Thanks Sean! I'm so glad you notice! I love how my Rode Stereo Videomic X is able to capture the ambient sound so very well. It produces very clean audio, and helps give the feeling of being there. If you haven't already, try listening with headphones for the full experience.
Thank you Ben for another great moment. The tranquility and peace you transmit is unique in photography content. You are an island in this youtube world. Keep that journey.
Another beautiful image. Nice calm colors but a subtle, persistent striving of life to break thru! At 2:30, "But! But, you're walking right past it!" Those snow covered branches against the chocolate brown/black rocks really caught my eye. It's always refreshing who different scenes speak to each of us. Looking forward to the next installment!
Thanks Mike! The theme of those snow covered branches set against sandstone is something that definitely caught my eye, and I was trying to find some way to make use of them. Sometimes there are things like that which look amazing in person, but it's difficult to craft a compelling composition with. Video works well for those scenes, which is one of the reasons why I stopped there to record that clip. :-) Thanks for watching and commenting Mike!
Ben youre the Ansel Adams of Zion !!!!!!!! stunning image !!! theres nothing better then waking up to a morning when fall meets winter or vice versa !!! ive been lucky twice with them kind of conditions . anyways i love your videos images n your skills !!! GOD BLESS !!!!!!!!!!
That's very kind of you Juan! Zion sure is a beautiful place, and seeing it during the snow sure was an amazing experience. You've been very lucky indeed to photograph that moment when fall meets winter. It can be so very fleeting, and perhaps every 5 to 10 years conditions like that come along. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Very nice Ben. Your videos are so relaxing and professionally done. You really capture the ambience well, which is a hard trick to pull off. Keep them coming please.
Thanks so much! There's something quite nice about the sound of the snow crunching under my feet, and how it echoes through the canyons. That's one of the reasons why I love filming with a stereo mic.
The maple leaves and snow are terrific. It is so calming to look at the photo and listen to your choice of music. All together wonderful experience. Bob
Absolutely wonderful video Ben, as always. Such an experience to wander through those canyons by yourself, hearing only your footsteps on the snow and appreciating the landscape under radically different conditions than you're used to. That second capture of the maple tree is beautiful. The leaves are just warm enough to add contrast and life to the image without being distracting, and the way the tree bifurcates reaching both top corners filling the frame is amazing. Keep up the good work!
Thank you as always Kevin! It sure was a wonderful scene to find. There were quite a few trees with maple leaves covered in snow, but I loved the look of the branches on that one. They really helped give order to the madness.
Thanks Robert! It sure felt good to find something to point my camera at that day. I was a bit worried that I would be intimidated by all the scenery all around me, and that I wouldn't be able to find anything that worked.
Loved to see the snow laying on the edges of the wash walls. The shapes are often lost under the colour of the rock but really showed up under the snow. The Provia shot is super. Stay safe.
Thanks Andrew! It really was a great experience wandering through those snowy washes. It sure transformed the area overnight, and there were so many different subjects to work with. Provia definitely handles those conditions very well.
Absolutely love the sound of snow underfoot 4:42 - a new sound to me since coming to the US. Amazing photo at the end. Looking forward to the rest of the videos :)
Thanks Ben, the maple in the snow is one of the best shots I have seen from you, I think your new tempo is something that I think you should build on. All the best. Annie
Thanks Annie! I made some changes to my own process on this trip that really made life a lot easier. It helped me to find a new balance between shooting, filming, and enjoying the experience. That's something I did on the Death Valley trip as well, and something I plan to continue. There is a lot of stuff to juggle on these trips, but I felt very calm and at ease which was great.
Great video Ben. Nothing beats being the first set of footprints in some fresh snow! Agree that the second photo looks excellent. I've seen a number of people managing to catch snow on fall leaves this year - that's been on my list of scenes to see for along time! Looking forward to the rest of the trip.
Thanks Brian! Snow on fall color has been a theme I've wanted to find for many years. It was very interesting to learn that it's far more possible on a very dry year since the leaves stay on the trees.
Right there with you on that second image, Ben, has a wonderful flow to the composition and the subtlety of the muted leaves lifts it to a whole new level. Beautiful 🙌🏻
Thanks Martin! It sure was a fun scene to find. There were quite a few maples dusted with snow, but most of them were just pure madness. I loved how this one had some degree of organization with the tree branches. Thanks as always for watching and commenting!
