Well, not really his tree, but it is the same tree that's featured in one my favorite
prints of his. The detail in the print is just amazing.
So this is the same tree obviously from a wider vantage point. Captured this past May. It's a rare occasion that one gets to photograph fleeting light with the 4x5, but this one afternoon in El Capitan Meadow of Yosemite, the typical Sierra sky filled up with clouds as the day progressed. I watched as bands of light passed over the meadow, catching this broken down old black oak. I set up in hopes of catching this tree bathed in light with the background dark. I knew at the time also that I would process this in b&w.
In full disclosure, this is a blend of 2 exposures to take care of some extraneous light in the bg and copious amounts of cloning of a dozen or more tourons in the far meadow behind the oaks.
Yeah, another tree... and an ordinary composition to boot. Just wondering if this strikes anyone. Your comments and critique are always welcomed!
4x5, V100F, 300mm, f/32 @ 1/8s
Thanks folks!
Lon
Comments
31 commentsNick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI
Not sure if it's the light or the B&W conversion, maybe both, but it has a haunting look to it. It surely does provide a super look at a very grand old tree.
Absolutely wonderful photography here Lon, what a specimen you found. I would be in tree heaven, love my trees. I'd pop a bit more detail from the shadows and that's it.
I think your plans to use the light-contrast work out great here. That is special light on the tree, and with the dark bg it creates a special scene. Scenes in such light are always candidates for a bw conversion. Perhaps bw is the best choice even?
Ok, if you are picky on my images, then I am too
Nevertheless, a very elegant and "artsy" image, well representing the beauty of yosemite (now that I know the place
John
I don't see so much Ansel Adams, but more John Sexton in this one.
I rank this one as top tier. This one really sings and is deserving of a fine print. Boosting the darkest shadow values for a Web image may be fine, but those dark values would give a very rich black for a print. Compositonally, I think the frame is just right; it doesn't feel too tight to me.
The oaks in El Cap meadow are special, and this old sentinel no less so. Thanks for your kind comment about my version of this fine old tree.
Just excellent work, here!
--P
Dietrich - I see what you mean about the dead piece of wood. It's actually a very large fallen tree, in fact those tourons I cloned out, maybe a 8-10 of them were all standing on that trunk. And I didn't clone them out in the traditional sense, I blended the clean log in from another exposure. ;-)
As far as the tightness, I see the point too, but any wider and you have the road to the left and just more trees to the right, so I felt a good compromise; more of a portrait rather than a landscape.
It's been sad to watch the deterioration of these wonderful trees over the last 30 years or so... But just like us, they don't live forever..
Thanks!
Lon
It was nice seeing Preston's version too. I'd never seen it before.
- Dan
Also, a huge 'thanks' for the contribution you make to this site. Both your images and critiques are greatly appreciated! Keep the pics coming!
As far as the tourist thing goes, yeah, we're all tourists at one time or another and there's no doubt that I've probably been cloned out of many other photographer's Yosemite image...
And thanks very much for the kind words Nathan, appreciated very much.
Lon
Your composition shows excellent detail in the branches and limbs. The tree color
contrasts well with the background. Nice job, Lon.
The blurred grass and the brighter partial intruders on the right are a bit of a distraction, but just a wee bit. You continue to make art out of trees.
It is a stately old tree with nice form. And, you did catch it in some sweet light!
Chris