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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