Yosemite National Park – Part 3

After a sunrise shoot at Tunnel View, I stopped at the parking area for Bridal Veil Falls.  The falls can be seen from the parking lot and there is a short trail that gets one much nearer the falls.  The trail is easy, but is slightly uphill most of the way, so it does take a little effort to hike.

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Bridal Veil Falls 1

I switched back to my 24-70mm lens before hiking the trail, but soon realized that the 80-400mm lens would have allowed me to capture close up images of details in the tall, slender waterfall.

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Bridal Veil Falls 2
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Bridal Veil Falls – Wide 1

The image above gives an idea of how far away the end of the trail viewing area is from the falls.  This view covers the entirety of the falls from top to the bottom most part that I could see, including small portions in the bottom left, but excluding the sky to avoid exposure difficulties. I could have gotten a little closer, as a few people do, by climbing beyond the viewing area border, but I elected not to do so.  One can easily see how a big lens would be useful for isolating smaller portions of this waterfall.

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Bridal Veil Falls

This long, slender waterfall does not fall straight down, but swings back and forth across the rock face.  Maybe with a heavier water flow it might fall in a more linear fashion, but this meandering path creates more interesting features and that “veil” appearance.

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Bridal Veil Falls –  Wide 2

This wider angle view gives a better indication of the local environment.

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Bridal Veil Falls 3

If I had brought my big lens, I would have zoomed into features such as the ledge in the bottom portion of the image above.

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Bridal Veil Falls – Wide 3
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Bridal Veil Falls – Wide 4
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Bridal Veil Falls 4
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Bridal Veil Falls 5
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Bridal Veil Falls 6
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Bridal Veil Falls 7
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Bridal Veil Falls – Wide 5
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Bridal Veil Falls 8
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Bridal Veil Falls 9
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Bridal Veil Falls 10

Some of the close up look images are extracted from wider angle ones by cropping the images, which I’m sure readers have realized.

That’s more than enough for now.  Thanks for following,

Ken

 

Bandelier National Monument, March 2021, Part 2

We woke up to a heavy snow cover in our campground the second morning of our visit here.  We had been watching the weather forecast and expected snow over a large area, we just could not judge how much would fall at our location, which was a higher elevation than that used in the weather forecasts .

Snow in Bandelier Campground, March 2021, iPhone Photo
Snow in Bandelier Campground, March 2021, iPhone Photo

Judging by the depth of snow on the flat surfaces, it looks like 6-8 inches of cover.

After making a few early morning iPhone photos and taking care of a few housekeeping chores, I began to walk around the campground area with my DSLR.

I managed to isolate a few individual, snow covered trees against the overcast sky.

Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021. Tree and Clouds 1.
Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Tree and Clouds 2.
Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Monochrome Tree and Snow.
Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Skeleton Tree in Snow.
Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Towering Tree in Snow.

As I walked around, I tried to capture a few small features in the snow covered landscape.

Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Grass in Snow 1.
Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Grass in Snow, Monochrome.

And anything else that looked unique or interesting.

Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Crawling Snow Covered Tree Creature.

A distant mountainside was visible through the forest and I tried to frame that in a few photographs, but the 24-70mm lens did not allow for close ups of the distant mountains tops.

Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Distant Mountains 1.
Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Distant Mountains 2.

I think the individual trees are the best images that I captured here; but here are a few miscellaneous other images to give a feel for the general look of the snow covered forest area around the campground.

Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Snow Forest 1.
Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Snow Forest 2.
Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Snow Forest 3.
Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Snow Forest 4.
Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Snow Forest 5.
Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Snow Forest 6.
Snow covers Bandelier Campground, March 2021.  Old and Fallen, Old and Standing.

It is good that I got out early to capture the snow, since it began to melt away even as I made my way back to my van.  It was essentially all gone by late morning.

More on Bandelier later,

Ken

Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado, September 26, 2020 PM, Part 3

By the time this final post, covering my fall visit to the Rio Grande National Forest, is published it will be late spring of 2021.  It would have been good to have been able to publish all of the fall photographs in the fall, but it takes time to review and edit so many photographs and there are always other trips, events and personal matters that delay getting posts prepared.

Maybe I should take fewer photographs?  But photography of natural places is my hobby and I get to do too little of it as is, so I will continue to make as many photos like these as often as I can get away to do so.

Fall Forest. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/320s, f/11, ISO 3200.
Red and Green Leaf on Log. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 3200.

 

Dark Red. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 3200.
Fall Forest Roadway. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/500s, f/11, ISO 3200.
Leaf on Log. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 3200.
Leaves and Moss on Stump. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 3200.
Leaves and Stump. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/80s, f/11, ISO 3200.
Trapped. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 6400.

