Yosemite Valley

[EdV]

I've been playing with this image a little in PP. Nothing extravagant.

Would like some feedback. Thanks for looking.

[kevindar]

Hi Ed. I took a couple of trips, Yosemite and Grand canyon, and most of the images I took with my sigma 10-20, at 10mm, just did not work for me. I find my eye just wandering in this image, with nowhere to rest. I find the bottom left corner distracting. The image looks like it was taken in mid day, which makes the light not very interesting. I would try to put something in the foreground to give a sense of scale.
From a pure technical standpoint also, you probably did not need to shoot this at f18. There is nothing close to you in the image, and f 11 would have been enough to give you your desired dof, without getting you in to problems with defraction albeit, in this size image, it does not show.
All of that said, I think you have done an excellent job with the balanced exposure and colors.

[EdV]

Thanks for the feedback, Kevin. I generally have to agree with you on the 10-20. At the time, I had the 10-20 and the 28-135 and felt the images from the 28-135 were generally better than those from the 10-20. The 10-20, particularly at 10mm, is just too darn wide.

That said, I kinda like the wide angle shot of the Valley. I find that I am drawn into the Valley and along the "long and winding road". But that's me.

[Bill Boehme]

Ed, I like it.

I think that Yosemite is one of those places that, once you have been there, an encompassing view such as this has greater meaning than for someone who has not been there to fully grasp the magnitude of the scenery. I am envious because I was there recently and never had a day clear enough to get a picture such as this. While it may not necessarily be one to win critical acclaim in the art world, it is still an outstanding vacation picture worthy of being proudly displayed.

To me, the focal point is not always a physical object -- such is the case in this particular instance where it is more ethereal ... I feel that the central theme that captures your attention is the awe inspiring grandeur of the entire scene where you suddenly become totally immersed -- then as you slowly home in, side detours take you to physical places.

[johnnybfan]

Hey Ed, I think I'm jealous. I was there in June of 2006 and never got a chance to shoot the valley without a lot of haze. Your picture is nice and clear. I can almost pick out where we stayed in Housekeeping Camp. Looks great. Blow it up big and put it on your wall.

[EdV]

Originally Posted by bill boehme

Ed, I like it.

I think that Yosemite is one of those places that, once you have been there, an encompassing view such as this has greater meaning than for someone who has not been there to fully grasp the magnitude of the scenery. I am envious because I was there recently and never had a day clear enough to get a picture such as this. While it may not necessarily be one to win critical acclaim in the art world, it is still an outstanding vacation picture worthy of being proudly displayed.

To me, the focal point is not always a physical object -- such is the case in this particular instance where it is more ethereal ... I feel that the central theme that captures your attention is the awe inspiring grandeur of the entire scene where you suddenly become totally immersed -- then as you slowly home in, side detours take you to physical places.

Thanks for the feedback and comments, Bill. As I said and suggested above, I have to agree with Kevin that artistically there is lot that could have made the image a better photograph. Landscape is not really my forte. I tend to focus much more on wildlife and birds where I think I do a much better job. So anything that can help me make better landscape images, I will take and try to implement in the future.

On the other hand, sometimes you have to deal with the hand you are dealt. We were in Yosemite for 4 days. There was nary a cloud in the sky for four days. I have seen those wonderful shots where billowy white clouds lend character to images. But what could I do. There was nothing but solid blue skies. Likewise with light. I know morning and evening light offer the best alternatives. But when you only have 4 days, you don't stop shooting because the sun is overhead. Again you try to deal with it.

And finally, I appreciate divergent opinions. In the final analysis, I am here to learn. Again thanks.

Originally Posted by johnnybfan

Hey Ed, I think I'm jealous. I was there in June of 2006 and never got a chance to shoot the valley without a lot of haze. Your picture is nice and clear. I can almost pick out where we stayed in Housekeeping Camp. Looks great. Blow it up big and put it on your wall.

Thanks, Jim. As I said above, we were there for four days in late July and no clouds, very little if any haze, just blue sky and blazing sun. Temps were in excess of 105F. Did the best I could. I am looking forward to an opportunity to implement some of the things I have learned since then on subsequent trips.