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Wild Horse Crossing
Beauty of wild splashing across the Salt River on a sunny December day in the U.S. state of Arizona.
SR_Freedom Splash_16x24_240_(S)_29 DEC 2020...
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Beauty of wild splashing across the Salt River on a sunny December day in the U.S. state of Arizona.
SR_Freedom Splash_16x24_240_(S)_29 DEC 2020_7234
Read less
SR_Freedom Splash_16x24_240_(S)_29 DEC 2020_7234
Read less
Jan, 2021Views
1508
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Water Is Life Photo Contest
Featured
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Outstanding Creativity
Emotions
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Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was shot at the Salt River in the U.S. state of Arizona's Tonto National Forest. I am a wild life and nature photographer and love spending time outdoors, especially with wild horses.Time
I had just walked upstream looking for the horses in late afternoon when I heard splashing behind me. Quickly I turned, focused my camera and clicked away on the horses crossing the river. While I hoped for the lighting behind me to light up the horses I was supper happy with the rim lighting (shooting into the sun), wonderful tree coloring and splashing of the horses. It really set the stage for running free.Lighting
Lighting with wild life can be a challenge. In this case I was walking upstream (east in this case) as the sun set hoping for horses in the river with the light on them. The horses had a different idea and ran downstream (west) after I passed. This created a photo with a rim lit silhouette effect to the motion of the splash and horses. The brilliant colors of the trees enhanced the scene.Equipment
I used a Nikon D850 with a 200-500 f/5.6 lens.Inspiration
I love seeing and trying to capture the free spirit wild horses exude. In this piece I heard the splash and acted on instinct to focus and click the wonder of wild horses splashing through the river.Editing
I used both photo shop and light room to highlight the rim lit manes, brighten the water splash, enhance details in the horses and to add a bit of saturation to further highlight the color of the trees.In my camera bag
I usually have two Nikon D850 cameras. One with a Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 lens and the other with a Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 lens. The combination allows me to photograph the horses at a distance focusing primarily on the horses while the shorter lens allows me to photograph the horses within their environment. Additionally I have lots of lens cleaning pads as it gets a bit dusty out there.Feedback
I like to use auto ISO to ease the challenge of the horses going in and out of shadows. Each area is different and weather can really enhance your photo. Weather and time of day can be a big factor photographing wildlife. Cloudy skies will diffuse the light which in turn "mellows" harsh shadows. Sunrise and Sunsets give a beautiful soft golden light. Additionally knowing where the wildlife is along with their behavior's will help you to set up the perfect photo!
