Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

114 sec at f/22, focal length: 25mm, ISO 100 - December 14, 2006 at 6:19pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II, tripod mounted


Well we've had some pretty nice storms come through and I haven't been out to photograph once. Oh well, maybe during the holidays. Hope this winter season finds you all warm and well.

Happy Holidays!
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King Kong, The Police, and Polka Dots

1/30 sec at f/3.5, focal length: 18mm, ISO 400 - February 27, 2007
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II, hand held


As I'm writing this, our first snow of the season is falling. So for those of you that aren't feeling these last couple of posts, I'll have some nice wintery images very soon. I was hoping to get to Yosemite today, but forgot that we are watching my nephew for the next couple of days. I'll be there soon enough.

This is King Kong. That was the only thing that I could understand, he liked to be called King Kong. He was spanish speaking and drunk, and I was neither of those things. My friend, Bo and I spent quite a bit of time with King Kong on his front porch exchanging gestures and sentences broken down to only the most essential words. He was excited for us to be photographing him and he was putting on a show. The image shown here was the only moment that I saw him retreat into himself and seem to forget that we were there. I think it's beautiful and tragic at the same time. I think it is truly a telling moment of this man, whoever he is.

Our time with Mr. Kong was cut short by his very large, angry looking son, that stepped out of the house. In retrospect, I don't think he was really that angry, probably just suspicious of two strangers with large cameras that were on his porch trying to communicate with his dad. I wish that I would have worked for the portrait of the two of them together. I think it could have happened. But we got scared and left.

Please take the time to visit Bo Parker's blog - A Moment Preserved. Bo is a very dear friend of mine and has been an inspiration to me creatively. Bo's own creativity spans many mediums, though his blog focuses on photography. He's an extremely talented musician, gifted writer, and a wizard when it comes to graphic design (even though he didn't do ANY design work on his blog...tsk tsk). Any ways take a look. Be sure to browse the older posts to see his posted image of King Kong. It looks to be almost the same moment as the image above.

*A note on composition: With photography like this, the subject matter is constantly changing and the right moment can be elusive. So when that "decisive moment" does coincide with the click of your shutter, your intuition for good composition needs to be instinctive. This comes from continual practice of observation and composing of everything that passes in front of your eye balls, even if there is no camera in hand. Pay attention to how the light is interacting with the surfaces, where shadows are falling, where lines are going, where they're crossing. My instinct for composition allowed me to place the King in front of a dark doorway where no distracting lines were jutting out from the back of his head. He's nicely framed by the dark space behind him, and since he's filling most of that space there is no overwhelming black hole any where else in my image. Just something to think about.
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"And Now for Something Completely Different"

1/1250 sec at f/6.3, focal length: 86mm, ISO 200 - June 15, 2004, 4:08pm PDT
Photographed with Nikon D100, ED AF Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 D, hand held


This image was taken 4 years ago while I was studying photojournalism at Brooks Institute of Photography in Ventura, CA. It's not an exemplary image of the "decisive moment", but I do enjoy the composition and light quite a bit.

I regard street/documentary photography as one of the higher forms of photography as well as the most important. That being said, I don't do much of it (or any of it as of right now for that matter) because it's so damn difficult. Not technically difficult, but difficult in that I have a hard time capturing intimate, real moments that lend themselves to a larger narrative. People tend to tense up or smile too much when a camera is around. It becomes easier to stand too far back (like in this image) or leave people out of the frame altogether, or to shoot too loosely from the hip, and that's not good. It's not the subjects fault that this is how they respond to a camera, it's my own, as the photographer. I'm not doing my job to become a part of what I'm photographing, to allow the subject to not even notice the camera. And I don't mean being sneaky, I mean not being creepy.

With THAT being said, I do have a few projects in mind that I'd like to work on in the coming year. We'll see how it goes.

Now some links to others that are much better at this than I am.

www.brooksnppa.org - the caliber of work coming from these students now is pretty impressive.

Matt Mallams - and his blog. Oh and he's a Brooks alumni.

