The Illumined Sentinel

Gallery: LandscapePosted December 6, 2016167 views9 comments

Last September was my first ever visit to Yosemite NP. I've been in the US for 7 years and I can't believe that I wasn't able to visit it earlier. It's not for the lack of trying though. I've had 8 different trips to Yosemite canceled for some reason or the other. Anyway, coming to this image. I went to the park at a time when all the waterfalls had dried up, a wildfire was raging nearby and the leaves had yet to turn yellow and orange. Despite all of this, I still fell in love with the place. On this morning, I was walking through the meadows outside Lower Yosemite falls, when I saw some clouds forming over Half Dome. Given my lack of knowledge of the park, I tried to find the nearest spot with clear views of the great peak. Turns out I ended up at Sentinel Bridge. The sunrise wasn't bad either!

Appreciate your thoughts on this one.

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on December 6, 2016 at 1:29 PM

Sairam,

So glad you got to experience Yosemite - and you're right, even though you were there in a less photogenic time of year, the grandeur of the place still gets ya!

Classic reflection scene of Half Dome and you've done well to handle the light. Sunrises are so difficult in Yosemite Valley, simply because of the high walls and direction of light, etc. But you handled the exposure pretty well here and keeping some detail in the dome.

To me, this has a ccw tilt - but then maybe not, I may just be seeing things. Too bad about all the stuff on the water surface, at first I thought it was noise...

You came away with a nice image with a great set of clouds from Sentinel Bridge. Hope you get to return.

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on December 6, 2016 at 5:45 PM

Sairam, This is truly a beautiful view...love this comp! Wonderful light, color and reflections. I usually don't ask for shadows to be opened up more but the small version made me think about it, then I opened the large version and liked what I was seeing! cool

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI.

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Igor Doncov on December 6, 2016 at 10:04 PM

Nice capture. I'll bet many NPNers have stopped to look from this bridge on their first visit to the valley, But due to the time of day few have seen it as you've captured it. The dawn and dusk light is always so special. I like this just the way it is. If anything I would desaturate that grass on the left a bit because it doesn't look that way in that light and since all else is realistic that just stands out IMO.

Registered on November 22, 2014, 189 Posts, 2733 Comments

Comment posted by Marylynne Diggs on December 6, 2016 at 10:33 PM

Beautiful image, Sairam. I love the clarity of the reflection and the vertical composition. In the big version I think I see a bit of halo above the trees (maybe some lightening of the trees spilled over into half dome?). I can imagine a tish more contrast in the rock face itself, and I would be curious to see it will a little less on the bottom (just keeping the reflection of half dome and a touch of sky but cutting off the branch on the left). It's great as is of course, but curiosity always keeps me wondering about options.
ML

Registered on December 14, 2010, 122 Posts, 1034 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Stanton on December 6, 2016 at 10:51 PM

Very spectacular colors...like the dark foreground shadows. Wonderful image.

Registered on March 1, 2015, 54 Posts, 453 Comments

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on December 7, 2016 at 2:45 PM

Half Dome, the sky, and the reflection certainly look the way I would expect for the time of day. You did a nice job on this, but I do agree about the saturation in the grasses. You might consider cloning out some of the larger bits in the river. I love the light and the color.
--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments

Comment posted by John Williams on December 8, 2016 at 12:32 AM

I need to make it to Yosemite one of these days. There's so much photographic history from that place, I'd like to experience it.

That's a lovely view, and the reflected sky is nice. What's causing the halo affect above the center trees? I'm assuming it's not processing since I don't see it on the trees on the left. Is it fog?

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Schrayer on December 8, 2016 at 8:01 PM

Beautiful light and composition. I could see adding some contrast to Half Dome.

Registered on May 28, 2004, 114 Posts, 2890 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on December 15, 2016 at 12:26 PM

Sweet image and light. I think you've handled the balance of light and shadows very well, although half Dome does look too bright and washed out IMO.

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments