Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer – and often the supreme disappointment.
Ansel Adams
It is relatively easy to photograph a landscape. It doesn’t move as wildlife does, it doesn’t object as a person may do. But to photograph a landscape and be happy with the result is much more difficult. So often the grandeur of what we see fails to translate itself to the image and we are disappointed that the result doesn’t stir in us, or in others, the feeling we had when we were there. But we keep trying!
Ansel Adams is one of my all-time favourite photographers, yet I very rarely try to emulate him, preferring to stick to colour for my landscape photography. But in California, where so many of his great images were taken, I couldn’t resist the urge to experiment a bit. My black and white shot of the view from Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park was well-received here, so I thought I’d stick my neck out and try a few more!
Here then are the more successful of my edits for this week’s theme-free Monochrome Madness challenge. And if you’re curious to see these shots in colour, watch this space! I’ll be sharing them and many more from our trip over the coming months.
My feature photo shows the view of Yosemite from Glacier Point, with Half Dome near the centre and the Valley to the far left.
All shots have been edited using Nik Silver Efex Pro, including the use of a slight selenium toning.
Reflection Lake, Lassen National Park
The view near Bumpass Hell, Lassen National Park
Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe
South Tufa area of Mono Lake
At Soda Springs on the Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park
View of Half Dome from Olmstead Point, Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park
Early morning view of El Capitan, Yosemite National Park
The Merced River at Swinging Bridge, Yosemite Valley
View from Stoneman Meadow of the dry Staircase Falls, Yosemite Valley
The Kings River near Zumwalt Meadow, Kings Canyon National Park
Middle Fork and South Fork of Kings Canyon from Junction View on Hwy 180
Another view from Moro Rock, Sequoia National Park
The view near Golden Canyon on Artists Drive, Death Valley National Park
At Dantes View, Death Valley National Park
I last visited California in September/October 2024, when all these photos were taken
41 Comments
Jane Lurie
Hi Sarah, We share a reverence for Ansel and your homage of black and whites is fabulous. Your Glacier Point pano is terrific- you hit some fabulous clouds that day! Olmstead Point is a great shot and a favorite spot. All of your landscapes work beautifully in monochrome. Great post- makes me want to run to a National Park… will hit Joshua Tree in December! 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Jane 😊 Yes, the weather was perfect for us – not just at Glacier Point but pretty much throughout our trip, although the sky was particularly good that day! We were so glad we took the trouble to hike out over the rocks at Olmstead Point. Most people seemed content with the view near the parking area but we got much better shots by walking out to this viewpoint 🙂
grandmisadventures
Great pictures! The black and white really makes the landscapes look all the more dynamic. I love how the black and white of Death Valley makes the sand look like water
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Meg 😊 That ‘sand’ is the salt flats of Badwater Basin so I guess it was once water!
slowlywizard79dd1e3300
That is a dramatic panorama. Did you use a yellow filter for the clouds?
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂 I’m not sure which of the photos you’re referring to but I’m guessing the first one? As I say in the text, all these images were shot first in colour and later edited with Nik Silver Efex Pro. I did use filters on some to emphasise contrasts and bring out the clouds and rock textures, but I can’t remember whether I did so with that one. There is already good cloud/sky contrast in the colour original so I may not have needed it.
Leanne Cole
These are fantastic Sarah, they are really suited to monochrome.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Leanne, I’m so pleased you like them 🙂
Heyjude
I must confess to enjoying Ansel Adams’ images and having a go at my own whilst visiting Yosemite. Your photos brought back good memories.
Sarah Wilkie
I hope you were happy with the results?!
Heyjude
Very happy. Some great contrasts. (I’m talking about your photos)
Sarah Wilkie
And I was asking about yours!
Heyjude
🤣🤣
Heyjude
http://traveltalk.me.uk/2021/03/12/flashback-friday-11/
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks for that link. It looks lovely in the snow and that first shot on your post must have been taken almost exactly where I took my own favourite shot on our visit 🙂
Anonymous
Great set!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂
kzmcb
I think you’ve done a great job. Like Margaret, I’d like to see in colour, too, but they’re very crisp.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you – and you will see them in colour too eventually, I promise!
Vicki
Wonderful series of images in B & W, but certain ones work better than others. The truly great monotones that I particularly like in this post are the Reflection Lake, South Tufa, View of Half Dome, Kings River, Moro Rock and finally the beautiful Dantes View. I like to see some very dark black subjects contrasting with lighter parts of the composition.
To be honest I’m not so keen on the images that are mostly grey textures. But that’s just my view.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you for your feedback Vicki 🙂 I do know what you mean about the less contrasty shots but if I can bring out the textures in the landscape I’m happy with them. However I know they won’t appeal to everyone!
restlessjo
Thanks so much for the views of Yosemite, Sarah. Very few black and whites appeal to me more than colour and the natural state of things.
Worrying outbreaks of fire in California. There’s always something, isn’t there?
Sarah Wilkie
Well there will be plenty of colour photos in due course Jo! Yes, the fires are worrying – we saw the effects in Lassen as you know but also elsewhere. It’s very sad to see the dead trees, but we also saw how quickly new growth springs up and learned how some amount of fire is actually necessary for the giant sequoias to thrive. The problem is when they get out of control and threaten people’s homes etc.
Anne Sandler
I just loved these iconic scenes in black and white. You did a wonderful job Sarah. With black and white, you can see every crevice in the mountains.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Anne 😊 Yes, that’s one reason I like to experiment with B&w for landscapes, you can really see the textures in the land.
Monkey's Tale
Great B&Ws Sarah. I still put Mono Lake at the top, but also really like El Cap. For me though I prefer Half Dome in colour, even though it doesn’t have much colour. Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Maggie, always great to have your feedback 😀
Annie Berger
Wonderful shots of epic locations. I feel like I was right there seeing the images alongside you.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Annie, I’m so glad you like these shots 😊
Egídio
Wow, Sarah! These are inspirational photos. You make me want to revisit my edits from Yosemite and other parks and see how they’d look in monochrome.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Egidio 😊 You take amazing photos in the national parks, I’m sure they’d look wonderful in monochrome!
Egídio
Thanks, Sarah. I’ll have to explore that.
Klausbernd
Dear Sarah
We really prefer B&W. We like the drama you only get with B&W and the Silver Efex editing. It’s more arty and graphic than colour.
Well done 👍👍
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, I’m so pleased you liked these edits 🙂
Sue
What a marvellous set of monochrome images, Sarah! Very difficult to pick favourites
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Sue 😊
margaret21
Although I look forward to seeing these images again in colour I am very happy to enjoy them in monochrome too. They would every one of them have qualified for Egidio’s Silence challenge too.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Margaret – and yes, all would have worked well for that theme 🙂
Terri Webster Schrandt
Ansel would be proud to call you a fellow B&W landscape photographer, Sarah! Fabulous photos! I got a bit misty eyed seeing Mono Lake, Tuolumne Meadows and scenes from Yosemite Valley. Your photography did the California National Parks proud!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Terri 😊 I’m hardly in his league but it’s hard to go wrong with landscapes like these! Can you imagine how many photos I took?! Last time we were in California was pre-digital photography so we had to ration ourselves in terms of film, but no such problem these days!
Terri Webster Schrandt
Truly, Sarah! It’s hard to capture a bad photo, and as a digital file, the bad ones can be deleted.