Sun Fun
May, 2017Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
Each year when the fair comes to the old rodeo grounds in Prescott, Arizona, I'm there and ready to shoot.Time
The ferris wheel image was taken late afternoon. Normally I attend fairs in the evening to get all the colorful lights. Since I was planning on going to the rodeo that evening, took fair pictures before the rodeo.Lighting
When I first targeted the ferris wheel, the lighting was awful. Lots of glare on the metal and harsh shadows. Probably the worst time of day to be shooting skyward. I walked around it to try to get the best vantage point, when I saw the sun coming through almost the center of the wheel. I changed the camera settings to stop all the way down so I could get the rays since I knew most of the details would be hard to get. The lighting would have to be the focal point, especially because it was so centrally placed. Was hoping there would be enough detail and it would not be just the silhouette of the wheel.Equipment
This image was taken with a Nikon D800E, wide angle Nikkor 16-24mm 2.8 lens. Tripods and fairs don't mix all that well because there are just too many people on crowded walkways.Inspiration
When I saw the position of the sun in relationship to the ferris wheel, I walked around and positioned the sunlight to come through near the center of the wheel. This was very much intensional as I wanted it to be the focal point. Also, there were people, signs, and so many other distractions, that shooting upwards seemed the best option. It was all about the sunlight.Editing
Some post was needed to reduce highlights and shadows, saturate colors, and remove a few distracting signs. Had to bring down the highlights on the sun quite a bit as I was shooting straight into it. Adobe Camera Raw, Photoshop, and NIK were my go to software.In my camera bag
Normally, I have a Nikon D800E, wide angle lens (either a 16-24mm or a 24-70mm 2.8, both Nikon). I (or my husband) carry two packs...One with the Nikon and Nikon wide angle lens, the other with a Canon 1DX and Canon 70-200mm 2.8 lens, plus spare batteries, lens cleaners, flashlight, water, remote control (for landscape long exposures). Have a couple apps on my phone as well. And of course a tripod or monopod, depending on what I am going to be shooting. If I have the Nikon 200-500 lens, the tri or mono pods are essential.Feedback
For me, the most critical part of shooting into the sun is to stop down as far as you can, usually f/22 if you can. That way the lens' blades give you the distinct separation of the suns rays. Also decreasing the ISO as low as you can (100, usually) if the light allows it. Often, I will have to take a test shot to see if my exposure is correct. In these situations, I have to way underexpose what the meter tells me to do... so there is a bit of trial-and-error involved and some of it is pure luck! Don't give up easily on the shot if you think it has something special!!!
