Toroweap Revisited

dlplumer

TreyHoff

Wow Dan! Very nice. Someday I've got to get out there.

PGM

Beautiful photo, and I'm really glad you didn't step out any further on that rock! It really gives me the feeling of being right there! Best, Pam

dlplumer

TreyHoff wrote: »

Wow Dan! Very nice. Someday I've got to get out there.

Thanks Trey. Definitely worth the trip, but make sure you have a good four wheel vehicle

CWSkopec

Looks great, Dan!
It might benefit from a touch more contrast, but I am on my girlfriend's laptop right now, so it might be the crappy screen!

Reminds me that "Toroweap Sunrise Photos" are STILL on my to do list...

dlplumer

PGM wrote: »

Beautiful photo, and I'm really glad you didn't step out any further on that rock! It really gives me the feeling of being right there! Best, Pam

Thanks Pam. It's a 1.25 miles down so, believe me, I felt alive; and I wanted to stay that way

shades

AWESOME!!! Great shot.

PilotBrad

Wow, very very nice!

OK, please let me drift a bit and ask a question. How do you take pictures like this and avoid getting big blobby sun flares? I realize some lenses are more prone to flare than others, but are their any tips for minimizing it.

dlplumer

PilotBrad wrote: »

Wow, very very nice!

OK, please let me drift a bit and ask a question. How do you take pictures like this and avoid getting big blobby sun flares? I realize some lenses are more prone to flare than others, but are their any tips for minimizing it.

That is a great question, and I do not have the answer, but I have no doubt others will. This shot had lots of blobby sun flares which I cloned out

coscorrosa

I love the scenery here, a few critiques:

* There's some fairly heavy noise in the clouds, did you increase the brightness in post?
* There are parts of the image that are unnaturally dark - for example the upper left near and around that bush, and parts of the horizon on the right. Did you use a GND filter >= 3 stops? That could explain it. The upper left corner also shows some signs of vignetting.
* There's a weird dark blotchy spot on the right horizon
* The crop is a little off (you can't tell on a white background, but you can tell on a black one). Looks like you just need to shave a snippet off the right.

I think the foreground is really good, it's just the background areas that need work. High contrast scenes like this are nearly impossible to process, and I admire your stamina

This is definitely on my places to visit, but a rental car won't cut it

coscorrosa

CWSkopec wrote: »

Reminds me that "Toroweap Sunrise Photos" are STILL on my to do list...

I don't know whether to be disgusted or in awe...

Doug Solis

Wow, this is a visually stunning image. Really a feast for the eyes. I love the geometric foreground that leads the eye to a beautiful curving river.

dlplumer

coscorrosa wrote: »

I love the scenery here, a few critiques:

* There's some fairly heavy noise in the clouds, did you increase the brightness in post?
* There are parts of the image that are unnaturally dark - for example the upper left near and around that bush, and parts of the horizon on the right. Did you use a GND filter >= 3 stops? That could explain it. The upper left corner also shows some signs of vignetting.
* There's a weird dark blotchy spot on the right horizon
* The crop is a little off (you can't tell on a white background, but you can tell on a black one). Looks like you just need to shave a snippet off the right.

I think the foreground is really good, it's just the background areas that need work. High contrast scenes like this are nearly impossible to process, and I admire your stamina

This is definitely on my places to visit, but a rental car won't cut it

Of course you are right on all counts, which just validates the fact that I can not manually blend as well as Photomatix. I keep trying to produce a better photo than my original, and I keep failing. However, Ron, I do sincerely appreciate you taking the time to ruin my day

coscorrosa

dlplumer wrote: »

Of course you are right on all counts, which just validates the fact that I can not manually blend as well as Photomatix. I keep trying to produce a better photo than my original, and I keep failing. However, Ron, I do sincerely appreciate you taking the time to ruin my day

At least I accomplished something today!

Ultimately it's the results that matter, not the post processing technique used to get there. If Photomatix works, then use it! But don't give up on manual blends just yet. A scene like this is about as tough as it's going to get, I rarely shoot scenes with this much contrast.

dlplumer

Doug Solis wrote: »

Wow, this is a visually stunning image. Really a feast for the eyes. I love the geometric foreground that leads the eye to a beautiful curving river.

Thanks, Doug. I am glad you like it

CWSkopec

coscorrosa wrote: »

I don't know whether to be disgusted or in awe...

I think a little bit of both is the correct answer!

pathfinder

coscorrosa wrote: »

At least I accomplished something today!

Ultimately it's the results that matter, not the post processing technique used to get there. If Photomatix works, then use it! But don't give up on manual blends just yet. A scene like this is about as tough as it's going to get, I rarely shoot scenes with this much contrast.

I think when I shot this I shot 3-5 frames as an HDR, all with a 3 stop GND at the same time. It is really dark down in that canyon, and, of course, very bright near the sun.

