Another Wild Blog

My new blog SPOT and Website

2009-09-24T15:45:00.002-06:00

Texture #3, Bad Boy, and HDR

2009-09-11T21:31:00.002-06:00

Let's start with HDR. By popular demand the images above are ones used in the HDR image below. Seven images 1/3 stop separating each image. My first and probably my last wildlife HDR image. This little guy held really still for me for about one and a half seconds (thank you nikon). It was almost noon. Harsh daylight. I lost the shadows if exposed for the highlights and blew out the highlights if I exposed for the shadows. HDR here we go!
The Bad Boy theme? When first approaching this den he was very timid. And so where the multitude of others in the same area. But when the big lens came out and the even bigger poster boy for weight watchers appeared they all dove in their dens. Except this Bad Boy. He was calling me out. The neighbor bully. One tough dude! He must have just jumped off his Harley. Click on the image and check out his beard how it is blown to the sides. Circa ZZ top Bad Boys! I held my ground when he took this Ninja stance. As I shouted hold still he winked (really he did) and held still. Not too many wildlife subjects hold as still as he did. Of course I thanked him.

Texture - his fur is unbelievable. I really think the HDR process brought out the individual hairs definition. I doubt he would let me pet him. I can't tell if his fur is soft or maybe a little stiff. What do you think? Maybe a little conditioner or just right?

Texture #2

2009-09-10T21:32:00.006-06:00

This is fun. Yesterday's blog answer is..............Shedded Snake Skin! O.F. was the winner. Remember this is the guy with more smarts than Einstein, and Kelly talking about concrete combined. Too easy.

No hints Today. What is the subject in the photo above? Family, employees and anyone with an apple computer are all eligible. Good for another certificate. One hint! I shot this during the day.......:-)

Texture #1

2009-09-09T22:22:00.003-06:00

When the new assignment was announced (texture) it took only seconds to know what I wanted to post. I actually shot this the day before yesterday. The intrigue of the shapes, lines and textures drew me (and my camera) in. I will send a gift certificate (at least of value to cover mailing back east also) to the first person who can tell me what the subject is. One hint - I pushed the saturation about 30%.

"TIFF"

2009-09-08T22:05:00.003-06:00

Tiff........ The smarty pants at work. She can fix any computer problem.....period! If we all had APPLE computers there would be no need for Tiff! (sorry Tiff). I asked her long ago if I could photograph her and her colorful tattoos (her being gorgeous had nothing to do it :-).. ) You should have seen her on Halloween! Yikes! Double Yikes! Anyway she was very easy to shoot tonight. The shots were made with a Nikon SB900 in a light box, an su 200 flash hand held and in one shot a 36" white reflector. Camera was the Nikon D-3, one lens a 24-70 f/2.8 the other was a 105 f/2.8 lens. Look at the two pictures. You can see the compression difference that the 105 made. Thanks Dan for your help. If not for him one of the shots may have had low exposure on Tiff's feet! Tiff I hope you like it!

My first born....

2009-09-08T15:36:00.002-06:00

Take a look at my oldest Daughters blog about our trip to Yellowstone. We had a blast. Like all my kids she is wonderful.

My Little Friends............

2009-09-07T21:57:00.004-06:00

Nikon D-3, 105 f/2.8 VR lens, R1C1 light System Both lights +.7 EV, Kenko 36mm extension tube, -2.67 EV, ISO-2000, f/29

For several years now I have owned an R1C1 Wireless-Close-up-Speedlight-System. Here and there I have played with it. I have never taken the time to really get down and dirty. You know - Read the Manual! And put this Nikon cool system to work. This weekend was Bear Lake weekend. I think I have slept in my own bed 5 days in the last 25, maybe 30. Who's counting? Attached to my Nikon 105 f/2.8, VR lens the R1C1 creates great opportunities for close up (macro) photography. So why not test the system even further? I invested in Kenko Extension Tubes. Yikes talk about getting close! In some respects I wish I had a 200 macro lens. The 105 with extension tube(s) puts you inches from the subject. Never tried drugging a bug before. Most insects don't like a huge piece of glass with two or four white flashes attached. I found a couple of suiters! Did a little bribing. Like the grass hopper above. It's amazing if they let you get that close how much character you get to see. He was turning his head. Moving antennas around. Those thousands of little eyes checking me out. I wonder who they see when near or far sightedness (sorry that's the best I can spell it sounding it out) affects their vision?

Bright sunlight and two flash heads. The mix was to turn down ambient light about two stops and push up the flashes by almost 1 stop. This way I got the deep shadows and greater contrast with the "hopper" to the plant. To even get any light in the background and front shadow areas I had to push the ISO to 2000. At f/29 it was getting pretty hard to fill. Overall it turned out good.

Now the Black Beauty! Not hard to find. She greets me every-time I arrive and leave Bear Lake. This little (or in spider "BIG") beauty calls my meter box home. Arriving I open and turn on the water. When leaving the water goes off. She is always there. A wonderful greater if I may say so. Though a little spooked when I first take the lid off she eventually calms and wants to get close. A little camera shy though. I chased her all over the lid until she finally realized she was to be famous. A blog superstar. At least that is what I told her. Really like I have mentioned before I ALWAYS talk to my subjects even if their heads are down and coming at a high rate of speed directly at me.

On her belly is a bright red hour glass. I thought a little personal photographing her belly so I did not pursue that. Click on the picture and look close. She must be european. Hairy I must say. What was really interesting was the rings on her two front legs. Why do they need 8 legs? If you look at her back you can see the reflection of the two strobes. Kinda like a catch light isn't it? Almost all the metadata was the same as the grasshopper. Except the EV was -1.67. And the flashes EV was set at zero. I did however lower the ISO to 400. You can see it in the detail. It was a really fun afternoon. I found what I think was a 4' blue racer snake. She did not want anything to do with me or my camera. I gave her a word or two!

Prescott Beauty

2009-09-03T22:34:00.007-06:00

An incredibly large lunch today. Tonight it was time to find a soup dinner and some new places to photograph. Downtown Prescott was my destination. Walking for blocks late tonight I found this incredible mural. The wall mural was in a very small alley next to a multi storied parking terrace. It is so large that it I had to stitch 10 shots together in Photoshop. Never seen anything like this before it is beautiful! Click on the images and look close. Each person in the mural is a representation of someone who had an impact on art in Prescott. Incredible!

This statue was very moving to me. While I was standing next to it an individual approached me. She was a long time resident of Prescott. I learned a lot about the history of the city block where this statue stood. She wept as the history and purpose of the statue was shared with me. I was moved. As we stood there arm in arm, strangers tonight, we realized that our conversation and condition was not going unnoticed. The statue stands on the grounds of the Yavapai county courthouse. Many people use the numerous tables, benches and grass as a place to congregate. We had a small audience. I thanked her and embraced her. We parted not even knowing each others names. She gave me a new appreciation for people that love America. Especially those that served our country. Like the one depicted as this statue. So very many giving the ultimate sacrifice.

Earth, wind and .........

2009-09-02T21:54:00.003-06:00

How about for the assignment that I show the effects of wind, rain, snow, ice and fire? I'm back in Prescott/Chino Valley Arizona. The dells amaze me every-time I am here. I could literally spend days shooting the shapes colors and textures.

The above shot at 3200 ISO. The black lines in the rock are natural. Incredible shapes.

North facing has the "blue moss". The fractures are evidence of incredible weathering like in the photo above. Yet still have a way to allow plant growth.

Couldn't resist the black and white pushing the texture of these rocks. The high contrast plant adds interest.

Pool Colors...

2009-09-01T22:54:00.003-06:00

In Yellowstone we made the rounds at Old Faithful. Colors, colors and more colors. Of the days photo's this was my favorite. The textures and colors create an artsy feel. No special exposure comp. Just straight shooting.

Hunters Not Allowed

2009-08-31T20:47:00.004-06:00

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)

2009-08-30T17:21:00.003-06:00

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......

2009-08-29T21:48:00.002-06:00

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

2009-08-28T21:20:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-27T22:10:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-26T21:01:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-25T16:33:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-24T22:13:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-23T21:01:00.002-06:00

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

2009-08-22T20:52:00.003-06:00

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

Deer Week #2

2009-08-21T19:44:00.005-06:00

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

2009-08-20T21:13:00.003-06:00

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......

2009-08-19T19:42:00.003-06:00

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?

2009-08-18T22:59:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-17T21:07:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-16T20:50:00.004-06:00

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

2009-08-14T19:41:00.007-06:00

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...

2009-08-06T21:17:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-05T20:26:00.002-06:00

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

2009-08-02T21:47:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-01T22:02:00.003-06:00

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!

I've got to get out more.....

