Photofocus

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...my further testing and study

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.

The greatest Yellowstone Tourist....EVER!

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.......

Sharpness vs. High ISO

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.

Back to refuge...

Found myself at the bird refuge after my grandsons soccer game.  Wow was that fun.  Four and five year old boys kicking the ball everywhere but at the net.

Though it was late I headed for the "spot".  The refuge was closed.  There is however plenty to shoot in the area.  Like my new friend the Avocet above.  I could watch them all night.  Shot with the 200-400 and the 1.7 converter attached.  Shot wide open, -1/3 exposure value.     

Yellow Headed Blackbird.  They bark a lot.  There animation is extremely enjoyable to watch. Check out the finger nails.  He really needs a manicure.   See more about this beauty here.

This guy was only about 75 feet away.  Pretty darn close.  The closest I have ever been to this bird.  We had a very good visit.  But he did most the talking.

Directly opposite from the area I was shooting the Blackbird was this "artsy fartsy" reflection.  A bit of the old and new.  Sprinklers reflected in water with a weather doppler.  Almost a little strange.   

Interesting Facts

Here is some interesting facts about the American Avocet. All of which I witnessed last night before sunset.

Behavior

Probing

In its pre-copulation display, the male American Avocet preens himself with water, gradually gaining intensity to the point of frenzied splashing just before he mounts the female. After copulating, the pair intertwines their necks and runs forward.In territory establishment and in self-defense, performs elaborate ritualized displays. One notable display involves two pairs, or a pair and a third individual, facing each other in a circle and then stretching their bills toward each other. Upon the approach of a terrestrial predator, may approach the predator with a teetering gait and outstretched wings, as if on a tightrope. Also crouches on the ground as if incubating, only to move and crouch again in a new location.Feeds in shallow water, while wading or swimming. Locates food by sight and snaps it up, or sweeps its long bill through the water, capturing prey by touch.

A web site about the Avocet here

Road side respect?.........

Last week while working in Arizona I was reminded of something I wanted to document.  It seems that in Arizona that there is a greater acceptance from the Department of Transportation for road side death markers.  Or there is a greater effort by families, friends, associates, etc. to identify a location where an individual passed away.  This is my perception based on the states I have traveled in.  On a stretch of highway that does not cover 40 miles is several markers.  I counted 30 just in the direction I was traveling.  The marker above is by far most decorated.  Multiple candles, an area of about 100 square feet covered in flowers and spiritual objects including statues lies in the State Right of Way.  I noticed at night it is even lit with solar powered lights.  The individual that died on this portion of the highway must have a very large family.  Or at the very least is greatly missed.  This site has been here for years.

This site is very small.  The space is important to someone.  The continued effort to have the fenced "Cross" protected matters to that same someone.  

The plant to the right is being protected by a fence.  Was it planted when the individual died?  There is significance to the plant.  Is Bubba a nickname?  This individual is missed just like the others.  The personality of those left here to mourn is shown with the differences of each marker.

I really found this marker interesting.  Why would someone leave a beer bottle at the marker?  

I assume that this is a marker for someone's death on the highway.  How long ago did this individual pass away at this spot?  Did a family or friend leave the marker?  Is the individuals death so devastating that individuals do not want to return to this spot?  Does religion play a roll in any of the markers?  

I see these markers and my thoughts go to family members of mine that have passed.  If they were killed on a stretch of a highway would I return regularly and keep the site current with flowers, etc?  The first photo above is visited so much that there is a path up to the marker.  Do States turn their heads with these markers?    

When you see these markers, slow down, don't drink and drive, drive defensively, but most importantly feel blessed to be alive!   Have great day!

Bear Lake character..........

It's old, very old.

