View From The Top Assignment Winner Harry Lichtman

Congratulations to Harry Lichtman for Winning the View From The Top Assignment

“I have hiked along the Moat Mountain Trail in New Hampshire’s White Mountains many times and made a mental note of the great views. Since the ridge runs south to north, sunrise and sunset possibilities make for good photo opportunities from the same location. Generally, the area is not great for camping, as there is no running water and the ledges are exposed. I hiked down the exposed ledges near Middle Moat, away from the trail in June 2013, and found a relatively flat area where I could set up my ultra-light tent and be in a good position should the light cooperate. I prefer the spring and fall for these grand views as the varying shades of green foliage provide some some differentiation between leaves and the evergreens. Mid-summer greens tend to be overwhelming in this kind of photo. I packed extra water and brought only dry food so as not to need a stove about tree line and minimize impact.

“I pre-visualized the scene so I could be in the right place at the right time if weather conditions worked out. The weather always comes into play. I had intended to shoot pure landscape images, but found the inclusion of the tent and me (using the self timer) a more powerful image. It better told the story of the evening about the Moats.

“I bracketed exposures and manually blended 2 exposures to maintain detail in the highlights and shadows. The distant cloud bank acted as a natural diffuser making the lighting a little softer and more uniform.”