2009-07-31T16:32:00.002-06:00

I just realized while I'm messing with this photograph that next week I get to go photograph wildlife! No more HDR. No more paint conversions. No walking back alleys with police officers protecting me and my equipment. No wild framing of shots like the one above due to boredom at the airport.

Just the great outdoors. Quiet. Birds, elk, moose, bears, and many others waiting for me. I miss them. They are my friends. They live where the high temps may hit the low 80's. It's not hell (Phoenix) here. It's heaven. No rental car buses here. Wendy's..nope! Big Mac's ...never! Food is secondary to the experience.

This time I will have two little boys with me. One of them five and the other two and a half. Their first experience with Grandpa with wildlife and geysers. It should be an incredible week. Grandpa will teach them how to cook smores and foil dinners. More importantly we may make rock trails, throw rocks into Yellowstone river, and hold hands near the hot pots. Maybe I'll work in a few photograph's

Paint and Mailboxes

2009-07-30T20:11:00.003-06:00

I thought I had seen everything until I found this pink "bug". In a state that has a high percentage of tree huggers this was shocking. What a dichotomy the car has with it's surroundings. Not just the shaped metal object but the color pink....

Not much further up the road was this line up of mailboxes. All I can say is WOW!

Prescott Lake ROCKS....

2009-07-29T22:38:00.003-06:00

Forfeited the best light for photograph for Olive Garden salad and Zupa Tiscana. There is some tough choices in life.

After dinner Don and I rushed to Prescott Lake just as the sun was going down. Not much good light left. Don found this shot. A slight glow from the west sky help give shape to the rocks.

Three exposure HDR, and a slight lowering of saturation.

One of the shots is a Topaz paint conversion. Can you tell which is which.

Old Flagstaff, AZ

2009-07-29T17:36:00.003-06:00

For years I have looked forward to a trip now and then to Flagstaff, Arizona. Home of NAU, the highest mountain in Arizona, summer home of the Cardinals (summer practice) world famous observatory's, and two Maverik Stores. There is some history here for me. The top of the mountain has seen my feet and miles of mountain bike trails have been traversed on my mountain bike. When time was on my side I would walk in downtown Flagstaff. It's like going back in time. Everybody moves slower. People enjoy the night air on the walks with a drink or just great conversation. The dress is shorts, tie dye shirts, long hair for men in pony tails, peace signs and graphity everywhere. Not just any gang graphity. This is art............ Last night I enjoyed the city again

2009-07-27T22:01:00.002-06:00

N 42,25.995

W 108,49.7413

2361 meters (elevation)

I know it's very busy. But I like the photograph.

In my opinion NIK has hit it out of the park with Silver Efex Pro.

If I was to guess how much of my shooting in the last 30 years was black and white (before digital), I would have to say 35% to 40%. My darkroom was set up for only black and white. All the classes I took were mostly shooting with black and white. I love Black and White photography. Though wildlife is my first passion my roots are in the black and white print.

NIK's program gives back some of the toning, etc that film had. It's great.

Back from Lander, Wyoming today this sky, tree and rock were screaming to be photographed. I answered the call.

Simple and true

2009-07-26T21:47:00.003-06:00

Back to reality..

After my last blog I just had to post a photo with no post enhancements or changes. This week is going to be one that most of the time will be in front of the windshield. After an incredible short vacation at Bear Lake, tonight I drove to Lander, Wyoming. Next...Flagstaff, Prescott, Golden Valley. Two ways to look at this! One a lot of boring driving to locations for work. Or the one I choose - hundreds of miles of opportunity to photograph between work projects!!!!!!

The above photo was taken near Vernal last week. The only post work was to slightly sharpen.

Couldn't Resist.......

2009-07-22T22:08:00.003-06:00

Never had the talent to paint. And really little talent with the Photo stuff too. It's a numbers game and an equipment game. And based on the photo - turned - painting above it's also a software game.

Maverik

2009-07-22T21:34:00.003-06:00

Another fine addition to the Maverik line up. Next Store #200! Thanks to Kelly the Project Manager! And Penny the store opening GURU! Oh and thanks for the decent weather and good light!

Tools of the trade

2009-07-19T22:46:00.003-06:00

My Wacom is down!!!!!

I lost the pencil for my Wacom. Help!!!!!!!!!!

It's a amazing how you get used to a certain tool. If you have used a tablet for a while then had to go back to a mouse or pad..YIKES. Peddling without pedals, eating without utensils, playing tennis with no arms?

The above photo is an attempt to assure that my daily blog is insured. HDR, Topaz and Photoshop software was used. The shot was taken with a 10.5 mm lens.

I ordered a new pen. Overnight shipment. Hurry.

Yikes there everywhere.....

2009-07-17T21:40:00.003-06:00

N 40.6.8911'

W 109.38.6842'

Now is the time to get out and practice shooting these little guys. This ones with my 600 @f11.

Busted Bus

2009-07-17T00:11:00.006-06:00

A long way from any road.

About 15 miles down a dirt road was this abandoned and pilfered bus. Age and weather made this a potential "artsy" shot. What gave it some real character was all the tumble weeds around the bus. The halo in this case added to the effect. This shot was particularly fun in post.

Forest Exposure

2009-07-16T23:59:00.004-06:00

Deep and dark in the trees.

Wow. This is definitely a time for HDR. There was no wind. Calm and no movement. So I tried it out. More than 7 stops from the sky to the forest floor. Pushed a 9 exposure bracket at .7 difference per exposure. Ran it through Photomatix. The important thing I found with this shot is that I started at -1.3 EV. If not the sky would have blown out. Turned out pretty darn close to the actual setting.

New Filter

2009-07-15T23:59:00.005-06:00

I'll never be a painter.

This is the closest I will ever get. Not close at all!!!! Thanks to Topaz software I easily converted this shot to look like an oil reproduction. Hopefully non of you very talented oil painters are offended. I do not plan on using this filter much. If even again. It seemed to work for this particular scene. It will be interesting to see how it prints on canvas. I'll let you know.

HDR - Scenic

2009-07-15T23:32:00.003-06:00

N 39,11.5238

W 108,32.7901

Like it or hate it?

I have looked forward to shooting an interesting scene using HDR in post shooting. My first time in grand Junction. Some interesting (but not unusual) scenes on the north side of town. This is only three exposures bracketed .7 stops apart. Starting at -3EV. Can't use this method on all scenes. It has a unique kinda unnatural look. The sky is a little out of sorts for example. But I really like the outcome. Hope you do too!

Back in the day

2009-07-15T00:02:00.003-06:00

In southern Utah...again.

Life moves a little slower here. The gardens seem a little more alive. It's quieter. And there's lot to shoot. With the little time I had tonight I ran to Meadow, Utah. This scene screamed take a picture. Back at the hotel I realized I did not download Nik Silver Efex pro on my laptop. Dang!!!! So here is my photoshop Black and White conversion.

Buffalo Circle of Life.....

2009-07-13T21:42:00.005-06:00

Back to my trip in Yellowstone.

It's spring. Everything is wet. The rivers are running high. Babies are everywhere. From buffalo to bears and Eagles to Osprey everything is anew. My last day only a few miles from the west entrance was a traffic jam. It was bad enough that I thought it had to be a bear sighting. It was late. The sun was resting just behind the horizon. Stopping I could not see any wildlife worth a huge traffic jam like what I had just witnessed. Only a few buffalo with calves. Something was drawing attention to all these people. Maybe a grizzly ready to take the buffalo. Maybe a wolf. My trek back to the crowd from my parking spot made me wonder if my efforts were worth it in pictures. Of course I had my photo vest on, back pack over my shoulder and the big gun on the tripod over the other shoulder.

What was everyone watching? It wasn't obvious. What we all were watching was moving to say the least. No imminent threat. No blood. Just emotion. From a buffalo calf.
This handsome little guy was full of energy, enthusiasm or was he. He would try to nurse from cows and always to be rejected. He was nervous. Like before you have to give that big talk in church or in front of a large group of people. The tourists that had gathered were all commenting on his unusual behavior. Something was wrong. He would direct a lot of his energy at a lone cow some distance from the other cows. Often other calves would join him near this lone cow. Then it was obvious the cow had a broken front leg and could not stand. Several attempts were made. She could not stand. At one moment she appeared to raise her hind quarters to try and feed her calf. But she couldn't.

The calf would lay her head on the cow. His mother. His food supply. His protection.

Tears were shed by people around me.

I stayed until after dark. So did many others. Questions were everywhere.

"What's going to happen to the calf"?

"Can the park service help"?

"Will the cow or the calf be killed tonight"?

Even some adult men were moved by the scene. It's nature. Right? The circle of life? Or just more feed for the wolves, bears and other predators.

