Mount Merced

Gallery: LandscapePosted June 3, 2011292 views24 comments

As much as I like staying in my comfort zone box like with my last image, I've been trying more and more to step outside that box and try to find and create something a little different.

Like Paul M. and his recent image from the Hoh rain forest and many of you do, I had a plan. I saw this and I'm trying to convey a concept here and I'm curious as to whether or not if it works. In the end though, it works for me, so I guess that's what counts eh?

So, I was hoping to give away a hint with the title. I'll just ask a simple question, what do you see? Well, rather than have everyone guess, I'll tell you what I hope you can see and you can tell me it does or it doesn't. I "saw" and hoped to convey a granite mountain top with clouds streaming overhead. Simple, unoriginal concept only of course this is a boulder and rushing water, the Merced river of course. If I sit back a few feet looking at the larger version, I can imagine a mountain and a cloudy sky, not just a rock and rushing water.

What about you?

4x5, Fujinon 135mm, Astia 100F, f/22 @1/4s
b&w conversion in CS3, Tony's stuff including his new Triple Play.

Thanks for any comments.

Lon

ps. btw, this boulder I'm standing on is probably about 1/2 the size of my house. It extends in to the middle of the torrent of thousands of pounds of pressure and cubic feet of rushing water; the water almost rushing directly beneath me. It was quite disorientating and almost lost my balance a couple of times.

Comments

24 comments

Comment posted by Anand Narayanan on June 3, 2011 at 2:31 AM

Whatever it is, Dont step out

I do see the likeness to a mountain top, but there are little things (like the turbulence at the top right and the splash on the bottom right) that give it away. Regardless its engaging and fun staring at.

Registered on October 25, 2009, 110 Posts, 835 Comments

Comment posted by Youssef Ismail on June 3, 2011 at 3:14 AM

Lon, I think I know the rock you were standing on. It is very disorienting on it with all the water rushing. I do see what you are trying to convey, but you have to stare at it a while and really let the imagination go, otherwise it is just a rock in the water.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 474 Posts, 5555 Comments

Comment posted by Rodney Dugmore on June 3, 2011 at 6:03 AM

A simple yet effective treatment contrasting the smooth flow of the water against the solidity of the granite
Yes there are similarities to clouds and mountain tops but I see it for what it is and like it too.

Registered on January 3, 2004, 76 Posts, 1028 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on June 3, 2011 at 7:35 AM

A simple but most effective presentation. The idea you're trying to get across isn't so obvious without the explanation but it works well enough without it.

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments

Comment posted by Julian Barkway on June 3, 2011 at 7:49 AM

I like it but the rushing water doesn't really say 'clouds' to me.

Lucky you didn't lose your balance, Lon! Falling into that lot would be no joke...

Registered on January 18, 2007, 344 Posts, 1961 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on June 3, 2011 at 8:07 AM

Hi Lon,
Interesting! The first thing I thought about was a mountain and clouds, and really, before I read anything except the title. I thought it looked a little different and wanted a closer look. For me the water does say clouds as you presented it and the boulder a mountain. I could see what this is, but also think your idea worked great. Makes for a good choice having a mountain top and clouds, or a rock and water. Very cool and well done Lon.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on June 3, 2011 at 8:37 AM

I like this on both counts - one, it looks like a mountain with clouds streaming by, and two, for what it actually is. You certainly succeeded in what you were trying to accomplish.

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on June 3, 2011 at 10:28 AM

Since you were disoriented, almost lost your balance and thought you were making an image of a mountain, you mind sharing what you were smoking?

Without having to stretch the imagination a whole lot, this does look like a huge granite monolith with clouds in the sky (Olmsted Point comes to mind). I definitely like the image and it works on many levels, both literal and interpretive. Good choice to convert to B&W, too. It works well with this image.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by R.Bill Moser on June 3, 2011 at 11:32 AM

A simple composition but very effective. This one works well for me. and I can see the mountain and the rushing water looks like clouds to me. Great work.......I love it.

Registered on January 29, 2010, 285 Posts, 4281 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on June 3, 2011 at 12:03 PM

Thanks folks! I appreciate the honest thoughts. I'd summarize by saying, "it is what it is," but with some imagination, what it could be. Thanks!

This cracks me up Harley:

Since you were disoriented, almost lost your balance and thought you were making an image of a mountain, you mind sharing what you were smoking?

