Posts Tagged snow
Sometimes you just can’t help yourself
Posted by backup in Photography on March 9, 2010
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Last week I talked about trying to find fresh images in a very heavily photographed National Park. Today’s image is the result of succumbing to the urge to “shoot the icon.” While I normally go out of my way to avoid this type of shot, sometimes you just can’t help yourself.
This is another image from last month’s workshop. We woke to a clearing storm and fresh snow in Yosemite valley. Knowing that the morning sun would quickly erase the night’s work, we rushed our group to as many icons as we could before the light got too harsh. One of those iconic shots was the Elm tree in Cook’s Meadow. A number of photographers, Ansel Adams included, have some pretty well known images of that scene.
After giving the group far too little time, to do the scene justice, we called for them to return to the cars to head to the next spot. The sound of snowing already dropping from the trees added to the sense of urgency. While folks packed up their gear I stood, next to the car, looking up at the falls. The frosty granite, the snow in the trees and the tremendous depth of the scene was just too much to resist. I grabbed my camera and fired off a couple of shots. Sometimes you just have to give in.
Cheers
Just look behind you
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on March 4, 2010
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It’s difficult to go to Yosemite as often as I do and still find fresh images. The challenge lies not in the scarcity of subject matter, but rather in it’s abundance.
Photographers flock to Yosemite for good reason. As one of the most photographed locations in North America it offers many iconic views. Especially when visiting for the first time, the instinct is to capture the vista exactly as you’ve seen it time and time again. I still enjoy looking at those scenes but really try to get past them and look for alternatives. That’s an easy enough task when I’m in the park by myself but can be a bit daunting when on a workshop. People taking workshops in Yosemite are paying to see those iconic views. Often they gauge the success or failure of the whole trip on a particular, preconceived, shot. Recognizing that, we go out of our way to put folks in position to achieve their goals. That puts me, in the same iconic location.
Some of the views in Yosemite demand your attention. I find I become a lot freer to see alternative compositions if I just succumb to that demand visually. I appease myself by spending some time just taking in the view; sometimes with a camera, sometimes I just look. Appetite whetted, I turn around and start looking for a scene. That’s what happened with this frame taken from Swinging Bridge. With the frozen majesty of Yosemite falls and dozens of camera shutters firing directly behind me, I found this quiet scene that spoke volumes about the morning.
Cheers
Nature’s Monochrome
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on February 25, 2010
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Some photographers choose to shoot in color, some in black and white. Occasionally, nature makes the decision for you. Often, I write about the differences between our own vision and that of the camera. Effective photographers exploit those differences rather than bemoan them.
On my most recent trip to the valley, Mother Nature really kept things mixed up. I can’t even count the number of times the conditions swung from rain to snow, from snow to clearing and from sunny back to rain. The constantly changing conditions made for a physically demanding 4 days. The swiftness of those changes required that we push the workshop group pretty hard. I’m not ashamed to admit I was a bit gassed after 4 days of nearly non-stop nature photography. I’m always a bit melancholy at the end of a workshop, but this time the feeling was accompanied by a slight sense of relief.
I made this image near Swinging Bridge in Yosemite last Monday morning. While the group was soaking up the classic reflection scene of Yosemite Falls and the Merced River, I was looking for other compositions. Honestly is wasn’t that hard. When covered in snow, just about the entire park is photogenic.
To isolate this scene I used my Canon 100-400 on my 7D body. The sky was still very cloudy from an overnight storm giving a “soft box” effect to the whole park. The resulting light effectively removed any trace of color from this winter scene. To my eye, the color was perceptible. In the camera the subdued lighting and the compressed tones were rendered as nearly colorless. In a genre of photography where the saturation adjustment slider, in Photoshop, is notoriously abused I’m okay with that.
Cheers
Horsetail fall
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on January 28, 2010
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Often the journey is more important than the destination. Nothing underscores more for me thanHorsetail fall (Yosemite).
First made famous by the late Galen Rowell, Horsetail fall is a tiny water fall that can sometimes be seen on the side of El Capitan. What really makes it special is the treatment it gets, at sunset, during just a couple times each year. Fed by only a 30 acre watershed it often doesn’t flow at all, but when weather conditions are right it puts on an amazing show. Best viewed backlit, the fall appears as a river of fire down the side of the granite face.
