Well, I had wanted/intended to do this one in black and white as sort of a homage to Mr. Adams’ shot of the same location. For some reason, I just couldn’t see it… I’m feeling a bit off tonight- perhaps I’ll have another look at it in the morning…

Standing at this location was such an incredible feeling. After seeing Ansel Adams’ famous shot in person, it was wholly gratifying to be standing in the same spot, some fifty years or so later, wondering about lighting and marveling how the trees had grown. It was also then, that I really understood Ansel’s mastery. It is such a technically difficult shot to pull off in any conditions, and especially the late afternoon light in which Ansel was working, pointing his camera right into the sun. He waited until just the right moment to trip the shutter, when a cloud obscured the sun’s brightness just enough to make the exposure. His print is a wonder to see. Perfectly exposed, wonderful contrast, and such detail it’s hard to believe. It’s something that just doesn’t come across in the web versions of that shot…

UPDATE: By request of many of you, here’s the link for the black and white version of this shot. Of course, I’d love to hear any comparative comments.

On a side note… I just wanted to thank everyone who has stopped by and said hello. Or just looked. SeekingFocus has come a long way since it began, just over a year go when I posted this shot on October 22, last year (There are also older images postdated in the archives). I’d like to invite everyone to take a moment to check out some things in the past, perhaps take a look at some of the most commented images. And, as always I look forward to hearing from everyone in the future. Thanks.