For 33 years one path I have beaten is a road around Bear Lake.  With a house there my family can call it home away from home.  The drive from Jackson/Afton Wyoming to home takes me past this place - Bear Lake.  The path driven today has been beaten for 33 plus years.  I probably could drive home from here with my eyes closed.  Today I had an awakening.  A stretch of road so familiar I usually check my eye lids for holes.  There it was standing like a Las Vegas mega sign.  This incredible house.  Did someone move this here since I was here?  For whatever reason I had to stop and record this beauty!  Incredible character.  Colors that seemed to be just painted on.  Aged perfectly!  I think I shot well over 500 frames.  Notice in the photograph above the mouse trails in the foreground.  Both shots required almost a full stop and a half under exposure.    The white on the house and the clouds created some highlights problems.  It turned out OK because it helped the colors POP.  The upper photograph required a a lot of depth of field.  It was shot at f/32.  The photo below was shot at f/8.  The exposures varied a little.    What a great time with this antique.  Was a fun end to a couple of black and white days.

Cliff Hanger....

Nikon D-3, 200-400 f/2.8 lens @650mm(1.4 converter), 1/1600 s @ f/9.0, ISO 2000 

It was a long day.

The highway between Alpine and Jackson is beautiful.  All kinds of wildlife live and play on these steep mountains.  If I could live anywhere it would be in his canyon.  A designated scenic drive and the views are spectacular.  A photographers dream.  And that's year round.  

A short distance up from Alpine is the residence of a group of Mountain Goats.  

This herd, family, clan or whatever you call a group of mountain goats do not travel much.  For the most part they stay in this part of the canyon.  I do not have a long history with these goats.  But the worn turn out on the highway may be a give away that others have observed them.  

It was my first adventure up the mountain to get them to pose for me.  The assumption was that getting close was not an option.  They are not your typical run of the meal, farm yard goat.  Soon I would find out how smart they are.  

I love my MP-3 backpack to see details look here.  There are a lot of options out there.  This particular backpack was designed by Moose.  He uses this stuff.  The expectations are high. 

I loaded up - Nikon D-3, Nikon 200-400 f/4.0 VR lens, TC-14E II Converter, Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 lens, my custom lens and camera first aid kit, Gitzo 2531 tripod,  Water, fruit snacks, granola bars, six each ScanDisk 8g memory cards, two walking staffs (very steep grade),  Garmin 60cs handheld unit, and my binoculars.  

The grade is very steep.  Mt route was up a small ravine as to avoid them seeing or hopefully hearing me.  Two hours of very methodical stepping up the slope was complete.  If my estimate was right I should be just behind a small ridge from a couple of the goats.  It's all a test for the photographer.  I am very conscious of their personal space.  For a couple of reasons.  One that I can return if possible.  The last few feet of the ridge climb was literally on all four.  I had set my pack aside and had the 200-400 lens on the tripod carrying it with me.  My camera was already set at a high ISO (2000) and it was in aperture priority.  It made sense to me to not shoot wide open.  I needed some depth of field depending on the distance I was from the goats.  I was ready.  Longs lens on camera.  The huffing and puffing was over.  Sounds like those made by animals nearby startled me.  I raised to my knees (kinda like praying) and saw what was my first encounter with wild mountain goats.  Remember the excitement and anxiety that you felt the first time your eyes met that special someone's eyes?  A burst of adrenaline, your blood pressure rises and tingling is felt all over?  Never a stare down.  Just a glance?

I was about eighty feet from three ewes ( I think that is the female goats name).  We were having a stare down.  Don't move!  This happens to me a lot with wildlife.  Slowly I raised my tripod/camera just in time to get the west end of three east bound ewes.  Not sure why but I yelled "get back here!"   "I just hiked up this cliff to photograph you dopes!" 

They weren't listening.  In fact they were acting like my kids.  Doing the opposite of what I ask.  

