Sep 25, 2009 | Landscape Photography
It was one of those days you wish would never end. We spent the day doing what we do so well, eating, exploring, and of course, photography! Kevin, Laurie, Stephanie, Sharon & I explored an area Joe introduced us to a couple of years ago. We moved our base down to Freeport, ME and hit the coast today. We had no destination in mind other than finding some of the local lighthouses we’d seen on postcards at LL Bean.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0614.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
We first headed south to the Cape Neddick Lighthouse (Nubble Light). This is a cool little lighthouse on a rock just a heartbeat off shore. We arrived at a great time to shoot it, highnoon with cloud filled skies. Seriously, this photo was taken at noon straight up and it was the perfect light. The direction of light is what I like the best, it really sets off all the angles. A polarizer is being used which also helps bring definition to the buildings making them pop so nicely.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0675a.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
After a marvelous fish dinner, we headed to Fort Williams and the Portland Lighthouse. This is a gorgeous setting, a really spectacular locale that I wish would could have stayed to shoot after sunset. There’s a big sign that says it’s closed at sunset and they ain’t kidding! Three minutes after sunset the rangers were right there telling us it was time to go. Seriously, we were out of there. I was bummed as I wanted to stay until the slate blues appeared. To get the color you see, I underexposed -2.5 stops and even with that, the color really isn’t an eye stopper. But no matter, I’ve made my notes and plan on venturing back here to do a better job after finding out what’s required to stay a few minutes longer.
It’s time to get back on a plane, unpack and pack again gathering everything needed for Photoshop World next week. Can’t wait!
Photos captured by D3x, 85PC-E / 45PC-E on Lexar UDMA digital film
Sep 25, 2009 | Landscape Photography
DLWS was great but it has left me beat. I don’t know if it’s because we spent last week on the same grueling schedule shooting in Reno as DLWS or that I’m getting old. Whatever the case, my butt is dragging. Like I mentioned, the start of the week for me was pretty sad. I just couldn’t make the transition from high velocity race planes to rocks.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0327.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
As the week progressed on, the mind and more importantly the heart got in the swing of things. There is this illusion that just because it’s believed that you can take cool images that it happens every time you go out or pick up a camera. McNally typically asks at least once during a workshop how often I get skunked, as in, I got out and came back with nothing. I’ve written about this on this blog many times and yet, the expectation seems to be, you go out you should be rewarded with images.
Well we drove down today from Ba haa ba to Freeport on a really spectacular day. Great light, great clouds and even with that mix, there wasn’t one place that seem to speak to me to shoot (but the L.L.Bean store spoke to my AmEx). But here’s the deal, if you don’t go out, you’ll never have any opportunity, not to get skunked or get the great shot. You gotta go out, you’ve gotta try to make things happen if nothing is happening at all. Last night after shooting cracks, the light didn’t want to come out to play and in my mind, I was back to Monday morning, trying to make something happen. Then Stephanie came along with her youthful energy and we brought out the flash and the jump. And the images started to fill the card.
I watched photographers pace back and forth, heard the snide comments about being at a stupid place at a stupid time. And there’s my all time favorite, “I’ve got that shot already.” This is what I always say every time I have a griz in my viewfinder, knowing I have 42k images sitting back in the files. And 0f course I saw folks sit down in boredom and disgust. And man, it was terrible having to sit on a romantic ,rocky, Maine coastline watching the waves roll in, listen to the bouy bell’s ring as Eiders floated by. Heck, I would much rather have been in an office, staring out a window! I always wonder if this attitude reflects in the images captured, the joy of just being fortunate enough to be out even if you are getting skunked compared to thinking you’re owed the experience and image and not getting it. I count my blessing every time I’m skunked with the camera in my hand, just being out is reward enough for me.
I often have the feeling the ship has sailed for many a photographer before they even set one foot out of the house. Letting the possibility of getting skunked in to the thought process and using that as a challenge might just improve their photography. It might just improve their photographic outlook and in the end, bring the reward they think the effort of just getting out owes them. For myself, if I knew that every time I went with a camera I was going to come back with the great shot, I probably would stop going out because there would be no expectations, no challenge. Like I reminded folks all week, head out with an open mind and open heart and no matter what the counter says, you are ahead of the game by the end of the day.