Remind me to tell you the story about the time at Lake Vernon in Hetch Hetchy, the foot bridge, the bears, marines, steak and eggs....

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Phil Pogledich on June 3, 2011 at 12:19 PM

I can see what you were going for as far as the illusion of a granite peak and clouds, but I had a pretty easy time recognizing it as a rock in a stream. In particular, the very top bit of water looks like just that . . . water. Overall I certainly like the shot and have no nits, though to be honest it doesn't grab me quite as much as most of your work.

Registered on August 24, 2009, 123 Posts, 3099 Comments

Comment posted by Jimmy Gekas on June 3, 2011 at 12:56 PM

A mountain with clouds is what I saw first, but knowing it was from you, I knew it was water.

Registered on July 26, 2007, 244 Posts, 2807 Comments

Comment posted by Kyle L. Krause on June 3, 2011 at 1:22 PM

Hey Lon, excellent combination here. Not as strong as some of your other photo's. I think we all get in a comfort zone, but at times, photographers need to create something out of the box. Nice job!

Registered on June 15, 2010, 29 Posts, 605 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Duval on June 3, 2011 at 1:34 PM

Lon,

Let's get "small"

( do you remember the old Steve Martin routine, I believe the album cover had him wearing a balloon animal on his head.) , your illusion or vision worked best in the thumbnail. Especially with the title. Once seen in the posted image, or the View Larger it's more apparent what the scene actually was. That's not a failure of your conceptualization as I can still see the comparison in the image, but reality intrudes. I hope in the future stepping out of the box doesn't include swimming, judging from the satellite photos on Noaa the snowpack is still very deep and unmelted, so there may yet be another chance at images of the rushing Merced or an icy dip.

Paul

Registered on June 30, 2009, 508 Posts, 1907 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Anderson on June 3, 2011 at 2:10 PM

Lon,

I like the disorienting feel of this- you have to look at it a little while to decide if it's a mountain with cirrus clouds or a river rock with water. I actually like that ambiguity. It would be less effective as an image it looked TOO much like a mountain with clouds- it's better as an image where you have to look at it longer to see what it is. I hope that makes sense.

Registered on January 31, 2006, 228 Posts, 3072 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Marcellini on June 3, 2011 at 2:14 PM

Sweet, it really does look like it. I wouldn't change a thing here. It definitely works for me.

Registered on November 27, 2007, 250 Posts, 2468 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Dayton on June 3, 2011 at 4:58 PM

I can easily envision both. Well done, Lon.

Registered on November 11, 2008, 281 Posts, 3958 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on June 3, 2011 at 7:33 PM

As Paul mentioned, the small version does share your vision. In the larger versions the upward splash on the right just above the rock is a tell tale sign these are not clouds. Regardless Lon, this is a beautiful B&W image from Yosemite. The contrasts of the rock against the smooth "clouds" works well.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Hamed Musharbak on June 4, 2011 at 9:40 AM

very nice B&W Lon, i like the details of the rock

Hamed

Registered on June 1, 2009, 372 Posts, 2282 Comments

Comment posted by John Mumaw on June 4, 2011 at 11:22 AM

The more I look at this, the more I like it. I don't really share your vision of what could be, but that doesn't much matter to me as I simply enjoy the static rock contrasting against the dynamic water. This one engages my senses.

Registered on September 9, 2005, 62 Posts, 2289 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on June 4, 2011 at 12:02 PM

I love the pseudo clouds and mountain idea--it's sheer brilliance (see, for example:
http://www.stanroseimages.com/photo/gunnison-f/

)
totally, cool, Lon!

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on June 4, 2011 at 2:24 PM

Hey, we don't go for that artsy fartsy imagery over here.

Well, with this one, you have inspired me to keep trying to find the image that goes beyond ordinary. I see your vision here and think you did a splendid job!

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by David Edwards on June 4, 2011 at 5:53 PM

Very nice, Lon. I can imagine the rock as a mountain, but the water takes a little bit further of a stretch to get to clouds only because of the textural detail of the water. However, from a distance the ambiguity works very well and I love the effect. The b/w conversion is excellent and I like the contrast and detail throughout. A lovely fine art piece for the quiet contemplation.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 142 Posts, 2623 Comments

Comment posted by Floris van Breugel on June 5, 2011 at 1:55 PM

Wow, awesome idea Lon! Very creative thinking, I love it.

Registered on December 19, 2008, 306 Posts, 4840 Comments