Scale Assignment Winner Michael Perea

Congratulations to Michael Perea for winning the recent Scale Assignment with his image, “Coal Mine Canyon Sunrise.”

“This shot was taken on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Northern Arizona in a place called Coal Mine Canyon,” explains Perea. “It’s a well-known place in the Arizona photography community, but it’s unknown to most tourists. It’s just a short distance from the famous Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon.

“I was set up well before blue hour, and the entire canyon was well lit because of the full moon. I used a wireless shutter release and as the sun broke the horizon, I took a few test shots with my aperture at ƒ/16. I got my exposure where I liked it and chose a 5-stop bracket with 2 stops underexposed, and 2 stops overexposed. I then sprinted around the canyon rim to get to the spot where my outline would break the horizon and hoped that my wireless trigger would still work! I then ran back around to check the shots and was satisfied, but repeated it again just to make sure.”

See more of Michael Perea’s photography at www.nomadiclensphotos.com and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.