Damon Winter

James Nachtwey

and of course Henri Cartier-Bresson

There's plenty more, but it's getting late...
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Oak Saplings in Fog, Sierra Nevada Foothills, California

3.2 sec at f/22, focal length: 29mm, ISO 100 - December 2, 2008, 5:24pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 17-35mm f/4L, tripod mounted


We had a beautiful sunny day. Crystal clear blue skies, brisk breeze. Wonderful spring like weather, but just a bit chillier. Then the fog started to roll in...and MADE my day. I love fog. Absolutely love it! It's right up there with falling snow. The immense quiet that takes over is humbling. Instant meditation. You're senses become heightened and everything is in focus. In a forest like this, the trees become bigger and more intimate at the same time.

I think that the best way to photograph a situation like this is to forget about any preconceived ideas of how you'd want to photograph it. Let yourself become immersed in the fog and open yourself to everything around you. Experience it first without your camera. After a bit, you'll know when it's time to start making images. Feel the composition through your viewfinder instead of seeing it.

I think that when we set out to photograph, it becomes a mission. We become bent on taking pictures and are taken up with the technical aspect of it all. We forget to make a connection with our subject. And without that connection we fail to represent our subject in a meaningful and personal way.
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I'm Back!

1/13 sec at f/16, focal length: 70mm, ISO 100 - November 30, 2008, 5:00pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


I hope that you all have had a wonderful thanksgiving. My family and I loaded up in a rented RV, along with my parents and brother, and headed out to Arizona for thanksgiving with some family. We had a great time visiting with family that we hadn't seen in some time (it was my grandma's first time meeting my wife and two children so that was worth the whole trip in itself). We had never traveled in an RV before so that interesting, and definitely better than driving 10 hours in a car with two youngsters. Photographically the trip wasn't so producing but there are a couple of keepers. I'm especially happy with the image posted here.

In any case, it's nice to be back.
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Raindrops and Fern - HDR

1/4, 1/15, & 1 sec at f/16, focal length: 75mm, ISO 400 - November 1, 2008, 4:22pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


The above image is an HDR from three RAW files that were assembled and tonemapped in Photomatix. Below are some tips for in the field to help ensure a successful "merge". Ideally, your camera will allow you to control the settings mentioned below. If not, there may be some work arounds but it may be a bit trickier in post-production.

1. Set your camera on a tripod
2. Photograph RAW (more information = better/cleaner merges)
3. Use a cable release (if you don't touch the camera between exposures, then there is less opportunity for the camera to move between exposures)
4. Use Aperture priority (for consistent depth of field with each exposure)
5. Turn on Auto Bracketing (if you can bracket more than three shots, try 1stop increments. If only allowed three bracketed exposures, like my camera, try 2stop increments.)
6. Turn off mirror lock-up and turn on your motordrive. (This will help with keeping your images registered and make for a cleaner/faster merge in post-production)
7. If you use auto focus, then focus for your first image. Then turn auto focus off and shoot your bracketed series of images. (Turning off auto focus will prevent the camera from re-focusing between exposures, preventing a series of images that have different focus points)
8. Take "empty" frames before and after each series of brackets. (Place your hand in front of your lens and take a picture before and after each set. When you're reviewing your images and getting ready to assemble your new masterpiece, this will help identify which images are from the same series.)

Hope these tips help and feel free to leave links to your HDR images in the comments below (or any images really).

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Aspen along the June Lake Loop

1/4 sec at f/22, focal length: 113mm, ISO 100 - October 18, 2008, 2:11pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, hand held

Two more Aspen images from the same session as the previous post. Click through to see the other image, then let me know what you think.

Also, if you're new to this blog, there is an archive of my previous posts in the right column as well as links to other great photographers and interesting blogs.




1/5 sec at f/22, focal length: 135mm, ISO 100 - October 18, 2008, 2:10pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, hand held

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Variations on a Theme

1/5 sec at f/22, focal length: 118mm, ISO 100 - October 18, 2008, 2:09pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


These images were from the same trip to the East side of the Sierras as the Mono Lake Sunrise image. This grove is along the June Lake Loop, which seemed to have the best color that we could find. Both images were made within one minute of each other and yet, have two completely feels. I'm still undecided as to which one I like more. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.




