Colossal Ghost - Ancient Bristlecone

[stealthman_1]

Finally I was able to recapture a scene that I originally took in 2005 of the Colossal Ghost! I go every year, but the last two years I've gone back too late in the year to get the sun in the right position. When I originally shot this scene it was with the 17-35 f2.8, which just wasn't wide enough to prevent cutting off branches...the 14-24 f2.8 solves that problem as the hillside prevents you from backing up any further while still maintaining the sun.
I was jumping for joy! The Ghost is my favorite tree anywhere. It's been dead for centuries.

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[spalding12]

tim
awesome
love the "orientation" shot in #2
but....
that first shot.... WOW !

 

[LindaZ]

Gorgeous! Now, watermark them. lol

 

[yendikeno]

Wow

Excellent! #1 is as good as it gets.

 

[BarryD3]

I can understand your joy Tim. A great shot in #1. Also like #2 as it appears the Ghost Tree is chasing the little "want-to-be" ghost tree. :smile: Well done.

Regards,

 

[stealthman_1]

Thanks! The Colossal Ghost is a very special tree and I'm glad to do it a bit of the justice it deserves. It was on that mountain perhaps a 1000 years before the Egyptians built the the pyramids at Giza. It really is a humbling feeling to stand next to it.
As happy as I am with this, I shot film at the same location the previous day and for the first time there had good clouds...it hailed a bit on me. I just pulled a roll off the reel shot with my F2 with Rollei ATP that rocked me. I'm praying scanned I see what I think I see in the neg. I've got 5 more rolls to soup tonight and I'm chanting dry, dry, dry every time I look at that roll!:biggrin:

 

[Desert Rat]

Hey I know that same tree.. Nice catch of the sun starburst....

 

[JeffKohn]

That first shot is really great. Awesome subject, nice composition, and the sunburst takes it over the top. You did a great job handling the contrast as well, a backlit scene such as this would typically end up as a silhuoette. Did you use HDR or some other sort of exposure blending?

 

[Dez Santana]

Awesome shot on #1. #2 has a nice composition as well.

 

[StephanieHelen]

Wow, great shots, the first sure is special, I can understand your joy!

 

[G2EWS]

Tim,

Great subject, superb pictures. A real joy to see, thanks for putting them up.

Regards

Chris

 

[RockDawg]

Both are really nice, but the first one is absolutley magnificent! Really interesting subject and the sun peaking through the split in the trunk is beautifully surreal. I love that particular starburst effect on the sun.

I hope to have a capture like that in my collection someday.

 

[stealthman_1]

Thanks again everyone.

...a backlit scene such as this would typically end up as a silhuoette. Did you use HDR or some other sort of exposure blending?

No HDR, basically as it came out of camera with a bit of saturation added to the reds.
My first three frames came out as silhuoettes (and I like them too), I then switched to manual and exposed for the tree trunk, luckily with the sun so low, the DR of the scene isn't that great so exposure is reasonalbly even despite the direct sun.
Here's some of what I got off the B&W film roll, a completely different scene...
https://www.nikoncafe.com/vforums/showthread.php?t=179436

 

[Lou_C]

Wow, great shots both of them, but that first one is stunning.

 

[olddogg]

That first shot is remarkable! A wall hanger for sure.

 

[ShelleyF]

Wow...I love them! Beautiful captures!