Sunrise - Moonset

[Ken Curtis]

Hi everyone. I haven't been here for a while. I had an opportunity to go out to the Teton and Yellowstone national parks (in the northwest corner of Wyoming, US) this past January. Those locations are amazing. Few people have had the pleasure of photographing there in the winter.

The image below was taken facing west just as the sun rose above the mountain behind me and lit up the Tetons. The sun had not yet reached the plain between the mountain and where I was standing. Coincidentally, the moon was on its way down. I could not have planned it better.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

[Mike Buckley]

I've missed your images, Ken. Glad to see you that you have returned!

Very nicely done. The only changes to suggest would be related to minor degrees of personal preference. I only wish you had posted a larger image so we can see it better.

[Shadowman]

Nice detail.

[Brownbear]

Beautiful image! Amazingly sharp. I adore the composition and the light, especially the pink glow on the the mountain tops.

I've been trying to photograph mountains without any success. Seems I always miss the light (too early or too late), or there are clouds in the sky, beautifully pink at the scene but odd looking in my images. May I ask how close you were to this mountain range, and how long it was after sunrise when the light finally came about? Any tips to share on photographing mountains?

Thank you.

[Mike Buckley]

Christina,

Everything about the topography and light in the area where Ken took this is very different from the area that you live. The Tetons arise from the otherwise flat land like no other mountains I have ever seen, thanks to the upheaval that created them. They can be viewed across vast expanses uninterrupted by other hills and mountains. That has important implications regarding compositional and lighting possibilities that probably don't exist where you live.

[Ken Curtis]

May I ask how close you were to this mountain range

Several miles away, Christina.

how long it was after sunrise when the light finally came about?

The official sunrise was probably 5 to 10 minutes before this image was taken. That is one reason the foreground is somewhat lighter than if there were no mountains behind me and I shot the image earlier. The sun had to rise above the mountain behind me for its light to strike the Tetons.

Any tips to share on photographing mountains?

The best advice I can give is to get to the site early and shoot every minute or so. The light changes very rapidly when the sun rises or sets and you need to be prepared. You can always delete the duplicates and unattractive images. You also want to shoot in manual mode setting the aperture and shutter speed rather than letting the camera make the adjustments. I believe I had the white balance set to daylight so camera would not try to correct the colors.

Lastly, I agree with Mike in that similar landscapes may not exist in BC. This shot was taken pretty much perpendicular to the mountains. I captured some other pleasing shots shooting at an angle to the mountain. In those shots, I could pick up more colors in the sky because the sun does not strike the Tetons all at once. It starts at one end and the light works its way along the mountain (very quickly).

[bnnrcn]

Very nice

[John 2]

Lovely colour on the mountainside Ken. I envy you opportunities like this.

[Wavelength]

So fascinating

[Brownbear]

Thank you Mike and Ken for sharing and Ken I appreciate the helpful tips.

Yes, the mountains that I have seen so far don't have that huge flat expanse of land in front.

Thank you!