Jun 15, 2009 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3369.swf, 396, 600 [/swf]
Some who have shot with me know I love a good stretch of road (and not just to go fast). I think it’s the leading lines that grab my attention, the way they go off to the horizon and from there….well who knows. So when I see a stetch that when other elements are working with it, I’ve just gotta get the shot. In this case, the rise of the hill and the clouds at that moment all lined up. So, I did what I had to to get the shot, as you can see.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/mooseonroad.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Jun 15, 2009 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3444.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
There was this light beam coming across the pines, its draw doubled by its reflection. The early morning glow doubled again by the shadowy light surrounding it. But on the other end of the leading line of the shoreline is a towering mountain peak covered in snow in the full sun.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3441.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Expose for the beam of light on the trees and that snow covered peak goes to blinkie hell. Worst, the eye can’t help but fly right to it and it never leaves it to come back to what I want the eye to go to. Those trees.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3442.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Go to the other end of the exposure range to bring the bright snow into line and then the trees go dark, their magic lost. You could try a split grad but the range of light and the contour of the topography, something would get lost in the translation. It would be obvious a split grad was used. The only solution I know of for this is HDR, taking 5 images. The top photo is the final image, the bottom is #1 and the bottom #5 in the HDR set. Most important to me is, you see the light I saw at the moment I walked up to the lakes edge.
Photo captured by D3x, 24PC-E on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 12, 2009 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3635.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Controlling exposure in our photograph is very important. We have a number of tools to do that, none more important that the Split Grad Neutral Density. I personally rely on the .09 Lee 4×6, here you can see why. Shooting at Swiftwater Lake, making a straight shot you get this image. But this is not what folks saw the other day in the blog. The “glow” above the mountain line brought in a number of emails. That glow is from using a split grad at the point of capture which darkens the sky and opens up the foreground.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3637.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
By simply holding the filter again the front of the lens (as in using my hand to hold the filter) and then lowering the gradation down while looking in the viewfinder, the filter does its job. The final image effect can only be accomplished by using the split grad at the point of capture. It’s a vital tool, it’s key.
Photos captured by D3x, 24-70AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 10, 2009 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3272.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
We headed to the mtns after our afternoon class only to be smacked in the face by cold temps and cold rain. The sheep & goats were too far up the mtn, darker skies were heading towards us. The photo opp just wasn’t worth the pain so down the mtn we went. Once down, did what I normally do, look for the light. It was north at the border so off we drove. The shacks are in the US, the clouds are in Canada.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3356.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
The clouds were wicked as the floated by battling with the sun. At one moment, it looked like a tornado was cutting across the distance ridge, then the blue sky would appear as if the storm was over only to go dark again the next moment. At the funkiest stop you’re ever going to find on a hwy, just a mile south of the Canada border, we spent a couple of hours just celebrating the magic of light.
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR / 14-24AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 10, 2009 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3105.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
There really isn’t much to say, can’t take much credit for the grandeur, just damn lucky to be able to see, click and share! Two Medicine, MT.
Photo captured by D3x, 24PC-E on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 9, 2009 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2560.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
During the noon hour, the clouds closed in and first rain and then snow filled the air. Tucked up next to the roaring fire we talked photography as we watch the peaks dance in and out of the storm. After our early dinner we hit the road even though it was still raining and the skies dark and forbiding.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2675.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Then the skies part, the clouds start dancing around the peaks and the light performs. We burned more than a couple of pixels as we do our best to bring back the magnificent views of the Rockies in Glacier. The goal is to bring back this sweeping landscape in the small format that is a DLSR. Using the shape of the clouds to sweep the eye in to the frame, exposure to darken the sky, foreground, middleground and background all combine to bring you to the same spot on the edge of the lake and feel the cold we did the moment we went click.
Photos captured by D3x, 14-24AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
