HIGHLAND MAGIC
Early Autumn at North Point on Crow's Nest Mountain.
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Early Autumn at North Point on Crow's Nest Mountain.
Follow on
Instagram: @pidalaphoto
500px: pidalaphoto
Flickr: pidalaphoto
Read less
Follow on
Instagram: @pidalaphoto
500px: pidalaphoto
Flickr: pidalaphoto
Read less
Dec, 2016Views
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Contest Finalist in Flares In Nature Photo Contest
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken from the western portion of the Hudson Highlands in upstate New York on the mountain range referred to as Crow's Nest. The Mountain range in the distance is on the east side of the Hudson River and consists of Breakneck Mountain, Mount Beacon, and Mount Taurus.Time
I've been to this location many times, but mostly for sunset. On this morning I left the house at around 5:30 am, had a 35 min drive to the trailhead, and 20min hike to the mountain overlook. The plan was to capture the sunrise and hopefully get an added bonus of a fog bank that often forms over the Hudson River in the cooler mornings of early autumn. While there was a little fog that formed, which can be seen in the upper left of the image, there wasn't nearly enough to create the type of impact I had in mind. The plan quickly changed to focus on the changing of the seasons and the vegetation of the landscape. The warm glow of the sun emphasized this nicely and depicted how magical a place this is. To add to the mood, I opted for a small aperture to create the sun flare, which I felt was fitting for how I felt being up there as the sun rose. The moment when the image was captured as the sun just peaked over the distant mountain was 6:42 am.Lighting
It was really the perfect morning regarding cloud cover. There was just enough to create interest and color in the sky but still left an opening on the eastern horizon for the sun to light the foreground vegetation. One without the other and the image wouldn't be as impactful in my opinion.Equipment
This image was taken with a Canon 5D mark III and the Canon 14mm prime lens at f/22 @ 1/15 sec. Gitzo Series 2 Explorer 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod with an Acratech Ball Head.Inspiration
The conditions and how I felt at the moment inspired this image. As mentioned previously, when I set out I had an entirely different image in mind. For me, it helps to be open minded when I arrive at a location and adapt to what nature provides. While pre-visualizing is always helpful, it's equally important to switch gears when the initial idea doesn't pan out.The conditions and how I felt at the moment inspired this image. As mentioned previously, when I set out I had a completely different image in mind. For me, it helps to be open minded when I arrive at a location and adapt to what nature provides. While pre-visualizing isEditing
This image is a combination of two exposures, one for the sky and one for the foreground and mountains, initially processed in Adobe Lightroom and then manually blended in Adobe Photoshop using luminosity masks. Once I arrived at a balanced exposure I made subtle enhancements to the vegetation "glow" using the NIK software plug-in from Google.In my camera bag
I normally carry my Canon 5D mark III along with four Canon "L" series lenses; 70-200mm mII, 24-70mm mII, 17-40mm and 14mm prime. Along with the camera and lenses, I use the Lee filter system with various ND grads, 6 and 10 stop ND, and a circular polarizer. And always my trusty Gitzo tripod. It is a lot of gear to venture out with, but it enables me to be ready for any scenario. I can honestly say I wouldn't have captured this image without it.Feedback
Patience and perseverance. If able visit a location many times to become familiar with the intricacies of the landscape. How it looks at different times of day, different seasons and various weather conditions. Success usually never comes on the first try. It takes multiple failed attempts for everything to come together. Think of the failed attempts as knowledge. Each time you gain a little more insight which can be used on your next visit to the location. And lastly, don't be afraid to improvise if the original plan/image doesn't pan out. I think this goes hand and hand with becoming familiar with a location. It creates awareness and enables you to be ready for anything nature has in store.
