Summer's Last Stand

[Matt Tilghman]

I took this photo on a day that felt like the true end of summer. Convective clouds are invading the Bay Area, as the moisture from the Hawaiian Islands begins to be funneled towards California's north coast - a sure sign that the season is changing. But the sun is still strong, and won't give up the fight for moisture so easily. This day felt like a turning point, ripe for a regime change, with unanimous yearning for the sun to release its stranglehold on the landscape.

Hope you like it!

[Dewi Sant]

That is lovely

D

[francois]

Very nice, late summer scene. I like the feeling of the last warm sunrays, just before coldness creeps in.

[sdwilsonsct]

I like the cool colour of the grass, it fits the time of year. I also like those distant ridges on the right of the mountain.

[Matt Tilghman]

Thanks guys!  Glad you like it

[IanBrowne]

that would be a hard photo to take IMO. I have great dislike for the actual sun in a photo as it's usually just a white distracting blob so i scrolled down (or is it up ) to remove much of the overexposed top part (1/3) of the photo and that leaves the beautiful sun-lite area with lovely shadows. Now that's IMO is a great photo.

[kikashi]

that would be a hard photo to take IMO. I have great dislike for the actual sun in a photo as it's usually just a white distracting blob so i scrolled down (or is it up ) to remove much of the overexposed top part (1/3) of the photo and that leaves the beautiful sun-lite area with lovely shadows. Now that's IMO is a great photo.

I agree, although I wouldn't remove so much: if it's cropped to just above the top of the central cloud, much of the blown white of the sun is excluded and IMHO the image improved.

Jeremy

[sdwilsonsct]

if it's cropped to just above the top of the central cloud, much of the blown white of the sun is excluded and IMHO the image improved.

+1. Good tip.

[Isaac]

Hope you like it!

It's so interesting to look at someone else's photo of a scene that's familiar to me -- I expect that familiarity makes me notice different things than I otherwise could.

I like the way the lower-half of the picture forms a bowl, the highlights down the left-side ridge, and then along that little rise above the Alder Spring Trail, and then up along the ridge line.

I like the way that, coming towards the camera, the left trail appears to go downhill and then out-of-sight -- I wonder if it does; it always feels up-hill ;-)


How did you make the panorama? One photo? Multiple photos stitched?

[PDobson]

Looking at that photo, I got a surprise emotional response. I remembered a trip down to Yosemite Valley last October and felt a real longing for that climate. That's really strange because I usually consider Winter to be my favorite season. I suppose that with winter getting into full-gear here, the image of something different caught me off guard. I think you did a great job capturing the feel of late summer.

Phillip
Butte, MT

[Chris Calohan]

I love the overall feel of the image as a whole, but agree with some others concerning the brightness of the sun. I think a crop is in order but its just an opinion.

[Matt Tilghman]

Guys, thanks so much for the awesome feedback!  I will give the crop a try... I kind of liked the blown out sun, but if it's raising so many ppl's ire, I might reconsider.

I'm glad to hear about the emotional responses I created!  That is my #1 goal.