Recent Uploads tagged 36mp

tower bridge {LONDON}

nobody@flickr.com (pRaTuL rAgHaV) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:38:35 -0800

I have shot Tower Bridge so many times that this time I was really struggling to frame a new angle. Ultimately, decided to shoot it completely out of focus to add to my Out Of Focus set.

I quite like it so sharing with you. Catching up with your streams now.

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Railway to Mount Washington

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:11:44 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

We stayed at the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) Lakes of the Clouds Hut on our way up to Mount Washington. This ended up being a great plan, because it was dark and cloudy all day on our way up, and by the time we got to the Hut it became apparent it was going to rain.

About an hour later it started to rain, and an hour after that it turned into a massive thunderstorm and torrential downpour -- good thing we weren't at the summit!

By the time the next morning came, the storm had completely disappeared and we were treated to an amazing show of "under cast" clouds with clear blue skies above us.

As we hiked up the Appalachian Trail to the Mount Washington Summit, the clouds began to rise around us. By the time we began our descent, some of the clouds were at the same elevation we were and others were slightly above us. Really amazing day.

This shot was taken on the descent, coming down from the summit of Mount Washington. These train tracks escort visitors to the summit if you would rather not (or are otherwise unable to) use your legs.

Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 feet tall.

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens

White Mountain Presidentials

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:11:43 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

We stayed at the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) Lakes of the Clouds Hut on our way up to Mount Washington. This ended up being a great plan, because it was dark and cloudy all day on our way up, and by the time we got to the Hut it became apparent it was going to rain.

About an hour later it started to rain, and an hour after that it turned into a massive thunderstorm and torrential downpour -- good thing we weren't at the summit!

By the time the next morning came, the storm had completely disappeared and we were treated to an amazing show of "under cast" clouds with clear blue skies above us.

As we hiked up the Appalachian Trail to the Mount Washington Summit, the clouds began to rise around us. By the time we began our descent, some of the clouds were at the same elevation we were and others were slightly above us. Really amazing day.

This shot was taken on the descent, coming down from the summit of Mount Washington. In the background you can see a portion of the Presidential Range, with a trial marker and information sign in the foreground.

Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 feet tall.

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens

Fissures near Taft Point, Yosemite

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:19:14 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

The trail to Taft Point is a short 1.1 mile hike with very little elevation gain, and a huge payoff. The trailhead can be found off Glacier Point Road, about 2.5 miles from Glacier Point itself. After a short walk through the woods you stumble into a clearing with Taft Point at the edge.

Prior to getting to Taft Point proper, there are some incredible fissures, or massive cracks in the granite that happen over millions of years. Some of them have falls of over 1,000 feet - so watch your step!

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens

Lakes of the Clouds, White Mountains

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:11:46 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

We stayed at the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) Lakes of the Clouds Hut on our way up to Mount Washington. This ended up being a great plan, because it was dark and cloudy all day on our way up, and by the time we got to the Hut it became apparent it was going to rain.

About an hour later it started to rain, and an hour after that it turned into a massive thunderstorm and torrential downpour -- good thing we weren't at the summit!

This shot was taken the next morning. The storm had completely disappeared and we were treated to an amazing show of "under cast" clouds with clear blue skies above us. As we hiked up the Appalachian Trail to the Mount Washington Summit, the clouds began to rise around us. By the time we began our descent, some of the clouds were at the same elevation we were and others were slightly above us. Really amazing day.

Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 feet tall.

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens

White Mountain Presidentials - Panorama

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:11:43 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

This is a Panoramic capture of a portion of the Presidential Range in the White Mountain National Forest. I loved the combination of warm sunlight with the cloud cover and dynamic shadows in the valley.

That's my wife on the trail off to the left, taking in the scenery.

We stayed at the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) Lakes of the Clouds Hut on our way up to Mount Washington. This ended up being a great plan, because it was dark and cloudy all day on our way up, and by the time we got to the Hut it became apparent it was going to rain.

About an hour later it started to rain, and an hour after that it turned into a massive thunderstorm and torrential downpour -- good thing we weren't at the summit!

By the time the next morning came, the storm had completely disappeared and we were treated to an amazing show of "under cast" clouds with clear blue skies above us.

As we hiked up the Appalachian Trail to the Mount Washington Summit, the clouds began to rise around us. By the time we began our descent, some of the clouds were at the same elevation we were and others were slightly above us. Really amazing day.

This shot was taken on the descent, coming down from the summit of Mount Washington.

Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 feet tall.

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens
6 Exposure Panorama blended in Photoshop

Railway to Mount Washington

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:11:45 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

Sun Glow Before the Storm

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:11:47 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

This scene was absolutely incredible to witness. The whole day had been cloudy and raining intermittently, with no sun to speak of all day long. While checking out the area near the Hut after we arrived, my wife and I were sitting on a nearby ledge when the sky began to open up and gave us this beautiful show of light.

We stayed at the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) Lakes of the Clouds Hut on our way up to Mount Washington. This ended up being a great plan, because it was dark and cloudy all day on our way up, and by the time we got to the Hut it became apparent it was going to rain.