1/6 sec at f/22, focal length: 104mm, ISO 100 - October 18, 2008, 2:08pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted
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Bridalveil and Mist, Yosemite Valley

1/100 sec at f/11, focal length: 94mm, ISO 100 - November 2, 2008, 4:18pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


We've had our first major storm system come through for the last few days. It was much needed rain, and fortunately has provided some wonderful photographic opportunities. On Sunday, the storm started to break. So while the kids were taking their afternoon nap, I snuck out of the house and zipped on up to the park to see what was happening. I was only there for a couple of hours, but it was a much needed couple of hours. I've had a lot of fun being out with others lately while photographing, but from time to time (I prefer more of the time) it's better to be out there on your own.

I stopped at tunnel view when I first entered the park, photographed some and then headed down into the valley. After a bit in the valley, I headed back to tunnel view, as I was leaving the park, for another session. This image was made during the first session.

During the second session at tunnel view, I had the pleasure of meeting Fred Mertz. Our visit was brief, but nice to say the least. Be sure to visit his website and view his portfolios. His black and white portfolio, under the fine art section, is especially nice and filled with wonderful work.
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Sunrise, Mt. Dana and South Tufas, Mono Lake

13 sec at f/22, focal length: 70mm, ISO 400 - October 18, 2008, 7:21am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


A couple of weeks ago my dad and I made a trip over to the east side of the Sierra Nevada. This was actually my first time photographing at Mono Lake. I knew that the South Tufas was a popular spot and there would be plenty of other photographers but was absolutely amazed by just how many there were. There had to have been at least 100 other photographers out there. I'll be posting more from this trip of the fall colors in the coming days.
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Ferns at Nelder Grove

2.5 sec at f/22, focal length: 73mm, ISO 400 - October 13, 2008, 8:58am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


Here are two more images from my recent Nelder Grove hike close to home. I've been meaning to post these for a while. This first one of the fern and fallen sequoia is one of my personal favorites in my library right now but I am still quite pleased with the detail image of the fronds.




2 sec at f/16, focal length: 200mm, ISO 100 - October 13, 2008, 8:50am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


I've been going to black and white much more recently than I have in the past. This is mainly due in part to a book that Bill, my boss, recently received; "Voyage of the Eye" by Brett Weston. His work is simply amazing. Every photographer (as well as any one that appreciates any medium of art) should be very aware of his work. Here is a link to his website.
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Dogwood, Early Fall, Nelder Grove, Sierra National Forest

2.5 sec at f/22, focal length: 200mm, ISO 200 - October 13, 2008, 8:34am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


I find myself being drawn more and more to the quiet moments, the quiet compositions. You'll often hear of photographers that would rather pose a question than to answer it. I find that if I strive for this as well, then I become more engaged with the subject and can connect with what's there in front of me in a very real way. I begin to feel the pulse of nature harmonizing with my own and it no longer becomes about making the photograph. But at the same time, the photograph seems to become easier to make. It's almost as if nature is saying "OK, now that you can see, I will show you".

Even at this point I continue to ask questions, and continue to leave those questions unanswered in the final image so that the viewer may participate. This doesn't mean that I have to completely abstract the situation to the point that the only question left to be asked is "What is this?", but it does mean not being completely narrative or "scenic".

Now, I have abstracted a subject pretty much to that point, as can be seen on this blog. But even with those images, I still try to leave other questions to be asked without being stumped by the "what is this?" conundrum.

I encourage everyone that hasn't taken this approach to try it out. It's a very refreshing way to interact with your subject and I think you may just like the results.




3.2 sec at f/22, focal length: 91mm, ISO 200 - October 13, 2008, 9:01am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


Sam Abell, famed National Geographic photographer, discusses his gravitation towards the quiet moment in a recent interview with PDN's Conor Risch. You can read it here. I had the pleasure of spending three days with Mr. Abell while attending Brooks Institute of Photography, studying photojournalism. The man is poetry; in his photography, his writing and his speech. He is a very gifted artist and if you aren't already, then you should become very familiar with his work. "The Photographic Life" is a great place to start. He also has a new book coming out (thus the interview with PDN) titled "The Life of a Photograph" which will be joining my collection once it is released.
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In the Shadow of the Giants

3.2 sec at f/22, focal length: 200mm, ISO 100 - October 13, 2008, 8:26am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


I haven't been out to photograph, except for just around the house, since my trip to Montana de Oro and have been getting restless to say the least. After watching Andy Goldsworthy's Rivers and Tides I was feeling very inspired and decided that I'd finally just get up early the next morning and go. And I did.

