Velvia

Autumn is traditionally seen as the end of the growing season, time for harvest, pumpkins, falling leaves, turning over fields, and readying for winter. But not in Lake Oswego! Nope, around here we prefer to let the Fall colors become vibrant and warm, red and orange and yellow, and then sprout new growth right next to the discards of Summer. I love it.

This one is sized for desktop wallpaper...click to make it large, then right click to copy.

Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro lens, f/8, 1/4s, ISO 100.

Velvia is a film that has traditionally been favored by landscape and nature photographers for it's vibrant greens and blues and saturated colors. You can just tell images that were made using it, and it's a classic. I have a process that also produces rich colors in my digital darkroom. Unfortunately, there're no songs about Velvia, so you're stuck with Kodachrome again, and that's not too bad.

Damsels Wanted! Have Hero, Will Travel

I gotta admit, this song has been running through my mind while I've been finishing this image; it's good to be finished...so I can get a different song in there. Making pictures with these kids was so much fun, and then drawing my monster in was a whole other fun thing to do. I can't wait to do it some more!

Tryon Creek State Park in Southwest Portland/Lake Oswego is a wonderful place to make pictures.

Jabberwocky

Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro Lens, f/8, 1/15s, ISO 400, Nik Color
Efex Pro 4 with Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5.

Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
  The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
  The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
  Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
  And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
  The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
  And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
  The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
  He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?

  Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
  He chortled in his joy.

Man, I had a great time this morning with the Portland PAC (find us on Facebook) at Tryon State Park in Lake Oswego. Being new in town, I'm still getting to know areas, so I suggested we get together and go shoot in the woods. Tryon creek is such a beautiful park, and right in the middle of town, too, so it's super convenient. 

My pal Megan found us some willing models (more or less willing, anyway). As the day drew nearer I got thinking that something like Robin Hood would be a fun story to show. Then as we were sorting through clothes, this image came together. I'm reminded of the Jabberwocky, which I memorized in Mrs. Tuggle's class at Air Academy. It's supposed to be a retelling of Beowulf, which is one of the oldest English stories preserved in writing. I think I like Jabberwocky better, however. I really like the picture, and I really appreciate everyone helping me make it come together. I have some other ideas for finishing it, and if I pull it off well, I'll share it with you. 

Let's talk technical stuff, cause this picture is super simple, and it's totally a lucky happenstance that it...happened. See, when working with flashes off the camera, it's best to make the picture look good without the flash, then add the flash in the right amount for the subject. So, while doing my test shots I bumped the tripod, and it made the picture a streak. After I got the final frame of my awesome model, I combined the two with a layer mask in Photoshop. Super simple! I think it makes a dreamy, imaginary effect. Nik Color Efex Pro 4 helped with the finishing touches.

Light is coming from a single speedlight off to the left shooting through a white umbrella, triggered with Nikon's built in CLS. It kinda feels like a beam of light in the woods. Just the thing to make a vorpal blade pop. 

I love making photographs in Lake Oswego!

Ephraim Canyon

Nikon D800, 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII lens @78mm, f/9, 1/320s, ISO 400, Nik Silver Efex Pro2.

I'm here in Ephraim, Utah shooting for Utah State University. I do love to make a couple of 'extra' pictures when I get finished making portraits of students, grads, and deans. I think...yes, I'm pretty certain: I love my job.

Greener Grass

You know that the grass is always greener on the other of the fence, right? "If only I could go to Yellowstone, then I could make some great pictures! Or the Grand Canyon! Oh, and Europe would really free me to create..."

Well, those places are wonderful, and I could doubtless find some wonderful (if commonplace) pictures. But I find that when I get out locally and really try to find inspiration on my side of the fence, those are the times that I find pictures that are not so commonplace and much more valuable to me. 

For this picture my family and a friend headed to the beach to beat the heat in Lake Oswego...little did we know that there was no heat at the coast. The air was 60, and the water was 50 (my elbows were numb, but I gotta take advantage!) and there was mist and clouds and beach fires adding a little something more to the atmosphere. All day long I couldn't take my eyes off of this tree at Indian Beach in Ecola State Park (which is one of the most beautiful places in the USA). It seemed like one standing on it's own and not suffering for it.