There was a real sense of feeling coming from the calf. Not pain. Feeling. The little guy sensed something dramatic was to occur. He was nervous.

My trip home first took me back to the site of the previous evenings events. No calves, no cows, no bears, no blood. Just this big old bull. He survived the night. Did the calf and cow? Only mother nature knows for sure.....

Thought of the day

2009-07-12T21:38:00.002-06:00

New software came in the mail friday!!!

NIK Silver Efex Pro. Had to try the filter that emulates Kodak Tri-X film. Crazy! Shooting in digital and missing the film grain look. What an incredibly powerful tool. In my opinion NIK software has it hands down. Especially if you shoot Nikon.

My all time photo idol is Ansel Adams. His talent took me to the roots of black and white photography. When the dark room in my home was in full service many of his photo's hung about. They can inspire anyone. And beg the question, "How did he do that"?

This flower is quit colorful. The best part of a black and white image like this is you can imagine it being any color you want. I took the photo and pushed it through NIK. Now I imagine it as a different color than it actually is.

The saying above is one that my beautiful wife gave me when I held public office. Kinda kept it close to my heart.

Fun, fun, fun...

2009-07-09T22:26:00.003-06:00

I'm having way too much fun!

I love my job and I love my Hobby. I'm doing better than I deserve.

Have you ever heard this before..."On my way home tonight I stopped to photograph...."

Well from southern Utah I drove home. Stopped in Scipio, Utah mid-day to grab a bite to eat (and scope out a competitor). Well what did I find here? Not something to photograph. No way!

The question of the day. And a test! Is the photo above a HDR image? Now OF, don't tell. OF made an observation about the stubaker photo that has been bugging me also.

Ok. Is it or isn't HDR? Until I can figure it out here is the giveaway. At the old roof line look at how the contrast to the sky has a slight halo effect. BUGS ME TO DEATH. Seems to bug OF also. Oh by the way OF if you don't remember is Old Friend. And I mean OLD!!!! I think he is a scientist now. If not he could be. got the brains of a savant. But has a decent personality. We have had some pretty lengthy discussions about icthiosis on salt water fish!

Yes it's HDR.

This photo is a prime example of a good use for HDR. With out it and with the HOT mid-day light and deep shadows? Good Luck! Look at the detail in the wall lathe. Yet the floor and far window is still close to the right exposure.

But that dang halo. Got more work to do.........

Dan, Alea, Linds. What's the assignment this week? How about "hot lazy summer pics"?

Photofocus

2009-07-09T00:25:00.002-06:00

Fairly regularly I check in with Photofocus. Take a look here at his truck storage for his photo gear. AMAZING! Not what I would do. But simply amazing! At the end check out his license plate.

HDR - another experience

2009-07-08T23:53:00.004-06:00

There is an unending supply of old things to photograph in Fillmore. If only I had more time. Back out tonight and found this Studebaker Truck. A classic? For me.. you bet. This is an HDR processed image. To most it is obvious. The detail inside the grill was out and the specular highlights were lowered. An attempt was made with a single exposure using dodging. The results were not acceptable. The range here was 7 exposures. HDR will definitely be a process I will consider when shooting.

HDR...my further testing and study

2009-07-07T22:07:00.007-06:00

Fillmore Utah. Not a lot to do here...except study HDR photography. Late tonight, after dinner with my P.I.S. friends, my search started for a location to test and learn more about HDR. I did not have to look for very long. Waiting for me was this abandoned farm house. Late day lighting through the windows with a pile of junk on the inside - perfect! Probably impossible to shoot with details in both the highlights and shadows. Look at the photo above. It is the exposure that was the shortest of nine exposures. The correct exposure that reveals detail in the windows. You can actually see the scene out the Windows. Very little detail can be seen in the shadows.

The exposure above is correct to see the details in the shadows. The window light is then blown out. Again, almost impossible to shoot with one standard exposure. Nine exposures .7 of a stop apart was what I used to get the HDR image. The only thing that I did in Photoshop was crop slightly and created a border.....
Pretty dang cool. Some things that I need to study is the color enhancement/saturation. No color saturation was done. Nor any color balance was performed. This is an image direct from the HDR process. You can however see the blues came out more saturated than the original single exposure. The amazing part is that the blues is what I saw. The red hues in the material on the floor is a true representation also. Simply amazing. What do you think? Have you had success with HDR imaging? Do you plan on trying this process? It definitely is a tool that is always available for those times when we as photographers curse those wide exposure shots we want so bad. I plan on studying this more and perfecting the final image.

HDR

2009-07-06T22:10:00.003-06:00

HDR...is the rage. But is it easy to produce quality images?

What do you think? Can you tell this is an HDR image? The scene had 6 stops in light variation. There seems to be an infinite number of experts on HDR images. The photo above has no burning or dodging. I did play with the tone mapping a little. Without critique of composition, etc., tell me what do you think about this HDR image? The next couple of days I hope to push the HDR process more. I look forward to your comments.

Beauty or BEAST....

2009-07-05T22:02:00.004-06:00

Nikon D-3, 105mm f/2.8 Micro Lens, 1/20 sec @ f/45, -1.67 EV, ISO 200

This flower is a Beauty!

Next to my house at Bear Lake is a home that people seldom reside. The natural growth is abundant. The plant that this flower resides is about six feet tall. Incredibly green leaves, a rose colored flower like never seen before. It's a natural. God gave this plant to us. No mortal planted it where it resides at Bear Lake today. Unlike the rose this baby is a weed. I mean the king of weeds. The top of the list to get even to Adam and Eve weed list. A man eater. A weed wacker killer. A crime stopper. More thorns, needles and razor blades per square foot on this monster than any plant alive. Probably can live on sunshine alone.

There is beauty to this beast. From a distance. Not sure if killing or cutting down this weed is appropriate. Luckily it's on the neighbors property.

After a long day of work at the house this plant gave me what suits my relax time best. Something to investigate, study, watch and PHOTOGRAPH!

Assignment....last one (really)

2009-07-02T22:05:00.005-06:00

Alea, Lindsay and Dan...

This assignment was hard! I haven't seen my grandkids for two weeks, I listen to talk radio, haven't looked in the mirror for quit a while and work with a bunch of contractors. Not a lot of laugh out load stuff to photograph. I did try to shoot four horses with their heads hanging out of the side of horse trailer. At 70+ mph. I'm not sure what was more humorous me driving with one knee while I leaned toward the drivers side window to photograph the horses? Or the horses that looked like a quartet singing "O Sole Mio" after just having false teeth replacement. Man can horses pull funny faces? The picture did not turn out. My truck has role up windows. Shooting through car glass windows doesn't make for the sharpest picture. I could have leaned way over and tried to role up the window. But(t) the car on my drivers side might have turned me in for "mooning" on the freeway. So the buffalo lady above will have to do. Oh by the way. I'm not sure why she is sticking her tongue out at me. I only asked her stop and pose.......

PS. does her hair look a little like Penny's?

For Mr. I-Rons and Windmills

2009-07-01T22:33:00.003-06:00

It seems as of late whenever I carry my camera it rains or wants to rain real bad. There is still always something to photograph.

Kelly is the Master PM. I have heard that he is pretty darn good at fishing. On the way back from Naples tonight I photographed a spot that he said he has fished before. Like he said it was beautiful! It was pouring most of the time my camera was out. The benefit...saturated greens and contrasting colors. If I was a fisherman I could dig this place too. What I did find that will get me back there one of these weekends is a fishing area for Osprey. They like the tall dead tree and a slow moving river below the tree. What a spot. Two birds were fishing. Put me in a catatonic state for a few minutes. At this location you have to park quite a walk from the river. And there is a great drop in elevation. By the time I went back to the truck and back down it would have been pretty late. With very low light conditions and the hike to and from the truck, I could not shoot the birds today. "I'll Be Back"

The photograph of the wind generating "windmill" was from the freeway close to Evanston, Wyoming. I could not resist the taking the shot. As I have said many times when nature offers that kind of contrast I will have my camera out to figure a shot. Mother nature never fails when it comes to lighting!

My little friend...

2009-06-30T23:38:00.004-06:00

Before you call my wife and tell on me.......

This day the rain fell most of the day in Yellowstone. Deepening the colors . A natural increase in contrast. The overcast sky made photographing black bears - PERFECT! This beautiful gal held my attention for a long period. In fact through at least two downpours. She was so good to keep her distance. We paralleled each other up the canyon for about a quarter-mile. I had a slight advantage that I was higher than her for most the time. Didn't make for the best perspective. Then her elevation and mine leveled out. I lost my slight advantage. A ranger was walking with me though. I thought I had a personal body guard until the ranger asked if I thought I could out run him (him the ranger, not the bear). I pushed it a little when I took this shot. She was probably 50 yards away. Notice that the bear is eyeing the ranger not me. Must be the man in uniform thing. Not often do we get this type of photo opportunity. Especially with crowds gathered. The rangers do a great job to protect the public from the wildlife. I really think we should do more to protect the wildlife from the public. The time that the bear and I walked up the canyon paralleling each other, she only looked over at us twice. Shooting 16 gig with shots of her face down in the grass gorging herself on the greens. In the end one shot was good. I like the sharpness in her eyes. The soft lighting helped with the contrast of her black fur. The grass looks enhanced but is not. This ones a keeper for me. Didn't hurt that I had a great model...........

Humorous Photography...Assignment!

2009-06-29T22:44:00.005-06:00

Ok,

I am not sure that Alea intended this to be the assignment for photography that makes you laugh out loud.........

Look Around...

2009-06-28T21:30:00.004-06:00

Too many times to count I have missed a great shot.

At the top of Washburn mountain a grizzly will often pass by. One occassion a very large group had assembled at the last turn-out before heading down the north slope. The hope was to see the big grizzly that has unusually light colored fur. She had walk that similar path a few times the same week. Usually just as the sun was going over the mountain. Almost on cue the grizzly with her two cubs appeared from over the ridge. A mix of emotion from excitement to fear spread through the crowd. It was difficult to photograph. Shooting directly into the sun made for very difficult exposures. Unless you like silhouettes. Most were just elated to see a grizzly in the wild. The more serious photographers frustrated with the conditions.

As attention was focused on the grizzly and her cubs like the last note of Beethoven's 5th, I just happened to turn and see just over the hill and down from the crowd another grizzly. Better lighting, and easier to compose. I shot like crazy. I was the only one getting the shots of grizzly "b". Until I mentioned the new arrival just as the best shots were departing.

The lesson I learned that night and have seen many, many times is that as photographers you must look all around. Don't miss the small stuff while focused (literally) on the big shot. The photo above was taken when I had set up for a scenic shot last week in Yellowstone. I had my camera and the 24-70 lens on with a polarizer and a .9 ND grad filter ready. The wait was at least 2 hours for the shot I took. Waiting and waiting. The ground was moving all around me. These cute little critters were having the party of the week. Soon I was more interested in these guys than the lighting of the scene I had set up for. Long story short - the 600 was out quickly and set at ground level. I had a blast photographing these hyper-active furry little guys. WHAT A BLAST! The big scene was still being watched though. In the end I was very pleased to get a scenic that I had wanted for years. I now have a file of these guys in all types of poses and actions. Always look at every level and all around you when shooting. The best shot just may be right behind you.

I'm an American

2009-06-27T22:50:00.005-06:00

Today was our City's 4th of July Parade.

There is little that attracts obedience in the parade more than when the Color Guard passes by. It gets quiet and respectful. Some tears are expressed. Everyone stands and puts their hands over their hearts. These are solemn times. I am blessed to live in this country. To travel and enjoy my hobbies. To worship as I wish. To love who I love. To respect Women. To love my kids and grandkids. To not have to plant tomatoes. To carry a weapon. To own a home. To work where I choose and have been chosen. To save money. To have a comb-over if I wish. To photograph whom, where and what I would like. To buy gold. To sell gold. To have a choice of where I get medical service. To respect the office of those public officials that serve our country. To publicly disagree with public officials. To grow grapes. To have incredible neighbors. To buy Nelson's Custards Saturday night at 8:00 p.m.

To love.......

To be loved.......

And to feel important...........

I am truly blessed to live in this country. I will always defend it's honor. God Bless America!

Prescott .....art?

2009-06-25T23:22:00.003-06:00

Tonight it started to rain in Prescott. I wasn't about to be shut out of a little exploration (with camera in hand). Rain always adds some interesting affects to plants, rocks and trees. The plants above were found just behind the hotel. Rain darkened the soil and greened up the plants. The rocks above had unique colors that popped with the soft light and rain soak. Prescott has some unique features. I was treated tonight with a couple.

Black and White at................

2009-06-24T21:33:00.002-06:00

Nikon D-3, 14-24mm @14mm, 1/160 @ f/7.1, ISO 100, -1.33 EV

N 34 Degrees, 35.554 minutes

West Degrees, 25.103 minutes

5163' above sea level

From a daily average temperature of 55 degrees to 107 degrees. Instead of passing away (how do you spell dieing?) and going to heaven, I've traveled to hell.....

Why do people live in Phoenix and the surrounding areas? The heat. I get the same answer everytime when I ask. They always say they like the heat. They get their wish. Man it's hot.

If the people like the heat so much why is every building cooled to 20 below zero inside? Passing thru the rental car terminal I noticed several women complaining of the cold. In other buildings I have been here, it is much cooler than building temps in the SLC area. I don't get it. Why not just run fans in the buildings down here if everyone like the heat so much? This is one I will never figure out

Arriving tonight late in Prescott Valley I ran to my favorite spot before dinner and checking into the hotel. This lake is one of the most photogenic lakes around. A couple that was having a picnic their asked that I take a photograph of them. It was their 25 wedding anniversary. Very cordial people. They seem to have the relationship that those with a lot fewer years married have. I hope their years together continue to their longest goal.

The photo above was taken from a different location from where I have shot before. The sky and multitude of rock formations give great variety and options to photograph. Tonight black and white fit. If your in Prescott Valley look up this lake.

The greatest Yellowstone Tourist....EVER!

2009-06-23T21:31:00.004-06:00

Kelly....this is my kind of biker!

He's has to be the ultimate Yellowstone Tourist! This is how I want to look. Really! Yes, REALLY! Think about it for a moment. I have to sneak out of my house everyday. If not I hear; "your not leaving looking like that are you"? Don't get me wrong. My wife is not a prima-donna. She just has some self respect. She does not buy clothes like crazy or anything like that. She just hair combed, coordinating colors in her clothing, brushes her teeth, shoes look nice. Then there is me. I want to look like "Bear" in the photo above. He's cool. How many people do you know have a helmet like that? The chin strap accentuates his long beard. I wonder if a stylist streaked his beard? Anyway. He pulled to the side of the road on a 70's Honda. Maybe a 450? Now that's really cool. He even is taking out a disposable camera to shoot a grizzly with cub. Non of this "I have the biggest lens" garbage. Does he care what people think? Nope. He's a smart dresser. I should try this more. Levi's and a black top. Anything goes with that huh? He's cool. My dream look. I bet he could take the bear.......

Back to the grind....

2009-06-22T21:43:00.005-06:00

What did I hear most of today. "How was Yellowstone"? It barely needed an answer. Anybody that even slightly knows me knows the answer to that question. It rained every day, most of the day except Friday. For photography not all bad! The filtered light made for a lot of fairly easy exposures like the one above of the Goose and the Gooselets. What did however make this photo a little difficult was that I was shooting through a fog that was rising just in front of the birds. Look at the bottom left of the photo it is a little lighter or "milky". Thanks to post shooting darkroom opportunities I eliminated the majority that was in the photo. Some call this color cast correction. There a several methods for removing color cast. Here is the way I learned it from the master Moose Peterson. And here is a different method. Learning this technique is essential. I have used the process on occasion like in the photo above. Take the time to learn this technique and you will never regret it.

Home tomorrow.....

2009-06-21T00:24:00.004-06:00

Going home tomorrow...

It's been a great week. Today it rained heavy most of the day. Still had some great stories and experiences. Can't wait to share. One in particular is the buffalo calf in the photo above. It was my last hours in the park and somewhat emotional. I'll try to get the story out tomorrow or Monday........

Thanks Yellowstone for a week of no sleep and great adventures!!!!

Another incredible day

2009-06-20T00:27:00.003-06:00

N 44 degrees 57.338 minutes

W 110 degrees 31.304 minutes

N 44 degrees 46.409 minutes

W 110 degrees 44.109 minutes

Holy Cow am I tired. Tomorrow is the last day of this great week of fun. Late in....Early up....

Artsy day..

2009-06-19T00:01:00.004-06:00

What an incredible day! Lots of shooting. Three grizz, 4 black bears, Bull elks, etc., etc. But I planned on today being artsy fartsy day.

It is very late. Getting up early again. ENJOY!!

Too many to post...

2009-06-17T23:28:00.003-06:00

Today I finally found the cinnamon bear that I photographed last year just after it fought with a black bear. He has come full circle. Now he is in love. I witnessed bear love today. I can't post it because this a G-rated blog. So I just left you with them heading of into the evening light together.

