One of my favorite times of the day for photography.
I really like the golden glow and the effect of horizontal light on this landscape. This photograph was taken just before we reached the town of Scottsbluff and the National Monument nearby. It had been overcast with heavy cloud cover and intermittent rain most of the afternoon. The sun bathed the landscape with golden glow as it appeared under the cloud cover and rested on the horizon. I was really lucky to get this brief glimpse of the Sun for almost perfect horizontal light.
Click on the links for more information and
be sure to click on the photo for a full page view.
be sure to click on the photo for a full page view.
Near Scotts Bluff National Monument,
Nebraska
Nebraska
Technical details:
I used ISO 640 which was chosen to get a larger depth of field (f/14), while still using a moderately fast shutter speed of 1/750 sec. Post processing, I then used Neat Image to remove the small amount of grain and noise induced by the higher ISO.
Notice that the eroded bluff is highlighted by the setting sun from the right, and the left side is in shadow. What is interesting is that there are no long shadows in all of the foreground. That is because the foreground is shadowed by the slope of the land blocking direct sunlight. The diffuse lighting is produced by the bright clouds just above. Serendipity and lighting is everything.
Notice that the eroded bluff is highlighted by the setting sun from the right, and the left side is in shadow. What is interesting is that there are no long shadows in all of the foreground. That is because the foreground is shadowed by the slope of the land blocking direct sunlight. The diffuse lighting is produced by the bright clouds just above. Serendipity and lighting is everything.
To see a photo of Saddle Rock in the Monument, go here.
It rained during the night and was still cloudy the next morning when I photographed Saddle Rock.
Don't forget to leave a comment.
Have you been there? What time of year? Did you get some good photographs?
Have you been to places with similar topography and geology?
Again........ leave a comment for other inquiring minds.
For other SWF posts,
see Tom's new SkyWatch site here.
Troy and Martha
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56 comments:
Expertly captured! The light and perspective are stunning!
lovely shot
I hope you stop by at my SWF post also in HERE. Thanks
Great shot!! I like the perspective as well;)Mine is posted HERE. Happy SWF!~
Yes. I have been there...but many, many moons ago during the summer. I find the rock formations in that par of the U.S. absolutely fascinating. Happy Sky Watch!
Beautiful shot, but sorry never been there, ah theres so many places I want to visit.
Troy: Really neat capture of the monument.
Great capture, I love this shot. Thanks for sharing!
Cheers
http://reginainpictures.blogspot.com/
Postcard perfect shot. I adore this image.
It is a lovely image!
I've never been so thanks for sharing.
This is just gorgeous! The dark clouds give give the rock a striking 3D look, too.
~Lisa
Gorgeous picture, wonderful landscape!
Great job and lovely landscape.
Wonderful! I've never seen that place before. Thanks for sharing :)
very pretty photo. Great shot. Happy SWF.
James Moore would have been proud of you for that one! Excellent!
Great Western look to this photo from Scott's Bluff. Good choice for SWF. Pappy
Beuatiful photo of a neat place. Excellent shot :-) Have a nice weekend
Impressive capture!
Beautiful scenery!
Impressive photography! :)))
Never been there.... ;)
Very well captured, and I enjoyed the full page view. Thank you.
Beautiful capture and composition. Love it! Happy SWF!
So dramatic, everything--the light, the bluff, the sky!
That is great! I love those rocky formations. Beautiful!
That light and color is fantastic!
Beautiful. I've never been to Nebraska and never would have guessed this wonderful landscape was there. Why do I always imagine it being totally flat?
No I have never been there, would I like to be? Oh yes!
That's awesome!
A wonderful photo in a perfect landscape... the lighting looks amazing!
~Michele~
Mountain Retreat- Canada
T&M - I love this type of countryside - and you are right, photographing it is very tricky. I love the shading and the shadows just developing on the butte. Super photo.
Beautiful shot, thanks also for the settings.
Cool photo for sky watch friday, interesting effects with the lighting.
Thanks for sharing with us all in sky watch friday.
Troy and martha, I have not been here though I have traveled across Nebraska once or twice, always on the way to "someplace else"! Most of what I saw was flat! flat!flat! Lots of trucks on the highway too. I love horizontal light also as well as storm lighting which is really dramatic. I really need to learn how to use all the settings on this digital camera to accomplish what I want in my photos. Thanks for all that info. I'm still on auto pilot.
oh, I'd love to visit there some time! Beautiful shot! happy swf. :)
Oh my you got a great shot. It's stunning.
I am just a novice dreaming of a nice new camera for Christmas.
Oh to be able to take a shot like this would be fabulous.
SkyWatch#1 for me.
http://shinade.blogspot.com/2008/10/skywatch-woven-branches.html
I do so hope you will drop by!:-)
Very nice picture and the perspective is great
Very nice! I never knew Nebraska had such interesting landscapes. :D
It's gorgeous shot! Thanks for the tech. info!
wonderful photo! Happy SWF!
Great photo, this place reminds me of monument rocks in western Kansas.
Beautifully done. Thanks for sharing your observations about the light.
You make a faraway part of our country so immediate and exciting for me. Thanks for that, too.
I love the colours in your photo. Have a nice weekend:)
awesome!!!
awesome!!!
It looks quite like a magical castle such as one might see in the Lords of the Ring and similar tales.
Hi Troy and Martha! Now that's a remarkable mountain or is it hill? It's a great photo and especially when enlarged! Have a great weekend!
Just beautiful! You're showing me part of the country I know I'll never get to and I do thank you for it!
Perfection as usual!
That is pretty i regret when i was in Nebraska hubby and i did not visit that place.
Long time no see, Troy and Martha!
You are right - the late afternoon is often a great time for photography.
OK`OK.. Yes I went through there about 7 yrs ago. In the summer, but only saw the monument from a distance. My father in law was in the hospital so we did not stop,
Thanks for sharing this.. beautifully captured.
I'm happy to see this landmark which I've never seen in real life. Beautiful shot! Thank you!
Happy SkyWatching!
Wow! Fantastic shot!
No, I haven't been there. But after seeing this photo, it's on my list of places to go.
Always such a fabulous sky!
:-Daryl
What a magnificent sight … captured and shared beautifully. Thanks! I’ve shared ‘pink clouds on blue skies’ (and a bit of haiku) at Sacred Ruminations ;--)
Hugs and blessings,
It's beautiful out there!
Wide open spaces filled with sky and a special kind of sunlight. Great capture, Troy.
Yep, you got that right -- serendipity and timing is everything! --I have a slogan: "sometimes you just have to be there"...
I'll have to check out "Neat Image" -- right now I'm reluctant to use higher ISOs, but I keep finding myself shooting wide-open when I really shouldn't be...
Love the photo...
A "Masterpiece composition"
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