Benb3418

Castle Sunset

NIKON D3300

settings

Aperture f/11 ISO 280 Shutter 10/5000 Focal Length 1400/10

upload_date

Apr, 2017

Views

258

Likes

+13

Awards

Chatter Award

Zenith Award

Creative Winter Award

Top Shot Award

Peer Choice Award

Top Choice

Superb Composition

Outstanding Creativity

Absolute Masterpiece

Peer Award

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

I took the photo right outside of Iwasakijoshi Park in Nisshin Japan during my study abroad trip. While living in Japan I was captivated by the beauty and feel the Japanese landscape provided and made an active effort to photograph the beauty I saw.

Time

This picture actually surprised me as I was just walking back to my dorm with some friends after eating at a local ramen shop. I had passed by the park multiple times prior but on this specific instance, I was captivated by the way the sun was setting behind the tower. Luckily I had my camera with me most of the time while I was in Japan. It wasn't until I got home though that I realized the picture's potential.

Lighting

I wanted my pictures to capture the feel and beauty of Japan. There is something that is indescribable when you walk through the streets. With this particular photo, the way the sun was setting right behind the tower just screamed "Japan, the land of the rising sun". So while taking the photo, rather than increasing the exposure to make the tower more visible, I decreased the exposure to allow the tower to be blacked out and the different hues of light to be more visible.

Equipment

I used my Nikon D3300 with the lens that it came with.

Inspiration

I primarily use photography to capture references that I later use in sketches or game design. A lot of the pictures on my camera are not worth sharing but they help me reimagine the scene where the image was taken. Kind of like a bookmark in life. While studying abroad in Japan, everywhere I looked felt so surreal. There were so many things that reminded me of video games, from the way you could walk straight for 30 mins and go from a farm like landscape to a city, to the feeling you got when you looked up into the sky. Because of this, I wanted to take as many photos as possible. I was always looking at what I could bookmark next and how I could best capture the feel. With this photo, despite its simplicity, I felt like I was able to capture the beauty and history of Japan, the land of the rising sun.

Editing

I don't normally do a lot of editing with my photos. At most I will normally adjust the contrast, brightness, and saturation. This photo is no exception. I took the raw image, decreased the brightness a little more, altered the contrast, and worked to being out the orange and yellow hues just a tad more.

In my camera bag

I really don't have much. Since photography is more of a casual hobby I don't put too much money into getting new stuff. I have my Nikon D3300 with a 18-55mm lens and a 55-200mm lens. I also have an older Nikon 35-70mm lens that I found really cheap at an used store.

Feedback

Keep your eyes open. There are great photographers out there that are able to create a scene they envisioned in their mind. I have never been one of those. So rather than trying to alter the scene to what I want, I let the scene come to me. My best pictures came from being at the right place at the right time, capturing moments that I couldn't ever imagine. You need to let go of control and let the world around you do its thing. Just be ready to capture the moment when you do see it. And when you finally experience a moment, capture it in as many ways as you can. Get on the ground, jump in the air, tilt your camera in different ways. You'll find yourself seeing things in ways you didn't think was possible. Finally, above all just have fun with it!

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Benb3418

Benb3418

Castle Sunset

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow Benb3418

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