If you go on my web site you will see this same bear. The evidence is his eye. When he fought the black bear his eye was permanently damaged. You can see it in the photo above.

If you read my editorial comment this is the grizzly and cub that was intruded upon by a tourist and her daughter. I was fully expecting a long period of shooting and possibly a few real fun shots. BUT NO!

Hayden Valley......a beautiful place at 6:30 p.m.

My belly shot of Sand Hill Cranes just before a woman approched me and my friends. Scaring them away.

After reading my comments it should be obvious why I prefer being away from the road side shots. Finding places back away from the public. It makes for more time with the animals. And allows me to reap from the efforts I make to photograph animals in their natural environment.......

Editorial Comment

2009-06-17T22:56:00.004-06:00

What is it with the tourists in Yellowstone? No sign, no warnings, no amount of telling, yelling, or advising gets through to them. I do consider myself a tourist here. Several times today I witnessed ignorance to the MAX!

Example #1. I had crawled on my hands and knees for a significant distance to photograph two Sandhill Cranes. When I got to the place I chose to shoot the birds I very slowly sat up and set up my tripod. So here I sit and my camera is inches off the ground. The shooting began. I guess when a guy leaves the road with a very big lens that means act stupid?

It was interesting watching the Cranes preen themselves. Occasionally they would look my direction to check for any movement. Believe me I was pretty inconspicuous. Then the birds seemed nervous. And then they were off. At the same time a lady walked (upright) to me and asked what I was taking pictures of. "here's your sign".

Example #2. The park rules say that tourists must stay a minimum of 100 yards from any bear. Of course there are examples of when a tourist comes upon a bear or visa versa. Near Holmes mountain there was a Grizzly Bear and a cub. A significant crowd had gathered. The longs lens stops cars in their tracks. I was at least 100 yards away maybe even farther by a little. My time there turned from a photographer to a one man audience of a comedy and stupidity show. As cars and people stopped they gathered around me. Within thirty minutes I was farthest from the bears. At one point a young lady with a very young child pushed the limits. They were about 40 yards from the bears. Another photographer standing with me whistled and yelled at the women. Soon there was others by her. A grizzly bear can cover 40 yards faster than any person I know by 4 times.... easy. Then the mother and child (human) pushed it a little more. Fortunately the bears departed quickly instead of charging or injuring the tourists. Ok. Here is the amazing part of the event. As the crowd dispersed the lady and child walked past me and the other photographer. The other photography mumbled a few expletives and said how stupid the woman was. And emphasized that because of her actions others can't enjoy the bears.

Her response......"I wanted my child to see a bear in it's natural environment" More expletives flew from the photographers mouth. I just stood in amazement.

I had three other similar experiences today. Yes the Tourist approaching a very large bull elk to pet it was one of them. I had a long conversation today with one of 'lead" rangers". We swapped stories. His favorite.....the man that tried to climb the same tree that the bald eagles nest was in to get a close up of the eagle chicks. INCREDIBLE!!!!

A great (rainy) day....

2009-06-16T21:47:00.005-06:00

Nikon D-200, 600mm lens, 1/1000 sec @f/4.0, ISO 100

Last winter the famous tree holding the eagles nest along the Madison River fell. Everyone was amazed when this mated pair came back to the same spot and built a new nest in a tree next to the where the old one stood. They had been nesting in the old nest for years. Tonight my time with them was fairly short. Two reasons. One is that I forgot my mosquito repellent. Man the bugs were eating me alive. The second reason was that I was on the verge of making a public scene. I thought it best that I leave. There is a prominent sign in both directions that says there is to be NO stopping, standing, parking, or walking for the quarter mile near the eagles nest (the code number is noted on the sign). The park is concerned that the nesting eagles will be disturbed and not return to nest here. BUT NO!!!!!! Like smokers littering anywhere they want, everyone but me was exempt to the posted restriction tonight. A park ranger came through several times and moved everyone out. As soon he would be out of site back they would go. *(&^$%@#%^&

Nikon D-200, 600 mm lens, 1/1250 Sec @ f/4.0, ISO 320, EV +0.33

With the day mostly overcast the light was soft. The soft light made exposing pretty easy. Most of my subjects to were at great distances. That required me to use the D-200 on my 600 mm lens. The net focal length is 900 mm. Good reach for skittish animals. The ducks in the photo above were fighting over something. Maybe just having a family quarrel. It put my manual focusing skills to the test. You can see that when I was shooting them it was raining a bit. Had to push up the ISO a bit and open the lens wide.

Nikon D-3 24-70 f/2.8 lens, 1/50 sec @ f/13.0, ISO 200, EV -.67

I loved the effect that the mist/steam off the water gave to this scene. Bad thing is the leading lines go one way and the subject is on the other side of the photo. Oh well...I even waited a while but the elks never ame around. I just like the colors and depth.

Nikon D-3, 200-400mm lens, 1/60 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 200, EV-.33

Ok our little secret. If my wife finds out I will be grounded from Yellowstone. Just up from Mammoth towards Swan Lake Meadows are a couple of big ponds. Though they are down from the road pretty far, I heard that bald eagles "picked" fish from them. This time of year the eagles are very busy feeding the little ones. So I headed down. Had my gear in my pack, vitamin water, a granny smith apple and my rain gear. On the way down I stopped to rest and for a minute. As soon as I started to walk again, coming over a slight ridge (about 50' away) was this cinnamon black bear. A little less distance than the park recommended 1oo yards. The last time I was anticipating the change of my pants when almost kissing a bear, I fell down and froze. I did not get a shot of the bear charging me. Now the last time it was a full size grizzly mom (with three cubs). This time the bear was a two year old cinnamon black bear. Not too big? We were both a little startled. The photo above is my attempt to get a picture of a bear fifty feet away having a staring contest with me. No time to set up the tripod. Just handheld. I would not normally post a picture with this much motion in the photo. The two of us had a good talk. I showed him my monopod and mentioned that I have been in fights before without the monopod and won. "It's a great defensive tool", I explained. I'm not sure he had heard too many threats from humans before. With a small snort and the show of teeth (from the bear) and a grunt from me. We parted ways. Next time I will set up the tripod and ask him to wait a second and pose for me.

Light and Lanscape

2009-06-16T00:14:00.003-06:00

It's very late and I need to get up early. My whole day consisted of driving to Worland Wyoming and measuring a store. Done. Now the real vacation begins. The vast majority of the day was driving in rain. Now and then some peek-a-boo lighting. I hoped to see this type of lighting today to emphasize our assignment this week. Light. In two of the cases above it really enhanced the landscape and broke it up. One shot was mid day and the others were very late. Tomorrow I will be on the prowl. Up before light to catch.........

Made it!

2009-06-14T21:45:00.003-06:00

Light...............

2009-06-13T22:38:00.004-06:00

Light. What an amazing thing it is. All colors, all temperatures, direction, reflected, crisp, dispersed, softened, specular. We are lucky as photographers to learn about all the ways light can be recorded. Or not. Late in the day, just before sun down a prime time to record light. What are we recording actually? Items, subjects, animals, buildings, water, etc., etc. REFLECTING light. The building above had so little light that the camera did not make a record of it. Except a silhouette. With every shot I take, time is spent analyzing the light. It's what makes or breaks most photographs. Sometimes I luck out. Most of the time funny words run from my mouth when I see photographs for the first time on my computer.

Tomorrow I leave for Yellowstone (my family will still be here). It is supposed to rain all week. That does not damper my enthusiasm for the trip. I have bought all kinds of rain gear for me and my camera gear over the years. Forces me to be creative ( a trait I still have not learned ). Got the lunchables, granny smith apples, string cheese and single ply toilet paper. Not much else is needed. Except my 200 lbs. of photo paraphernalia. I hope to blog everyday. But don't expect too much. My days will start at about 4:30 a.m. and end around midnight. May have to take a couple days to recover.

"On the road again" "just can't wait to get on the road again"

Assignment...."light"

2009-06-12T22:19:00.002-06:00

Lindsay gave us the challenge this week to photograph light. More specifically types, i.e morning, mid day and late day. I have a lot of ideas running through my pea brain. One is to not only record light as in rays, curves, kelvin degrees, etc. But maybe our "lights". Like the photo above. A picture of one of the "lights" of my life. I don't even have to point him out. His wonderful personality is always there and up front. This next week I will shed light on some of the lights of my life...... This is how our photography should be. Bringing attention to a subject or scene with light. Recording it in such a way that it is remembered. So the photo encourages a second glance or stare. Or at least a "wow, this photograph is good".

Light makes it all happen.

Good luck with your(s) and my shooting this week.

Lizards, Birds(?), and cliffs

2009-06-10T22:17:00.004-06:00

The tanks are in the grounded bedded by 1100 tons of the specified pea gravel. Time for some stress relief...............

