dustingent adventures

Hobbit Falls

2013-04-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

A buddy of mine, who is a professional photographer, flew into Oregon a few weeks ago. We embarked on a 5 day journey throughout the state - but before we left, I showed him a waterfall that I have always liked. This falls is becoming more and more popular; and for good reason.

I have to credit him for finding this comp, but I suppose if I hadn't said "I am going to cross the creek to check out the other side", this shot wouldn't have been made :). I am pretty happy with the shot.

A new website will be coming soon. I cannot disclose exactly when that will be, but within several weeks for sure. I have several trips planned, so time will be limited for a while.

Don't fret though. I will still be posting on here, among some other blogs I have (Wordpress and Tumblr).

The Yosemite Experience

2013-02-27T10:34:00.001-08:00

Well, I am back from Yosemite. It really is amazing how this place emerges from out of nowhere. We drove the 140 from Merced into the West end of the park, and the landscape leading up to the park ABSOLUTELY RESEMBLES NOTHING like what is in the valley floor. Blows my mind. A lot of the National Parks have a "seamless" transition in the landscape leading up to the Park (or whatever destination), but the only other place I can think of that comes close is Smith Rock State Park, here in Oregon.

If you came to this blog via a link on my Facebook page, you will remember that I have mixed feelings about this place. Let me explain why I typed that. Now remember, it is "winter" in Yosemite, so most of the good places are in-accessible by vehicle - such as Glacier Point, Tioga Pass, and all the great spots out there. Getting to Mono Lake and Mammoth take 6 times as long to reach - but I knew this going in.

Yosemite is unique in that most of the classic spots that Ansel Adams so famously shot, are super easy to get to. This is great as far as a National Park goes, because you don't need to be in super good shape witness this amazing place. It also means it is so super crowded - not so much when I was here, but the lodge just outside the park was booked up, and by the looks of it, the Ahwahnee was as well. I can only imagine what this place is like in summer.

Don't get me wrong, waking up at 3 or 4am and a 20 minute drive and a 2 minute walk to shoot a location is nice sometimes, but it kind of cheapens the total experience. I cannot tell you how many times i have left Portland at 10pm to get to a trailhead by 3:30am, and then hike 4 miles in to shoot a sunrise. Thins out the crowds for sure.

With this said, the photographers I ran into were actually pretty nice. After the Peter Lorber "Hasselblad" workshop in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks last March, I try to avoid shooting in crowded areas as much as possible. But here, people moved their tripods to allow others to shoot - and people were talkative. So that was a very nice plus.

Another thing that blew my mind was the lack of photographers at night! Once the sun went down, the park was empty. I saw cars driving around, but no photographers. I shot every night i was there, for some star trails (it was a full moon, so didn't turn out as well) and some long exposures with the full moon. I am no expert on Yosemite, but how often is there snow on the ground with a full moon and clear skies? Perhaps other photographers didn't realize that? I ran into no one on Friday night, a dude Saturday night and three on Sunday night. So basically I had free range of the whole park after 9pm. I am not complaining, however!

When I go back in summer, I most likely won't spend much time in the Valley Floor - but rather do a bit of backpacking to some of the high country lakes.

Yosemite

2013-02-20T08:56:00.000-08:00

A few days from now, I will be in Yosemite for the first time - and I am stoked! I haven't been out shooting really since Thanksgiving. Crazy, I know. I have upgraded cameras twice since May, and have been out shooting maybe 7 times. This year I will be out shooting a bit more than last year.

The weather forecast for Yosemite took a huge turn in the last few days. Last week, it was sunny and mid to high 50s all week. Kinda boring - well, really boring! Star trails and shooting "fire falls" are the only things I would want clear days for. Now it is snowing in Yosemite, and is supposed to until Sunday, where there it is calling for partly cloudy.

So most likely I won't be able to shoot Horsetail Falls lit up - but I am ok with that. From what I have heard this year, there are 100s of "photographers" lined up, trying their hand at shooting that. I am not a huge fan of crowds - especially shooting the same thing. I would have scouted out a different look anyways. I am hoping many of those photographers are fair weather shooters - I mean who doesn't want Yosemite to themselves? Especially in the snow!

