Mythic Light
Just after the seasons changes on the spring equinox, feeling the fresh new season brush along your skin, the warm light fill your eyes, one should take a moment to observe the changes around you. Some significant, some small, but persistent. For the humble landscape photographer, we look for the light, a never ending quest. Most days we let go without a thought, but sometimes it calls to us when nothing should be on the horizon. A beginner may ignore those feelings deep down, even the old veterans may yet ignore the call. Those of us who venture out looking for what the world has to offer though, we’re often given a treat, something remarkable. A light shown deep into our landscapes as if pulled from fantasy books of yore, something truly mythic in proportion. The relief of the warmth, the excitement of the change from the cold and dreary to the warm and serene. For many the change is slow, barely noticeable, but for the light seekers, it’s furiously quick, like a dragon from fantasy.
I was glancing through my old photos and came across an image I had taken a few years ago near Beartrap Gap. I looked outside and saw some fairly innocent looking clouds and decided to give it a chance. A spring time photo, something to quench my thirst for something new and exciting before the bloom really took off. I didn’t fully anticipate the amount of haze and light blasting through it, truly awe inspiring. I searched the surrounding area before settling on my old faithful roadside overlook. Finally I opted to try out a pixel shift feature on my camera, 160 mp file as the end result, not a bad day.
The edit here is more complicated than you may realize. This scene, by all rights should of been exposure bracketed, intense sky, dark, near black valley. I worked over several options before finally leaning on my masks. individually controlling the features within the frame until I was satisfied with the levels of contrast and beyond. Really, it was honestly worth the work that went into this photo.
Until Next Time!
Aperture: f13
ISO: 125
SS: 1/15th
Focal: 74mm
Fujinon 50-140mm
