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Cabin Sunset in the Appalachian Mountains
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Cabin Sunset in the Appalachian Mountains



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A very unique sunset from our slice of paradise in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia. A thunderstorm moved through earlier, isolating some pockets of mist an...
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A very unique sunset from our slice of paradise in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia. A thunderstorm moved through earlier, isolating some pockets of mist and humidity at 3,000 feet. This photo was taken after sunset, during the golden hour.
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cameraNIKON D810

settings Aperture f/16 ISO 160 Shutter 6/10 Focal Length 19/1 

upload_dateJul, 2017

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3255

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Awards

Contest Finalist in Huts And Cabins Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Simple Architecture Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in Simply HDR Photo Contest
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Superb Composition
luvmtnlife NHampton obie303 coxcraig Acol747 tbreeves03 federicosassolinosasson +6
Magnificent Capture
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Lesabre1954 Bluecatfish EdikP pierrehusson
Superior Skill
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Genius
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My Country Photo ContestTop 20 rank
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The Nature Lover Photo ContestTop 10 rank
We Love The Summer Photo ContestTop 10 rank
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We Love The Summer Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Flags and Banners Photo ContestTop 20 rank
The Nature Lover Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Flags and Banners Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
World Photography Day Photo Contest 2018Top 10 rank
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Rural Vistas Photo ContestTop 10 rank
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8 Comments |
David_Blakley_Photography Platinum
 
David_Blakley_Photography December 18, 2017
Mark, congrats on your win and prize. Beautiful view of the mountains. Are these the Smokies?
MarkWolskyPhotography
MarkWolskyPhotography January 15, 2018
Thank you so much! These are the Appalachian mountain chain in Virginia.
prayerofserenity
 
prayerofserenity December 19, 2017
Incredible!
MarkWolskyPhotography
MarkWolskyPhotography February 14, 2018
Thanks so much!
federicosassolinosasson
 
federicosassolinosasson December 20, 2017
Stupenda complimenti
MarkWolskyPhotography
MarkWolskyPhotography January 15, 2018
Thank you so much!
tbreeves03
 
tbreeves03 December 21, 2017
Awesome view, what Mountain are these?
MarkWolskyPhotography
MarkWolskyPhotography January 15, 2018
Thank you so much! These are the Appalachian mountain chain in Virginia.
SteBil30 Platinum
 
SteBil30 December 26, 2017
Beautifully composited, gorgeous colors and an all around imagine of the American countryside.
MarkWolskyPhotography
MarkWolskyPhotography January 15, 2018
Thank you so much!
LCons
 
LCons March 05, 2018
This is beautiful
balantaylorp
 
balantaylorp September 25, 2020
Red eye. Creative shot
smshaffer PRO+
 
smshaffer February 17, 2022
Looks like a Great place to visit, Beautiful composition.

Submitted to Photo Contests

Tags

#sunset #log cabin sunset #blue ridge mountain sunset #Appalachian mountain sunset #iconic sunset
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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was captured from above my cabin in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia, near Shenandoah National Park. The cabin was built in 1979 and sits at an altitude of 3,000 feet, facing northwest, and serves as a great subject for evening sunsets.

Time

The photo was taken just after sunset in July. As the sun set, I recall that the humidity was thick and the temperature very warm. The air was still and almost heavy, creating a density and depth to the colors in the sky air above the mountain ridges.

Lighting

The combination of organic particles released by the trees in this region, along with a light refraction phenomenon known as Rayleigh scattering, which spreads the blue wavelength more forcefully than red, creates a bluish hue to the human eye. Other factors have also been put forth as to why the blue ridge mountains project and their bluish hue. Given that sunsets in the blue ridge mountains are typically more “blue” in color, it was a rare treat to have witnessed a “golden moment” which lasted perhaps four to five minutes. It’s always a challenge to capture a dynamic range of light during many sunset photo opportunities, and at my cabin in particular, since the trees and cabin foreground quickly become darkly shaded while contrasting with the brighter sky. This required the use of bracketing to bring the light around the cabin and into the foreground. The goal, as always, was to try and recreate on the camera’s sensor, what my eyes were seeing.

Equipment

For this photograph, I used a Nikon D810 with a Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5 lens with tripod, remote shutter and polarizing filter.

Inspiration

Inspiration for subject matter abounds all around me in this near-idyllic setting, so for sunset photographs it was a matter of waiting for the right sunset to present itself. From the age of eight, I’ve backpacked and hiked every trail in Shenandoah National Park, and now volunteer as an overseer of a segment of the Appalachian trail in the park. During our backpacking adventures in our teens, my brother and I would always dream of one day living in a log cabin near this national treasure. In many respects, this cabin represents the fulfillment of lifelong dream. I can’t express how fortunate I am to have found this wonderful location and am constantly inspired by nature’s profound beauty all around me. I’ve owned the cabin for around four years and have seen many beautiful sunsets. This particular sunset created perhaps one of the top three most beautiful scenes that I had witnessed there to date.

Editing

I applied some minor processing techniques to try and capture the serenity of the moment. (e.g., highlights, graduated filter adjustment, shadowing, etc.).

In my camera bag

As a nature photographer, my subject matter is so varied that my bag is “purpose built” based on the particular subject I’m planning to capture. For many years I was a winter mountaineer, climbing in North, Central and South America. I have four backpacks that I’ve adapted to carry my camera gear. For wildlife, I’ve been using a Sigma AF-S 150-600mm Sport. For landscape photography, I typically use a Nikkor 28-300mm AF-S f3.5/5.6G and/or Nikkor AF-S 16-35mm f4G. I also have a bag that converts to a roller bag or backpack for travel, so I can navigate airports and hike any reasonable distance to photograph. For travel, I carry my 28-300mm, 16-35mm, 105mm macro, and assorted filters. I use a heavy duty MeFoto tripod with a Manfrotto ball mount.

Feedback

If were to impart any advice, I would say that landscapes which contain significant contrast benefit from bracketing the photograph to achieve greater dynamic visual range, if you have limited movement. Every subject is different and honing in on the correct balance between sensor resolution, aperture (f-stop), and shutter speed requires practice to the point where you “feel” the correct settings and then fine tune from there. Often times there is not much time to capture a moment, so studying the subject in advance helps me target my camera settings so that honing in on the optimal settings and bracketing approach can be achieved in a shorter period of time.

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