No sharp images of the Rockies

Kilgallb · Nov 20, 2022

I got areal sharp image of the mountains in Kootenay National Park in April 2020. I called it Kootenay River on the Clearest Day. We were all in lockdown, planes were grounded and there was little traffic.

Kootenay River On The Clearest Day

the Kootenay river in the national park. I have never seen it so clear before. The sky is brighter with no cars or airplanes. This is the effect of the lockdown.

www.photrio.com

Now that traffic is back and the forest fires still burn, there was a smoke advisory today in Northern Alberta even with snow on the ground.

It is a rare day where the sky is clear enough to get a sharp image of a far away peak.

Smoke particles have made far away vistas quiver in the sun.

When you remember how clear the sky was early pandemic, it makes you want to support all efforts to fix the planet.

gone · Nov 20, 2022

That is a stunningly beautiful shot.

I don't necessarily support all these efforts to help the planet because I know how much these organizations siphon off for various reasons. I think it's up to you, and me, and all of us, to do what we can through direct action. That's the way change happens. Like Voltaire, we need to tend our own gardens.

People say that one person can't make a difference, but it ALWAYS comes down to one one person who makes a huge change. Look at history, one person can change the world.

markjwyatt · Nov 20, 2022

Kilgallb said:
I got areal sharp image of the mountains in Kootenay National Park in April 2020. I called it Kootenay River on the Clearest Day. We were all in lockdown, planes were grounded and there was little traffic.

Kootenay River On The Clearest Day

the Kootenay river in the national park. I have never seen it so clear before. The sky is brighter with no cars or airplanes. This is the effect of the lockdown.

www.photrio.com

Now that traffic is back and the forest fires still burn, there was a smoke advisory today in Northern Alberta even with snow on the ground.

It is a rare day where the sky is clear enough to get a sharp image of a far away peak.

Smoke particles have made far away vistas quiver in the sun.

When you remember how clear the sky was early pandemic, it makes you want to support all efforts to fix the planet.

That is a beautiful shot. I would not blame all fires or extreme weather events an AGW. I know for the last 20 years or so half the time I go to Lake Tahoe (and it is many times), there is a fire, and it spoils the experience, as well as puts a lot of lives in danger. But lot of that is just people pouring into a place that is prone to fires to start with.

Kilgallb · Nov 20, 2022

Modus wrote:
I think it's up to you, and me, and all of us, to do what we can through direct action. That's the way change happens. Like Voltaire, we need to tend our own gardens.

Kilgallb replies:
I should complain less, and take the electric train to work.

bernard_L · Nov 21, 2022

momus said:
That is a stunningly beautiful shot.

I don't necessarily support all these efforts to help the planet because I know how much these organizations siphon off for various reasons. I think it's up to you, and me, and all of us, to do what we can through direct action. That's the way change happens. Like Voltaire, we need to tend our own gardens.

People say that one person can't make a difference, but it ALWAYS comes down to one one person who makes a huge change. Look at history, one person can change the world.

Please tell us" how much"
Please list "these organizations"
Please list the "various reasons"

koraks · Nov 21, 2022

bernard_L said:
Please tell us" how much"
Please list "these organizations"
Please list the "various reasons"

Moderator note: no, don't, as it's a sure-fire way to making this political.
Any further posts with a similar request, or a response to it, or an attempt to discuss the question, will be deleted.

xkaes · Nov 21, 2022

Many years ago I remember all the smoke over the US South West -- the Rockies and canyon country -- from copper smelters. These were on BOTH sides of the US/MEXICO border, so it was not just a US problem. Photographers especially were noticing it because it was impossible to take shots of vistas -- like you could in the "OLD DAYS". Some days it was so bad you couldn't see the other side of the Grand Canyon. It's still not completely solved. And the smelters work 365, unlike fire seasons.

The last three years in the central Rockies have been horrible at times due to forest fires -- some on the West Coast (Cascades & Sierra Nevada) AND the Southern Rockies (New Mexico & Arizona). Some days in Denver cars were covered in ash -- shades of Mt. St. Helen.

I don't think it's going to get any better because everybody wants to blame someone else -- countries too. Even on this FORUM. I'm just lucky I've got lots of old negatives to work with.

Daniela · Nov 21, 2022

Beautiful image and I agree with you, OP!

pbromaghin · Nov 21, 2022

I wonder if the clear skies we remember from our youth might have been new thing. Thanks to Smokie the Bear, US annual burn acerage dropped 80% from around 1930 to 1960 and has come up only a bit since then.

grain elevator · Nov 21, 2022

koraks said:
Moderator note: no, don't, as it's a sure-fire way to making this political.
Any further posts with a similar request, or a response to it, or an attempt to discuss the question, will be deleted.

I respect the intention to keep politics out of it, but then please also remove the initial statement, which made it political already. Leaving it there but not permitting to question it can't be the way to go. I see that you left the first post questioning it for all to see, that's great. But still the message this act of moderation sends is "initial claim protected, questioning not welcome". It's not a good picture. Well, I also don't like the idea of such heavy-handed moderation, but what way out?

Vaughn · Nov 21, 2022

I grew up in southern California. The improvement in air quality is amazing over the last 50 years.

Sirius Glass · Nov 21, 2022

Vaughn said:
I grew up in southern California. The improvement in air quality is amazing over the last 50 years.

Yes, I remember well being on the West Side and seeing the Yellow Yuck wall blocking the view of the mountains and Pasadena.

Sirius Glass · Nov 21, 2022

We need special filters that remove smog and smoke as well are correct any exposure errors and rearrange the composition to produce the best composition, the adjust the focus. I will need several screwing filter sizes and a B-60 please.

Donald Qualls · Nov 21, 2022

Vaughn said:
southern California. The improvement in air quality is amazing over the last 50 years.

I visited Disneyland (coming from north Idaho) in 1970. Came over the mountains and my first comment (at age 10) was that the whole city of LA smelled like a swimming pool. There was haze everywhere. Couldn't smell it by the time we got to our hotel, but I could still see it to the day we headed back north.

MattKing · Nov 21, 2022

Sometimes, when a political issue comes up, for Photrio's purposes it is best to identify it as such, note that there is disagreement about it, and end the discussion about the politics there.
Other times all we can do is take out the editing knife.
Almost all the rule breaking discussions are valid and interesting subjects for discussion - just elsewhere.

pbromaghin · Nov 21, 2022

Vaughn said:
I grew up in southern California. The improvement in air quality is amazing over the last 50 years.

Well, Cabrillo did call San Pedro "Baya de los Fumos" in 1542.

Eric Rose · Nov 21, 2022

I miss being able to take clear photos of the mountains. Great photo Bill, even more impressive when the actual print is viewed.

snusmumriken · Nov 21, 2022

markjwyatt said:
That is a beautiful shot.

Totally agree. Gorgeous.

VinceInMT · Nov 21, 2022

Vaughn said:
I grew up in southern California. The improvement in air quality is amazing over the last 50 years.

Same here. In the 60s it was a rare day that one could see the San Bernardino Mountains through the brownish-red haze. Cleaner vehicles and the addition of vapor recovery systems on fueling stations really did help.

Here in Montana we get lots of smoke in the summer from either fires in our own state or blowing in from the west. The upside is that we get some spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

Sirius Glass · Nov 21, 2022

VinceInMT said:
Same here. In the 60s it was a rare day that one could see the San Bernardino Mountains through the brownish-red haze. Cleaner vehicles and the addition of vapor recovery systems on fueling stations really did help.

Here in Montana we get lots of smoke in the summer from either fires in our own state or blowing in from the west. The upside is that we get some spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

Yes, back then when I went skiing in the Rockies I would panic because I thought that I was going to suffocate because I could not see any air to breathe.

xkaes · Nov 21, 2022

VinceInMT said:
Here in Montana we get lots of smoke in the summer from either fires in our own state or blowing in from the west. The upside is that we get some spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

I sure do miss that Anaconda plant -- it let you photograph "the world through rose-colored GASSES".

GregY · Nov 21, 2022

Still lots of clear days in the Rockies..... like any other times in the mountains it's not a give away and every day is different

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Kilgallb · Nov 21, 2022

GregY

Please give us details of this photo. Lovely!

GregY · Nov 21, 2022

Kilgallb said:
GregY

Please give us details of this photo. Lovely!

Rolleiflex, Pan F w yellow filter. Eiffel lake, Valley of the Ten Peaks

Kilgallb · Nov 21, 2022

pbromaghin said:
I wonder if the clear skies we remember from our youth might have been new thing. Thanks to Smokie the Bear, US annual burn acerage dropped 80% from around 1930 to 1960 and has come up only a bit since then.

Interesting comment. I read in the book 1491 that it was common for the indigenous people to burn in the fall to take care of the forest.

When the indigenous population collapsed from small pox there was a mini ice age because there was no fires and the carbon in the atmosphere reduced. The Thames froze over.

No sharp images of the Rockies

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