After sitting for a while and enjoying the quiet I noticed up high on the cliffs were some male goats (rams?).  Another hour at least to get close enough to shoot.  Not to be outdone by an animal in their natural habitat I moved up.  Humans are the superior "thing" right?   Eventually my efforts paid off.  But why was the male goat less weary of me?  The distance between us was part of it.  They were acting really weird.  Unlike the big fat guy crawling up the mountain.  The goat was on a literal cliff face.  Vertical.  Ninety degrees from level.  Straight up!  How he got there was a mystery to me.  He would face the cliff wall for long periods (eight to ten minutes or longer).  What the heck?  He appeared to be a trance.   A better position may provide me a  better shot and see what was going on.  Up the hill I went.  The goat was licking the rock.  What?  It must be salt or some mind numbing chemical in the rock.  Whatever it was really weird.  Risking life and limb on a cliff to lick rocks?  Must be really important to their health and to why they stay in this area.  A gold mine of chemicals if you will. I was lucky to get a couple of shots.  Barking was the only way to get his attention and get him to turn around.  It was worth the effort

It took longer to get down than it did to get up the mountain.  At the truck my legs were shaking from the down hill journey.  Muscles that I rarely use were stressed.    It was dark.  The goats were still licking and I was on my way home.  A wonderful day.  

Bad hare day....

Today I crossed with a hare!

On the road again.  This time in Arizona.  The travels included Prescott Valley, Payson, and Show Low.  A bit of time behind the wheel.  When driving with my wife I am accused of watching the road very little.   Hey I am a photographer!  When I'm not concentrating in the office about saving money, new construction methods, why some Sweettarts melts so fast in your mouth and evaluating contractors - I'm driving.  Looking for something to record on pixels.    It happened again today.  At sixty-five miles an hour I spotted the little guy.  Couldn't be missed.  In fact I almost didn't miss.  After dodging the hare, I stopped and enjoyed a few minutes visiting with him.  He didn't have a lot to say.  Just a lot of sniffling.  Must have a cold.  Looking through the lens I was amazed at the hare's hair.  Talk about hip, cool and BAD (cool bad).  Looks like he has the same stylist as Penny.  Not sure If I will ever see another like this one again.

If you want to see the best shot of Bald Eagles ever look here.    The photo was taken near my home.  Yes the same place I have been shooting.  Not at a neighbors house but rather at the Bird Refuge.  The shot is one we all dream off shooting.  Someday.  Sure inspired me.  I hope it does the same for you.

I love my dentist......

Today was clean my teeth and test the weight capacity of the dentists chair day....

"B"   That's the name of the receptionist at my dentists office.   An accent strong enough to make you wonder if she just walked of the ship to america. ( I think it's fake)  Boy is she savvy.   Always selling but like Zig Ziglar  describes a good waitress "friendly but not familiar".    Have you ever noticed that everyone in a Dentist's office all have beautiful teeth?  Must get a good deal.  Or their broke.  

And what is it about Dentist's and everyone surrounding them is cute or beautiful?   Professional, smart, discrete but beautiful .   Pain.  We all talk about it.  Behind the dentists back.  Every comparison made about pain refers some how to the pain in the dentists office.  High pitched drills, pointed devices tearing barnacles off teeth and the ever worrisome words - "wash out in the sink".    Things that monster movies are made of.  

Not at my Dentist.  I have had root canals that almost put me asleep.  Cavity repairs that took fifteen minutes.  Years ago I had a hygienist that hated men.  I always left the office tortured through the end of a little metal hook guided by a person mad at the whole world .  If water-boarding is illegal my treatment deserved the death penalty.    Now my hygienist is more like a mom figure.  A pretty mom.  In my face about flossing, brushing and that sort of thing but still concerned about my welfare.  I think my dentist is getting pretty old.  He wears these seeing devices that makes me think he is looking for micro-organisms in my mouth.  Oh, and what's with the face guard?    Is OSHA guarding our dental offices now?  Is there a small mint inside the mask so they don't have to smell our breath?  Wait a minute...not everyone wears a mask.  Must be some sort of OCD, germ-a-phobia thing.  I enjoy my visits' at the dentist office.  Even if they may be three years apart.  My choices are car, house, food, clothes, photography or that needed crown.  What would be your choice?  

I thought I knew those guys.......

Nikon D-3, 200-400 w/1.7 multiplier shot at 650mm, 1/800 second @ f/7.1, -.67ev, ISO 200 

There all stinking little thieves!

