Fire Lake

Gallery: LandscapePosted August 21, 2012879 views34 comments

About two weeks ago there was a huge wild fire burning near Mono Lake. It was a bad news for the US Forest Service, but it provided a once-in-a-life time opportunity for landscape photographers to record a very unusual perspective of this iconic location.

The environment was very dark and I could hardly see anything, so I had to use high ISO (ISO 320) and long exposure (2 minutes) to record the sky. The fire was virtually the only light source, hence the intensive red and orange colors (had to reduce the color temp to reduce the strength of the red). A off-camera flash was fired multiple times during the exposure to illuminate the foreground tufas.

Fore best result, please see the LARGER VERSION on a dark background.

I have made another exposure at this location, which includes more foreground. I am also curious to know your opinions on the two. Most of my friends prefer the one I posting here, but some like the leading lines of the 2nd version.

Thanks for viewing and C & C.

Comments

34 comments

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on August 21, 2012 at 1:54 PM

Took me a while to figure that this is Mono Lake. Certainly not your usual Mono Lake scenery. That sky looks really impressive. Indeed a once in a life time opportunity, and you made great use of it.

Registered on January 26, 2007, 360 Posts, 9876 Comments

Comment posted by Aaron Feinberg on August 21, 2012 at 1:56 PM

Headed there tomorrow I think...this is nuts...MARS!!! And funny...you said high iso of 320...unless you meant 3200 ;) :p Nice work!

aF

ps. the other image is a tough call...awesome lines...but far right side is a bit empty...whereas in this one it feels more concise but obviously without the cool line...tough call.

Registered on October 26, 2009, 399 Posts, 2789 Comments

Comment posted by Yiming Hu on August 21, 2012 at 2:06 PM

Thanks Dietrich and aF.

aF: only ISO 320

However, when you combine ISO 320, 2 minutes expo, and summer ambient temperature (in the upper 80s F, I believe), the results were still pretty noisy

. Much of my post effort was to remove noise without hurting the details of the tufas.

Registered on April 28, 2011, 38 Posts, 733 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Metternich on August 21, 2012 at 2:19 PM

Once in a lifetime shot for sure!!! To tell you the truth I am so sick of seeing photos from here I have no desire to ever go. But this is beautiful!!

Registered on June 19, 2009, 276 Posts, 6240 Comments

Comment posted by Peyton Hale on August 21, 2012 at 2:47 PM

quite stunning Yiming, a very awesome final result from this crazy event.

Registered on December 9, 2011, 8 Posts, 43 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on August 21, 2012 at 3:21 PM

Quite visually impressive. I much prefer this version.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Caldwell on August 21, 2012 at 4:21 PM

Stunning image Yiming, beautiful and haunting!

Registered on October 10, 2011, 62 Posts, 508 Comments

Comment posted by Jaymes Dempsey on August 21, 2012 at 4:21 PM

What color! This is a beautiful image, I like the sky and the composition, such a well captured moment. I like both images, I do agree about the leading lines of the second being strong, but this is strong in its own way...too difficult for me to say, I think.

Registered on June 28, 2010, 47 Posts, 590 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Cameron on August 21, 2012 at 4:41 PM

Beautifully done Yiming a very special shot which I frankly can't imagine being executed much better than this. Fabulous colour in that sky. The harder blue light of the flash provides a wonderful colour contrast being at a much higher colour temperature than the backdrop. For artistic reasons, I can see the point of leaving this exactly as it is, but to me it does look like a flash has been used and I might prefer to disguise it a little more. My personal preference would be to dilute the blue light a touch and effectively warm that blue light up a fraction to better meet the overall ambient surroundings, you would of course need to treat the reflections of the tufa similarly if you did. Whether you choose to do it or not it is a wonderful shot.

Registered on August 6, 2004, 1125 Posts, 3318 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Coskun on August 21, 2012 at 5:37 PM

It's a tragedy that the fires are burning so close here, but you make it look so beautiful and mysterious. Very well captured and by far the most unique shot I've ever seen here.

Registered on October 31, 2011, 170 Posts, 1240 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Harding on August 21, 2012 at 7:41 PM

Love the large version Yiming.

Registered on January 19, 2011, 33 Posts, 408 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on August 21, 2012 at 8:18 PM

Very unique capture at Mono Lake Yiming. Amazing sky.

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

Comment posted by Brian Schrayer on August 21, 2012 at 8:20 PM

Wow, that is some crazy glow. It's sad to see so much forest burning this year but hopefully it will bring about new growth. As far as the image is concerned I like your composition. You definitely have a unique image of this location.

Registered on May 28, 2004, 114 Posts, 2890 Comments

Comment posted by Yiming Hu on August 21, 2012 at 9:05 PM

Thanks everyone!