Great vidoe Ben and thanks for sharing, also thanks for the chats during the last few days at DV, Hope I didn't talk you ear off too much, but it was great to meet you and share a few stories and enjoy the beauty of DV. When I head home this morning, I took the long way via goijng east toShoshone and baker then coming back via 58 through the desert, seen some new places and even played toruist a little. On the way out though about 30 miles south of Badwater, I saw one solo Canadia Goose standing out by a small pool od salt, pretty strange to eb honest, I think he must have been lost, ONce I get around to doing the Lr edits I will send you the photo I took of you along the side the road on what appear to be a very unique compostion. Hope you enjoyed your trip and had a safe drive back home and once again thanks for the chats and the time out in the field. Look froward to the trip video down the road. Be safe and maybe we will see you again down the road someday-somewhere
It was great chatting with you Tim! It was also great to learn about the bighorn sheep in Death Valley based on our combined experiences. That's also quite interesting to hear about the Goose. There sure isn't a heck of a lot for a goose in those parts, especially one by itself. Hopefully it finds its way home! It was very nice chatting with you, and I'm sure our paths will cross again in the future!
Thanks James! I love how the mic picks up that audio so well. If you haven't already tried listening with headphones, it really adds to the experience.
Thanks Scott! It sure was a treat to be there. I was checking the webcam today and saw they got another snowfall in the main canyon. It seems much of it melted before the clouds cleared up though. I'd definitely love to be in Zion for another fresh snowfall in future years. We'll see!
@@BenHorne Hi Ben, yes I saw that post of the webcam image in your IG. Pretty neat. There is really something special about being in these places when the snow falls. I remember being in Yosemite Valley a few years ago and waking up to a fresh snowfall. It was only about 2" and didn't last long but it was a magical time for a few hours. Living so far away, it's just the luck of the draw showing up for a random week and hoping for snow in places like Yosemite Valley or Zion that don't always reliably get snow. But wow it's great when it happens. Living a bit closer, I'm sure you'll be able to experience it again!
Thanks Travis! Yup, I had the whole place to myself. It was very rare to run into any other footprints in the fresh snow. In many ways, it reminded me of my first visits to Zion during the fall when I could drive up to the campground with no reservations and grab a site for a week or two.
Thank you Greg! It sure was a wonderful scene to find, especially with the fall color that was so dried out in the fall, yet it looked so wonderful during the winter.
Thanks Sander! That one is definitely high on my list. I haven't begun production on the box set yet, but we'll see how the rest of the Zion winter trip unfolds, and I also was able to make it to Death Valley this year. I'll have quite a few shots to choose from this year, and I love seeing the reaction to the photos here on youtube to help me decide. :-) Thanks as always for watching and commenting!
Really enjoying this series, Ben. Your videos help me think about composition, story telling, and slowing down to observe the landscape. This has directly impacted my photography in a positive way. Congratulations on nearing almost 50k subscribers! That is exciting!
That is so wonderful to hear! It really is quite satisfying when we can take the time to slow down and be a better witness to our surroundings. I'm so glad to hear it has had a positive impact on your photography!
While you walked through that canyon, I kept looking for a mountain kitty. When you said it was time for lunch, I thought, I hope you're not it. ;-) Can't wait to see the ice you were hoping for. Thanks again for sharing your world with us.
Thanks Danny! This was actually the first trip in quite some time that I didn't find any mountain lion tracks. Perhaps that's a good thing though, because the snow didn't stick around very long, and any tracks would be.... very.... fresh. Thanks as always for watching and commenting!
Thank you so much Dennis! Consistency is key when it comes to this sort of photography, unless of course I'm consistently making expensive mistakes. :-) Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
It really does make such a big difference, and completely changes the range of subjects to work with. I sure hope I have the opportunity to be in Zion for similar conditions in future years.
Hey Ben, a bit late to your series, just watched part 1 now along with part 2. I can't wait for the part 3 to see if the ice pattern expectations held up. The image from this video was beautiful. The orange maple leaves adds another dimension to the scene due to the warmth it brings. Indeed a good find!
Thanks so much Simeon! It sure was a wonderful scene to find, and I'm glad I was able to shoot it before the snow melted. It can be so very fleeting in Zion. Thanks again!
