state route 88 snow and sunset

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SSSdave
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state route 88 snow and sunset

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The day after Christmas, Monday, a cold clear dry air sunny day with light breezes, drove east up to my season pass resort on state route 88. At 3pm my body had enough skiing so left with a plan to work a couple snowy areas roadside for photos as I often do. Most days the weather, light, and time of day leave me just looking while occasionally I have reason to stop and set up for distant sunsets. Only a small percentage of days will I manage to capture strong images but in order to do so one must pay dues of being ready just in case on all the mediocre ones. And on fresh snow days near sunset may put my Tubbs snow shoes on and walk about aspen trunks for close-up images.

The texture of fresh snow tends to capture well with subtle shading near sunset making for a wonderful background to small objects. The above is the dried cellulose stalk of one of our carrot family species that probably bloomed end of July. There were several of these stalks poking up above the snow while the above had tipped over laying down against the snow, right where I wanted it. This is a 6000 by 4000 pixel focus stack blend of 12 shots using my Sigma 60mm DN lens.

The below link is to a 50% downsized enlarged vertical slice that shows beauty of the finer detail. In order to NOT open another browser tab within HST that will NOT allow a magnified view, mouse right button select the link and then in the pop up select Open Link in New Window.

http://www.davidsenesac.com/2016_Trip_C ... 73-84e.jpg

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Back in my car drove down to one of only 3 pullouts along the snowy highway at 6k to 7k elevation where one might stop and photograph the distant western horizon with receding evergreen ridges below. In the far distance across the Central Valley is the Coast Range at about 140 miles. This day thin clouds in the distance had moved in that offered possibility of some interesting post sunset light. Usually the areas of bright dramatically colored light are small and near where the sun sets thus requiring a telephoto lens. I reached the second pull out and set up my tripod capturing these images with my Sony 55 to 210mm zoom lens near maximum zoom. At 210mm for APS-C that would be a 35mm full frame equivalent 335mm lens. To make sure focus was on the silhouetted conifers, used manual focus that is well engineered on the A6000 with magnification. A single 6000 by 4000 pixel shot at F7.1. Enlarged:

http://www.davidsenesac.com/2016_Trip_C ... 00393e.jpg

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Next set my tripod head for a vertical orientation in order to fit between a couple blocking trees in the view and captured the above wonderful purple colors with areas of the blue sky showing through the thin clouds. And below more wonderful bright yellow and orange light where the sun had just dipped below the tree line.. Many photographers in this era of course play with hues and saturation in Photoshop but to get real color as is my style like the above, such sunsets are an uncommon prize. A single 4000 by 6000 pixel shot at F7.1. Enlarged:

http://www.davidsenesac.com/2016_Trip_C ... 00396e.jpg

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Sky and cloud dusk colors tend to change rapidly and soon after the purples changed to a nice red slightly purple hue variation. My Induro CT113 carbon fiber tripod with a Manfrotto MH054M0 magnesium ballhead has a Nodal Ninja III MK II manual panoramic head atop with a vertical orientation that once the spirit bubble level is balanced makes panning across the distant skyline a simple manner without requiring usual ballhead tweaking. Enlarged:

http://www.davidsenesac.com/2016_Trip_C ... 00397e.jpg

David
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gary c.
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Re: state route 88 snow and sunset

Post by gary c. »

Beautiful pictures!!
"On this proud and beautiful mountain we have lived hours of fraternal, warm and exalting nobility. Here for a few days we have ceased to be slaves and have really been men. It is hard to return to servitude."
-- Lionel Terray
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Jason
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Re: state route 88 snow and sunset

Post by Jason »

Noice!
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