Close by is the Nelder Grove of Giant Sequoias. It's a short, very easy hike with lots of Lodgepole, Dogwood, Cedar, and of Course Giant Sequoias. I spent two and a half hours out there getting re-acquainted with nature and rejuvenating my spirit. It was a visual candy store and I had to force myself to slow down and work a composition to its fullest before moving on.

I'll be posting images for the next few days (2 in each post) from this session so be sure to check back to see the results. I'm excited about these images and I hope that you are too!

Another image after the jump and some added inspiration.



5 sec at f/22, focal length: 98mm, ISO 200 - October 13, 2008, 7:44am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted

Andy Goldsworthy's "Rivers and Tides"

Andy Goldsworthy is an artist that works purely with what he finds in nature and it is truly mind blowing stuff. I encourage everyone to look into his work. I was able to rent "Rivers and Tides" from netflix. He also photographs his work and sells books. Enjoy!


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Dogwood, Yosemite National Park

1/50 sec at f/8, focal length: 200mm, ISO 100 - May 3, 2008, 2:43pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II, tripod mounted


I know that it's quite the opposite of spring right now, but I came across this image and decided that I needed to post it before I forget about it again.

My dad and I were spending the afternoon hiking around the Mirror Lake Loop. Dogwood were just peaking but since it was the afternoon on a "beautiful", clear, sunny day; finding a photogenic tree was proving to be a challenge. We happened to spot this small tree early on in the hike, but didn't have much luck further on. Luckily for us, Yosemite is never dissapointing and there is a never bad time spent with my dad.

Enjoy!
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Gates of the Valley at Dawn, Yosemite National Park

5 min at f/22, focal length: 18mm, ISO 100 - December 4, 2006, 7:25am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II, hand held


This image was made a couple of years ago. It was winter and cold. Very cold. I slipped and stepped in the river before I made this image. Instead of going to my car and changing my socks (or warming up), I decided to stick it out. I don't know if that was the smart thing to do, but I did make an image that I'm very happy with.
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Sunset and Sunrise from Home

Pine Trees, Sunset over Crooks Mtn, Sierra Nevada Foothills

1/6 sec at f/16, focal length: 131mm, ISO 100 - September 9, 2008, 7:21pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


These images were both made from my yard, on different days. The sunset is from my driveway looking at a ridge on Crooks Mountain, which is directly behind my house. The sunrise, which is after the jump, was taken from on top of my roof looking over my front yard. I feel blessed every time I look out the window.

Sunrise image after the jump...

Sunrise, Sierra Nevada Foothills

1/60 sec at f/32, focal length: 131mm, ISO 100 - August 31, 2008, 7:03am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted
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Sourberry (Rhus integrifolia), Sierra Nevada Foothills

1/500 sec at f/8, focal length: 200mm, ISO 400 - September 3, 2008, 4:54pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, hand held


I was walking out my front door to let the kids play in the yard when I saw that this plant was back lit beautifully by the soon to be setting sun. I immediately turned around to grab my camera and set off to work.

More after the jump...

This proved to be a challenging situation. First I needed to find a composition with good rhythm and balance of the leaves and branches. Next was getting an aperture that provided enough depth but not so much that the background would become distracting. In this case, f/8 was my golden ticket. I would have liked a bit more depth, but the amount that I got is definitely usable. Plus, f/8 gave the background a nice pattern without becoming too distracting. If I opened or closed my aperture 1 stop either way, the composition did not work. Not enough depth or too distracting. The last thing to take care of was the flare. Even with the lens hood on, the sun was at a low enough angle to cause flare. My left hand proved to be the best tool to combat this. The only problem with that being that I was too lazy to get out the tripod. I bumped up the ISO to 400 so that I could hand hold the camera with one hand at a fast enough shutter speed to not get camera blur (bad, bad, bad technique...but it worked).
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Sojourn of Light I

1/15 sec at f/8, focal length: 100-200mm, ISO 100 - September 9, 2008, 7:07pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, hand held


I'm not going to say what this is, at least not at first. I'd like to get some feedback as to your reactions/responses to this image before you are influenced by knowing what the subject really is. So please leave your comments and hopefully this will spark some interesting discussions.


