Category

Landscape

Location

Kyanjin Gompa, langtang National Park - Nepal

Gear

Sony A7Rii, Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens

Description

This image was captured at nightfall from the upper foothills of Kyanjin Gompa village in the heart of Langtang National Park during my expedition to summit Naya Kanga peak. For me it encapsulates the beauty, power and simplicity of both nature and man-made structures. The stupa for Buddhist represents a place of worship and meditation, they may also represent the five purified elements which again are reflected in the mountainscape seen in the background both spiritually and physically. To capture this image I relied entirely on the natural light which was quickly fading. Stumbling around in the dark I managed to find a suitable rock to use as a tripod for my camera and exposed my shot for the background of the compostion to capture the setting suns last light on the the peak, unfortunately my tripod had fallen out of my pack and broken the day before so it was of very little use. I aligned my shot ensuring that my shutter speed was just long enough to capture the moonlight from the rising moon behind me, this I used to expose the foreground and the stupa, whilst ensuring I didn't over-expose the background. In post production I carefully and selectively increased the exposure in my foreground and reduced the highlights in the background to balance the light in the image attempting to keep it looking natural. The moment was just perfect, I have always loved the dramatic contrasts of light and colour found in the mountains which can be challenging to capture at times. Particularly in this shot, I was pleased to be able to capture the cold blue tones in the rising mist against the vivid yellows of the setting sun on the snow-dusted peaks. The image for me portrays a real sense of power and peacefulness, it captures contrasts between light and dark, hot and cold, natural and man-made, and binds them together in an image that empowers the viewer.

Photographer

Dave Smith

Social Media

Instagram: davewsphotography

Facebook: Davewsphotography

Website: www.davewsphotography.co.uk

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