Tonight the cameras were out searching for something that moved on two, four or any number of legs. Best thing to do is hike before the sun goes down. Posed on a rock was this cute little guy (the message got out that I was looking for a model). Approaching was a little tenuous. I may be buying another pair of pants. But soon he realized that I was looking for a model not dinner. Close up our conversation turned to his posing. He took my advise to tilt his head slightly to grab those catch lights. I'll send a copy to him to hang on the den wall. I do love that catch light!!!

Numenius americanus. Yes that would be a Long-billed Curlew. Yikes! Curlew!?? Who came up with that name? The boy named SUE? Look at that beak. Holy freak beak Batman! These guys don't do a lot of necking. I worked hard to get close to photograph them. No Go. Maybe the beak doubles as a radar to find humans getting too close. First time seeing this bird. I was really surprised to see it in an arid valley wandering around desert life. By the looks of the bird they may have been cast out of the Bird Club!

I threw this photo in for a similar reason. I shot this on the gibbon river in Yellowstone last week. I can honestly say I have never seen a pair of geese standing on a large rock. So there is truth to the story about two birds and one stone........

The cliffs and rock formations near Dinosaur-land are spectacular. This particular one is several hundred feet high. Note the size in comparison to the trees at the bottom. It did not have the red and/or yellow colors that is seen a lot in southern Utah. It was truly a black and white picture for me.

No more than 5% passing........

2009-06-09T21:59:00.007-06:00

My job. Drive three and a half hours to a job site in Eastern Utah. This days project at least 5 hours behind schedule. Four - twelve thousand gallon tanks waiting to be installed first thing in the morning. A 42 x 42 foot hole 14 feet deep just finished being excavated. As I arrive I notice a slight problem with 500 tons of gravel that appears to not meet the specifications as set forth during the project bid.

My Job. Stop the work! I'm the bad guy sometimes on these jobs. In todays construction market many contractors are looking for every opportunity to cut costs. One of my responsibilities is to insure that we get the minimum specified during the bidding process. The material that is bedded around four - twelve thousand gallon tanks full of gas and diesel is defined very specifically by standard testing procedures. If the material does not meet or exceed the minimum specification there is a potential for a failure of the tanks. That is the reason for the same specification being called out by the Tank Manufacturer.

The specification. No more than 5% can pass through a #8 sieve. Tonight in Naples the material appears to have a much greater than 5% amount that could pass through a #8 sieve.

Stop the work.

I gave a quick lesson on how to collect samples for testing tonight. Called the tester out from under the Lakers Game. Sometime tonight we will get the test results. My bet is that the material does not pass the TEST.

The photo above is a Rock Shooter shooting the pea gravel into the excavation. The lighting was backlit. The material that does pass through a #8 sieve can be seen as dust in the photo. Not wildlife. Not A scenic. Not even a new assignment. I thought you might find it interesting....and I couldn't sneak away from the job site get in some photography.

Farmington Sky

2009-06-08T19:53:00.003-06:00

Nikon D-3, 24-70 f/2.8 lens, 1/4000 second @ f/6.3, -1.67 EV, ISO 200

I have a favorite spot to go to after work if I'm driving from a project in Ogden to home. It is in West Farmington. Most of the bird shots I have taken for the past several months are within 5 miles of this location. It is an incredible spot to watch a storm come in. It is at waters edge and the view is unobstructed. Tonight a real nifty storm came through and a line of cars showed up. Like a drive-in theater we all rolled down our windows and watched the movie. The wind was gusty and cool. All the nearby birds were chattering. Especially the yellow headed black bird. They really have a lot to say. A nest was out of site. But often a black bird would fly into the rush and instantly the loud chirping of the young would begin. Pelicans are still hanging around this area. The man made Blue heron nests are within eyesight and the young are up stretching their wings as if to say the wind gusts create teaching moments for flight. After about 20 minutes the clouds parted slightly and created the light streaks in the photo above. Another opportunity for me to enjoy a few minutes of peace with nature. INCREDIBLE!

Post shot in the dark room consisted of Black and White conversion in CS3. Using the scales pushed the red, lowered yellow and pushed blue. Sharpened with Nik Pro Sharpener software. Dodged about 3% in the water in front of the farm. And dodged about 4% the buildings on the farm.

Between and Rock and a "sharp" spot

2009-06-07T22:04:00.003-06:00

Please no more cactus photographs! How many different ways can you photograph a cactus? Unlimited ways. This is not an Arizona cactus it is a Wyoming Cactus. There's a big difference. The Arizona cactus like the warm weather a lot more and have a constant tan. They are Cardinal fans and have their own pool. The Wyoming cactus can withstand much colder temperatures. Much bigger skies and can ride horses like there is no tomorrow. I don't want to offend either one but the Wyoming cactus is more friendly with the tourists.

The photo above is an example of stark contrasts. The sharp needles of the cactus protrude from a somewhat easily damaged plant. The rock is as it's namesake, very hard, smooth and dense. Dense not in the literal sense of stupid. Well wait a minute did the saying - Dumb as a Rock.....

The interesting thing that I have noticed in Wyoming when hiking about is that little varmit's build homes under the cactus. Trails will run between plants and proceed into a small burrow that was made under the Cactus. Pretty darn smart. That last time I pet a cactus I paid through the lip for days.

Who taught these little guys this trick? Have they been pricked themselves burrowing under the plant? Is the plants roots food for the varmit. What is this little varmit anyway?

There is so much to explore and photograph out there. Yeeeha!

I sincerely hope you all have a great week!!!!

HIGH ISO, More Babies and The circle of LIFE....

2009-06-06T22:50:00.007-06:00

Another shot of Mom Elk cleaning and loving Baby Elk. But look close. It appears that the little guy is nuzzling up to MOM. Click on the picture and look on the log in front of the Elks. The little guy was really interested in the bird on the log. Betcha a blueberry pancake at Jeremiah's that it's the first time he is seeing a bird. Looks pretty curious. At that point the cleaning and nuzzling from Mom was a bonus. The action was fairly slow so the 200 ISO was OK (broke the 1/lens focal length). But then the little guy got a little frisky. It may have been that when the bird flew off, he thought "I need to try that".

550 MM, 1/100 second @ f/6.7, -.33 EV, ISO 200

550mm, 1/500 second @ f/6.7, +.33 EV, ISO 800

Pushed the ISO and the EV. The Sun was very low and behind some thin clouds. The increase in grain/noise is minimal. Thank goodness we have so many options to keep us close to the actual scene when it was shot. This has been a great week using High ISO. Thanks Dan, and the group. One week from Monday.....a week of photography in the BIg Park - Yellowstone! For sure I am having a hard time Sleeping.

Had an experience tonight and this week to remind me of the circle of life we all have faced or will face. As we get older our parents get older. Yes I am learning a lot at 54! Seriously, we start out as little children with clean and pure brains, thoughts and actions. As we age we may acquire Dimensia or Alzhiemers. My experience with the passing of my father a few years ago, the brain reverts back to a clear mind (at least no memory, short or long). Their bodies and actions require adult supervision and physical assistance. Similar to a child. Patience is a must. The adult with advanced cases are confused, incontinent, belligerent, and sometimes psychotic. All but the psychoses are similar traits found in a child. The circle of life. We are born dependent on our parents. In time our parents may be dependent on their children. There is emotional, financial and time considerations. It is very important that I remind myself that my Mother is still my Mother and deserves all the patience, love, care, attention and time that I can give. She did risk her life for me...literally.

Babies everywhere..

2009-06-05T01:01:00.003-06:00

Yes it is 1:00 a.m. The drive from Cody home should take about eight hours? Another drive in the rain. Until I got to the Madison River tonight. The sun was low in the sky. Peek-a-boo lighting abundant. And a new born in the Madison River with Mom. Getting set up for this shot had to be fast. Only a few minutes before the sun would set. How long would Mom caress the little guy? The checklist ran through my mind faster than ever before. Hand Held? Aperture, focal length, exposure compensation, and ISO all critical to the shot. People saw my long lens and were falling out of there cars to see what I was running to photograph. With ooh's and Ahh's as a backdrop I focused and shot. The calf could not be more than a day old. The cow was cleaning the calf almost constantly. It was one of those scenes in nature that make it all worth it. The attention and sensitive care given to this newborn is profound. His days may be very few. Or he may grow to a mature male with procreative instincts of his own. Whatever the case Everyone standing with me was silent and enjoyed a lesson in motherhood. As I picked up my gear to leave a woman whispered to me in an almost sacred tone,

"Wasn't that just beautiful?"

"Yes" I replied.

"I hope you have a good night" she returned.