Because of the special conditions, and timing required, Horsetail can be very elusive to photograph. While technically possible in the fall, due to the angle of the sun, Horsetail fall is traditionally photographed in middle to late February. Huge crowds of photographer arrive, each year, all trying to get the classic shot. Ironically, my best memories of Horsetail are of standing in the snow, shoulder to shoulder with some other photographers joking and laughing as we clicked away at the display. The photography was completely secondary. Even after “getting the shot” several times I still go back each year just for the experience.
This particular image was taken in late January from a less traditional location. Still early in the season for the full display, I liked it because of its different perspective. I took this shot with my Canon 100-400 from the edge of Southside drive, not far from Sentinel Beach.
Cheers
Just a leaf
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on January 14, 2010
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If you’re a regular reader of this blog you know I often eschew the grand vista in favor of a more intimate view of the world. Such was the case with this image from my last Yosemite trip.
Along Southside drive in Yosemite, there is an unmarked parking area with two large trees protruding from the asphalt. Not far from Cathedral beach, it’s about the only location where you can see El Capitan from end to end. (Capturing that view requires a pretty wide lens) Since El Capitan gets its first light roughly 30 minutes after sunrise this location is a great place to head after you finish shooting sunrise.
On this particular morning I’d stopped, waited for the light and decided that breakfast was calling. The only clouds in the sky were jet trails and the light just wasn’t very interesting. On my trek back to the car I walked past this leaf. The frozen texture was what initially caught my eye but the angles of the branches is what really tied it together. With nothing but snow in the background it was a perfect setup for a high key approach.
The exposure was very simple. With the aperture set to f/11 I dialed down my shutter speed until my meter read +3 and took the shot. Overexposing the snow caused the entire background to go white, removing any distracting elements.
Cheers
Last light on Half Dome
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on January 7, 2010
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This morning I worked on a talk that I hope to give at the NANPA Summit in February. The theme of the nights program is Discovery. My first experience with this location turned out to be a discovery that really wasn’t.
As I’ve mentioned before, we snow camp in Yosemite for New Years. Last year, 2008, my wife and I donned the snow shoes on New Year’s eve morning. We parked near Ahwahnee Meadow and made our way towards the Merced River. We trudged along through fresh snow, the only footprints around were from an occasional dear or small furry thing. We felt like we were the only people around for miles. During our walk I took pictures of the snow, the frost in the trees and reflections in the river.
After a couple of hours we popped into a clearing and were gifted with a view much like above image. I quickly set up my gear and took a number of photographs from this newly found “secret spot.” After I’d worked the scene to my satisfaction, I turned around and noticed the snow covered picnic tables. Behind the tables was a parking lot that we could have driven to. So much for my discovery.
The area is called Camp 6 and is just across the road from Yosemite Village. Even though it didn’t turn out to me “my spot” I still return there from time to time. While a classic view, it’s not as frequently photographed as many other locations. This image was taken last Wednesday evening, shortly after we arrived in the park.
Cheers
Cold and gold
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on December 29, 2009
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As I often do, before a trip, I was going through some images that I took last year on New Year’s eve. Like last year we’ll be snow camping in Yosemite for the holiday. The weather forecast looks promising, although honestly just being there is enough.
I made this image at Valley View. The eastern sky was overcast and grey but there was a gap in the cloud layer on the western horizon. The gap allowed the days last light to reach El Capitan. Rather than take the image of the whole scene, which would have included the flat grey sky, I opted to frame just a reflection. I liked how the the three rocks formed an opposing triangle to the shape of El Cap. The warm light also made a nice contrast against the cold monochrome of the stream and snow.
To make the image I used my Canon 5D with a 100-400L. I was zoomed all the way out, at 100mm, and set my aperture to f/22. I normally avoid settings narrower than f/16 because of diffraction but I need to slow down the shutter speed to get the look of the water that you see here. The resulting exposure was 1.5 seconds at ISO 50.
