Large Format Landscapes

[Jim Cole]

One more. This is actually THE view that stopped my car:

Even better!

[Harley Goldman]

Even better!

Agree!!!

[Vaughn]

One more. This is actually THE view that stopped my car:

Great job! What I like about this that I have not seen in some of your other panoramics is solid ends that keep the eye traveling within the image and not towards one end and off the image.

[SergeiR]

One more. This is actually THE view that stopped my car:

now this is one is a winner

[Jiri Vasina]

One more. This is actually THE view that stopped my car:

Richard, the first one works well, but this one is stunning... Good, you parked the car...

Jiri

[rdenney]

I always get a chuckle out of the row of photographers at Tunnel View, regardless of the quality of light.

I've been to Yosemite exactly once in my life. Now, going there is a 3000-mile drive each way. If I go there again, I'm going to photograph all the same places everyone else has photographed. My pictures may be no different than yours, or maybe they won't be anywhere near as good, but they'll be mine. One thing will be true: If I go again, I'll have two hours at, say, Glacier Point, and I'll have to make use of whatever light happens to show up. You standing there chuckling will not be an encouragement.

Quit laughing.

Half Dome from Glacier Point, Yosemite, 1992
Ilford FP4, 8-1/2" Ilex Paragon, 1/5 second at f/32 with yellow filter

Rick "who has been known to derive solutions to problems already solved by other engineers, for the experience, for the joy, for the satisfaction, and for the self-sufficiency" Denney

[Vaughn]

Rick, we need to talk about your filter use. Please, just lay back on this couch over hear and tell me about your childhood. Did your father beat you because he caught you fondling his 25A? Did you harbor hidden desires to use your mother's 80A, even though you were using B&W film?

All seriousness aside, set your camera up anywhere you dang please! And be comforted to know that the bigger your camera, the more digital cameras will flock to your spot. And be sure to tell the users of such cameras that instead of holding their camera next to the back of your camera, they'll get a better shot if they hold it right next to the lens.

Vaughn

PS...Yosemite is only a 10 hour drive away -- I have been there countless times. Yet I took this:

[andreios]

Rick & Vaughn, excellent images, sirs!
The distances in the vastness of US are a nice reminder for us Europeans - when I consider that I have the Alps some 4-5 hours of driving away and still consider it too far... But I hope to get there at least once a year - but before spring comes I have to solve the problem of portability of my LF setup..

[rdenney]

Rick, we need to talk about your filter use. Please, just lay back on this couch over hear and tell me about your childhood. Did your father beat you because he caught you fondling his 25A? Did you harbor hidden desires to use your mother's 80A, even though you were using B&W film?

Heh. I once used a red filter to make a photo of Canyon de Chelly. I thought the red filter would open up the red rocks. But the red rocks were lit by blue sky (I was shooting into the light) and so had the opposite effect.

Most of the times these days, I just leave the damn filter in the case.

The negative of Half Dome had other issues--the lower part of it was rather severely fogged. It was unprintable back in the day, but with Photoshop I was able to bring it back. The result is that those pines are a bit...dark. (Dark hides a multitude of sins.) But I sure do like the texture on Half Dome, even if it's been photographed there 74.6 million times. I spent two hours on it in Photoshop--figuring that was my photo of Half Dome and I would just damn well have to make it work.

Here's another one from the same trip that sure would have benefitted form more dramatic light:

Bridal Veil Falls, Yosemite, 1992
Ilford FP4, 121mm/8 Schneider Super Angulon, 1 second at f/45

(No filter.)

I sure hope that really is Bridal Veil Falls. I really have no idea for sure!

I grew up in Houston. I'm a sucker for cliffs, mountains, and waterfalls.

Rick "who has decided that his artist's statement could be 'I like photographs that make me want to go there.'" Denney

[Vaughn]

Not exactly -- it is "Bridalveil Fall" (one word, and only one fall). Looks to be taken taken from the viewpoint on the road heading out of the Valley (along the Merced River). Actually a little before the turn out they now have there...I think the viewpoint was not yet established in 1992.

Vaughn "yes, I got a relatively recent one from about that spot, too!" Hutchins