Another thing I wanted to do was shoot star trails - however there is a full moon this weekend, so that will make things interesting. Breaks in the clouds, long exposures, snow - man, these are going to be the longest 48 hours, lol.

Zenfolio emailed me stating that my website will be taken offline in 21 days if they don't receive payment - they have this awesome "automatic renewal" that obviously is set by default, and the card they have on file (the one I used to pay for the subscription) is no longer valid - thus the "reminder" on the payment info. This is good news though. I get three more weeks of Zenfolio, which buys me time (no pun intended) to get my new one up - which ironically will cost a little more than I am paying for a Zen subscription.

Also, I am thinking of remodeling this blog. I spent a TON of time going through the code and modifying a theme to my liking. I realized AFTER I changed it, that white text on black background is not the easiest on the eyes. So I will be making a change in the next week or so. If you haven't noticed, I like change. Nothing is permanent, right?

One last thing I forgot to mention before I sign off. I picked up a Nikon 24-85mm NON VR lens to use in Yosemite. I think it is a stellar lens, and I hope to prove this. I haven't had more than a few lenses in years - and changing lenses is not my favorite thing to do :)

From the Archives

2013-02-11T16:51:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons I bought a Nikon D700 was due to its' legendary low light performance. I am sure you have noticed more and more night shots with the Milky Way and star trails and such. This is due to better sensor technology - which makes it sooo much easier to execute more dynamic shots.

Sure this could be done in the film days or even during the "toddler" stage of digital, but it was harder. One of the they very few times I wished I had newer gear. A camera with a high ISO limit and fast glass (2.8 or faster) are a recipe for good results - neither of which I had until last week; as I just picked up the 14mm 2.8 prime.

This particular photo was taken at Pacific City with my Canon 1DS and Tokina 17mm 3.5 RMC that I just sold several weeks ago. ISO on this was 800, which my D700 absolutely scoffs at. To put this into perspective, I can get a shot at 6400 at night, handholding the camera - and the shot turn out. Of course newer flagship cameras (Canon 1Dx and Nikon D4, respectively) can shoot 25,600 and be usable - though you pay for this privilege ($5000+). The exposure was 782 seconds, so roughly 13 minutes.

I ran the file through Niks' AMAZING Define 2.0 software, which rids images of noise, and this image has plenty. Happened to go through files in Aperture, cleaning up and deleting images I have no reason why I keep, and came across this shoot - I totally forgot about them.

New website soon - and new gear

2013-02-10T19:42:00.002-08:00

It has come to my attention that my Zenfolio subscription is set to "expire" on February 15th, this upcoming Friday. The renewal fee is $120 for the premium, which I think it is called. When I signed up last Feb, it was $80. My domain name is paid for, and that is like $10 a year.

Even before I got the email from Zenfolio, kindly reminding me that I need to pony up $120, I was looking at alternatives. Don't get me wrong, Zenfolios' customer service has been good, with what limited help I have needed - that is always good when you do not need to use the customer service. In that aspect, I have been happy with Zen.

What has got me looking at alternatives is more customization and a different look. One of the downfalls of Zen or even SmugMug for that matter, is that there is only so much you can do. That is the trade off from spending the big bucks on a custom site. It is actually cheaper to pay for a custom site, as you just pay a developer once for design - and a good developer will have tools incorporated where you don't need their help with uploading images.

Of course, one has to most likely be making monies from their craft to justify the $1000+ it cost for a custom site. That is why sites like Zenfolio and SmugMug are popular. Fairly straight forward and cheap.

So, what am I going to do? I am going to have a WordPress based site. Wordpress is a popular platform, and there are a TON of amazing themes that are built on the WP engine. Themeforest is a good starting point. The theme I am going to get will cost me probably $70-$100 and hosting through a site like BlueHost will be like $60 or less. Yes, this does add up to more than $120, BUT next year my fee will be the hosting, which will be $60 or whatnot.

