Travel, landscape and astro-photographer Autumn Schrock (@autpops) was able to take the new Sony Alpha 7R V around Hanksville, Utah – about four hours south of her home in Salt Lake City. While there, she was able to take advantage of the camera’s low light capabilities to create several eye-catching blue hour images. “This area is a landscape photographer's dream! It's surrounded by the most bizarre and fascinating geology. From bright orange towering hoodoos to massive cliffs like the one in these photos. There are seemingly endless opportunities for fun and unique shots.” While there, she was able to take advantage of the camera’s low light capabilities during the pre-dawn blue hour. We caught up with the Alpha Imaging Collective member to learn more about how she captured such beautiful blue hour imagery using the newest addition to Sony’s full-frame mirrorless lineup. Learn more about the new Alpha 7R V HERE.

Photo by Autumn Schrock. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 20mm f/1.8 G. 1/250-sec., f/1.8, ISO 1000

“The massively improved in-body image stabilization definitely helped me to be able to capture sharp and crisp images during this low-light shoot,” explains Schrock. “I set the camera's subject recognition to human and was very easily able to lock onto my subject's face, even though he was small in the frame and quite dark. He moved around a bit standing in different positions, including facing away from me, and the camera never failed to track him in any position.”

She continues, “The AF system worked very well for me. The advancements in AF on this camera are seriously unbelievable and I was shocked at how well it was able to lock on to and track subjects in tricky lighting situations. After using this camera for several days, I knew that I wouldn't have any issue bumping up my ISO to get more light. I also wanted to use a fast enough shutter speed so that if the subject moved, the camera wouldn't pick up any movement.” Her final settings for the blue hour images were 1/250-sec., f/1.8 and ISO 1000.

Schrock paired the Sony 20mm f/1.8 G lens with the new camera, a lens that she says is a staple in her bag. “The focal length is amazing for landscapes, and the wide f/1.8 aperture is a necessity for low-light scenarios,” she explains. “It's also quite compact and lightweight making it an easy addition to the rest of my gear.”

Photo by Autumn Schrock. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 20mm f/1.8 G. 1/250-sec., f/1.8, ISO 1000

While editing, Schrock did brighten the images quite a bit because she purposefully underexposed them to test the camera's sensor in low light. “I brightened my subject while keeping the sky relatively close to the same luminosity as captured. Blue hour can sometimes be a little too blue, so I warmed up the sky and my subject. Lastly, I increased the vibrance and saturation to make the colors pop to help draw the viewer's eye.”

She says that she genuinely and thoroughly enjoyed shooting with the new camera and is excited to create more memories with the one that she purchases. “This camera is 100% going to have a place in my bag. I am so impressed with the new AI advancements, low-light capabilities, and the best camera monitor ever, and I cannot wait to shoot more with it!”

See more of Autumn Schrock’s images and thoughts on the new camera in our First Shots article. Learn more about the new Alpha 7R V HERE.

You can be one of the first to get a hands-on demo of the new Alpha 7R V at the special Creative Space event in NYC on October 27th and 28th. Registration is free. See all the details HERE.