Yosemite Winter Sunset (.CR2 + TIFF)

[Graham Clark]

I just got back from Yosemite weekend during a landscape photography community meetup thing in SF. Last winter I was there and there was quite a bit of snow on the ground, this year... not so much! In fact days were t-shirt and sandal weather, nights were just about freezing but not quite.

Just a bit of snow on the east side of the park (shadow side), while the west side of the park was pretty dry and sunny all day (waterfall side). This viewpoint is the most widely photographed location in the park as many of the great photographers would benchmark their work against this classic composition.



I've had my 6-stop B+W filter stuck on the end of my 77mm adapter ring for GNDs, so all my exposures are pretty far out on exposure times, which I've found to blend twilight and sunset colors together for a truly impressive color gradient. ISO 50 F22 at 3:30 is usually where I start at the beginning of sundown, and add 30 second intervals thereafter, up to 4 minutes at around minute 10 after sundown. Then it's time to move to a 3-stop... unless you have a stuck 6-stop.

The download files include the RAW .CR2 file as well as the TIFF16BIT file of the slight adjustments.if you open both and move between them you can see the before and after of very slight adjustment in exposure values - color was pretty well saturated by low ISO number, maybe a little bit too much even on native saturation.

The files can be downloaded here

It was about 3 days and some photographers got some really awesome shots! (if you're in SF, check out landscapephotographysf.com)

If you have any questions let me know!

Graham

[Graham Clark]

I almost forgot add the exposure!

280s  |  F22  |  ISO 100  |  17mm

[Isaac]

Last winter I was there and there was quite a bit of snow on the ground, this year... not so much!

January 13, 2013 -- January 13, 2014

The first precipitation measurements in what’s now downtown San Francisco began in July 1849, a year before statehood. Now extending almost 165 years, the local rainfall database is one of the nation’s longest—and never has it shown a year as dry as 2013.

[Pete Berry]

A very interesting exposure technique, Graham. The image has lovely and unusual colors, but I find the foreground dominance from the UWA portrait view offsetting. El Capitan's striking roseate glow and its reflection are the interest here to me that a more moderate WA view would accentuate in landscape view, while moving El Cap. more toward the middle.

Pete

[Graham Clark]

A very interesting exposure technique, Graham. The image has lovely and unusual colors, but I find the foreground dominance from the UWA portrait view offsetting. El Capitan's striking roseate glow and its reflection are the interest here to me that a more moderate WA view would accentuate in landscape view, while moving El Cap. more toward the middle.

Pete

thanks! I agree. I'm just a beginner, still learning the fundamentals. I'm going to Yosemite again this weekend, perhaps I can get a better shot!

Do you have any images from Yosemite? would love to see them here!

Graham

[Pete Berry]

I guess my first Yosemite image was in the late 60's as a young Navy Lt. attached to the USMC at Camp Pendleton, CA. Many returns since, particularly after moving from FL to the Monterey area. The last time in Oct. on returning from a fall colors exploration of the Eastern Sierras/Owens Valley/Death Valley areas. Here're a couple of panos, the first on that trip, and the second on a solo winter trip five years ago.

And here's a link to various Yosemite images last winter: http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/2779399177/albums/gh3-yosemite-winter-jan-13 (click "original" for optimal viewing)

Pete

[Graham Clark]

I guess my first Yosemite image was in the late 60's as a young Navy Lt. attached to the USMC at Camp Pendleton, CA. Many returns since, particularly after moving from FL to the Monterey area. The last time in Oct. on returning from a fall colors exploration of the Eastern Sierras/Owens Valley/Death Valley areas. Here're a couple of panos, the first on that trip, and the second on a solo winter trip five years ago.

And here's a link to various Yosemite images last winter: http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/2779399177/albums/gh3-yosemite-winter-jan-13 (click "original" for optimal viewing)

Pete

Awesome Pete! A bit too much post for me but I like the composition of the second.

[Pete Berry]

Awesome Pete! A bit too much post for me but I like the composition of the second.

Thanks, Graham.

Say, what's with this "I'm just a beginner, still learning the fundamentals" remark you made previously? I had the pleasure of checking out your extensive website and some really stunning images you showcase, not to mention the remarkable extent of your photo travels. I liked very much the image that's quite similar to your posted image, but with a foreground that leads you into just the El Capitan part of the scene and the rose-touched ridge to his left.

Pete

[Graham Clark]

Thanks, Graham.

Say, what's with this "I'm just a beginner, still learning the fundamentals" remark you made previously? I had the pleasure of checking out your extensive website and some really stunning images you showcase, not to mention the remarkable extent of your photo travels. I liked very much the image that's quite similar to your posted image, but with a foreground that leads you into just the El Capitan part of the scene and the rose-touched ridge to his left.

Pete

why thank you! regarding fundamentals, i'm still learning them. have a long way to go.

your comment inspired me to write an article on this stuff, found here: http://www.breakthroughphotography.org/yosemite-winter-sunset-cr2-tiff/

thanks!

ps. mentioned you at bottom of article

[Pete Berry]

why thank you! regarding fundamentals, i'm still learning them. have a long way to go.

your comment inspired me to write an article on this stuff, found here: http://www.breakthroughphotography.org/yosemite-winter-sunset-cr2-tiff/

thanks!

ps. mentioned you at bottom of article

You're very welcomed, Graham!

I like the new crop, with "roadblock" replaced by a nicely offset gateway leading diagonally into the scene. I had a bit of fun playing around in ACR/CS6, and was surprised that even in sRGB color space there was very little red OOG after a 1.5 EV exposure increase in ACR and further mid-tone brightening in PS.

Pete

[Graham Clark]

You're very welcomed, Graham!

I like the new crop, with "roadblock" replaced by a nicely offset gateway leading diagonally into the scene. I had a bit of fun playing around in ACR/CS6, and was surprised that even in sRGB color space there was very little red OOG after a 1.5 EV exposure increase in ACR and further mid-tone brightening in PS.

Pete

Hey Pete,

Nice! I've never used Photoshop to adjust images, so I don't have any experience with how the adjustments reflect.

Graham