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Lower Yosemite Falls
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Lower Yosemite Falls



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I was at the Falls shortly after sunrise and no one else was there--special. As the light began to illuminate the falls, I took this photo. The soaking I rece...
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I was at the Falls shortly after sunrise and no one else was there--special. As the light began to illuminate the falls, I took this photo. The soaking I received from the spray felt wonderful.
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cameraNIKON D810

settings Aperture f/22 ISO 31 Shutter 1/4 Focal Length 340/10 

upload_dateMay, 2017

Views

1432

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Awards

Action Award
Contest Finalist in The Water In Black And White Photo Contest
Peer Award
scouthunt2778 karinmcfarlane Macpwm bodhirohan kurtsnyder lenaavalon staicugheorghe +63
Superb Composition
Oveone Free-Spirit 5thGatePhotography john_arsenault andreasulini JeffJohnson TracePhotography +23
Top Choice
photoflea Hamster7 ricklecompte ChuckSSS spportster Pkashcraft Happyshooter +7
Absolute Masterpiece
jayholm photogijoe rcsmith stevealbano PORNrasanaga victoria_whisper jimjett +5
Outstanding Creativity
daled albyn NaturesChild SShinners
All Star
ericcjacksonstudio kenkast2 Mil8ant firerae
Magnificent Capture
Kitsea FrancoisHorne dkvart1
Superior Skill
Smert
Genius
Effess
Virtuoso
marvan

Emotions

Impressed
PepperMendez scullys1275 Diorfairy PORNrasanaga ADesign

Top Ranks

Black And White Speed Series Photo ContestTop 30 rank
A World In Black And White Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Water In Black And White Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Water In Black And White Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Black And White Compositions Photo Contest vol2Top 30 rank
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Black And White Compositions Photo Contest vol2Top 30 rank week 2
Black And White Compositions Photo Contest vol2Top 20 rank week 1
Beautiful Waterfalls Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Beautiful Waterfalls Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3Top 20 rank
Beautiful Waterfalls Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3Top 10 rank week 2
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3Top 10 rank week 1
Long Exposure In Nature Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Curves And Compositions Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Black And White Compositions Photo Contest vol1Top 20 rank
Curves And Compositions Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Black And White Compositions Photo Contest vol1Top 10 rank week 2
Black And White Compositions Photo Contest vol1Top 10 rank week 1
Water In Black And White Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Water In Black And White Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Rule Of Thirds Photo Contest v2Top 10 rank
Rule Of Thirds Photo Contest v2Top 10 rank week 2
Monthly Pro Vol 32 Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Monthly Pro Vol 32 Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Rule Of Thirds Photo Contest v2Top 10 rank week 1
80 Stays Around the World Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 22Top 10 rank
Spectacular Monochromes Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Social Exposure Photo Contest Vol 8Top 10 rank
Spectacular Monochromes Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Social Exposure Photo Contest Vol 8Top 10 rank week 2
80 Stays Around the World Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 22Top 10 rank week 2
Covers Photo Contest Vol 38Top 20 rank
Social Exposure Photo Contest Vol 8Top 10 rank week 1
Covers Photo Contest Vol 38Top 10 rank week 1
Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 22Top 10 rank week 1
Water Photo Contest 2017Top 10 rank
Black And White Long Exposures Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Water Photo Contest 2017Top 10 rank week 1
Black And White Long Exposures Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
Black And White Long Exposures Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1

Categories

1 Comment |
Smert
 
Smert August 31, 2017
amazing absolutely amazing, the tones and contrast in those rocks and the soft water, wish we had waterfalls like this over here

Submitted to Photo Contests

Tags

#nature #black and white #waterfall #cliffs #trees #yosemite #Yosemite Falls
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Behind The Lens

Location

This is a photo of lower Yosemite Falls, in Yosemite National Park. It was taken during the spring, when the falls are full from melting snow. Yosemite is gorgeous year round, but spring is the best time to see and photograph its many beautiful waterfalls.

Time

I was photographing in the forest when I saw that light would soon illuminate the waterfall, and so I walked up a trail to the base of the falls. Waterfalls photograph best with some light on the water-- preferably soft early morning or late afternoon light. And there was a wonderful play of light and shadow on the surrounding rocks.

Lighting

I loved the way the early morning light illuminated the mist at the top of the falls and the spray at the bottom. Light creates magic in nature. Without soft light on the falls, the magic of the pristine water cannot be captured. Light also creates drama and contrast--in this images, in the rocky cliff enveloping the falls.

Equipment

Nikon D810 with my 24-70 f/2.8 lens. I always use a tripod for landscapes, and this is particularly critical for a long exposure. I wanted to capture the contrast between the silky but powerful flow of water and the rugged and dramatic rocks, and I knew that I would need to do a long exposure. Other essential pieces of equipment included a rain cover for my camera and lens and lots, and lots, and lots of giant lens cloths. There is no way to get this shot without getting soaking wet, and it was critical to protect my camera and lens and to keep water spots from ruining the image.

Inspiration

Light always inspires me, and it was lovely this particular morning. Although lower Yosemite Falls is a tourist attraction, with a nice trail leading to the base, on this particular morning, the tourists were not yet awake and I had the trail and falls totally to myself. I wish I could explain how awesome that was--alone in the forest, with the roar and wet mist from the water, totally filled with wonder and awe. So it was light, wonder, and awe that inspired me.

Editing

I converted this image to black and white, and did quite a lot of dodging and burning to get the look I thought was right. I wanted to do black and white to capture the sculptural character of the rocks and the drama of the scene.

In my camera bag

My bag is often quite full and can get a bit heavy! I usually carry one camera body (Nikon d810 or d750) and three lenses--a wide angle, my walk around Nikon 24-70mm lens, and a longer zoom. I also usually tuck in either my macro lens or a 50mm, depending on where I am going and what I think I may end up photographing. The bag includes extra batteries and memory cards, lens and camera rain covers, lens cloths, remote shutter release, allen wrenches, cell phone, and snacks (nuts and chocolate). I also carry a pouch with Lee filters.

Feedback

Look for soft light on waterfalls when photographing them--without that, its hard to capture the magic. And be prepared if shooting close to a large waterfall to manage water issues. I had photographed from this location before and came away with water splotches on all of my images. I needed bigger, more absorbent lens cloths, I needed to set my camera for a 2 second shutter release delay, and to use that 2 seconds to wipe the lens and pray. I took multiple images (locked in settings) so that I could blend them if needed to eliminate water spots, but as it turned out the giant, very absorbent lens cloths worked.

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