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Misty Morning - Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park, California

B l a c k M a g i c | My Photostream on Black

I've had some people asking me about my recent trip to Yosemite. To be honest, I am not totally thrilled with the images I got of the "classic" views. Maybe it is because they have been shot so much and so many amazing images already exist of these locations.

I have some more abstract shots that I am happy with. Generally, some of my favorite images are ones that I can process extremely quickly. This means that the light, contrast, and color was excellent at the time and I did a good job of capturing it in camera. Minor color, contrast adjustments are added and some selective sharpening are all that is needed.

This image had a huge amount of dynamic range. The mist really reduced the contrast as well. While it was an amazing spectacle to witness, getting an image I was happy with proved difficult.

In the end, this is a blend of three exposures using Photomatix's Exposure Fusion tool. I probably could have used my best single exposure, but the highlights were just too blown in the upper right and bracketing seemed necessary to get all that range captured.

I really liked the light beaming across the valley and illuminating the mist falling across El Capitan on the left, but that may be it. I'd love to hear people's honest critiques, so blast away!

Nikon D300
Nikkor 12-24mm @ 19mm
1/10, 1/40, 1/2 sec @ f16, ISO 100
Lee .9 and .75 Soft GND Filters

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:: Igor Borisenko Photography ::, Laurence Cartwright, Joe Branco, JaveFoto, and 407 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Jim Patterson Photography (6 months ago)

~
:: Igor Borisenko Photography :: (6 months ago)

WOW!!! Phenomenal work with this amazing place Jim! Two filters did the trick? Eh? Nice going buddy!
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►Klaus Allmannsberger Photography (6 months ago)

Wonderful!!
Brent Mooers Photography (6 months ago)

Splendid!
Seattle Miles (offline) (6 months ago)

I don't blame you for being thrilled with your shots..this is magical!! Ansel would be proud :)
Nick Chill (6 months ago)

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Best of U.S. National Parks, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
augcott {be back soon} (6 months ago)

This is an awesome shot!!!!!
Great job!
*Sushil* (6 months ago)

outstanding
KPieper (6 months ago)

exposure fusion is a great tool, and seemed to work well for you here. Love the mood in this one!
JaveFoto (6 months ago)

Your right this place has been shot a lot lately. So prior to my comment i searched tunnel view and nowhere did i find an image of tunnel view like this. The sweeping fog at the bottom and the tick clouds at the top really make it stand out. The slight green from the trees below is also nice. DUDE i think this came out great!
Joe Branco (6 months ago)

great shot the sky is awesome!! J.B.....
D Breezy (6 months ago)

Damn!!!! Sick! Looks good to me! Nice! This one is going to the top!
pilimm21 (6 months ago)

Waoooo....amazing!!!!
Dani℮l (6 months ago)

Fantastic...what a place and moment!
Nocturnal Bob (6 months ago)

Wow. Fantastic shot Jim.
Stephen Oachs (6 months ago)

A lot of depth here Jim, I wouldn't knock it. I hear you on this spot but really, this is up there with the best. The fog really adds mood that you dont normally see from this vantage point.
angus clyne (6 months ago)

I like it !
It's just all going on...
No space to rest.
PhotosEcosse / photosecosse.com (6 months ago)

Bloody fantastic, is my HONEST opinion........when I saw the thumb I knew it was a good one !
This is one of the best I have seen of this view.....it is not overdone, or over cooked...looks pretty natural, so my compliments on the processing !
The trees at the bottom against the mist bring it all together.
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Ed Brydon (6 months ago)

Well, the bracketing seems to have given this a bit of a painterly quality, which I like. I think it came out really well Jim.
Godzilla need a bath. Be right back ;-p (6 months ago)

Stunning shot! The beauty is that it's got the cloud, the snow, the fog and the light!
midlander1231 (6 months ago)

Totally stunning!
Tony
Lucid Graphics (6 months ago)

Amazing capture!
joe defao (6 months ago)

Jim, no matter how many times this view has been shot, I can guarantee that there isn't another image that looks like this one. This mist and clouds mixed together is just wicked. It's a very dynamic image, and I like it a lot.
Carlos.A (6 months ago)

Great atmosphere!
Jim Patterson Photography (6 months ago)

Thanks everyone. I've been pulling my hair out trying to find an image from the two times the sunrise/sunset were nice. I appreciate the feedback.
Jón Óskar. (6 months ago)

Excellent work!!
Dudsie2 (6 months ago)

Excellent work again! Wow!
lrargerich (6 months ago)

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Luminous Landscapes, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
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Konejita (6 months ago)

I would have never have known this was an hdr unless you had said so. Pretty epic Jim. The sweep of the fog and how the light hits it at different angles really makes it unique.
Gary Randall (6 months ago)

Nice PP recovery Jim. This is a very dramatic shot. I really like the mist in the valley and also the trees in the foreground give it some depth. Nicely done! : )
TomGrubbe (6 months ago)

You did a great job with this Jim. Awesome sky, plenty to look at and great depth.
Kostas Petrakis (6 months ago)

Wow Jim one of the best I have ever seen!
Jim Patterson Photography (6 months ago)

Thanks! And Exposure Fusion is different than HDR. Similar, but different. Photomatix's HDR function produces a fairly drastic different look than Exposure Fusion. Still, it is a blend of bracketed exposures, so very much like HDR.
Method of Least Squares (6 months ago)

Love that mid-ground mist! I've never seen a shot quite like this one.
bodiegroup (6 months ago)

I agree with Kostas!
Feo David (Morocco and back) (6 months ago)

instant fave, love it
Mangini Adalberto & Laura (6 months ago)

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Scenics & Wilderness (Admin Invite Only), and we'd love to have this added to the group!
well, have to say that in any case is very well processed and you did a great job Jim.
Sean Hawley (6 months ago)

Magical. Amazing light and those low-hanging clouds are incredible. Superb.
siskokid (6 months ago)

Beautiful image...Very nicely done!
ohNzl*busy (6 months ago)

Oh wow this is great! Love the clouds and the fog
Angelo Aldo Filippin (6 months ago)

Woow Woow......show that
amazing vision.
- Matso - (6 months ago)

I love it, but I find you over processed a bit the sky... I would have prefered less dark shadows in the clouds of the sky
Styrmir Kári (6 months ago)

I honestly can't complain much about this shot... but if you'd put a gun to my head and I had to... I could say that my eye kinda wanders across the whole frame with out getting fixed on any one spot.
But this scene is absolutely breathtaking and just capturing an image of it is awesome.
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rattybill (6 months ago)

The fog adds so much to this scene...it's quite spectacular!
Jim Patterson Photography (6 months ago)

Thanks for the honest comment. I see what you mean, and it would be an easy fix which I may do before I print.
I see what you mean. The mist was all over the place when the sky lit up. Earlier, the mist formed nice lines in the valley, but the sky was a blanket of gray with little definition. I chose the better sky with less focus on the mist in the end. Thanks for you honesty.
caudavide (6 months ago)

Stupenda!
Glen's Images (6 months ago)

Wonderful work.
marven72 (6 months ago)

Fantastica, questa è il mio ideale di foto paesaggistica!
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Mangini Adalberto & Laura (6 months ago)

Phenomenal. Thanks Jim!

Thanks for sharing your masterpiece here!
*Scenics & Wilderness* Gallery (Invite Only)
supermans wife (6 months ago)

Great capture here, and i'll have to look in to exposure fusion.