double rainbow_Ballina_7565
Apr, 2018Views
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Contest Finalist in Simple Symmetry Photo Contest
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was taken near the mouth of the Richmond River in Ballina - Northern NSW - AustraliaTime
Around ten minutes before the sunset, there was an unexpected break in the clouds, the sun came out for a few minutes and I just happened to be all set up, lucky to get a rainbow as it was unexpected.Lighting
It was very dull, a blanket of cloud, intermittent drizzling rain and it seemed it would stay that way. So, in the flat light I set up for a long exposure focussing on the composition of the rocks in the foreground, a few seconds into the shot and a strong beam of sunlight appeared for a couple of minutes. This was a 4 minute exposure.Equipment
I'm a canon user, 5dmk3 - i was using a sigma 12-24 with a ND13stop Filter. And a heavy manfrotto 055 -my sturdiest and oldest tripod, definitely worth the weight.Inspiration
I had seen rainbows earlier in the afternoon, but they were difficult to shoot, so fleeting in the fast clouds. Pretty much gave up on it, but eventually set up for a late shot, a symmetrical composition, which I tend to look for for some reason. It just happened in the middle of the exposure. No plan, just hoped it might happen.Editing
Most post work I do is in Lightroom, for this shot - boost contrast a little, I toned the white down and the shadows as well, boost vibrance a little, a gradient to brighten up the foreground. Thats it.In my camera bag
Canon 5dmk3 and and older mk2 body (just in case) various lenses, a 70-200 - 2.8 is a favourite - always reliable, a 2x adaptor (just in case I need the extra reach) a sigma 12-24 (the canon equivalent is too expensive, the sigma really is a great lens and is rapidly becoming a favoured lens - great for architecture and landscape - a 17-40, other lenses I leave at home unless I feel I should have a 100 macro or the 15mm fisheye etc...you can only carry so much, and it is good to have an idea of what you want to get before you leave. Other items are - filters, particularly NDs and a polariser. I have a 150mm filter system with some very dark NDs which is useful for those extra long exposures- 5minutes or more. I always carry a couple of gopro's, how much fun are they, tough as anything, ready to shoot in any conditions and very compact, I use them a lot. Another great compact item is the Litra torch, as bright as you get and very compact, fantastic for throwing a bit of extra light onto something. Some important items are... small bag of cables, 2 of each- how many times have you left them plugged in at home, spare batteries, a microfibre cloth, remote shutter switch... thats all I can think of at the moment. I usually check a mental list of what I'll need each time I'm heading out, if it is a short trip to shoot weather for instance, I really only need the wide lens , remote shutter , filters and a spare battery -then it is a light easy to run out of the rain bag. If it is for work, I throw it all in a large Lowepro wheelie bag and I'm prepared for anything at all, spare flashes, heaps of batteries all the lenses etc... its heavy, but good to know you can shoot anything.Feedback
Stormy weather is fantastic for moody shots. Important to carry an umbrella, I use a golf umbrella, they are bigger and can withstand a bit of wind. Usually it is used to stop the camera and tripod being buffeted by wind (the most annoying thing for long exposures, ever). OK, advice for shooting something like this... keep an eye on the weather, find a place that will give you the right composition - face away from the sun and it might happen. But even if it doesn't you have still set up for a good shot anyway, so you may as well enjoy it.
