Serenity
Aug, 2017Views
179
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Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Summer 2020
Hero Award
Peer Choice Award
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Peer Award
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in my home state of New Mexico. It was at White Sands National Monument in Alamogordo, NM. Its a desert landscape with white sand every where. Highly recommend visiting this place if you've never been. Its an amazing experience and make sure to bring plenty of water. Its beautiful but it is still a desert and is dangerous.Time
I'm not too sure on the exact time, but it was when the sun was setting. Maybe around 6pm, before the sun disappears on the horizon. Everyone knows this as the "golden hour."Lighting
I just wanted to capture this yucca. I saw it as my wife and I were driving out of the park and I saw this yucca sitting all by itself. I saw the wind trail in the sand and the sun was hitting it perfectly. Has that golden hue on the yucca and the clear lighting on the sand.Equipment
I used a Nikon D3000 with a 18-55mm lens. Nothing really fancy, just a beginner camera. I actually captured this when I was still a novice with the camera. I didn't use anything else, just got on the yuccas level by laying in the sand and snapped the photo.Inspiration
I love landscape photography and when I saw this yucca and the colors, I had to capture it. The New Mexico desert always have the best sunsets. Its probably a bias opinion but nothing compares to a New Mexico sunset. I'm just thankful I was at the right place at the right time to capture this image.Editing
I used Lightroom to edit this image. I saturated the colors to make them pop out more. I also brightened it a bit and darkened the blacks to give it more of a contrast. I also added a vignette to give more focus on the yucca.In my camera bag
Well I upgraded my camera and now I don't go anywhere with out it. Its a Nikon D750 and I love it! This camera is amazing and anyone can use it. It captures a lot of information and makes post-processing a breeze. I use a Nikkor 24-120mm lens. This is a good all around lens. You have so much versatility with this one lens. I always make sure I have extra batteries just incase. I also got a Mavic Air 2 drone that I recently bought to get into videography as well as aerial shots. This drone is a game changer. Its a lot of fun top fly around and such a huge difference in perspective. You think you know your surroundings and then you get in the air and everything looks so different.Feedback
There are a lot of yuccas in New Mexico, I would say the best times to go explore are early mornings or when the sun is going down. You get the best array of colors then, and its nice and cool. It is a desert so make sure you have plenty of water and watch out for wildlife. You have to hike some so make sure your up for the challenge. Other than that you have full control over how you want to capture anything. Photography is an amazing way to express yourself. Just get out there and start shooting anything and everything. You'll be surprised at what you capture in a unsuspecting area.