Seagulls work so hard to scavenge.  Home to some gulls is a bustle of garbage trucks, home owner vehicles overflowing with trash and the great scent of decomposing garbage.  Human garbage.  To some - garbage is a treasure.  Especially the seagull.  In Utah it is the State bird. Representative of heroic measures many years ago they performed in behalf of the pioneers.  These cold days at the bird refuge most water and access to trash fish is frozen over.    Survival requires that the same population of birds (eagles and gulls) feed from the much smaller tributaries.  These smaller acreages of opportunity creates some bird crowding.   It's not often we see these quantity of Bald Eagles in such a small area in Utah.  Actually only once a year I believe.  

So guess who's doing all the work?  You got it the seagulls.  At least today while I was watching.  The gulls would fly constantly and at times dive for small fish and other edibles.  As soon as the gulls flew (with their catch) the white headed bullies would snatch the goods.  It was like watching your first born steal from the store.  A little upsetting.   Must be part of that chain of command thing going on. 

Got up early.  New smells and sites.  Life is still good!

Nikon D-3, 200-400 lens w/1.7 multiplier shot at 460mm, 1/500 second @f/7.1, -1ev, ISO 200, 

Sundays......

Sundays for me are about Family and Church.

Today was especially good because I had one of those rare opportunities to spend some time with my only son.  My wife, my son and I went out to antelope island.  Neither of them are as fortunate as I that they get regular time outside.  The sun provides vitamin D, the air is great to breath and the openness is refreshing.  Especially on overcast, inversion filled winter days.  

The island had it's typical winter look.  It was beautiful.  But on this trip (the only one we have made together) we discovered some beautiful rock formations.  Looking even closer we found this stuff that looks like dead moss.  I have seen it before but not as brilliant and on such beautiful rock.  My camera moved in close and captured the "stuff" up close and personal.  

Discovery is all round us.  It is not only in our vision, our taste, and our smells.  It is in our relationships.  On Sunday my wife and I teach a gospel class about family relations.  When we were first asked to do this I felt like they were asking Caesar to teach humility.    A joke maybe? No they were serious.  Well it turns out that the class is for me and my family.  The people in front of us each week are the beneficiaries of their own decision to attend and participate.  The curriculum is well written and is sensitive to the needs of all individuals.   It has been said before that the person teaching usually gets the most out of the class.  Boy is that true here.  

A must see movie?  Fireproof   To find out more about it look here.   It's a great movie about rebuilding a marriage.  It has suggestions about God and Christ in peoples lives.  Produced by sony pictures but backed by Sherwood Church a baptist church of which I am not affiliated.  But in my opinion they did a bang up job on this movie.  

"Old Friend"....

Watson Lake in Prescott, Arizona 

What is anonymous anyway?  Recently I received a message from an anonymous person.  No not a secret lover!  An "Old Friend" is who left the anonymous message.   To save my two finger typing a lot of work let's call "Old Friend" - OF.  OK?   Anyway, this OF did not identify himself.  He is still a great friend.  Even if I have not seen him for maybe 20 years?  We have and had a lot in common.  Fish and aquariums was a common interest.  Lifting weights for better personal self esteem took some of our time together.  He was to me like Arnold Swartzenenger is to Twiggy.  The guy was a monster.  Bars would bend when pressed by him.  The one thing we do not have in common is super intelligence.   The University of Utah is the place that he graduated in electrical engineering.  Not just another grad just one of the top graduates.  Brawn and Brain.  A gentle giant as so often said really describes OF.  This anonymous OF's message took me back to my early days.  I do miss some things about those days. One being associated with this anonymous OF.  Thanks for leaving the anonymous message.....OF. 

"Catch Lights".....

Have you ever wondered how to make a photograph better of a living thing?   "Catch Lights"....  Look at the photograph below and notice the three little reflections in the eyes.  This is a mannequin photographed in Las Vegas. Who dresses like this?  Cover the photograph so you only see from the nose up.  Cover the nose. The eyes are alive!   Very large sky lights in a large mall provided the light for the eyes.

