Inner Sanctum

Gallery: LandscapePosted August 1, 2009517 views30 comments

Hey folks, I know I've been away for too long and my apologies for the absence and lack of comments. Some times life just gets in the way of photography, darn it.

Now as much as I love the landscape and this is a landscape forum, there's a need for a few more intimate portraits I think. I thought about the Macro forum, but the guidelines there are 4 inches and this is about 12-15 inches, so I guess it belongs here...

A few weeks ago I spent the weekend with Preston up on the Sonora Pass which crosses the Sierra a bit north of Yosemite. We were too early for flowers, the sun was high, bright and plenty of wind, so I was forced to seek opportunities that were 1. In the shade, and 2. didn't move in the wind.

This is a small section of an old, weather-beaten and stately Western Juniper. The details and colors of these old trunks are beautiful. This one had long since died and the crack in the wood allowed the light from the other side to pass through. And to enhance that even more I took a gold 15" reflector and positioned it on the other side of the tree to reflect a bit more light in to the slot.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially with regards to color and saturation as I'm really struggling right now with color management and save-for-the-web.

As always, the quality of work in ES&S has been outstanding!

Lon

Chamonix 4x5, V100F and Fujinon 135mm racked out to about 1/4 lifesize.

Comments

30 comments

Comment posted by Ian Plant on August 1, 2009 at 4:49 PM

A beauty, for sure.

And stop worrying about which forum it should be on -- rules are meant to be broken. Live on the edge!

Registered on July 7, 2008, 271 Posts, 1657 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Weaver on August 1, 2009 at 4:54 PM

This is excellent Lon. I like everything about it: color, texture, composition. I would hang it on my wall in a minute

Registered on November 1, 2003, 226 Posts, 623 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on August 1, 2009 at 5:44 PM

Lon, good to see you posting this one. The original one I saw last week had me waiting to see it in the final version here. As I stated back then, the reflector made this one really wonderful throughout. The golden light was a perfect idea on this bleeched out old bark and the center split as well. A truly excellent capture at this distance and angle of view.

Registered on February 25, 2006, 525 Posts, 8448 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on August 1, 2009 at 6:01 PM

Lon, I love the detail with the grain and the color spectrum. The bright redish brown streak is great! To my eye, the gray areas have a slight magenta cast. That aside, this is really nice!! I like it.

What is up with the CANP lineup at ESS? Steve, Lon, Paul and me all in a row. I guess we have nothing better to do on a Sat. afternoon.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Martin W. Quinn on August 1, 2009 at 6:15 PM

There is nothing like large format to show every detail. The reflector added a nice tone.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 28 Posts, 189 Comments

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on August 1, 2009 at 6:58 PM

I missed this kind of work from you - good to see you post some tasty stuff again! Cool idea with the reflector. Works great for me Lon and color and saturation look just fine - but my monitor is not really a reference...

Registered on January 26, 2007, 360 Posts, 9876 Comments

Comment posted by Ricardo La Piettra on August 1, 2009 at 7:28 PM

Intimate compositions and details like this one are always beautiful and you nailed it , great image Lon.

Registered on July 22, 2009, 62 Posts, 730 Comments

Comment posted by Michael VanBeber on August 1, 2009 at 8:54 PM

Good to see you back Lon, this is a beautifully artistic image, I love every thing about it!

Registered on February 27, 2009, 34 Posts, 183 Comments

Comment posted by Jay Nielsen on August 1, 2009 at 8:57 PM

I am a BIG fan of intimate nature images and this one doesn't dissapoint one bit! The texture and color are just fantastic.

Registered on October 6, 2008, 137 Posts, 720 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Dayton on August 1, 2009 at 9:23 PM

Very unique, Lon. I like it.

Registered on November 11, 2008, 281 Posts, 3958 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on August 1, 2009 at 9:55 PM

Welcome back. This looks fine to me. The warm light is a real plus.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Youssef Ismail on August 2, 2009 at 1:43 AM

Lon,

Lovely work.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 474 Posts, 5555 Comments

Comment posted by Kevin Trinkner on August 2, 2009 at 1:58 AM

Excellent colors and textures Lon, a beautiful intimate capture.

