First snow in Yosemite, first trip w/LX5, lessons learned (big pics)

Mjollnir

Just got back yesterday evening after a weekend for at Yosemite w/the g/f for the first snowfall of the year, and the weather did not disappoint. This was the first time ever for using my LX5, and everything was shot manual. I shot RAW and 'fine' .jpg, and everything here is .jpg, since I only have Silkypix and have zero idea thus far how to use it to my liking. Saturday night dumped another foot (at least) on the valley.

Lesson 1: I kept looking for a long exposure function, as I had to do in my old FS7, and then, after driving out of the park, it occurred to me, "Hey, Jackass, just leave the shutter open for a long time. It's full manual, you can do that." Oi! I wish I'd thought of that for the moonrise over Valley View, but I'm so used to the camera having computer-driven options that something so simple just didn't occur to me.

Lesson 2: I could have just converted all my RW2 files over to .tiffs and THEN worked on them in Photoscape, or something else I'm familiar with, but that, too, didn't occur to me until I'd already spent time working on .jpgs.

The famous elm in Cook's Meadow, w/Halfdome juuuust coming through the mist



The classic Valley View shot, that I usually avoid like the plague, but this one caught my eye because of the one, single yellow leaf at the bottom. I'm also happy that I could get El Cap Gully in at the left side of the shot.



Fallen tree, Merced River, Cathedral Beach



Same thing, different reflective view



Another warhorse: the famous copse of trees in Awahnee Meadow. Just enough color on top to keep it interesting.



Snow on fallen tree, Merced River, looking west from the bridge if one turns left on South Side Drive i/o going right to Curry. I can never remember the name.



Looking NE from other side of bridge.



Royal Arches B&W



Finally, the shot I wish I'd had a much longer shutter open for. The moon was out for literally 1 minute. I'm converting it to a .tiff from RAW and letting my pro g/f work on it in Lightroom.

Borderfox

Some beautiful shots, first two and the last three are excellent

Mjollnir

Borderfox wrote: »

Some beautiful shots, first two and the last three are excellent

Thanks!

I'm still kicking myself about that last one, and not actually realizing that all I had to do was choose a shutter setting at, say, 10-15 seconds.

I was standing there scrolling like an idiot through all these menu trees on the LCD screen, knee-deep in snow, hoping to find one that said "long exposure" or something.

When I told the g/f, she justifiably laughed and noted that unlearning old habits is just as important as learning new equipment.

wersal gummage

i'd hang the first photo on my wall in large size. class. love yosemite.