Road Trip
Jan, 2020Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
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First of all, I would like to thank ViewBug for the wonderful award, There are so many wonderful images here that i continue to learn from, and I enjoy looking at everyone's photos shared here, you all inspire me. This photo was shot in the Wichita Mountains, Oklahoma. Just needed to get outdoors!Time
This photo was taken at 6:08 pm on the 5th of January. Just a few days after New Years. The day was meant as a way to sort of embrace the new decade... 2020. You know, grab the cameras, go to the mountains and just explore. So yeah, having just arrived in the mountains, we decided to stretch our legs a bit, there is a small lake and a damn with water that rushes over the top of it forming a small stream just behind me there.Lighting
Well, to me, these lens flares just make it sort of like a dream ..... something that people tend to avoid. And for good reason, it can be a nuisance. But, lens flares can also be a tool. In the back of my head, I had this basic image that i had been holding onto for quite awhile. But, it was always the wrong time of day, or the backgrounds weren't quite what I mind. So yeah, capturing the sun flares directly on the lens requires the sun. And by shooting directly into the sun, and playing with the angles of the sun flares lying on the lens, by titling the camera in various ways, I can compose purposeful results. I shot many photos from a variety of angles, on my stomach, on my knee, 5 feet this way, 10 feet that way and so forth. That's important because I wasn't really sure how the final composition would best play out. Simply put, I can't tell you how many times i had wished I had done that in the past. I mean to say, what I think looks good in the field, doesn't mean it will look good on my computer at home.Equipment
No Tripod, the camera used here is a point and shoot Sony HX80. A great little camera that fits right in your shirt pocket. A handy little tool that shoots 24-720 mm @ F3.5-6.4 18MP 5-axis Optical Image Stabilization. 3" Tilting Screen. Electronic viewfinder. 10.0 fps continuous shooting. Any camera can produce a memorable image, and when my larger cameras aren't close by, this one is always on me, its really versatile actually.Inspiration
This is just a photo that, for a long time, I had an image of, not a fully formed image, in the back of my head,....many times I had come to certain areas and looked around me, only to decide, no, this is not the place for the road trip shot. But, I suppose if I really thought about it, I would have to say it happened as I was walking back from the little stream.....I noticed the sun setting behind the mountain, the downward sloping s of the road...my camera was already in my hand as I had been snapping shots of the stream.....I double checked to see if I was indeed shooting in aperture mode, because here, i wanted to have a broad depth of the elements in the composition. I spent about 30 minutes trying different things out.Editing
Post-processign? Me? I would never! Hahaha, I'm just kidding, Sure, I have had maybe one or two shots that didn't need it. But, these cameras don't always achieve what we would hope they could. Shadows that need lifting, strange contrasts that don't look natural etc. My processing problem here was the lens flares themselves. The shapes were great, but the colors were very, very wrong. I shot this batch of photos fully knowing I would have some work to do on the computer. I use Lightroom, and after racking my brain mixing luminance, saturation, and hue's, i finally came off with the sort of mix that was conducive to the overall balance of colors within the color theme of the shot.In my camera bag
The camera used here in this photo is a point and shoot Sony HX80. I have other cameras, a Nikon D3500, and a Nikon D70s. The D3500 is a new acquisition, it is labeled as an entry level camera, but let me tell you, it does everything the big boy cameras do, and a lot cheaper. The D70s, accompanying this camera are 3 lenses. A Tokina 100mm AT-X Pro Prime which was given to me by a friend, a Tamron 28-80mm 177D, and a Tamron 70-300mm 572D. Generally speaking, the Tokina is for my macro stuff, the 28-80mm for group shots, and the 70-300mm for just about anything. The Nikon - D3500 DSLR is a two lens kit, it comes with a AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and a AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED. If pressed, I have a tripod stashed away in the truck.Feedback
Well I'm no expert thats for sure, that being said, I would suggest to anyone who loves photography to pursue shooting things u enjoy in your free time. Also there are a number of little groups available for free on the internet that often give out free user tips and tricks out there these days. Some of it is repetitive but there is always some little gem of knowledge in those articles. Also take as many shots as u can from different angles and distances, you may never have the time or chance to come across the subject matter again. But, for the most part, enjoy your time in the field. I really enjoy being out in nature and having an activity like photography will drag me out of my cave and off on some little adventure.
