Mono Clouds

Gallery: LandscapePosted February 17, 2015363 views15 comments

This was taken last November on a family trip to the Owens Valley and Mono Lake. As with most family trips, sunrise is out of the question as well as many sunsets. Mostly mid-day sight seeing and scouting. This is my first trip to Mono and the winds were in the 20-30mph range. Took a handful of shots and this is my favorite. Loved the clouds coming over the Sierras and flattening out over the lake.

5d2, iso 100, 24-105 @ 50mm, f/16, 1/60s

Comments and critiques greatly appreciated

Please see large

Comments

15 comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on February 17, 2015 at 4:57 PM

Gary, I like this very much! That is a great looking cloud and contrast nice with the dark sky. Your larger version is especially nice to look at and I like your b&w processing on this. Very nice!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

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

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on February 17, 2015 at 5:48 PM

Dude, you are in real tight with the cloud gods!!! It ain't fair!! Great clouds!!! Real nice takeaway from Mono.

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

Comment posted by Alberto Patiño on February 17, 2015 at 11:19 PM

This is fantastic Gary - the cloud is magnificent, and your "infrared-like" process is spectacular!

Registered on December 2, 2014, 278 Posts, 1736 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Jones on February 17, 2015 at 11:45 PM

Wow, those clouds are just made for your B&W treatment, Gary.
I also like the the way the ice and open water contrast, mirroring the contrast of the clouds and dark sky. Oh wait, I am guessing that's not ice, but it still looks great.

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

Comment posted by Tom Falley on February 18, 2015 at 1:57 AM

Appropriate that it is a "Mono-Chrome".....

Cheers. Tom

Registered on November 21, 2014, 189 Posts, 454 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Turner on February 18, 2015 at 2:04 AM

Very nice clouds and processing. Those family trips do make for strange tensions between shooting and being a regular guy which most of us are not.

Registered on February 18, 2012, 534 Posts, 2755 Comments

Comment posted by Roel Wijtmans on February 18, 2015 at 10:43 AM

Very nice B+W Gary! Don't change a thing!

Registered on September 30, 2012, 116 Posts, 2257 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on February 18, 2015 at 11:29 AM

From the title, I was wondering if this was Mono Lake or if you were referring to the color scheme...

Those clouds are spectacular and they're balanced well by the trees. The details in the larger version really add some pop to the image.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by D.A. Edwards on February 18, 2015 at 7:28 PM

Very nice representation of a part of the Mono Lake experience that is often overlooked; i.e., the grasslands on the southwest shore with its ancient tufa structures that will most likely not see water again without some biblical flooding. I love the black skies beyond the epic cloud structures.

Registered on October 8, 2014, 226 Posts, 1187 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Metternich on February 18, 2015 at 7:53 PM

I have been getting a little more into B+W's lately, and love the richness here. Nice job Gary.

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

Comment posted by Danny Laureys on February 18, 2015 at 11:08 PM

Excellent

Registered on January 5, 2008, 590 Posts, 1261 Comments

Comment posted by Igor Doncov on February 19, 2015 at 12:43 AM

Interesting cloud and amazing B&W range of tones. I've gone back to this image several times trying to provide any suggestion. I've decided that the tufa actually diminishes the impact of this image. I think a simpler composition of just the clouds, distant horizon, and the grass, all horizontal layers, would have allowed the clouds to have greater impact.

Registered on November 22, 2014, 189 Posts, 2733 Comments

Comment posted by Sandro Bisotti on February 19, 2015 at 5:26 PM

Ah, excellent for my tastes!
The composition is superb. The contrast is apparently a little strong but: 1) there are no dead zones 2) transitions are ok
3) the general effect is convincing 100%, then.....you was surely right in this choice.
Thank you for sharing and all the best,
sandro

Registered on February 8, 2015, 30 Posts, 265 Comments

Comment posted by Vance Gese on February 19, 2015 at 7:57 PM

Wow, wow, wow. Incredible, Gary. A masterful and unique image of this often photographed area. Exquisite.

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

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on February 21, 2015 at 3:41 PM

Why can't I get clouds like this at Mono Lake? You hit this just right. The light is prefect and the tones here really sing. Nicely done, Gary!

--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments