Sorry, Couldn’t Hang Around
July 23, 2010 by Moose
Filed under Photography
Just simply got too much cookin to be bloggin…I’ll be back shortly though!
A Progression of Thought – the end
July 21, 2010 by Moose
Filed under Great Outdoors
I needed to bring out the drama in that “color” in the B&W. By doing the 1 image HDR, processing that Tif through ACR, in a matter of seconds you can now see simply in the B&W the color drama but in the gray scale. If you go to the bottom of the page and then move back up through the images, I’m hoping that you can see visually what I take for granted as a simple progression of thought.
Photo captured by D3x, 24f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
A Progression of Thought – 1 Step Closer
July 21, 2010 by Moose
Filed under Great Outdoors
We’re back to color you’re asking, how is that making a B&W image? If you compare this color rendition to the one at the bottom of the page, you’ll notice the color is now punchier, the range of light between the shadow and highlight greater. Yeap, it’s a 1 image HDR of the original image. Why would I do that if I’m wanting to go B&W? Remember what I said about the B&W image, what it was lacking? That’s why I did the 1 image HDR.
Photo captured by D3x, 24f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
A Progression of Thought – cont
July 21, 2010 by Moose
Filed under Great Outdoors
OK, so now you know I was dismissing the color when I arranged the elements in this photograph. I was seeing B&W from the get go. You can see below the drama the color brings to the photograph, something that is lost in the simple B&W. With that being the case, we need to take it further for you to see what I’m seeing and more importantly, feeling.
Photo captured by D3x, 24f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
A Progression of Thought
July 21, 2010 by Moose
Filed under Great Outdoors
When helping folks at the camera, I often talk about what needs to be done in post to finish the image. Landscapes are something we need to romance and many times in order for that passion to come out, we have to do some finishing in post. The problem is, which comes first, camera knowledge or post knowledge? I often get these funny looks when I say I mention this post technique or that. Inevitably the question comes out, “How am I supposed to know all of that?” An here lies one of the many challenges of landscape photography, seeing the finished photo in the viewfinder.
You gotta start somewhere and that’s what we have here, the click out of the camera. The finishing you see here is straight out of ACR where just the colors are helped with Vibrance and while it looks nice, it’s not what I say when I took the photo. So let’s take it to the next step.
Photo captured by D3x, 24f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
That’s Right, They’re Mtn Bluebirds
July 20, 2010 by Moose
Filed under Great Outdoors
Many don’t know they are cavity nesters. They use old woodpecker holes for nests. This particular one is in the Ghost Forest and regrettably pretty high up (hence the use of the 2x). I personally don’t like shooting “up” on cavity nesters, the perspective just bugs me but it was a good illustration of an important aspect of photographing cavity nesters.
In the top photo, notice how you see nothing but wood in the frame? Shooting early in the morning gave the tree trunk shading so you have the idea it’s a “round” tree. Without that shading, if would look like a piece of wood from the hardware store. The bottom photo is the more preferred angle and that because the photo has a visual depth. Seeing any background behind the tree, in this case blue sky, gives a feeling of roundness without the shading and at the same time a sense of place. Background is everything even in this simple scene.
Photo captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-20e3 on Lexar UDMA digital film
The Male Gives it Away?!
July 20, 2010 by Moose
Filed under Great Outdoors
Or does it? We look forward each spring to their return to the Sierra, their song is so mellow and sweet. Know who it is yet?
Photo captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-20e3 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Who’s That Peaking Out?
July 20, 2010 by Moose
Filed under Great Outdoors
Yeap, it’s a nesting bird here in the Sierra, actually it’s a species you’ll only find at higher altitudes. Who is it? Another hint to come shortly.
Photo captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-20e3 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Did You Miss Me?
July 15, 2010 by Moose
Filed under Great Outdoors
Those few times when I don’t have a blog posting up first thing in the AM, I get a couple of emails asking what’s up. I do appreciate being missed. Right now the office is just hopping and I’m jamin and cramin to get everything done so I can be gone. I’ve been writing like a mad man so, well, the blog just got the bottom of the list so it’s late today.
Well, finally the nests are popping out some young. The early birds have fledlings but most are just now getting nestlings. This is a Mountain Chickadee that has its nest literally attached to our home. It’s nesting in a bird box that it’s been using for a decade and every year, it successfully adds a few more to the gene pool. The perch it’s on is one I’ve screwed into the house for it to use. When I put it up, I didn’t use a lens so didn’t know it was too close to the bird house. No problem!
I just got the drill out and lowered the perch. As you can see, it didn’t effect the chickadees at all. The other thing you should notice is the big difference in the overall look of the two photos. Both were taken at the same time of the day. The top one though was shot without flash. The bottom one has flash fill. When it comes to nesting birds, it is really rare you can shoot without flash. You can see here why. I’ve gotta get back to real work so I can get back out with the nests. When it rains, it pours!
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Great Week Finished with an !
July 13, 2010 by Moose
Filed under Great Outdoors, WRP Ed Zone
One of the important lesson the Eastern Sierra teaches anyone who cares to listen is take life slow. To simply enjoy even the smallest treasure makes the day all that much sweeter. Our last shoot at Rock Lake spoke this listen in volumes!
Didn’t have to wander any distance, barely walked far from the truck and the clouds and the light performed. We had a wonderful time with really great folks sharing our home here in the Eastern Sierra. I think we have a couple more B&W converts and definitely fans of this very unique of our wild heritage. Thanks gang for a great week, it ended with one helluva exclamation point!
Photos captured by D3x, 18AF on Lexar UDMA digital film
