Hunters Not Allowed

Holy Cow (in this case Bull) Batman. I really, really, really wish I had taken a photograph this MONSTER in the wild not on an ELK farm this week. I have a hard time admitting that I shot this at an ELK farm in Rupert, Idaho. Even thought about figuring out a way to cut out the Bull and put him in a wildlife photograph setting. No Guts No Glory? He's still the next to the biggest I have ever seen. Wild or not!

Photo art (again)

My feeble attempt at being an artist (again).

Not to insult true artists, we do have a couple of things in common. We have a vision of a scene. The photographers is right in front of them. Another is that we produce something from our "scene". When my daughter and I stopped at the river that's in the photo above. I knew that the outcome was not going to be strictly a photo replication of the scene. The patterns colors and shapes made me wish I could draw or paint. Never happen. I can't even draw a straight line for work. Thank goodness for Topaz labs and their simple filters. I almost felt as if I was forcing a print out of a "normal" shot. But in the end it turned out as I envisioned it. May have been more dimensional if from my imagination. Oh well another chance to explore and stretch my study and vision.

My wife does not like this one......

No big quarrels. Just a slight disagreement. My wife is my best and worst critic. For 30 some years she shrugs off most my work. She is a purest. A famous violinist. An artist. I married UP! She see things like...well like....like I don't see. I play the stereo and the Ipod. In tune I might mention. Her criticism of this photo was the blurry waterfall. I tried to explain that I used a slower shutter speed to get that very effect. Didn't win her over. I kinda like it. In post it was run through topaz with a filter called simplify. If you look close it has a slight water color feel to it. It won't be hanging anywhere in my house near the Thomas Kinkaid's. Maybe I will post it at work.........

Shoshpne #2 Close Up

Part of photography is location, location, location. Finding that sweet spot that captures the essence of the scene. Walking hours on end waiting for the perfect light. Camera and tripod over shoulder with twenty pounds or so in a a back pack or vest. Searching, seeking that one and only spot to shoot. Or if you are at a national, city, or state park that has cliffs and water falls, you shoot behind the fence. Where ever the fence is. At Shoshone falls it's obvious that the law abiding photographers stay on the trail and behind the fence. So I shot where everyone else shoots. How many have a 14-24, f/2/8 lens? And shoot the scene in using HDR? Probably hundreds or thousands. So if you have seen Shoeshone falls there is no new views. Hopefully just new ways to see the same view.

Shoshone Falls

A lot of window time again today. Back in Twinn Falls late. I have never seen Shoshone Falls before. For years my travels in Idaho have included Twinn Falls City. Encouraged by Thomas on many occasion to see the falls, I rushed there just as the sun was setting. Checked exposures. Yikes nine stops! Lowered the EV two stops and shot nine frames .7 stop apart. A gentleman I was talking with mentioned that about fifteen minutes earlier the sun was shining down the canyon onto the falls. Sounds good but may have added even a wider dynamic range. Post I sharpened slightly, dodged all the water very slightly and framed. Hope to come back again and see the falls in the spring. Thomas says the volume of water going over is incredible.

Old But Standing

On the Road Again.

Looking for light to pixel absorption while driving to Idaho today. Bonus. This house (or school house) fell right into my lap. Above the window carved in the wood is a name and the Date of Apr 1909. The structure is at Rock City National Monument (though on private property). I was amazed at the construction of the structure. Multiple layers of stacked granite. It must have taken a long time to quarry, cut and shape the stones. Don't you wonder who built it? What did the valley look like 100 years ago? If only the walls could talk!

Laurie Excell Blogs

Laurie Excell is a DLWS faculty member. A great photographer and extremely well networked in the professional world. Her last two blogs are photo's of Dalia's. Take a peek their pretty cool!

Oregon Coast

June 2007

Definitely the greatest photo op I have ever had. Taught by the masters, Moose Peterson, Joe McNally, and others. DLWS was a great adventure and was a turning point in the way I see through my camera and work in the digital darkroom. Moose and Joe are famous they don't know me from Adam. But I am a daily follower of their blogs. I get nothing for endorsing them. If you want a photographic vision changing experience. Sign up for DLWS. The photo above was taken at DLWS June of 2007. This day was the usual up before dawn at the site shooting before sunrise. The group had gone the opposite direction. I wanted a shot unique to my taste like the lighthouse posted on my web site. Every-time I view the hundreds of shots from Oregon it takes me back. Plus I wanted to run a few frames through Silver Efex Pro. I hope you enjoy it. I sure did when I was there.

Workroom HDR't

I'm really digging this HDR thing!

We should call the HDR type photo's above HDR't (HDR art). Surreal but effective. I made several versions of this photo. Started with the "it's how I saw it". To what you see above. On the internet I seem to find more HDR't than anything else. Whatever! It's pretty dang fun!

Grizz Butt

Sometimes they have had enough of us......and show what they think about us!

