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The Showdown
The Showdown
CNovack


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Silhouettes VI (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Canon EOS-600D/T3i Rebel
Lens: Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Location: Everglades
Date: Jun 25, 2014
Aperture: 5.6
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/80
Galleries: Emotive, Portraiture
Date Uploaded: Jun 21, 2014

 466157.jpg

Looks easy right? Getting this shot was an exercise in frustration and persistence. Read on if interested.

So sundown doesn't happen til 8 p.m. in the summer. Several parks that would provide and excellent vista and wide expanse close at 5 p.m. So what does one do?

I remembered that there is a turn-out just off of the onramp to the highway that I would see a number of cars parked. A quick glance as I drove by I would see people biking, fishing, or walking along the berm overlooking the Everglades. About a 30 minute drive so not too bad. So I went last Saturday to check it out on the one day when there was no thunderstorms. Turns out it is also a popular spot with ....photographers!

So I resolved to come back to the location and do three ideas with my eldest daughter agreeing to be the model. Sunday was a no go because of thunderstorms and lighting on the radar.

Monday comes and the weather was not great but went. The prime spot and angle was already taken by a whole photography studio that was there doing a late Prom photo shoot for a client. So I had to go in a less then optimal spot. Light was not what I needed but was able to get one shot for Sunrise/Sunset challenge before light failed.

Tuesday comes and the weather report looks good. Except an hour and a half before sundown a freakin' thunderstorm blooms right over us AND the location near the Everglades. Watching the report - the weather starts to clear at the location so 30 minutes before sundown we decide to go.

Driving there I see the sun appear from the clouds as a big burning sphere in the sky. Opposite the sun is a rainbow. I took that as a promise I would get the two shots I wanted. When we got there the sun had disappeared behind this massive dark column of cloud that divided the sky. One side light one side dark. We thought about walking to the berm anyway and hope that in the next 3 minutes we would get the sunset. But no, just as we got out of the car - cloud to cloud lightning 3 miles out right in front of us. Sigh, Mother Nature was acting like Lucy with taunting Charlie Brown with the football. Sigh.

Wednesday thunderstorms and lightning all in the afternoon. It began to clear at 6:30, so off we went hoping. We got to the location and the sun was sorta visible with more strong light off to the northwest. Lots of dark clouds south of us. I had wanted to take the shot facing due west. Working with what I had and knowing the weather could change at any moment, I had my daughter put on the oversized shirt, cowboy hat, and duster coat and we started shooting. 20 minutes into the shoot my battery flashes that it is about to die. Noooooo! It was at two full bars before I left. I quickly look at the shoots on the screen, discovered a big flaw, corrected it and was able to fire off the last 11 shots before it died.

Didn't get to do my other 2 photo ideas and 10 minutes later the clouds part and out comes this absolutely stunning sunset...ARGGG! The universe is trying to tell me something.....


I should get another backup battery.

Statistics
Place: 19 out of 108
Avg (all users): 6.1528
Avg (commenters): 8.3333
Avg (participants): 5.9487
Avg (non-participants): 6.3939
Views since voting: 668
Views during voting: 137
Votes: 72
Comments: 5
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
Nikon D800
Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED
 07/04/2014 01:43:37 AM
under rated
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Leica D-Lux 5
Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D
 07/03/2014 10:14:51 PM
Looks good. The sky looks a little violent too - kind of adds to the "showdown" feeling. Nice
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro
 06/28/2014 12:11:31 PM
you bet
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D800
Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6G
 06/27/2014 11:44:39 AM
zorro ?
where is his sword ?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D800
Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED
 06/27/2014 12:25:14 AM
Best in show award, congrats
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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