About an hour later it started to rain, and an hour after that it turned into a massive thunderstorm and torrential downpour -- good thing we weren't at the summit!

This shot was taken just minutes before it started raining. This was about 4:00pm in the afternoon, so it actually is not a sunset, but rather a low afternoon sun peaking through the clouds and illuminating the mountains in the distance before disappearing in the wake of the oncoming storm.

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens
5-Exposure HDR bracketed at 1-stop, Handheld, blended in Photomatix

Lakes of the Clouds, White Mountains - Undercast Sunrise

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:11:46 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

We stayed at the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) Lakes of the Clouds Hut on our way up to Mount Washington. This ended up being a great plan, because it was dark and cloudy all day on our way up, and by the time we got to the Hut it became apparent it was going to rain.

About an hour later it started to rain, and an hour after that it turned into a massive thunderstorm and torrential downpour -- good thing we weren't at the summit!

This shot was taken the next morning. The storm had completely disappeared and we were treated to an amazing show of "under cast" clouds with clear blue skies above us. This was taken as the sun was rising, and you can see the moon hanging around as well, not yet ready to go away for the day.

As we hiked up the Appalachian Trail to the Mount Washington Summit, the clouds began to rise around us. By the time we began our descent, some of the clouds were at the same elevation we were and others were slightly above us. Really amazing day.

Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 feet tall.

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens
5-exposure HDR bracketed at 1-stop, Tripod, blended in Photomatix

Glacier Point, Yosemite

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:19:11 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

The famous Glacier Point is known for its easy access and amazing views. Here is a shot of Glacier Point itself, as seen from a meadow near Curry Village in the late afternoon before sunset.

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens

El Capitan, Yosemite

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:19:12 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

A view of El Capitan from a meadow on Southside Drive.

El Capitan is one of the most popular and challenging climbs in the United States. The ascent up El Capitan is a completely vertical 3,000+ feet and takes most climbers 2-3 days to complete, which involves camping out on ledges or in hammocks on the rock face while waiting out the night. The best planners will plan their sleep so that they wake up in the shade and minimize their exposure to the blistering sun.

Speed climbing "El Cap" is also popular. The record for the Nose has changed hands several times in the past few years. The record currently belongs to Alex Honnold and Hans Florine, who broke the previous record by almost 13 minutes, with a time 2:23.46 on June 17, 2012 (just over a month before we arrived in Yosemite).

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens

Glacier Point View - Half Dome, Yosemite

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:19:15 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

View of Half Dome from Glacier Point, with visitors enjoying and photographing the view.

I enjoyed the contrast of the morning light with the shadows on the other side of the mountain, which helped create a sense of depth to the image.

Glacier Point (Elevation: 7,200 feet) has some of the best views in Yosemite, and it is easily accessible via Glacier Point Road. You can park and walk to these amazing views with little to no elevation gain.

We took the Glacier Point Bus from Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. It was about an hour and fifteen minute guided ride which was very informative about the geology and history of Yosemite.

From here, we took the Four Mile Trail back down the mountain and into Yosemite Valley where we returned to our car. Given that we were leaving in less than two days for our 4-day backpacking trip, we were happy to be heading down the trail as opposed to up - and certainly not up and back.

Nikon D800.
24-120mm f/4 Lens.

Mono Lake Tufa Reflections

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:19:19 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

After a good night's rest we woke up ready to start our vacation. We started off in style, with an awesome guided kayaking trip on Mono Lake with Stuart from Caldera Kayaks.

Mono Lake is a large, shallow saline soda lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in a basin that has no outlet to the ocean. The lack of an outlet causes high levels of salts to accumulate in the lake.

One of the greatest attractions to this "desert salt lake," is the fascinating "Tufa" Towers. Pictured here is a string of incredible Tufas, reflecting in the lake.

Fun Facts from MonoLake.org: Tufas are essentially common limestone. What is uncommon about this limestone is the way it forms. Typically, underwater springs rich in calcium (the stuff in your bones) mix with lakewater rich in carbonates (the stuff in baking soda). As the calcium comes in contact with carbonates in the lake, a chemical reaction occurs resulting in calcium carbonate--limestone. The calcium carbonate precipitates (settles out of solution as a solid) around the spring, and over the course of decades to centuries, a tufa tower will grow. Tufa towers grow exclusively underwater, and some grow to heights of over 30 feet. The reason visitors see so much tufa around Mono Lake today is because the lake level fell dramatically after water diversions began in 1941.

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens

Mono Lake Tufa

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:19:17 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

After a good night's rest we woke up ready to start our vacation. We started off in style, with an awesome guided kayaking trip on Mono Lake with Stuart from Caldera Kayaks.

Mono Lake is a large, shallow saline soda lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in a basin that has no outlet to the ocean. The lack of an outlet causes high levels of salts to accumulate in the lake.

One of the greatest attractions to this "desert salt lake," is the fascinating "Tufa" Towers. Pictured here is a single Tufa Tower, reflecting in the lake.

