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Author Topic: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China  (Read 4502 times)

shadowblade

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Miancimu (or Mianzimu) is the second-highest, and probably most photogenic, peak in the Meili Snow Mountain massif, on the border of Yunnan and Tibet. It is part of the Three Parallel Rivers UNESCO site, where the three rivers Mekong, Salween and Yangtze run parallel to each other in very close proximity.

All taken with the Sony A7r and Sigma 120-300.

1) In the moonlight, from the village of Upper Yubeng. 22-minute exposure time.

2) During sunrise, from Feilaisi, on the other side of the Mekong Valley. 127 stacked exposures taken from the beginning of twilight until sunrise, with gradually-shortening exposure times (beginning at 30 seconds and finishing at 1/60 second) to account for the changing light.

3) Emerging from the clouds at sunrise, from halfway between Upper and Lower Yubeng villages.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2016, 03:05:42 am by shadowblade »
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Paulo Bizarro

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2016, 04:05:04 am »

Very good series. I like #2 the best, apart from the "dots" in the trails, are they the result of breaks in the exposures?

shadowblade

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2016, 06:18:07 am »

Very good series. I like #2 the best, apart from the "dots" in the trails, are they the result of breaks in the exposures?

There aren't any dots in the trails, unless it's a downsizing/compression artifact you're seeing. If you're talking about the stars visible at the very end of the trail, it's because I triple-weighted that frame intentionally, to make the individual stars visible.

I prefer the third one (with the clouds) personally.
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francois

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2016, 07:10:10 am »

I like the golden light in the second and third images. The shadows give a sense of 3D that I like very much. I'm not too sure that the star trails do really help the second shot. My favorite is #3: golden light, good shadows, nice clouds and no star trails.

PS: I have nothing against star trails!  :D
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Francois

shadowblade

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2016, 08:24:25 am »

I like the golden light in the second and third images. The shadows give a sense of 3D that I like very much. I'm not too sure that the star trails do really help the second shot. My favorite is #3: golden light, good shadows, nice clouds and no star trails.

PS: I have nothing against star trails!  :D

I think the star trails are needed to provide some balance in the second shot, against an otherwise-featureless sky - they serve a same purpose as the clouds in the third shot.

This is how it looks without the trails. Easy enough to eliminate - just took all the frames from the beginning of the sequence containing the trails (and contributing little foreground or sky illumination) out of the stack, and added up the last 80 or so of them.
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luxborealis

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2016, 08:50:17 am »

A supremely majestic mountain rendered in truly tactile 3D with ideal lighting and atmosphere. What astonishing clarity! I'd place an order for a walk-sized print, but could never afford it!

Being in the right place at the right time and knowing your gear and processing is what it's all about. A spectacular series, well-conceived and executed. Personally, I'm not a fan of the "architect's punkt" at the end of the star trail, but your ability to adapt the processing allows flexibility in this. Well done! Thanks for sharing.
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Petrus

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2016, 09:24:55 am »

Has it been climbed yet?
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francois

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2016, 10:04:33 am »

I think the star trails are needed to provide some balance in the second shot, against an otherwise-featureless sky - they serve a same purpose as the clouds in the third shot.

This is how it looks without the trails. Easy enough to eliminate - just took all the frames from the beginning of the sequence containing the trails (and contributing little foreground or sky illumination) out of the stack, and added up the last 80 or so of them.

Thanks for explaining your very interesting & valid point of view and posting the star trails-less shot. I still prefer this last version but this is just me.
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Francois

stamper

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2016, 10:11:42 am »

The original three and the last one are imo very fine images. The star trails add an extra dimension and the images with or without the trails are worthy.

Arlen

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2016, 10:52:23 am »

Superb, every one of them. I think the 4th and then the 1st are my favorites.
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shadowblade

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2016, 11:26:22 am »

A supremely majestic mountain rendered in truly tactile 3D with ideal lighting and atmosphere. What astonishing clarity! I'd place an order for a walk-sized print, but could never afford it!

I'd see them working very well in an ultra-glossy, high-contrast medium - Fujiflex, dye-sub metal or just an inkjet print with several layers of Timeless Gloss for that wet-looking appearance.

Quote
Being in the right place at the right time and knowing your gear and processing is what it's all about. A spectacular series, well-conceived and executed. Personally, I'm not a fan of the "architect's punkt" at the end of the star trail, but your ability to adapt the processing allows flexibility in this. Well done! Thanks for sharing.

Here's a version with the trails, but without the stars emphasised at the end. The multiple frames really do allow for a lot of latitude in processing.
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2016, 11:34:23 am »

My preferred version. The stars emphasized version creates the impression of comets instead.

Jeremy Roussak

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2016, 02:46:50 pm »

Here's a version with the trails, but without the stars emphasised at the end. The multiple frames really do allow for a lot of latitude in processing.

Yes! The best of the lot, I think.

Jeremy
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sdwilsonsct

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2016, 09:23:45 pm »

Inspiring stuff. In site of the technical skill and commitment on show elsewhere, I also like #3.

Paulo Bizarro

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2016, 04:50:19 am »

There aren't any dots in the trails, unless it's a downsizing/compression artifact you're seeing. If you're talking about the stars visible at the very end of the trail, it's because I triple-weighted that frame intentionally, to make the individual stars visible.

I prefer the third one (with the clouds) personally.

I was talking about the "bright dots"; some of them are indeed at the end of the trail, but in other instances, after the star, the trail continues. Hence my comment about the "break".

I also prefer the latest image posted.

Regards.

shadowblade

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #15 on: February 16, 2016, 05:24:43 am »

I was talking about the "bright dots"; some of them are indeed at the end of the trail, but in other instances, after the star, the trail continues. Hence my comment about the "break".

I also prefer the latest image posted.

Regards.

That's due to overlapping trails. One trail ends in a star, the other continues.
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John Koerner

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #16 on: February 17, 2016, 09:01:44 pm »

I like all of them ... 1, 2, and 4 especially.
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shadowblade

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Re: Three views of Miancimu, Meili Snow Mountain massif, Yunnan, China
« Reply #17 on: March 13, 2016, 03:49:37 am »

Has it been climbed yet?

Don't think anyone's climbed it. Not entirely sure, though.
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