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A Room with a View



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Settling in for bed in the back of our Jeep, high up in the Rockies. The air was thin, but the views were some of the most breathtaking we've experienced.<...
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Settling in for bed in the back of our Jeep, high up in the Rockies. The air was thin, but the views were some of the most breathtaking we've experienced.

Fujifilm X-T2; Fujinon 18-55
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3 Comments | Report
Brightybeach
 
Brightybeach October 18, 2019
Beautiful
UntetheredPhotography Platinum
 
UntetheredPhotography April 07, 2021
Gorgeous, the way life should be
davedise
 
davedise October 02, 2021
I have done this very same thing many times over the years and it is always a wonderful experience. Your photo reminded me of just how great it is.
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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken July 18 2019 near the top of Engineer Mountain in the Colorado Rockies. Since the sun was getting very low we've decided to set up camp before pushing for the top of the pass, and this spot just where the trees ended and the barren tundra and snow began turned out absolutely perfect, nested in a gorgeous valley yet still open to a beautiful sunset view towards the west. At 3620 meters (11,880 ft) the air was thin and you could easily lose breath doing the simplest things, like unloading the Jeep or pitching a simple tent... Coordinates: 37°57'41.00"N, 107°35'4.20"W

Time

It was nearing 8PM and the sun was hanging pretty low over the mountains. We were only a short distance from the top of Engineer Pass but we've decided set up camp as we never would have made it back down to a suitable campsite on the other side in reasonable time, not to mention we would have missed out on all the best views if we drove in the dead of night.

Lighting

Soon after we've started setting up a tent for our friend and freeing space for me and my wife to sleep in the back of the Jeep, it became apparent we've made the right call. We were rewarded with the most beautiful warm glow of the sunset which was diffused just enough by the thin clouds and reflected off the neighboring rocks and snow. The setting sun painted the few clouds still above us various shades of gold, then pink and purple, finally giving way to just the slightest pink glow over the horizon with the full majesty of the Milky Way sprawling overhead. Lots of pictures were taken that night, in progressively changing lighting conditions, all of which were an utter joy to work in.

Equipment

We were travelling relatively light camera-wise, rather than hauling my beloved primes I've settled for the kit Fujinon XF 18-55 on my Fujifilm X-T2. This particular photo was hand-held as I laid down on the mattress in the back of the Jeep.

Inspiration

Honestly, I think it's a bit cliché and everybody and their mother have posted their "feet sticking out of a tent" shot on Instagram. And yet, this was still a genuine moment of pure, relaxed happiness, perhaps the pinnacle of this epic 7000km road trip. Rather than anything particularly artsy, it was simply a very precious moment I wanted to save and share with my family and friends.

Editing

Just my usual RAW conversion via ACR. Naturally, in this particular scene I needed to pull back on the highlights significantly and slightly bump the shadows in order to convey the scene the way it registered to my own eyes. I've left the colors untouched, as the X-T2 managed to capture the white balance of the scene beautifully.

In my camera bag

Normally, I carry my Fujifilm X-T2 with a selection of primes - tiny 28mm, 35mm F1.2, 135mm, sometimes others, depending where I plan on going, a flash unit, batteries, charger, and a tiny tripod, all crammed into an old-fashioned brown leather messenger-style camera bag. Call it hipster if you like, but it's a very handy, discreet, low-profile kit nobody really pays undue attention to. For this particular trip however I've grabbed a larger bag in order to bring my adapted AF Nikkor 300mm F4 (which did capture some lovely photos of Rocky Mountains wildlife), ditched the shorter primes in favor of just the kit Fujinon XF 18-55 f2.8-4 OIS and a trusty old Manfrotto 728B.

Feedback

Rather than getting bogged down explaining the technical side of things here, I'd like to focus here on another bit of advice so many seem to forget about: Just enjoy your travels! Go out there, go places few people go to, don't be afraid to spend a night or several nights away from the comfort of your bed. You can't expect to capture interesting travel or adventure photos if you insist on getting back home for the night. Catching the early morning mist over a remote lake, or capturing the Milky Way far up in the mountains is only possible if you get out of your established comfort zone. Go into the wild, camp out, see places and times most people don't... and you'll be surprised how enjoyable, exhilarating it is. And photos? Photos will just happen on their own, out of the sheer enjoyment of your adventures.

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