Fun Facts from MonoLake.org: Tufas are essentially common limestone. What is uncommon about this limestone is the way it forms. Typically, underwater springs rich in calcium (the stuff in your bones) mix with lakewater rich in carbonates (the stuff in baking soda). As the calcium comes in contact with carbonates in the lake, a chemical reaction occurs resulting in calcium carbonate--limestone. The calcium carbonate precipitates (settles out of solution as a solid) around the spring, and over the course of decades to centuries, a tufa tower will grow. Tufa towers grow exclusively underwater, and some grow to heights of over 30 feet. The reason visitors see so much tufa around Mono Lake today is because the lake level fell dramatically after water diversions began in 1941.

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens

El Capitan, Yosemite

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:19:13 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

While driving along Northside Drive in Yosemite Valley, we found a gentleman who had set himself up in the meadow with multiple telescopes and several on-lookers.

He was a very knowledgeable man who was teaching visitors about the phenomenon of El Capitan and its fearless climbers in multiple languages (English, French, German, Spanish, etc). He was letting people use his telescopes and pointing out the climbers to us.

The ascent up El Capitan is a completely vertical 3,000+ feet and takes most climbers 2-3 days to complete, which involves camping out on ledges or in hammocks on the rock face while waiting out the night. The best planners will plan their sleep so that they wake up in the shade and minimize their exposure to the blistering sun. If you look very closely, about a third of the way up the mountain in the middle of the shade you will see two climbers making their way up the mountain.

Speed climbing "El Cap" is also popular. The record for the Nose has changed hands several times in the past few years. The record currently belongs to Alex Honnold and Hans Florine, who broke the previous record by almost 13 minutes, with a time 2:23.46 on June 17, 2012 (just over a month before we arrived in Yosemite).

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens

Mono Lake Tufa Reflections

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:19:16 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

Mono Lake Tufa Reflections

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:19:18 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

Swimming in Sunrise Lakes, Yosemite

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:19:11 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

My wife and I, enjoying a relaxing swim after the first few hours of our backpacking trip.

Here's a little gem in the backcountry of Yosemite. Sunrise Lakes actually consist of multiple lakes, this being the first one you run into on the trail.

The water was gorgeous and clear and the day was absolutely beautiful. We went for a swim and the water felt great. Later, we set up camp about a mile from here on our way to Cloud's Rest.

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens

Mono Lake Tufa Reflections

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:19:18 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

After a good night's rest we woke up ready to start our vacation. We started off in style, with an awesome guided kayaking trip on Mono Lake with Stuart from Caldera Kayaks.

Mono Lake is a large, shallow saline soda lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in a basin that has no outlet to the ocean. The lack of an outlet causes high levels of salts to accumulate in the lake.

One of the greatest attractions to this "desert salt lake," is the fascinating "Tufa" Towers. Pictured here is a string of incredible Tufas. In the bottom left of the image, you can see another Tufa growing underwater, while the primary focal point is a string of Tufas that have emerged from the lake.

Fun Facts from MonoLake.org: Tufas are essentially common limestone. What is uncommon about this limestone is the way it forms. Typically, underwater springs rich in calcium (the stuff in your bones) mix with lakewater rich in carbonates (the stuff in baking soda). As the calcium comes in contact with carbonates in the lake, a chemical reaction occurs resulting in calcium carbonate--limestone. The calcium carbonate precipitates (settles out of solution as a solid) around the spring, and over the course of decades to centuries, a tufa tower will grow. Tufa towers grow exclusively underwater, and some grow to heights of over 30 feet. The reason visitors see so much tufa around Mono Lake today is because the lake level fell dramatically after water diversions began in 1941.

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens

Crystal Cave Formations, Sequoia National Park

nobody@flickr.com (Jonny Fay) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 23:08:25 -0800

Jonny Fay posted a photo:

This is the first cave that I've ever been in and I can't wait to see more!

These calcite / limestone formations remind me of the Aliens movies. Really awesome stuff.

Crystal Cave is only accessible via guided trip and is kept at a consistent 48 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain the proper eco-balance for the cave. We went on a late afternoon trip that was for adults only with a smaller group. To enhance the experience, they shut off most of the display lights so we were using our headlamps and flashlights to light the way.

White-nose syndrome has been plaguing bats in many caves throughout North America, killing over 5 million to date. Before granted entry to the Crystal Cave, sanitation processes are required. Any articles of clothing or other items that have been in any other caves in the past 6 years are not allowed in Crystal Cave.

From Wikipedia: Crystal Cave is a marble karst cave in Sequoia National Park, California. It is one of at least 240 known caves in the park. It is in the Giant Forest region, between the Ash Mountain entrance of the park and Giant Forest.

This is a great example of something that my new Nikon D800 allowed me to do that my D80 couldn't have done. They do not allow tripods in the caves, so all my cave shots were handheld. I used ISO 6400 with my aperture set to f/5.6 to maintain strong depth of field and sharpness with the formations. The VR in the lens and steady shooting techniques helped maintain a sharp image as well.

Nikon D800
24-120mm f/4 Lens
ISO 6400