Up in AK waiting for the annual family reunion to begin. There I sat in my chair wrapped up snug as a bug watching clouds go by as behind me passed a Black Bear Family and in front a lone Griz. Off to a great start. Yep, life if mighty good!
Sydney Opera House captured by Z 9 / Z24-120
Built over seventy years ago, the Sydney Opera House is this iconic structure that sucks me in over and over and over again. I shot it our first time here sixteen years ago and I’ve shot it every time since. It takes no talent, just being able to change the Z 9 to B&W and go click. It’s so gorgeous, it’s the picture that takes itself!
Perched at the top of the mountain in the rainforest of Lamington Nat’l Park, looking down and across the lowlands can be quite spectacular! It had been a marvelous day of photography the birds of the rainforest. When we emerged from that mysterious and darkened world we were looking out at this splendor. With the long lens already attached, it was real easy to make the click!
Queensland AUS Lowlands captured by Z 9 / Z400f4.5
When the light first broke through the breaking rain, the drama to me was all B&W so that’s what I shot. Then as the opening in the clouds got bigger, the light warmed and it then became a full spectrum shot. Then from the treetop bar as the sun set, it became a very rosey photo. At that point though, the camera was put to rest. But I can tell you that it was splendid, the view from the top!
It was almost like someone flipped a switch! The hummers vacated the premises about the middle of August and that signaled the seasons were changing. Then our aspens started to drop a leaf here and there. Then the bird seed consumption really slowed down. Our White-tailed bucks have shed their velvet in the past week. And finally, the trees are mighty quiet. Fall is fast taking over our little valley and critters are hunkering down. The light has mellowed and we’re blessed with wildfire smoke only just now kinda lingering in the air. I miss the explosion of sound of spring of all the critters at The Ranch. It’s such a great start to the day. But then, I love the light this time of year. I look forward to the explosion of color I think we’ll have because of the good rains last month combined with our morning temps in the high 40s. A chill in the air and the fall color for me just make the silence so loud!
Bedford Camera has his marvelous event going on this weekend, their Photo Expo in Little Rock. I was very fortunate to be invited to speak last night and then lead a photowalk this morning. It was a complete joy to do both as these are marvelous, passionate photographers hungering to learn more. How so? They got up and joined me this morning at 06:00 for a photowalk along the River Walkway. It was to be just a 90 minute walk. With the classes that started at 09:00 and the incredible heat and humidity, besides being my favorite time out shooting, it just made sense. And in those 90 minutes, we might have gotten only 100 yards but they were a great, 100 yards!
Na, there was no amazing photographic opportunity that kept us in place, just a real teachable moment and a group of very willing and open minded visual storytellers. What you see above it the Broadway Street Bridge. It has some elegance to it but the skies, they couldn’t be any balder if you tried. How do you make a click of it bringing some drama to the engineering? That what we explored for 90 minutes. The photo on the left was taken at 06:31 and on the right at 06:51. There is just 20 minutes and -1 stop difference (photo on right was shot at -1) between the two technically. But visually, there is quite a distance. And that’s what made the morning so great as we talked through the technical and mental hoops to jump through for each photographer to bring their own drama to the moment. It was a great morning and I was honored to be amongst such a great group of folks! And for me in this humidity, I so welcomed a great 100 yard photowalk!
Forth of July fireworks start a little later here in Montana than most locals, last night it was 22:35. Thunderstorms had been floating by all day lighting up the skies and soaking the plants. Then around 16:00 they started to move on towards the east. Sharon & I decided to have dinner at home and then head to Hamilton for their 4th of July fireworks. We arrived three hours early so we had some time to kill. What to do? Well like any good wildlife photographer, I headed to the homemade ice cream shop and got a double scoop of Huckleberry Fudge (yes, I shared some with Maggie of course). With some time to kill still we cruised around and then drove to the pulloff on the Eastside to wait for the show. In front of us to the west were The Bitterroots with clear skies starting to appear behind them as the last clouds floated by. Then I looked in the sideview mirror at The Sapphires behind us!
The Sapphire Mtns captured by Z 9 / Z24-120
While the storm in front of us was for the most part gone, behind us it was still in the process of fading. The winds, moisture and light, Mother Nature was working her magic putting on a spectacular show. The Sapphire Mtns where we make our home were lit up with drama and it was real simple to make the clicks. Both photos are right from the camera, my simply standing up out of the truck and shooting. Maggie was still working on the ice cream as I was shooting. With the setting sun at 21:31 so went the drama. But more was to follow. mtc