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  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Mono Lake

M

Mike Spinak

pro member
I'm just testing to make sure that I properly understand how to post a picture.

3625991-lg.jpg


Mike

www.mikespinak.com
 
M

Mike Spinak

pro member
Okay, it looks like it works, when clicking on the little picture icon. I'm a bit surprised that it didn't work the first time I tried, when I just put in the URL of the picture; that method works on DPreview, FredMiranda, and a number of other forums. It doesn't matter much; this method is easy enough.

I hope you enjoy the picture.

Mike

www.mikespinak.com
 
D

Don Cohen

Guest
An outstanding first post, Mike. You obviously know not only how to post a picture, but more importantly, how to take one as well!

Welcome to the LWT Forum of OPF!
 
M

Mike Spinak

pro member
Thanks, for the kind words about the picture, and the warm welcome.

Now that I know how to post pictures, I expect I'll post some more, now and then, when relevant.

In case you'd like to know the details and circumstances regarding this picture, here's a copy of what I say about it on this picture's information page on my website:

This picture was taken in the South Tufa area of Mono Lake, at exactly 5:00 A.M., in May, 2004, with a Canon 1Ds camera and a Canon 24-70 mm f/2.8 L lens. The exposure was 1 second at f/16.

I had been traveling along Highway 395 for a week with my friend, Steve, photographing the Eastern Sierras in the late season snow. We arrived at Mono Lake the evening prior to this shot, much later than we had intended. While I had been to Mono Lake several times previously, this had been my first visit there since I'd taken up photography, and we only had about 10 minutes to reconnoiter the area before dark, to plan for our dawn shot the following morning. I rushed around the South Tufa area in those last few minutes of light, compass in hand to keep track of precisely where the sun would rise.

I found and chose this spot, then left to return in the early morning. When I showed up at the spot during the beginning of morning twilight, I didn't think the conditions looked very promising. I had hoped for more clouds in the sky, perhaps with a nicely detailed pattern, to reflect the colors of the rising sun's light. Nevertheless, I set up my composition according to my plan from the previous evening, and hoped for the best.

In the last few minutes before the sun's first appearance, the few wisps of cloud on the edge of the horizon thickened and drifted closer, greatly improving the photographic potential. As the light developed while I waited for the peak moment, it became clear that the never-the-same-twice light variables of dawn's light were presenting me with a significant photographic opportunity. The character of this dawn's light had three qualities that I found exceptional, and wanted to incorporate into my picture: First, it separated each element of the scene clearly from the other elements, while showing each element as a simplified and very coherent form. Second, it had numerous distinct bars of color and tone, each on top of the next, extending in horizontal strips across the sky. Third, it had every color of the rainbow visible, but in an unusual, un-rainbow-like pattern.

I made some quick compositional readjustments in order to optimally work with these special lighting characteristics, toward my desired expressive ends, and, in excited anticipation, took the shot.
Click to expand...

Mike

www.mikespinak.com
 
S

Sid Jervis

pro member
Mike,
I am glad you posted the picture of Mono Lake, it gives me some incentive to adjust my travel route.
I will be in that area next week, it now looks like I will be getting out early on a few mornings.

Thanks for posting the image.
 
G

Gary Jean

New member
That is a spectacular location. You could easily spend weeks (or longer) there and in the vicinity.

You could also spend a long time "waiting for the light." Congratulations on capturing it.
 
M

Mike Spinak

pro member
You could also spend a long time "waiting for the light."

For anyone who would like to see just how important the right light is for this picture... or for most any landscape picture, for that matter:

I went back to this spot, several months later, to purposely recreate this picture under worse lighting conditions, to make a comparison which demonstrates how strongly light conditions affect a picture, for a series of articles I am writing about seeing and using light (called Seeing the Light).

Here is the comparison picture I made for illustrating the first part of Seeing the Light:

Seeing%20The%20Light%20Comparison.jpg


Congratulations on capturing it.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Gary!

Mike

www.mikespinak.com
 
J

JohnZeman

New member
Great shot Mike, and it brings back memories for me. The last time I was at Mono Lake was 5 years ago and back then I had next to nothing for a digital camera. Now days it's a different story though so I'm anxious to get back there again.

Mono Lake has a lot of photographic opportunities, and a lot of flies. Plus there's an odd odor (I think from the tufa?), but the beauty of the lake more than offsets those nuisances.

FWIW Mono Lake is near the California town of Lee Vining which is located on the east side of Yosemite National Park.

John
 
M

Mike Spinak

pro member
Hi, Ray,

That's the same formation, doubtless taken from a very close by spot in Fred's photo as in mine. I have no idea when Fred was there, but I didn't see him around the day I was shooting, and besides, the clouds and the light make it clear that he was there on a different day than I was.

On a side note, I was just in the area, again, last week. As you may know, Mono Lake is being replenished to a higher water as in before it was so drastically lowered by water diversion to Los Angeles. If you want to take a picture of this formation from a similar location now, you'll best bring your waders. Soon, you'll need a rowboat to get this shot... and even then, the lower portion of the tufa formation will be progressively further submerged.

Mike

www.mikespinak.com
 
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