Jul 27, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/dscn1204.swf, 500, 429 [/swf]
Packing to go out for a week of shooting AND camping takes a little more dear, a little more thought. For example, I blogged a week ago about my quandary about whether to take 200-400VR or the 600VR or both. We figured out how we could take both lenses so that’s what we did. We’ll see how that decision turns out as we have to fly it all into Brooks and then make images.
We have to go with the presumption that we will have no electricity. While there is 120 at the lodge, there are only a couple of outlets and with so many digital shooters these days, might not get access to that. Went with the new Kelty Yellowstone 5 tent which will work nicely for our gear and the weather I think. Picked up a couple more of the Nomar Duffles that you see here. They have no wheels but they keep everything inside very dry. Will have to get luggage carts at the airport to deal with the tonnage. We have maxed out on weight, that should be interesting.
Otherwise, we have with us our normal shooting gear you find on Moose Camera Bag page under MP-1. I was so excited, couldn’t get to sleep last night. This is going to be great, I can feel it!
Jul 26, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/dscn1206.swf, 500, 429 [/swf]
Whenever I pull out the P6000 when I’m driving, Sharon gets nervous. I dunno, but after doing it for decades, I’m rather use to shooting while driving. This is the view up Hwy395 as we turn on it from our home in the Sierra.
We’re on the road again, heading up to Alaska and Brooks Camp, better known as Brooks Falls. We’re on vacation, going up with our good friends Kevin & Janet Dobler to camp with the Grizzly Bears. I’ll be blogging all week about our exploits so be sure to come back, see if we cheat death one more time.
Jul 24, 2009 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0942.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
We were heading out to go get dinner when I saw this formation over the mountains. While we were pulling over, I had visualized in my mind a totally different cropping for this image so grabbed the 70-300VR. I was going to go in tight, I thought the dead space above and below the main clouds as needing to go away. But when I looked through the viewfinder, I didn’t like what I saw at all. I quickly switched back to the 24-70 and zoomed back to 55mm and went click.
Looking at the image for awhile, I’m pretty sure that without the foreground and space in the sky above the clouds, they just seem less mighty. They need that space to breath, spread and be all that thunderheads need to perform their magic. It was a good lesson, one I’ve tucked away in the back of my head.
Photo captured by D3x, 24-70AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jul 24, 2009 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0918.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
I know I’m not alone in the attractions of clouds. We’re starting our normal late summer monsoon season which can produce killer formations in the afternoon. This afternoon was no exception. We went up to Mono Lake as that’s where the tallest clouds were performing. By the time we got there, they had gone east but as they went over the mountains, some moisture was squeezed out and the sun caught the drops creating some cool towers. When it comes to the B&W thing, that was Nik Silver Effect. You can learn how I use that by heading the video library and clicking on the link.
Photo captured by D3x, 24-70AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jul 22, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0834.swf, 396, 600 [/swf]
That thick meadow we call a front yard is a nursery right now full of small critters finding easy cover to grow. Well Jake has created a pretty sweet shooting gallery right from his bedroom window. It’s a miniature version of what I have at my desk. He can spin to the left at his desk and shoot the spring kids (he has his WII to play while it’s slow out the window, I ain’t got that).
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0861.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
These are baby Panamint Chipmunks, there are four in this family that are enjoying the seed Jake has put out for them. They are so darn cute. When they greet each other, they smell each other which to us, looks like they are kissing. To get the photo, flash fill was required to bring up the colors in the pelts. The flash feathered so it wouldn’t hit the foreground. I gotta go now, Jake wants his shooting gallery back.
Photos captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-14e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jul 22, 2009 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0810.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
All the thunderstorms we’ve had this summer have prolonged the spring growing season, made the plants thicker and more colorful. It’s something I witness everyday when I go out to the meadow that is our front yard. When folks go out in the morning to walk the dogs, they usually take the newspaper or a cup of coffee or just open the door and kick the dogs out. I’m kinda weird, this time of year I go out with a camera on my shoulder. I just never know where the sun is going to hit the meadow and what combination of plants are there in sweet bloom. This morning, the pretty blue and white ones were looking darn nice (sorry, I don’t do plants). So, while the dogs did their business, I did mine.
Photo captured by D3x, 24-70AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
