Large Format Landscapes

[rdenney]

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

Yeah, on the road heading out of the valley sounds about right.

Rick "who'd like to go back during the week that they prohibit tourists...oh, wait..." Denney

[rdenney]

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

Oh, and thanks for the spelling correction. I just fixed it on my website.

Rick "whose website HTML is a ton easier to edit now" Denney

[Vaughn]

Yeah, on the road heading out of the valley sounds about right.

Rick "who'd like to go back during the week that they prohibit tourists...oh, wait..." Denney

The scoop I got from one of the Valley shuttle bus drivers (and they know!) -- if you have to be there in the summer...less traffic on Tue/Wed/Thurs. Best time of year -- late February for less people, but through April still not too bad. The two or three weeks before Memorial Day (but still Tue/Wed/Thurs), for the combo of less people, the falls and flowers, etc in the Valley.

If you go after the falls have dropped significantly, here is a possibility for Bridalveil Fall -- quite the hike up with the 8x10, but it was worth it! Don't think I'll get the 11x14 up there without my three sherpas doing the hauling!

Base of Bridalveil Fall (October)
Scanned 8x10 Carbon print

[Harley Goldman]

Vaugh, nice take on Bridalveil!

Winter is the time to go there to avoid the crowds. The park is downright peaceful in winter.

[rdenney]

Base of Bridalveil Fall (October)
Scanned 8x10 Carbon print

You are making me want to go!

Also, I have memories of Tuolomne Meadows and I did not make any large-format photos there. My trip to Yosemite was a one-day screamer--slept the first night in Merced and the second night in Tonapah.

Rick "but not for 'quite the hike'" Denney

[Vaughn]

Vaugh, nice take on Bridalveil!

Thanks -- the image is also reversed due to the print being a single-transfer carbon print. I have not made any carbon prints of Half Dome...LOL!

I also set up the 8x10 in about the same spot last February -- lots of water and I wanted an image of just the rock wall and the wall of water. I was looking at the GG at the fall and all of a sudden there was no water! I pulled my head from under the dark cloth and looked up -- only to see the fall coming straight down towards me! The wind had pushed it over in my direction. I had a second or perhaps two to pull the darkcloth over the whole camera and cover my pack -- then the water hit me.

It was like being in an instant tropical downpour, but a lot colder! Fortunately the weather was not too cold and the sun was out (except I was in shadow). I got the image I wanted (with the wind shifting the fall on top of me a couple more times, then we hiked back to the van and drove up just past the Wawona Tunnel, where we had lunch and I set all my camera gear on the rock wall in the sun to dry it all out (and myself, too). The boys were already wet as they had hiked down to the base of the fall.

[richardman]

I also set up the 8x10 in about the same spot last February -- lots of water and I wanted an image of just the rock wall and the wall of water. I was looking at the GG at the fall and all of a sudden there was no water! I pulled my head from under the dark cloth and looked up -- only to see the fall coming straight down towards me! The wind had pushed it over in my direction. I had a second or perhaps two to pull the darkcloth over the whole camera and cover my pack -- then the water hit me.

It was like being in an instant tropical downpour, but a lot colder! Fortunately the weather was not too cold and the sun was out (except I was in shadow). I got the image I wanted (with the wind shifting the fall on top of me a couple more times, then we hiked back to the van and drove up just past the Wawona Tunnel, where we had lunch and I set all my camera gear on the rock wall in the sun to dry it all out (and myself, too). The boys were already wet as they had hiked down to the base of the fall.

Wow! How close were you?! :-)

I may make a trip to Yosemite in Dec...

[Vaughn]

Wow! How close were you?! :-)

I may make a trip to Yosemite in Dec...

Same spot as where I took the image above -- which was taken with a 'normal' lens (300mm for 8x10). The pool is where the fall usually drops into. The Fall shifted over perhaps 40 yards in order to mail me!

Unfortunately the image I got was not as sharp as I would like. My focusing and camera movements was not as refined as I hoped...I felt a bit rushed between downpours.

Of course, if it had been springtime, 1) I would not have been able to get this close and 2) a shift in the falls like this would have flattened me! I tried to get to the base of Ribbon Fall one spring. It was like walking against the rain-laden wind of a hurricane!

[Harley Goldman]

[QUOTE I may make a trip to Yosemite in Dec...[/QUOTE]

If you want to go in winter and want to get close to any falls (or in general), I would recommend picking up some of those quick strap-on crampons that will go onto any boot with rubber band-like straps. It can be icy and dicey there in winter. I tried to walk to the bottom of Bridalveil one winter without them and almost broke my neck (well, more like my ass). Good insurance for mobility.

http://www.rei.com/product/838971/ka...iking-crampons

[C4D]

Early morning light hitting the rolling hills of Carroll County Arkansas.

Shen-Hoa PTB 6x17 Panoramic camera
Schneider 150mm f/5.6 lens
Velvia 50 RVP film
CPL + 3 stop grad filter