Giant in the Night
The Matterhorn Peak in Switzerland, surrounded by a cloud system at night
The Matterhorn Peak in Switzerland, surrounded by a cloud system at night
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May, 2017Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Moving Clouds Photo Contest 2017
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Top Choice
Superior Skill
All Star
Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was shot from Zermatt village, looking up at the towering peak of the Matterhorn in SwitzerlandTime
It was around 10pm at night. There was virtually no cloud around sunset, so I decided to venture out a bit later in the evening to see what images I could catch of the Matterhorn. Due to the time of day, I was shooting long exposures, which created the effect of the cloud whipping around the peak of the mountain.Lighting
There was some ambient lighting from the moon which highlighted some parts of the peak and the clouds. I shot at high ISO which enabled me to expose the scene correctly.Equipment
I used an Nikon D810m, with a 70-200mm Tamron Lens, on a Gitzo tripod.Inspiration
I had seen wonderful images of the Matterhorn from other photographers, which inspired me to travel to Zermatt to shoot the mountain, and the surrounding area myself.Editing
I did some minor adjustments to reduce the noise, as well as lifting the dark areas in the lower part of the image just a little. I also increased the exposure slightly, and cooled some warm areas of the raw file. Nothing too major in this instance.In my camera bag
I always have the following: My D810 - love this camera. A 14-24mm 2.8, 24-70 2.8, and a 70-200 2.8 - This range of equipment enables me to capture most scenarios within my chosen genre of Landscape Photography.Feedback
Specific to this image, a clear(ish) night is essential, so that the peak can be seen. From a technical perspective, good DSLR, with a longer focal length lens, or at least something around 50-70mm would be good. A tripod is absolutely essential, as is a remote control of some kind for the camera. At night, I use a torch to focus in the correct place - then take some test shots at very high ISO to establish my desired composition. When I have those things in place, I start to capture my images, checking my histogram carefully to ensure I have sufficient exposure. At night, a histogram is really useful, as the LCD on the back of the camera can be deceptive. Trying to lift shadows in underexposed areas, particularly with night shots can cause significant noise problems - the histogram is the key to avoiding that.