I want my site to stand out, to be fun - not all serious and such. Anyone who knows me or shoots with me knows I am not at all serious when I am shooting. Most of the time I am laughing or goofing off. I want this to convey over into my website. Doing something out of the norm, and I am hoping this will be live by the end of the month. I will be gone for 6 days, and then will probably be working 10 days straight or so, and may not get a chance to get a ton done, especially with new photos to be editing.

Speaking of which, I will have some gear to accompany me this year. Obviously the camera is "new" to me, as is the Samyang 14mm 2.8, but I JUST ordered an amazing Nikon Nikkor 200mm f/4 prime. Nikon has some amazing lenses that are manual focus, and they are pretty cheap too! I got this 200mm for $111 shipped - should have it in my hand by the 19th; just in time for my trip! I will be also picking up one more lens. Kind of a hole in my line up, with a 14mm and 200mm. I may try to get a zoom or a 50mm and 35mm prime - gotta sniff out a deal :)

Anyways, here is an image taken last Tuesday with the 14mm lens, converted to B&W.

First impressions with the lovely Samyang 14mm

2013-02-06T11:52:00.001-08:00

Gotta love the quickness of the USPS - I bought this lens on FredMiranda on Friday evening, and it is mounted on my D700 on Monday!

First thing that I noticed is the size of this lens. It is much smaller in size than I expected. No doubt it is larger and heavier than my Tokina 17mm was, but I was expecting a beast of a lens - not sure if I am disappointed in that respect :). The size is probably closer to that of a Canon 17-40L or Tokina 11-16, for those of you that have used those lenses.

Second thing I noticed right away was the lens cap. Without really closely examining the lens, I assumed it was a lens hood. No doubt a REALLY nice design on Samyangs' part. It feels solid and not cheesy like some of the lens caps out there, especially from a manufacturer that most have not heard of. It cinches on the sides, so no accidents. It would be deliberate to get this thing off.

Lens hood isn't extremely extruding, but I suppose it really cannot be. The lens almost comes flush with the shallowest part of the pedal hood - but it IS 14mm FUN after all. Zoom feels solid, as does the aperture blades. The rear mount is metal, which for this price range is expected, no doubt.

Quality of the lens is on par with my Nikon 85mm 1.G, which I just temporarily sold to free up funds for some much needed gear. I mean I work at REI after all, gotta get some of the new spring line we have coming in :). Nothing screams cheap on this lens. I do not have a Nikon 16-35mm to compare this to, but my buddy has one and I will try to pry it from his hands to do a non scientific test one of these days.

Anyone going into ownership of this lens will realize that filters cannot be used without some custom MacGyver work. It is not a deal break by any stretch of the imagination for myself, as I have not owned a filter of any type in years - except when I had one for about 2 minutes last year when I went to Utah (it broke after literally 2 minutes of shooting).

This lens will get a full workout (as will my D700) when I hit up Yosemite in 2 weeks from tomorrow for some winter goodness. I am unsure if I will be able to get out before that.

The Limiting Factor

2012-11-20T21:07:00.000-08:00

We all get "the bug" from time to time -- and I admit, I do as well. "The Bug" being GAS; gear acquisition syndrome. Over the years, I have read about this on various websites. Canon or Nikon releases a new camera body or lens into the wild, and shortly thereafter you see craigslist or eBay flooded with yesterdays' gear.

There is nothing bad about this -- for those of us that never buy new gear, this is a perfect time to buy. I just scored a D700 with a $100 grip, $90 cable release and $100 bag for $1500. Sold all the extras and got a body that sells for $1500-1800 currently, for $1200. Not bad, considering the same camera sold for $2200 just this past May.

Of course there are downsides to GAS. The main misconception with "latest and greatest" gear is that it will make a photographer automagically 100% better. I mean, a photographer is only as good as the weakest link, right? Well yes, this is true -- but the "weak link" is not the gear; it is the photographer. The capabilities are misplaced into the gear, and not skill of one self. Don't believe me? That is perfectly fine. Here is my story.

