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
Apr 5, 2010 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography
Last week at the Art of Digital (PSW), Jay Maisel had an image that was kinda cool and his only comment to it was, “I was so happy I captured a snow flake.” Wow, that was just down right cool. Then the thought struck me, “Hey dork, you live where it snow A LOT! Where’s your photo of a falling snow flake?”
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP5034.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Snow, it was snowing today and being stuck behind the desk, it wasn’t until near the end of the storm I remembered the challenge.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP5041.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
I grabbed the 24f1.4 AFS for this project. I thought its narrow DOF would help isolate the snow flake. There is actually one pretty darn sharp here but the problem is, even with the minimum DOF, you can’t see it. How did I shoot at f1.4 in sunlight? I dialed the ISO down to L1 so I had a shutter speed of 1/8000.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP5053.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
And in this photo, I have a whole bunch of sharp snow flakes but you can’t see them. And there lies the biggest and now most obvious problem. The snow flakes are white and against the white sky, you can’t see them. Duh! So, while I failed the Maisel challenge I feel I came out ahead because in the next storm, I have two pieces of the puzzle required for success. Doesn’t mean I’ll win next time either with that information, but I’ll be closer. That’s how my photography tends to evolve and slow and easy wins the race.
Photos captured by D3s, 24f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 11, 2010 | Landscape Photography
The New Mexico Penitentiary, damn, what an amazing place! Joe has shot at this locale a ton, you can see his amazing images from here in both his great books. Well, we had it for a subject and backdrop for a great day of photography. The site of the worst prison riot in US history was an incredibly photographic rich locale. This photo of one of the cell blocks had bigtime dramatic light.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp1977.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
And the room that you enter when first going into the cell block? If you were an inmate, I wouldn’t think it was all that inviting. But if you are a chaser of light, you couldn’t have had a bigger welcome. In order to get the mood, minus exp comp was required, two stops minus. I just love the light and color but the place itself, creepy!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp1981.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Photos captured by D3x, 24PCE / 24f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 10, 2010 | Landscape Photography
Ah, back to the comfort zone and a DLWS specialty, killer light. In this case, the pending storm made the light dance providing me two cool versions of the same scene. The contrasty light made for a snappy B&W. No-brainer!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp1753.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The softer light made for the killer color image. Why do I think this? I like the snappy whites in my B&Ws and in this case, the church is pretty snappy taking the up through the frame. In the color, the subtle colors of the light, foreground, middleground and background blended so going to shades of gray wasn’t needed to bring out the drama. I guess that’s kinda my line in the sand, drama, between color or B&W.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp1758.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Photos captured by D3x, 24f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 1, 2010 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography
I’m about to be on the road for a month, literally, will only see the house 4 days in March. And yeah, I miss it when I’m not there. The Sierra is a special place, where the folks and the land welcome you like few other places on the planet. I’m leaving with about 12′ of snow in the front yard, not a great year but not a bad one either. As you might imagine, there are a number of basic household chores that have to be done prior to taking off and in snow country, there are a few extra.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP6663.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
There are those little things like having kindling split and wood brought it and fire laid in the fireplace for when we get home. Nothing says being home in the winter like having the fire glowing in the fireplace.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP6674.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
There’s the things unique to Mammoth like hauling the trash down to the collection center as there is no street trash collection because of the snow. I guess some time in the past some city snow plower hit a trash can on the street and sent it flying over the landscape. Must of been one helluva site!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP6690.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
But no matter the chore, the camera goes with me. All these photos were taken within the city limits, literally from the streets themselves. These are the scenes I see just running these various house chores.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP6708.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Do I go out of my way to get the photo while running my errands? What do you think? When I see the light, when I see the scene, the old F250 gets me any amount of snow to get the shot. In this case, I knew where these trees are and have been waiting for the right combination of light and cloud to make the shot. So up the hill I drove, up the snow I climbed to make the shot. And yeah, to me it was worth it. I love running errands!
Photos captured by D3s, 50f1.4 AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
