Capture to Print: “Sky Mountains”, Nevada
It’s often said that when you let things happen naturally instead of forcing them, the outcome is usually better. How many times have I ventured out determined to capture a good image, only to discover mother nature had other plans in mind.
That’s certainly been one of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years as a photographer—learning to let go of expectations, and instead letting gratitude and curiosity lead the way. When I can do that, I become more present, more aware of the light, the mood, and most importantly, my feelings.
In other words, I’m not in my head worrying about the past or the future.
This image is a great example of that. The drive from Las Vegas to Death Valley travels through beautiful vistas of valleys and majestic mountains as far as the eye can see. On my last trip there, this scene suddenly came into view. I knew I had to stop, get out of the car, and enjoy a visual and emotional moment.
I was in awe of the sense of space and grandeur between the rugged shapes of the mountains, and the depth of the sky created by the rising clouds. The contrast between the “hardness” of the land, especially the valley floor leading up to the mountains, and the “softness” of the clouds made a connection between the two that I thought would work well compositionally.
But most of all, it inspired me, made me feel fortunate to be there; what a privilege to be alive.
I made a few exposures with my Olympus OM-1 just as the sun was starting to hide behind some clouds, This softened the shadows and diminished the contrast significantly, allowing the energy in the scene to come from the shapes rather than the harsh light (this was late-morning.)
Lightroom Developing
While I wasn’t thinking about a black and white image at the time—I rarely do—the colors weren’t the main focus for me, and that often encourages me to think, “what if?” I immediately saw the improvement; the shapes became more graphic and simpler, adding to the overall sense of beauty and presence that I experienced that morning.
Final Print
When choosing a paper, I decide whether I’m after subtlety and suggestion, or a more dramatic and graphic look to the image. In this case it was the latter, so I chose a relatively high-contrast paper, and one of my all-time favorites, Canson Infinity Platine Fibre Rag.
It always does a great job generating contrast with rich blacks, without feeling too “loud” or garish. Plus I love the very subtle “grain” that it has which adds a tiny bit of depth to the papers surface.
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