Sep 22, 2009 | Landscape Photography
Ah, we’re up in ME for our DLWS and man, is it hot. I’m not talking about the photography but the weather. In fact, it’s so hot it’s zapped our atmosphere so the first morning shoot was for me, a zero. Yeap, I got skunked but that happens. I knew the evening shoot would put me back on the score card.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP9801.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
We went to Bass Harbor and Bernard which just never lets you down photographically or for dinner. Our good friend Gary Stanley brought us here a lone time ago so it’s still a special place to us. We had no weather so needed to wait for the sun to go down for the magic to begin.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP9800.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
As you can tell, I went to the PC-E lens for awhile. I had a great time producing a couple of “miniatures” that I really like. I always wonder if you can see the effect in these small posters but its easy to see on the notebook monitor.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP9866.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Then once the sun went down the water turned that really cool blue so then it was back to the 200f2 and letting the magic in. But of that is dialing in minus 2 exp comp. That’s what helps make the white and blue do the dance in the light. We’ve got a great group of folks here which is important to me this week. I am dragging coming right from the Reno Air Races to here. Their energy is keeping me going. Who needs sleep anyways!
Photos captured by D3x, 85PC-E, 200VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Sep 15, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
We awoke this morning to a thin layer of ice on the bird baths. The sun is making its way over the fall hump and the light angle and quality has made its change (I love fall light). The majority of our spring and summer birds are gone and just our residents are at the feeder. It must be fall!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/snowgeese2946.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
And what does that mean for us wildlife photographers? We need to make sure we have our long lenses cleaned and ready to go, gloves and jackets out of storage and packed as we’re heading to those great hot spots where migratory birds congregate. I know I’ll be at Bosque in Dec, but there are other great locales I would like to make it to. There are the marshes in WA, Bear River NWR in Utah, there is a place in OH & others that I would really love to get to. I don’t think I’ll visit them all. So I hope you do and head to Twitter and post a link so we can see what you experience.
Now when I say long lens cleaned, I mean exactly that. I send all my Nikon gear in once a year to have a CLA, Clean, Lube and Adjust done to it. Why? The gear goes through a lot in a year’s time and making sure all the screws are tight (wonder if they can work on Mooses?), glass cleaned and contacts sound just makes sure that when I’m shooting, the only problem I run into are pilot error.
Many ask about gloves, especially the ones I’m wearing in my Kelby Training videos. Those gloves are Swik Techical Wear XC Ski gloves and sadly, they are no longer available. The three pairs I had originally bought have all worn out so I was looking for new ones. I found some new mountain bike gloves that are perhaps a little better than my old ones. I’m going to test them out the next couple of weeks and if they are as good as I was told, I’ll pass along their name.
Sep 11, 2009 | Landscape Photography
I looked out the front window and saw the first colors of fall in our front Aspens. Man, where did the year go? We have a couple of days until we hit the road and part of our travels will be to fall color on the East Coast. In my own personal evolution, I want to improve on what I did last fall which means I need to review my images from last year. Looking at some of the techniques I started last fall, this is an example of one I need to explore further this fall.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/Weston0265.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
This is the grist mill in Weston, VT. It’s a five image HDR, the result of the beginning of my own exploration of the technique I’ve perfected to my taste that I’ll be teaching in a couple of weeks at Photoshop World. What’s working for me is the placement of the color and the sharpness retained in the leaves. What doesn’t work is the color it’s just too, too. One of the problems with my early HDR was the increased in the contrast. That extra black punches up the color and that’s what I don’t like. I avoid that now in my images so I’m looking forward to applying what I’ve learned and a couple of new ideas to fall color.
What am I changing up this fall with this technique? Two things is depth of field and variable focus points. Would you like to know more? So would I since at this point they are just ideas that crossed my mind as I looked at my images from last year. I’m not sure what caught my attention in my review but something did and DOF and focus point came to my mind of a means of improving on what I’ve started. That’s the great fun of photography for me, the challenge of moving forward and either loosing or winning so I can move forward the next day.
Photo captured by D3, 24-70AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Sep 1, 2009 | Landscape Photography
In the midst of a project that is boring but a must do so I didn’t get out behind the camera all day. The hurricane way down south is pushing some moisture our way though creating an afternoon of gorgeous puffies. I know, I saw them from the office window. I happened to look up just in time to see the last glow of the day so I stopped what I was doing, grabbed the camera and headed outside for the last minutes of daylight. It’s really no more than a color graphic with three principle colors but it’s how you mix and match them that makes it seem like so much more.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP8042.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
The entire view from the deck you can see here in this 16mm shot. You can see the small slice I actually used of the sky to make the image I like. The most common question folks ask when I post sunrises/sunsets is, “How do you know how much to include?” Sunrises and sunsets are a very personal thing, we all have a different response to them so that in part is a big part of the answer. For me, these types of photos have to have more than just color and that’s where the dance comes in. In this photo, I needed just a little pine tree to instill a sense of place and enough black for the eye to relate to so the other colors seem to pop. After that, underexpose -1.5 stops and a WB of Cloudy and I’m done. Darn, that meant I had to go back to my desk and work.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP8031.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Photos captured by D3x, 45PC-E / 16mm on Lexar UDMA digital film
Aug 24, 2009 | Landscape Photography
After dinner we proceeded east towards home. We came up to Tuolumne Meadow just as the thunderstorms over Lee Vining Canyon were dissipating and the sun was setting. The sun was dancing behind clouds and the Tuolumne Peak and as it came and went, the thunderhead would light up and then fade, light up and fade. It was great!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7601.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
We only had about fifteen minutes total of shooting time, but in that short time had a number cool opportunities. I made enough cool image to create this Gallery. I shot with just the 24PCE and 85PC-E on the D3x.Hope you enjoy.
Aug 24, 2009 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7454.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
With Steph being here, we took a drive Friday over the hill to introduce her to Yosemite Valley. We had a great day exploring and sharing with her our backyard. We headed back up the pass towards home to find a dinner picnic spot and found a quiet one at the end of Tenaya Lake. While we’re eating, the sun slowly sank and the light got better and better. I’d taken to the lake’s edge my bday present, a new 16 Fisheye, I’d had it for a while but hadn’t found a shot for it. I’ve always wanted to own a 16mm, never had a need and my family being so good to me, made a long time wish come true.
The making of the photo was pretty darn easy. The curve of the rock shoreline and three boulders caught my attention. I laid on the ground about two feet away from the center boulder and titled the 16mm up to bend the horizon line as it appears and went click. In the DD I lit the three boulders using Nik’s Color Efex Brillance/Warmth and called it a day. I’m not “apply the 16mm because I can’t make an image” kinda guy but find it to be a very specialized tool to be used only certain times. Now that I own one, I’ll have to look more for those special opportunities.
Photo captured by D3x, 16 Fisheye on Lexar UDMA digital film
