In the Field

Smokey Sunrise in the East Kootenays. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 6, 2006.

One positive consequence of forest fires is that the smoke and particulate matter that they fill the atmosphere with makes for stunning sunrises and sunsets. This scene is visible from our home and I must have looked at thousands of times, but until one smokey spring morning in 2006 I had never photographed it.

In this case, I used a telephoto lens to "flatten" the image and make the ridges appear as though they are almost stacked on top of one another. It's a technique I occasionally use when shooting landscapes, especially when my goal is to produce an image dominated by shape, forms, or lines and my concern for accurately reproducing the scene as our eye would see it is lessened.

Interestingly, I shot the same scene about a week later when the smoke had dispersed and I chose to frame the image differently (vertically rather than horizontally). Check out "Pastels and Patterns" for an alternate way of "seeing" the same scene.

Behind the Camera

Smokey Sunrise in the East Kootenays. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 6, 2006.

Digital Capture; Compressed RAW (NEF) format; ISO 100.

Nikon D2X with Nikon 200-400 mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR lens @ 260 mm (390 mm equivalent with digital conversion factor) supported on Gitzo 1348 carbon fibre tripod with Wimberley head. VR turned to "On" and in "Normal" mode.

1/2000s @ f5.6; -0.67 stop compensation from matrix-metered exposure setting.

At the Computer

Smokey Sunrise in the East Kootenays. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 6, 2006.

RAW Conversion to 16-bit TIFF, including first-pass sharpening, exposure compensation, and tone curve adjustment, using Phase One's C1 Pro. Multiple RAW conversions (2 at different exposure settings) to extend dynamic range of captured image, in this case primarily to restore shadow detail on the most distant ridge.

All further digital correction on 16-bit TIFF file using Adobe's Photoshop CS2, including compositing and masking of various exposure versions, selective saturation enhancement, selective application of warming filter, and selective sharpening for web output.

Conservation

Smokey Sunrise in the East Kootenays. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 6, 2006.

Information to follow.