richardvalenti

32_RV15178-Edit

Jun, 2016

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Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

Raking light breaks through the fog in the Del Norte Redwood Forest.

A grove of aspen trunks fills the frame and eyes to behold.

A lone tree stands out in this snowy meadow in the Hayden Valley of Yellowstone.

Sunset in the Serengeti. Layers of color serve as a backdrop to an umbrella acacia tree.

An early morning mist engulfed the Venice sea port, casting the sleeping gondolas in a shroud of mystery.

Behind The Lens

Location

This image was taken in Central California where there are numerous farms and orchard groves. This is a Almond Grove.

Time

This image was taken in the morning at around 8AM, when the sun was still low in the sky. You can see the angle of the sun from the light rays in this image.

Lighting

The light is what makes this image work. The sun was at about a 45 degree angle in the sky, there was a heavy mist on the ground which the sunlight pierced through causing the raking light that adds the drama and mood to this image.

Equipment

I used a Nikon D800 with a 300mm lens on a Gitzo Tripod with a RSS ball head. The lens was selected to isolate and compress this image.

Inspiration

I am always attracted to dramatic light, it is what I look for as a landscape photographer. I was driving the backroads in route to Yosemite early one morning and spied this scene out of the corner of my eye. I did a U-turn and worked quickly to capture what I had visulazed in my minds eye this final image should look like.

Editing

This image was processed in LIghtroom, where tonal values were adjusted along with color temperature and contrast. I used Photoshop to clone out some unwanted clutter and distractions in the image.

In my camera bag

I generally use three main lens for my landscape photography, a 14-24mm f2.8, a 24-70mm f2.8 and a 70-200mm f2.8. My main camera body is a Nikon D800 and I have a Nikon D300 as a backup. I always have a Hoodman loupe in my camera bag, which I used all the time to check sharpness and edge details in my compositions. I pack a polarizing filter, a variable ND filter and a set of graduated ND filters.

Feedback

My goal is to craft an image that evokes a sense of presence to the viewer. Landscape and nature photography are my joy. I love to get out in the environment and use my visual and photographic skills to capture that special light, that special moment, that special sense of being there. Light is what allows me to create a mood, whether that mood is lyrical, playful, or mysterious. It is all about seeing the light. Combining my experience with the drama of nature and the art of creating images keeps me motivated. With no control over weather, light or geography a photographer must study the subject/landscape and place himself in the most unique position as to arrange all the variables in what will become an interesting composition. There are those serendipitous moments when all the elements of a great image fall into place. When I am surrounded with scenarios of light, subject, location, weather and timing, I compose images that remind me what is possible if I’m diligent about pursuing them.

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richardvalenti

richardvalenti

32_RV15178-Edit

Behind The Lens

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