Registered on June 30, 2008, 203 Posts, 2641 Comments

Comment posted by Doug Roane on August 2, 2009 at 2:49 AM

This is great, Lon. The colors and detail are perfect.
I agree with you - I just love these inimate landscapes!

Registered on December 12, 2008, 213 Posts, 2226 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Sieren on August 2, 2009 at 6:42 AM

Feel a liitle saying it's an intimate piece wood but it sure is.
The red n black breaks it up n makes it work, good stuff Lon.

Graveyard Shift Steve

Registered on January 2, 2008, 360 Posts, 5321 Comments

Comment posted by Jose Suro on August 2, 2009 at 8:03 AM

Hi Lon,

Welcome back - I always enjoy your images and this one in no exception. Texture, color and detail are first rate as always. No problems with color management. If anything I would have upped the contrast a bit on the back lit crack to make that stand out a little more.

Great work as usual!

Best,

Jose

Registered on June 24, 2006, 267 Posts, 2273 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on August 2, 2009 at 11:08 AM

Exquisite!

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Greg Cope on August 2, 2009 at 11:18 AM

Outstanding piece of work Lon. Comp, detail, and I especially love the strong reds/golds in the left crack.

Registered on January 22, 2007, 212 Posts, 2737 Comments

Comment posted by Anish Desai on August 2, 2009 at 11:24 AM

Great find, Lon! Very nice intimate image. The first thing that struck me was the beautiful color. I think the reflector was put to great use here. The processing is spot on, IMO. I wouldn't change a thing.

Anish

Registered on May 23, 2009, 49 Posts, 410 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on August 2, 2009 at 11:49 AM

Wonderl detail, textures and subtle color Lon. I love these kinds of images. Good to see ya back posting.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Jack Graham on August 2, 2009 at 1:02 PM

Lon,

Well you did a great job on save for the web on this one. The images is darn nice as well.
Glad you're back----still would love to do that print exchange!
JG

Registered on November 26, 2003, 158 Posts, 574 Comments

Comment posted by Vance Gese on August 2, 2009 at 2:45 PM

Wow, Lon, this is exquisite. The patterns and texture are incredible but the light is beyond incredible. The wood seems to glow from within. Phenomenal work.

Registered on November 13, 2008, 298 Posts, 6629 Comments

Comment posted by Floris van Breugel on August 2, 2009 at 2:47 PM

Beautiful Lon, the textures and light - aided by your reflector - are really lovely!

Registered on December 19, 2008, 306 Posts, 4840 Comments

Comment posted by John&Patty Benway on August 2, 2009 at 6:31 PM

Humm, Portraits Of nature, you know I love that stuff. Excellent work Lon

Registered on May 12, 2006, 626 Posts, 8700 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on August 2, 2009 at 7:10 PM

Well, now this is sweet! You had one kind of similar from last year that I really didn't like that much at first. I had to see it in print to really enjoy it. Not the case here, at all. The color and texture really comes through in this one. Beautiful!

Chris

Registered on March 13, 2007, 500 Posts, 8365 Comments

Comment posted by Swamy Lokanadham on August 3, 2009 at 2:55 AM

Lon, Well seen and wonderfully captured. Abstracts are real test for composition skills and this one is aced it. beautiful. -Swamy

Registered on July 21, 2009, 45 Posts, 112 Comments

Comment posted by Dorin Bofan on August 3, 2009 at 10:18 AM

Beautiful light and textures, Lon! I'm glad to see your wonderful intimate works again. Great title too.

Registered on April 30, 2007, 122 Posts, 3086 Comments

Comment posted by Hamed Musharbak on August 3, 2009 at 2:50 PM

great abstract

i like the contrast here & the details as well

all the best my friend :)

Regards,

Hamed