Apr 17, 2010 | Landscape Photography, Moose Adventures
The tires hit the hwy at 03:30. For two hours we drive east and downhill, a shooting star lighting up the sky in the beginning but slowly, the stars disappear. The air coming through the vents gets warmer and warmer, the truck get buffeted by more and more wind. On we travel, the sunrise calling us further and further east.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5692.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Before the sun can kiss the sky, we’re in the parking lot and walking up the path. We’re at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley NP and on the right morning, a very magical place. We lucked out because the clouds worked their magic because otherwise a desert with bald skies is, well, as my assistant would say, blech!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5738.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The clouds were just too magical for any lens other than the 16Fish at one point. They wrapped the heavens and the earth is a bow that was for that moment, truly special.
Photos captured by D3x, 24PC-E / 16Fish on Lexar UDMA digital film
Apr 16, 2010 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography, Moose Adventures
When we park at the old rail warehouse and I gather the folks, there is a uniform look on their faces saying “WTF?” It happens every time with every group. This comes in part because many don’t understand how I go about “landscape” photography. It also comes in part because Keeler at first glance is anything but a photographic heaven. But once you let Keeler in….
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5457.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
You wouldn’t know it by the looks of the town now, but it was once the place where tons of gold was shipped and society was in full swing. The warehouse now stands quiet, time is its only visitor. That and us when I bring a group to town.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5513.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
I don’t know what it is about these old TVs but they suck me in every time. I approached them differently this time and finished them differently and like these results but I know there is more here. I’ll be back.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5546.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The Shadows take over Keeler as the sun slips behind the Sierra fifty miles away. This is a another stop I wish I had tagged along with Fausto because he made images I’ve never seen come from this town. Stephanie headed out and made a couple of real sweet images as well, one with my 24PC-E that she borrowed from my bag. I can see that being an expensive loan in the time to come :)
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5634.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
It was near the end of the day when the group meet up with one of Keeler’s residents and they found the treasure that is Keeler that the goal of the afternoon was meet and a window into what I think landscape photography is all about that we found Keeler’s true gold. While I didn’t make the best images of the afternoon, I was rewarded just as much as the rest of the group with a simple stop at a simple place!
Photos captured by D3x, 24/45/85PCE on Lexar UDMA digital film
Apr 16, 2010 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography, Moose Adventures
Good thing the sun came up, it was my only possibility for redemption for the morning. Seriously, to blow such a killer opportunity, I loose sleep over those. Well, the sun came up and that great, killer skies for star trails became ouch for sun.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5371bw.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
It is no wonder that one of the first shapes I saw in the rocks of Alabama Hills was that of an ass! Now to get the shot I needed the 16Fish to get the shape. To use that lens to get the shape, I had to be in the photo. That kinda took away from it all. Having CS5 and knowing what Content-Aware fill can do, I simple put the camera on Interval Timer, stepped out of the frame, had the camera take some clicks and then a quick finish in post. You can’t see the camera or tripod or where Content-Aware made them go away. Damn, freakin cool!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5360.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Not really moving too far, I came across this nose. Now I wanted to do a little HDR because it brings out some of the cool color in the rocks. CS5 does have a new HDR engine which does a good job but it’s too many steps for impatient me so I still prefer Photomatix Pro which I used here. Matt does a great job explaining CS5 HDR basics here so check it out.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5217.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
And then back to plain and simple. I like plain and simple of after this morning, I could handle plain and simple. The finishing again was all done in CS5 using the technique Stephanie & I taught at Photoshop World, no pluggins, all CS5. Ah, this morning is over with, time to go lick my wounds and learn from my mistakes.
Photos captured by D3x, 16Fish / 45PC-E on Lexar UDMA digital film
Apr 15, 2010 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography
And then I got sleepie. I don’t know why, it wasn’t like I tripped or fell or something, I just decided to look at the rocks like I was an ant. It was kinda fun!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5193bw.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The only real challenge was getting up and down. Na, nothing physical but rather the rocks are damn sharp! I used the pad from the strap of the sling bag to get up and down and not cut up my hand.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5173bw.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
And to be real honest with ya, darn pleased with myself for this image. Not that’s it’s a killer photo but I like the illusion. The big ass looking rock on the right is about the size of a mellon! The thought just crossed my mind, “what if?” So I got down low and real close and well, there you go. Having fun while lying down on the job. What a perfect afternoon in the hills!
Photos captured by D3x, 16Fish on Lexar UDMA digital film
Apr 15, 2010 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography
Well we left Laws with intentions of going up to Bristlecones but the road was closed past Sierra View. With just a wonderful group of adventurers, I took them to one of my favorite locations, Alabama Hills. This is a locale that is never the same hour to hour and as photographers, it’s always challenging us. This afternoon was no exception.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5206bw.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Now let’s be real honest hear, this is rock photography. Yeah, they are really cool, amazingly colorful and can take on any shape your imagination wants to assign, but they are still rocks. The challenge is, how to make them more then just rocks. It was a real challenge this morning because as you can see, there wasn’t a cloud, even a wisp of one in the sky!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5207bw.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
I decided that since we had no shortage of blue sky that I would incorporate that as part of the design element in each photo. To do that, you guessed it, I knew I would be shooting to create B&W images. I enjoyed the challenge and at times, the rocks would win and other times, I won. Good to be pushed!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5394bw.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
I actually really like this last image. I’m not really sure what originally caught my attention but I know I just threw the lens up to this arrangement. It’s just rocks, just a design element, but for me, it works.
Here again, all of these images, from noise reduction to B&W finishing was all done with CS5 and NO pluggins.
Photos captured by D3x, 24/45 PC-E on Lexar UDMA digital film
Apr 15, 2010 | Landscape Photography
We started off on a totally different foot this adventure, by starting our shooting at 10am. I took the group to an old time favorite locale I’ve never taken a group to before, Laws. We shot “late’ in the day because we were shooting the old west were long, dark shadows just fit. While I got one click I like, Fausto simply kicked butt. Wish he had a blog I could point you to, but here’s just a hint.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5145.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
This one, simple photo took me 20min to capture. There was just one light source and while I really liked the light on these old mailboxes, the light source gave me a nasty highlight in the foreground. So I went up and down, back and forth, crawling along the mailboxes looking for the arrangement I liked while avoiding the highlights. Thank goodness I like the photo.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5151.swf, 460, 600 [/swf]
What can I say, I’m sucker for color! Shooting wide and fast made it pretty darn easy especially since I didn’t have room for a tripod. I just jammed myself up against the corner and made the click.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5165.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
This is not something special photo. But that 1ton fly wheel spinning is cool. The volunteers just got this 15h, 1 piston, 1912 motor going and invited us all in to see it. It was an amazing history lesson! The folks at Laws opened all the doors for the group, it was really great fun and so educational.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5167.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
And the one shot I wanted to really get, I didn’t do so well with. The light just wasn’t right and I didn’t feel like waiting for it. Something on the to go back and get list. It was a great start to the shooting and learning a little about what makes the Eastside so special and unique.
With CS5 now announced and with the killer job the folks at NAPP are doing to bring to light all it’s features, it’s nice that I can finally talk about it. All of these images, from noise reduction to B&W finishing was all done with CS5 and NO pluggins. Before you jump on the email to ask me how I did it, just hold the protons for a moment. As time permits, I will get videos up for what are now “new’ CS5 techniques (which are up to 8months old for me). It ain’t going to happen quickly so you’ll just have to be patient. All good things come with time ;-)
Photos captured by D3x, 24f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