Photo captured by D3x, 45PC-E on Lexar UDMA digital film
Sep 24, 2009 | Landscape Photography
Jordan Pond, I just love that place! I’ve approached it many ways over all the years I’ve been coming to its shores. The infamous Butt Crack Rock which I so apply named is sought by many a photographer. Why, I haven’t a clue other than, it’s just silly. This morning I approached the rock photography here a littler differently.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0387.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
I started by just photographing the rocks and a little water. The rest of Jordan Pond was not included. The rocks are pretty cool, with this neat tan-pink aspect to them that really pops with a White Point / Black Point.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0464.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
I then headed to the other side of the pond where one, there wasn’t anyone else and two, I had success in the past. I wanted to explore the shoreline with my 16 Fish and I’m glad I did. The tan strips in the rock really was key in how I composed the image, the stereo lines as you look back in the frame is why I liked the fish.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0423.swf, 444, 585 [/swf]
By venturing out into the pond I was able to make the one photo I really sought. It comes in that category of photos that have an emotional meaning to you but the rest of the world just smiles and says “nice” just to humor you. So for the rest, here’s the token fall color photo to start off the season.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0400.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
I am Soooo tired that I can’t find the CF door on my camera. So I’m heading off for four hours of sleep.
Photos captured by D3x, 14-24AFS/16Fish/200VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Sep 22, 2009 | Landscape Photography
Ah, we’re up in ME for our DLWS and man, is it hot. I’m not talking about the photography but the weather. In fact, it’s so hot it’s zapped our atmosphere so the first morning shoot was for me, a zero. Yeap, I got skunked but that happens. I knew the evening shoot would put me back on the score card.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP9801.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
We went to Bass Harbor and Bernard which just never lets you down photographically or for dinner. Our good friend Gary Stanley brought us here a lone time ago so it’s still a special place to us. We had no weather so needed to wait for the sun to go down for the magic to begin.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP9800.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
As you can tell, I went to the PC-E lens for awhile. I had a great time producing a couple of “miniatures” that I really like. I always wonder if you can see the effect in these small posters but its easy to see on the notebook monitor.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP9866.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Then once the sun went down the water turned that really cool blue so then it was back to the 200f2 and letting the magic in. But of that is dialing in minus 2 exp comp. That’s what helps make the white and blue do the dance in the light. We’ve got a great group of folks here which is important to me this week. I am dragging coming right from the Reno Air Races to here. Their energy is keeping me going. Who needs sleep anyways!
Photos captured by D3x, 85PC-E, 200VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Sep 11, 2009 | Landscape Photography
I looked out the front window and saw the first colors of fall in our front Aspens. Man, where did the year go? We have a couple of days until we hit the road and part of our travels will be to fall color on the East Coast. In my own personal evolution, I want to improve on what I did last fall which means I need to review my images from last year. Looking at some of the techniques I started last fall, this is an example of one I need to explore further this fall.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/Weston0265.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
This is the grist mill in Weston, VT. It’s a five image HDR, the result of the beginning of my own exploration of the technique I’ve perfected to my taste that I’ll be teaching in a couple of weeks at Photoshop World. What’s working for me is the placement of the color and the sharpness retained in the leaves. What doesn’t work is the color it’s just too, too. One of the problems with my early HDR was the increased in the contrast. That extra black punches up the color and that’s what I don’t like. I avoid that now in my images so I’m looking forward to applying what I’ve learned and a couple of new ideas to fall color.
What am I changing up this fall with this technique? Two things is depth of field and variable focus points. Would you like to know more? So would I since at this point they are just ideas that crossed my mind as I looked at my images from last year. I’m not sure what caught my attention in my review but something did and DOF and focus point came to my mind of a means of improving on what I’ve started. That’s the great fun of photography for me, the challenge of moving forward and either loosing or winning so I can move forward the next day.
Photo captured by D3, 24-70AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Sep 1, 2009 | Landscape Photography
In the midst of a project that is boring but a must do so I didn’t get out behind the camera all day. The hurricane way down south is pushing some moisture our way though creating an afternoon of gorgeous puffies. I know, I saw them from the office window. I happened to look up just in time to see the last glow of the day so I stopped what I was doing, grabbed the camera and headed outside for the last minutes of daylight. It’s really no more than a color graphic with three principle colors but it’s how you mix and match them that makes it seem like so much more.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP8042.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
The entire view from the deck you can see here in this 16mm shot. You can see the small slice I actually used of the sky to make the image I like. The most common question folks ask when I post sunrises/sunsets is, “How do you know how much to include?” Sunrises and sunsets are a very personal thing, we all have a different response to them so that in part is a big part of the answer. For me, these types of photos have to have more than just color and that’s where the dance comes in. In this photo, I needed just a little pine tree to instill a sense of place and enough black for the eye to relate to so the other colors seem to pop. After that, underexpose -1.5 stops and a WB of Cloudy and I’m done. Darn, that meant I had to go back to my desk and work.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP8031.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Photos captured by D3x, 45PC-E / 16mm on Lexar UDMA digital film
