Pentax
SMC DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 ED IF SDM
Photographs on this site made with the SMC DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 ED IF SDM.
Field notes
Field notes with this glass
Autumn’s Fiery Stone Canopy
A spectrum of gold and crimson washes over the valley floor, pressing against the sheer, dark visage of monumental stone cliffs. Here in the dense eastern woodlands, early autumn introduces a chilling drop in temperature that signals the local flora to cease chlorophyll production, unmasking brilliant carotenoid and anthocyanin pigments. The rugged verticality of the stone face, carved by ancient glacial movements and weathered by millennia of rainfall, creates an arresting stark contrast against the fragile, transient canopy below. (Note: This image comes from the Adirondack Mountains, adjacent to the northern stretches of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail system)
How to capture
To capture an image of this caliber with a National Geographic aesthetic, a photographer must heavily rely on soft, diffused overcast light or the subtle illumination of a post-sunset twilight to minimize harsh shadows on the rock faces while saturating the leaf tones. Utilizing a telephoto zoom lens compressed the mid-ground forest against the looming vertical topography, accentuating a dramatic sense of scale. A small aperture (such as f/11 or f/16) ensured sharp detail from the foreground textured boulders all the way to the crest of the monolith, while a circular polarizer stripped reflections from the damp leaves to draw out their purest color profiles.
