Criz Quinn (@crizquinn) is a travel and aerial photographer based in the U.S., known for her love of remote landscapes and cultural storytelling. Her work is deeply rooted in a passion for exploration, whether it’s capturing breathtaking aerial views or the quiet beauty of everyday life around the globe. Through her lens, she shares the stories of the people she meets and the places that shape them. We came across this colorful landscape of the dancing Sumba trees at sunset and had to learn more. Keep reading as she shares her story behind the shot.
Product Preview – In This Article You'll Find
–Alpha 1
–24-105mm f/4 G
Photo by Criz Quinn. Alpha 1. 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/60-sec., f/10, ISO 640
The Importance Of Time & Light In Photography
When I first visited the island of Sumba in 2023, it was still relatively unknown among photographers. Tucked away on a quiet beach in a remote corner of the island, these mangrove trees don’t look like much at first, especially without the golden light of sunset. I had imagined them to be much taller. I was at first underwhelmed by their beauty, but their charm revealed itself with time and light.
Photo by Criz Quinn. Alpha 1. 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/15-sec., f/6.3, ISO 200
My friend Daniel Kordan, who had been running photography tours here since moving to Sumba in 2022, introduced our group to this special location. During our visit, the tide brought in just 2 to 4 inches of water. It was enough to make reflections possible, but too shallow and unstable for a tripod.
I was determined to get a low angle, reflection shot so I made the call to sacrifice my brand new travel carbon fiber tripod, driving the legs deep into the wet sand. Even after a thorough rinse that night, the salt water began to corrode it just days later. A small price to pay for the shot but a reminder that even the most sublime places can be tough on your gear.
Photo by Criz Quinn. Alpha 1. 24-105mm f/4 G. ⅛-sec., f/14, ISO 640
We arrived at the spot a few hours before sunset and briefed our group on how to position ourselves for the shots without getting in each other’s way. We also worked on synchronizing our movements just so we didn’t ruin the reflection once we were in place to take our shots. There are multiple trees to choose from in this section of the beach and at first finding a good composition was challenging. We played around with what might look good while we still had more light and got ready for the sunset and blue hour to change the scene in front of us.
The Perfect Zoom For Travel Photography
I had both my Alpha 1 with me and the Alpha 7R V with me for this shoot. I thought that maybe the Alpha 7R V’s articulating screen would help me compose the shot better because of how low we had to be for the reflection shots. I did end up using it the next day for sunrise but for this sunset to blue hour shot, I decided to go with my trusty Alpha 1 paired with the 24-105mm f/4 G lens. Shooting at f/10 allowed me to get all the trees in focus. This lens has been my favorite travel and aerial photography lens. It never leaves my bag and because it’s lightweight, it has been with me on many trips where camera bag weight was an issue – including the flight to this island in a smaller plane.
Criz Quinn's go-to travel setup – her Alpha 1 and 24-105mm f/4 G
Capturing A Stunning Reflection Landscape Photo
I captured this image just a little bit after sunset, during the peaceful moment when the colors in the sky begin to soften and a hint of blue changes the tones in the sky. I used a shutter speed of 1/60 seconds. This was fast enough to avoid motion blur but slow enough to let in more of the fading ambient light. I chose an ISO of 640 to give me a bit of a boost without introducing too much noise. I kept my aperture at f/10 to make sure everything from the nearest reflection to the trees in the distance stayed sharp.
The water was so calm that night that it created the most stunning reflection that I’ve seen in a while. I felt very fortunate to have almost perfect conditions for this shot. There is a quiet magic in capturing both the world above and its reflection below, all in a single frame.
Photo by Criz Quinn. Alpha 1. 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/640-sec., f/9, ISO 640
Bringing Out The Drama Through Photo Editing
To bring out the quiet drama of this surreal mangrove scene in Sumba, I made several focused adjustments in Adobe Lightroom:
–Increased contrast to define the twisted tree silhouettes against the glowing sky.
–Warmed up the highlights to emphasize the soft golden tones from the setting sun.
–Refined clarity selectively, preserving the peaceful, reflective quality of the water without introducing harshness.
–Dodged and burned key areas to subtly lead the eye through the composition and accentuate the trees’ curves.
I also enabled Lens Profile corrections and applied 45% Denoise to retain detail while reducing digital noise in the shadows. Linear gradient masks helped fine-tune exposure, lifting the detail in the foreground while keeping the sky balanced. The Tone Curve was essential for gentle control over midtones and contrast, helping the overall mood fall into place without over-editing. I adjusted balance and luminance using the color grading tool to soften out the colors.
Criz Quinn shares her editing process for landscape photography
When it comes to post-processing, I really try to keep edits to a minimum so that I can preserve the moment as I remember it. I do not replace skies in my photographs for example, but I will remove distractions like objects in the water in the case of this photo.
Photo by Criz Quinn. Alpha 1. 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/40-sec., f/9, ISO 640
Final Thoughts
Photographing these trees reminded me of how much patience is needed in nature photography and the rewards that follow if you choose to wait for better conditions. There is nothing like seeing the beautiful glow in the sky, painting the photograph that you want to capture.
These mangrove trees, although unassuming during the day, reveal their full character only when the conditions align. As the tide receded and the sky shifted into soft hues of twilight, the water transformed into a mirror, magnifying the scene’s beauty and balance.
The trees’ reflections created a natural symmetry. The composition wasn’t planned as much as it was discovered; a perfect blend of light, color and silence. Some of the most profound scenes do not shout for attention. They simply whisper in stillness, waiting for you to appreciate their beauty if we can slow down and listen.
Photo by Criz Quinn. Alpha 1. 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/13-sec., f/8, ISO 640
Since 2018, Quinn has founded and managed multiple photo tour companies, successfully leading workshops across all seven continents. Today, she continues to curate luxury, small-group photography tours both in the U.S. and abroad. A passionate member of the Sony Alpha Female community, she is dedicated to uplifting and empowering women in photography and helping them unlock their creative voice. Keep up with Quinn’s work on Instagram @crizquinn.
For more stories behind the shot, visit alphauniverse.com/explore/bts.
