Chasing Sunset +rp

Gallery: LandscapePosted November 9, 201711,424 views12 comments

Thank you so much for all the comments on my previous post. I have others to share from my trip to the Eastern Sierra a month ago, but I just got back from Yosemite and it's time for some recent images. Had a great time with Harley and former NPN'r Kyle Krause.

This first one isn't actually in Yosemite. I was driving Saturday evening to stay in a motel close to the park so I could get an early start anticipating some snow on the valley floor in the morning (never happened, but that's ok.) Driving along during the sunset hour and with incoming weather, the clouds were looking good. I passed this oak on the hill and thought that might be good, but kept driving. A couple miles later I realized it was getting close to sunset and some good color and hadn't found anything better, so I flipped a u-turn in hopes of catching this tree with some nice clouds. This was a nice way to start the trip.

Recently there was a discussion about left/right when it comes to viewing an image. In full disclosure I flipped this scene horizontally. The original capture has the oak tree on the left side. As in that discussion, there is no right or wrong, it's all about our individual preferences and experiences. When I was setting up I placed the tree on the left simply because that was how the best clouds were lining up. In processing for me, I preferred the tree on the right to allow the eye to roam freely from the left. With the tree on the left, my eye went right to the tree and anchored there. To each our own I guess.

A simple sunset image. Hope you like it. Feel free to offer any comments or suggestions.

Thanks!

Lon

Comments

12 comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on November 9, 2017 at 2:01 PM

Lon, this is quite a cloudscape. There's a fine, gentle invitation in the sky that the lone tree and the rounded slope complete beautifully. I could see this one hanging on my wall and generating a gentle smile every time I viewed it.

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

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on November 9, 2017 at 2:29 PM

Simple and beautiful. Good call on the flip, works really well as presented. Lovely!

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

Comment posted by Igor Doncov on November 9, 2017 at 3:37 PM

I love the sky and the tree and the overall composition. The beauty of the sky is particularly well seen in the large version. The luminosity of the land looks flat to me and could use a bit more 'punch'. I think it would benefit from that but I'm not sure. Lot of ways to go with it. Lightened up with more color? Darkened up still further?

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

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on November 9, 2017 at 5:35 PM

Thanks for the comments so far. Great call on the grassy hill Igor! You're right, it's rather flat and lifeless. I've brought up the brightness, color and contrast of the hill.

Let me know if this is better. I did want to be careful too given the time of day and low, diffused light, so hopefully not too bright. Certainly more life than the original. Thanks for pointing that out!

Lon

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

Comment posted by Don Young on November 9, 2017 at 6:49 PM

Lon, this is a fantastic image! Wow! The tree being such a small subject still draws the eye straight to it. The composition is beautiful.

Registered on April 23, 2015, 56 Posts, 224 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Schrayer on November 9, 2017 at 9:08 PM

Beautiful composition, Lon! I like the sense of scale conveyed by the big sky and the lone tree. The subtle light and color in the sky is beautiful and the warm / cool contrast is always appealing. I don't remember the last time that I saw a sunrise or sunset photo from you! Nicely done!

Registered on May 28, 2004, 114 Posts, 2890 Comments

Comment posted by gary phillips on November 10, 2017 at 1:42 AM

Interesting Lon. I just took a few images where left third vs right third became an issue. I ended up shooting both plus centered, cause I couldn't make my mind up. It's almost like if you are right eyed or left eyed. I ended up deciding to offset my image on the left side but went back and forth forever. Really love this. The repost with the brightened foreground works for me. You can't hide a good image from you...no way you wouldn't find it.

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

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on November 10, 2017 at 11:17 AM

Put me down for the original post. The brightened grasses look odd to me contrasted against the sky and I much prefer the mood of the original (far more emphasis on the sky).

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

Comment posted by Jim Zablotny on November 11, 2017 at 4:56 PM

Hi Lon,

I like the second version slightly over the first. The lone tree is awesome and adds a lot to the sense of isolation. However, the two versions have different sense of emotions based on the lighting and warmth present in the image..................Jim

Registered on January 17, 2004, 705 Posts, 3594 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Moreau on November 13, 2017 at 10:52 AM

Lon, I love this composition. The dark tree contrasted against the brightest part of the sky pulls my eye right there, leaving no doubt as to the focal point of the image, and that sky creates a wonderful background.

I think I would like a balance of the darker and lighter grasses you present. The light looks unnatural to my eye. Also, on the repost, there seems to be some dark fringing along the horizon, particularly on the right side.

Registered on April 21, 2015, 64 Posts, 584 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on November 14, 2017 at 12:55 PM

I like this a lot, Lon, especially the report. So simple yet says so much. It wouldn't hurt my feelings any if the subdued colors in the clouds were brought out/enhanced just a little to give the image just a little more POP.

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Silvia Richter on November 19, 2017 at 4:03 AM

Lon, I will comment on the first version, as the foreground in the repost is a bit to bright for my taste.

What I really like is the plainness of the composition that does the lonesome oak tree justice in my opinion. Exploring or "reading" an image from left to right, I start at the brighter spot in the sky which draws my attention first, and then follow the edge of the hills, finally resting at the tree as focal point. Thereby you lead me trough the composition in a very appealing way. So I think flipping the image was a good decision.

Silvia

Registered on February 27, 2011, 18 Posts, 167 Comments