Tag: landscape

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Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park

After waiting all summer for the snow to melt out of the high country, I finally ventured north of Tioga Road with some friends from college for a weekend backpacking trip. Instead of my usual high mileage days, our focus was on leisure time in the backcountry, which gave me plenty of time for photography. We hiked into the Ten Lakes region – an area featuring a chain of lakes with forested streams in between them, all draining into the Tuolumne River far below.

A calm lakes reflects the surrounding cliffs in early morning, Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park
A calm lakes reflects the surrounding cliffs in early morning, Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 100. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 1/6 sec. at f/16. Stitched vertical frames creating a 44 megapixel image.

We found a campsite at the far end of a small lake. The site was situated atop a thirty foot cliff, giving us a commanding view of the lake and surrounding cliffs. Behind us rose an unnamed granite peak, offering the camp a nice backdrop. Best of all however, was the nearby stream dropping from an upper lake into the lake below. There was an endless variety of small pools and cascades, giving me plenty of material to work with.

A stream runs between two lakes in the Ten Lakes chain, forming a small cascade, Yosemite National Park
A stream runs between two lakes in the Ten Lakes chain, forming a small cascade, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 50. Evaluative metering -2/3 EV: .6 sec. at f/16.

Just before sunset on our first night, the clouds started moving in. While other campers might have cast a worrisome eye to the skies, I was elated. I knew that the chance for a dramatic sunset was greatly increased with the changing weather conditions, and thankfully I was rewarded with one. The best part – I only had to walk about ten yards from our campsite to get the view I wanted. Given it required almost no work on my part, I almost felt guilty.

The dramatic skies of sunset are reflected in one of lakes of the Ten Lakes chain, Yosemite National Park
The dramatic skies of sunset are reflected in one of lakes of the Ten Lakes chain, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 100. Evaluative metering -2/3 EV: 2.5 sec. at f/16.

The next morning was bright and clear. I woke up early to explore the area, and see what the morning had to offer. Our little lake looked quite different in the morning, and I took advantage of the still air to get a nice reflection in the background of a camp-side stream photo. I can never get enough of Sierra Nevada granite.

Trees and vegetation grow amid Sierra granite, Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park
Trees and vegetation grow amid Sierra granite, Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 50. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 1.3 sec. at f/16.

Working my way up the stream, I found a spot where I could capture the running water with the peak that rose above our site.

A stream cascades down slabs of granite below an unnamed peak, Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park
A stream cascades down slabs of granite below an unnamed peak, Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 50. Evaluative metering -2 EV: .6 sec. at f/18.

This day was a rest day – full of fishing and exploring some of the other lakes in the chain. Working our way up to a higher lake, we saw there were still huge slabs of snow right at the shoreline. Going higher still, we found a lake with no fish, but a perfect spot for a mid day swim. There is something very special about having an entire lake to yourself in the most populated state in the nation. Of course, along the way, I also had plenty more opportunities for photos.

A stream cascades through a forest in the Ten Lakes region of Yosemite National Park
A stream cascades through a forest in the Ten Lakes region of Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 50. Evaluative metering -2/3 EV: 1/6 sec. at f/16.

After exhausting ourselves and getting a great night of sleep, it was time to head back to the real world. It was a great trip, with beautiful landscape and only seven miles of hiking each way. While the location was not as remote as most of my Sierra trips, I enjoyed the slower pace and additional time for photography. I’ll definitely have to work in more trips like this in the future!

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Columbia River Gorge Sunset

The sun sets on the Crown Point Vista House, overlooking the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
The sun sets on the Crown Point Vista House, overlooking the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 100. Evaluative metering -1/3: .4 sec. at f/16.

Last weekend I was up in Oregon visiting my parents. One of the enjoyable aspects of visiting the area in which I grew up is some of the fantastic photographic opportunities there. Growing up at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, it was easy to take some of the remarkable scenery for granted. But living elsewhere and visiting this area helps me put fresh eyes on a familiar landscape.

This photograph features the famous Crown Point Vista House standing sentinel atop its cliff, overlooking the Columbia River. It is an over-photographed image, but one I love coming back to in different conditions. Here I only wished for a more dynamic sky, but as is always true in landscape photography, you get what nature gives you.

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Eastern Sierra Wrapup

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of attending a short three-day workshop with David Muench, one of this country’s preeminent landscape photographers. Assisting him was Jerry Dodrill, who spend his early professional photography career working for Galen Rowel. It was great to catch up with both of them, and see some of the best that the eastern Sierra has to offer in the spring. It was a busy three days, during which I averaged about four hours of sleep per night. I spent a few days on either end of the workshop to meet up with friends and do a little exploring on my own. Here are a few photographs from the trip.

Barrel cactus is just starting to bloom in the Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, CA
Barrel cactus is just starting to bloom in the Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, CA. Canon 17-40mm f/4L lens with the EOS-5D Mark II. ISO 200. Evaluative metering -1/3 EV: 1/6 sec. at f/22.

