The Rural Past
75 seconds of a rural Kentucky sunset.
75 seconds of a rural Kentucky sunset.
Read less
Read less
Jul, 2016Views
507
Likes
Awards
Summer Selection
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Superior Skill
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
Genius
All Star
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2Top 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken outside of Fort Campbell, Kentucky in the quaint little community of Oak Grove.Time
It was a crisp winter evening as the sun was starting to set and I was excited to try out my new 10 stop Neutral Density filter. I remember my hands becoming numb as I stood along side of the main road and every passing car seemed to send a chilling breeze across me as I patiently waited for the exposure. This photo was taken on a brisk January 19, 2015 evening at 6:06.Lighting
This was a little tricky for me to expose as it was the first time using a 10 stop neutral density filter. I read many forums for advice on using filters for longer exposures and had waited a few days in hopes for clouds around sunset time to test out the new found knowledge. What was unexpected for me was to account for the loss of light as the sun faded into the horizon and it took a few attempts to get the exposure I was looking for.Equipment
I shot this with a Canon 6D, the 24-105mm f/4 kit lens, a Canon TC-80N3 Timer/Remote Controller, a Manfrotto 055xprob tripod w/410 junior geared head, and my newly purchased B+W MRC 3.0 (10 stop) Neutral Density Filter.Inspiration
I have wanderlust when I am looking at other photos and always wish that I could travel to other locations for my hand at it. I am unable to travel to such locations and make it point to make the ordinary local locations a little more interesting. I have a soft spot for old barns that are decaying or bright colors and that is one thing Kentucky has a lot of.Editing
Processing this image was such a joy. I had an idea of what I was looking for, but was unsure how to achieve the look in mind. I went for a few local adjustments, lowered the exposure since I had slightly exposed to the right and then brought back exposure with a few radial filters and a few selective areas with a brush mainly putting emphasis on the barn itself. The image was just about done, and I was not happy yet as I felt the mood and color was still lacking. I tried a few presets in Lightroom and was ecstatic when I came across the "yesteryear" preset. After applying the preset, I felt the warmth I wanted to balance the cold experience from the frigid evening. I was still not convinced though at this point as the preset was too warm and too colorful for my liking. I have this image to thank for teaching me a completely new realm in processing because I was curious as to what the preset actually adjusted. I spent a few weeks reading forums learning about the tone curve and each of their channels and split toning the highlights and shadows. I came back to this image a few weeks later and made the tweaks I felt necessary and it came out better to me than I had first imagined.In my camera bag
I photograph accordingly to my moods so there is no telling what will be in my bag as far as lens go. I normally have my kit lens Canon 24-105 f/4 most times with one other lens. I can have my Tamron 90 1:1 macro lens as my main as I love macro and it also doubles as my portrait lens. For astrophotography, I use the Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 manual lens. For wildlife, I will either carry the Tamron 70-300, or the Tamron 150-600mm. I always carry a polarizer, a 3,6, and 10 stop ND screw on filters and step ring adapters to fit whatever lens I go with. Remote timer release, headlamp, extra batteries, multitool, a few rolls of tape and sometimes the 600ex speedlite.Feedback
One thing I would like to add is to test your new Neutral Density filters before heading out. It was something I did not do or even know about, but it will really help you to calculate a more accurate exposure. I discovered to take a shot in a lit room with consistent light, then take a shot with filter added and match your histograms. I have 3 different ND filters and two of them are different than the rated specs. The seconds can make a big impact calculating exposure, and when you get into minutes it makes a world of difference.
