Rata with Snow AB_IMG_8651_HDR
The blooming of Rata in a rare combination with late snow on New Zealand's Southern Alps.
The blooming of Rata in a rare combination with late snow on New Zealand's Southern Alps.
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Jan, 2017Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This shot is taken from a disused road by the Otira Viaduct in New Zealand. It was quite a hike over uneven ground to the vantage point but well worth it.Time
It was just past mid day in late summer.Lighting
The gorge is in shadow much of the time sue to the high Southern Alps. The mid day sun maximised lighting but it was still necessary to use bracketed exposures to make a final HDR image to capture the detail.Equipment
I used a Canon EOS 6D with an EF24-105mm f/4L is USM lens at 45mm. This was mounted on a Gitzo tripod with a ball head.Inspiration
The Rata at Otira can be spectacular, though it is brief and does not flourish every year, I am always inspired to try to capture it. When a rare late summer snow occurred on the Southern Alps it was worth a trip to investigate so myself and a photographer friend set off hopefully. The combination of snow and Rata is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was extremely lucky to get this and a number of other shots.Editing
The 3 bracketed exposures were combines in HDR Efex Pro. The only other post-processing was a tweak of the orange luminance to make the Rata pop.In my camera bag
I carry an EOS 5DSR and a EOS 6D as a backup. Spare batteries. EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM, EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM. Black glass filter. Cleaning cloths & fluid. An old face flannel for drying the camera should there be rain. Remote release. I also carry a Gitzo tripod with a ball head.Feedback
Always be ready to grab your camera and go. I was not certain of the Rata but thought I might get some snow capped mountains anyway. Walk around checking out vantage points. Remember to take one or two bracketed exposures, your eyes can compensate much more than the camera and no oner ever regretted taking too many shots! Most of all enjoy your photography, look at the work of others and never stop shooting and learning.
