Mar 24, 2015 | Landscape Photography
You just never know who might just become a dear friend, I would never have thought it would be Harry. It’s not that he’s a Canon shooter, but we come from life at two different directions. He’s got an amazing sense of humor, a great storyteller, a mind boggling view on life, great laugh and is a most excellent photographer. I’ve lost track how many times we’ve gone shooting together but as all photographers can relate to, there is no lack of “Nikon / Canon” banter between us and Harry takes as well as he gives. Like when we were in Costa Rica last month where Harry arrived with his new 800mm lens (gorgeous glass). Screwing with him, I acted as if with my 800mm lens, I could focus on something really close. He looked through his lens and he couldn’t focus that close so he backed up, backed up, backed up and backed up until finally he could. At which time, all were laughing because they knew I couldn’t focus that close either. I was just pulling his chain! And because of photography, we have all that time while celebrating the craft. It’s truly a gift. Thanks for a great week Harry!
Mar 23, 2015 | Landscape Photography
I dunno but every time I’m standing at the seashore with my sweetheart and there is a lighthouse, I’ve just gotta have that light in the shot. To me, a lighthouse is either getting the lost mariners in safely from the brutal sea or, is the warm and safe shelter where they are having hot chocolate after the storm. On this morning with the gorgeous sunrise, it was hot chocolate time for the mariners and my sweetie. The capture is pretty straight forward, D750 / 24-70AFS with the light produced in post. And the rest, well that up to your romantic inclinations.
Mar 23, 2015 | Landscape Photography
Chuck had that sad, puppy dog big eye look when he answered my question what’s wrong. “I still have issues with wide,” he said. We had just got onto Bandon Beach, a favorite locale that has a different face every time you walk it. I stopped right then, grabbed Chuck and walked over to the scene you see above. Now just standing there, it wasn’t obvious there was a photo to be made. But once I pointed his D810 / 18-35AFS down, got close physically to the rock and zoomed out to 18mm and said to Chuck, “Get close, shoot across the top, shoot wide” and had him look through the viewfinder, he said, “Ahhhhhhh.” We talked a little further and off he went down the beach with a smile in his hop.
I went back to exploring the beach with the D750 / 14-24AFS when after a while, I looked up to see Chuck bouncing from rock to rock to rock to rock across the beach, shooting the same thing we just had done, just with different rocks. I caught up to him and said, “What in the hell are you doin?” He said, “Looking for wide shots like we just did!” I then pointed at this God given gift of a scene you see above and screamed, “That’s a wide shot too!” To which he said, “You tell me things and I instantly get in a rut.” To which I said, “You know what a rut is, it’s a grave with its ends knocked out.” Chuck looked puzzling at me.
Chuck and I had a marvelous week talking about wides and ultra wides as we explored the CA / OR coast. It started with explaining what I mean by the dance and ending with the above exchange. The Dance is where you exclude all those elements that take the eye away from the subject while including those that tell the story. We also talked about White and Bright, finishing and a whole lot more. And by the end of the week, we finished off with the most important lesson. Because after the two photographic examples above, the skies opened up and the beauty was just about too grand for a pixel to hold. It’s then I told Chuck the most important elements when working with wides and landscapes. I said, “and after all of that, you have to insert your heart!” He smiled the smile of knowledge, shook his head and said with that great smile of his, he got it! Great week, thanks Chuck!
Mar 19, 2015 | Landscape Photography
Had a marvelous day with some really nice folks going back to my landscape roots. The first place I really tried to apply myself as a landscape photographer were the Coastal Redwoods of No. Cali. I painfully remember throwing roll after roll after roll of film away after trying to shoot the huge range of light of the redwoods with film and its three stops. Oh, the pain! Today, it is Soooooo bloody easy to do it, it makes wondering amongst these giants a sheer delight. Been a long day so just wanted to get up a favorite click from this afternoon to share the view. Shot with the D750 (In Flat) with the 14-24AFS lens and in this case, @f/22 and pinched the light to get the starburst. Flat gives us so much range we can get shadow and highlight detail in one click. The redwoods are so majestic, just good for the soul to shoot and only think and photograph the trees from the forest.
Mar 17, 2015 | Wildlife Photography
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Ospreys or what used to be called the Fish Hawk are just downright bloody cool! In the late 70’s I became good friends with Roger Tory Peterson who infected me with his love for these birds and it’s never stopped. When I started out in wildlife photography, they were just making a comeback, hard hit by pesticides.They are quite the characters when they are on the wing except when going after prey. Then it’s all business and when it comes to aerial aerobatics, it’s some of the finest flying you’ll ever see. Well, how do you tell that story in a still image? I’m still working on that and this past week at Ding Darling, I worked on it some more.
It was late afternoon at Ding Darling, the sun already making a dash for the horizon. Chuck and I were busy spinning in circles as there was so much activity, hard to know which way to point the lens. I love bird photography like that! It was during this time this Osprey started to tease us. You know what I’m talking about, with the wind and sun on your back, perfect conditions, they start in your direction. They keep coming and just as you’re ready to hit the shutter release, they turn and go the other direction. Chuck and I were both there with our D4s / 800mm w/TC-1.25e all primed as the Osprey went away and then turned back. Finally he made a couple of clockwise circles nearly overhead and then at the right moment photographically, it made a break in the circle and dove. You see the series of shots above. And the one single image is my favorite, it’s what I’m after. It might be just a tad too close to the corner, but I like the energy this totally unconventional composition has and what it says about the artistry of the air when the Osprey dives.
