wxman76

MonumentValleySilohouette63mm

Incredible sky just before sunrise at Monument Valley.

Incredible sky just before sunrise at Monument Valley.
Read less

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

settings

Aperture 11/1 ISO 100 Shutter 1/80 Focal Length 63/1

upload_date

Sep, 2016

Views

Likes

Awards

Top Choice

Superb Composition

All Star

Outstanding Creativity

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

See all

Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

Morning colors at an overlook of Mount Hood in Oregon.

I was on a photography tour near Tombstone, Arizona where our guide hired a model for us to shoot with her cowgirl gear on.

Mother and 2 cubs at Katmai National Park in Alaska.

Grand Falls in Joplin, Missouri when it is -4 degrees

A severe thunderstorm in Harper County, Oklahoma

Milky Way at The Racetrack in Death Valley National Park.

4th of July fireworks over the town of Telluride, Colorado. This image was taken from the Jud Weibe Trail just north of town.

A field of bluebonnets in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin.

Looking down a lonely road in Oregon just after sunset.

Looking down the shores of Lake Michigan toward the John Hancock Tower and downtown Chicago.

The base of a waterfall on Fall Creek in the Three Sisters Wilderness of Oregon.

Shortly after sunrise at Mesquite Dunes in Death Valley National Park.

Dusk at a sandstone arch in the Ozark National Forest in Arkansas.

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, near the Arizona-Utah state line. The silhouetted rock formations are called Totem Pole and Yei Bi Chei.

Time

About an hour before sunrise, our Navajo guide began to drive in the dark toward the back (east) side of the tribal park. He placed us to be at this spot with plenty of time before sunrise. This image was taken on August 19, 2016 at 6:33am, 8 minutes before sunrise.

Lighting

My goal was to expose for the sky and not for ground. With such dynamic shapes and great colors in the sky, I felt like that showing detail in the ground (such as bushes and rocks) was not necessary. In fact, trying to expose for the ground, might make the image more distracting than it needs to be. Therefore, to simplify the scene, I intentionally underexposed the image.

Equipment

This single image was taken on a Canon 5D Mark III with an EF24-70mm f/2.8 II USM lens at a focal length of 63mm on a Really Right Stuff tripod with BH-40 ballhead. ISO 100 f/11 1/80 second

Inspiration

There was a beautiful sky with multiple shades of color in the sky, ranging anywhere from yellows and oranges to purples. Because of this, I wanted to include a lot of sky in my composition. However, you also want to show the ruggedness of the landscape in the unique place.

Editing

Yes, I always start my images in Lightroom. In this case, to get as much texture and detail in the clouds, I used the highlight slider all the way to the left to -100.

In my camera bag

The Canon 5D Mark III is my primary camera body for roadside and short hikes. Though, I also sometimes use an Fuji XT-1 that is lighter in weight. I primarily use that for longer hikes and backpack trips. For most landscapes, if I can just have one lens, I usually choose my 24-70 lens. However, for more versatility, I also often carry a 16-35mm and 70-200mm lens for landscapes. Once in a while, for ultra wide landscapes and night photography, I also will sometimes use my 14mm Rokinon lens.

Feedback

Many times, the best color in the sky is just before sunrise or just after sunset...by about 5-10 minutes. So don't wait until sunrise to start taking pictures or stop taking picture once the sun has set. If you see strong shapes such as these, focus on the silhouettes by underexposing. It is not always necessary to get detail in the shadows.

See more amazing photos, follow wxman76

wxman76

wxman76

MonumentValleySilohouette63mm

Incredible sky just before sunrise at Monument Valley.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow wxman76

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

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