As those of you that have read this blog before (many thanks to all 3 of you!), you may have recalled that I shot film for the last 6 months or so. For those that do not know the story, here is a quick run down. In May 2012, I sold my Canon 1Ds and promptly bought a Nikon F5. Having really never shot film, I wanted to get back to basics. No reliance on any of the advances of photography in the last 5 years to help guide me; Live View, no LCD screen, etc.

The first roll of film I shot really didn't render anything of visual value, so to speak. It did, however, help me pre-visualize a scene. The film process really slowed me down. I had to think about what I was shooting, and make sure I nailed the exposures -- because it wouldn't be weeks until I knew if I did well or not. It was pretty funny now that I think back, the first roll of film I changed out. Took me like 10 minutes to change out that roll :). We all have our moments, okay..

All said and done, I put through maybe 5 rolls of film through the F5. From May until October. I traveled to Seattle, Central Oregon, Mt. Rainier National Park - and some amazing waterfalls in the middle of nowhere, that took 4 hours to reach. That is around 170 exposures, give or take a few. I have buddies that burn through that many exposures in 3 hours in The Gorge.

Sadly, I bought a D700 and the exact same day, my F5 wouldn't power on. She is getting worked on right now. Only camera I have ever had that needed repairs, and it is the least technologically advanced camera I have shot seriously with. Go figure. I hope to get it back in the next few weeks.

Here is an image that I am super happy with. I get asked ALL the time about the details of this photo, ie; the scanning method, developing, etc. BlueMoon Camera here in Portland, Oregon did the developing and scanning. I do not know what scanner they used specifically - however I think it might be the Nikon Coolscan 9000 ED, as I have some scans done with that scanner.

This is a shot of Lower Lewis River Falls, taken mid October of this year. Same lens I have used for the last 20 months. I still don't use filters, and I took all of 3 exposures of this spot.

In closing, there is the proof that the Limiting Factor is indeed the photographer. There are limitations with any tool, and cameras are exactly that - a tool to get the job done. The job of a photographer is to work within these limits.

2013 Calendars available for pre-order

2012-11-11T17:34:00.003-08:00

After several years, I decided to sit down and put together a calendar. It took quite a bit of work to put this thing together, and found out I actually like doing that stuff. Also put together a calendar for my buddy - which took a while as well.

The calendars should be available in a week, hopefully. I did realize that I need to get out this winter to get more winter scenes. Working at REI has its benefits :). Here is a preview of the calendar. Contact me if you have any questions/comments, etc.

The new camera and thoughts on switching brands

2012-11-04T01:44:00.000-07:00

Having used an older (2002) digital camera for years and then film -- it was a real interesting experience using the D700 this first time. It is the newest camera I have owned (2008). Since about 2004 I have shot with Canon exclusively, and the transition to Nikon was complete with the sale of my 1Ds and the purchase of the F5.

Canon has some really nice lenses, and the ability to use some "alternative" glass on the Canon bodies was super appealing to me. Canons' lens mount is larger than that of Nikon, so it allows for the use of Pentax, Olympus Zuiko and yes, even Nikon -- among others on a Canon via an adapter. With Nikon, really the options are limited due to the smaller mount.

This is not a deal breaker, as Nikon didn't hose their customer base on this front. Their older lenses are both FABULOUS and you can use them on all F mount cameras. Nikon did hose their customers with the new repair policy that went into effect in July of this year -- but I won't get into that now (hopefully I won't need any repairs also).

My Tokina lens, as mentioned in previous posts, is Nikon based. I had been using that on my Canon via a fotodiox adapter. It worked fine, and I discovered a fabulous lens - and probably drove the resale up on it. Sorry people! This made the transition a bit more "natural" to Nikon - as I didn't need to mess with the adapter, even though it really is no pain.

