Apr 1, 2013 | Landscape Photography
It’s an annual right of spring, for me at least, to head out to NE where my good friend Mark lives, jump into his truck and head to the Platt River. There, we’re locked into a plywood box for 14hrs on the hope and the prayer that while inside, the Lesser Sandhill Cranes land in front of us and give us a show. I’ve done this many years now and as of yet, that magic just hasn’t graced us. We’ve gotten close, but no brass ring. And so we go again.
I came this year with what might seem like the wrong gear for such an adventure. I have the 200-400VR2 and the new 80-400VR3 to as my main lenses. In years past, I had my 600VR2 and with a 2x attached shooting HSC, that’s how I got the top image. That’s because the cranes were so far away. Even if the new 800AFS had arrived, I probably would have still gone with the same gear because, if that magic does happen, the 800mm would have been too much lens. And that’s kind how wildlife photography often goes. We might be present, we have the gear and surely the spirit is willing, but the critters and the light gotta wanna play with us.
Now, because I’m nuts and because I have the technology, I’m going to try to, from the blind which has no power (or heat) to blog somewhat live as the next two days unfold. Now if all we have in front of the blind is mud, I won’t have much to blog (mud is a bit boring). But if we are graced with a couple of thousand of cranes outside our windows, then I’ll be sure to post an image or two.
Mar 28, 2013 | Landscape Photography
I checked in my room in MN and instantly went to window to see the view. Right out my window is this lone tree. Don’t know what it intrigued me but of the next two hours, I kept looking out, shooting it and watching.
Shooting with the D4 and 80-400 at around 105mm, I made a series I really like. Here’s the middle and end of the show I enjoyed out my window.
Mar 27, 2013 | Landscape Photography
Blurry water has always done right by me, it’s a challenge that when met produces images that simply make me smile. At the same time to be perfectly crase, they sell like hot cakes. So when the spirit strikes, I’m all over them and spring time is a great time when you have the winter run off. And when I have the opportunity to shoot straight down on water from like a bridge, I’m like a blood hound looking for that great water, like here in Yosemite a couple of weeks ago. Now I have a basica formula for creating those that I like. It’s pretty simple, here’s my formula. One thing I should add to that formula, there has to be at least one sharp element of the photograph. Typically, it’s just a rock. The eye needs that one sharp element to latch onto and make sense of all the out of focus elements in the flowing water. Here’s an example of when I didn’t follow my own advice. There is not ONE sharp element in the photograph and I really like the photo. Now other than this posting, will I put it out in front of folks, that I’m not sure about yet. But for now, I enjoy looking at it so that’s a step forward.
Mar 27, 2013 | Landscape Photography
Bermuda is a magic isle where color is celebrated! The homes and buildings are painted the most colorful, pastel, eye popping combos I’ve ever seen. I asked if there was an “official” Bermuda blue since it is a common color from water, buildings to sky (there isn’t one). So when we went to the northern Sea Glass Beach, it was no surprise that the dock was painted, yeap, blue!
When you walk up to the top of the bluff and first look down on the beach, you can’t but help but notice the blue dock. Then as your eye wonders about the beach, it comesback to the dock and you gotta ask, “What am I missing?” With that in mind, we wandered down the stairs to the beach itself. There are two sea glass beaches on Bermuda and this one has literally tons of sea glass. That’s because there is a big sign saying removing glass and you go to jail. There is a ton of other stuff like rusted out engine blocks, axels, pullies and other stuff I assume come from the old military docks just up the coast. Your wanderings inevitably bring your back to, the dock to nowhere. Just what the hell is with this beautiful blue structure?
I have no clue! The dock which as you can see has a sea wall around it, protecting it from the potential storm. But there is a reef all around it so no boat could dock to it. And you might notice, it starts out in the water and ends long before the sea wall. All I can assume is, it’s another piece of “art” that goes along with the other “stuff” on the beach. I can tell you that I couldn’t stop shooting it! We made two visits to this beach, this was our first, brief visit when a gale literally blew us off the beach minutes after we hit the sand. These are simple clicks made with D4 and 18-35AFS with the color courtesy of Bermuda.
Mar 25, 2013 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography
There are many reasons and uses for B&W photography just as there are for color. In understanding some of these, you can expand your use of this very romantic medium. One that I’ve not talked about (at least I couldn’t find it on the blog) that I use a lot is detailed texture. No, this is not some official photographic term, just the simple term I keep in the back of my mind when it comes to B&W photography. While in Yosemite a week ago, I was fortunate to have a number of opportunities to practice this concept. It starts with “flat light,” light where there is no real shadows. Why is that important? Because you can then use the contrast of B&W to bring out detailed textured rather then fighting shadows. Next, spring hadn’t spring so there were lots of bare trees and bare branches work great for this. After that, just had to let the magic of The Valley in and go click!
What I have here are two different foreground but the same basic everything else, trees. Now the one thing you might think is a requirement in capturing detailed texture is a D800E. Well lots of megapixels aren’t required! This was shot with the D4 with 18-35AFS. What is required is lots of DOF (shot at f/22 / f/29) and since shooting in a forest, a tripod. Then a personal thing, I underexposed a little more than normal so I have tons of highlights to pull out in post. Then it was simple a little ACR processing and then my favorite, onOne perfect 7 B&W shooting the Detail slider up to around 35. The one drawback to B&W detailed texture is that this image size you see here really doesn’t show off the detail. I’ve already made a 24×30 of the top image and at that size, there is oodles of texture and just sucks you in. Just thought I would pass along the thought.
Mar 24, 2013 | Landscape Photography
As per my normal MO, I looked at the weather radar and weather forecast before heading out. Now when I saw small craft advisory and Gale Warning, I thought I’d best have my shell handy and white towel from my room along. As we drove the island, we couldn’t help but notice that the calm waters of the day before replaced with white caps. We stopped at The Reef to see the outdoor lounge chairs and tables being blown about the deck and folks scrambling to secure them. When I looked up, I couldn’t believe the speed in which I saw the lower level clouds rip past us! We didn’t stop, we just kept on going. We get to Glass Beach and I looked out to see this wall of black. I said to the gang, “Best get moving, we have minutes!” Two minutes later the rains from the gale combined with its winds hit us and I mean, hit us! Within seconds I was soaked except under my shell where I had tucked the D4 / 18-35AFS when I felt the first drop on my head. I’ve been in a lot of rains in my day, but never one like this with the wind speed rain felt like rocks. And just as fast as it hit, it was gone! In fact, it was gone so fast I found myself wanting it back to experience again. It was cool!
