Light the way
Jul, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken on the Minnesota Valley State Trail at the Veteran's Park in Shakopee, Minnesota. Just a short ways from a play area and a bridge crossing that connected to more trails.Time
It was taken early morning probably about 8-9 AM, On a quiet brisk late fall - early winter foggy Morning. It was overcast and the fog gave it such an amazing magical feeling.Lighting
The lighting itself was just a soft hazy glow from the suns light behind the clouds and fairly thick fog.Equipment
No tripod. I used a Nikon D7000 camera with the 50mm lens.Inspiration
At first it was the fog and low light that inspired me to go out and find a place to take photos. The park this picture was taken at I knew was surrounded by lots of trees and in general, is just a beautiful area. It was something that I imagined from a novel (much like in her dark moody story I read) called the "Black Rainbow" by a favorite author of mine by the name of Barbara Michales (Barbara Mertz). All the elements combined, created the perfect backdrop for hauntingly beautiful nature photos.Editing
Everything is authentic in the photo except the lit lamps along the path and the darker outer shadows along the edges. The snow and the dead trees, in the path had such a magical feel. I have been working with Photoshop for some time and I already had a vision and story to tell in my head with this picture. I took a picture of one of the outside lights from our house and copied and added them along the path varying in size. Then to add extra magic I used a light tool to create the light from the lamps as if they were actually hung from the branches of the trees, creating a lit path. I darkened the border of the photo to accent the path.In my camera bag
I always carry my Nikon D7000 of course. My Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-300mm lens . Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1:1.8 G Lens. A Nikon camera remote. Tripod, a battery charger and a Lomo ' Instant polaroid camera.Feedback
The atmosphere was amazing itself. I saw an opportunity and had the perfect conditions to capture the most awesome photos. I just took it one step further with some creative lit lamps that could draw the viewer in and spark their imagination. All it takes is an open mind. Really open your eyes to what is around you and go with your gut. Sometimes the best moments captured are ones that are not planned. They just speak to you in the moment and you go for it!
