Where to Start

June 08, 2021

Where to Start

It was such an awesome morning, I really don’t know where to start. I guess I’ll just start at the beginning. 5:11AM on Monte Sano in Huntsville, AL. There was just a sliver of sky showing any color but it was a really nice sliver.

(DOL_2081)

©Don Brown 2021

Nikon D7200 — Nikon 18-300mm F6.3 ED VR

50mm

F8@1/10th

ISO 400

I think this was shot with the neutral density filter upside down. In other words, the dark part of the filter is holding back the colors in that sliver of sky showing so the blue will come through in the overcast above. It was a strange set of circumstances and that’s what worked best.

Speaking of strange, it was pouring rain for this next shot -- at 5:37AM (4 minutes after sunrise). I couldn't believe I could see that far in rain so heavy.

(DOL_2350)
©Don Brown 2021

The rain passed as quickly as it had come so I walked down the Bankhead Trail about a quarter of a mile just to see what I could see.

(DOL_2676)

©Don Brown 2021

By the time I got back to the overlook there was a totally new look waiting for me. By the way, the CCC built that wall. Which means it's at least 80 years old. And it need the CCC to come back and rebuild it. If it doesn't get some attention soon, it's going to fall down.

(DOL_2772)
©Don Brown 2021

(For any photographers that care, I used a polarizer and 2 GND filters on that one.)

My work being complete (and the "golden hour" being over), I packed up my gear in the truck and started down the mountain. As soon as I got out of the park and got on the downhill part, I got into the fog. So when I came to the trailhead for the Bankhead Trail, I started up the hill from the other end. I didn't get far.

(DOL_2842)
©Don Brown 2021

I stayed on this section you can see for about 30 minutes, watching the Sun playing around on the forest floor. Be sure not to forget one of the big rules of photography. If the light looks great in front of you, it probably looks great behind you. But you have to look behind you to see it.