Nevada’s Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park

2023-12-23 • SEND FEEDBACK |
Related: infrared, State of Nevada

I ran into some older photos, and thought I would reprocess them. Taken with the Canon EOS 5D-IR + Zeiss ZF 25mm f/2.8 IR-Distagon. I still have the lens—I should get my Nikon D850 converted to IR and have some fun with IR again.

Photoshop sucks for faux infrared images, meaning that it does not produce good false color differentiation, instead producing monochromatic results as seen below. Ditto for most raw converters. The faux color effect can be much more interesting and useful using Nikon Capture even if that’s not the goal—it’s a superb basis for tonal differentation in monochrome conversion. But can Nikon Capture NX-D @ NikonUSA it deliver the results it used to produce? Canon never had anything as good for infrared.

Nikon D800 Infrared First Look with Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 IR-Distagon
Infrared Examples 25/2.8 IR-Distagon

Climbing Nevada’s Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park

All images below were reprocessed in 2023 using Adobe Camera Raw.

Driving Highway 50 across Utah/Nevada? Stop at Great Basin National Park, and if you’re so inclined, hike to the summit of 13,063' Wheeler Peak. It’s an easy climb as such things go, and provides a 360° view.

Early sun through trees

f8 @ 1/250 sec handheld, ISO 100; 2009-05-27 07:29:28
Canon EOS 5D-IR + Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 Distagon
ENV: Wheeler Peak trailhead, altitude 9600 ft / 2926 m, 50°F / 10°C
RAW: Adobe Color, Enhance Details, LACA corrected, WB 2000°K tint -65, push 0.3 stops, +31 Shadows, +40 Dehaze, AI Denoise 20

[low-res image for bot]

View along summit ridge to Wheeler Peak summit

f8 @ 1/160 sec, ISO 100; 2009-05-27 07:56:28
Canon EOS 5D-IR + Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 Distagon RAW: Enhance Details, AI Denoise 20

[low-res image for bot]

Below, approaching treeline.

Near treeline at ~11,000 feet

f8 @ 1/400 sec, ISO 100; 2009-05-27 08:20:31
Canon EOS 5D-IR + Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 Distagon RAW: Enhance Details, AI Denoise 20

[low-res image for bot]

View to Wheeler Peak summit, N approch ridge

f8 @ 1/200 sec handheld, ISO 100; 2009-05-27 08:43:09
Canon EOS 5D-IR + Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 Distagon
ENV: Wheeler Peak, altitude 12000 ft / 3658 m, 50°F / 10°C
RAW: Enhance Details, WB 2000°K tint -84, push 0.66 stops, +100 Shadows, +40 Dehaze, AI Denoise 20

[low-res image for bot]

Approaching Wheeler Peak summit

f8 @ 1/500 sec handheld, ISO 100; 2009-05-27 09:53:23
Canon EOS 5D-IR + Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 Distagon
ENV: Wheeler Peak, altitude 12500 ft / 3810 m, 50°F / 10°C

[low-res image for bot]

Hiker near Wheeler Peak summit

f8 @ 1/640 sec handheld, ISO 100; 2009-05-27 10:07:16
Canon EOS 5D-IR + Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 Distagon
ENV: Wheeler Peak, altitude 13000 ft / 3962 m, 50°F / 10°C
RAW: Enhance Details, WB 2000°K tint -84, push 0.66 stops, +100 Shadows, +40 Dehaze, AI Denoise 20

[low-res image for bot]

Lloyd on Wheeler Peak summit

f8 @ 1/100 sec, ISO 160; 2009-05-27 10:30:11
Canon EOS 5D-IR + Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 Distagon RAW: Enhance Details, AI Denoise 20

[low-res image for bot]

Clouds form by late morning, so it’s a good idea to get a start near sunrise.

The best way down is on your butt when conditions allow, and the slope is steep enough. This saved my iffy right knee from further abuse (it’a a bit weak from tearing both the ACL and PCL ligaments 2 years ago). It’s not easy taking a picture doing this; you’re riding a small pile of snow, kinda like having a big mushy diaper strapped to your butt. Staying alert for rock piles is a plus.

Butt slide

f8 @ 1/200 sec, ISO 160; 2009-05-27 11:54:00
Canon EOS 5D-IR + Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 Distagon RAW: Enhance Details, AI Denoise 20

[low-res image for bot]

Butt slide trail down snow field

f8 @ 1/640 sec, ISO 160; 2009-05-27 11:55:09
Canon EOS 5D-IR + Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 Distagon RAW: AI Denoise 20

[low-res image for bot]