Cheers
Merry Christmas
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography, Random Thoughts on December 24, 2009
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Rather than take the politically correct tone and wish you a “Happy Holiday”, I’d like to wish to you and your family a Merry Christmas. I refuse to accept the notion that wishing someone well, regardless of their beliefs, could be offensive. I certainly wouldn’t be upset if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah or Kwanzaa.
This truly is a Christmas image. Two years ago, my wife and I slipped away for a quick trip to Yosemite. We spent the night of December 23rd in an unheated tent cabin in Curry Village with the hopes of catching the sunrise on Christmas Eve morning. Northside drive was closed for construction so we had to wake early enough to make the walk back to Valley View, or Gates of the Valley as some call it. Because of the time of the morning and the difficulty of getting to the location, we had the place to ourselves. Even though it had been several days since the last snow, the conditions were pristine. The color in the sky lasted just a few minutes and then vanished as the sun peaked over the horizon. Satisfied that we’d seen all that there was to see we climbed back in the car. We arrived home in plenty of time for Christmas Eve at my Mom and Dad’s house with the whole extended family.
Sunrise is a special time of day when nature often puts on a spectacular show. On most of us, the show is lost as we rush through the morning to get to work, school or shopping. Others cringe at the very thought of being up before dawn. I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes the shrill call of the alarm clock is painful, but watching the morning break completely makes up for it. When considering your resolutions for the coming year let me make a suggestion. Vow to get up early enough to watch a few sunrises with someone you love. You can thank me later.
Cheers
Snow, granite and nearly a broken elbow
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on December 21, 2009
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Landscape photography is rarely described as hazardous but that does’t mean that it’s without risk. Just about every trip to Yosemite has me landing on my backside at least once. While falling is usually painful I’m certain that I offer great comedic value to those around me. That’s what I do; I’m a giver.
This shot was taken on the same morning as my last 2 posts. Yosemite, beautiful in any season, is especially magical under a fresh blanket of snow. Under an untouched covering of white, the whole park instantly becomes more photogenic.
Getting to this scene was tricky. Across the road from Tunnel View is a large granite shield on the side of Turtleback Dome. A trail snakes up the side before becoming a series of switchbacks leading up to “New” Inspiration point. The trail skirts this granite slab for one very good reason; it’s quite slick. Knowing that something is slippery and deciding to go anyway probably wasn’t the best choice. I wanted to get a shot of the meltwater running down the granite, beneath the fresh snow. I loved the contrast between the two and the visual motion that they imparted.
Snowshoes still in the car, I headed up the side of the hill the same way that I almost always travel in Yosemite. My camera was on the tripod, the tripod over my shoulder and some extra lenses and gear were in my photo vest. I found that if I stayed on the thick snow I had pretty good traction. Step on a wet area or one with less snow? Not so much. Arriving at my shooting location unscathed. I started moving around to find my composition. It was at that moment that I figured out that bit about less snow being slick.
I stepped down, not really paying attention, and had both feet slip out from beneath me. In just a blink of an eye I had to do what any decent photographer would do; protect the gear. Rather than do the intelligent thing and try to break my own fall I thrust my tripod up into the air to keep the camera from hitting first. The camera was fine, my elbow was throbbing but there was still the matter of the picture. I picked myself up, dusted off my camera, told my wife to stop laughing and proceeded to make this image.
Cheers
A day at the beach
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on December 16, 2009
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This probably isn’t the beach that you were expecting but I’d much rather be here than at the ocean. Cathedral beach is a labeled picnic area on Southside drive in Yosemite. While near Cathedral rocks, the most prominent feature is El Capitan. Reflection possibilities abound with the Merced river winding through the area. In the winter the gate is almost always closed but it’s a very easy walk from the road. I took this shot on the same morning as the previous entry.
The real story about this shot is the fact that it sat, untouched, on my hard drive for almost a year. Generally speaking I’m usually very good about sorting my images right after a shoot. Apparently I’d been so happy with the previous shot that I didn’t bother to go through the other images from that morning. Processing this shot yesterday was a lot like finding a lost wallet with a 20 dollar bill inside. As luck would have it, I found a few more from the same morning but I’ll save those for another day.
Cheers
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