the parks is "Leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but photos." Happy Shooting!