Nikon D7100, 50mm f/1.4 lens, f/8, 1/250s, ISO 400, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2. From Lake Oswego, it's only an hour or so to Ecola State Park.

Now for the geek speak.

This image is a much wider field of view than you could possibly get in a single frame with a DSLR and a 50mm lens, and that's on purpose. I know that my 50mm is wide enough to get everything in, but it's the perfect lens for landscape work because it's clear and sharp and has no distortion. In order to maximize these things, I shot this as a panorama-like image.

First, I found an exposure that let me have a little detail in the clouds and nice enough detail in the dark areas, too, and set those settings in manual mode. I chose f/8 for an aperture because I wanted to make sure that I had all the important things in focus, and f/8 on 50mm focussed that far away lets practically the whole world fall within the depth of field. So I focussed on the top of the tree (with the clouds as a backdrop I was sure it was focussed on the main tree and not something else) and switched to manual focus so it wouldn't change. Ideally, I'd have the camera on a tripod, but I was going light and fast and handheld, so I used a higher ISO to allow a fast shutter speed to freeze my shake.

I then turned the camera vertical and shot three frames along the bottom of the scene, overlapping 25%, then shot three more in a row for the middle, overlapping 25%, and one more row on top. In Lightroom I made adjustments to white balance and contrast to the center image, as well as color toning, then applied those same settings to all the other images in the grid (one click with the sync button). Then I selected all the images, and chose to merge them to a panorama in Photoshop. I made sure to click the vignette control option and pressed go. A few minutes later, after PS worked its magic, I had the composite. I hit save and cropped it in Lightroom, then opened it in Nik Silver Efex for the black and white conversion. Back in Lightroom I used my special Grape Dreamcicle toning for the slight bit of color you see. (let me know and I'll share the recipe). 

Today I just got a Gigapan Epic Pro, and it makes this sort of picture automatically and I can't wait to try it!

I sure enjoyed making it. It came out just as I envisioned while being pounded by the frigid surf.

Working It

You know how it is: you get in front of the camera and you start working it, moving and making different poses, puckered lips, sassy eyes, a little GQ, perhaps. Well, it's different with waterfalls. When they are in front of the camera I'm the one who has to work it, hiking, squatting, rolling in damp leaves,  standing on my head--whatever it takes to get the shot. Especially at Multnomah Falls, which I've already photographed three times, I'm really trying to find a different picture to make.

And it's hard at National parks and famous places because I've seen thousands of pictures that are all really good, so finding something unique isn't always my goal. Just making a good one myself is quite satisfying, something I haven't shot. It's also hard at these places because you walk down the path and there's a beautiful picture, and you turn this corner and there's a beautiful picture...and that's it. You're not allowed to venture off the path in search of a different vantage or a fresh perspective. William Henry Jackson was the last one to shoot a unique picture of these places. Sigh.

So, I'm pretty pleased with this image I made with Mel Torrie last week because it's a view I've not made before, and it's one I've not seen, either. It's a panorama of six images using a 50mm lens tipped vertically, so it's a pretty detailed view at full resolution. 

Nikon D800, 50mm f/1.4 D lens, f/11, 1/3s, ISO 100, 6 frame panorama, Nik Color Efex Pro 4, CS6.

Are you sick of Waterfalls...?

...'Cause I'm not. Having lived in Deserts for most of my adult life, waterfalls are a fresh view that I won't soon tire of. I visited Yosemite as a kid, and falls there were impressive. Taiwan held the largest I have ever seen. Now that I live in this wonderfully lush land, I'm really enjoying discovering all kinds of waterfalls and the challenge of photographing them.

These happen to be on Mill Creek right outside the town of Prospect on the Crater Lake Highway. I've shot these before, but never shared that image online; it's my masterpiece to date, and I'm really proud of it. I may be a little scared that if I throw it out here it will under appreciated. "I'm just not sure I can take that kind of rejection."

Nikon D800, 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @16mm, f/8, 9 frame HDR, ISO 100, Nik/Google HDR Efex Pro2.

