Tufa Sunrise II Photo

Photographer’s Note

Tufa Sunrise
South Tufa Area
Mono Lake, California

Scene
Early sunrise on some tufa towers and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I don’t have much say regarding this scene except what was said in one of my previous posts from this area.

Background
This image was taken the morning after my previous Mono Lake image. Sunrise was at 0600 hours this morning and I had been in place for about 20-30 minutes scouting out potential sunrise scenes when I noticed the tops of the mountains start to turn pink. The pink tops were reflected in the still waters of the lake. For those who want to visit Mono Lake early morning and later afternoon are the best times to visit to take photographs. Midday the light is extremely harsh this after all is part of the Basin and Range province of the western USA and is technically a desert.

PaulVDV, gunbud, dareco, macondo, feather, jhm, crhieatt, Didi, carper, xuaxo, plimrn, avene, akm has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

PaulVDV (5200) 2009-08-15 11:17

Hello John,
Very well composed and with beautiful early morning colours. The reflections with the same colour as the mountain tops are wonderful.
Best regards, Paul

gunbud (27891) 2009-08-15 18:39

Hi John,
This one is really sweet with these beautiful subtle unique colors and tranquil reflections.
The crusty foreground textures to these salt formations lead the eye gently towards the compelling colors.
The purple mountains look special agains the soft late day sky.
Regards, Tom

dareco (17104) 2009-08-15 20:59

Very picturesque!!! Awesome lightning and lovely colors. Great mood!!! Fantastic composition. TFS

macondo (13117) 2009-08-16 1:01

Hello John.

You have captured a great sense of morning's stilness and silence in this photo, with the very gentle pink-hued light on the mountains and their reflection. I think the composition is excellent in a 'classical' way. Everything about this is subtle. The level of sharpness in the foreground rocks is just right. Quite exquisite.

Regards,
Andrew

[2]

feather (49860) 2009-08-16 3:02

If you keep showing more amd more wonderful shots from places we haven't visited, we'll have to make yet another trip. ;D Andrew more or less has the words that express my feelings of this.....subtlety is definitely the key here to produce a serene and tranquil image. The two things that particularly strike me ...... the inclusion of the foreground rocks in the composition are so well rendered we can almost feel the texture.....and the distortion of the reflections thanks to a faint breeze across the water.
Excellent shot John and worth getting up for sunrise. You are blessed by the fact sunrise occurs at a more sociable time in summer in SW USA than it does over here.
Kath

jhm (82577) 2009-08-16 4:43

Hi John,

One of the most beautiful moments for take splendid picture.
Very well composed and with beautiful early morning colours, absolute colour and definition for this amazing moment.
Not simple but very attractive, sharp and clear.
The atmosphere and the colours are very well.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice sunday,
John.

sebinho342 (18740) 2009-08-16 10:42

such a strange place !
this is beautiful
i would have perhaps darken a little bit the whole picture

crhieatt (5143) 2009-08-18 3:26

John,

This is a brilliant - and above all - natural looking shot - and that deserves some emphasis in a world in which landscape shots are increasingly presented as if seen after ingesting hallucinogenic substances!

This just looks real.

My regards
Colin

Didi (36136) 2009-08-19 9:58

Hi John
To bad for me I am very far from this magnificient place, I have a very hot weather in my place 40° C.
Very nice and deep foreground and I appreciate theese soft colours.
Best regards

carper (64908) 2009-08-20 9:44

marvelous shot John,

a fantastic place for photographers with feeling for good composition, good photo job here and a good balance in the shot. Have a nice day
regard jaap

xuaxo (5733) 2009-08-20 10:35

Hi John
Outstanding view of this amazing place. The colors are really peace.
Greetings,
F.

Urs (2870) 2009-08-22 19:56

That's a dream-like sunrise with loads of pastel hues, congrats John, that is really a very special shot. I like these reflections in the lake, floating around, and these these strange looking rocks in the lake, like from another planet. Color hues are well balanced and your light management is excellent. Great sharpness and DOF too, thanks to the lake and the mountains at the horizon - well done

Best regards
Urs

Waylim (10817) 2009-08-24 16:03

Hi John,
Your image of Mono Lake sure make me itch to go back there once more, It's the 7 year itch things, though it not quite 7 yet, but it getting close and I feel it. The main show here perhaps is the first light that casted on the mountain and it's reflection on the calm and smooth silk like lake surface. Love your POV and depth of successive layers from the foreground rocks, lake and reflection, tufa, hill, Mt and the smooth gradiation of the clear morning sky. All these make it a beautiful and refreshing morning image. My complements.
Way

plimrn (19664) 2009-08-25 15:27

Hi John,
I love the beautifully soft morning colors you captured here. The framing creates a real sense of balance and harmony with the rocks framing the reflection and the way the tufa towers call to the alpenglow on the Sierras.
HLJ, Pat

cdmonson (2753) 2009-08-27 5:57

Hi John:

Lovely shot. I love sunrise, and this is a good example of it. The mountains and the lake by themselves are very nice, but what really makes the picture unique are the pillars. Great shot.

Clark

avene (11014) 2009-09-03 6:02

this is even better than the previous photo I commented, the pale pink light creates such a contrast with the otherwordly tufa towers. the foreground work nicely to frame the scene, great shot.

regards,
Kristine

akm (726) 2009-11-25 11:12

Hello John,
I've just begun to catch up with the last few months and had to congratulate you on this shot. The composition, symmetry of color and sense of the early morning stillness are splendid.
Regards,
Mary

Photo Information

Copyright: John Munro (jwmunro) (6583)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-08-03
Categories: Nature
Camera: Nikon D300, Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8, 3-Stop Soft ND Grad
Exposure: f/16
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: view
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Ney's favorite pictures of the USA II !, places to go [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2009-08-15 8:56