snipes213

Monument Valley

Lightning strikes and headlights shine as twilight sets on Monument Valley in Navajo Nation, near the Arizona-Utah border....
Read more

Lightning strikes and headlights shine as twilight sets on Monument Valley in Navajo Nation, near the Arizona-Utah border.
Read less

PENTAX K-5

settings

Aperture f/8.0 ISO 100 Shutter 61/1

upload_date

Nov, 2014

Views

318

Likes

+14

Awards

Outstanding Creativity

Top Choice

Superb Composition

Absolute Masterpiece

Peer Award

Magnificent Capture

Top Ranks

Top 20 rank

Top 20 rank week 2

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 30 rank

Top 20 rank week 2

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank month 1

Top 10 rank week 3

Top 10 rank week 2

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 30 rank

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 30 rank

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 2

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 30 rank week 2

Behind The Lens

Location

Monument Valley, Navajo Nation (Utah/Arizona border) The two formations on the left are called The MIttens.

Time

twilight

Lighting

I got lucky with the clouds, and even more so with the lightning.

Equipment

tripod-mounted Pentax K-5 with DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 lens and cable release

Inspiration

Monument Valley provides all the inspiration you need. I planned a vacation around getting some awe-inspiring shots of the American southwest. Wherever I go, I look at books and postcards in gift shops to get ideas about what photos are possible. The light streaks are car headlights. There is a rough yet popular dirt road that leads around some of the rock formations in Monument Valley. People were leaving this area at the end of the day.

Editing

I used Photomatix to lighten up the scene and provide some contrast. The original exposure at about 1 minute wasn't long enough. It reminded me of reciprocity failure when I used to use film.

In my camera bag

The equipment I take with me varies by the situation. For this occasion, I probably had my Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 super-wide zoom with me. I also took a circular polarizer for daylight shots, and a Pentax K10D converted for infrared capture, which is really fun. Sometimes I take a Sigma fisheye lens as well.

Feedback

I was standing just to the side of the main hotel parking lot, so it's an easy shot, given some dramatic weather -- a clear sky won't do. Have patience for long exposures and do a bunch of them at varying lengths.

See more amazing photos, follow snipes213

snipes213

snipes213

Monument Valley

Lightning strikes and headlights shine as twilight sets on Monument Valley in Navajo Nation, near the Arizona-Utah border.... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow snipes213

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes. Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Lightning strikes and headlights shine as twilight sets on Monument Valley in Navajo Nation, near the Arizona-Utah border....
Read more

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.