Soaring Condor
A view from Desert View on the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA as a large black condor glides gracefully on the thermals rising from the canyon fl...
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A view from Desert View on the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA as a large black condor glides gracefully on the thermals rising from the canyon floor.
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Jul, 2021Views
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Creative Winter Award
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
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Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
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timecapturer
July 30, 2022
Thanks Paul, this is such an awe inspiring place, nobody could ever get tired of seeing this place, no matter how many times they visit. Was a tad upset as it rained a lot on the day I was there but it brought out all the colours and added to the atmosphere. Brian.
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Behind The Lens
Location
Photograph was taken in September at Desert View on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA.Time
Early afternoon, about 3pm; a huge thunderstorm had just passed over the canyon and more rain clouds were moving in.Lighting
I guess the rain had cleared any haze out of the air so the light was almost pristine. Not that many shadows though which would have given just a tad more depth and impact I feel. When us Brits visit the US we are usually on some sort of lightning tour to take in as much of the scenery as possible. So you only normally have one small window to take the images you want so I guess the light is just one of the things that you just take for granted.Equipment
Sony A850 DSLR SONY 28-75mm F2.8 SAM Hand HeldInspiration
I do not think you need much inspiration when visiting the Grand Canyon, it is just awesome. But when I arrived at Desert View the circling Condors really caught my eye, there were 5 but by the time I got the camera out only this one remained.Editing
Shot in RAW so used Photoshop Camera Raw to adjust levels, reduced highlights slightly to bring brightness of clouds down and increased clarity and saturation by about 20%. I use ON1 Plug Ins in Lightroom to enhance colour tones and overall impact plus just a smidgen of ON1 HDR plug in.In my camera bag
I have gone Sony A7rii mirrorless since this shot was taken and really want to go back and take some more shots in the USA. I nearly always carry a polarizing lens, plus a tripod and longer lens. But on travelling to the US from England it is not always possible to take all the equipment I would like to take.Feedback
Do not go to the Grand Canyon with any pre-conceived ideas as it can stop you thinking outside the box. So many people are taking photos that you need to go for something a bit different I feel. But that is not easy as there are so many amazing places to take shots. Digital photography means you can just take as many shots as you want so just do it, but look out for some originality too if you can. Get off the touristy track a bit if possible. As said before if a Brit doing the tour just take it as it comes you may get a good shot out of say 100 images. But enjoy it as it is an amazing place to see and stand on the edge of. Take enough storage cards so you do not feel limited by space......click away.
