EmilyKentPhotography

Cypress Sunrays II

Another capture a few minutes after the previous post. Waiting just a few minutes can yield a completely different light. ...
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Another capture a few minutes after the previous post. Waiting just a few minutes can yield a completely different light.
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Aperture 11/1 ISO 1600 Shutter 1/500 Focal Length 24/1

upload_date

Jul, 2016

Views

117

Likes

Awards

Fall Award 2020

Peer Award

Superb Composition

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo in Point Reyes National Seashore along the California Coast. This image was taken at the famous cypress tree tunnel lining the historic Marconi Radio Station.

Time

I left the house at 4am to drive the two hours to the coast in order to arrive here before the sun rose. I had never been to this place before so the drive was very dark and unfamiliar. After I arrived, I parked and waited until daylight began to appear. I lucked out as the sun came up and created magical rays through the branches of the Cypress Trees. This photo was taken in the month of November at 7:45am.

Lighting

The coastal fog rolled in off of the Pacific Ocean and created an ethereal sight as the sunlight reached the fog. For a window of about 20 minutes, the beautifully diffused lighting through the trees continued to change ever so slightly, creating a wealth of stunning scenery.

Equipment

This was taken with a Nikon D7100, a Nikkor zoom lens at a focal length of 65mm, and f/16.

Inspiration

I had seen images of this beautiful tree tunnel online and knew immediately that I wanted to see it for myself. Always with the leave no trace principle in mind, I planned my drive and parking location in order to be here before other car and foot traffic arrived. I never imagined that the lighting that particular morning would turn out to be as breathtaking as it was.

Editing

I utilized Adobe Lightroom in post-processing, to bring the vibrance up a bit, and increased the texture just enough to bring out the detail in the tree bark and leaves on the ground. Finally, I adjusted the curves to lighten the shadows. This image was taken at f/16 to achieve the sunburst, which means the aperture was small and required exposure adjustment in the post-processing stage.

In my camera bag

I alternate between two camera bodies, a Nikon D7100 and a full-frame Nikon D750. My go-to lenses are a Nikon 85mm, a Nikon 28-300mm, and most recently a wide-angle Nikon 14-24mm. I always carry my Joby GorillaPod which serves as a compact tripod that can fit in my backpack.

Feedback

I always recommend introspecting a bit first on what it is that lights you up inside when you see a particular image that you really like. Go from there. For me, illumination during the dawn and dusk hours in outdoor environments lights me up inside. I knew I wanted to be in a place to witness that kind of beauty. So I researched my destination ahead of time in order to planned accordingly for aspects like travel time, weather, and crowds. Bring enough variety in your gear bag so that you can capture the lighting conditions and scope of your scene well. And as always, leave your location with no trace whenever possible. Preserving our natural lands and scenery is part of a photographer's oath in my book.

See more amazing photos, follow EmilyKentPhotography

EmilyKentPhotography

EmilyKentPhotography

Cypress Sunrays II

Another capture a few minutes after the previous post. Waiting just a few minutes can yield a completely different light. ... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow EmilyKentPhotography

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes. Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Another capture a few minutes after the previous post. Waiting just a few minutes can yield a completely different light. ...
Read more

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.