“I Stare at Dirt!”

The cell buzzes and I see my sweet bride is calling. I’m just sitting in the truck with the camera sitting across my lap so I answer. “Whatja doin” she asks? “What I always do, I stare at dirt” I reply. She’s says with a smile in her voice, “And you do it better then anyone else!”

I wish when I started working with the endangered San Joaquin Kit Fox back (one of the 1st species to be listed as endangered back in ’64) in ’87, I kept records of all the months I just started at dirt in anticipation of a fox emerging from a den only to see dirt the whole time. Seriously, I have spent an entire day staring at dirt through the lens looking for activity only to see at most, an ant or fly. It just goes with the game, just because I show up doesn’t mean mother nature will. And you might think I’d learn and perhaps stop or do it better but neither is the case. I am working with the best biologists on the planet and even though some of the dens have collared animals and we know that animal is in that den, it still doesn’t mean when you have light, they will emerge. The Kit Fox is a “nocturnal” animal by nature but it does have some daytime activity. That’s what I count on, that “some” as I stare at dirt.

I got home at 02:00 today after another great week working with my friends, both biologists and kit fox at five different den sites. Two of those sites, I never saw a fox. At one, the photo you see above, that’s the only click I made after a couple of days at the den. One other, I only shot video at night under funky lights and the other, well on the very last day at the very last minute, I was blessed with some great biology in the last glow of light of the day. To me, that is an amazing week of success and that’s because I have come back from a week and all I have are shots of dirt!

I am always very appreciative of folk’s praise when they give me grandiose titles as a wildlife photographer. But I’ve seen images from “weekend warriors” that are much more spectacular then what I’ve captured in my career. What I am probably the best at though is staring at dirt. I’m a long haul, project wildlife photographer not going after the “best” shot but the “best biological” shot that not only tells a story about the critter but answers questions about its biology to move preservation forward. There is a big difference between the two “bests” in my book. And to me part of that is ego and commitment driven. While a “best” photo lives a glamorous life for a short time being heralded as the best, sadly they are forgotten in as short period. On the other hand, “best biological” gets nearly no notoriety but the images lives on for a very long time in science. To me, that’s much more a valid goal for my images.

The D4 was important to me to obtain because of digital as a tool. The D1 besides opening the digital world to my photography (and for many of you as well), captured a photo of the kit fox that went around the world hours after being taken that made an impact. I foresaw the D4 with its high ISO video as well as still abilities able to do the same thing for this same species, one that is very much imperil. All I had to do was get the two together, the D4 and the kit fox which required me to perform my specialty with flawless professionalism, stare at dirt. And that last evening in that last moment of light with the camera ISO set at 1600, something I never did in the past, I made the shots that are in the process of being written up as I type because once again, biology and technology came together for a moment to record while not earth shattering and nothing you’ll see on the evening news, history. You see a hint of that in the photo right above, not even 12hrs old by now. There is no pay, no assignment, no fanfare just the simple reward that applying a craft with passion, a photo can make a difference in the grand scheme of things. All of this doing what Sharon says I’m the best at, I stare at dirt!

Storms, Light, Patterns

I love storms, especially just before they start and then when they are over. It’s a time when the “normal” view is altered into some romantic gesture of time to make a change in the routine of life to celebrate that life. In the Sierra as the wind whips over the crest, clouds battle the winds to drop their moisture before being carried east. I always challenge myself to bring that emotional response to the click. Be it a tornado or simple snow fall, I just love chasing storms!

And just as much as I look for that grand landscape kind of shot, I seek those small details, patterns that convey the same emotional response. Living in snow country, I have become a connoisseur of snow. What the hell does that mean? Well this photo is a good example of that. Only certain storms produce the right wetness of snow that sticks to trees like frosting. Too light and it looks like hoar frost, too heavy and it’s just a glob. I’m looking for that just right and that’s because it creates the mental picture of a snow covered forest which in reality only last for moments. Once the sun hits it, it melts and falls off. In chasing those storms, I look for these patterns in the light and snow that suggest the amazing serenity that comes after a storm. It’s these moments I cherish, behind the camera and then the time after.

