(please click to view on black // canon 5d mark iii, canon 16-35mm f/2.8 l, 16mm, iso 400, f/4, 1/100th // buy print)
An amazing sunsets east of Sonoita, Arizona. The sky was on fire from a monsoon thunderstorm and the setting sun of course, but an actual wildfire was off camera left of this image, which created a sky full of smoke and only enhanced the colors this night. I was amazed when I turned from the fire to look at this mountain…that the field of grass was actually reflecting the reds and oranges. It was stunning. Â A rainbow can faintly be seen over the mountain peak.
You can see more of the wildfire pics here and here.
I typically use luminosity masking and level adjustments these days, and this image is no different. No vibrance or saturation adjustments to up the color. All the color was already there waiting for me to bring it out. It’s the reason I stopped to take the photo in the first place…I felt like everything surrounding me had an orange and red glow.
My only regret with this image is that I shot it at f/4. It was raining, there was a fire burning across the street so I didn’t take the time for a tripod. It’s actually quite sharp all the way through, but I still wish I had shot it at f/16.
