Yosemite Moments #3

Gallery: LandscapePosted November 18, 2012500 views26 comments

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful comments on the first couple of images in the series.

As luck would have it, this is literally the third exposure in a row. So far so good, but the streak won't last I guarantee!

Still our first day in the valley, it was just Preston and myself. We stopped at this forest of dead snags, a result of some controlled burns many years ago. It was drizzly and overcast. There were two kinds of light illuminating the charred trunk of this pine - the blue-ish overcast light from above, but also the reflected light from the golden brown and orange ferns and grass of the forest floor. The reflected light was beautiful. I hope that comes through.

A little different fare and probably not something one would expect from a Yosemite trip, but here ya go.

4x5, Nikkor 300mm, V100f, f32 @ 15seconds.
Copious amount of TK processing techniques!

Thanks folks! Your comments always appreciated.

Lon

Comments

26 comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on November 18, 2012 at 3:31 PM

The large image is a must. Two comments: good eye to see this and capture it and the control burn may not have been as controlled as they wanted it!

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

Comment posted by John&Patty Benway on November 18, 2012 at 3:49 PM

I was kind of waiting for someone to comment on this, don't know what to say, OK, I love it, and yes, the reflective light is beautiful, you will have to suffer with that

.
John

Registered on May 12, 2006, 626 Posts, 8700 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on November 18, 2012 at 4:28 PM

This is very nice Lon. The blue and reddish brown tones look great and I like all the texture in this charred tree. I think you did an excellent job bringing this together. Your comp look very good too. I probably would have walked right by...

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

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

Comment posted by Stan Rose on November 18, 2012 at 4:29 PM

It sucks Lon--that's what you get for having the nerve to degrade my favorite White Sands Photo

Seriously, I like this, although it comes off much better in a dark room, hard to really see otherwise. Nice patterns and highlites--and you're right a bit different than the usual fare which is a plus in my book.

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

Comment posted by Joseph Campisi on November 18, 2012 at 4:39 PM

Color, tones, and texture...it's all there Lon! Very rich looking, especially the larger version. Love it!

Registered on November 24, 2008, 304 Posts, 3211 Comments

Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on November 18, 2012 at 4:43 PM

The nice warm light does come through, especially on the lower half, and the bluish cast is also evident. Interesting image. I like it.

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

Comment posted by Justin Richardson on November 18, 2012 at 4:48 PM

Great sharpness in the texture!! The lines leading to the knot set this off. And yes...i also love the subtle light!

Registered on November 18, 2012, 28 Posts, 134 Comments

Comment posted by Youssef Ismail on November 18, 2012 at 5:57 PM

Lon,

Good eye to see the golden colors reflected in in the sheen of the burned wood. I think I would have passed it by. Its a really nice study of light.

Yes we will have Yosemite to share for a little while. I am working through the stuff I have and will get to it soon.

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

Comment posted by Nathan Apodaca on November 18, 2012 at 6:25 PM

Took me a while to get this, and now that I get it, I love it even more! The patterns alone are enough to keep one looking at this, but then there's the colors and other details... Funny, at first glance I though it was (somehow) wood coated in ice, with frozen/embedded pine needles clinging to the cracks. Good thing I looked again. Anyways, I'm waiting in anticipation for each image in this series. Love your images! BTW, I'm also thinking this may be viewed best in a darker environment, to bring out every last detail...

Registered on November 16, 2011, 67 Posts, 1127 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on November 18, 2012 at 6:49 PM

Thumb was a bit mysterious, larger version very nice. I really like the subtleties here in the warm/cool colors and the level of contrast even though the image first comes across as very dark. So overall I guess I like the way this is black, but not black.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Alister Benn on November 18, 2012 at 7:20 PM

This is sensational Lon... yes, the reflected light is clear, adding just a touch of warmth and depth to that lower third... What a super image...

Registered on June 9, 2011, 23 Posts, 258 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on November 18, 2012 at 7:50 PM

I love this one, Lon. Great detail, wonderful highlights and patterns and the red lines are real toppers. She's a beaut.

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

Comment posted by Aaron Feinberg on November 18, 2012 at 8:55 PM

I have no idea how the light was being reflected like that...wow.

aF

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

Comment posted by scott lanz on November 18, 2012 at 10:31 PM

Lon, I love it - large format close up. Personally, I particularly like the lower right 1/4 of the image - the area with the least glare, the most golden reflective color, and the more interesting and abstract pattern. For a large format photographer, such a heavy crop may not be acceptable, but, depending on use, your file could certainly accommodate it.

Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on November 18, 2012 at 10:54 PM

Lon: GREAT vision to see this and just a magnificent capture. The light is indeed superb and the details in the larger version are a real feast. Most excellent. >=))>

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Ant on November 19, 2012 at 2:12 AM

Very special! The texture of the wood and the subtle variations of the colors on black are splendid, with the play of the two warm and cold tones... Certainly it gets through the image. And the direct reflections make it shine... Reminds of a lava shot with the burning magma just below the surface... Almost as a reminder of what happened years ago to the tree...

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

Comment posted by David Chauvin on November 19, 2012 at 6:33 AM

Simply beautiful! The mixed light gives a lacquered look to the burn. The red needle marks complete the composition.

Registered on August 5, 2004, 1007 Posts, 5595 Comments

Comment posted by Andreas Resch on November 19, 2012 at 8:12 AM

So simple and wonderful, Lon. Excellent how the darks make the little bit of color so powerful. Did you already have to use compensation for the bellows extension?

Registered on November 14, 2007, 322 Posts, 6101 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on November 19, 2012 at 10:10 AM

Hmmmm, an image of some old burned, dead tree. Who'd do something like that?

This is a great one! The golden reflected light is awesome. Really liking the finer details in this too.

Chris

Registered on March 13, 2007, 500 Posts, 8365 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on November 19, 2012 at 11:07 AM

It makes for a fascinating abstract, Lon.

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

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on November 19, 2012 at 11:33 AM

"Copious amount of TK processing techniques" ? Come on, just some heavy use of the burning tool biggrin:
Love this one, my favourite so far! An excellent find. Composition is perfect and the light too. I like the subtle gradient from upper left to lower right.
Great to see you finally publishing these in such high frequency again.

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

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on November 19, 2012 at 12:03 PM

Love the texture highlights, and subtle color Lon and especially the fine line detail in each segment. Beautiful image well composed.

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

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on November 19, 2012 at 1:57 PM

Thanks everyone for your comments!

Andreas - YES, I did extend the bellows quite a bit and had to add exposure to compensate. I actually added too much exposure and then had to "compensate" in Photoshop...

Scott L.: " such a heavy crop may not be acceptable," Actually..... it's one of the advantages of the LF, is that it does afford a major crop! Good crop suggestion too.

Thanks again everyone!

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

Comment posted by Nick Palmieri on November 19, 2012 at 5:39 PM

Wow thanks to Stan's comments I turned out the lights and viewed the larger version. The tones, colors, and textures in this image are really working for me (an others apparently). Greta eye to see this! TFS

Registered on September 1, 2011, 35 Posts, 748 Comments

Comment posted by Vance Gese on November 19, 2012 at 10:56 PM

Incredible detail and texture in such a wonderful composition, Lon. The touches of reds and yellows really add another layer to the image that is very appealing. The reflected light comes through loud and clear. The large size image is amazing. Love it.

Registered on November 13, 2008, 298 Posts, 6629 Comments

Comment posted by Stuart Williams on November 20, 2012 at 9:21 AM

damn, the larger version has me wishing to reach out and touch it and blacken the tip of my finger. gorgeous colour in the larger one.

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