Yosemite Moments #5

It's Beautiful Lon! No way could I resist this... The oaks around here were really pretty this year too. More colorful than I normally see them. We had very dry weather which was the only difference I can think, but I'm not sure if that was the reason.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Ah, so these are the "Twins". Wonderful composition and portrays the meadow there perfectly.

Very Nice! the color of the oak leaves against the cooler toned rock is wonderful. The green layer of trees separating them is subtle but creates a lot of depth. I also like the warm underbrush. Beautifully balanced image.

Spectacular image Lon, really really like this one!

Good color and well composed with just the right amount of FG. I never tire with
scenes from this meadow, and this is no exception.

Very nice, great subject and palette of colors in this. Looking forward to more of the twins.

Excellent light, which you seem to get a lot of. Is this overcast light or is it shadow light after the sun has set, going behind the walls of the canyon. Just curious. You seem to get a lot of this nice light.

Lon, this one has all the right elements, but somehow, it is not totally hooking me. I have looked at it numerous times and cannot say exactly why. ???

Nice composition. I think your characterization of the oaks as "these guys" is apt. The shared diagonals really give them energy.

Very pretty scene Lon, and it holds my attention, keeps me looking, I really like the warm mood, and the natural colors, I'm enjoying this very much, makes me wish I was there. Again, beautiful work.
John

Lon, I especially like the transition from warm tones at the bottom to the cooler ones at the top. It is also interesting for me how the diagonals of the trunks are repeated in the rock face. A classical composition that fits in well with the scene in my opinion.

Peter

Great capture Lon! I absolutely love the way the color of the trees just jump out at you, set against the granite bg..your right; you see this, it's a must!

Real nice, Lon! The light is a tad flat, but the colors and balance here make up for that.

Nice! I take a look at these trees every trip myself. I think I got one I like this last trip.

The color of the background wall looks perfect to me. I do think you have some room to bump up the yellows. Also, The yellow of the Black Oaks(in person) have a different color than the usual yellows, At least to my eye. It's kind of a reddish/brownish yellow. My camera renders it a bit on the greenish side, but that's not what I remember. I make a few color balance, and selective color tweeks to deepen that darker reddish tone that I remember.

So, I think our renditions are quite a bit different. Yours showing a bit of restraint, and mine maybe a little over romanticized!

Chris

Your ability to make these difficult to compose scenes seem so naturally simple is always a pleasure to view, Lon. The rich color and subtle light make this very inviting to explore. #4 from this series still leads the pack as my personal favorite so far, but this is no slouch and I know there is more to come.

Thanks everyone for your comments and observations.

Tony - "s this overcast light or is it shadow light after the sun has set, going behind the walls of the canyon." Excellent question and insightful observation. Actually, this particular image was later in the afternoon, but it was a overcast, off-and-on drizzly day. So this is NOT a situation where there is great reflected light from the canyon walls, which actually goes exactly to Stan's comment about the light being a bit flat. Indeed, diffused over cast will do that.

AND, along those same lights, diffused overcast light will render colors differently than other times when, say strong light is being cast from those GIANT reflectors of the massive granite walls. You will see the difference in an upcoming rendition of this exact scene in reflected light rather than diffused.

Chris - we all "see" and "remember" colors and conditions differently. And to compound that, we have film, sensors and processing to change reality as well. I recall commenting specifically how rich the color was for the big leaf maples, more so than the oaks and those maples having more red/orange tint than the bright yellow I'm used to. Anyway, just goes to show you how we indeed all see things in different shades of gray....

Great comments and observations folks!

Lon

Lon,

You are exactly right. And I took mine on Sunday, four days after this one. I had a bit of diffused light as well as some reflected light, but it was also muted. I think that's the cause of most of the differences in color and warmth that I'm seeing between this, and my capture.

Chris

Lon: I've been to Yosemite twice and every time I look at one of your images I want to go back. Classic shot superbly executed and presented. >=))>

Gorgeous color and well balanced light Lon. What a beautiful autumn scene.

Lon, this is jsut gorgeous. Great palette of colors and excellent light.

While it lacks pop, it is no doubt true to the conditions you describe. A very natural looking image, which is a rare bird these days. Love the palette in the granite behind. The tree on the right is very tight to that side of the image, but there may have been items that would not have contributed to the excellent order your comp here has. Another beauty.