Na'Pali Coast Sea and Sky
Apr, 2018Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken during a "Doors off" Helicopter flight around the Island of Kauai. My family was vacationing there, our favorite island, and an opportunity came up to take the flight. It was VERY rainy that day, but fortunately there was a good break in the rain as we passed the Napali Coast Wilderness. If you look closely, you can see a rain wall we headed into shortly after this shot was taken.Time
Although this was taken at 4:21 PM, not in "The Golden Hour", the lighting was purely a gift. We had been in and out of rain all throughout the flight. When I saw this break I took as many shots as I could.Lighting
The variation in the sunlight on the shore and canyons was purely a matter of timing. Right spot at the right time. 20 seconds later and the shot was completely different.Equipment
This was a hand held shot with a Canon 30D using a Sigma 17-70 lens and CP filter.Inspiration
The inspiration for this is simple. I was in Kauai, in a Helicopter without doors, passing in and out of rain cells and just flat out in Love with what was around me!Editing
During the processing process, I was VERY fortunate in that there was no rotor blade in the top of the image to deal with! I very subtly increased the contrast to deal with the rain, then gently pushed the saturation of a few colors to make it pop. Lastly I applied some local contrat sharpening to crisp it up a bit.In my camera bag
My equipment has changed somewhat since I took this shot. Most of my shooting is done while hiking and backpacking, so I go for lighter equipment. I now use a Rebel SR1 (100D) and Canon 24-105L for my daily shooter. I still have the 30D and Sigma 17-70 as well as a Canon 70-300 along with CP and UV filters for each.Feedback
If you want to try this shot, you will need help! Hire a helicopter, and pray for rain!!