Thanks Linda! I definitely had some fun with the Sony on this trip. I'll share those photos in a separate video at the end since I didn't record any video of my shooting with the Sony. In a way, it was quite nice to simply be able to explore a bit with the Sony without the pressure of having to film video.
I shot that exact same oak! I was there in November and got a solid snowstorm. The east bench is crazy beautiful but challenging to shoot. Great video!
Thanks Liam! Yup, I was a bit bummed about not being in Zion during the fall snowfall, but it sure was nice to be there during the second one of the season. They also had a bit of snow at the higher elevation portions of the park this morning. I was watching the webcam. They're usually good for a couple snow events like that each year, so I'm glad that you were able to experience one as well!
Absolutely amazing compositions. Can you post some videos about photographing in national parks in general? I’m sure there are viewers like me who have never been to a national park before :)
It really depends on the park in terms of where you can go, but one of the nice things about most national parks is that there is a lot of accessibility. I usually avoid the popular areas, and stick to more remote areas of the park where off-trail exploration is okay. In Zion, it's easy to follow rocky washes, climb slickrock slopes, etc. That's one of the many reasons why I love Zion, but I stay away from the popular areas because you need to stick to the trail in popular areas. Otherwise, everyone will else will follow and the place will be trampled. There are quite a few parks where you absolutely need to stick to the trails because of fragile plants and the threat of erosion. I strongly suggest checking out Nature First for some good guidelines: www.naturefirstphotography.org/
As always a superb video and majestic photos! Just a question about the grey card. When you use the grey card like you did on the video you, do you take that reading and run with it or do you add extra stops like the zone system usually says that snow is about 2-3 stops from middle grey?
Thanks Edwin! The gray card makes life very easy just so long as you're in the same light as your subject. All you have to do is position the gray card so it catches the light at the same angle as your subject, meter it, then evaluate the rest of the scene with that settings. On my Sekonic meter, I meter the gray card, hit the memory button, then hit the average button. Hitting those buttons stores the metered reading off the gray card in memory, and the average button then allows me to compare that metered setting to the brightness of each subject in the scene. I pointed the meter at the snow while holding the meter button, and it told me the show was around +2.5 stops above neutral, and then I pointed it at the darkest areas to make sure they wouldn't be too dark for the film. I don't recall what they were, but probably around -1.5 or so. If all those numbers align with what the film can handle, the metered reading off the gray card is ideal. After shooting several days of snow in Zion, I learned that a bit over 2 stops, somewhere in the +2.2 to +2.4 range is quite ideal for holding just a bit of texture in the bright snow.
Do love the subtle color of the leaves against the snow. Very pleasing combo. So did I catch that correctly that 2.5-3 stops above neutral was actually OK for the snow on the E6 film?
Thanks Paul! It sure was a fun scene to find. Over the course of my time in Zion, there were three days of fresh snow. Based on my experience and the subjects I shot in soft light, I found that +2.4 or so was the sweet spot for the snow. It gave just enough texture, but was still bright. I metered a gray card, logged that reading into memory, then hit the average button and evaluated the brightness of each subject. The shadows were still nice and dark when the snow was metered at +2.4 so I went with the gray card metering, and the exposures were very good.
i am so happy to have discovered your channel recently. Such beautiful pictures and such a strange but beautiful landscape. Very nice! Is that really the Sony A7SII with manual focus that films you while hiking? Amazing calm movie and appropriate focus...
Thanks and welcome to the channel! Yup, I work with an A7sII as my primary video kit. Using manual focus actually makes life so much easier. Just prefocus it at a set distance for my face, hit the record button, and all is well. I can even shoot at f/1.4 and nail the focus.
Thank you Hugo! It sure was fantastic to see the landscape transform so dramatically with the snow. I love how it was only a dusting, which allowed the underlaying subjects to come through so very well.
The second image nails it. Filled frame and contrasting warm colors against the fresh snow. Is it common for the fall leaves to remain on the trees that late in Zion?
Thanks Bryan! I can't say it's common, but I've definitely seen the leaves stay on the trees on many occasions. It seems to happen mostly on very dry years for whatever reason. It'll be interesting to see how this summer is in Zion. They received no rain last summer, which made for some very dry conditions.
