I Still Don’t Know After 20yrs!

Dec 15, 2010 | Landscape Photography

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New storm coming in, always, always makes for gorgeous scenes and an opportunity to stop and smell the roses. Of courses, I tend to smell the roses with a camera in my hands. For nearly two decades I’ve been going out on our 2nd story deck to take in the sunset and for nearly two decades, I never know if I should shoot it horizontal or vertical. You’d think after all this time I’d have it figured out.

See the problem is that grand old tree. Struck by lightning a long time ago, its top has seen many a great bird perch on it and witnessed a century of sunsets. I think about all of that along with the color draping the clouds and I still go horizontal, vertical, horizontal, vertical. I’ve even shot it with every lens I own but no obvious solution. I guess some things just aren’t supposed to be obvious.

Photos captured by D3x, 24-120VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film

Winter in Another Land

Dec 6, 2010 | Landscape Photography

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I waited until it was the season before talking more about our upcoming adventure to Japan. That’s because on our 2005 visit, Sharon & I were incredibly fortunate to experience snow in Japan. It’s no secret I love the white stuff and to play in it in Japan was a special treat. This is Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine.

We’re even more fortunate that we will be heading back to Japan in 2011. Not only do we want to explore more of the country, but I really wanta go back now that I’m a better photographer. I’ve never been happy with my images from the first trip. This is the village of Shirakawago Gassho, a World Heritage site and an amazing place with really sweet residence (great food too!).

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These images were all taken with D2x with very limited Photoshop finishing skills. One thing I’ll be sharing a lot with our folks in 2011 is knowing how to use Photoshop finishing skills for the moment you go click, Japan is a land of subtle tones that when brought out bring the drama to life this land. For example by shooting in AWB A6 and then a touch of Tonal Contrast to bring out the warmth of the wood. And winter in a Bamboo Forest, that is simple amazing!

I type this as I watch the snow fall outside the window of our home in the Sierra. I reminds me of sitting in that tea shop by a fire in a small pot belly stove in the Village watching the snow fall in another land. Not sure if there is any more space in our upcoming adventure but we look forward to sharing our adventure with all the folks venturing to Japan with us.

One Down, One to Go

Dec 3, 2010 | Landscape Photography

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It’s been a great day. Woke to a giant 16wheeler in the drive making a delivery of a beautiful, brand spankin new 4900. Then we hit the road north to be at our son’s Brent graduation from college. A fine day indeed!

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Our drive was great because we have another winter storm moving through. This always brings drama in the sky as the clouds and the wind do battle to see who get’s east first. We topped Conway summit and looked south towards home and had to make a couple of clicks. These are simple clicks finished with Silver Efex Pro.

Photos captured by D3x, 24-120AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film

DLWS MT day3am3

Nov 12, 2010 | Landscape Photography

How can anyone pass up that amazing golden, age wood?! I sure couldn’t, the light and reflected light just made it glow even if it were only 9degrees! Just gotta love it.


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There was a pretty cool sky in the background and normally I would have jumped through hoops to bring it out. But this time I wanted the “brightness” of the scene, the snow, shacks and the barn to be center stage. So I went to +.5 exp comp to pump up the light and sacrificed the sky. I really like how it turned out.

Photo captured by D3x, 24-120AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film

Elkhorn State Park

Nov 7, 2010 | Landscape Photography

We did our work so then we played. Jake had been to this very cool “ghost town” (folks still live there) called Elkhorn State Park. Being fascinated with history and old buildings, we made the drive to see it. It’s a cool place but choose to sum it all up with the experience with just the masons lodge. The exterior itself is quite interesting and I could have spent an hour with it but choose instead to head inside. The light was very interesting outside, it had to be moody inside.

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Here’s the upstairs dance hall inside the mason lodge. The light coming in was gorgeous! Just because I could, I did a 5 image handheld HDR just to show you all the information that was in this room. And while there was great light, great color and mood and had a technique that worked wonders, I didn’t have a photograph. To me, this is no more then a “I was here photo” which really doesn’t work.

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In the room were two chairs, this is one of them and it’s right and how I found it. Now I’ve got a subject for this cool light. All that color and detail really didn’t fascinate me, the light did. So I switched lenses to the 24f1.4AFS and shot at f1.4 and made the click that for me, summed up the ghost town, the hall, the light and the experience. In reality, it’s just a simple click.

Photos captured by D3x, 24-120AFS/24 f1.4 AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film