Deer Week #2

Another missed opportunity...

I am on my soap box again with this one!  Just as my daughter and I set up to shoot two beautiful bucks, out of a car runs a very young man on a dead run towards the deer.  He is on a mission for mom and dad.  Get as close as you can with the point and shoot and take a picture. Hurry because it will run.  DUH!!!!!!!   When will these people realize that close means Bye, Bye to the wild life.  Or hello to the antlers in your gut.  Either one is NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!!!!

Along with the deer in the photo above was a big beautiful five point buck.  He was headed for a clearing with all kinds of yellow and purple flowers.  The shot of a life time for two eager and patient photographers.  BUT NO.  I gestured to the little two legged monster to stay back.  No respect for me or the wishes of those around me.  

I look at it this way.  Everyone has the right to witness these beautiful creatures of the wild.  Equally.  That means that if the animal is NOT affected by our presence we are the right distance from said animal.  To photograph the wild at a distance of comfort for the animal is expensive.  

$10,000.00 for a 600mm lens

$1,000.oo for telecoverters

$6,000.00 for camera.

$1,600.oo for tripod and head 

That's just the beginning.  So why are people so inconsiderate first, of the animal then second, of those that wish to photograph the animal in it's natural state and natural state of mind?   It's no wonder I prefer to hike back to find wild animals.  It puts me alone with the wild.  Hopefully at a great distance from the point and shoot public.  

My daughter is blogging on our trip also.  A very nice perspective for me to see.  Find it here.

Oxbow Panarama

I will be back this fall to Oxbow Bend in the Tetons.  Imagine this shot with the aspens in the fall...Yikes!   This shot was 3 wide angles stitched together in CS4 through Photomerge.  Not to difficult. What a beautiful place to be at 7:00 a.m. in the morning last week.  

Sun Flare assignment......

Alea!   How about this one?   Assignment is creative sunburst right?  Nobody said anything about a requirement to have people in the picture.....

12-24 lens @f/22.  Hand held over the rail at ground level.  The small aperture kicks back the starburst sun.  For years I carried a sunburst filter.  One day at a photo seminar a friend let me down slow and let me in on the small aperture thing.  Always learning.  

Maverik Truck....work?

Golly I was asked to photograph one of our trucks.  I had to think about this...for about a second.  Everything was going well until the jet flew through the photo.  I am sure someone out there can fix the con-trail.  It was a fun night.  Fun people and great light!  

Post I used a 9 frame HDR at 1/3 stop increments.  Made no adjustments in the tone map.  

Caterpillar Art

N43,20.4591

W110,43.4617

Nikon D-3 105 f/2.8, 1/100 sec @f11, ISO 1250, 

When Lindsay and I saw this caterpillar I new it was going to be put to the Topaz Software in post.  In the shade of the tree the little guy was more of a silhouette.  The juxtaposition with the leave added some interest.  Topaz came through with what I envisioned.  My grandson was freaked by the insect.  Looking close at it kinda explains it...spikes and all.

Deer Week

N 44,33.1167

W 110,24.1832

August is definitely not the month for wildlife photography.   In Yellowstone there are still many opportunities to view and photograph them... even in August.  Buffalo were in abundance, cow elk could be found in regular vistas but the stand out this trip was deer.  Usually much less obvious these guys were everywhere.    Because of their shy nature little time is allowed to set up and shoot when coming across a deer.    The photo above was the exception.  Near Lake Lodge this gentleman and two others were posing for a small crowd.  (I am still not convinced that these aren't rangers in deer outfits).  A little too docile for me.  They are not backwoods, jump and run at any sound deer.  Probably could have pet one of them...like some tourists attempted to do.  The shot was taken wide open with my six hundred lens.  Nothing fancy done post shooting.  Have some fun and go into Google and see where I shot the pic.  This high tech stuff is cool.    

KOA Blog

Here I sit at a picnic table in a KOA campground 12 miles south of Jackson Hole.

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. Last week I woke up with a monster in my eye. Not really a monster...a blob. Well maybe a big floater. What the heck this is my camera eye. Everywhere I look it's like looking through a bottle of my Dad's no-fat, powdered, diluted milk. A royal pain in the butt. The Doc says it's a floater but not really its a "mass" that could be a floater but still attached to my retina. No pain. Just a lot of blinking hoping it will go away. My other eye is the reason why I wear glasses. Probably would have helped that eye if the BLOB was in it.

Made the trek to Yellowstone and Jackson. I am tempted to tell all the bad things that happened like the water pump went out on the suburban, the batteries died in the trailer, my grandsons were having diarrhea contests, my wife came down with a terrible cold, the boys were coughing constantly, and today the body aches, sore throat and coughing started with me I won't tell all the bad things.