Ian: Thanks for the suggestions. I actually used a 1/2 CTO on the flash to warm up the light, but I guess that blue ambient light was still dominate. Moreover, I set the white balance to 4000 or so to reduce the intensity of the red on the sky (otherwise it will be too red), which also makes the ground bluish. Initially I like the warm/cold constant, but now I agree that the blue seems a little bit strong. Here is a repost (the shadow area is now warmer):

Registered on April 28, 2011, 38 Posts, 733 Comments

Comment posted by Ned Fenimore on August 21, 2012 at 9:15 PM

Very beautiful - love the blazing color!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 467 Posts, 2803 Comments

Comment posted by Ezra Schultz on August 21, 2012 at 10:21 PM

I agree with most of your friends.
Having said that, I must also say that regardles of likes and likes better. Both images are keepers.
I think what makes the difference between the two images is the crop....Izzy

Registered on July 31, 2004, 30 Posts, 114 Comments

Comment posted by Kory Lidstrom on August 21, 2012 at 10:26 PM

Very striking! I really like this. Like you said, it's something we never see at this oft-photographed location. For me, it's a toss-up between which version I like more. Both have lots of compelling elements.

Registered on November 19, 2008, 49 Posts, 1035 Comments

Comment posted by Stuart Williams on August 22, 2012 at 2:30 AM

the gorgeous glowing light that firelight provides. you took the opportunity well.

Registered on December 7, 2007, 247 Posts, 4792 Comments

Comment posted by David Edwards on August 22, 2012 at 4:22 AM

Magnificent glow from the fires. I hope there wasn't too much damage caused. Great job getting the tufas illuminated evenly against the raging red. I like the way the bluer rocks contrasted against the red in the original.

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

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on August 22, 2012 at 10:59 AM

I prefer the repost. Certainly a very different and striking view. Well done.

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

Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on August 22, 2012 at 11:45 AM

Stunning. Nicely captured and processed.

Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments

Comment posted by Margaret Summers on August 22, 2012 at 11:58 AM

This is very dramatic and unique. I think I like this version the better of the two. What an experience to witness.

Registered on May 24, 2011, 54 Posts, 99 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on August 22, 2012 at 12:45 PM

Yiming,

OH MY! Sadly, I didn't even know about a fire near Mono. I guess there's so many in the West that I just stopped paying attention to the news...

This is UNIQUE and simply amazing. I don't know what else to say other than I believe that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity!

I like the tufa in the repost, but I liked the darker, more dramatic interpretation of the original better. I think with some simple masking/painting you could tweak the tufa and leaf the rest as is.

Wow, what an image!

Lon

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

Comment posted by Alex Filatov on August 22, 2012 at 1:07 PM

A one-of-a-kind capture, love the contrast between the reds in the sky and cooler hues of the rock formations. Great shot!

Registered on August 22, 2012, 2 Posts, 6 Comments

Comment posted by Ant on August 22, 2012 at 4:04 PM

Very special and dramatic image, I like the contrast of the original version...

Registered on April 13, 2009, 27 Posts, 474 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on August 22, 2012 at 6:19 PM

Between the beetles and fires there aint gonna be any trees left, so get used to shooting rocks, folks. A scary good shot, Yiming!

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

Comment posted by William Gillis on August 22, 2012 at 6:41 PM

One of a kind. A superb image.

William Gillis

Registered on November 28, 2011, 17 Posts, 204 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Jones on August 22, 2012 at 11:36 PM

Hot, Hot, Hot, and very eye-catching for many reasons. Excellent way to capitalize on a strange event.

Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments

Comment posted by Yiming Hu on August 23, 2012 at 10:45 AM

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Registered on April 28, 2011, 38 Posts, 733 Comments

Comment posted by Gabi Lach on August 23, 2012 at 12:08 PM

Sad, but beautifully captured. It looks very dramatic and wild. Very well done, Yiming.

Registered on May 1, 2007, 101 Posts, 3187 Comments

Comment posted by Jared Warren on August 23, 2012 at 1:22 PM

This is stunning. Really a once-in-a-lifetime capture. Congratulations!

Registered on May 11, 2012, 84 Posts, 931 Comments

Comment posted by James Fougère on August 24, 2012 at 2:14 AM

Amazing capture of an unfortunate event

Registered on October 25, 2010, 41 Posts, 831 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on August 24, 2012 at 10:21 PM

Wow!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

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

Comment posted by Scott Smorra on August 26, 2012 at 12:32 AM

I'm speechless Yiming! This is incredible. Definitely one of the most unique images of Mono Like I've seen.

Registered on November 2, 2009, 161 Posts, 2143 Comments