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El Capitan & Three Brothers on the Merced River, Yosemite



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This photo was taken while standing on the rocks in the Merced River at Yosemite looking towards El Capitan on the left and The Three Brothers on the right....
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This photo was taken while standing on the rocks in the Merced River at Yosemite looking towards El Capitan on the left and The Three Brothers on the right.
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Views

1590

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Awards

Action Award
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Creative Landscapes Photo Contest vol3
Peer Award
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Absolute Masterpiece
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Superb Composition
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Magnificent Capture
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Outstanding Creativity
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All Star
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Virtuoso
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Genius
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Superior Skill
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Emotions

Impressed
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Top Ranks

Charming Rivers Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Charming Rivers Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Wide Angle Shots Contest 2021Top 20 rank
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Creative Boundaries Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Inspired By The World Photo ContestTop 10 rank
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Enchanting Landscapes Photo ContestTop 10 rank
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My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol11Top 10 rank
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol11Top 10 rank week 1
Earth Day Every Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 7Top 10 rank
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Around The World Photo Contest Digital Camera WorldTop 10 rank
All About Water Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Change Of Seasons Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Change Of Seasons Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Sitting In Nature Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Sitting In Nature Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Creative Landscapes Photo Contest vol3Top 10 rank
Creative Landscapes Photo Contest vol3Top 10 rank week 1
Water And Rocks Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Water And Rocks Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
Covers Photo Contest Vol 51Top 10 rank
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Covers Photo Contest Vol 51Top 10 rank week 1
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Monthly Pro Photo Contest Vol 46Top 10 rank
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Monthly Pro Photo Contest Vol 46Top 10 rank week 2
Monthly Pro Photo Contest Vol 46Top 10 rank week 1

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4 Comments | Report
robertmcdill Ultimate
 
robertmcdill December 14, 2018
Amazing that the Merced is that quiet. Very well done.
denicemorris
 
denicemorris March 26, 2019
Stunning shot!!
LoriCoens
 
LoriCoens March 27, 2019
I have seen many photos of Yosemite and yours is my favorite. Congrats!
NatureLoverJJWal
 
NatureLoverJJWal November 09, 2020
So beautiful and I love all the reflections. Congratulations on your awards in this image!
See all

Behind The Lens

Location

The days were short with a strong chill in the air as Winter's first snow storm was starting to move in. Yosemite was full of sightseers but not nearly as crowded as in Summer. I was traveling with two of my photographer friends who knew the area much better than I did. As we drove from morning to evening to various sites within the park, we came along this site on the Merced River which was at it's low in November. A lot of the area had uncovered rocks as you can see to the right of this photo, I wanted to get more water in my scene so I headed towards the left bank as far as I could to do so. The grandeur of El Capitan to the left and Three Brothers to the Right was as exciting to view as it was to photograph. I enjoyed processing this photo. My attempt was to bring out the budding storm clouds and to create a scene that I've seen in paintings before. It will be a time well remembered and scene happily captured.

Time

This photo was taken during the late afternoon. Shadows were taking on strength in the Park which is a valley surrounded by large monumental rock forms.

Lighting

The light was right for what I was attempting to achieve. The sun was still high enough to lighten El Capitan in all of its beauty. Because it was already heading behind the mountains to the right, Three Brothers Rock Formation was able to be shadowed giving more contrast to my photo.

Equipment

I used a Nikon D5500 with an Oben Tripod and shot this with my Sigma 10-20mm lens.

Inspiration

Yosemite in it's own right is so beautiful and a nature/landscape photographer's dream. The beauty everywhere you look offers so much! The mountains and rock features are so grand that it's like a piece of Heaven dropped into a forest. Never before have I seen so much beauty in so many forms in such a small area of land. It's a hidden treasure!

Editing

I usually work with Lightroom and sometimes with Photoshop to clean things up. I used a bit of both to adjust the highlights and the shadows, the lights and the darks. Now and then I'll use filter presets that I manipulate in a scene which was the case as well with this photo. As I mentioned earlier, my goal was to give it that master's painting look but to keep it real looking as well.

In my camera bag

I have a DSLR, tripod, some ND filters, polarizers, A telephoto lens, an ultra-wide angle and a faster ultra-wide angle for nighttime shots. Of course lens cleaner items as well.

Feedback

Visualize your photo before you take it. Stair through your viewfinder until you get what you want! Always use a tripod to achieve the quality shots whenever possible. Don't be afraid to (SAFELY and Legally) walk out into an area that might give you the greater image. Make sure your shots are in focus. Nothing worse than relying on your viewfinder only to get home (in some cases hundreds of miles away) to find out that your shots were out of focus. Be willing to wait for the light to give you what you want in your photo. I don't try to do it with only one photo. I take a number of photos to make sure I'm getting what I want. In my younger years, that would have been very expensive with film. Not so with digital. You can always delete the ones you don't want. In the case of needing to have everything in focus pay attention to your f/stop and don't be afraid to focus close/middle/and far and to stack/blend (merge) them together with the help of Photoshop if needed. Try using different f/stops and see what it gives you. Most of all! HAVE FUN and be grateful for the opportunity.

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