Creating this image was tricky. Last time I photographed it, I stood on the top of the cliff opposite right in the center of the frame. That was at the end of a road, and a pretty simple approach. This time I walked down a trail to access the creek, but it put me too low. See, the river falls about 100 feet in a very shoot distance right here, and it took me a long time scrambling over basalt boulders polished to glass by the stream and scaling the biggest manzanita trees I've ever seen to find a spot where I could photograph the tumble of water and the bridge without driftwood sticking straight up into the image or a boulder obstructing the view. This with my tripod and shoulder bag and my dress clothes on. Pretty fun, I must say. 

I tried hard to remember the scene as I experienced it. I don't want to visit these places and only make pictures. I want to be there, be present while I'm there, and then share an image with you that helps bring you into that instant as well. 

I used High Dynamic Range technics to create this one so that I could have both blue sky and bright sun on the bridge as well as running toffee water and detail in the shadows. HDR lets me show you the whole scene as I saw it. Less the raucous roar of the tumble, like a passing train and an airplane and a hurricane five feet away. 

Sauvie Island

Sauvie Island is this wonderful little place. From driving around on it for a morning, I know there are farms, vineyards, bird refuges, historic sites, house boats, and lots of fishermen. I got to spend some time with a couple of best friends making pictures the other morning, and this is one from that excursion.

Nikon D800, 50mm f/1.4 D lens, f/11, 9 frame HDR, ISO 100, Nik HDR Efex Pro 2.

Photoshop isn't the way to make the sun burst on the sun, nor is it a trick filter on the lens. It's simply done by using a small aperture (f/11, f/16, f/22). It's a cool feature of having blades inside the lens. The rays are accentuated by catching only the edge of the sun, obscuring most of the sun with an object like a tree limb, or the corner of a building. It should be pretty simple to do this even with your iPhone camera: looking at the screen (not the sun!) position the sun behind the edge of a building and snap away. I predict that you'll get pretty good rays.

Nikon D800, 50mm f/1.4 D lens, f/11, 9 frame HDR, ISO 100, Nik HDR Efex Pro 2.

Nikon D800, 50mm f/1.4 D lens, f/11, 9 frame HDR, ISO 100, Nik HDR Efex Pro 2.

 

All grown up...

K. is graduating in a minute, and she's really grown up since I met her four years ago. That's normal, I suppose, but it makes one feel that one is getting older oneself. When I was her age, four years was an eternity. These days, I can blow four years in a weekend.

Also, I've been posting lots of landscapes, and I just want you to know that that's because I've been shooting so many people I'm backed up a bit. The landscapes finish quickly, and they never need more consideration. My people pictures, however, get stressed about and revisited until I think they're perfect...or until they're needed for graduation announcements.

Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8 Micro VR lens, f/3.5, 1/80s, ISO 100, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

Phoenix: Mythunderstood

A Phoenix is a bird which is supposed to have burst into flame and then rise again from its own ashes. Many people think this is a story about rebirth; but after my recent visit to Phoenix, AZ, I'm thinking the poor bird is just making the best with the hand it's dealt. Stick with me and I'll explain.

I spent all day with three other talented Photogs, Matt Suess, Nick Pappagallo, and Scott Wyden Kivowitz. We meant to start early, but we stayed out late with the PAC the night before and sunrise came and went before we knew it. Shooting at sunrise is great because the low sun casts sideways shadows on everything and it's much more interesting and reveals the true form of objects and landscapes.

Still, our first stop yielded some fun pictures. The Superstition Mountain Museum is the site of many classic western films and tv shows (including "Charro" with Elvis Presley), and I met a classic Westerner on site.  L. volunteers at the site, teaching people about the history of the region and the studios. He thinks it's a real kick that he's from Alberta and he's come down here to teach American history. He's got that look of a salty cowboy...

Nikon D800, 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @ 23mm, f/2.8, 1/500s, ISO 250.

...but he was actually quite friendly. He was a gem, letting me make several portraits with him.

Nikon D800, 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @ 23mm, f/2.8, 1/1000s, ISO 250.

Nikon D800, 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @14mm, f.8, 9frame HDR, ISO 100, Nik HDR Efex Pro 2.