The photo above and directly below were taken in early morning in the Alabama Hills, just outside of Lone Pine. It is an area famous not only for the sheer face of the eastern Sierra and the multitude of arches that frame them, but also for the many movies made here. Recent films include Iron Man, Gladiator, and Gone In 60 Seconds. Driving out on the dusty dirt road after sunrise, we saw two women walking along the road. I did a double take as I saw one of them was Penny Marshall. Really weird place to see a Hollywood celebrity!

I love the barrel cactus growing in this area, and wanted to feature one using the backdrop of Mt. Whitney and Mt. Langley.

Various patterns and colors of rock form layers to the face of Mt. Langley, Alabama Hills, CA
Various patterns and colors of rock form layers to the face of Mt. Langley, Alabama Hills, CA. Canon 17-40mm f/4L lens with the EOS-5D Mark II. ISO 200. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 1/4 sec. at f/18.

This photograph is a more straight-forward interpretation, using the layering of rock bands to lead up to Mt. Langley. The area offers infinite patterns of boulders and rocks, many of which can be composed into very strong photographs. This is one of many areas for which David Meunch is famous.

The rising sun lightly dusts the peaks of the Eastern Sierra, Bishop, CA.
The rising sun lightly dusts the peaks of the Eastern Sierra, Bishop, CA. Canon 17-40mm f/4L lens with the EOS-5D Mark II. ISO 200. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 1/13 sec. at f/18.

The mountains to the west of Bishop provide a dramatic backdrop for a variety of foreground locations and environments. The above photo used a small pond in a flooded field to create a reflection of Mt. Humphreys, Basin Mountain, and Mt. Tom (from left to right). The morning was clear with not a cloud in the sky (not a photographer’s best conditions for shooting!) The lack of wind was great for reflections, but the lack of clouds reduced the drama of the morning significantly. This is one of those examples of a great location with imperfect conditions. It is definitely a spot I hope to revisit and capture with more dramatic skies.

Irises come into bloom outside of Bishop, CA
Irises come into bloom outside of Bishop, CA. Canon TS-E24mm f/3.5L II lens with the EOS-5D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1 1/3 EV: 1/20 sec. at f/16.

The flooded field also contained wild irises, which were just starting to come into bloom.

Irises catch first light, Bishop, CA
Irises catch first light, Bishop, CA. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D Mark II. ISO 200. Evaluative metering -1 EV: 1/13 sec. at f/18.

Our last evening brought a special sunset treat – a long line of lenticular clouds that formed above the Sierra crest had blown out over the Owen’s Valley. With strong winds out of the west, there was no cloud buildup in that direction, allowing the sun to light up the underside of the lenticulars at sunset. This phenomenon can happen regularly in the area due to the local topography, and has come to be know as the “Sierra wave”.

Lenticular clouds form over Owen's Valley at sunset, Bishop, CA
Lenticular clouds form over Owen's Valley at sunset, Bishop, CA. Canon 17-40mm f/4L lens with the EOS-5D Mark II. ISO 200. Evaluative metering +1 EV: .4 sec. at f/22.

It was a great trip – I got to spend time with friends and meet some new ones. Although nature photography tends to be a “solo sport”, it can be great fun meeting up with like-minded people.

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Mono Lake Sunset

Clouds hang over the tufa at sunset, Mono Lake, CA
Clouds hang over the tufa at sunset, Mono Lake, CA. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 50. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 8 sec. at f/22

After a first evening of disappointing skies at Mono Lake, I went back later in the week on my recent trip to the eastern Sierra. Some clouds were building in the afternoon, and it looked like it would be a decent evening for sunset.

In my mind’s eye, I envisioned still waters, mirrored reflections of tufa, and a lightly clouded sunset sky. The sky was certainly shaping up, but late in the afternoon, the wind picked up and blew away any chance of tufa reflections. Because the wind was blowing the water into small waves hitting the shore, I decided instead to use a longer exposure to translate that lake motion into a quiet mist.

I knew that the tall tufa spires I had previsualized were out – I needed something smaller to use as a foreground to lead the eye into the lake. Whenever using a long exposure to create a water mist effect, I always juxtapose the water against razor sharp, highly detailed subjects. These usually end up being rocks, but in this case, tufa would work just as well. I walked along the shore until I found what I was looking for.

Trying to achieve a longer shutter speed, I added a circular polarizer and lowered my ISO to 50, giving me an 8 second exposure. This was plenty of time to soften the water, giving me the sought after effect. I moved back and forth, forward and backward, working the composition until I was happy with it.

After the sun had set, I walked back along the shore looking for subjects that would work well in twilight. The composition in the photo below caught my eye, and I made a quick photograph on my way back to the car.

A stillness descends on Mono Lake just after sunset
A stillness descends on Mono Lake just after sunset. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 200. Evaluative metering +1/3: 8 sec. at f/16

On my second visit to Mono Lake, I was much more satisfied with the weather, giving me clouds to add a little texture to the sky. But I had to remain nimble in my thinking to work with and accommodate the wind. Sometimes all the planning and thinking about a place must be thrown out the window, but what you get in return may be unexpected and a great reward.

Copyright 2017 Hank Christensen