That viewpoint is just one of those spots that you have to see in person.

jackiejay

Such a beautiful photo the rays comming threw gives it a peaceful setting.Its so beautiful there you captured it perfectly

jeepr

bow Absolutely stunning!!!!!

hawkeye978

Great shot, Dan. Yeah, there are some technical issues but to my mind it's as much about the emotional reaction you can generate in the viewer from the image and this one works in that regard.

bradorr

removing your filter from your lens will help.. I found much of it comes from reflections from the front element and the filter

PilotBrad wrote: »

Wow, very very nice!

OK, please let me drift a bit and ask a question. How do you take pictures like this and avoid getting big blobby sun flares? I realize some lenses are more prone to flare than others, but are their any tips for minimizing it.

Enlightphoto

I love Toroweap! I hope to get back there soon. I agree w/ a lot of comments, bit gonna go even one further; did you have more than a single filter on the front of your camera, and was this a high grade lens or a consumer lens? Normally, to see multiple lines like that means that the light is hitting or reflecting off one thing per line. There's still a tiny bit of green flare in the center FG rocks. The way to avoid flare is partly dependent on atmoshperics; how high the sun, how much haze and diffusion, and how much of the disc is visible. Generally a high quality lens, not having anything in front of the front element, and the sun one (up to three) solar disc(s) above the horizon, depending on haze, or if the sun is obscured by any clouds.

dlplumer

jackiejay wrote: »

Such a beautiful photo the rays comming threw gives it a peaceful setting.Its so beautiful there you captured it perfectly

jeepr wrote: »

bow Absolutely stunning!!!!!

hawkeye978 wrote: »

Great shot, Dan. Yeah, there are some technical issues but to my mind it's as much about the emotional reaction you can generate in the viewer from the image and this one works in that regard.

Thanks folks.

annnna8888

Stunning, Dan! My kind of landscape! You captured it beautifully. I do agree with some points mentioned by others, e.g. upping the contrast a little bit and eliminating the white band left after cropping, but these are just minor technicalities. The photo is still a winner.

Ana

dlplumer

annnna8888 wrote: »

Stunning, Dan! My kind of landscape! You captured it beautifully. I do agree with some points mentioned by others, e.g. upping the contrast a little bit and eliminating the white band left after cropping, but these are just minor technicalities. The photo is still a winner.

Ana

Thank you Ana. Here is the same shot processed differently. What do you think?

coscorrosa

dlplumer wrote: »

Thank you Ana. Here is the same shot processed differently. What do you think?

I think this is MUCH better. You lose some of the drama without the sun star, but everything else about this second photo is better, the foreground is more crisp and sharp, there's no halos or weird dark spots on the horizon or by those bushes. Definitely an improvement!

annnna8888

dlplumer wrote:

Thank you Ana. Here is the same shot processed differently. What do you think?

While the second photo is crisper, has more midtone contrast/detail and loses the halos, it lacks, IMHO, the very component that is essential for a great landscape photo - light. It's quite flat compared to the first one, which - flaws apart - glows with the sweet golden light that can't be replaced or surpassed by anything else. So if you can try and post-process the first shot a bit differently to avoid the above-mentioned shortcomings and retain the sweet light, you've got yourself a winner.

Ana

pathfinder

coscorrosa wrote: »

This is definitely on my places to visit, but a rental car won't cut it

You can make it in a Suburban easily, Ron.

My Ridgeline made it without difficulties at all. You really will want 4WD and good ground clearance, but any 4WD pickup should suffice.

Some folks do get there in a 2WD compact car, at times; I have seen them there, but I would not attempt that unless I was with a group that could save my back sides if the weather changed, or I had a bit of bad luck. You are almost a 100 miles from pavement and no cell phone coverage at all. Take plenty of water, and some shade.

Make sure you have a good spare tire, or maybe even two. And a snatchem strap. There are some rock ledges about 8-10 inches tall along the way. There are some sand pits that you need to negotiate also.

It is a great place to visit and photograph. Thanks again, Aaron, for taking me there.

Nikolai

Hey Dan,
I see you visited the coveted "Nelson point" again
Nice image!
And I take it, it wasn't 104F either

Nikolai

pathfinder wrote: »

You can make it in a Suburban easily, Ron.

My Ridgeline made it without difficulties at all. You really will want 4WD and good ground clearance, but any 4WD pickup should suffice.

Some folks do get there in a 2WD compact car, at times; I have seen them there, but I would not attempt that unless I was with a group that could save my back sides if the weather changed, or I had a bit of bad luck. You are almost a 100 miles from pavement and no cell phone coverage at all. Take plenty of water, and some shade.

Make sure you have a good spare tire, or maybe even two. And a snatchem strap. There are some rock ledges about 8-10 inches tall along the way. There are some sand pits that you need to negotiate also.

It is a great place to visit and photograph. Thanks again, Aaron, for taking me there.

Oh yeah, sandpits are there for sure:



As Jim said, most of the road is totally fine for any 2WD vehicle, it's just the last few miles is where you would appreciate a higher clearance and if not 4WD, then at least a few buddies

TreyHoff

The reprocessed photo is a great improvement. The colors are more vivid and the canyon really comes alive. I do miss that fantastic sun star, but oh well.