Independence In Winter
Battling -35 night didn't bother me when the scenery was this pretty, shot in the once vibrant town of Independence Mine, outside Wasilia, Alaska....
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Battling -35 night didn't bother me when the scenery was this pretty, shot in the once vibrant town of Independence Mine, outside Wasilia, Alaska.
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Jan, 2018Views
5258
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Awards
Contest Finalist in An Unforgettable Adventure Photo Contest
Community Choice Award
Contest Finalist in Experimental Light Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Towns In The Winter Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
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Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
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Platinum
DavidJulian
March 29, 2018
Strong lines and color. This is a composite, not a straight photograph right?
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Behind The Lens
Location
Independence Mine State Historic Park, Wasilla, AlaskaTime
MidnightLighting
The moonlight cast a beautiful soft light in throughout the mountains, setting just overtop of my scene. The lights from Wasilla in the valley below gave the clouds some wonderful color from beneath. The cookhouse I lit with a combination of flashlight and speed light, using the latter flashing behind the railing to give the radiating pattern of light across the snow.Equipment
Nikon D800, 24-70 2.8, Gitzo 3880, Nikon SB-800Inspiration
It was a long cold winter in Alaska, but I'd gotten used to temps dipping to -30 on the regular. A local in Anchorage had told me about Independence Mine, so I strapped on my snow shoes and went hiking in the hills. It was one of the most well preserved sites I've ever visited, with dozens of structures maintained in excellent shape. I made 4 trips there over as many weeks, and when I finally got some open skies and moonlight, the mountains and mining structures really came to life. I decided to have a little fun with the light, and tried to emulate what it might have been like with a little light burning on the porch, never mind that the mine hadn't operated in the last 70 years.Editing
There really wasn't much post to this, the color and vibrance really was that brilliant, with a glow from Wasilla in the valley below, and the long exposure and moonlight giving the mountains their blue cast. I removed the flare of my speed light from where I backlit the banister, and replaced with the lighting from a different frame where I lit the front of the building. Other than that, what you see is what I saw.In my camera bag
Nikon D800, 14-24, 24-70, 70-200 all 2.8, 2x teleconverter, SB-800, Vello remote trigger, a couple flashlights, gels, Sony A7SII with a few lens, sometime my Mamiya 67 rangefinder or Hasselblad 500C/M if I'm feeling analog. And always a good book to pass the time of a long exposure.Feedback
Treat every image like a masterpiece. Old masters used to spend decades on a painting, reworking and reinventing til it was perfect, there's no reason a photographer can't spend an evening to capture the perfect image. I took 4 trips to this spot til the weather and stars were right, and even then, waited 3 hours for the moon to be just right, and another hour or two to get the light and exposure right. Art takes time, so plan and be patient.