Thanks Jim! That's a tough one with the dialogue while walking. The washes in Zion are quite rocky so I try to slow down a bit, but I find my mind works better when I'm walking versus standing there looking at a stationary camera. Sometimes how we view a video has an impact on how shaky it seems. If I might ask, how are you watching the videos? Is it on a monitor, TV, tablet or phone? I personally find that watching on a computer monitor or TV in a well lit room is better than watching on a small phone in a dark room. Something about the motion in relation to the surroundings in a room. Hopefully the rest of the series will be a bit calmer in that regard. I know some people use gimbals, but I don't like the mechanical look to the video, and also that's one more heavy piece of gear to take with me.
Can we all take a moment to appreciate the sweet sweet audio fidelity in this video. Great job Ben
Thanks Sean! I'm so glad you notice! I love how my Rode Stereo Videomic X is able to capture the ambient sound so very well. It produces very clean audio, and helps give the feeling of being there. If you haven't already, try listening with headphones for the full experience.
That second shot of the snow on the leaves is outstanding!
Thank you so much Jeff! It was a really fun scene to find.
Thank you Ben for another great moment. The tranquility and peace you transmit is unique in photography content. You are an island in this youtube world. Keep that journey.
Thank you so much Nuno! Much apprecaited!
I always appreciate your thought process, in both the good and not so good shots. That second image is beautiful.
Thanks Benny! We certainly learn more from failure than from success. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Another beautiful image. Nice calm colors but a subtle, persistent striving of life to break thru!
At 2:30, "But! But, you're walking right past it!" Those snow covered branches against the chocolate brown/black rocks really caught my eye. It's always refreshing who different scenes speak to each of us.
Looking forward to the next installment!
Thanks Mike! The theme of those snow covered branches set against sandstone is something that definitely caught my eye, and I was trying to find some way to make use of them. Sometimes there are things like that which look amazing in person, but it's difficult to craft a compelling composition with. Video works well for those scenes, which is one of the reasons why I stopped there to record that clip. :-) Thanks for watching and commenting Mike!
The second composition is spot on 👌🏼
Thanks John! It sure was fun to find that scene!
Beautiful last photo of the tree still with its Autumn colours
Thanks Russ! It sure was great to find that scene. That little bend in the wash is such a beautiful area.
Ben youre the Ansel Adams of Zion !!!!!!!! stunning image !!! theres nothing better then waking up to a morning when fall meets winter or vice versa !!! ive been lucky twice with them kind of conditions . anyways i love your videos images n your skills !!! GOD BLESS !!!!!!!!!!
That's very kind of you Juan! Zion sure is a beautiful place, and seeing it during the snow sure was an amazing experience. You've been very lucky indeed to photograph that moment when fall meets winter. It can be so very fleeting, and perhaps every 5 to 10 years conditions like that come along. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Very nice Ben. Your videos are so relaxing and professionally done. You really capture the ambience well, which is a hard trick to pull off. Keep them coming please.
Thanks so much! There's something quite nice about the sound of the snow crunching under my feet, and how it echoes through the canyons. That's one of the reasons why I love filming with a stereo mic.
The maple leaves and snow are terrific. It is so calming to look at the photo and listen to your choice of music. All together wonderful experience. Bob
Thanks as always Bob! Those glazed maples were sure a joy to shoot. I hope I have another opportunity like that at some point.
Absolutely wonderful video Ben, as always. Such an experience to wander through those canyons by yourself, hearing only your footsteps on the snow and appreciating the landscape under radically different conditions than you're used to. That second capture of the maple tree is beautiful. The leaves are just warm enough to add contrast and life to the image without being distracting, and the way the tree bifurcates reaching both top corners filling the frame is amazing. Keep up the good work!
Thank you as always Kevin! It sure was a wonderful scene to find. There were quite a few trees with maple leaves covered in snow, but I loved the look of the branches on that one. They really helped give order to the madness.
The snowy tree is a lovely photo Ben, well done 👏
Thank you Matthew! I sure was lucky to be there at just the right moment.
Oh that second photo 100% works!
Thanks Robert! It sure felt good to find something to point my camera at that day. I was a bit worried that I would be intimidated by all the scenery all around me, and that I wouldn't be able to find anything that worked.
Loved to see the snow laying on the edges of the wash walls. The shapes are often lost under the colour of the rock but really showed up under the snow.
The Provia shot is super.
Stay safe.
Thanks Andrew! It really was a great experience wandering through those snowy washes. It sure transformed the area overnight, and there were so many different subjects to work with. Provia definitely handles those conditions very well.
