Tree on the Hill
A lone tree stands proudly on a hill as the sun sets on the Claremont Wilderness Park in Claremont, CA.
A lone tree stands proudly on a hill as the sun sets on the Claremont Wilderness Park in Claremont, CA.
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SONY ILCE-6000
Aperture 56/10 ISO 250 Shutter 1/4000 Focal Length 450/10 
Claremont, California, US
Dec, 2018Views
175
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Awards
Zenith Award
Fall Award 2020
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
Genius
Magnificent Capture
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at Johnson’s Pasture, a foothill walking trial outside Los Angeles. Towards the top of the trail there’s a lone oak tree atop a hill that dominates the view to the west. It’s one of my favorite spots to shoot.Time
This was taken in the late afternoon. Summer in Southern California can be brutally hot and dry, so I tend to wait until the late afternoon when it cools off to go hiking. As a byproduct, the sun is starting to set around that time, evident in this photograph. It truly makes for a special vista anywhere you look in this already beautiful slice of California wilderness.Lighting
I wanted to highlight and magnify the aura and power of the lone oak tree on the hill. I’ve always been drawn to singular objects juxtaposed to homogenous backgrounds, like barns and mills on the prairie, or boats in the ocean, and I wanted to capture that essence here. Lighting played a huge roll in that. With the sun behind the tree, it backlit and drew focus to the tree, and gave it a spiritual, holy energy that intensified its presence.Equipment
This was shot on a Sony a6000 Mirrorless with the 16-50mm pancake lens at roughly 35mm focal length, f/5.6, 2500 ISO. No other equipment was used.Inspiration
This is one of my favorite spots to hike around. It always gives me a sense of tranquility and perspective whenever I need to clear my head, and that lone tree on the hill is a symbol of consistency and perseverance in an ever-changing world. I try to model that in my professional and personal life, and I’m always awestruck by how proudly this tree stands tall. So every chance I get, I make sure to snag a photo of it, and this one is easily my favorite.Editing
This involved more post-processing than I usually employ. I tend to deepen colors and sharpen landscapes only to a certain point, I much prefer an organic look to one that has been heavily manipulated. But this photograph demanded more than just a simple color enhancement, it needed to be striking and dramatic. So I muted virtually every color except for yellow’s, enhanced those to an almost gold color, raised the contrast and shadows, and sharpened around the tree to highlight the tree and the background clouds.In my camera bag
My bag consists of two cameras: my Sony a6000 with its 16-50 variable zoom lens, and my Pentax Super Program 35mm film camera with a 50mm prime lens and a 35-200mm zoom lens. I primarily use the Sony for most of my shots, but I’ll break out the film camera if the moment is special and slow enough. If I’m on a night shoot or doing anything with a long shutter speed I’ll bring my tripod that I’ve had for the last 12 years.Feedback
Frame your shot so that the singular object you want to shoot is the singular object in the frame. Many try to achieve this juxtaposition effect and end up capturing something else in the foreground or off to the side. Take your time, the tree is not going anywhere. It is consistent, it perseveres.