After the Museum, we continued into the hills, searching for a great picture. We talked as we drove and enjoyed the morning. We reached Tortilla Flats (no, not that "Tortilla Flat") and were amazed to find a stream flowing after the recent snows (it is a bonafide desert, after all).

Nikon D800, 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @ 20mm, 5 frame HDR, ISO 100, Nik HDR Efex Pro 2.

By now it was lunch time, so we ate at the saloon, which, interestingly, is wallpapered entirely in dollar bills, and it's a big place (the food, however, was nothing to blog about).

Nikon D800, 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @ 14mm, 5 frame HDR, ISO 100, Nik HDR Efex Pro 2.

As we talked I learned that +Matt Suess's full time endeavors in photography take him all over the region making pictures and peddling at the various arts faires. His work is really stunning and I think you'll enjoy viewing it--keep an eye out for him at the Logan Summerfest this year, as well.

Many of you know that I'm a snob about light in my pictures. I often won't even take pictures if I think the light isn't good enough, and in my portraiture I go to great lengths to make sure it is good enough. (for instance there was one time when my assistants and I climbed and scampered all over the canopy of a huge tree to hang a ginormous diffuser so that the light on my subjects' faces would be even and soft...took us an hour and a half).

So, I assumed that Matt spends a lot of time researching when the best time of day to make a picture at a place is, and plans to be in the right place places at the right time. His answer really gave me some things to think about, though, and made me a little wiser, too. 

Nikon D800, 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 VR lens @ 28mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 100, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

See, Matt was a photojournalist on the East Coast for a lot of years. That means the everyday when he walked out the door his responsibility was to come back with a picture that was important no matter what. He had to make a useable, salable image every time for every assignment. He could never say, "Sorry, boss, but the light was poor." So, when goes out shooting for his artwork, he has the same idea in mind: he always makes a good picture. The really great ones are fewer, but he always makes a good one.

That got me thinking about my own work, and even life in general: always make the most of what you're given, and no excuses. Lemonade from lemons. Turn that frown upside down. Burst into flames and make the best of the situation; might as well rise up and go at it again. Thus, I'm made more pictures and concentrated on what I could control--light was out of my hands, but composition and fellowship were still mine to make the most of.

It was a good trip.

Oregon Trail

Isn't it amazing? You can start your day in the desert and finish it off in the rain forest. A twelve hour drive will take you from Logan Utah to Portland Oregon. That's what I call the Oregon Trail.

Nikon D800, 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @ 14mm, f.8, five frame HDR, ISO 100, Nik HDR Efex Pro 2.

Nikon D800, 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @ 20mm, f/8, 9 frame HDR, ISO 100.

Nearly Death Valley

I drove with my buddy Jared Burns to Las Vegas this week...from Portland. It was a long drive, and totally worthwhile. More to come, but I wanted to share this one before I go back to bed to try and catch up on the 23 hours of driving...

Nikon D800, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @ 28mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 100, Nik Color Efex Pro 4.

Ski Time

Here in Utah, we've finally been getting some snow, and I'm sure the Ski industry is glad of it. I made this picture while photowalking with Darryl Dobson in Park City last fall before the first snows pushed the leaves off the trees. Don't forget to click to click to view these images full size.

Nikon D800, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @ 300mm, f/11, 1/320s, ISO 800.

Mama, Don't Take My Kodachrome Away

Yeah, it's that song. I made this picture with my pal Darryl Dobson in September in Park City. It's quite a popular spot to make pictures...but it was the first time I'd photographed it myself. And the colors were coming so nicely. 

Nikon D800, 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 VR lens @50mm, f/11, 1/15s, ISO 320.

In fact, that whole week was pretty incredible. As I was driving to and from Vernal to work on those portraits below, I stopped several times to make pictures. That's a huge advantage of riding a scooter across the country--no windshield to shoot through, and it's easy to turn around and make a picture.

Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro lens, f/4, 1/1250s, ISO 100.

Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro lens, f/9, 1/400s, ISO 100.

