About the Image(s)

Thimphu, the capital and largest city of Bhutan since 1955, sits high in the Himalayas . between 2,248 and 2,648 meters above sea level making it the sixth-highest capital in the world. This photo captures the beautiful Tashichho Dzong, a grand structure that once served as a Buddhist monastery and fortress and today houses the Bhutanese government. In the distance, the Great Buddha Dordenma statue rises above the valley, one of the largest stupas in the world and a truly breathtaking sight against the mountain backdrop.
This is my first image from my recent trip to this country. A journey that allowed me to experience the traditions and the beauty of its untouched mountains. In fact, in Bhutan, climbing the snow-capped peaks is forbidden.
Taking the image: The image was taken with my Fuji GFX 50S II and the Fujinon GF 45??“100mm f/4 at 90mm. My guide knew this location well, and we arrived at just the right moment. It had been raining most of the day, but I was lucky, the rain stopped just a few minutes before we got there. I used a tripod because I wanted a long-exposure shot to smooth the clouds and keep them from being distracting. The light was perfect for my taste. I also used a 10-stop ND filter and set my camera to the Velvia film simulation (RAW file).

These are the settings: focal f/22, 50 sec, ISO 80. I first took a shot with a faster shutter speed to check the composition, and then I captured this one. I took another a few minutes later, but by then it was already too dark.

Post-processing:

I cropped the image slightly. Then I lifted the shadows and blacks and decreased the highlights. I increased the brightness slightly. Finally, I added a bit of clarity and structure and applied a selective mask to enhance the details in the city in the background.