Stunning result in the second shot. Beautiful colour and detail. Thanks for sharing. ,👍
Thanks David! It sure was a wonderful day to be in Zion!
Absolutely love the sound of snow underfoot 4:42 - a new sound to me since coming to the US. Amazing photo at the end. Looking forward to the rest of the videos :)
Thanks so much Kirsten! It sure is satisfying to hear that crunch of snow isn't it?
Thanks Ben, the maple in the snow is one of the best shots I have seen from you, I think your new tempo is something that I think you should build on. All the best. Annie
Thanks Annie! I made some changes to my own process on this trip that really made life a lot easier. It helped me to find a new balance between shooting, filming, and enjoying the experience. That's something I did on the Death Valley trip as well, and something I plan to continue. There is a lot of stuff to juggle on these trips, but I felt very calm and at ease which was great.
Great video Ben. Nothing beats being the first set of footprints in some fresh snow! Agree that the second photo looks excellent. I've seen a number of people managing to catch snow on fall leaves this year - that's been on my list of scenes to see for along time! Looking forward to the rest of the trip.
Thanks Brian! Snow on fall color has been a theme I've wanted to find for many years. It was very interesting to learn that it's far more possible on a very dry year since the leaves stay on the trees.
@@BenHorne Hmm.. didn't know that was the case. It's been an elusive scene for me as well. Maybe this year!
Right there with you on that second image, Ben, has a wonderful flow to the composition and the subtlety of the muted leaves lifts it to a whole new level. Beautiful 🙌🏻
Thanks Martin! It sure was a fun scene to find. There were quite a few maples dusted with snow, but most of them were just pure madness. I loved how this one had some degree of organization with the tree branches. Thanks as always for watching and commenting!
Great vidoe Ben and thanks for sharing, also thanks for the chats during the last few days at DV, Hope I didn't talk you ear off too much, but it was great to meet you and share a few stories and enjoy the beauty of DV. When I head home this morning, I took the long way via goijng east toShoshone and baker then coming back via 58 through the desert, seen some new places and even played toruist a little. On the way out though about 30 miles south of Badwater, I saw one solo Canadia Goose standing out by a small pool od salt, pretty strange to eb honest, I think he must have been lost, ONce I get around to doing the Lr edits I will send you the photo I took of you along the side the road on what appear to be a very unique compostion. Hope you enjoyed your trip and had a safe drive back home and once again thanks for the chats and the time out in the field. Look froward to the trip video down the road. Be safe and maybe we will see you again down the road someday-somewhere
It was great chatting with you Tim! It was also great to learn about the bighorn sheep in Death Valley based on our combined experiences. That's also quite interesting to hear about the Goose. There sure isn't a heck of a lot for a goose in those parts, especially one by itself. Hopefully it finds its way home! It was very nice chatting with you, and I'm sure our paths will cross again in the future!
The dull slot canyon echoes of crunching snow underfoot is pure ASMR! Also, that maple in the snow photograph is very beautiful indeed.
Thanks James! I love how the mic picks up that audio so well. If you haven't already tried listening with headphones, it really adds to the experience.
That snowy tree with fall color is beautiful! It’s always exciting to find that combination for sure.
Thanks Scott! It sure was a treat to be there. I was checking the webcam today and saw they got another snowfall in the main canyon. It seems much of it melted before the clouds cleared up though. I'd definitely love to be in Zion for another fresh snowfall in future years. We'll see!
@@BenHorne Hi Ben, yes I saw that post of the webcam image in your IG. Pretty neat. There is really something special about being in these places when the snow falls. I remember being in Yosemite Valley a few years ago and waking up to a fresh snowfall. It was only about 2" and didn't last long but it was a magical time for a few hours. Living so far away, it's just the luck of the draw showing up for a random week and hoping for snow in places like Yosemite Valley or Zion that don't always reliably get snow. But wow it's great when it happens. Living a bit closer, I'm sure you'll be able to experience it again!
Love that second shot! Great video!!
Thanks Tommy! It really was a magical morning in Zion.
Very cool to be there in the snow, and probably a whole lot less people. Thanks for sharing it.
Thanks Travis! Yup, I had the whole place to myself. It was very rare to run into any other footprints in the fresh snow. In many ways, it reminded me of my first visits to Zion during the fall when I could drive up to the campground with no reservations and grab a site for a week or two.