My daughter and I went out two early mornings to shoot. It was wonderful to share time with her doing what we enjoy in common. She has a great desire to improve her skills. The best part for me was to just be alone with her in the great outdoors. Not the best time of year for wildlife photography. We enjoyed the vistas and scenic views. Good thing for auto focus with my bum eye. Not a lot of shooting on my part just helping my daughter.

Today we went to oxbow bend in Teton National Park. The countless times that I have been to this spot I have never enjoyed the smooth, glassy water as "reflected" in the photo above. In the circle of photographers that I often hang with we would say today.."the lighting God was with us". In truth, he was. Making our experience together that much better.

Now for the grandsons. Oh my heck. They surely have my good looking gene, my ADD gene, my non-stop try something new gene and my wife's argue gene (I'll get it for this note). How can a grandfather's love be measured? Not sure! Mornings have been greeted by these two little guys giving me a big hug while shouting PAPPA!!!!! My little Cameron is afraid of everything and nothing. A climber, a wrecker, a wild monster. But a little bug I tried to show him turned him into a sprinter in the opposite direction. We walked the hot pots and Geysers near Hayden Valley. He was so scared he shook and about pulled my neck hairs out. My arms wrapped around him and held him tight as I mentioned "Pappa will protect you". He squeezed me even harder and replied back "protect me Pappa from the bolcayno". Never felt so much responsibility in my life. We made it.

I bought Andrew a couple of cameras (that disneyland Pappa thing). What a blast to see him enjoy what his mother and Pappa have so much passion for. He is my morning light and joy. When he smiles his eyes wrinkle up and the grin goes ear to ear. What a blessing in my life.

Last night we saw Bar "J" perform. Fun, Fun, Fun.

Tomorrow we head home. The traffic jams in Yellowstone and the the Tetons, the rushes to the potties to peeps and poops, the long days of driving will not mask or take away the wonderful week I have had. My only wish is that my son and other daughter were here too.

I'll post some of the fun shots we took this next week.

Never take your eyesight for granted.

Going back home...

Where is home?  The place(s) we love the most?  Or that sacred place where families converge?  The incredible wildlife spectacle in Yellowstone is home.  Home to an abundance of wild characters.  A photographers playground.  Starting saturday I will be their guest for several days.  The photo above of he pronghorn takes me to Lamar Valley.  My patience was tested this day.  Pronghorn are one of two fastest land mammals on earth.  And their keen senses are superior to most.  Not easy to approach.  This guy was grazing with his gals for several hours just over the hill from where he is in the photo.  The presence of a human is not wanted at anytime by this breed.  I laid low for what seemed like eternity.  Expecting the family to approach me on this ridge.  At one point my need for a world class pronghorn shot was less necessary than  hours of picking ticks from my torso from laying in sage and grass.  So I started to stand just as Mr. Big Shot came over the hill.  Only six or seven frames of this guy.  One in focus.  I think he was debating if my presence was enough for him to run from his true loves.   He wasn't gone long.  In fact he just circled around to the other the side of the group.  Quite a guy.   Putting his gals between himself and the big bad photographer.  

Iguassu #3 Black and White

I could blog Iguassu Falls for weeks.  I won't.

Each time the photo appears on my screen my senses are taken back to brazil.   It's been fun to work the Silver Efex Pro software.  It's an incredibly powerful software program.  The output options are almost endless.  If you see the need and want the option for incredible Black and Whites try the software.

I have no relationship with NIK.  I am just a great fan of their products!

 

Iguassu Black and White #2

One of the greatest spectacles I have ever seen.  Pictures will never represent what you can experience when standing at Devils Throat of Iguassu Falls.  I was speechless.  The sky that day added so much to the view and this photograph.  I am fortunate to have been there and experienced this place.  

Igausssu

Talking to friends today about Travel.  My daughter left for Austria today (her sixth trip there). Next year she is taking daddy (the photographer).  My promise is that We can have a meal together and say goodnight.  She plays the violin in an orchestra there.  Her trips are very memorable.  Playing in castles and cathedrals that some of the greatest composers have lived and played.  Music has been a big part of her life...it was her major in college.  Not mine.  My adult life has been spent in concerts.  Huge crowds listening to kids playing twinkle twinkle little star to full on Orchestras like the Utah Symphony.  Some nights I go to bed with the "Four Seasons"  buzzing around in my head.  It's no wonder rock music blasts in my car when I drive along.  Getting musical balance in my head.  

Don't get me wrong I like most classical pieces. 

 Anyway my deal with my daughter will be I spend the two weeks photographing all over Europe and watch one concert of her choice.   Sounds good!  

The conversations today took me back to Iguassu Falls in Brazil.  I remembered shots that  I wanted to convert to black and white.    The above is the first.  Standing on a platform at the base of the falls.  More time spent wiping drops from the lens than actually shooting.  The roar of the water was almost deafening.  But wow it was incredible!!!!   Thank you Silver Efex Pro!