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Notice: Undefined index: LatestPoster in /var/www/vhosts/fredmiranda.com/httpdocs/forum/functions_2021_i.php on line 1852 Landscape Photographer - Photography - FM Forums
Congratulations to Ben Horne for winning Feature Thread of the Week with 4 votes - View Previous Winners
This was taken on the 6th day of my January trip to Death Valley. I shot this well after sunset as a storm was rolling through the valley. While making this exposure, a light rain began to fall, and it was getting quite dark.
I chose to leave my camera setup on the salt flats that night in hopes of a morning shot. I covered it with a trash bag, logged the location into my GPS, then returned to camp that night under a light but steady rain.
I record video journals on my shooting trips -- if you're interested in more about how I found this shot, here's the link: http://youtu.be/qDI0ToChpo0
This is a really great photograph Ben. I'm enjoying the contrast you were able to achieve in the dark rim of the pockets and the light hues of the interior pockets. The strong middle ground of the image (as discussed in your video) really works in this photograph and does a great job of defining depth.
Kudos on the great shot, I'd love to see what this could do as a very large print.
Ben, I just looked at your video. I thought you did a very nice job explaining how you selected your camera height and angle of view. I am puzzled about one issue. I cannot imagine leaving my gear out on the salt flats overnight. I know exactly where you made that shot and I do know you had some walking and also had to avoid some wet areas. I know I would start out 5 or 10 minutes earlier rather than leave my gear out. I wonder is it really that difficult to set up your gear for a morning shot? I don't shoot medium/large format so maybe I just don't understand the difficulty.
thanks, jim
Hey Ben. Very interesting, the overall feel of this image is one of a magical sense. The way the clouds fan out and the salt patches go forever as though they were water makes me think of the sea. Good work.
Camperjim wrote:
Ben, I just looked at your video. I thought you did a very nice job explaining how you selected your camera height and angle of view. I am puzzled about one issue. I cannot imagine leaving my gear out on the salt flats overnight. I know exactly where you made that shot and I do know you had some walking and also had to avoid some wet areas. I know I would start out 5 or 10 minutes earlier rather than leave my gear out. I wonder is it really that difficult to set up your gear for a morning shot? I don't shoot medium/large format so maybe I just don't understand the difficulty.
thanks, jim ...Show more →
Jim, When I shoot my D800, I do exact as you suggest -- leaving early enough to get there ahead of the light so I can setup my shot. With the 8x10, it's a different story. To get a shot before sunrise, I have to setup the camera the day before. Otherwise, it's too dark before sunrise to see anything on the ground glass and compose a shot, much less focus. When shooting in Death Valley, I try to find compositions that work for both sunrise or sunset (often facing north or south). That way, I can take a shot in the evening, then again the next morning. I'm not worried about the camera itself. A trash bag will protect it from the elements, and if it gets blown over by a freak wind --- I can always replace it. I'm not concerned about anyone "finding" it overnight because it is very difficult to find a camera covered by a black bag in the middle of the night. I use a GPS to find it in the morning. It's an odd technique, but it's also the easiest way to get the sort of shots I like.
Also, keep in mind that the 8x10 has zero electronics. It's just a wooden box with leather bellows. Though I almost always leave the lens attached overnight, I could theoretically take it with me if I wanted. The focus is set by the camera body, so all I would need to do is put the lens on in the morning.
Thanks for the kind words everyone. This is an area that I scouted extensively last year. Though it is very similar to Badwater, it's quite a ways north of there. It seems that every time I visit this location, the salt patterns are different. It is constantly reworked by the presence of water. It has a bit of a spooky feel in the dark, so that's one of the things I was trying to capture here -- especially with rain on the way.
Mar 24, 2013 at 05:17 PM
Mark Metternich Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
