Valley View Sunset by Steven Davis

Tuesday, 22nd December 2009

Valley View Sunset

by Steven Davis

This is Valley View. I took this along the Yosemite River in the Yosemite Valley. This was taken at sunset on a Stephen Oachs / Brian Rueb workshop. I really wanted a smooth effect on the water, but also wanted to expose for the pinkish sky, so this is a blended shot from 3 exposures, one for the sky, one for the mountains, and one for the ground & trees. Hope you like it as much as I do

Equipment: Canon Rebel XS & 17-40L

Steven Davis

Steven Davis is an award-winning photographer specializing in landscape and occasional wildlife photography. He hasn’t been able to put down his DSLR since he got it back in December 2008

www.stevendavisphoto.com

22 Comments

paul whitton Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 1:04 am
nice,I am just now slowly getting the hang of HDR and tis shot is great inspiration. thanks for sharing
Dianne Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:43 am
Very nice scene! Everything looks so serene. You captured tranquility with your professional eye. Thank you for sharing Steven.
Anurag Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:49 am
That’s a very good blend Steve. I’d love to know wehether its via HDR or via the help of luminosity masks.

P.S. This shot is very similar to another shot by Buck Forester on 23rd January 2008. This time on Velvia.
Steven Davis Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:24 am
Thanks everyone. This shot is NOT HDR. I just blended 3 exposures with painted masks in Photoshop on 3 layers. I prefer not to use Grad ND’s unless I HAVE to capture the scene in one frame. Otherwise I prefer to bracket at various exposures. This allows me more time to shoot more compositions, as well as do better masks than the standard straight gradient from a filter. You have a LOT more control in photoshop. Just depends if you wanna spend more time in front of the camera, or in front of the computer. Since light changes quickly during shooting, I prefer to save time while shooting and get more comps
Gloria Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:27 am
I love this picture, “in the right place at the right time”.
su Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:51 am
Great blens, love the orange reflection in the foreground, nice one.
Fab Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Very nice exposure blending. Well done
Wanda Krack Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Good job blending. I like the smooth water where you would not expect it.
Marie Dunphy Harding Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Quite lovely, the water is so calm, it looks thick! Well deserved potd.
Ellen Empson Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Steven,

This is one of those photos that truly is what the light really looks like in real life–the light hitting (El Capitan?) This is maravelous–one of the best I have ever seen of this well photographed area.

BRAVO!
Pauline Jones Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 4:06 pm
This is nice; you went to a lot of trouble for it.
Renee Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 4:25 pm
beautiful!
Renee Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Also the colors are so stunning Steven! congrats!
Adam Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Wow, the pink on the water just puts it over the top. Stunning shot.
Bud Morris Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 4:46 pm
I love it!
Malta Photography Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 4:56 pm
great composition indeed and very nice smooth colors
mike Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Nice sky colors.
Sue Gagnon Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Just a lovely composition here! Congratulations.
Hanna Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:53 pm
I think we’ve all seen the Yosemite Valley on this site before, but it’s still a pretty picture. Congratulations!
su Says:
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Loved your website!
Katherine Lee Strassburg Says:
December 23rd, 2009 at 3:55 am
I think photos of Yosemite are like snowflakes–no two are ever exactly alike. Once you personally see any part of the Sierra Nevadas, you understand immediately why they are called ‘the range of light’. I hope to take my granddaughter there this summer and share the magic with her! Thanks for a great photo!
João Ganhão Says:
December 26th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Amazing place! Good work!