Date Taken: 06/06/2016
Location: Just down the road from the Craggy Pinnacle Trail.
Camera: Nikon D810
Lens: Nikon 14-24
Focal Length: 14mm
ISO: 125
Shutter: 1 second
Aperture: F16
Filters: Lee .9 Hardline On the sky
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: This particular spot is typically shot in landscape orientation but the Rhododendron wasn’t quite in peak so I decided a vertical composition would be better. As the sunset developed the sky began to open, revealing more color I zoomed out from 24 to 14 to really include what was going on in the sky. I always expose for the darkest part of the scene and then use Lee Filters to balance out the highlights. For this shot the foreground called for a 1 second exposure which meant I needed a .9 hardline graduated filter along the horizon for the sky. I always shoot with a tripod and typically will weight it down by hanging my bag under it… For some reason there was absolutely no wind on this night, which is how I was able to shoot a 1 second exposure with no motion blur in the flowers or trees.
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Craggy Gardens, at Milepost 364 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, has a Visitor Center, tunnels, a picnic area, and a variety of trails. It is famous for its showcase of rhododendron in the spring, its wildflowers in the summer, and its forests of “twisted trees” that grow in a uniquely gnarled way because of the harsh weather condition on the high-elevation balds.
For More Information
- Additional photographs by Justin Askew Photography
- Categories where this photo is found: Sunrises & Sunsets, Editor's Picks, Flora & Fauna