Beautiful shots as always Ben
Thank you! It sure was a wonderful morning to have the park to myself.
Well done Ben, I enjoyed every moment!
Thanks Tania! The snow sure is fleeting in Zion, but I love how it transforms the place.
That is a stunning photo!
Thank you Greg! It sure was a wonderful scene to find, especially with the fall color that was so dried out in the fall, yet it looked so wonderful during the winter.
The second photo can go in your 2021 boxset strait away, great composition and color!! Looking forward to the next one!!
Thanks Sander! That one is definitely high on my list. I haven't begun production on the box set yet, but we'll see how the rest of the Zion winter trip unfolds, and I also was able to make it to Death Valley this year. I'll have quite a few shots to choose from this year, and I love seeing the reaction to the photos here on youtube to help me decide. :-) Thanks as always for watching and commenting!
Great content and music as always Ben. Love your work 😀
Thank you so much Sharon!
Really enjoying this series, Ben. Your videos help me think about composition, story telling, and slowing down to observe the landscape. This has directly impacted my photography in a positive way. Congratulations on nearing almost 50k subscribers! That is exciting!
That is so wonderful to hear! It really is quite satisfying when we can take the time to slow down and be a better witness to our surroundings. I'm so glad to hear it has had a positive impact on your photography!
great vid, zion in the snow is a wonderland!
Thanks Brad! It sure is a wonderland, and is also so incredibly fleeting. I think that's one of the reasons why I love it so much.
@@BenHorne well said.
Wow! That second shot is wonderful!
Thanks Jay! It sure was a great subject to find.
Beautiful!
Thank you as always Luís! Much appreciated!
What a beautiful image, Ben.
Thanks Don!
While you walked through that canyon, I kept looking for a mountain kitty. When you said it was time for lunch, I thought, I hope you're not it. ;-) Can't wait to see the ice you were hoping for. Thanks again for sharing your world with us.
Thanks Danny! This was actually the first trip in quite some time that I didn't find any mountain lion tracks. Perhaps that's a good thing though, because the snow didn't stick around very long, and any tracks would be.... very.... fresh. Thanks as always for watching and commenting!
Man! I [we] definitely appreciate your consistency Brother.
Thank you so much Dennis! Consistency is key when it comes to this sort of photography, unless of course I'm consistently making expensive mistakes. :-) Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
Excellent ben, love the last image and looking forward to more from Zion.
Thank you so much Ramakrishnaiah! It sure was great to be there during the snow. The landscape transforms in such a wonderful way.
Snow lends a whole new aspect to such familiar territory: enjoying this trip!
It really does make such a big difference, and completely changes the range of subjects to work with. I sure hope I have the opportunity to be in Zion for similar conditions in future years.
Hey Ben, a bit late to your series, just watched part 1 now along with part 2. I can't wait for the part 3 to see if the ice pattern expectations held up. The image from this video was beautiful. The orange maple leaves adds another dimension to the scene due to the warmth it brings. Indeed a good find!
Thanks so much Simeon! It sure was a wonderful scene to find, and I'm glad I was able to shoot it before the snow melted. It can be so very fleeting in Zion. Thanks again!
Love the 2nd photo !
Thanks Robert! It sure was a wonderful scene to find!
Excellent😊
Second image is a portfolio image. Nice going, Ben.
Thanks Frank! It sure was a fun scene to find.
@@BenHorne As they used to say "f/8 and be there." You've consistently demonstrated the perseverance to "be there." Well deserved capture.
Awesome work as always Ben!
Thanks so much!! I appreciate it!
Thank you, Ben. I can’t wait to see what you photograph with the Sony.
Thanks Linda! I definitely had some fun with the Sony on this trip. I'll share those photos in a separate video at the end since I didn't record any video of my shooting with the Sony. In a way, it was quite nice to simply be able to explore a bit with the Sony without the pressure of having to film video.
I shot that exact same oak! I was there in November and got a solid snowstorm. The east bench is crazy beautiful but challenging to shoot. Great video!
Thanks Liam! Yup, I was a bit bummed about not being in Zion during the fall snowfall, but it sure was nice to be there during the second one of the season. They also had a bit of snow at the higher elevation portions of the park this morning. I was watching the webcam. They're usually good for a couple snow events like that each year, so I'm glad that you were able to experience one as well!