When I was in the market for a film body, I looked at the EOS-3, 1V, Nikon F5 and F100. The EOS-3 supposedly didn't meter correctly for manual focus glass and the EOS 1V is still $500+. No thanks. I was looking at the F5 and F100. The F100 is a superb camera, and I actually had an F100 and 2 F5s in my "stable" at one point in time. I kept the F5 as the F100 didn't have mirror lock up, and I liked the form factor of t he F5 better than the F100. The F100 is a beast, and built better than the EOS-3.

Nikon really nailed the design and function with the F5. Many people say the F3 is the most amazing 35mm film camera on the planet, with the F5 close behind it. The F5 feels great in the hand. Yes it is heavy, but you know it is up to any task you ask of it. The experience I had this summer with the F5 swayed my decision to stick with Nikon, when the time came to get back into the digital realm.

After about a month of research on cameras, I decided on the D700. Canon really fell asleep at the wheel on their bodies the last 3-4 years. I looked at the Canon 1Ds2 when looking at cameras, but it simply was not an upgrade enough for me. The IQ is outstanding on the 1Ds2, but it still is nearly 8 year old technology, uses old bulky batteries, ISO maxes out at 1600 (usable up to 800), no Live View or useful LCD.

The 1Ds3 is a great camera, but it is still nearly 3 grand on the used market. The 5D2 has amazing IQ, but lets get real; the build quality is pretty embarrassing -- especially for a camera that was aimed squarely at landscape and wedding photographers. It is basically the build of a 40/50D with the same 9 point AF and a FF sensor. No thanks. I don't shoot in a bubble, so I need something that can fall a few feet and not miss a beat. In my research for durability and such on the Nikon, I came across this nice article. Pretty much sealed the fate of the 5D2.

I decided against the D3 mostly because of the cost. Sure the D3 has the larger form factor that I like and a brighter viewfinder, but other than that, it was pretty much the same camera. When i picked up my D700, I didn't know what to expect. You see, hadn't even touched a D700 prior to this purchase. First thing I noticed was the heft of this thing. With the lens attached, it weighs as much as my F5, without the 8 AA batteries.

This is the first camera I have owned that has had Live View and a beautiful LCD. When I took this out to shoot, I noticed a few things that are thoughtfully laid out. I shoot in manual mode 100% of the time and use Mirror Lock-up 95% of the time. With Canon, MLU was buried in the menus. With the D700, it is on the control dial, as is Live View. Very convenient! Another thing I noticed is that with non AI-S lenses, you can add a lens profile. You simple enter the largest aperture the lens is and what focal length, and save the profile. My camera knows what aperture I am shooting at, and my lens is fully manual -- and you change the aperture via the barrel of the lens! Pretty smart, if I do say so my self.

Live View, while I am still a very novice at using it, looks like it will come in handy when the composition calls for a rather interesting perch of the camera. SO instead of contorting my body to see through the viewfinder like I used to, I can simply use Live View to "cheat"! Gotta love technology.

Lastly, the lens is probably the real star of the show. This lens impressed me immensely with the 1Ds, blew me away with my film experiment, and now - even when I thought I knew how good this lens was, I am besides myself. Gets me giddy to think I can get even better results with a higher grade lens!

If you read through all that, you impressed me! I hope you found this somewhat informative. Here is a photo from yesterday. Until next time..

Transition back to digital

2012-11-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted anything here in quite a while, which there a few reasons for that. Being busy with work hindered my shooting schedule. It is always a good thing to busy with work (most of the time), but not such a good thing when it cuts into my shooting time.

Since selling my 1Ds in May and picking up an F5 in late May, I have shot maybe 5 rolls of film. From June until mid October, 5 rolls of film was enough. My film experiment taught me a few things. Firstly, I learned to really slow down, and not shoot haphazardly, so to speak. Obviously with digital, other than the initial cost of the camera and memory cards, it really doesn't cost anything to take pictures. Only thing you expend is memory capacity and energy.

Second thing I really came to appreciate is patience. I already was a fairly patient person, but with film, you HAVE to know you can nail an exposure before you even hit the shutter. You will not know what the "results" are for at least a week after dropping off the roll - and there are no re-dos. With digital, you simply look at the LCD and reshoot if need be.

