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Yosemite Valley III


robertbrown

Shot without tripod, early spring afternoon. Very sunny day. Ice and snow at higher elevations. Developed and printed in home darkroom.


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Nature

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Comments, ratings, suggestions appreciated on this Yosemite shot.

Tried to use near tree to frame shot some. I don't know. Developed and

printed in home darkroom. Thanks

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Beautiful shot. Good texture. I really like the way the bows overhead and the haze adds depth to the image. The foreground trees on the left are a distracting element.
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I agree that the branches in the left foreground are distracting as well. It's a very good picture but i think it lacks some punch. I think a little more contrast when printing would make this an even better picture.
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Tri-X is a high speed film that tends to lose detail when exposed in bright sunlight. The secret is to carry a deep red filter. Using the red filter will cut 2-4 f-stops from the exposure, darken the sky dramatically so that clouds are visible, and emphasize the detail in rocks and trees. I personally think the framing of the close-up elements on the left of the frame contrasting with the fairly uniform flow of trees in the center of the image leading the eye to the distant architectural elements of the mountains works very well.
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Broadly agree with the above comments. It's potentially a good image. The composition is fine (branches notwithstanding), but the print lacks any punch. It needs at least a higher grade of paper for higher contrast. Go back to the darkroom and have another go.

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When at Yosemite the temptation is great to set your tripod feet in the holes that Ansel's made, and recreate his photographs. It is never succesfull (I've tried). The challenge is to see new things and photograph them your way.

 

If you want a photo of the valley from the tunnel parking lot, buy a print of one that Adams made.

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The problem I see is not film or contrast grade, it's lighting. You just can't get "punch" if you shoot at noon. The lighting is overhead and flat, giving no detail in shadows and leaving the forest below with no texture.
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I think the folks on the Ansel Adams show last night said Adams used several techniques :1) red filter, to darken the sky,2) low horizon for a sense of expansiveness, and 3) unique weather to show the transient nature of the scene. This photo would benefit from all 3 techniques. Unfortunately your timing is very bad posting this on the heels of the Ansel Adams show.
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Darn near perfect! Try a red filter to improve your contrast. I like the way the pine needles help frame the shot, and I think it would look equally pleasing without them. Nice sharpness and DOF.
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Too gray. It would probably be much more effective if you burned in the sky and dodged the mountains. Not sure I like the trees at the top either b/c they are more of a distraction than a framing device.
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Adams used several techniques...

He also shot a lot of stuff on 8x10 film, returned to this area hundres of times over a lifetime, and spent endless hours in the darkroom getting the prints exactly the way he wanted them. Dig around and read about the time he spent getting the print right for Clearing Winter Storm to get an appreciation for the intense effort that went into the final result.

I'm not convinced that the best way to get a decent photo of Yosemite valley is to just buy one of Adams' prints as someone suggested. The weather is always changing, so even if you keep going back and putting your tripod on his marks you can still get different results. Even if the results aren't as good, it's often more satisfying to see your own shot than someone else's, even if the someone else is Adams. My appreciation for Adams' work hasn't diminished my satisfaction in looking at my own crummy snaps from the tunnel parking lot. I found Yosemite valley to be completely overwhelming. Even Adams never fully did it justice.

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Adams also commonly used yellow filters, and orange filters, depending on the scene and what he was trying to achieve. I find that a red filter can darken dark foliage too much, to the point where all texture is lost.
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