Oct 1, 2013 | Landscape Photography
I’m right the with you, I’m dying to get them all out! But as life would have it (kinda my fault since it’s how we planned it), we no sooner got home from AK and we’re back on a plane heading to NYC (and blog late because United wifi not turned on).
Traveling in AK in the fall by bush plane is truly one of the simple joys of life. But you’ve gotta take a deep breath when flying by bush plane, not because of the plane but because of delays. In our case, we were delayed getting into the lodge by two days by 50knt winds out of the west. Then there was a window and with two aircraft, Cessna 207 & 205, we safely landed at Hallo Bay. Seeing griz from the air as we came into land on the beach was great, I’ve missed that site. After getting planes unpacked and gear stowed, we took care of some housekeeping and than headed out to shoot. We were in Homer on our way to dinner when we got the call to fly, it was that late in the day. So we left the Hallo Bay Camp for a short walk to see our griz neighbors. We had barely left the camp when we came upon this bruin. With just the D4 / 80-400VR3 on a Vulture strap with the fading light, I raised the ISO to 1600 to make a couple of clicks. Photos like this I use to just keep track of individuals as I get to know a population. Being that I plan on haunting Hallo Bay, I want to know the neighbors.
They are calling the flight and I’ve got to run. And I really need to get the story out … tired of all the “bear eat me” myths out there. The truth while boring is still the truth. mtc …
Sep 9, 2013 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography
The desert is such a magical place especially when you look, I mean really look. When the monsoons are blowing through, they take on a kaleidoscope of colors as the miracle of water brings new life as summer takes its last bite at heat. Photoshop World is held in Las Vegas in September which is a drive from our home due east and then when coming home, directly due west. The route covers some amazing desert and desert ranges and it never fails to produce memorable images. Of course, they are memorable to us because we love the desert and the drive. The trick, to make the photo to help you fall in love with it.
There are a couple of critical elements needs to make this happen. The first are brakes, that means not that they are working on your vehicle (which is required no matter what) but that you have the time to use them. When traveling, stopping to take a photo takes time and that fact often stops folks from stopping. Next, you need to have your camera in your lap, or really close, so you can shoot out your window fast if need be. On this day, I shot with the D4, 18-35AFS & 80-400VR3, having all three right next to me. Then for me personally, I’m looking at the shadows, the blacks which define the shape, texture and visual depth. Those three elements are what I like to use to get you to fall in love with the desert. When it comes to finishing, I did my usual playbook, CC ACR and than Perfect B&W. With time being the key, the rest is simple, at least I hope it’s simpler with this because, I can’t help you with the time.
Aug 26, 2013 | Landscape Photography
The Rim Fire is a beast (4th largest fire in CA History) that has taken on a life of its own. Our prayers are with all the ground and air fire fighters fighting it along with all that have been affected by its anger. Many have reached out to us asking if we’re OK. We are grateful for your concern but we are about 40 miles away from the fire. It’s about 37 miles west of the ridge you see in this photo which is behind our home. The Sierra is dry, dry, dry an fire is a major concern and while we had one just a 1/2 mile away this past week from a lightning strike, it was dealt with quickly. Keep all those involved in all the firefighting in your prayers, they perform a thankless task on our behalf!
Aug 16, 2013 | Landscape Photography
So, back in my room overlooking Bandon after a great dinner at The Loft, I’m typing away when the gray light is replaced by a golden glow. I look out to see a whole in the fog lets the setting sun stream through. I grab the D4 / 80-400VR3 and makes some clicks.
Now here’s the deal with these types of photos, not everyone likes them. They have no definitive subject and really depend on the mood and experiences of the viewer to work. They also lack a real defined black and that is a very important color. Now I like these images, don’t love them but I do like them. They are so full of atmosphere that can’ help by leave me with a warm feeling. But then again, they are my photos.
Aug 7, 2013 | Landscape Photography
On my flight back from Oshkosh, our flight was deverted to the north of this huge storm over Missouri. It was quite a show! I pulled out my Coolpix S9100 and shot a couple of stills (a challenge with a Coolpix) and then shot the video. The storm was really talkin!
Aug 1, 2013 | Landscape Photography
The great prairies of North America had to have been one of the greatest wildlife theaters on the planet in the early 1800s! You read the Lewis & Clark Journals, Edward Warren or Jedediah Smith and you can’t help but drop everything and head to our midwest to see what’s left for yourself. The one critter they talk about a lot in great reverence and romantically is the Pronghorn. I think it was that and knowing it’s our fastest mammal in North America first took me out to the Black Hills and Custer State Park to spend time with this majestic animal.
If you receive our BT Journal, you know who much I love to spend time with these critters since I have a whole issue on them. They are so connected to the prairie that everyday they live a slightly differently than the day before or they will tomorrow. This flow is what makes them great to just watch. It’s what makes photographing them not on a challenge, but incredibly rewarding. Now you can find Prong in many places throughout the US but I prefer Custer because the restrictions are not restricting. If a Prong walks right up to you, you don’t have to run, you can enjoy the moment and photograph them. And it’s very common when you stay in your vehicle and simply give them a moment, they will do just that! And they have great eyes!
Photographing Pronghorn I turn to my favorite combo: D4 , 200-400VR2 mounted on a Wimberley / Gitzo for the video. For the stills, I was inside the truck so handheld the rig. Still wanting to do a romantic video with zooming while shooting was in my mind but as you will see, I didn’t achieve that goal. But getting more serious about my video, I continued to use the DP-6 which makes a HUGE difference in following action and smoothly. This is an edited down video from the hour of video shot to just 5min. I did the editing on the iMac with all the vid residing on the ioSafe N2 and doing the editing right in Premiere Pro CS7. My only regret is that my video panning skills are not even up to the running of the Prong. I was stubborn and kept trying to do it with the long lens which is difficult, especially compared to shooting with a shooter lens. I’ve not given up though and with more practice, I’ll get that video I want to express the grace of these prairie critters. Mother Nature is just amazing!