I’ll finish with a final photograph that I think is appropriate for wrapping up this trip.

Heart Tree. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/100s, f/11, ISO 6400.

The heart shaped scar on this tree appears to be natural and not one of the many carved ones that I encountered.

As soon as I publish this, I will begin preparations for another trip to begin in a few days.  I have much to do and still have to select a primary destination.  Maybe by next year, I will even be posting photos from that trip.  (I still have other events in the queue to work through before getting to anything new)!

Thanks for following, stay well and safe,

Ken

Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado, September 26, 2020 PM, Part 2

Again, mostly photographs and few words.

Shelter. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/100s, f/11, ISO 3200.
Trunk Trio. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 52mm, 1/320s, f/11, ISO 3200.
Hint of Fall, B&W with selective colorization. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/320s, f/11, ISO 400.
Sanctuary. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/250s, f/11, ISO 2000.
Forest Road and Barren Aspens, B&W with selective colorization. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 52mm, 1/320s, f/11, ISO 2000.
Advanced Fall, B&W with selective colorization. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 2000.
Advanced Fall. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 2000.
Hanging On, B&W with selective colorization. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/250s, f/11, ISO 2000.
Stump with moss and leaves. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 32mm, 1/320s, f/11, ISO 3200.

Just one comment to wrap up this post.  Viewers will note that I’ve include color versions of a few images that were then converted to black and white with selective colorization to add emphasis.

Stay tuned for the wrap up for my September 2020 Rio Grande National Forest visit.

Ken

Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado, September 26, 2020 PM, Part 1

For our late day shoot, we decided to drive back into a higher elevation portion of the forest. I’ll refrain from using too many words to wrap up the final shoot of my last day here, so these last several posts will consist of mostly photographs.

Aspen Fall.  Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/250s, f/11, ISO 2500.
Aspen Leaf and Evergreen. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 1600.
Leaf and Bark. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/80s, f/11, ISO 320.
Fall Forest. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 1600.
Leaf Hoard. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 2000.
Leaf and Bough. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/250s, f/11, ISO 2000.
Golden Forest Floor. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 26mm, 1/250s, f/11, ISO 2000.
Gnarly. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 32mm, 1/250s, f/11, ISO 2000.
Soft Landing. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 3200.

To be continued,

Ken

Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado, September 26, 2020, AM, Part 3

Looking for small details in a vast forest, sometimes one finds natural abstracts.

Stump Abstract, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 5000.

This weathered tree stump with map like contours caught my eye.  Here is a black and white conversion:

Stump B&W, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 5000.

The Aspen leaf in this photo had not quite completed its color transformation, before it fell to rest upon a mossy bed.

Yellow and Green, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/1250s, f/11, ISO 5000.
Aspen Leaves on Mossy Stump, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 3200.
Forest floor, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 3200.

I prefer to photograph these little details as I find them; but sometimes I’m tempted to move things around.  I did not move anything in the photo above; but I can’t help but wonder, if I should have.  Should I have removed the blade of grass pointing at the Aspen leaf in the middle?  Or does that blade of grass serve as a useful pointer in this photograph?  Would this image be better, if I had cleared away some of the debris around the edges or the scattered leaves, leaving just the single leaf in the center?  What about that little twig resting on the stump to the left of the center leaf?

I have no objection to “posing” a natural scene for artistic purpose and I have removed man made items from natural scenes and I’m quite ok with this.  I’ve occasionally removed a twig, a fallen tree limb or a blade of grass, if I thought those were distracting in a scene. But nature is not perfect, so will “cleaning” a scene make it unreal?  Is unreal ok in this sense?  No one would know the scene has been modified, if not so informed by the photographer.  Is it acceptable to “manufacture” a natural scene?

Red and Green, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/250s, f/11, ISO 800.
Aspen Leaf, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 65mm, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 800.

And I will wrap up this portion of this morning’s photos with one final forest image, which I just noted this morning was chosen for Flickr’s Explore page.

Forest Shadows, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 800.

Stay tuned for the rest of today’s story,

Ken

Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado, September 26, 2020, AM, Part 2

Aspen Leaf on Stump. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/250s, f/11, ISO 6400.

This post is a continuation of photography in the Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado during the final morning of photography this September.

Aspen Leaf. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 3200.

Many of my photos from today are of more of the small details seen in a forest.

Forest Spotlight. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/640s, f/11, ISO 3200.
Aspen Leaves, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 3200.
Aspen Leaves, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 35mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 250.
Aspen Leaf on Mossy Log, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 26mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 5000.
Aspen Leaf on Mossy Stump, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 5000.
Aspen Leaf on Mossy Log, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/250s, f/11, ISO 5000.

