A Composite of that Morning.
This is a hasty focus stack of the beautiful place I found that morning.
This is a hasty focus stack of the beautiful place I found that morning.
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Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Aperture f/2.8 ISO 100 Shutter 1/160 Focal Length 35/1 
Stanley, Idaho, US
Nov, 2019Views
162
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the Sawtooth Range in Idaho one summer morning.Time
I was camping on a bluff that is adjacent to the wilderness range and I knew that I had to get up early. That night a thunderstorm woke me up and forced me to seek shelter in my car, but what a storm that fades in the early morning means is a great set of clouds for sunrise. So right as the sun rose and kissed the mountain I took this image.Lighting
The context of this photo was spending time in the place that brought me and my significant other together. I was leaving for grad school across the country and she had to finish up school there. So when taking this images I was focusing on the fleeting moment that 3 minutes where the light just touches the tips of the mountains and lights the sky so perfectly.Equipment
This shot was taken on a 7D MarkII with a Sigma Art 18-35mm F1.8. I used a Manfrotto tripod with FLM ball head to steady the shot.Inspiration
I wanted to make an image that reflected the Sawtooth Range. This place is more then a place to me and being able to capture it in a way that is representative of how I feel is nearly impossible. That morning I knew there was a photo to be had and I just wanted to show in a picture the feeling I hold. As I previously mentioned this image came in the context of me having to break up with someone I loved so I wanted to create a memory something that was perfectly beautiful yet fleeting.Editing
I did a lot more post processing than I usually do for my images. This is actually a focus stack of 4 images composited partially by hand and automatically with photoshop. Additionally the exposure on the mountains was taken about 10 minutes after the sky exposure and then composited. I almost never do this kind of compositing on an image but I wanted it to show all the beauty I saw that morning in one image. I then blended the images as naturally as possible and used Adobe Lightroom Classic to do the rest of the global and local editing.In my camera bag
My bag is always changing and I never take the same thing with me. For this trip I had my 7D MarkII, Sigma 18-35mm F1.8, Canon 70-200mm F2.8 USM, Fujifilm x100s, and my Mamiya C3 with Sekor 80mm F2.8 medium format camera. I also had my trusty Manfratto tripod and FLM head to steady my shot.Feedback
One word really. Previsualization. When I go out to make an image like this I start with a pre-visualizing what I want. Whether it is the light on the peaks or the flowers in the foreground I go into shooting an images like this with a picture already in my mind. I also do a lot of planning, here because I'm so familiar with this place I did less then I usually do but this is just as important. I'd say that it is more important to learn to pre-visualize and plan then it is to worry about gear and editing. Because when you plan and know what you want to capture you will have the best chance of getting the perfect image.
