Fairy glen
Nov, 2018Views
1690
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Photo Contest Vol 46
Contest Finalist in Social Exposure Photo Contest Vol 18
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
Emotions
Impressed
Relaxed
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in a privately owned little gorge in North Wales called Fairy Glen. You can visit it for a couple of pounds in a honesty box at the entrance.Time
Unusually this is not a sunrise/sunset shot and the best time of day to visit is between midday and one o'clock as by then the sun has risen over the sides or the gorge and produces the glorious beams you see in the background. Of course you can photograph it at other times of the days but you lose the light pouring then.Lighting
As I said in my previous comment it is a magical place at anytime but it really comes alive if the sky is clear around midday and the light can come through the trees and catch the spray from the small waterfall up the gorge and light up.Equipment
I used my Canon 5ds with a Sigma 24-70 lens on a tripod with a NiSi 2 stop med grad filter to stop the top of the photo from blowing out and to slow the water down. I used my 2 second timer to eliminate any shake as well.Inspiration
I had told a fellow photographer that I was visiting the area for a week and he told me I absolutely had to visit this place...he said it's not comfortable but if the conditions were right I could get some goods shots. So I went not really knowing what to expect and fell in love with the place straight away. It is uncomfortable you have to clamber over rocks to get set up and then wait in very awkward positions for the sun to come over the gorge, but I think it was worth it.Editing
I did most of the post processing work in Lightroom and it was mainly lifting the shadows slightly then I spent a bit of time making the light beams stand out by dodging and burning. A little crop and that was it really.In my camera bag
In my camera bag I always have my Canon 5ds a Sigma 24-70 and my Canon 16-35. I like to carry a range of filters I now use NiSi filters as I think they are the best for the work I do. I also always take my tripod with me although I sometimes hate lugging it around I do prefer to work with it.Feedback
For anyone wishing to capture something similar I would say don't be put off if your first try is unsuccessful...conditions really do play such a major part in how an image can look. Without the sun coming through the trees this image loses it's impact so if it had been cloudy or I had been there at a different time of day it would have looked completely different. So it's always worth going back to a scene at a different time of day or in different conditions if you are able and see how it looks then.
