The Man in Red
Yosemite Valley View
1 exposure; f/16 for 4 seconds balanced ontop of my frozen tripod....I think I brought it down near 6 stops at top 9 in the center above the trees to 3 at the water
Haven't noticed this before but the valley has wifi from pretty much everywhere we went, this brings a lot to the table. Being a complete dork I had to take advantage of the situation. So pulled out the iphone and checked the azimuth of the sun/moon then their position is plotted against my location on google maps and put it in motion to see where I wanted to be at what time time and how much time I could spend, this is something that used to take a lot of seemingly unnecessary work and a result isn't the most accurate or easy to interpret. Additionally it was great to be able to monitor all the weather data I could handle :), this was particularly important at the tunnel view because clouds moved in but I didn't leave because 1) checked the ahwanhee cam and it didn't look favorable 2) pulled up weather data from surrounding weather stations and determined that conditions were very clear under the cloud ceiling combined with the sun/moon compass app it was easier to see that there was at least a chance for the sun to peak out from under the clouds before setting. It was great getting the storm chasing experience without the price tag of satellite data feeds, one more reason to love Yosemite :)
a continued discussion on data....
Eventually data is just an easier way of seeing the physical world, its all math when you break it down. Something tells me you've probably checked your watch when you've been out shooting rather than looking at the sun to determine if its one or two PM ......it can be estimated with experience or education but the combination with the right tools can solve the equation much more accurately in a shorter amount of time.
Yosemite is very unique in that its a wilderness area but its technologically advanced; it has roads throughout the park, wifi service, and live webcams from numerous locations. When you can drastically change your location in a small amount of time in a valley a deep as Yosemite a lot of changes can occur. Its really helpful to see the angle of the sun relative to your position on a map, particulalry like googles topo map, in advance then take note when you actually experience it in person. This is going to be really helpful pinning down the right day for Horsetail falls. The webcams are particularly helpful as the day after I left I wanted to see how the sunset looked so I pulled up the tunnel view webcam and it was completely overcast but checking the ahwanhee cam it was perfectly clear and remained that way through sunset. Pretty simple example but someone with the right experience can take that little bit of information and turn it into a beautiful photograph they've been meaning to take.
With the additional ability to access weather data from a remote location it can only help your chances given the circumstances you have placed yourself in as you'll be able to anticipate a number of different factors that can produce interesting atmospheric phenomena; an approaching boundary, at what level freezing is taking place, approaching or clearing clouds, temperature change, shifts in the wind, where moisture is or isn't, and it goes on forever! Thats why a blend of experience and education is so important, so you can quickly isolate the important details. I would say its good practice to actually understand the forces at work by seeing them in a mathematical form so you have a better idea when it might occur again given that visual que. Thats one big reason why I do photography, it transcends mediums and brings science to life....it feels like the solution to a big derivation, and that is a fantastic feeling!!!
I've gotta be going somewhere actually useful with this right......ok so with the advancements in technology you really dont need to understand all the physics you just need to be tech saavy to get the good stuff. With the addition of user friendly devices such as the iphone (lesser extent the blueberry) and apple allowing dorks to go wild developing their own applications we're starting to see some really helpful tools in very small devices. One of the most helpful apps is astro compass. I've been dreaming of something like this and I know its just the start :) although no real standout weather app at this point :( so the NWS is always a good resource
Yosemite Valley View
1 exposure; f/16 for 4 seconds balanced ontop of my frozen tripod....I think I brought it down near 6 stops at top 9 in the center above the trees to 3 at the water
Haven't noticed this before but the valley has wifi from pretty much everywhere we went, this brings a lot to the table. Being a complete dork I had to take advantage of the situation. So pulled out the iphone and checked the azimuth of the sun/moon then their position is plotted against my location on google maps and put it in motion to see where I wanted to be at what time time and how much time I could spend, this is something that used to take a lot of seemingly unnecessary work and a result isn't the most accurate or easy to interpret. Additionally it was great to be able to monitor all the weather data I could handle :), this was particularly important at the tunnel view because clouds moved in but I didn't leave because 1) checked the ahwanhee cam and it didn't look favorable 2) pulled up weather data from surrounding weather stations and determined that conditions were very clear under the cloud ceiling combined with the sun/moon compass app it was easier to see that there was at least a chance for the sun to peak out from under the clouds before setting. It was great getting the storm chasing experience without the price tag of satellite data feeds, one more reason to love Yosemite :)
a continued discussion on data....
Eventually data is just an easier way of seeing the physical world, its all math when you break it down. Something tells me you've probably checked your watch when you've been out shooting rather than looking at the sun to determine if its one or two PM ......it can be estimated with experience or education but the combination with the right tools can solve the equation much more accurately in a shorter amount of time.
Yosemite is very unique in that its a wilderness area but its technologically advanced; it has roads throughout the park, wifi service, and live webcams from numerous locations. When you can drastically change your location in a small amount of time in a valley a deep as Yosemite a lot of changes can occur. Its really helpful to see the angle of the sun relative to your position on a map, particulalry like googles topo map, in advance then take note when you actually experience it in person. This is going to be really helpful pinning down the right day for Horsetail falls. The webcams are particularly helpful as the day after I left I wanted to see how the sunset looked so I pulled up the tunnel view webcam and it was completely overcast but checking the ahwanhee cam it was perfectly clear and remained that way through sunset. Pretty simple example but someone with the right experience can take that little bit of information and turn it into a beautiful photograph they've been meaning to take.
With the additional ability to access weather data from a remote location it can only help your chances given the circumstances you have placed yourself in as you'll be able to anticipate a number of different factors that can produce interesting atmospheric phenomena; an approaching boundary, at what level freezing is taking place, approaching or clearing clouds, temperature change, shifts in the wind, where moisture is or isn't, and it goes on forever! Thats why a blend of experience and education is so important, so you can quickly isolate the important details. I would say its good practice to actually understand the forces at work by seeing them in a mathematical form so you have a better idea when it might occur again given that visual que. Thats one big reason why I do photography, it transcends mediums and brings science to life....it feels like the solution to a big derivation, and that is a fantastic feeling!!!
I've gotta be going somewhere actually useful with this right......ok so with the advancements in technology you really dont need to understand all the physics you just need to be tech saavy to get the good stuff. With the addition of user friendly devices such as the iphone (lesser extent the blueberry) and apple allowing dorks to go wild developing their own applications we're starting to see some really helpful tools in very small devices. One of the most helpful apps is astro compass. I've been dreaming of something like this and I know its just the start :) although no real standout weather app at this point :( so the NWS is always a good resource