on all pages
Redwoods, Ferns, and Light
Montgomery Woods State Reserve, California
The Montgomery Redwood Grove is one of only a handful of remaining old-growth redwood groves in this area of Northern California, due to heavy logging that took place in the early 20th century. After the 1906 earthquake, the fires that consumed all of San Francisco meant that the city had to be rebuilt, and that meant lumber. Where there used to be endless groves of gigantic coastal redwoods throughout the Pacific Northwest, now there are only a handful left, preserved by forward-thinking land owners.
The moment I came across this location, I knew that it deserved to become a VAST photo. Up against the creek in a clearing of the redwoods, there was a bed of ferns and a fallen tree. A small footbridge led the path throughout the ferns and across the stream. I knew that I wanted to incorporate all of these elements into the final photo.
One of my favorite things about being a photographer is that you start paying attention to light in a whole different way. Light isn’t just about exposure. Light is also about tone. Tone is how a photo makes you feel, and it has to do with the color temperature of the light source. Choosing your light source, direction, and and time of day are some of the ways that photographers can control the tone in an image.
To capture this photo the way I had envisioned, I waited for two hours before pressing the shutter, because I wanted the light to be perfect. I knew that once the sun was low enough below the tree line, the light would take on a softer, more golden quality. I also knew that I could position my camera to have the sun be on the edge of a tree, producing the distinct sunstar in the right side of the frame.
This place is nothing short of magical, and it was my goal to capture as much of that astounding natural beauty as possible, in a way that only a VAST photo can. With the path and the small footbridge, the viewer is able to get a sense of scale, and can imagine themselves being in this wonderful location.
| Date & Time | June 23, 2017: 4:15pm |
| Location | Montgomery Woods State Reserve, California |
| Coordinates | 39.231322, -123.393040 |
| Focal Length | 60mm |
| Aperture | f/20 |
| Shutter | 1/3 |
| ISO | 1600 |
| Num of Exposures | 44 |
VAST photos are the highest resolution photos ever made.
Learn more
Our ready-to-hang canvas prints are created using a specialty printer that carefully lays pigment inks down onto archival-quality fine art canvas material. The canvas is then stretched around a 1.5-inch-deep wood support structure to provide depth and elegance. Our canvas material has a delightfully matte finish that looks spectacular in any lighting conditions while retaining maximum vibrancy and contrast. Click here to learn more.
A VAST Print™ represents the pinnacle of the photographic medium. Each print is a true photograph created specifically for you using light-sensitive paper exposed in a darkroom with the industry's highest precision exposure technique. Your print is then sealed with a shine-enhancing protective glossy coating*, adhered to a sturdy aluminum composite backing, and finished in one of two ready-to-hang formats:
- Frameless floating display: A hidden mounting brace on the rear gracefully "floats" the print off the wall for a sleek, modern look.
- Framed display: The print is mounted inside one of our handcrafted 100% wood frames with a decorative separation between the print and the frame so that the print appears to be floating within the frame, providing depth and elegance to the finished photo.
*Note: a non-glossy, satin matte coating is alternatively available on request.
with artist signature
affixed to the back
Mounting brace floats the display
off the wall by 3/4 inch
protective coating
Due to their record-setting resolutions, VAST photos are the most versatile images ever created, with the quality necessary to look great at any size and in any project. Purchasing one of our standard royalty-free licenses provides you with the digital file at your choice of resolution and a permit to use it for most types of projects. Click here to learn more.
For a premium license that gives exclusivity, glass-related use in North America, or use in merchandise for sale, contact us.
| Total Pixels | 536,024,928 px |
| Width | 35,016 px |
| Height | 15,308 px |
| Aspect Ratio | 2.29 : 1 |
| Date & Time | June 23, 2017: 4:15pm |
| Location | Montgomery Woods State Reserve, California |
| Coordinates | 39.231322, -123.393040 |
| Focal Length | 60mm |
| Aperture | f/20 |
| Shutter | 1/3 |
| ISO | 1600 |
| Num of Exposures | 44 |
How much resolution do I need?
Here are some rough guidelines for this specific photo:
