Feb 8, 2011 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP87941.swf, 595, 482 [/swf]
The Firehole River when it’s cold and there is snow is a great venue to shoot. What makes it unique is the fact the water is hot so the snow is sharply sculpted around the rocks in the river. When it’s cold enough, the snow piles up and the shapes come to life. All you have to do then is pick and choose those that you like.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP88981.swf, 595, 482 [/swf]
To pick and choose, you need focal length since you’re shooting down from the canyon wall. This is a challenge because you are also shooting at a slow shutter speed, these taken at 1/2sec. For many, that slow a shutter speed when shooting with a long lens with the tripod perched in snow is difficult. But that’s how these images were taken. How did I get my shutter speed down that low? Closed down the lens all the way and set the ISO to L01. I finished the images using Silver Efex Pro 2, that was the easy part!
Photo captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Feb 7, 2011 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/Coyote 0604.swf, 595, 482 [/swf]
I’ve had a ongoing conversation with some shooters of late, it all resides around image size and cropping. You could also bring into the conversation real easily how much is enough lens. It comes in part from a statement mine in Captured that I’m not an eyeball shooter and I don’t crop. “Just why is that?” It’s a very valid question and one I try hard to answer. It has to do with my “style” of photography and my drive for the perfection of my craft. It’s a Moose problem that really no one else has to worry about…unless…
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/Coyote 1614.swf, 595, 482 [/swf]
When I started out in wildlife photography, all the rage were extreme close ups, where you would see just the eye of the critter, very intimate portraits (where I came up with the phrase eyeball photography). My main problem with this then and now is, I want to show the world my subject lives in. I feel that is important to show a critters world to tell its story in one click. At the same time, I love the challenge of taking in so much of the world in one click making the subject physically small and yet, your mind’s eye goes right to it. That has truly propelled my photography to where it is today. I started out shooting film and the photo buyer would see my images within the confines of a small, cardboard window, the slide mount. Cropping simply wasn’t an option, I couldn’t put silver tape all over the mount to crop an image because that showed the photobuyer really fast I couldn’t make the click right in the camera. It’s not an option, for me.
Should this matter to your photography? Not in the least since we all need to do what makes us happy because in the final analysis that’s what matters. But some want more from their photography, I can appreciate that. Many in that process look for those images they like from other photographers and make that a goal for their own photography. Taking that further and you wanna be successful on the business side, you have to recognize those marks both in content and quality that are successful. Since after 30yrs I’m still hanging in there on all fronts, then there is the slight possibility that I might be onto something when it comes to image size and cropping. Just understand, YOU’VE gotta make the call, it’s YOUR photography!
Jan 24, 2011 | Landscape Photography
Many of the Black Oaks in Yosemite Valley are covered with this amazing green, gold, orange moss/lichen. During any other time of the year, the are pretty lifeless and not much of a subject. But in the winter when they have moisture and the the snow reflecting light up into them, they take on a whole new life. When you combines that with the shapes of the oaks, it’s hard to not spend time with your lens trained on them. I tend to shoot them with very narrow DOF to make the edges pop even more. Click on the image to see it larger, might just provide you with a new subject in the valley!
Photo captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jan 24, 2011 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp55951.swf, 600, 486 [/swf]
Being it’s Monday, I thought I would provide ya with a couple of minutes of natures serenity. Now that I have a D7000 (loaded with Lexar 32GB SD), I went a little nuts shooting 1080p video. I went nuts editing it as well, but that’s another story. So during the week I’ll share a little of what I shot. Here’s the first, Horsetail Falls. A gorgeous site, enjoy!
01.01.2013 Pages are in the process of being updated. In the meantime you can watch our videos on our YouTube Channel as well as all Videos are available on iTunes as Podcasts!
Video captured by D7000, 70-200VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jan 21, 2011 | Landscape Photography
Walking back to the bridge, you get a very dramatic view of the upper Yosemite Falls. We’ve spent hours just watching and listening to this might body of water as it crashes on the rocks below. Some winters, the cone at its base soars way up into the falls.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp64551.swf, 585, 400 [/swf]
At this time, the cone is basically gone. I wonder if it’s this fact that we got the most amazing rainbow I’ve ever seen. It stretched as you can see down the falls and up the next slope. Simply spectacular!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp66561.swf, 585, 400 [/swf]
I keep going back and forth which I like better, the foreground slope in shadow or not. I think I’ll print them up 24×30 and stare at them for a while. It was a spectacular site and I am very grateful we had the opportunity to be there to see it.
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jan 21, 2011 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp63151.swf, 402, 600 [/swf]
The DLWS gang hit the meadow this morning and the meadow as always, delivered. From past experience, I knew that Upper Yosemite Falls really preforms one the sun reaches its base. With that in mind, I went armed with the 200-400. While waiting for the show to begin, I trained the lens on the falls face. When shooting this mighty water, I rip the shutter. This is because you just don’t know the pattern of the water and it’s really difficult to predict.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp63361.swf, 402, 600 [/swf]
The top image is an example of a really wimpy lookin body of water. It’s not robust, full of drama or the dynamic lines of the second photo. To heighten that power of the water crashing, I went to B&W using Silver Efex Pro.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp64371.swf, 585, 402 [/swf]
Then when you add a little light, then you really have a strong click. There is a few minutes as the sun paints down the face of the falls when you have light like this streaking across. The reason I prefer this shot and this moment is the base in shadow. That black just makes the white of the water whiter and more powerful. Because of this I can turn horizontal and I like that format for this scene. The sun has just begun to light things up, it’s time to boogie to the other side of the meadow for the big show.
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
