Stoney Man
Tylerschmidtphotography@gmail.com
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Stoney Man Trail!
Aug, 2016Views
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Fall Award 2020
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Behind The Lens
Location
This picture was taken at Shenandoah National Park (Stoney Man Trail) in Virginia. This was one of the many beautiful views that the park has to offer. I highly suggest a visit if one is considering it.Time
After hiking for a few miles up the side of a mountain filled with terrifying black bears (which turned out to be rocks), we discovered an opening through the thick brush and decided to go for it. It was around 9:00 AM at this point and the sun had just cleared the Appalachian Mountain ranges on the horizon which created some beautiful natural light on the rocky terrain. The air was fresh, cool, and windy at that elevation, but the morning sun felt comforting and warm on the skin. I felt like I was in a coffee commercial!Lighting
Mornings are my favorite time to shoot because of the beautiful natural light and contrasting shadows. I like working with natural light simply because I am not good with my flash yet. I do not do a lot of portraits so I do not practice it as much as I should.Equipment
I used a Nikon D810 body with a Nikon Nikkor 24mm f/2.8D.Inspiration
The experience of the view at that time of day was so refreshing and I wanted to take a photo that would remind me of how the cool and crisp wind felt with the warmth of the sun on my skin. At that time, all of my worries were gone and it made me realize how important it is to enjoy life and pursue the opportunities that opened up because of my hard work. Another inspiration for this photo, and all of my others, is to leave something behind for my family or even anybody who cares to look at my work. I want to inspire them to get out, explore, and create something, and to find something that they love doing.Editing
This photo does have some post production changes in Photoshop. Again, I wanted to capture the cool breeze with the warmth of the sun. To achieve this, I brought out the blues and added some blue to the shadows. In addition I added a custom LUT to enhance this effect.In my camera bag
I just upgraded to a full-frame in February so I am building my setup as I go. Right now I have a Nikon D810, Nikkor 24mm f/2.8D lens, a Sigma fisheye and zoom lens, and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D lens. Also, I have a tripod that I use for a lot of my landscapes and time-lapse photos.Feedback
My best advice to anyone trying to capture a similar image is to embrace the experience and remember it for any post editing. Also, do not be afraid of any criticism from others because sometimes it is how you get better. I've held back for a long time because of that fear and my experiences have been nothing but positive. One more piece of advice is to get out and explore, especially at sunrise! Some of my best work required a 4:00 or 5:00 AM wake up call. Trust me, it's worth it!
