Yosemite Valley
My happy place.
My happy place.
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May, 2016Views
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Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Creative Landscapes Photo Contest vol3
Contest Finalist in The Nature Lover Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Mountain Shapes Photo Contest
Member Selection Award
Exposure and more
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 32
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 31
Featured
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 30
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
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Categories
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SeanAllenPhoto
August 29, 2016
Thanks!! This was just before sunrise, that's what gave it that nice blue color.
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SeanAllenPhoto
August 29, 2016
Thank you, there are usually a ton of photos here for sunset but usually none for sunrise. Still one of my favorite places to shoot Yosemite!
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SeanAllenPhoto
August 29, 2016
Thank you!! I haven't been to all of the NPS parks but out the many I have been to, this one is by far my favorite!! You'll be blown away by how beautiful everything is!
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SeanAllenPhoto
August 31, 2016
Thank you, it's amazing the color differences between sunrise and sunset!
anthonyclay
August 29, 2016
I have been to this very same spot....funny , it never looked this good! SUPERB CAPTURE!
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jamiesarkett
January 17, 2017
Fabulous - really made me feel cold , isolated & alone as soon as I looked at it . Powerful image when it makes you feel emotions !!
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SeanAllenPhoto
January 20, 2017
Wow!! Thank you so much, I can't tell you how much that means to me!
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at "that spot" in Yosemite Valley. It's last parking area before you actually leave the valley loop. At any point during the year you will find at least a dozen photographers in this spot vying for the perfect angle of the valley. It's always beautiful, El Capitan on the left and The Three Brothers with Bridalveil Falls on the right. Sunrises and sunsets, both, light up El Capitan. The Merced River just rolling by. The wind rustling through the trees. Definitely one of, if not the most beautiful, views in the park!Time
I came in to the park a while before sunrise so that I could get around to this spot, the roads are only one-way so you have no choice but to circle around. I walked down to the river and settled my gear just as the sun was starting to peek through the valley, sometime around 6am.Lighting
Honestly, I was hoping for a more colorful sunrise. The sun usually blasts a bright yellow-orange light right on to the face of El Capitan, so at first I was a little disappointed with the colors. Once I got home and started playing around with post processing I realized that the blue tones are what really sets the mood for this photograph. It was early, really early. It was cold. And it was unusually quiet. I think the blues and grays really help the viewer feel that! Besides, there is a really faint dusting of color across the face of El Capitan so I got a little bit of my colorful sunrise!Equipment
This was shot on my Canon 6D and a Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 lens. The tripos is a 5, or so, year old aluminum Benro. Lastly, I used the canon remote shutter release that came with the camera. I, absolutely, love that Tamron lens. It's super crisp, all the way to the corners. At 15mm, it's really wide which allows me to add a whole lot of depth to a photo.Inspiration
I pulled up to the entrance of Yosemite National Park and paid my entrance fee, like everyone else. I had no real idea what was in store for me though. The first few turns you're thinking "Oh, this is beautiful. There are really tall trees, and winding roads, and an amazing winding river!". As soon as you pass through Tunnel View you loose your mind. You're surrounded by gigantic granite mountains, huge 100 year old pine trees, waterfalls that seems to never stop flowing, and some of the most iconic peaks in the U.S. I was completely awestruck, and no matter how many times I've been back it's like I'm seeing it for the first time all over again. I've always wanted to make a photo that no matter how many times you looked at Yosemite Valley, it made you smile like it was your first time seeing it!Editing
Post processing is huge part of what makes a photo, in my opinion. It's where the photographer adds themselves to the photo. I usually start out with Adobe Lightroom, to get the basic adjustments close to my current mood. Then I send the photo over to Adobe Photoshop and really get down to the nitty gritty. Photoshop has a huge learning curve but once you get most of the basic functions down you can really make a photo great! I also use a really great Photoshop plugin called Lumenzia. It's a really intuitive luminosity mask plugin that can help take your photos to another level.In my camera bag
Oh my god, usually more than I need! Definitiely my Canon 6D, I absolutely love that camera! A couple of lenses, the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 and the Canon 24-105 f4L. A remote shutter of some sort, a definite for landscape work. A couple of cleaning cloths and a small cleaning kit. A head lamp and flash light, landscape photography usually means you're going somewhere before the sun comes up or after it goes down. A rain cover for the camera and lens. A Cokin Z-Pro filter holder and a couple graduated ND filters (one in blue to help bring out the sky). Extra batteries, for the lights and camera. Extra memory cards. Hand warmers, a real blessing on those cold mornings or nights! And, although, not in the bag per se I have my best friend! My trusty Benro tripod.Feedback
I guess all I can say about that is get out there and shoot! The only way to capture a great photo is to be there. In landscape photography it's all right place, right time. Find locations that you really love and go there, a lot. Every time you're there the sky will be different, or the water will be different, or a tree will have fallen, or the sun will be shining on a different spot. It might get boring seeing the same places all the time, but when that day comes, where everything lines ups perfectly...that's when great photos happen. Oh, and be patient. Mother nature is on her own clock!
