Apr 26, 2018 | Landscape Photography
It really is pretty cut & dry! You want to say, “Red Barn” or “Red Barn on the Palouse?” There is no right or wrong statement but knowing it determines what lens you’re going to use and where you stand to take the photography.
The red barn assures your viewer can’t miss it in the frame. That makes the photographic work a snap because you then have the luxury of placement in the frame. I went with the D850 / 300PF to tell the story of place. And went with the D850 / 24-70VR to tell the story of romance. And since I took them both, one or just the other photograph wasn’t an option. I had to have them both.
Apr 25, 2018 | Landscape Photography
Truly enjoying the tranquility of shooting in The Palouse! I also love the HUGE challenge of looking at the landscape and optically pulling out the detail that added up makes, The Palouse! The patterns are everywhere but how to connect to them visually and then share them with you, well is a ton of fun (though you can get frustrated in the process.)
One thing that helps me is to put the camera on the tripod. Not my normal MO, slowly looking through the lens and then at the scene and then through the lens, the little details you want to include and exclude for me is easier when consistent. Locked down on the tripod with either the 70-2004 or 300PF they pop out. Keeping it simple is key to the lines of The Palouse.
Apr 25, 2018 | Landscape Photography
We’re up shootin spring on The Palouse. This corner of Washington is simply gorgeous! We were here last fall exploring the rolling hills and came back for spring greens and they simply don’t disappoint! Now “great” skies eluded us today which makes the landscape a little more challenging and with the killer skies last fall, a little disappointing. With that said, photography must go one even for no other reason than the love of photography. So heading out to the “Weber” Ranch (named for the road, not the actual ranch) was our first stop of the day.
Shooting with the D850 / 70-200f4 and Nikkor 62mm Polarizer, I walked up the road to take in the ranch, rolling hills and light. As you can see, the sky was, well, boring. But I hung in there and waited until a little bit of light kissed the left side of the hill. Ya, that didn’t help so after an hour, I packed it up, got back in the van and moved.
I wasn’t giving up as I was challenged by something I wanted but I wasn’t finding it. I parked again and was getting out when this truck pulled up and parked pointing right at the van and blocking it from moving. Getting out of the truck was the farm owner and the nicest guy you’d ever want to meet. He told us about the land, crops and how his wife was the fifth generation on the land. I don’t know if it was his stories, knowing more history about the subject, the clearing of the mind or the change of light and direction, but the elements finally came together in the viewfinder and the photograph, it was 90 minutes well spent!
Apr 18, 2018 | Landscape Photography
There is nothing to this post other than to show off what I think are these really cool trucks. They are used to conduct the control burns in NE and they simply remind me of Mad Max. Except, these are put to use in the real world. They all had names and I regret I forgot them, except the one with the American Flag is Megatron.
When it comes to the photography, they did it all for me. I just had to follow them, at a safe distance, and tell their story working the controlled burn. That was easy with the D5 / 300PF. And as often as I could, I incorporated the heat shimmer into the photo. Enjoy!
Apr 11, 2018 | Landscape Photography
We had the privilege and fun today of working the fire line of a control burn up in the Sandhills of Nebraska. Fire is an important part of tallgrass prairie as well as one of the best ways to remove the evasive Salt Cedar.
One of the best parts of the fire (besides the fire) are the folks working the fire. I had a hard time taking my eyes off the firefighter with his cowboy hat and dog who worked the lines. And his truck which is so cool, with its American Flag. I stayed a safe distance away shoot with the D5 / 300PF.
How big was the control burn? This Fisheye look tells it all. It went off smooth as silk, burning just the acreage required. Thanks for the fun Calamus Outfitters!
Apr 9, 2018 | Landscape Photography
The editor who published my first text/photo package gave me advice I use to this day. “Make every word count for ten!” I put this advice to work not only in my writing but in my photography. There are many ways to bring the viewer’s attention to the subject. Mystery is a powerful yet complicated technique that doesn’t always present itself to us. Those times it does like with deep shadows or clouds and fog, we need to recognize the opportunity and jump on it.
Here’s a couple of examples of one idea from a month ago in Yosemite. Yosemite Valley is a spectacular granite carving the towers above the valley floor. What’s one way we can say a mountain is really high? Have the tops of the mountains shrouded in clouds. At the same time, if we don’t actually show the mountain tops, hide them and just hint at their existence, does it trigger one’s imagination? That was my thought process when I grabbed the D850 / 70-200f4 and carefully optically isolated just pieces of the great granite wall and used its rugged beauty set against the soft clouds to tell its story. The vast majority of the subject is hidden but the story still comes through. So next time the opportunity arises ask yourself, “Can you hide the subject?”
