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bblakesley

Water Users Recreation Area, Salt river, Arizona

Water Users Recreation Area, Salt river, Arizona

Took this after a weekend storm came through and dropped some rain and snow.

Took this after a weekend storm came through and dropped some rain and snow.
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NIKON D7000

settings

Aperture f/8 ISO 200 Shutter 1/250 Focal Length 160/10

upload_date

Apr, 2020

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Awards

Curator's Selection

Top Shot Award 21

Judge Favorite

2020 Choice Award

Superb Composition

Peer Award

Emotions

Impressed

Top Ranks

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Behind The Lens

Location

Water Users Recreation Area is a popular location on the lower Salt River right on the Eastern edge of the greater Phoenix, AZ Metropolitan area. Hiking, fishing, swimming kayaking, and tubing are all popular activities at this location.

Time

My wife and I were out specifically looking for places where we could capture some of the snowfall from the storm that passed through the area the day before. We had made a couple of other stops earlier and taken some other photos, so this was our last stop before we headed back home and was around 4:15PM on 31 December. The sun was dropping rapidly behind us, and was popping in and out behind the cloud layer, making for some dramatic lighting on the cliff faces.

Lighting

The sunlight was slipping through broken cloud cover as the sun was slowly sinking in the West (behind me in this image). There were areas that were in full shade, some in full sun, and some with a mix of both. There was a bit of a surreal feel to the way the light would ripple and shift as the clouds moved over the sun.

Equipment

This is a 3 frame panoramic shot with a Nikon D7000 and a Rokinon 16mm prime, hand held.

Inspiration

I'm a very visual person, and the dramatic lighting, combined with the low desert foreground, water, and background snow all just fell into place in this image. People don't realize that a desert is not barren and empty. There's vibrant life everywhere, you just need to know what you're looking for to find it.

Editing

This image is composed of 3 vertical frames panoramic stitched then cropped into a wide pano in Lightroom. White balance and color correction were applied, as well as a couple GND masks to emphasize the drama in the cloud layer and pull the foreground up a bit. After that, there was some retouching in Photoshop to remove a couple of people in the foreground, and some generalized sharpening.

In my camera bag

My go bag always has my D7000, a Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 prime, and my Rokinon 16mm f/2. Depending on what I'm planning to shoot, I will also carry a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 prime, a Sigma 18-200 telephoto, and a Sigma 70-210. Also included is some assorted filters, a 3 color flashlight, vivitar flash, spare batteries, and a "hand me down" aluminum tripod from the 1960's Since I am based in the Sonoran Desert of the Southwestern United States, I also always carry a pair of stainless water bottles that slip easily into the outside pockets of my Lowepro daypack.

Feedback

Capturing light in the desert can very much be a "feast or famine" proposition. The full sun is bright, harsh, and can wreak havoc when trying to effectively meter exposures. Look for opportunities to shoot later in the day or earlier in the morning when the light is softer and the lines between light and shadow are smoother. Don't be afraid to experiment and to revisit a place several times in different lighting to fully understand it. Keep at it until what's in your head matches what's in the image.

See more amazing photos, follow bblakesley

bblakesley

bblakesley

Water Users Recreation Area, Salt river, Arizona

Took this after a weekend storm came through and dropped some rain and snow.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow bblakesley

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