On the Road Again
May, 2016Views
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Awards
Winner in Best Travel Picture Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Top Choice
Superior Skill
All Star
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Monument Valley near the Arizona-Utah border, USA.Time
I took this picture in the morning. It's important to get out early (or very late) to avoid the crowds in these more popular tourist spots. This particular stretch of road, with the vast sandstone buttes in the distance, is a popular photo stop. Midday it is almost impossible to get a shot without people and/or vehicles in the view.Lighting
In addition to avoiding crowds, being on site very early or very late, often provides more creative lighting to work with. The lovely colours in the sandstone provided great contrast, even in a low light.Equipment
I used my Canon 700D for this shot.Inspiration
To be honest, I was inspired by other images I had seen of this road. It stirs an immediate feeling of wanderlust. We were on a road trip and made a special point of stopping here and getting my "wander on". I really want to try and recreate that feeling in one of my own photos.Editing
Actually, great morning light, an iconic backdrop and a little luck came together for this image and I didn't have to do much more than level it out and crop to clean it up.In my camera bag
I have a canon 700D with the standard lens and a small tripod.Feedback
I think that if you take a few minutes before each shot to consider the perspective that brings the most power or feeling to the image, you get a better result. I find a lot of moments are camera worthy, but if I step back and "frame" the image, find some foreground, a slightly different angle, an unexpected focal point - it brings a little more creativity and personal touch to the final product.
