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

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...

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.

Photo art (again)

My feeble attempt at being an artist (again).

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

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

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

Shoshpne #2 Close Up

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

Shoshone Falls

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

Old But Standing

On the Road Again.

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

Oregon Coast

June 2007

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

Oxbow Panarama

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

Sun Flare assignment......

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

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

KOA Blog

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Never take your eyesight for granted.

Iguassu #3 Black and White

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

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

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

 

Iguassu Black and White #2

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

Igausssu

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

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

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

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

Prescott Lake ROCKS....

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.

Tools of the trade

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.

Busted Bus

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

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.

HDR - Scenic

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

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.