In the Bag
• D4
• 24-70 AFS
• 300f4 AFS
• Lexar 32gb 600x UDMA digital film

Total Frustration!

Ad you know, I love to chase clouds. What you might not know is I can get really frustrated when I see great clouds and can’t do anything about it. This is just such the case. The storm cranked through Mammoth and the last clouds were really cool, this fishbone pattern. No matter where I drove, where I walked in the few moments I had, I couldn’t make a photo of this cool pattern. Time is the biggest issue because with the high winds, the clouds change shape and move much faster then I can do. In these cases, I still make a shot and stick them in a file as a visual reminder of possibilities. Argh…such a cool formation, what a suckie photograph!

In the Bag
• D4
• 18 AF
• Lexar 32GB 600x UDMA

A Moment of Quiet

And while standing for a moment taking in all the meaning and history, the folks do leave and the photo does present itself. Peace is a good thing.

D4 & Cherry Blossoms

After a great day of walking the Smithsonian, Sharon decided we needed to walk another 3 miles so we went to check out the Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin. Well, the whole world knows how I feel about flower photography so I was over joyed to go. I decided to just click to see if I could make some patterns in the branches and as predicted by me, I couldn’t. But what I found interesting are the results. Shooting with 0 exp comp, my intuition was I would have blinkies in some blossoms and loose some shadow details. But when I looked at the LCD on the D4, I saw no blinkies. When I look at the images in PS (I’m processing my D4 images with ACR), didn’t loose the shadow detail. Now I am not, repeat not, saying the D4 has better dynamic range. I’m just clicking away and responding to things like I would the last three years shooting with the D3. I’m not doing any testing shooting a D3s against the D4, I’m just cruising, having fun and getting to know the camera and so far, I’m likin what I’m seeing! At least in the D4, these possey photos are, well, just possey photos.

In the Bag
• D4
• 24f1.4 AFS

Valley of the Gods B&W

The Texture of Sand, the Design of Shadows

The sand dunes of Monument Valley like I’ve mentioned are a place I can get lost for weeks with a camera and never grow tired of the photographic possibilities. The first challenge is to not step and ruin your own photo. After that, the challenge is finding the pattern and that’s where the shadows come into play. Lastly there is the color. I really like these and just wanted to share them. I hope you enjoy as well.

Stallion 51 & Panning Practice, Bandit Style

A very important tool and technique you need in aviation photography is panning. When shooting ground to air, being able to not just track and compose but get the subject sharp is essential. This is true when shooting fast subjects at slow shutter speeds (like 1/50). We like to do panning drills at our Air2Air Workshops and at Stallion 51, we had a very special panning practice subject. This is Bandit, Lee’s 8yr Harris Hawk. Lee, a falconer has a very special relationship with Bandit who he hunts throughout the year. Areal training is also part of their relationship. What you see here is Bandit in action. Flying from his perch across the field at ground level, just before he reached Lee, Lee throws up a tid bit high into the air, slightly behind Bandit. He flies up and then inverts in air to catch the morsel. As you can see, he has no problems doing this and when it comes to panning practice, it’s great!

I’ve seen raptors perch on many things in my day, but never before on a $3mil P-51D. It was way cool to see this team work together and a marvelous photo opp!

In the Bag
• D3s
• 200-400VR2
• Lexar 32GB 600x UDMA

Sands of Time I Like

The background is what makes it for me! That black sets off the color, the shape and texture. Now the curve isn’t the landscape, it isn’t the lens but rather the shadow. Coming through a whole in the mesa behind us, it was curved and what made the whole thing work. Now some little grasses were removed in the photo but otherwise it’s a straight shot. That’s the best kind of landscape photography, clean and simple. If you’re ever heading to Monument Valley, watch She Wore a Yellow Ribbon first and take note of the sand dunes. They aren’t the same now and it demonstrates how with time, they move. I wish I had the time to sit and watch that change with time, talk about a glorious symphony of nature!