Still whispering as if trying not to wake a child,

"I hope to see them tomorrow" she said in a cautious tone.

"If not we have our photographs" I thought

"I have my photographs and will keep them close" I said with a big grin and a wink.

Wyoming Pelicans.......

2009-06-03T21:42:00.005-06:00

Nikon D-3, 200-400mm, TC-1.7, 1/250 sec @f/6.7, ISO 200, +.33 EV comp.

There everywhere! Years ago I thought they could only be found in California. This group of Pelicans were located just up the canyon from Cody towards Yellowstone. The river is running high and fast. They found this small strip of shallow water to rest. Made for an easy shot. Still drawn to birds I guess. Fascinating behavior. Varied colors, sizes and shapes. Encourages creativity with photographic skills. What more is there to enjoy? Maybe a late dinner at ERMA's Hotel in Cody, Wyoming.

Wyoming "ROCKS"

2009-06-03T21:04:00.003-06:00

Dennis R. this one is for you. Driving from Worland to Lovell, Wyoming this scene caught my eye. The problem is I saw it from a distance. Getting close enough required me to cross a small mountain. About a 30 minute hike each direction. I guess this was a expanded test for the old "ticker". I feel OK tonight. To me it is a very interesting geological feature (to Dennis it's probably just another .......).

Can't wait for the details of how this was formed. Made for some great photography experiences.

The Road to Worland

2009-06-02T22:01:00.003-06:00

Nine hours on the road, surely I am going to see one thing to photograph. Focused on getting to Worland, Wyoming before midnight. Rain pouring in sheets for most of the drive. The only visible part of of the Tetons was the white line fourteen feet from my window. Lewis Lake covered in Ice and snow. I think Yellowstone lake was still there. I made it to my hotel with two photographs on the memory card. A personal record for me. Can't think of anytime that 24 hours passed without recording some light. Get up tomorrow work, measure, record, measure, work and then.........more than two photo's!

ISO

2009-06-01T20:07:00.004-06:00

Nikon D-3, 200-400 zoom lens, 1/3000 second @f/6.7, ISO 800

Found the quote in the Sunday School lesson I am preparing for this week.

ISO Assignment...

2009-06-01T16:34:00.003-06:00

OK
DanP has set us on task....here is this weeks assignment;
Ok guys so we took last week off. Sorry about that, there is no excuse really. Jim, having read your article on ISO, I thought that this weeks assignment could follow that same theme. So, this week lets shoot with ISO in mind, specifically, high ISO. All entries must be shot in an ISO above 400. Be sure to include the parameters of the shot (ISO, f number, shutter speed, lens etc...) in your entries. For the sake of learning (at least on my part) lets not do any noise reduction in post...Should be an easy one for you pros but for me it should be very enlightening...

Can't wait to see the results...
Happy shooting!

I hope to add a forum to my blog so anyone can participate in the assignments. Until then you can follow the blog and insure that your time is spent improving on your photography through the weekly assignments.
Here is a couple of articles to help; (I stand by my comments yesterday that sharpness can be obtained at any ISO, only grain changes(noise for digital).
Adorama
PhotoPro

Sharpness vs. High ISO

2009-05-31T18:33:00.003-06:00

I've been asked a lot lately about ISO and picture sharpness. I have an opinion. Just ask anyone that knows me. They will tell you I do! I know we are all sick of hearing this ....we all have our own way of doing things. In photography there is no perfect condition, or equipment. It's our our personal preference.

That being said...high ISO does NOT affect sharpness(not considering low shutter speed, subject movement and camera movement). At any ISO sharpness is up to the person holding the camera. What confuses some is sharpness and "grain". Let's pretend that graininess in a photograph is like a persons complexion. Some lucky beautiful people have amazingly smooth, flawless skin. Now let's add some grain. A man for instance has a more "grainy" face. The pours are more obvious along with the hair follicles. There is a significant difference in the fine grained beautiful women and the more obvious course grained man. In film the higher ISO-the more defined the grain. The lower the ISO the less obvious the grain.

Here's the gist. A sharp picture is a sharp picture. It does not matter how much grain there is. Two different things.

I prefer sharpness over the low ISO/low grain. I feel much greater confidence in low light if I pushed up the ISO a little. Many times my photo opportunity feels like one of a kind. Only one chance to get "that one" shot. It's like risk management. I lower the risk of a photograph being not sharp with low ISO/shutter speeds. Tripods are a must. Bright sun helps. Flash fill is good. Then there is that one rainy day with the White Faced Ibis were running and I wanted a sharp photo. Up went the ISO.

The picture above was taken late today in my front yard. Just for the purpose of this demonstration I hand held the camera. Low light macro shot. It was shot at 1/250 of a second at f/11. The ISO 3200. Pretty dang sharp.

Woodpecker....

2009-05-30T20:56:00.004-06:00

My daughter and I were out last week at Bear Lake looking for wildlife to photograph. Listening was the objective here. For a great distance this woodpecker could be heard. I am not sure what all the banging was about. Looking for food? Testing for a spot to make home? Whatever the case this little guy has a head of steel. And no brain. How can he bang his head against the wood at a high rate and not get a headache. It's all weird. Another oddity of nature. Somehow, somewhere people believe that we all came from a single ameba. Cell splitting, a lot of evolution and then ....banging your head against hard wood. Somewhere in that theory of evolution I get a little confused. This winter and spring my camera has been aimed at birds. A change for me to take such interest in the winged world. This woodpecker was just another new adventure out there. There's more waiting for all of us. And endless supply. Get out and shoot. It's a blast!

Where I have been....

2009-05-29T22:39:00.004-06:00

The blogs have been slow in coming.....

Last week a few days of relaxation at my house at Bear Lake. No phone lines, no cable, and no internet. Peace and quiet. Before that Yellowstone...THE BEST.

This week 24 hours counting holes in a grid ceiling, on my back at LDS hospital. At my age (54) it's always on your mind. Chest pain, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations a definite sign of a heart attack. Hope is that these conditions never are felt.

Entering an emergency room with these conditions three things happen.

First, you get a pass. No waiting to check in. No long conversations about insurance and symptoms. Right to a bed with friends all around.

Second, an invisible sign is place around your neck that says - "pin cushion". And another that says "free, unending supply of blood here. help yourself".

Third, a stamp is placed on your forehead that says "no sleep required"

I don't think I have ever had the opportunity to spend time in the hospital as a patient. Except one time as an out patient. What an experience. LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah has to be the best hospital in Utah. Maybe anywhere. Truthfully, the staff at LDS Hospital made my personal experience there not too bad. An example..Claustrophobia is a little gift I carry with me everywhere. One test that potential heart attack patients get places you in a piece of equipment that is literally a tube. Good thing for tranquilizers and very kind doctors and nurses. At one time I am sitting on this camera/testing machine with two nurses and technicians waiting for me to give them the OK to go ahead. Now I know what the Norbest turkey feels like in the oven when we wait for the little red thing to pop up. More attention than I have had since I tried to exit a plane while airborne (claustrophobia is a bugger sometimes). After enough Xanax to put down an elephant I did it. Couldn't be more proud.

Thanks to the nurses, the doctors, the admitting group, the cleaning ladies and especially Jon my nurse. He offered to hold my hand during the big test if the Xanax did not work. Just kidding. But he was sincerely interested in my welfare. Great people, and a great hospital.

Both photo's above were taken tonight on my way home from Washington Park. Washington park is located up Parley's Canyon. While there I had some discussions about photography with some friends and educators. All while wired with a heart monitor. Though I was little weak it was a great time. My heart today was still with photography and as the Doctors told me, doing very well. Another great day.

Buffalo Ribs

2009-05-27T20:59:00.003-06:00

Another image of spring for the wildlife in Yellowstone. Click on the picture and look at the ribs and ridge on the back of the buffalo's. These guys and gals are tough. In no time they will be fat, butting heads and rolling in the dirt.

Sandhill Love...

2009-05-26T20:50:00.004-06:00

Spring in Yellowstone is tough as a winter recovery period. Although, monogamous parenting is in the air. Unlike big game, many wild animals that fly pick a mate and stay with them for life. These two Sandhill Cranes have made Floating Island Lake their nursery. Technically a pond, it is prime for a nest site. Once the eggs are laid the vigil of long hours in the same position begin. As seen above the two are spending most their time feeding around the lake. At all times one or the other is at guard for predators. They must have keen vision and other senses. Several times I notice that as a large bird would fly overhead they would look up to see what it was.

It intrigues me how these beautiful animals identify each other. While I was there no names were shouted out. Not even "Hey you". There is a definite bond. A bond so great defense from predators can extend to death for each other in that protection. An interesting "tid bit" about Sandhill cranes is they have been known to eat their young if they see a deficiency. Their wing span can be as wide as eight feet. They are graceful in the air and on the ground.

