the visual journey - gallery i Autumn Splendor

This photograph was made in the Eastern Sierra near June Lake in early October. I had selected the location the previous afternoon. I would return at sunrise if the skies cooperated, which they did. I almost gave up, as it was totally clear at 6am, but my persistance to head over here and wait it out paid off when a front started pushing over the range just as the first light came from the East. In an hour, it started snowing. I used a 2-stop grad to control the exposure and a polarizer to add emphasis to the skies. I retained only a handful of totally sharp exposures in breezy conditions. Touch-ups were mostly dodge/burn and a very localized blend to control a few rouge highlights.

Harmony.

A fabulous image, the colours are stunning but I think it's the reflected highlights up on the cliff face that really gets my pulse racing.

 

Simon

Beautiful shot. The sky and mountains are splendid. There is, however, something that bothers me about the foreground and trees. They compete for attention too much with that magnificent illumination of the mountains and the supporting sky. What do you think? - Roy

I've shot the June lake loop for many Octobers (for stock to paint from) It's excellent work but the alpine glow (faint violet) is missing from the foreground. The values look dead on but just a hint of that color would help--for me anyway.

For those who are not familiar with "Alpine Glow" - a phrase coined by the late Galen Rowe--it is the ultra violet that comes through the atmosphere/lens just before the sunrise. Those plants that rely on flourescence (sp?) to attract insects to pollinate them light up. It's very fleeting so it's nice to know ahead of time where the sun will rise--within the minute. But aside from that, a genuinely good picture in 99% percent of all areas. Best, Dick

Marc, your skills are obvious here... and your patience too. Both qualities combined you are a master. Here we have a great photograph.Vignetting done is great also. Most of the time I feel like I do not know much about photography to comment on your pictures other than usual "wonderful or otherworldly"... but keep it coming Marc..we love your photographs...regards, Rajeev

Roy - what do I think? Well, I'm all about the dynamic landscape. Many points of interest throughtout the photograph. 'Busy' images, if you will - BUT - everything should work cohesively together. It does for me here, at least for the most part. The image would not be better without the Aspens. Perhaps it could be better with a little dip in the grove creating a stronger visual path, but hey, nature ain't perfect.

 

Dick - If I'm hearing what you're saying correctly you'd wish for a little bit more of the sky tones in the foreground areas? Easier to do with a paintbrush it would seem. Thanks for the comment.

Very interesting light! Congratulations!

This one has a decidedly different look than most of your other work. The usual pallette of colors and skillful handling of light is there, but compositionally, at least in my view, it does not flow like so many of your images do. Something about the placement of the foreground bushes at both edges and at nearly the same depth of view gives the image a static look. It is certainly not a bad image, just not as dynamic as your images usually are, in my opinion.

 

Anish

Would an open meadow without the bushes worked better for you? I'm curious. That would feel more static to me. I thought the bushes would provide a clear visual path - an opening leading towards the background.

Personally I think everyone who's followed your work has come to expect a magical quality to your images, both in lighting and composition. Now that you've posted one with slightly less flow people notice it. Its still a fantastic image but its not one that a person could instantly tell is yours. My only nit is that the vignetting looks a little forced if you know what I mean. In most of your images, it seems natural but here its a little off. I think I'd prefer it with bold colours stretching into the corners. This is just my take on it.

I agree that an open meadow wouldn't help the image flow. The bushes certainly could be used to anchor the foreground. But in this case, I think it's the fact that there are 2 such anchors that command equal attention, at opposite sides of the frame, which throws me off. Normally with your scenics, my eye naturally starts at a foreground anchor, then easily moves through the frame to enjoy the whole image. Compositionally, that is what makes so many of your shots work. Here, I feel like the two bushes are competing with each other, making it hard for my eye to choose a starting point from which to take in the whole image. That's my observation, anyway. Others may or may not see it that way.

 

Anish

Great image, Marc... as always! I'm very happy you've started to post your photographs again! Thanks for sharing!

 

Victor

For me, its one of your best. I am getting everything I like about a landscape in this image. The colors are far ranging, from the warm pink sky to the deep golden aspens. The granite mountain gives a neutral balance, yet displays the alpenglow reflected across its face. To me the opening between the disimilar sized foreground trees is a compositional plus. I am hearing alot of play calling by some armchair quarterbacks, expressing their intellect with calculated judgements. It is what we expect with your images because they are so much better than the rest of ours. I can see the static quality of the compo in this shot, but for me I see four distinct zones of interest. The foreground brush, the peaking aspens, the domineering mountain and finally the dancing clouds and sky. I am actually leaving out the meadow grasses as a fifth, and I am thinking at full res, there is probably good detail there as well. It may be less dynamic compositionally than other images of yours, which IMO defines this as showing a different dimension to your style.

I really like the relationship between two distinct zones in this picture. I feel that the well-anchored foreground area is analagous to human thought. We frequently keep our aspirations and vision to that which is directly in front of us. As the eye continues to travel to the top of the frame, we see a more open, lofty image, marked by impressive peaks and delicate light. The apparent inaccessibility of that peak seems to speak of the challenge of breaking away from the mundane. I do not think that it is necessarily your best shot (I still love Lord of the Valley, The Tree God, The Cauldron, Coast of Wonders, and Rainforest Complexities above any other shot), but I think that it speaks its message quite clearly. Well Done. The only thing I would change is the amount of light on the peak. If it came down just a tad further the emphasis would be a bit more appropriate. But hey, like you said, Nature ain't perfect (and that's why I love it). For all I know, by the time the light coverage was appropriate, the color might lose too much of its warmth.

Marc, when this image opened on my monitor, the first thing that made my mouth drop was this wonderful amphitheater of mutli-golden Aspens. THEN I glanced up and took in the highlighted mountain and rich sky second. What a wonderfully different approach to complement your portfolio. I imagine this was even more majestic being there. So while I can appreciate the other folks' comments on flow and highlight length and other notations, sometimes the natural beauty of an image is just that it wonderfully portrays what the photographer saw.

So crisp and vivid. It seems like if I stepped through the monitor I could almost be there! Beautiful image!

Being a novice, I wouldn't dare make suggestions to your work. Instead, I try to glean as much information as possible from your postings and critiques. Personally, I enjoy the majesty of the mountain with the splendor of the fall foliage. Love it. Thanks.

Marc WoW a Classic Landscape at it's Very Best wish it was mine.

Great shot, colours and composition.. And I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year... :) EN.

 

Such majesty! The sky, the mountains, the foliage and the ground all blend together so naturally.

your composition is perfect for my taste. Finding a meadow that funnels the focus back to great tones in the trees then up to the sunlight is just right....

Not a lot I'd change...maybe a tad lighter in the foreground tones. Damn... I wish I could carry your gear one of these days...

Have a safe and wonderful new year continuing your work.

Not one of your dramatic images but jaw-dropping gorgeous. As for the bushes, I love the symmetry here. In particular the foreground ones on either side echoes the mounds at the edges. Very harmonious.

Wouldn't you have keeled over if a couple beautiful white tail deer came wandering into the clearing as you were taking this? Oh ya...that extra element all of us photographers love! Gorgeous none the less.

Vicki