Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/01/12

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Subject: [Leica] IMG: Hoppies in Yosemite, the last photo set
From: afirkin at afirkin.com (Alastair Firkin)
Date: Mon Jan 12 21:28:21 2009

One comment you made earlier was that it was not good light for b/w: I 
disagree. John Sexton talks about "quiet light" and some of his images are 
just wonderful. Contrast range is so much greater than you at first imagine 
in dull overcast conditions. One of the problems I have with landscapes in 
Australia is the LACK of cloudy days: bring on the mist and rain I say ;-)

Cheers

--- hoppyman@bigpond.net.au wrote:

From: "Geoff Hopkinson" <hoppyman@bigpond.net.au>
To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org>
Subject: RE: [Leica] IMG: Hoppies in Yosemite, the last photo set
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:18:25 +1000

Thank you for looking and commenting with good insight, Alastair. I like
this new rigorous critique trend you have started. Guilty as charged on some
of these being record shots. The first tunnel view one is there just to
provide a comparison to the next day when the snow arrived.
To get the real AA feel I'd have to practise for the next 100 years or so!
You are spot on about the light of course. There is no substitute for time,
expertise and experience in the area.  Next time I'd love to go in the
spring. In fact there is only one frame rendered as b/w. all of the rest are
actually colour images. So you can call those VERY soft colour if you like.
As always there's no substitute for holding a big print in your hand. 
I have some more that I meant to post (one you'll get in the Print
Exchange), however I'll go back to the edit table first.
The flat light though in some is partly due to them being taken through the
falling snow where I stood. I had to discard a number that were taken with
snowflakes ON the lens.

To continue this into a maybe useful technical direction, I was going for
stormy and dramatic, however there was simply very gently falling snow on
the valley floor. So calm that the flakes became huge and fluffy. Staying
past that day would no doubt have given us some proper cover, like in the
shots that Aram has posted. 

I've rendered the snow clouds as darker, made green trees more sombre,
actually intensifying the colour in some other areas. These all also have
considerable local manipulation in specific areas, for example different
saturation and luminance, graduated exposures, selective burning or dodging
and some creative local sharpening. No surprise to anyone here, but looking
at the originals at 100% on my screen reveals a stunning amount of detail
and clarity from the superb Leica glass.
I believe that if AA was with us today, he would be an avid enthusiast for
Photoshop as his darkroom. 


Cheers
Geoff
-----Original Message-----
Subject: Re: [Leica] IMG: Hoppies in Yosemite, the last photo set

Wild weather to see Yosemite. You were lucky, though "big" waterfalls are
always more impressive. Your images display the range of weather and the
usually soft light of the place very well. To the get the real AA feel, you
will have to work on the b/w displays, but the softer colour images have
worked really well. Like most landscape (imo) the sunny clear days are the
way to experience it, but not the way to photograph it. The sunny images
look like good record shots somewhat flat, but I love some of the misty
moody images

well done and keep them coming

Cheers
Alastair

--- hoppyman@bigpond.net.au wrote:

Folks, there are 18 photos in my Yosemite galley. Won't you please take a
look?
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/a/usa/g/
M8 with an assortment from 18, 24, 28 and 50 No alcoholic content but some
very beautiful light and a tiny pilgrimage to some places where the master
stood.
 
Cheers
Geoff
http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/e
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/
Pick up your camera and make the best photo you can.
 




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Replies: Reply from hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (Geoff Hopkinson) (IMG: RE: [Leica] IMG: Hoppies in Yosemite, the last photo set)