Mar 12, 2014 | Landscape Photography
Like so many landscapes, when that sun gets high, the shooting normally comes to an end. Why? Hard light, deep shadows, and bright highlights just simply aren’t romantic. But You can change the equation when you have the interesting rocks of Monument Valley and go black and white. The character of the rock of Monument Valley, the lines and texture brought out by the shadows of the hard light can be amazing subjects. And when you go to B&W, you bring in the romance to the landscape. Now the photos aren’t around every corner, but you might just find that one. This is a simple click D4s / 24-70AFS that was then processed in ACR where the Shadow slider went right, the Highlight slider went left and then Nik B&W did the rest. The whole trick is to know what you can do in post while you’re looking in the viewfinder so you can compose to make the click
Mar 11, 2014 | Landscape Photography
There is no great technique, trick, or talent in getting this photo other then simply being here! The Mittens in Monument Valley have been around for ages and have seen without a doubt the most spectacular sunsets the heavens have presented. But if we’re not here to bring back those memories, then like the light, they fade away. In all honesty, I pulled the van up to the new parking area on the rim of the valley, fell out of the van, blurry eyed after only two hours sleep in the last 20, put the Df / 18-35AFS to my eye (camera in Cloudy WB), click, processed in 30sec in ACR and there you have it. There is a reason why it’s called Monument Valley, we just have to be here to experience the reason in person to understand it. And if we’re lucky, comeback with a click or two so others can experience as well. That’s the mission this week.
Mar 10, 2014 | Landscape Photography
Yeap, I just love clouds as they pass over the Sierra. Yesterday we went chasing the clouds as they blew through and as typical, they performed.
These are both simple clicks, D4s and 24-70AFS right out of the camera. D4s still impressing! I particularly love the bottom image, looks like B&W though it’s just how the scene appeared.
Mar 10, 2014 | Landscape Photography
“You ever been to a spooky canyon you drive across railroad tracks to access that has a bunch of petroglyphs?” This is the question we were asked as we dropped our dogs off for care while we were in Arches. “I don’t remember the name of the place, but I’ll find it out so give me a call.” Two days later we had the name of the place, Sego Canyon. The next day found us heading up the dirt road looking for this spooky place. Sure enough, after 14miles on a dirt road we came up to the old town, or what’s left of Sego.
So I’m standing inside the old general store, shooting with the Df and 16Fish moving very slowly and deliberately, working the starburst through the window when all of a sudden a voice from behind me said “SO WHERE are you from?” After she pealed me from the wall, I said, “California.” We had a delightful conversation after she realized she had scared the death out of me. It is supposed to be haunted. Sego is an old town that once had a train that ran through it, coal production I was told. It’s just a great place!
Now when we head off on one of our signature adventures on K&M Adventures, we just never know what will turn up. With the bald skies, I left the van with just the 16Fish. I knew, darn it I knew I would be shooting the sun as a starburst to fill up the bald sky and darn if I didn’t check my front element for dust. When will I learn! But I shot the entire time with the 16Fish and had a killer time. This old car was a great fine perfect for the 16Fish. The thing was to incorporate the rear right fender line and its shadow to take the eye up and through the image. Since there wasn’t a straight line anywhere to be found, it was a fun time to cruise town with a 16Fish.
Mar 5, 2014 | Landscape Photography
This blog post is real brief and simple. Don’t settle with the first click, don’t stop walking just because, don’t settle and CHASE the light! I see way too many photographers when they reach icon locations like Balanced Rock in Arches Nat’l Park get out of their vehicle, make their click, get back in their vehicle and looking at their LCD. Look, wonder, ponder, explore and make the one click that tells the story, brings out the drama and touches the heart and you’ll have the one great photo! This isn’t it, this is the first view of Balanced Rock from the parking lot. It’s lacking.
Walking around so looking to the east, the setting sun lights the entire rock evenly killing any drama or shape. Keep walking!
With just the Df and 18-35 (no tripod), we walk around and UP the trail (what stops many) to where we now have light and shadow giving shape and drama and color the tells a story and reaches out. While the skies are killer, location, location, location makes the best image by simply moving.
Mar 4, 2014 | Landscape Photography
Sharon and I have been into Rock Art for a long time. In many ways, it’s the beginning of photography, visually storytelling to relate and preserve what mattered to the artist at that moment. Where we live in the Sierras, there are lots of examples, panels as they are called, telling the stories of hunts, good times and bad. Just outside Moab on Hwy 279 is the Hwy 279 Rock Art panels. We visited them last week again to look, read and photograph.
There are many ways to photograph Rock Art. My preference for the last decade is to photograph it as rock … art, art that uses rock as its medium. There was a time I photographed just the individual symbols because they are way cool and I was collecting for a researcher. But now, I treat them as an element on that rock face, staring out from a time gone by of a people who lived and loved this land. What always amazes me when looking at the Rock Art is that they never seemed to hit a spot where as they were scratching away, the whole rock face fell awat. My luck if I tried it, I would just about be done with my drawing and the whole cliff face would peal away!
Me preferred method of photographing the Rock Art is around highnoon when we have contrast, shadows to help bring out the texture of the rock. They created their art in the desert tarnish, the darker rock, using contrast to make their art pop so I want to photograph it with the same idea. Shooting with the Nikon Df & 58f1.4AFS still using the Nikon 67mm Circular Polarizer, I wanted to shoot straight on to avoid any angular distortion. Other than the polarizer being used to remove the blue sky reflection and Clarity in ACR in finishing, these are simple clicks.
