Large Format Landscapes

[12pmc]

Jon first time I have seen this vista in color , bravo it is surperb !

[Weihan]

Yosemite Valley from 2 years ago
Wehman 8x10
Rodenstock 240mm
Kodak Ektar 100

Yosemite Valley by Shailendra Dhanoa, on Flickr

WOW! Just incredible.

[AlexGard]

The light and trees looks nice, but the halo around the top of the mountain on the left hand side and the colours in the clouds look really unnatural and way overprocessed to me. Looks like it would be a great negative to work from though and the light is fantastic.

[jp]

Good batch of photos happening here!

Rocks and trees at Birch Point Beach state park, September 2017. Preanniversary speed graphic with 7.25" Verito soft focus lens, 4x5 tmy2 tmax 400 film, pyrocat hdc.

Be forwarned, if it's not immediately apparent, this photo lacks perfect black and perfect full white. It might be fuzzy too.


img937 by Jason Philbrook, on Flickr

Highly textured rock/trees and detailed lichen can be hard to photograph successfully with a soft focus lens. The eye's desire to understand texture fights with the softness which poorly presents fine texture. The softness depends here on the soft light yet strong shapes (masses of light and dark, the pictorialists would say) and the mid-size repetitive lichen shapes to a lesser extent. I've photographed this particular rock with a bunch of cameras, film, lenses, lighting, weather.. It's a challenge and interesting too.

[esearing]

Appalachian Trail - Creek and Bridge tunnel at Byron Reece Memorial Trail (aka Mountain Crossings). I first found this location when shooting with fellow LF'er Corran. I went back there last week after a rain storm hoping to catch the steam filled with water. I used a new-to-me 90mm Optar WA which looks a little soft in the corners and vignettes a bit if not centered perfectly (Small image circle), but it works for this image (IMO). Metering was iffy due to changing light from cloudy to overcast which led to me to under expose a bit and my fstop was between f22 and f32 rather than squarely on f22, but I managed to extend development enough to keep the important details. FP4@100 f22 6sec, Pyrocat HD 32mins minimal agitation. Scan of negative with slight toning effect added in lightroom.

[esearing]

Good batch of photos happening here!

Rocks and trees at Birch Point Beach state park, September 2017. Preanniversary speed graphic with 7.25" Verito soft focus lens, 4x5 tmy2 tmax 400 film, pyrocat hdc.

Highly textured rock/trees and detailed lichen can be hard to photograph successfully with a soft focus lens. The eye's desire to understand texture fights with the softness which poorly presents fine texture. The softness depends here on the soft light yet strong shapes (masses of light and dark, the pictorialists would say) and the mid-size repetitive lichen shapes to a lesser extent. I've photographed this particular rock with a bunch of cameras, film, lenses, lighting, weather.. It's a challenge and interesting too.

I like the composition with the tree on right as an anchor, but having issues with the softness overall. Perhaps a bit more contrast would allow the eye settle. You have some interesting edge effects going on with the top of the tree and rock shapes.
Since you indicate you shoot here repeatedly, I wonder if changing focus from Left blurred to Right sharply focused would give an interesting soft gradient effect and allow the lichen to pop more on the right 2/3s of the image.

[Corran]

Very good Eric - actually just last night I matted a contact print of my image from that place. I think I was just a couple steps left and forward!

Well, the streams should be flowing real good next week, with Irma coming through...

I need to make it back out that way again. Still haven't gotten around to camping up on Blood Mountain like I've been wanting. Need to wait till a new moon and shoot startrails.

[esearing]

I think I was just a couple steps left and forward!

Where you stood was about a foot deeper than usual and rushing water. I had to perch on the rock that was behind you and the water was rushing on both sides of it. A bit left does give a better view of the tunnel.

[paulbarden]

Yosemite Valley from 2 years ago
Wehman 8x10
Rodenstock 240mm
Kodak Ektar 100

Hi Shailendra,
Can you please explain what has caused the bright halo outline between the sky and mountain peak at the top left? Thank you.

[Ken Lee]

Hi Shailendra,
Can you please explain what has caused the bright halo outline between the sky and mountain peak at the top left? Thank you.

I attributed it to imprecise dodging and burning, but then wondered if it was just the clouds.