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Rock and Water Flow, Montana de Oro State Park

1.3 sec at f/22, focal length: 40mm, ISO 100 - September 6, 2008, 11:49am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 17-40mm f/4L, Singh-Ray Mor-Slo ND filter, tripod mounted


Here are another three images from my trip to Montana de Oro. This is most likely my final posting of images from this session. I hope you enjoyed them.

More images after the jump...

Rocks and Receding Surf, Montana de Oro State Park

1.3 sec at f/22, focal length: 36mm, ISO 100 - September 6, 2008, 11:40am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 17-40mm f/4L, Singh-Ray Mor-Slo ND filter, tripod mounted

Two Birds on Rock, Montana de Oro State Park

1/80 sec at f/16, focal length: 200mm, ISO 100 - September 6, 2008, 11:33am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


If anyone knows the name of this species of bird, please let me know in the comments.
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Rocks and Surf, Montana de Oro State Park

2 sec at f/32, focal length: 200mm, ISO 100 - September 6, 2008, 11:17am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, Singh-Ray Mor-Slo ND filter, tripod mounted


Here is another image from my recent trip to Montana de Oro State Park. This was made late morning on a bright overcast day. Thanks to the Singh-Ray Mor-Slo ND filter, coupled with an f-stop of f/32, I was able to "drag" my shutter speed an extra 5 stops to get a two second exposure. (Also, thanks to Bill for letting me borrow the filter)



*UPDATE*
RAW-unprocessed image and layers for master .psd included after the jump...

RAW image (no post capture adjustments applied)

Layers of master .psd

Before and After

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Peacock

1/2500 sec at f/4, focal length: 200mm, ISO 400 - June 8, 2008, 9:41am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, hand held


Bill suggested that I post this image and I must appease the boss, so here it is.


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Inca Tern in flight

1/45 sec at f/16, focal length: 80mm, ISO 200 - March 5, 2006, 1:40m PDT
Photographed with Nikon D100, Nikon 35-80mm f/4-5.6D AF Zoom-Nikkor, hand held


Here's one pulled from the archives. This was made at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in March of 2006. My wife and I had decided to go to the zoo to get in some good walking as she was pregnant with our daughter, Haven, and was one day over due. Walking is supposed to help induce labor. I don't think it really worked for us, since Haven decided not to join us for another three days. But then again, she never really comes when she's supposed to.

Back to the image...These Incan Terns are in an aviary at the zoo, which you can walk through. They were flying all around pretty much non stop. Dipping in and out of the trees, diving into the little stream that runs through the aviary, and splashing about in the waterfall. Trying to photograph them was a bit of a challenge, but good practice for panning. Many, many, many frames later and I got one that I love (I didn't know until they were loaded on the screen though - too much action and no time for chimping on location)


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Pebble, Montana de Oro State Park

1/13 sec at f/32, focal length: 200mm, ISO 100 - September 6, 2008, 11:24am PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


Here are some more images from my trip to the coast a couple of weekends ago. All of these were made at the same beach in Montana de Oro State Park. This was my first time at Montana de Oro. It's a beautiful place and I plan on making my way back soon...and often.

More images after the jump...

Yarrow, Montana de Oro State Park

1/125 sec at f/16, focal length: 118mm, ISO 400 - September 6, 2008, 12:33pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, hand held

Rock Forms and Algae, Montana de Oro State Park

1/10 sec at f/32, focal length: 104mm, ISO 100 - September 6, 2008, 12:10pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted
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Sunset in Ventura California

8 sec at f/11, focal length: 91mm, ISO 200 - September 5, 2008, 7:49pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


Last weekend my father and I made a trip down to Valencia to finish up donating my car that had given up the ghost on a trip to southern California the previous weekend with my wife. We figured that we'd make the best of it and drive back up hwy 1 the next day and photograph some of California's beautiful coast.

