Yosemite National Park
Nov, 2014Views
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jasonblade
March 12, 2015
There, a little to the right, on that huge rock. The place where I *destroyed* my ankle, and changed my life. >_
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Behind The Lens
Location
I shot this at Yosemite National Park, California, on the return leg of my annual road trip, covering 5000 miles between Arizona and Washington State. Each year, I'll plot a path of state highways in a huge loop, covering area of the country or states I haven't explored yet. This year's route covered the western edge of Nevada, crossed the Shasta mountains, the rain forests of Washington, the coast of Oregon, the giant Redwoods of California, and the mountain ranges down the eastern edge of California.Time
As you can tell from the shadows, this shot was taken in the full light of midday, which indirectly explains the square crop.Lighting
Given the bright lighting of midday, I wanted to shoot a slower shutter speed to smooth out the water and provide a clearer reflection of the terrain and background features. (1/15@F22, ISO 100)Equipment
This photo was shot with a Canon 5DmkII, mounting a 24mm 1.4L lens, on a Manfrotto tripod, sporting a Promaster ball head, with a four stop neutral gradient filter. This combination allowed me to slow my shutter speed down to let the motion of the water settle down a bit, and balance the exposure of the bright sky against the darker foreground.Inspiration
The sheer splendor of the view wouldn't stop punching me in the face, demanding that I capture its magnificence. Mother Nature is such a show off. All kidding aside, I make time each year to find scenic shots like this one, getting away from the hustle of a daily life to get some fresh air and starlight. My dad handed me my first camera around age eight, while out camping in the Laguna mountain range of Southern California. It was a small automatic Kodak shooting 110 roll film, fixed aperture and focus, with a light meter consisting of a swinging needle and a "shoot when it's here" notch in the side of the viewfinder. I fell in love with nature at a young age, and my dad's gift of that little camera set me on this path, documenting my love affair with our little big world.Editing
Post processing was minor, consisting of a crop to get rid of frame intrusion from my filters, and contrast and temperature adjustments for the "just right" feel.In my camera bag
On days when I'm photo walking, my bag is the bottom half of. Thinktank 360' slung bandolier style like I'm Chewbacca , with two lens cans for my 70-200mm 2.8L, and my 24mm 1.4L. I carry a Canon 7D in the bag, with my Canon 5DmkII mounted on the tripod or hip slung on a Spiderholster.Feedback
Get off the interstate. The best parts of America are on state highways, in its national parks, and its small towns. And slow down! Take your time. Is particular shot is more technical in capture than most, but even without those decisions, the strength of this composition is mostly a result of location, location, location. Nature photography means getting out into nature, and that means getting out of the city to see what nature has to offer. Every state in the US has a wealth of beautiful scenery to offer, you just need to get out and see it.
