The Chapel ... and its tall neighbour

[Donald]

I wanted to make a good image of the Chapel in Yosemite Valley. I had walked around it a couple of times and couldn't see the composition that I wanted. Then one early morning I was out in the meadows in the valley and looked across to the other side of the valley and ... bang! ... there was the shot I wanted. The Chapel. The trees. The cliff face in the background.

The subject is, in many ways, more the tree than the chapel; the chapel serving to demonstrate the size of the tree (and this of course is far from being the biggest of the trees you encounter in Yosemite).

Your comments and critique will be welcomed.

I'll be away at weekend and most of next week. So I'll spare everyone and give you a rest from any more of my images .... for a few days anyway!

[Mike Buckley]

I wanted to make a good image of the Chapel in Yosemite Valley.

You were very successful.

The subject is, in many ways, more the tree than the chapel

For me, the image is all about the gorgeous light on the trees. The chapel and background forest and cliffs play wonderful supporting roles without which the image wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

[Dave Humphries]

More than the cliff face, I like the lit vs unlit trees Donald.

I assume that most of the chapel is made from the trees too.

[John 2]

Now that's a beauty. As Mike says, it's all about the light and of course, that you were in the right place at the right time and that you spotted it. I'm guessing that shortly after that the light would have reached the trees nearer the cliff face and you would have lost the recession.

[Mike Buckley]

This is a short explanation of the history of the chapel provided at the chapel's official website. Most interesting is that it is the oldest structure used by the public in Yosemite and that it was moved to its current location in 1901.

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[Wavelength]

Very nice; you may also have a vertical image by keeping only the chapel and tallest tree within the frame

[LePetomane]

I'll be away at weekend and most of next week. So I'll spare everyone and give you a rest from any more of my images .... for a few days anyway!

No rest needed here. Keep them coming.

[terrib]

Agree with all said so far. Plus, I really like the tallest tree being beside the chapel. Of course, you didn't create that but I'm sure your composition brings attention to it.

Just beautiful!

[NorthernFocus]

My wife allowed us a few minutes break from exploring Auckland so I decided to check in on CiC and found this. Absolutely an awesome image, Donald. It works in so many ways. Photographically the lighting really works to separate the main subject from BG. Then there are the relative sizes, puny chapel, huge tree, and truly massive cliff. And finally, there's the implicit comparison between man's pitiful attempt to honor God in the presence of his own creation. Seen and executed like a true master of the craft. Well done.

[Donald]

Thank you for your comments.

Some of you have commented on the lighting and that, indeed, as with every photograph, is what I knew would make or break this one.

Yosemite Valley runs East/West. So the sun comes up at one end and goes down at the other ... more or less. In September, the sun starts to hit the high tops on the north side of the valley (which are behind me in the view). As the sun rises, the sunlight works its way down the sides of the mountains until it reaches the valley floor, which is fully in sunlight around 10:30am. Then, of course, the sun continues on its journey and the south side cliffs start to light up.

I had been there long enough by the time I was capturing this image, to know that that is exactly what would happen. I'd already spent several hours in other locations in the valley waiting for the sun to hit the trees.

So, as I wrote above, as soon as I saw this view I 'saw' the image I wanted. It was a case of set up, compose and wait ... and wait .... and wait. What I'd do is set up the shot with the 5DS and whatever lens (in this case the 24-70) on the tripod and then wander off with the 7DMkII and another lens just to pass the time. I really enjoyed watching the sunlight creeping up the trees and choosing the moment.

What I didn't want was any sunlight on the trees at the back or the cliff face (which is the cliff that lies below Glacier Point and Sentinel Rock- for those who know the place).

What is particularly satisfying is that this is not just a scene I came across and snapped. This was one I carefully set up, knew what was going to happen with the light and chose the moment to fire the shutter. Sometimes I'll take two or three frames of a scene ... just to make sure. I didn't with this one. One was all I needed and I knew I had my shot.

[Mike Buckley]

Your description of how you came to capture the image reminds me of Ansel Adams' explanations of how he came to make his images. Very interesting stuff!

[ccphoto]

I think it might have been Adams that always stated, "Images are made, not just shot," or something like that. I know from many of his readings he would often scope out an area and sit in one place all day, sometimes two or three days at a time and make hourly zone calculations. Like Donald noted with his own shot, he knew exactly when to push the button. He made the shot and there was nothing shot by chance.

I think this is the difference between the wildlife photographer that has to rely on a lot of chance. Yes, I have to be ready for the shot, for the light, the speed of the critter, for BG compensations, etc., but it is the chance of what might occur in a split second that so often makes the shot. Landscape has its advantages in that regard, but setting up a shot can take days and in Adam's case, years as he would often shoot the same location in each season.

Boy, what's there not to like about this fine art form?

[madcrow]

Everything has been said all is left for me to say is a job very well done.

[bnnrcn]

Very nice

[rpcrowe]

Wonderful image...

IMO, it is neat how two photographers can see the same scene and interpret it differently. When I did a shot of this chapel, it was in late May.

https://rpcrowe.smugmug.com/Other/Yo...rk/i-F7VRnjQ/A

I liked how the colors of the chapel fitted in with the greens of the trees. I purposefully did not post my image but, rather posted a link to it.

I usually don't like mid-day lighting but, in the case of my image, I think it works fairly well since the mid-afternoon sun was slightly diffused by some light clouds.

[Mike Buckley]

Very nice image, Richard!

[Donald]

IMO, it is neat how two photographers can see the same scene and interpret it differently. When I did a shot of this chapel, it was in late May..

Beautiful image, Richard. I have a composition almost exactly like that.

[Craigie]

Superb image Donald.

[Sam W]

Beautiful photo Donald. I like the depth, lighting and contrasts. I would have chose to slightly darken the grassy area mostly in the lower left in post processing.