Sands of Monument Valley

If there is one thing I love to photograph and simply don’t get enough opportunities and that’s sand dunes. The patterns of light and shadow rolling up and down and just sooooo sensual! Here’s the trick to getting the shots I think. First, not to step in your own photo! Once your footprint is in the photo, it ain’t comin out so you have to be careful where you step. This is hard to do as you’re chasing the light which is constantly changing. Now it’s those patterns that make or break the photo IMHO. The top photo is one that I thought had promise and then after racing up the sand to it, it’s just too busy for the peace of the sand. I liked shadow but the rest….Then the bottom photos, you can see the before and the after. Here, there is just the tinniest of elements interrupting the pattern. Look at the difference when you remove those small elements. It’s the smallest details that can do you in no matter the photo.

My Idea of an Environmental Portrait?

Albert loves to have his photograph taken. He’s been in countless Hollywood movies and lord knows how many times he’s posed for tourists and yet, he never tires from it. So when K&M Adventures group first meet up with him at his home at Ford’s Point, he instantly asked if the group wanted to take his portrait on his bud, Pistol. While the view is gorgeous, Albert & Pistol get lost in the scene. Now when you look at it mathematically, the duo take up less then 1% of the entire frame. With that small percentage, can we still make them standout?

By moving physically to my left and then down a little, I put the duo in a place were they don’t meld into the background as much. Albert & Pistol are still small in the frame, but at least now they don’t look like an accident. It’s a very simple thing to do but I see many photographs where this simple technique isn’t being used. I just got Tiffen’s Dfx pluggins for Photoshop so decided to give them a whirl in finishing. I used one of their polarizers on these images. I like the effect, I might have gone a little heavy handed but I do like the effect. More to learn…I’m happy!

And here’s Albert & Pistol up close. Neither one are spring chickens but they still are both full of life. I enjoy all the time we get to spend together talking, much to learn from this soul of the earth!

• In the Bag
• D3s
• 70-200VR2
• Lexar 32GB 600x UDMA

The Shadowy Side of Monument Valley

When you drive the loop in Monument Valley, half the time your subjects are front lit and the other half, they are back lit. Because your subjects are so large, if you’re on the backlit side, you have a whole lot of time with no direct sun to work with. Because your subjects are so large, you’re missing some large photographs. The rock of Monument Valley isn’t all red. It’s every shade of red with a whole lot of veins of gray and black sprinkled in. When you shoot the face in full sun, you loose a lot of those veins and to me, a lot of the character that is the Valley. So I do tend to haunt the shadow side thinking about bringing out the character that is the Valley.

Here’s two approaches I use when going to the shadowy side. They both have one thing in common, HDR. To pull out the character in the rock, I need that range of clicks while also preserving the detail in the sky. After that, I want something in the sky and this is typical, I’ll put either clouds or the sun. I want that element for both the white aspect of a B&W photo as well as space and visual depth. The sun can add drama when done correctly. I posted this photo of an example of it not being done correctly. What’s wrong with it? I forgot to clean the front element. That dust on the front element is what’s creating all those circular UFOs in the sunburst. What a pisser! Understand that if I didn’t use HDR, you wouldn’t see any information in the rock, it would be all black. While there are times when that is cool, when working the shadowy side of the Valley, I tend to want to bring out the character in the rock.

• In the Bag
• D3s
• 24-70AFS
• Lexar 32GB 600x

Chasing the Light in the Valley

I do enjoy greeting the day watching the sun rise. There is just something about that moment that all seems right in the world as the light comes up, the birds begin to sing and the clouds race to meet the coming sun. Last week in Monument Valley on our K&M Adventure, it was one of those mornings. We were out early heading around the loop to be in place in case the balloons launched (which they didn’t this morning). When I looked out of my room at the View, what you see in the top photo was what got me excited except the cloud had already changed alot by the time we got in place to shoot. I love clouds, they simply add a whole new dimension to anything subject. Kevin did his best to get us down in place but the same winds that kept the balloons from launching just scattered that beautiful cloud.

A classic case of chasing the light in the Valley. Just because there is pretty color in the sky, I don’t stop to shoot. The romance everyone associates with a sunrise or sunset if the very minimum that needs to be in our photographs. So with the color has to be the foreground, middleground and background and a lot more. You need shapes in silhouette as well and then finally, you need them clouds to take you eye and heart around the entire photograph. At least, that’s what I shoot for. So in the top photo for example, it’s no mistake that the break in the cloud rims the left side of Merritt Mesa.