This was one of the first photo op's we had the first day in Yellowstone.

Vacations Over..

2009-05-25T21:51:00.004-06:00

I think there is a saying that goes like this - "The bad part about vacation is when it's over". It's been an incredible time away. Spring brings new life in Yellowstone. It's good and bad. New life often means easy targets for predators. The good part is the energy, curiosity and ignorance of the wildlife young. The parents of each newborn shows skills that have been passed on for centuries. My thoughts as I witnessed these relationships is that we humans can learn a few things from the wild.

It really is a great time to be in Yellowstone. Be prepared. This time of year the incredibly tough winters show it's rage on the wildlife. It's common to witness elk birthing calfs only to immediately be taken by predators. All sorts of animals with obvious signs of starvation. I witnessed a two year old grizzly that had encountered a porcupine. It's face was covered in quills. One of the more heartbreaking natural scenes this photographer has witnessed. It was within hours of losing it's precious life. Barely moving and never lifting it's head. Only enough energy to pick at grass and eat it.

Another occasion revealed an elk that had been attacked by a predator. It was wounded bad enough that it could do more than stand. Many times it would stand and attempt to move only to lay back down. The next morning it was gone. It is a sure thing that this elk provided sustenance for another living creature.

The "tough" scenes are far outweighed by the beauty and new life in the park. It's the start of a yearly cycle that if missed will occur again next year, and the year after and the year after that. I hope to miss few.

There is story to the picture of the buffalo calf in the river. Stay tuned and I will post the rest of the story.

Tonight while driving home my eagerness to sleep in my own bed was tempered by the beautiful scene in Randolph, Utah. Laziness is not a trait of a photographer that loves to capture beautiful scenes like the one above. Roadside. Waiting for that perfect placement of cloud and sky. Nature usually gives a lot if you are patient. It was an incredible week capped by a sensational drive home.

Found my "Big Horn" boys...

2009-05-21T22:16:00.004-06:00

What a day! Beautiful, sunny, low temp's and great company. About a mile past the Tower Junction we found these beauty's. They were accompanied by seven ewes. These poor girls sure were getting a lot of attention.........

It was obvious that one of these guys was in charge. No sharing today. And he made dang sure his buddy was not getting any lovin'. A couple of times they had some words. In fact boss man approached me once to make sure I was not interested. Wasn't even on my mind. He charged to me as if to butt heads. Then he saw my head. He had no chance. Seriously my knees shook for a minute or two. Not really big animals. Just not afraid of a good solid head butt.

Saw a lot of cool things today. It's late and have to go.......getting up early.

Yellowstone Day One....

2009-05-20T20:28:00.006-06:00

Is this heaven? How can anyone smile all day.

Today is another first. I have wanted and tried to photograph sand-hill cranes in the wild for a few years now. Wow was I lucky today. On the road from Mammoth to Lamar Valley is a pond that every year has a mated pair. This pair calls it home for a short while and hatch and raise their young here. My experience at this pond has been great. From a black bear to moose to fighting coyotes. But today it was "Crane day". Today we saw two grizzly's two black bears, several bull elk, a ton of cow elk and buffalo, sand-hill cranes, great blue herons, a hunting golden eagle, a nesting osprey and last but not least a bratwurst dog with chips. What a day! What will tomorrow bring?????

When purchasing the bratwust the counter person asked me today how I was. My response - "better than I deserve".

How to...

2009-05-19T19:01:00.002-06:00

Who knows which of any of us will become critics. For this week it is all of us! Here is some help. Really I think, like photography itself, it's a personal thing.

Tonight I sit in a hotel in WEST YELLOWSTONE. Hope to get some sleep tonight. It's like Christmas eve when I was 7.

Critique, Please!

2009-05-18T17:47:00.003-06:00

For those of you that have access, this weeks assignment is to be a critic. Review the photographs of those involved in the assignment and make comments to their photo's. No Mr. nice guy (or girl). Find things that you actually think will help the photograph. Be specific. Mention likes and dislikes. Rate 1 to 10. In the end the photographer should have a clear picture as to how you think the photo may improve with the subject involved.

My photo above is waiting for your critique and observations. I have had it filed for some time. As you follow my blog one thing you will notice that is a preference of mine is to limit the clutter in a photograph. Is there a limit to how little can be in a photo? To each his own interpretation.

The lovely bird above has a very unique feature. It's red eye. My goal was to find this guy in an area that would compliment his feature with a complimentary color. But not over power it. Overpower an eye ball? You know what I mean. The subject is the bird. The "statement" is his eye. In all aspects of visual perspective your eyes are drawn to red first. In almost the same way the eye is drawn to bright spot(s) in a photograph. So my goal here was to have a complimentary color to the red eye. Also to have very little distraction in the photograph to keep the eye the "statement" in the photo.

More fox...

2009-05-17T14:27:00.004-06:00

Friday night. What a night. These guys are like watching the "Keystone cops". At times one would sit on the other. Like a hunting cat they would hide and wait to pounce on their sibling. Then without notice they would stop and peer up the hill. Licking their chops as they dreamed of mom returning and regurgitating dinner for them. And often their looks would be directed at me. I laid low in the tall field grass. In an attempt to be inconspicuous I covered the camera and tripod in grass. But their keen senses knew something what out of sorts. My ability to remain motionless except for the occasional twitch of my finger helped keep them from diving to the safety of their den. Jumping, biting, chasing and wrestling was only interrupted by me with the sound of my motor drive. Instantly the activity stopped, heads turned and ears were up. This was only for the first few firing of frames. Soon it was not a curiosity for them. There must have been some level of risk management by the pups. My presence was noted but not escapable. I wonder what is in store for this family. Only two hundred yards from the base fence line. Just over the hill from a new development. The recent encroachment of drilling rigs is evident with their man made tracks passing within feet of either side of the den. Life must procreate. It is inbred into all species. Can this Fox family be relocated successfully? Is it necessary even to do so. Whatever the case may be my time with them will always be remembered and cherished.

Hoop Dreams.....

2009-05-16T22:08:00.003-06:00

Assignment...lines!

I really wanted to push the limits with this one rather than do the traditional converging lines. These lines have no beginning and no end. Crazy huh?

Fun Stuff this photography!

Duane, this ones for you Buddy!

2009-05-15T22:35:00.003-06:00

Just another day in Utah enjoying the wildlife!!!!!

Thanks to Duane I was able to photograph a fox den tonight until dark. Five beautiful pups enjoying every second and every little thing. My position was held for almost 4 hours. TB to the max. But it was worth it. A couple of hours of naps. A couple of hours of play. Not me the Fox! It wasn't until I was getting ready to leave when Mom shows up. Too late and too dark. I spooked her a little when I left. Maybe she deserves it for not showing up earlier. What a great end to the day.

This weeks assignment is "Lines" I have had so many opportunities to photograph the wild I have not done the assignment yet. Bet it will get done tomorrow!

Yipee!, Heyahh!, YEA!, It's all good....

2009-05-14T21:31:00.004-06:00

What a difference a day can be! Last night I made the presentation at Inkley's for their photo education week. What a riot! It was fun. Great people. All with the same passion as I. Thanks to all of you for attending and also the many wonderful comments.

This morning was a little bit of a nightmare. As usual the sun crosses the sky and things find their place in life. Stresses lessen and things always calm down. Up night last night...down morning.....BUT!

TONIGHT!!! Oh TONIGHT!!

A very thoughtful individual at the presentation last night put me onto where I can photograph an Owl! Barely slept last night. Tonight after work I went to the location. There I was greeted by a volunteer who picked me up in a golf cart took me to the PLACE! In front of me was this beautiful Big Horn Owl. Nesting no less. The little white tuft just below the owl is two chicks. What do you call baby Owls? Chick? Owelette's? Little big eyes? Maybe just wonderful little thing-a-ma-jiggers. Thanks for the information so I could take photo's of a big horn owl, a life long dream. The funny part was the gentleman that greeted me and was so kind says this Owl and her mate are there year round. He kinda acted like he was going to McDonalds for lunch. No big deal. HUH? Yikes where have I been? The reality is, like I mentioned last night, is shoot often and good things will happen. I shoot everyday! Look what has happened. Guess where I'll be for the next.......................:)

Egret Splash...

2009-05-11T22:09:00.002-06:00

Very busy night..Dancing with the Stars, 24, and preparing for the presentation at Inkleys this Wednesday, 6 to 8 p.m. at 2150 South State in SLC, Utah.

And a great laugh here of my grandson. I laughed until I cried!

Enjoy!