See, my family was having a little reunion in Park City. That's when my nephews and I made one of my favorite portraits of 2012:

Nikon D800, 105mm f.2,8 VR Micro lens, f/3, 1/200s, ISO 2000.

Resolutions

It's that time when we all look back on the year and make plans to do things better. We resolve that things will change. We resolve that we will change. And things will be better. All my pants will fit better.

Well, I don't know about weight loss resolutions, but I'm definitely resolved to return to this location and make pictures again.

Nikon D800, 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @24mm, f/5.6, 1/320s, ISO 800, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

This is at Haceta Head in Oregon. The surf is crashing behind me, and fog is swirling about the cliffs to my left and right. The most picturesque lighthouse on the west coast is to my left...covered base to roof in flapping black tarps for renovation. That's one of the things I want to photograph when I return--sans tarps, of course.

But I'd like to explore this bridge again, too. I love the bridges in Oregon. I feel like they are all of a theme. Plus, they're always spanning these wonderful places. Just up the road to the North is a spot called Cape Perpetua that I'd also like to re-explore. To the south is the Sea Lion Cave.

I was there this day in September to photograph a wedding, and it was spectacular. Anyone else getting married? I know a great spot. Need a photog?

Freshies on Mt. Pisgah

Fresh snow always makes me think of my backcountry ski class and my backcountry camping class in college. I think of it because the text book was not written by Allen and Mike; but it should have been. They have a wonderful way of teaching sound principles with hilarious cartoons. The opening to one of their books has the author peeking through the blinds looking at the falling snow, drool dripping from his big grins with a thought bubble that says "Freshies."

Last night I reawakened my love for outdoor adventure in fresh snow with the Cache Valley Photographers as we strapped on our snow shoes and hiked around Mt. Pisgah. We made it in time for the full moon rise, and planted our tripods in the snow. It was cold, but hiking in snow is such a workout that I was toasty...until we stopped to shoot. Totally worth the numb fingers, though. Next time I think we'll climb Babbit Shanty Hill.

Looking south to Mt. Pisgah and Orion. Nikon D800, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @28mm, f/9, 30s, ISO 800, Nik Color Efex 4.

Looking toward Logan. Nikon D800, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @28mm, f/16, 349s, ISO 100, Nik Color Efex 4.

North toward the Wellsvilles. Nikon D800, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @28mm, f/8, 165s, ISO 100, Nik Color Efex 4.

Finally...Snow!

Nikon D800, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @ 70mm, f/11, 1/30s, ISO 100. Nik Color Efex 4.

As it was snowing on friday evening, my pal M. called me up and invited me to go make pictures on Saturday morning, and I naturally took him up on it straight away. We headed to Spring Hollow where in Logan Canyon, and enjoyed a morning shooting pictures in the clouds and snow.

I was also surprised and interested to see an abundance of wildlife scampering on the snow...all of it rather small. There were several different insects out an about, and this one caught our attention for way too long.

Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro lens, f/8, 1/60s, ISO 100.

I also took a moment to make a quick self portrait.

Nikon D800, 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @ 14mm, f/8, 1/30s, ISO 100.

Garden of the Gods

This park is one of my favorite places on Earth. Whenever I visit Colorado Springs I try to come here to make pictures. I'm still trying to make something worthy of William Henry Jackson who photographed here as well as most the Mountain West.

Nikon D800, 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @ 24mm, f/11, 1/30s, ISO 100. Nik Silver Efex Pro2.

Growing Family

Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro lens, f/7.1, 1/60s, ISO 100. Nik Color Efex Pro 4.

Man, Last time we made pictures for the J. family, that little guy was a newborn. I love this. Watching families grow through my lens is really a wonderful thing.

Return to Punch Bowl

Something wonderful about being a photographer is that I get to visit wonderful places over and over again. Fortunately (or not), I don't have to drive to Oregon to do it. I get to revisit a place each time I finish pictures I made there. The whole time I'm working I remember the hike in with friends, and the freezing water rushing around my feet, and the couple from China I got to speak with. What a great time I had...then and now.

Nikon D800, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @62mm, f/16, 9 exposure HDR, ISO 100, Nik HDR Efex Pro 2 and Color Efex Pro 4.