Subject in Yosemite for special technique

[imaginator]

I have come up with a very unique way to use natural light... a

combination of moonlight and residual skylight. The idea is that the

moonlight provides the main light source, with the dim skylight (just

after sunset or before sunrise) providing "fill" for the shadows. I've

done his with test subject and it works, but the timing is critical...

and I can only attempt it on a couple days out of the month (around

full moon) Actually, I only get one chance after sunset, and another

before sunrise... that's two shots a month, and on different days. The

Moon will be low in the sky, and close to due East (after sunset), or

due West (before sunrise) Any suggestions for subjects worthy of this

much effort? I'm willing to drive up to the high country, and even

hike a short distance at night to get the best views.

[pvp]

I'm sure someone will ask, so it might as well be me: are you planning to share the technique, or is it a secret?<P>

Not being from SoCal, I can't offer anything that would be a reasonable distance from there, but things like Mount Hood (et al) come to mind, plus waterfalls if they are aimed such that the moonlight would illuminate them at the right time.

[craig_gillette]

Uh, maybe I'm just not picturing it right, but it sounds like you would be trying to get moonlight primary and then sunlight fill? Yet moonlight is reflected sunlight so to get a lot of moonlight, it's got to be essentially opposite the sun. Are you backlighting with the sun and filling moon, or backlighting with the moon and filling with the sun?? The sources are essnetially 180 degrees out from each other.

[gauthier]

Craig, you're right, the sun and the moon are 180 degrees of each other, but if you capture the late day "fill" and then wait a few hours for the moon to get in the right spot in the sky, they aren't anymore. Jeffrey isn't very specific about his technique, but nothing says it's single exposure.

[craig_gillette]

A little more detail about what he's trying would be helpful.

[imaginator]

I was up in the park yesterday scouting out potential subjects... let me try and explain how this works. This is just like any other moonlit landscape... the light from the moon is the main lightsource, and in many ways is just like a daytime shot with full direct sunlight (and dark shadows) By timing this around sunset or sunrise, there is enough indirect light from the sky to "fill" the shadows... a soft diffuse light that contributes to the scene, but the moonlight still dominates. Shadows will show more detail and overall contrast is reduced. Here's the sunset scenario: the sun has just set in the west, the moon is already up, but low in the eastern sky, providing main light on the subject (camera is facing west, with moon behind, just like day scene with sun behind camera) A day or two before full moon is best because moon is up before sunset. There is still quite a bit of light in the sky after sunset... as bright as the moonlight, but as the minutes pass, the sky gets dimmer and the moonlight dominates... bingo! You start noticing the shadows from the moonlight, but they are still subtle... eventually, the moon is the only light and the shadows are harsh and well defined. A very small window of opportunity exists... the right balance between main light (moonlight) and fill (skylight) I just take several shots an choose the one with the best balance. For sunrise, reverse the progression... skylight just before sunrise, but getting brighter. The moon will now be low in the west, and camera faces east. This happens a few days after full moon. I get two shots a month, and only one subject per shot. If this all sounds too far out, or not worth the effort, then let me rephrase my question : What are good subjects in (or near) Yosemite for morning light or evening light? I'd like something with texture or patterns to show the shadows, but also would benifit from the "fill" light.

[dude steve]

So far, only Phillipe has touched on an important aspect of the question - much of Yosemite is blocked on various sides, so it often takes a while after sunset before direct moonlight is available, and the moon sets sooner before sunrise.

 

If I understood you correctly, you're probably going to have to find a rather flat area rather high up. I can't recommend a particular place, however.

[michael gordon httpwww]

Maybe it's just me, Jeffrey, but you've done the homework to figure out how to pull this off and have tested it with success, yet now you want others to tell you where to make it happen? Why not complete the other half of the homework and find the compositions on your own?

[craig_gillette]

If I had to guess, I'd think the upper reaches of the Tioga Road, from Tenaya on might offer some possibilities.

[imaginator]

When I tried this with a test subject, there was no sky in the frame. Now that I'm considering suitable landscape subjects, I realized that the sky will be in the frame (and could be very bright) Oh well, still going to try this next month. I'm heading for the high country while the roads are still open: Sentinal Dome (Glacier Pt Road)or Lembert Dome (near Tioga Pass) Both of these have good views of the mountain ranges to the East (Moon will be setting in the West), but I'm still searching for a good location that has views to the West (Moon rising in the East) Any suggestions for other ways to use this technique? Waterfalls and cascades should be interesting, but it's late in the year, so I'll try that next spring/summer. By the way, I originally thought this would be a good technique for architecture, sculptures, ect. and then considered landscapes (both have subjects that would benefit from softer shadows... fill light)