Stay tuned for mid-day and afternoon of our final day in the Rio Grande National Forest,

Ken

Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado, September 24, 2020, Part 2

September 24, 2020, AM, continuing my wandering around in the Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado:

Fallen. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 640.
Forest Clutter. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 40mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 640.

For landscape images it is best to make simple images with no distracting clutter.  In a forest it is virtually impossible to avoid clutter.  Trees and grasses grow in a mass of seeming disorder.  Limbs and twigs stick out everywhere, the forest floor is covered with all kinds of natural debris, grasses and low growing plants, fallen trees and limbs.  Still, I try to carefully consider what is in my composition.  Sometimes I can exclude something that I consider particularly distracting, many times I just have to accept what is there and try to compose so that a viewer can get the intended message.

Star Burst Aspens. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 26mm, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 200.

Sometimes, isolating details, either via zooming in or cropping in post processing, works to eliminate clutter, but context may be lacking, if that matters.

Aspen Leaves. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/100s, f/11, ISO 250
Cradled. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/80s, f/11, ISO 500.
Forest Floor and Shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/100s, f/11, ISO 250.

The chaotic nature of a forest may be the message.

Geometric Shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 500.

Sometimes there appears to be a natural geometry within the chaos or just a simple highlight that catches the eye.

Aspen Twig. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/2000s, f/11, ISO 400.

I do not claim to be an expert or accomplished photographer, so maybe I need to move on now.

Until next time stay well and safe,

Ken

 

Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado, September 23, 2020, Part 5

Continued from part 4:

In an opening in the forest on a steep slope, I photographed the distant mountainsides below clouds that provided shadows and moving spotlights on the massive forest.

Aspen Mountain. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 42mm, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 400.

Much of the mountainsides were covered with beetle killed evergreens.  A scattering of color within the mass of dead, grey trees caught my eye as they were highlighted by light breaking through the cloud cover.

Hope. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 56mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 400.

There are a few green evergreens and a scattering of Aspens within the mass of dead trees.  I wonder how this will evolve with time.  Will Aspens replace the evergreens or will the evergreens somehow evolve to resist the beetles?

It was getting late in the day, there would be no golden hour light here due to mountains blocking the late day light and in any case I did not want to try to find my way through the forest in the dark, hiking back to my campsite.  So I began to work my way back up the slope.  Taking my time and stopping whenever I thought I might get an interest photo.

Skeleton Tree. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 1250.

The late day sunlight filtered through the forest creating narrow, subtle, streaks of highlights in the grassy floor of the forest.

Grassy Forest. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 1250.

Many fallen trees, partially supported by living trees, created mazes that might have proven dangerous to navigate through after dark.

Head Knockers. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 42mm, 1/13s, f/11, ISO 200.
Chaotic Forest. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/13s, f/11, ISO 200. (Flickr Explore, December 28, 2020).

Near the top of the grassy, forested slope, I stopped to get this shot through the mass of Aspen trunks.

Aspen Hill. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 31mm, 1/10s, f/11, ISO 200.

That’s all for now,

Ken

Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado, September 23, 2020, Part 1

As I walked towards a valley overview for early morning photography, I went past my neighbor campers, a middle age couple, that I had correctly assumed to be hunters, as they prepared to head out on their morning hunt.  We chatted briefly, before I continued on my short hike over the open, frosty, grassy area.

Frosty Morning View. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 50mm, 0.4s, f/11, ISO 64.
Meadow Grass Morning. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 3200.

It was also a little breezy, so I had to use higher ISO than desirable (noise increases with increasing ISO) to get a sufficiently fast shutter speed to freeze the motion of the grass and/or other vegetation in the images.

After the golden morning light was gone from the distant mountain tops, I continued to shoot as the shadows retreated from the broad meadow.

Cold Ground. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 28mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 1600.

I began working my way down into the meadow towards the sinuous drainages running running across it, with the intent of using the drainage as leading lines,  stopping along the way to shoot a few images of the sunlight sparkling in the morning frost.  I was largely unsuccessful at capturing the sparkle with my lens of choice this morning, although I did not try to get really up close with the lens, so maybe I should not put the failure on the lens.

Frosty Meadow. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 800.
Frosty Meadow. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 250.

I found thin ice on small pools of water in the drainage, so it apparently got below freezing last night, at least in the low areas in the valley.

Cold Meadow. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 320.

The beetle killed evergreens on the mountainsides made for much unattractiveness in the scenes here and I’ve tried to minimize that impact in my images.

Sinuous. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 56mm, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 200.

Eventually satisfied that I had achieved as much as I could this morning, I headed back to my vehicle for coffee and a light breakfast, before heading on along FSR 380 looking for my next campsite.

Thanks for following,

Ken