Silver Lake Aspen Pano

Gallery: LandscapePosted January 13, 2016269 views17 comments

Thank you so much for the comments, discussion and suggestions on my previous "Red Sage" image. I know I will settle on a final image that I'll be happy with, and so thanks for the help.

This one is a bit more standard fare and I know that slim panos like this are hard to show, although the larger view is at max 1600px, so it's a must view.

This was captured in a picnic area along the June Lake Loop at Silver Lake in the Eastern Sierra last October. It's a 3-image stitch in PS. My first with a dslr. The Eastern Sierra doesn't really have those towering, straight, magestic apsen like you might find in Utah or Colorado, but we do have some with character here. I just like the varied look of the dispersed trunks as well as the transition of color from summer to fall.

Would love to hear your thoughts, critiques and suggestions on this one.

thanks!

Nikon D700
Nikon 28-300mmVR @50mm
f/16 3-image stitch

Comments

17 comments

Comment posted by scott lanz on January 13, 2016 at 7:35 AM

My kind of image, Lon. Beautiful. This is a bit different from the standard aspen grove image because these trunks are twisted and turned in different ways. As you say, they have character. I like the seasonal transition colors and the pano crop and even the foreground rocks, etc. I have no suggestions. This would make a beautiful print. devil

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

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on January 13, 2016 at 9:21 AM

Real nice color and tree trunks with character. It feels a little tight along the bottom. I would not mind breathing room there, but hard to say what was down there, like a road, etc. Still works well for me.

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

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on January 13, 2016 at 10:31 AM

Lon, This works wonderfully for me. I love panoramic scenes and especially when printed large, and this one looks like it would make a beautiful print. The large version is quite enjoyable to view. The colors look great and I love all the shapes and character of those aspens. I like it as is!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

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

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on January 13, 2016 at 11:06 AM

Lon, this is a great view with it's lovely collection of leaf colors set off so well by all of those curvaceous tree trunks. The only way that I can think of to improve on this image is to see it much much larger.

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

Comment posted by Roel Wijtmans on January 13, 2016 at 12:22 PM

It does not happen that often, but this is one of those instances were a pano feels like the natural format, and not like a slightly forced composition. And those colors are just gorgeous. No nits for sure!

Great to see you having so much fun with the digital techniques!

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

Comment posted by Dave Dillemuth on January 13, 2016 at 12:27 PM

Lon,
This image is fantastic. Processing looks great. I love the soft lighting and the mix of yellow and green foliage with the white trunks. Looks like some great alternate compositions could be cropped out of this pano as well.

Registered on December 10, 2015, 104 Posts, 1112 Comments

Comment posted by David Schoen on January 13, 2016 at 1:24 PM

This would look very nice printed on a large wall.

Registered on November 6, 2006, 1213 Posts, 4587 Comments

Comment posted by gary phillips on January 13, 2016 at 1:54 PM

Really nice, Lon. I love the twisted trunks and the various colors o the Aspen in transition. I'm not a big pano guy, but this works quite well. I can imagine a big beautiful print above a nice hall table. Very inviting.

Registered on October 24, 2013, 185 Posts, 4136 Comments

Comment posted by Vance Gese on January 13, 2016 at 3:40 PM

Your use of the panoramic format works perfectly for this, Lon, giving a wonderful view, more of a celebration, of these gnarly dancing aspens in their full autumn regalia. The larger view gives one just a hint of what this would be like printed huge, where one would feel like stepping into this forest. Fantastic.

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

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on January 13, 2016 at 4:12 PM

Gorgeous forest scene Lon with splendid color and light. I too wish there was slightly more room at the bottom but this is fabulous none the less.

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

Comment posted by Albert Darmo on January 13, 2016 at 4:40 PM

Hi Lon

Vance said it so well " your use of the panoramic format works perfectly for this" The shapes of the trunks have beautiful curves, and the color and light are magical.. what a delightful composition devil

Albert Darmo
Canada

Registered on November 25, 2008, 1386 Posts, 11978 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on January 13, 2016 at 4:48 PM

Thanks for the comments so far folks!

re: room at the bottom. Harley is correct - well, it's not a road, but it is pavement and a parking lot for the picnic area. Sometimes we just don't "see the forest for the trees" as the saying goes, but even in a parking lot one can step back and see it.

I got as close as I could to the pavement and even cloned a few spots just for even more space, but alas, there's nothing more below.

I would love a nice print of this. Turns out this could go to 52" at 200dpi. Got nowhere to put it though.... ;-)

Thanks again!

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

Comment posted by Alberto Patiño on January 13, 2016 at 11:41 PM

The composition works very beautifully for me, Lon. Yes, these "stretched panos" are very hard to appreciate on a monitor - they are best seen as banner prints, and judging from the detail in the large version this one should work out very well. I agree with Harley about a bit more of space at the bottom, especially because of the slightly chopped sage(?) bush towards the right. The bark on the aspens looks juts a little bit blue to me, but I know from my own experience with aspens that it can be hard not to go the either way.

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

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on January 14, 2016 at 10:08 AM

Lon, as an alternative thought to more space at the bottom, what about a slight crop off the bottom. For me, that would make this more of an abstract and might avoid the wish to see more at the bottom while retaining all of the beauty and random structure of the trunks and leaves.

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

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on January 14, 2016 at 4:18 PM

I almost missed this one. The pano format is not what I expected to see from you, but it works very well. Although the view is wide, the composition can be grasped immediately. And then there is a lot more to explore to keep the attention. This would make a great print.

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

Comment posted by Ryan Shain on January 14, 2016 at 6:44 PM

Hi Lon,

The Pano format works ver well in this capture. The white aspen trunks work very well in creating structure in the image, and the greens and yellows are just wonderful to take in. This will be a wonderful print, and have you ever considered using a place like Bay photo to print this on metal? I have no idea how good their prints are, but I am considering using them for a 72" pano I would like to have printed out on Metal.

Beautiful work

Registered on February 20, 2007, 226 Posts, 4571 Comments

Comment posted by Daniel Rappaport on January 15, 2016 at 8:46 PM

Pano composition works well here, nicely balanced with the "lead" tree perfectly placed . The processing is especially pleasing. Any specific secrets for this?

Registered on September 9, 2009, 294 Posts, 2006 Comments