Absolutely amazing compositions. Can you post some videos about photographing in national parks in general? I’m sure there are viewers like me who have never been to a national park before :)
It really depends on the park in terms of where you can go, but one of the nice things about most national parks is that there is a lot of accessibility. I usually avoid the popular areas, and stick to more remote areas of the park where off-trail exploration is okay. In Zion, it's easy to follow rocky washes, climb slickrock slopes, etc. That's one of the many reasons why I love Zion, but I stay away from the popular areas because you need to stick to the trail in popular areas. Otherwise, everyone will else will follow and the place will be trampled. There are quite a few parks where you absolutely need to stick to the trails because of fragile plants and the threat of erosion. I strongly suggest checking out Nature First for some good guidelines: www.naturefirstphotography.org/
As always a superb video and majestic photos!
Just a question about the grey card. When you use the grey card like you did on the video you, do you take that reading and run with it or do you add extra stops like the zone system usually says that snow is about 2-3 stops from middle grey?
Thanks Edwin! The gray card makes life very easy just so long as you're in the same light as your subject. All you have to do is position the gray card so it catches the light at the same angle as your subject, meter it, then evaluate the rest of the scene with that settings. On my Sekonic meter, I meter the gray card, hit the memory button, then hit the average button. Hitting those buttons stores the metered reading off the gray card in memory, and the average button then allows me to compare that metered setting to the brightness of each subject in the scene. I pointed the meter at the snow while holding the meter button, and it told me the show was around +2.5 stops above neutral, and then I pointed it at the darkest areas to make sure they wouldn't be too dark for the film. I don't recall what they were, but probably around -1.5 or so. If all those numbers align with what the film can handle, the metered reading off the gray card is ideal. After shooting several days of snow in Zion, I learned that a bit over 2 stops, somewhere in the +2.2 to +2.4 range is quite ideal for holding just a bit of texture in the bright snow.
Do love the subtle color of the leaves against the snow. Very pleasing combo. So did I catch that correctly that 2.5-3 stops above neutral was actually OK for the snow on the E6 film?
Thanks Paul! It sure was a fun scene to find. Over the course of my time in Zion, there were three days of fresh snow. Based on my experience and the subjects I shot in soft light, I found that +2.4 or so was the sweet spot for the snow. It gave just enough texture, but was still bright. I metered a gray card, logged that reading into memory, then hit the average button and evaluated the brightness of each subject. The shadows were still nice and dark when the snow was metered at +2.4 so I went with the gray card metering, and the exposures were very good.
i am so happy to have discovered your channel recently. Such beautiful pictures and such a strange but beautiful landscape.
Very nice!
Is that really the Sony A7SII with manual focus that films you while hiking? Amazing calm movie and appropriate focus...
Thanks and welcome to the channel! Yup, I work with an A7sII as my primary video kit. Using manual focus actually makes life so much easier. Just prefocus it at a set distance for my face, hit the record button, and all is well. I can even shoot at f/1.4 and nail the focus.
Must be amazing with the snow. I visit Zion at 1994 for, hope one day i can go back for a photography trip.
Thank you Hugo! It sure was fantastic to see the landscape transform so dramatically with the snow. I love how it was only a dusting, which allowed the underlaying subjects to come through so very well.
The second image nails it. Filled frame and contrasting warm colors against the fresh snow. Is it common for the fall leaves to remain on the trees that late in Zion?
Thanks Bryan! I can't say it's common, but I've definitely seen the leaves stay on the trees on many occasions. It seems to happen mostly on very dry years for whatever reason. It'll be interesting to see how this summer is in Zion. They received no rain last summer, which made for some very dry conditions.
Love your work,; love the videos. The dialog with the moving, bouncing, jerky selfie stick distracts from the quality.
Thanks Jim! That's a tough one with the dialogue while walking. The washes in Zion are quite rocky so I try to slow down a bit, but I find my mind works better when I'm walking versus standing there looking at a stationary camera. Sometimes how we view a video has an impact on how shaky it seems. If I might ask, how are you watching the videos? Is it on a monitor, TV, tablet or phone? I personally find that watching on a computer monitor or TV in a well lit room is better than watching on a small phone in a dark room. Something about the motion in relation to the surroundings in a room. Hopefully the rest of the series will be a bit calmer in that regard. I know some people use gimbals, but I don't like the mechanical look to the video, and also that's one more heavy piece of gear to take with me.
Fantastic work as always, Ben!
Thank you Alex!