These three photos were taken over a period of about 18min and over a distance of about 150 yards. The first photo we were at the bottom of a wash and as the clouds scattered and the sun rose, I didn’t like the foreground so I ran up slope to make the middle image and then to the top of the ridge to make the bottom photo. I like all three, each has a little something different but of these three, the top is my favorite. John Wayne rode over that dirt road and on the morning chasing the light in the Valley, I could imagine him doing it again.

• In the Bag
• D3s
• 24-70AFS
• Lexar 32GB 600x

Why do you Feel you Need to Finish Your Landscape Images?

“Why do you feel you a need finish your landscape images?” I was asked this question today and it’s really a valid one. Because first and foremost, because I do anything doesn’t mean you need to do the same. To answer the question though, I feel I need to finish my landscape images because my camera has no heart. There are for sure some instances when the camera just can’t capture what the mind’s eye or more importantly the heart saw at that moment of click. There are the technical issues like light range, color and the like which can be dealt with for the most part in post. But then there is the romantic impression of that moment, something a metal beast can’t feel, capture or communicate. I can’t stress enough that I need my landscape images to say, “You need to be here” and not say “I was here.” My landscape photography is a direct off shoot of my wildlife photography. The critters I so love and fight to preserve will only do so if their homes aren’t bulldozed. I get you to love their homes, the landscape they call home, then I get you to preserve the critters. It’s really that simple for me, save the land, save the critters ergo, I need you to fall in love with the landscape. So my landscape images must grab your heartstrings and tug…alot!

In this case, the finishing was real simple. I started with ACR, the same version you’re now enjoying in LR4 and soon to enjoy in CS6 (it’s the same math, different UI). With that, I then used Nik’s CEP4 Tonal Contrast, Split Gradual and then Viveza to pump up the sand in the foreground and I was done. What you see at the top is the after, and the bottom the original image. You might be saying there is nothing wrong with the bottom image. And you’re be right to be honest with you, if there was I wouldn’t have gone click in the first place. Gotta start with the best capture possible to even think about finishing. I finished the image as described because of the reasons I described above. And you don’t have to do any of it. It’s just my preference for the goals I have for my photography.

In the Bag
• D3S
• 24-70AFS

The Delight of Light!

Light is such a magical thing! There are many times if you watch me, I seem to be staring out into space when in actuality, the light has simply caught me imagination. I’ve never seen or experience the same light twice which is probably why I’m always out chasing it.

One of the really sweet things about Monument Valley is it plays right into my love of light. No matter the time, day or night, the light loves to play in this valley of stone. And it plays in ways you can often not expect. On this particular morning of our K&M Adventure, we were out in position on the second morning of the balloon festival waiting for the Mitten launch. It was a windy morning to say the least. The balloonist pulled in mass where we had parked and launched a couple of helium balloons testing the wind. We watched them race away and thought it was too windy for the big balloons. But they seem to see what then needed and headed down deeper into the Valley.

The sun wasn’t up yet but was lighting up the horizon when the vehicles took north on the road to the launch zone. No sooner than the last vehicle made the crossing when the sun sneaked over the eastern horizon. Right then the dust cloud from the vehicles lit up and the magic of light once again delighted my imagination.

Here’s the photographic problem. Our cameras can only capture 5 stops, the difference in light between the lit up dust cloud and the Mitten in shadow had to be at least 9 stops. What I was seeing with my eyes was information in the deep shadow of the mitten and the glow of the dust. That’s what I wanted to share with you. That’s the subject, that’s the delight of the light. With that knowledge, the photography part was pretty darn simple. All that was required a simple handheld, 5 image HDR that when processed, was done with my Basic Settings in Photomatix Pro. The key was to not let the shadow go black or gray but keeping it just right. Sharing a shadow my mind’s eye saw.

While the vertical is THE image for me, I shot both just to share with you the possibilities. Why is the vertical image THE image for me? All that extra blue sky on the left of the horizontal image takes away from the brightness of the glowing dust. I wanted you to just see that and only that. Because after a very short period of time, the wind had dispersed the dust and the show was over. But that’s often the delight of light!

• In the Bag
• D3s
• 70-200VR2
• Lexar 32GB 600x UDMA

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