389 - Sentinel Dome
I honestly have no idea what hit me today. When I got to the top of Sentinel Dome to shoot, I just about lost my mind with creativity. It was an endless fountain.
If I could figure out how to activate this flow state on demand, I'd be the best photographer in the world. But it only happens sometimes.... And I have no idea why.
I'm bouncing around ideas in my mind here as to what it could have been. Maybe the weed I smoked two days earlier? Or the fact that I was delirious from shooting all week? Or the fact that Sentinel Dome is absolutely INSANE...
Let me cut back a little bit and take you to the start of this adventure. The trail head is at the exact same spot as Taft Point, and the trail is almost identical in length. Just over a mile to the view point. The hike in was extremely easy, but for some reason it looks WAY further away than it actually is when you're walking to it. Some strange type of optical illusion.
We get to the top, and the first thing that pops into my mind is the famous Ansel Adams shot of Jeffrey Pine. Yosemite was essentially the place the made him FAMOUS, so I felt the need to pay homage to him somehow, because he's essentially the greatest photographer of all time.
I couldn't find the exact tree he shot, but there was about 7 or 8 trees up there that were sideways as well. I think it has something to do with the wind... Either way, here's the first shot I lined up:
“Tree Sideways”
Sony a7rIII + Zeiss 24-70mm f/4
ISO 100 ~ 24mm ~ f/8 ~ 1/100s
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
Fitting that tree and rock into the frame was a squeeze, but I think that tightness of that shot really does something. I love how off-balance the tree feels, it provides a sense of strangeness to the image I enjoy. Obviously I have a version without me in it as well, but I liked the back to back stance so I decided to showcase this one.
And from that point I went nuts. The rocks were alien, and the trees were magic, so combining them felt like something special. I probably shot 5 or 6 compositions featuring both, but decided upon this one in the end:
A pure landscape photography shot, with homage to Ansel. That moment with the sunset was perfect, as that was what I liked to call "Zero Sunset." First sunset is when it goes behind the mountains, second sunset is when it goes behind the horizon, and zero sunset is when it goes behind the smoke. New jargon to throw around in the heat of the moment.
That was a truly fun shot to edit, as the dodging and burning is what made that shot. I'm slowly realizing the importance of making things feel 3D when you're editing them. It adds so much more depth to the shot. Rocks especially.
At this point, I decided I'd had it with rocks/trees. I looked over to what Haley was doing, and she happened to be posed perfectly with a minimalist backdrop. I snagged this banger:
“Hairy View”
Sony a7rIII + Zeiss 24-70mm f/4
ISO 100 ~ 47mm ~ f/8 ~ 1/125s
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
Even if the natural subject isn't amazing (two rocks), paying attention to the composition and minimalism of other elements in the shot makes a huge difference for making a shot look good. For example, notice that shot only has mountain layers, rocks, and Haley. Just pick three things and combine them.
I turned to see what she was looking at, and the sunset was AMAZING. Perfect silhouettes of the valley, and I damn near lost my mind when I positioned the hazy, smoky sun directly in the center of the frame. Check this baby out:
“Blue Sun”
Sony a7rIII + Sony 70-200mm 2.8 GM
ISO 160 ~ 70mm ~ f/9 ~ 1/60s
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
These shots are just flowing like money today. One after another. I have no idea why.
With the sun fully behind the smoke, we decided to bounce so we wouldn't be walking back in the dark. Now, obviously we aren't unfamiliar with walking back in the darkness, but it's not ideal so if we can avoid it, we do. The sun wasn't going to do anything else.
Upon arriving at the parking lot, I realized this was my last day in Yosemite, and with that, my last shoot. A feeling of sadness struck over me, as this beautiful place had been our home the past week. I looked up at the sky and took one more silhouette shot to remember it:
“See Ya Soon Yosemite”
Sony a7rIII + Zeiss 24-70mm f/4
ISO 500 ~ 41mm ~ f/9 ~ 1/25s
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
It's the strangest thing. Traveling as much as we do, if we spend even one week in a place it starts to feel like home. I know I'll be back at some point, but it still makes me sad to leave. Oh well, I guess... On to big and better things. Actually... That might not be possible leaving Yosemite xD.
I’m on a mission to explore as much as humanely possible.
Want to see my progress? Check out the Adventure Map.
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