Oct 15, 2009 | Landscape Photography, Moose Adventures
Our time shooting together just flew by! We were already at our last shoot and as you can see, and clouds finally floated in. We went back to the Alabama Hills for a number of reasons. The biggest being that it’s a totally different place in the evening. I took the guys to a place I really like for sunset, obviously I’d been there before so the challenge for me was to do something new.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2547.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Pretty quickly I latched on to this rock. I had the 16Fish attached and the combination of the lens and the rock’s shape intrigued me. I shot it and one of the first problems was the exposure on the left over the Sierra. It was blown out and no matter what I tried, I couldn’t pull it. So I ended up doing a 7exp HDR. I’m very happy with the results.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2571.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
I then turned the corner and looked at the same rock with the 16Fish and saw another shape and photo, even though it was the same rock. With the turn I was no longer getting the blown out clouds over the Sierra so this was a simple, single click.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2585.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Then, being really quick on the draw, I wondered what would happen if I continued on the same path. You see what I got. It’s kinda cool it appears to be three different boulders when it’s all the same. Then to finish off the series, I went to the complete other side and did a landscape covering the boulder and the world around it.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2736.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Sharon & I want to thank John, Adam, Ray, Patrick, Rick and Russ for permitting us to share a little bit of our backyard and bring to life for them an unique part of our wild heritage!
Photos captured by D3x, 16Fish on Lexar UDMA digital film
Oct 14, 2009 | Landscape Photography, Moose Adventures
Except me that is. This once very busy hub of the Owen’s Valley has long since faded away to become one of its many lost towns. It’s not a ghost town, folks still live in Keeler and the post office, though a hole in the wall, and still delivers mail. While you will find some things on the web about Keeler, I have the feeling that my little tribute to it here might bring more folks to its door step. Be respectful, it is private property.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2446.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The residents have a sense of humor, especially when it comes to the plight of their town and the toll time has taken on it. Keeler Beach where Haz-mat suits are required is just a hint of the tongue-in-cheek attitude these hearty souls have about their home. The sign was in shade so a SB-900 set at 200mm -2 was used to make the white lettering light up.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2417.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The old train station hasn’t seen a train for decades. Its many layers of paint is slowly giving way to time and making a great photographic subject along the way. Hours could easily be spent just photographing its many sides. While you could shoot it any time, I prefer in the afternoons when the most interesting portions are in shade and the colors more vibrant in the waning light.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2438.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Then there is this contribution to the day. I see many things appearing on these discarded television sets in the future. I think the time travel they once offered to the residents of the forgotten town of Keeler still have a little travel left in them. At the very least, the town of Keeler was the last type of landscape the group was expecting on an Eastern Sierra adventure. That’s the fun of traveling with me, you just never know where I’m going to take you.
Photos captured by D3x, 24PC-E / 85PC-E on Lexar UDMA digital film.
Oct 14, 2009 | Landscape Photography, Moose Adventures
Part of our Eastern Adventure was to share some of the Eastside’s incredible history. One of its sadder part of History took place at Manzanar. It is a very complicated, sad and eye opening story from our past.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2334.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
It’s not a landscape photography mecca by any stretch of the imagination. Ansel Adams did though spent time here and one of his images has become the iconic symbol for Manzanar. If you’re on the Eastside and heading north out of Lone Pine, I want to encourage you to take a moment and visit the center.
Oct 13, 2009 | Landscape Photography, Moose Adventures
The Alabama Hills at the base of Mt Whitney have pulled me in for decades. Every time I’m there shooting, I always ask me what is it that keeps pulling me back. Beyond their color, shape and play with light, I’ve not found the answer but I know I’ll keep going back in search of what it is.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2119.swf, 467, 615 [/swf]
Before the sun even kissed the top of mt Whitney, we were out shooting the sunrise. The glow coming over the White Mtns lights up the hills in very unique ways. With -3 exp comp dialed into the camera, I shot this one face of the hills with the 200-400VR at 320mm. I just really love the play of light around the boulders. The under exposure pumps up the color and heightens the contrast making the face come to life.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2179.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Then, after getting past the signs, I went up and kissed the rocks. The patterns in the cracks and colors are a lifetime study in shape, form and texture. Continuing on with my pursuit of the Tilt function of the PC-E lenses, I looked for patterns that I could capture without using Tilt. I like this one, it’s a miniature of the photo above in its pattern.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2239.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
I was up one of the “hills” when the sun peaked over the horizon. I love the God beams coming in, which I had cleaned the front element to remove all the UFOs. I had taken two photos thinking I would merge them to have the information top and bottom but ended up using just one of the images, applying the Nik Neutral Density to the top to bring the detail I want. Once the sun came up, I found something new that took my attention in another direction. mtc
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400 / 85PC-E on Lexar UDMA digital film
Oct 13, 2009 | Landscape Photography, Moose Adventures
The Bristlecone Pines are such magnificent lives living truly on the edge of the planet. We went to the Patriarch Grove at 11,361 feet in altitude and literally to the top of the White Mountains. It is a simply gorgeous place that takes your breath away, literally!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP1826.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
There are many, many, many ways to work the pines, I went with the most difficult and that was to walk up the hill and find where the sun, as it would set, paint the foreground with shadow while the pines themselves would be in the last rays. Why is this the most difficult? First, you had to walk up hill when you’re already at altitude. The other, you’re chasing a really quickly fading light. Just to add to the fun, I shot with the 16Fish to take it all in. Laying down worked to slow down the heart and dramatize the angle of the pine with the Fisheye.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP1894.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
This was a bitch of a photo to capture. Why? There was no place to lay down let alone be a sturdy camera platform, let alone get out of my own way. Shooting with the Fish, I had knees, elbows and other body parts I had to keep extracting out of the frame. I’m just glad no one photographed the yoga position I was in to make the final capture.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP1998.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2047.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP1989.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
After the sun went off the slope I chased the detail shots. What you can’t tell here is that I pulled sharpness throughout the images using the Tilt feature of the 85PC-E. It was a new challenge for me to pull total focus on these curving, sensuous, golden, natural sculptures. It required from 4 to 9 degrees of tilt to make the image, but all were shot at f/8 so I was pleased with myself to make it work. It did require a bit of chimping to check critical focus from corner to corner but the lenses delivered. The drive down and the Alpine Glow was fantastic as well. Simply put, it was an amazing day with a killer finish!
Photos captured by D3x, 16Fish / 85PC-E on Lexar UDMA digital film
Oct 12, 2009 | Landscape Photography, Moose Adventures
I had such good intentions, I was going to come home and get a bunch of stuff finished, stories told and all posted to entertain you with from our Eastern Sierra Adventure. 04:00 found us back at it which was really early after getting back in the night before from the Bristlecone Pines at 22:00. Bottomline, I was simply too blurry eyed to get the work done.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2074.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Here’s a little proof that our Sunday started early. We were in the Alabama Hills for a little star action, it was great. Even had the Space Station go through some of the trails. I felt more like some just stars so just took some 1min exposures. We had a quarter moon illuminating the rocks which was all that was needed for the exposure you see here. It was a really great start to a really great day! Oh, yeah, that is the Big Dipper.
Photo captured by D3x, 24PC-E on Lexar UDMA digital film
