Morning Revelation 2
Mar, 2018Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken a short distance from my home in Macoupin County, IL.Time
Sunrise, just as the sun was above the horizon.Lighting
The sun was on my right producing a warm sidelight. Side lighting the ironweed and grasses ads interest and dimension to the shot. Without the light, the entire shot would have been flat.Equipment
I have a Nikon D800E combined with a 17-35, f2.8 lens set to 22mm. Usually, I keep my lens at 26mm because it's sharper at the middle part of the focal range. I shot 3 or 4 exposures (F11, 1/13 sec.) at different focal lengths to get my near-to-far depth of field. I used a cable release to keep my camera from shaking and a tripod. Tripods are an essential piece of equipment, especially when it comes to focus stacking images in post processing.Inspiration
I love the rural landscape and drive by this location throughout the year. I'm always looking for something I think would help anchor a shot. In this case the ironweed was perfect. My tripod was set low to the plants to give them more importance and allow them to continue farther into the scene. It's important to me to have clouds in the sky. Clouds reflect the morning/evening light which can produce dramatic colors. I could tell the light that morning was promising, so I set up and waited for the show to begin.Editing
Yes. That's one of the things I like the most. I shoot in Raw format, so post is very important in order to achieve the vision I felt at the time. I follow the same basic routine, but I'm always on the lookout for new techniques in order to bring the Raw files to life. While I enjoy the post process, it can be a time consuming. I've found it's better to slow down and take more time working an image. I can't tell you how many times I've rushed the process only to be disappointed with the results.In my camera bag
Right now I only carry a Nikon D800E. I have a D700 but use it as backup. I have a number zoom and prime lens: 70-200mm, 85mm prime, 50mm prime, 28mm prime and a 17-35mm zoom. I use the 17-35mm for 90 percent of my work. I also use a shutter release and have graduated ND filters, which I don't use very often. That's most of the gear I keep with me other than lens cloth, mini flashlight and that kind of stuff. I also use a free depth-of-field calculator app from time-to-time.Feedback
Think local. I'm from the Midwest and don't have a lot of opportunity to travel to other parts of the country. I'd love to head to the north, south, east and west for a change of pace. However, that's probably not going to happen any time soon, so I make the most of my local landscape. Almost all my photos are shot within close proximity of my home. I scout a lot and make a list of potential spots. I return to these locations throughout the year to see what seasonal changes are at hand. The shot above is a small open field that offers different opportunities throughout the year. Whether it's bales of hay in summer, purple ironweed in fall or something yet to be discovered, there are always things right in your own backyard to photograph. As much as I'd like a great mountain scene or crashing ocean waves, I can still enjoy what mother nature provides in my own back yard. That's what's great about landscape photography, all you have to do is take a drive and pay attention to the landscape. Many times there are tons of places to shoot within easy driving of your home.
