Capturing The Ethereal Forest

[Cam Monroe]

I was out hiking yesterday, and came upon this incredible scene at about 5500 feet.
The last crusts of snow were almost melted, a slight haze from the 75 degree air, and frozen ground meeting.
It was dark, with streams of light stabbing in like shining steel swords.

This photo was the best of the shots I took....but I know it missed the ethereal feel of this fantastic place.
How do you capture these blades of light in such a dim setting, without over/under exposing the rest of the scene?





Camera: Nikon D5000
Exposure: 1.3
Aperture: f/22.0
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 200

[JohnT]

Well being somewhat of a newbie on this site I sure am no expert, but time of day really does have a lot to do with photos giving you a morning light that is fabulous or a warm evening light that is natural and adds to the color of the shot you are taking. Half of it is experimenting. Change settings to program and adjust WB along with ISO to see the blends of light you are getting. Just a thought?