Sunset over: Time to go

[Donald]

Yosemite is expected to get 4.8 million visitors during 2016. There are huge issues connected to that.

These are 4 of them ... plus the dog.

Olmsted Point to watch the sun set on Half Dome is one of the 'must be at' locations for huge numbers of people each evening. But as soon as the sun goes, they all disappear and don't hang around to see the really glorious light that follows in that hour after sunset ... which was fine from my point of view.

Again, your critical analysis and comments are welcome.

[Bobobird]

5 star shot my friend - 5 stars.

[Shadowman]

Nicely captured.

[John 2]

Full marks for capturing the ordinary so beautifully. The quality off the image is also quite breath taking. Lovely stuff.

[terrib]

The composition, the spacing of the subjects and just the right amount of detail really makes this for me. Excellent work, Donald.

[Manfred M]

Nice silhouette shot, Donald. The shadow details are there, and that is always tricky when doing this type of shot.

Photographers are lucky that most people don't know about the wonderful lighting that happens during "blue hour" and they disappear as soon as the sun has dropped below the horizon.

[bje07]

Just for the fun of criticizing, because the picture is superb.
If I were you I moved a little to the left, the trunk would have been full and detached stone

[Donald]

The shadow details are there, and that is always tricky when doing this type of shot.

Thank you. I didn't want the whole thing going to black. In fact there is very little in the final image that is pure black. There is detail in almost all of the image.

Just for the fun of criticizing, because the picture is superb.
If I were you I moved a little to the left, the trunk would have been full and detached stone

Good point. Would that have made a better image? I chose to go with that composition, preferring the trunk and rock to be 'joined' as they are.

Thank you everyone else.

[ccphoto]

You are one of the very very very very few people I know that can achieve such a soft gradient sky and for that alone this shot is superb, yet the other cannot be ignored as it too is just right. I took it into PS just to see if there was any way to improve on the edit and came to the conclusion, it cannot get any better. Bravo, Magnifico!

[Donald]

You are one of the very very very very few people I know that can achieve such a soft gradient sky and for that alone this shot is superb, yet the other cannot be ignored as it too is just right. I took it into PS just to see if there was any way to improve on the edit and came to the conclusion, it cannot get any better. Bravo, Magnifico!

You honour me, sir! Thank you.

I won't go into all the detail, because most folks might not be interested, but my starting point for this and so many other images, once I process the Raw file and take the TIFF into Silver Efex Pro, via Elements, is to use the 'Soft Contrast' slider. This is a preference I've developed and use it, unless the image I'm after specifically suggests that it is not appropriate.

After applying soft contrast (in an amount that 'feels' right), I then go on to use the various other tools available in SEP. But that, I think, is the basis of soft gradient sky to which you refer and with which I am quite pleased.

[Manfred M]

Thank you. I didn't want the whole thing going to black. In fact there is very little in the final image that is pure black. There is detail in almost all of the image.

In fact, that is a sign of a well done silhouette. Minimal or no loss of shadow detail is what one wants to see in an image like this. Shots that show the silhouette as 100% black are quite uninteresting to look at and show poor technique.

[Mike Buckley]

The composition, the spacing of the subjects and just the right amount of detail really makes this for me.

My exact thoughts.

[Dave Humphries]

Technically excellent, as I expect from you.
Including the tonality of both the sky and silhouette.

your critical analysis and comments are welcome

I'm not really sure you, or many others, will agree that about this post, which I nearly didn't write.

Please accept this as me 'thinking out loud' and I only write it as I know you like to hear how other people experience (or 'feel' about) your art.

In situations/scenes like this I find I can easily get too hung up on geometric shapes, accidents of timing and start thinking "if only" ...

For me;
the boulder is a bit too angular in outline
the intersection with the tree is interesting, but (for some odd reason this evening) the two shapes remind me of a car parked beside a tree
I'd have liked a little loop of lead below the dog's chin, separating it from the nose where it goes up to the guy
I'd have liked three people, or a different grouping, or even a change of people within this group (e.g. Dad 'rushing' on ahead Mom, kid and Grandma trailing)
I'd have liked Dad's silhouette not to be overlapping Mom's, but if it really has to, then in a recognisable way (an actually touch, like the boy hold hands).

Now I know these are all totally irrational and irrelevant (to you) thoughts, but that's what I see and feel looking at this.

It is also often what I see when looking through a viewfinder at such a scene - but not always.
For example I was quite taken with some of Ahmet's images in his An evening ride 2 thread, overlooking some issues there I'd normally have picked up on myself.

I have shot silhouettes of people riding bikes myself, so perhaps that's why I feel a greater affinity to his series than this.

So in summary, I'm not suggesting you change a thing, well not unless you clone out Dad and re-route the dog lead to Mom

I'm rambling, and now recall the saying "if you're in a hole, stop digging", so I'll shurrup.

Am I going mad?

Cheers, Dave

PS
I reserve the right to return here tomorrow and delete this post if sanity returns after a good night's sleep

[madcrow]

Fabulous image and the light just kissing them brilliant.

[Donald]

I reserve the right to return here tomorrow and delete this post if sanity returns after a good night's sleep

Once it's been responded to, you can't!!

Now I know these are all totally irrational and irrelevant (to you) thoughts, but that's what I see and feel looking at this.

And that is perfectly legitimate. If I don't agree with a reasoned assessment on here I will still defend the right of the person to have stated their view.

Am I going mad?

We could open up a poll.

[Mike Buckley]

If we're going to conduct a poll about whether Dave has gone mad, the least we should do is allow only the sane to vote. That disqualifies me, so I'm completely against the poll.

[Ziggy]

Very nice. Enjoyed viewing.

[Wavelength]

This is a rare magnificent composition which i would like to call a three dimensional silhouette ; really superb

[rpcrowe]

I love this image. A closer crop might have made it different but, certainly not better... Great job!

[skitterbug]

I like this pic just because.... I like this pic. I can't comment on styles, composures, etc because I am not a professional or even a grade A photographer. I can only say what I really enjoy looking at.

I also find myself wondering "what is over the hill???" I want to see!

I'm looking forward to more of your pics from your trip! Thank you for sharing them!