Winter

Photograph made with a Nikon Z7 and 24-70 S lens @ 51 MM, F8 @ 1/40th sec shutter using a Really Right Stuff CF tripod and BH55 head.

I had been out scouting winter locations for landscapes and almost drove right by this scene but the lighting caught my eye. The biggest challenge was getting setup before loosing the light completely especially in the foreground. At these latitudes (above the 45th parallel) the sun moves fast and sets quickly in the winter months. I also needed a bit of elevation so had to set up quickly in my truck bed to gain a few feet. All this while a few vehicles kept passing by this normally lonely rural road. The location is in Gallatin County, Montana and the scene is looking at the Bridger Mountains in the distance beyond the trees.

Processing was done using Lightroom Classic, flat camera profile, exporting to Enhanced NR DNG file. Final edits done in Photoshop 2025 with emphasis on color and preserving values in the shadows and 3/4 tones without blowing the highlights one the snowcapped mountains and clouds.