I was a wedding photographer by trade. But now retired, I was drawn to trying my hand in the world of nature and landscapes.

I had taught my students, in classes about taking pictures of people, a simple acronym – KPAC – knowledge, preparation, practice, and action. So I put that to work in my new endeavor. I’ve been studying the best practices of photographers in this field along with my existing skill set and quickly learned that mid-day outings were not the way to go.

The first lesson I learned, was to get up early and stay late. Also, a tripod is a necessary tool. For preparation, I chose a location that was close by and not too challenging. My wife and I took a midday hike on the mountain a few days earlier to get a feel for what was there, to scope out some possible compositions.

I was envisioning a foggy path of some sort as a subject. Then it was just a matter of waiting for weather conditions to fall in line. So up early on a cold, rainy winter morning, I traveled to close-by Rainbow Mountain in Madison Alabama. I knew there were gnarly trees and interesting rock formations on the mountaintop and I was hoping there would also be a lot of fog. Mother nature did not disappoint as there was a heavy layer of fog. I hiked around the mountaintop capturing many interesting images but not quite what I had envisioned in my mind’s eye.

It’s amazing how the look of a location can change with different weather conditions and the time of day. When I was coming around to the end of my hiking, I came upon this scene which struck me for its mystical lighting and depth. This had been what I was looking for. I used a tripod to help refine my composition and my wide-angle lens. I like to shoot a little bigger and crop in if needed later. Extra megapixels make that easier. In post-production converted it to a darker moodier image which fits my style. All in all a satisfying image.

What do you think are the TWO most impactful features that make your image a good photograph? Don’t be shy!

Light and depth.

If you would be able to make this photo once again, what would be the ONE thing you would like to do better or different?

I would add a hooded, mysterious figure somewhere down the pathway.

Philip Flowers shared this photograph in the FRAMES Facebook Group.

Photographer

Philip Flowers, Harvest

Equipment and settings

Nikon D810, 18-35mm, 1/200, f/7.1, ISO 400
Benro tripod