Sedona, Arizona Hiking
Photos and Preferred Gear
I’m always told how lucky I am to live in a beautiful place. Living in Sedona gives me some wonderful chances to make images that are just a bit different than others. Different is good. It attracts attention because of the red rocks and scenery. BUT, the beautiful view does not guarantee a beautiful photo. It only ensures a superb photo opportunity.
It’s about light, composition, shadow and more
I often remind people to remember that it is about the light. It’s about the composition. It’s about the shadows. It’s about all of these things and more. All of these items when appropriately assembled into frame take a beautiful scene and make it memorable. Do I always accomplish this? Hell no! But, lots of the fun is in the trying.
Here are a couple of images from hikes a couple days ago. These are from Bell Rock Vista in the Village of Oak Creek just south of Sedona where the red rocks reaching to the heavens begin. Think of the Grand Canyon upside down.
Here is the middle exposure from a bracket
With the image above we have detail in the shadows and the highlights, but overall it appears flat and relatively uninteresting even though it is a beautiful subject. I photographed a five-stop exposure bracket because I knew there wouldn’t be enough exposure range in a single capture due to the deep shadow area and the sunlit highlights.
Using two separate exposures and blending with Aurora HDR 2018
Post-processing Rocks!
The processed image above was more as the eye would see it. The eye’s pupil opens and closes depending upon the amount of light it is viewing. We have more detail and color in the shadow areas and better color and detail in the sunlit area including the sky. In my opinion, the image only begins with the capture in camera. Post-processing is necessary to complete the vision and to show the scene as the artist wishes it.
Tiny flowers with a skim of sunlight caressing the blooms
See the Light
The flower image shows how just a small shaft of the sun can highlight a subject and break it away from the background.
My shooting kit for a general walkabout hike is the Lumix G9 with the Leica DG Vario-ELMARIT Professional Lens, 12-60MM, F2.8-4.0 . I also have a * Think Tank Mirrorless Mover 20 belt pack with some extension tubes (used on the flower image above) and an extra battery. Also, sometimes I’ll have an extra lens or two.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
* I’ve had this camera bag for over five years and use it constantly, and it hardly shows any signs of wear and tear.
