Kiva Ring View

Before our workshops get started, I like to do some scouting and exploring in the area around Arches & Canyonlands. This time, I had my sights set... more

by Mike Berenson

Title

Kiva Ring View

Artist

Mike Berenson

Medium

Photograph

Description

Before our workshops get started, I like to do some scouting and exploring in the area around Arches & Canyonlands. This time, I had my sights set on an overnight return to the False Kiva. And while I was determined to capture the scene with good moonlight, before the moon rose I had some time to take a look at a few of the more creative perspectives that came to mind.

I liked how this one used just a curve from the kiva ring to lead the eye out into the dark canyons and the Milky Way skies. For me, this simpler composition provided a stronger message to the viewer and seemed to work even better in this spiritually significant location.

This late night image was captured in a location known as the False Kiva in Canyonlands National Park, Utah.

How I Got The Shot
I captured this composite image with a sequence of images using a variety of settings - all from the same position on my tripod at False Kiva. Since the stars are the subjects that can move, I tend to capture them first. In this case, I used a sequence of 4 relatively short exposures to capture as much detail in the stars as possible - with my lens focused on the stars.

Then with my lens focused on the rock ring in the foreground, I shot one more longer exposure with a lower ISO setting for maximum image quality. I've found that by dedicating an exposure for the foreground and another (or multiple others) for the sky, I can get exceptional image quality. And while shooting, I applied some subtle indirect light painting in the foreground to balance the scene.

In post-processing, I aligned and then combined the shorter exposures of the stars in Photoshop into a SmartObject with the blending mode set to Median Blending to maximize my image quality in the sky. Then, I blended in the foreground using a mask and a soft brush. Finally, a little bit of Nik's Color Efex Pro on the Milky Way and some curves and color balance adjustments provided the finishing touches.

Photo Gear
• Camera Body - Nikon D800 Digital SLR Camera
• Camera Lens - Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC Wide-Angle Lens for Nikon
• Tripod Head - Acratech GV2 Ball Head / Gimbal Head with Lever Clamp & Acratech Large Leveling Base
• Tripod Legs - FEISOL Elite CT-3472 Rapid Tripod Legs
• Remote Trigger - Vello Shutterboss Version II Timer Remote Switch for Nikon with 10-Pin Connection

Exposure Settings - 5 Blended Exposures

1 Frame - Focused On Foreground Rocks
• ISO:800
• Aperture: f/2.8
• Shutter Speed: 4 minutes

4 Frames - Focused On Stars
• ISO:6400
• Aperture: f/2.8
• Shutter Speed: 20 seconds

Uploaded

March 23rd, 2015