More images after the jump...

After finishing up the paperwork at the auto shop, and grabbing the rest of my belongings out of the car, we jumped on the 126 and headed for Ventura. I had gone to school in Ventura at Brooks Institute of Photography studying photojournalism so I'm pretty familiar with the town. We decided that clam chowder and fish and chips were in order and headed over to Andrea's in the harbor. Great stuff!

After dinner and a beer we headed across the street for the beach at sunset and the resulting images are below. Enjoy and check back tomorrow for images of the next day further up the coast.

Approaching Surf, Sunset, Ventura California

1.3 sec at f/32, focal length: 78mm, ISO 100 - September 5, 2008, 7:23pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted

Rock and Sand, Ventura California

1/15 sec at f/7.1, focal length: 200mm, ISO 400 - September 5, 2008, 7:27pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted

Rock, Seaweed and Surf, Ventura California

13 sec at f/32, focal length: 87mm, ISO 400 - September 5, 2008, 7:37pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted

Receding Surf, Sunset, Ventura California

1/2 sec at f/5, focal length: 145mm, ISO 100 - September 5, 2008, 7:42pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted

Rock and Receding Surf, Sunset, Ventura California

1 sec at f/5, focal length: 145mm, ISO 100 - September 5, 2008, 7:42pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted

Rock, Reflection and Receding Surf, Sunset, Ventura California

5 sec at f/11, focal length: 140mm, ISO 200 - September 5, 2008, 7:46pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted
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Sunset, Red Peak, Yosemite National Park

1/4 sec at f/22, focal length: 200mm, ISO 100 - August 22, 2008, 7:39pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted


Over two weeks and no updates! Shame on me.

This is an image I made while camping with some friends at just under 9000' in the Sierra National Forest.

I was hiking back up from one of the lakes, there's 4 in the area, to our campground and turned a corner on the trail to catch this view just in time. There were trees just outside of either edge of the frames making the options for composition pretty limited. There was actually a better view of this from our campground that would have made a wonderful panoramic. I guess I'm just going to have to go back.

Enjoy and feel free to leave me your thoughts, questions, whatever.

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My Favorite Subject

1/250 sec at f/8, focal length: 50mm, ISO 100 - August 14, 2008, 6:42pm PDT
Strobe Camera right on manual at 1/2 power through 43" White shoot thru umbrella
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 50mm f/1.8, handheld, Canon 550ex strobe on a light stand

I know this isn't a landscape image, but how could I resist. I made these images this evening with my daughter just before her bed time. The whole session couldn't have lasted longer than two minutes and she gave me so many great expressions. I only snapped off 11 frames, and got 11 completely unique faces.


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Pollen's Universe

1/250 sec at f/5.6, focal length: 50mm, ISO 400 - May 25, 2008, 12:29apm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 50mm f/1.8, handheld

Can anyone guess what this is?

Click thru to find out.

It's pollen on asphalt after a heavy rain. This image was made on my driveway beneath an oak tree in the spring time. I was noticing earlier in the day that the pollen was streaming into formations that looked like little galaxies. I used a flash mounted on the camera bouncing off of a white wall camera top-right. This brought out the texture in the pollen and asphalt to give the image depth and a shimmer that lent itself to the illusion of space.
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Fallen Lodgepole, Chiquito Creek, Sierra National Forest

"0.4 sec at f/32, focal length: 200mm, ISO 100 - August 9, 2008, 4:23pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted

This image was made while camping this weekend with my family and some friends in the Sierra National Forest just outside the Ansel Adams Wilderness. We had a wonderful time and I got a few opportunities to make some images that I'm very happy with. Hope you enjoy.

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Ripples and Reflections

1/160 sec at f/8, focal length: 159mm, ISO 100 - August 8, 2008, 4:57pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted

Ferns and Granite

1.6 sec at f/32, focal length: 188mm, ISO 100 - August 9, 2008, 3:45pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted

Rocks and Reflections

"0.8 sec at f/32, focal length: 176mm, ISO 100 - August 8, 2008, 5:11pm PDT
Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted
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