Jul 9, 2010 | Landscape Photography, Moose Adventures
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It’s one of my favorite times of year and we couldn’t be happier then to be sharing it with photographers. We have a great group of adventurers with us exploring all the magic the Eastside has to offer in summer. Typical Moose fashion, we were up before the sun so we could greet it. Using an old technique from film days, shot prior to the sunrise, minus 3 exp comp dialed in and nothing else permitted the color, gradation and moon to be captured in one click. No filters needed, just lots of coffee!
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Working at nearly 10,000 feet, the sun comes up early. Working the ridgeline, you can find little isolated pockets of light on really cool subjects. For me, a total wildflower moron, this is important. Sticking my ass up in the air at all let alone that early in the morning, it better be darn easy. This little Mtn Phlox though is a the perfect example of what I’m talking about. I borrowed Jake’s 24-70, zoomed to 70mm, bent over and shot. Dialed in -1.5 exp comp to make the shadows go black and I was done. By 7AM, light was hard and the call of the wild pancake could be heard from the mtn tops. Damn good morning and great start!
Many have asked if there is a Eastern Sierra Adv for the fall. There is, it’s based out of Mammoth Lakes and even though we’ve not announced it or dates (waiting for last minute for best guess on fall color) there are only two openings left. Give Sharon a call at the office if you want to join in.
Photos captured by D3x, 45PC-E / 24-70AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jul 7, 2010 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography
We headed down to the airport to pick up Stephanie so like always, I grabbed the camera as we left the house. Looking out the window told me what lens I should have attached.
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It’s the summer and the pattern has turned so we get our very dramatic afternoons. The thunderheads started to form early all around Mammoth but not over Mammoth. I knew heading to the flats, they would be off in the distance and not overhead which is why I selected the one lens I took along.
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The clicks were easy, I parked in the middle of the road, shot out the window what you see at around 80mm, -1 exp comp with AWB. Pretty easy stuff. I knew with the drama in the sky these would be B&W photos. That was done in a SNAP in ACR 6.1 and then a simple click into Photoshop and another click on the Poster Action and it’s back out shooting. It’s all pretty easy stuff for anyone to do. The hardest thing for most folks though is that first step, always having your camera with you.
Photos captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 29, 2010 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography
A challenge for so many when they put the camera to their eye is, “Do I shoot vertically or horizontally?” Moving forward from that question for me for my landscape work is the question, “Color or B&W?”
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So we just looked at the subtle change just turning the camera can have to a landscape image. In that process of doing the dance, what does the option of B&W bring to the dance? First, many have a hard time just seeing their world in B&W. Try just squinting your eyes, this will take those highlights that will blow out become gone to your vision and those areas that will be lost in the shadows, black to your vision.
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With that, you should start seeing those areas in your photo that are the highlights. In this particular example (every photograph is different) the subject is the highlight and when you turn the camera vertically and your go to B&W, damn if the subject doesn’t smack you right between the eyes. And when you do that with your subject, the viewer of your photograph can’t help but see the subject and that’s when you win! And you’d be surprised when you do that correctly, those little things you missed that shouldn’t be in the photo, magically disappear! I’m looking forward to sharing this with the folks next week when they come to our Eastern Sierra Adv and play with our puffies in their viewfinders! And yes, this is what I saw when I clicked, a vertical, B&W photo.
Photos captured by D3s, 24-70AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 29, 2010 | Landscape Photography
A challenge for so many when they put the camera to their eye is, “Do I shoot vertically or horizontally?” That is a real good question!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3738.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
Now if you’re shooting for the cover of a magazine, well, the question is answered for you. Since that’s not what I do (I’ve only been asked to shoot a cover once and that was a portrait) then the question is answered by….the subject. Yeah, the subject is what dictates to me if I turn the camera one way or the other. How does the subject have such power? It’s its story that we’re telling the should tell you which way to turn the camera.
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This is a simple click of a dissipating thunderstorm over the house last night. What’s the subject? In the top photograph you have to scratch your head. That’s because I shot horizontally and the “junk” on the sides takes the eye in a different direction then to the subject. Now when you turn to the vertical image, the “junk” on the side has been removed so now the trees in the center of the photo reinforce the cloud that is the subject.
Landscape photography is really a concert of subtleties that when in sync adds up to big drama. I call it doing the dance, removing the elements that distract while including those elements that tell the story. In doing that dance, one tool you have to creating the drama is simply how you turn the camera!
Photos captured by D3s, 24-70AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 16, 2010 | Landscape Photography
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The raptor blind is different each year. This year the Harris Hawks were the minority. This means that they would at times have to begrudgingly give the perches over to the Crested Caracara. They weren’t none to happy about that fact!
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There could be as many as eight Crested Caracara at the perches at one time. It seemed like two different family groups and they would battle amongst themselves when not mixing it up with the Harris Hawks. It was really quite a show at times!
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And here’s the major challenge of the blinds and why I really hate blinds. They simply make you blind! You can’t see what’s coming, what’s going, pan with any of the great action. It does permit some amazing photography, don’t get me wrong, but they prevent some amazing photography as well. It’s just one of the challenges you get use to fighting.
Photos captured by D3x, 600VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 16, 2010 | Landscape Photography
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Steve created a site where every afternoon, the Harris Hawks and Crested Caracara come to hang out. It is a magical place especially those days when the birds come to play. At first, you see the Harris Hawks in the trees around the perches just waiting.
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Once the pair of Harris decide it’s time to play, then with incredible speed and agility they are on the perch. Here you see the male & female, you know how to tell who is who? The female is the larger of the two and in this case, the bird closest to the lens.
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And then once the Crested Caracara appear, defense of the perches can get hot and heavy. In that process they come closer and closer to the blinds. Yeap, we just sit in the blinds watching and shooting. The activity can go in a heartbeat from panic to utter boredom, and there isn’t anything better. Much of the time I am manually focusing, prefocusing where I think the birds will land and then fine tuning really quickly.
A very common question which has no real answer is, “where can you crop birds?” There are no rules, no guidelines only good and bad places to crop. You want to avoid creating a hunter’s wall mount with your crop or anything that just feels uncomfortable. Otherwise, there really is nothing to aid in saying what’s right or what’s wrong. It can be a challenge.
Photos captured by D3x, 600VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
