The Autmn weather in the Alabama Hills was coming to an end with snow on the way to the Eastern Sierra, so I wandered out for the last shot at sunset of my trip before heading north toward home.
The next morning, I hastily broke camp and beat feet toward Sonora Pass (9,640’). When I got to Bishop, Tioga was already closed, and I was not hopeful Sonora would be open. The storm gods were merciful, however, and I got over the pass as snow was falling. The road closed for the winter an hour after I went over. A fitting end to a fine trip.
-P
What a fine shot. The foreground boulders, the mountains, the sky are all just right. I wondered if the boulders should be that much brighter than the background but with a storm involved, the answer is yes.
My only suggestion is to get rid of the bright spots peeking through at the very bottom, center.
Preston: Now that is a solid foreground! Normally I might find it a bit heavy but this works for me. The light on the mountains and the clouds/sun are wonderful. A fine capture of a fleeting and beautiful moment. >=))>
This is a stunning photo! I love everything about it. The strong FG, the layering of rock as you move into the BG separated by desert sage between each rock layer. And the layering of the mountains also, and to top it off, that glowing storm light. Not to mention the exacting detail afforded by the LF camera. Its a winner.
Very nice, Preston. I love the light in this. It’s so subtle and warm and yet also a bit foreboding. I was thinking about Bill’s comment on the foreground boulder. My first reaction is that the boulder kind of keeps me from entering the scene fully. I do like its texture though. And the rabbit brush and bunch grass are a nice touch too.
I have a (bad?) habit of cropping the heck out of folks’ photos just to see what they think. I mean no offense in doing that, but I know I get so fixated on a particular composition that I sometimes can’t see alternatives, so I like providing that service
Since this is a 4x5, I’m guessing you could crop significantly. What do you think of this screenshot crop?
Preston, the wide angle and the lighting sure emphasizes that foreground boulder field. The depth is shown well by the peak at the back and the broody sky. I also like the clump of grass at the bottom.
Preston, you threw me a curve on this one. The thumbnail had me immediately seeing Astia 100…oooops Velvia 100?.
It must be your consistency in post processing to obtain the similar look and feel here. Regardless the 4x5 provides amazing detail we’d become accustomed to back in those days in the sierras.
Lone Pine Peak always had the portraiture look that even Mt. Whitney had to admire.
@Marylynne_Diggs This was actually shot as a vertical image that I cropped bit due to some hot spots in the clouds at the top. So, I decided on the image as shown in the OP.
@Paul_Breitkreuz The original transparency and the drum scan had a strong blue component, so I processed this for the warmer tonality to bring out the subtle color in the clouds.
I love this photo. The light and composition capture quintissential Eastern Sierra beauty. And it is also very evocative of autumn. Well done. My preference would be to slightly darkent the two largest boulders. And thanks for the story!
Commenting again on this photo as I keep coming back to look at it. I really like it, both the vertical composition as you presented it and with the crop @Marylynne_Diggs suggested. And like @Paul_Breitkreuz I also thought you used Astia 100 for this. I really liked that film when it was around.
