steve_leiken_Yosemite_tree and dome
Feb, 2016Views
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Awards
Top Shot Award 22
Fall Award 2020
Peer Award
Superb Composition
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Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was shot on the valley floor of Yosemite National Park.Time
On a fall trip to the valley specifically for photography, I awoke early each day to catch the sunrise. After the golden color faded to a harsher light, I wasn’t ready to hang up the camera so I wandered around the park’s meadows.Lighting
Direct sun hitting a tree isn’t too pretty but backlit trees, on the other hand, can be spectacular; the sun has a way of emphasizing the color and creating a virtual halo, which contrasts beautifully with the dark trunk and the leaves closest to me that are blocked from the sun by the their brethren. I walked around this particular tree, looking at its shape and color and trying to figure out how best to capture its majesty. I crouched down and panned up, looking for different vantage points. Then I walked around it, moving closer and farther to try to find a composition that would maximize its impact. It wasn’t until I backed far away that I saw Half Dome looming behind it. That, too, was backlit but I knew it wasn’t a problem; as long as I had detail, I could pull the shadows up in Photoshop. So I exposed for the tree and adjusted in post. The shadows and highlights on the ground frame the tree and mimic, in a way, the play of light through the leaves and branches.Equipment
I shot this with a Canon 5D IV and 24-105 f4-5.6 lens outfitted with a circular polarizer. I never go anywhere without the polarizer — it’s the absolute most important accessory to a landscape photographer, in my opinion.Inspiration
Yosemite is so beautiful, it’s been photographed millions, if not billions, of times. The challenge, then — which is significant — is to find a unique angle — which I mean both literally and figuratively. I hadn’t seen a shot like this before, which I consider to be an accomplishment.Editing
I try to keep post processing to a minimum. I will bump up vibrancy and saturation in most of my shots and, in this case, I also lightened the shadows in the tree slightly. Most importantly, I had to lighten the face of Half Dome, which was backlit.In my camera bag
My bag contains a Canon R5, which is very new to me, and a 5D IV, which used to be my main camera but is now a backup. I have two lenses, both from Canon: a 24-105 and 100-400. Their range gives me so many options. I almost always have a polarizer on my lens. I also have a graduated neutral density filter and a variable ND filter, though that is brand new and I’ve only used it once. In addition, I have a MeFoto travel tripod. I don’t have working cable release so I usually the 2 second timer to prevent camera shake when using the tripod.Feedback
We’ve all seen images of the same landmarks so many times. Think about what you can do to bring something fresh. A different angle, different lighting, different perspective. Alternatively, forgo the famous landmark and try to make something ordinary majestic.