Do the same with the photograph below.  Amazing!  There is no question without the catch lights it is a mannequin.  The mole under the right eye is a nice touch! 

What makes for good light?  A window, fill flash or a very large light colored wall can produce incredible catch lights.  The photograph below has my daughter adjacent to a large window.  The sun is the most natural light there is.  Did I really just say that?  Kinda explains my jr. high science scores.  The sun is the largest light source also.  There I go again!  The larger the light source the softer the light.  

The lizard below was photographed in Costa Rica.  I was laying on my stomach going in for a kiss.   This guy was huge.  Look at his eyes...he is very alive!  Don this ones for you...."them there catch lights are awesome!"

Dichotomy of what I did today...

A new day....no lost vehicles.

I am in a new area today looking at three sites for new stores.  My role today and tomorrow is to interview new contractors (being that this area is new to Maverik).  Equally as important is to visit each site to consider utilities, soils, existing features and many other issues relative to developing each property.  It is something I really enjoy.  I am fortunate to be working for a company that is still growing and doing a lot of right things.  Just a few miles away on the same highway is an uncompleted development.  My curiosity took me onto the site.  It was obvious that a contractor was near completion at this development.  It appears that most if not all the underground utilities are in place.  The roads have been cut to sub grade.  Everything is being over taken by weeds and debris.  A lot of effort and expense had gone into this development.  It is so very near completion.  Was it a shortage of funding?  Or maybe an overzealous developer that had not followed proper channels?  The development covers a lot of acreage possibly as much as 100 or more acres.  Someones vision not able to be completed.  I expect that within the next year just a few short miles down the highway a new Maverik will be doing a "bang up" business.  My hope is that the unfinished development I witnessed may restart anew and be completed someday. 

Who Do You Call?......

I have not blogged for a while...believe it or not I went to Arizona for a couple of days without my camera.   A few days turned into a week.  I was miserable.   Everywhere I looked potentially framed images where passing me by.  I will never leave home without my camera again!

Today I had a solemn reminder of my great love, admiration and appreciation for the friends that surrounded me.  While I was whimpering in Prescott, Arizona, Chad Call and Kelly Irons where laboring at my house.  Concrete work is very demanding especially the flat work at my home.  With a positive attitude and a masterful technique they placed over 12 yards in my yard.  These gentlemen are true friends.  They took on the task without my oversight.  Not that my oversight was needed.  It's just that it is my driveway, at my house and they did it for ME!  I know that I can call them with any need and they would be there ASAP.

This afternoon I found myself lost in the middle of thousands of parked cars (at the economy parking lot at SLC airport).  When I left town a week ago I parked near #6 or #7 pick up spot.  Today I DE-bussed at #7.  The Nissan Titan was nowhere in sight.  I did write the drop off location down last week.  I guess it was lost in my rage when I realized I had to stay over the weekend in AZ.    Though my rage did uncover a credit card I thought I had lost.  Anyway WHO DO YOU CALL when you have lost your car at the airport?  Let's see... I can hear it now.. (laughing out loud) "you what?"  or "call AARP" or maybe "you've lost it".     My emotions were creeping to the surface.  Walking back and forth for almost two hours was making me very tired and weak.  The shoulder bag and two pieces of luggage totaled over 100 pounds.  Delta weighs everything these days.  My wife was teaching, my son and daughters did not answer.  I had ran out of people I could truly threaten if they told anyone.  Then I realized I have a friend that is always good to me.  Penny arrived about 15 minutes later.  Her laughter was restrained.  We drove up and down the aisles.  To my extreme surprise (and I think hers also), the truck was where it was supposed to be near #6.  In the end I did not lose it I just lost IT.  Another very good friend had come to my rescue.  Truth be known I shed a small tear while driving home thinking about my good life and my incredible friends.  Singing to the song from Jonathan Livingston Seaguls "Dear Father" didn't help.