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Archive 2017 · Yosemite

retrait
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Yosemite

I visited the park few days after the New Year. Was luck out as I later discovered park management had decided to close at 5 PM the same day due to potential major flooding.

Sony A7RII with Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA SSM Vario-Sonnar T* Lens

Sunrise at Tunnel View

Half Dome View

Jan 23, 2017 at 03:06 PM

junglialoh
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Yosemite

Fantastic color rendition and great composition, artistic exquisite work! wonderful piece of pure photographer

Jan 24, 2017 at 06:14 AM

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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Yosemite

junglialoh wrote:
Fantastic color rendition and great composition, artistic exquisite work! wonderful piece of pure photographer

Thank you junglialoh.

Jan 24, 2017 at 09:02 AM

Timmeh
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Yosemite

Hi retrait,

I like the comp of #2, but the horizon doesn't appear level. Both appear to be HDR, and the overly dark sky and overly bright foreground look unreal to me. The blue channel in both is pushed too far. For #1 the tree on the left distracts and pulls the balance too far over. I like the visual quality of the dead pines zig-zagging up the valley, but the big tree disrupts this. You got great color from the sunrise, but I think you could have showcased this without going quite so wide. Do you have any tighter shots without the tree?

Tim

Edited on Jan 24, 2017 at 10:58 AM · View previous versions

Jan 24, 2017 at 09:40 AM

John Wolff
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Yosemite

I agree with Tim. Your composition is good enough that using HDR detracts from the photograph and makes it look un-natural. The tree is a trade-off with the great color of the clouds so that could go either way and does not bother me.

John

Jan 24, 2017 at 10:02 AM

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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Yosemite

I think I was there with you on that chilly sunrise.

Jan 24, 2017 at 10:59 AM

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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Yosemite

Very nice scenes to capture but I think the processing could use some refinement to make truly great images.

As others have stated the valley is too bright in the first image. You also must have used a gradient tool or heavy use of the clarity tool. The giveaway is your tree on the left. The top is a dark silhouette, while the bottom is green and detailed. Dust spots are throughout. Some amazing color and I think with a little adjustment this is a great image.

In the second image the horizon is tilted to the R and could use some adjustment. It again looks like the gradient tool (a great tool when used properly) was used to darken/contrast the sky. It has bleed over into the granite in the upper left corner. The reflection and composition is very nice!

Jan 24, 2017 at 12:20 PM

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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Yosemite

I like #2, definitely needs a 1.4 degree left turn for even horizon. #1 shows a lot of dust spots in the sky. Nice framin.

Jan 24, 2017 at 03:14 PM

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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Yosemite

Timmeh wrote:
Hi retrait,

I like the comp of #2, but the horizon doesn't appear level. Both appear to be HDR, and the overly dark sky and overly bright foreground look unreal to me. The blue channel in both is pushed too far. For #1 the tree on the left distracts and pulls the balance too far over. I like the visual quality of the dead pines zig-zagging up the valley, but the big tree disrupts this. You got great color from the sunrise, but I think you could have showcased this without going quite so wide. Do you have any tighter shots...Show more →

Hi Tim,

Thank you so much for taking your time in giving valuable comments and critiques to my shots. I am really impressed with the detailed feedbacks I have received from viewers here at FM, a lack from many other sites. #2 image, as you may know, the valley ground floor is dipped in center and I was standing at 1/4 on the left side of the curve so the left floor's level looks higher than that on the right, however, the camera was leveled to the horizon at shooting time. I did double check at post, the tip of the half dome went straight down vertically to be in alignment with its reflected image on the water. The image though looks slanted to the right but the ground floor is not ocean horizon to align. If I did align it, then it would have looked good to the eyes but not aligned. I used Lee's 6 stop filter in combination with a Singh Ray 3-stop reversed Grad filter. The combo had produced more blue tone which I prefer. I did not use multiple-shot HDR blending techniques but only a single shot on which I had ran through Nik Collection's Color Efex Pro 4, which perhaps, had caused an HDR look. Regarding the tree on the left of #1, my desire to shoot real wide of this magnificent view and to that extent, I decided quickly to include the tree. I know it is an item that may distract viewers' view. There was some light breeze at time so my challenge, perhaps luck, the breeze stopped so not to blur the tree on a long exposure.

Your comments are well taken for me to be aware and I certainly would consider my choice of composition as well as post processing in the future.

Regards,
Tung

Jan 24, 2017 at 05:25 PM

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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Yosemite

John Wolff wrote:
I agree with Tim. Your composition is good enough that using HDR detracts from the photograph and makes it look un-natural. The tree is a trade-off with the great color of the clouds so that could go either way and does not bother me.

John

Thank you John. In my post work using Nick Collection's Color Efex Pro 4, I will take into consideration that some filters may create more of the look and feel of HDR, or better off, not to run through the Nik add-on at all. Yes, I grabbed the tree on the left, a hard choice, and my taste, not to narrow the beautiful clouds as well as to take the view wide.

Regards,
Tung

Jan 24, 2017 at 05:31 PM

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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Yosemite

Fred Miranda wrote:
I think I was there with you on that chilly sunrise.

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1469142

I really like your take on it. The wider angle shows how beautiful that sky was. The valley looks a little too bright for a sunrise though. My only suggestion is be to lower exposure for the entire image.

All the best,
Fred

From your photo, I believed we were at the same place same time and I am sorry I had missed you! I got there at 3AM, shot a star trail for the fun of it but really suffered with the chill at that time. In using the reversed Singh Ray filter, I had the valley's exposure brought up higher. You are absolutely right, I could have lowered the overall exposure level in the end too. Thank you very much for your feedback, Fred!

Regards,
Tung

Jan 24, 2017 at 05:43 PM

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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Yosemite

brockslinger wrote:
Very nice scenes to capture but I think the processing could use some refinement to make truly great images.

As others have stated the valley is too bright in the first image. You also must have used a gradient tool or heavy use of the clarity tool. The giveaway is your tree on the left. The top is a dark silhouette, while the bottom is green and detailed. Dust spots are throughout. Some amazing color and I think with a little adjustment this is a great image.

In the second image the horizon is tilted to the R and could...Show more →

All points well taken brockslinger. Thank you very much!

Regards,
Tung

Jan 24, 2017 at 05:46 PM

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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Yosemite

xterra07 wrote:
I like #2, definitely needs a 1.4 degree left turn for even horizon. #1 shows a lot of dust spots in the sky. Nice framin.

Thank you so much for your comments. All items pointed out well taken.

Regards,
Tung

Jan 24, 2017 at 05:48 PM

thw2
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Yosemite

Love the colors! As suggested by others, a small tilt for photo #2 will render it great!

Jan 26, 2017 at 10:12 PM

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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Yosemite

thw2 wrote:
Love the colors! As suggested by others, a small tilt for photo #2 will render it great!

Thank you very much thw2!

Jan 27, 2017 at 07:50 PM

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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Yosemite

Repost of Yosemite images with changes/corrections as suggested. Photo 1: lower the overall exposure, version without the tree on left. Photo 2: correct the tiltness to level horizontally.

Thank you very much for your comments/critiques.
Tung

Yosemite Sunrise at Tunnel View

Yosemite Valley View to Half Dome

Jan 27, 2017 at 10:37 PM


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