When I was at a waterfall this past summer, it was raining practically for an hour straight; and the flow from the creek was running high. The spray from this falls was impressive. Not only did I have to wait until it stopped raining, I had to wait out the wind, as there was so much spray from this falls; and I was a good 100 yards downstream. The result of my patience is this image - Little Niagra Falls

That was shot with my Nikon F5, Fuji Pro 160S (discontinued, sadly) and my Tokina lens. 2 or so weeks ago, I decided to get back into digital. A few reasons for this decision. Biggest factor was the discontinuation of film. Reala was discontinued a ways back, and even finding it on eBay was scarce - and it was not cheap. $7-$12 a roll is not economical. Once you factor in scanning and developing, the cost easily exceeds $30 a roll. Another reason to slow down when shooting.

Another reason was the amount of time it was between when I dropped off the film until I received it back. Sometimes it was a few weeks. I also couldn't just finish off a roll for the sake of getting it developed. For example, I had a new roll of film in my camera when I went to Mt. Rainier National Park, and when I left a day later, I still had 20 frames left. The next time I was able to shoot was a good 3 weeks later. Even the next time I shot didn't always guaranty I would finish off the roll.

So mid October this year, I picked up a mint Nikon D700 for a smoking deal! I finally got out to shoot with it yesterday and I am blown away by the results thus far. I will give my "review" in my next post. For now, here is a shot taken yesterday.

The Analog Experience

2012-07-30T09:17:00.003-07:00

It has been a while since I have posted on here. Crazy how things change so quickly - and how fast the seasons change. Here is it in the middle of the summer, and fall is knocking on the door.

Late May, I sold my Canon 1Ds and compact flash cards and picked up a Nikon F5. I was considering an F100, but since it lacks mirror lock up and doesn't have the same weather sealing as my 1Ds had, I decided to go with the F5. After all, it wasn't considered one of the best 35mm body ever made for no reason. I actually like this camera more than I do the 1Ds.

I have only had 3 rolls of film developed so far. A roll of Sensia is ready to get developed and I have half a roll in my camera. Hopefully this next week I will finish off the roll to get developed and scanned.

Here are a few images that I have thus far. I really like the rendition that the film has. The dynamic range is far, far superior to digital - and I can get used to this. I even notice in photoshop that the film files take more "abuse" than the digital ones did. Kinda interesting.

Last bushwhack with digital

2012-06-04T12:16:00.002-07:00

Several weeks ago, a few buddies and myself headed out to the Gorge. For the last few years, there have been several waterfalls on my list that I have wanted to shoot. There still are many falls on my list - which I hope to knock off this year. It took some work/research to get these directions - as they are kinda hard to get. I now understand why.

These falls are located on the Ruckel Ridge Trail. This trail is no joke. Pretty much uphill for 3 miles or so, relentlessly. After checking our coordinates, we broke down to the creek. Of course by this time, the sun was shining and the lighting was pretty harsh - thus we are heading back soon. It took 3 hours of hiking to get to the first falls. Crazy - I know.

After shooting this first falls, known as Epiphany Falls, we went downstream for about an hour I would say - at least an hour of walk time. It took longer than an hour, as we stopped and took pictures of this area that probably doesn't get shot but a few times a year, if that. We finally reached Deadman Falls, which is really an amazing small area. The trek from here to the trail is seriously brutal. It basically is heading up this sloped hill, for like 2400 feet (estimated). It took an hour to get to the trail, and then another hour+ to get to the truck.

It ended up being the last bushwhack with my 1Ds. I have a Nikon F5 - which by the way is such a beautiful camera. It is said to be the finest 35mm film body ever made. The build quality is on par with the 1 series for sure. Personally, I think the nikon is a much better looking camera than the Canon 1 series. Even the digital Nikon pro bodies look better than the 1 series. Of course looks are just cosmetic.

I hope to have my first roll of film developed and scanned in the next week. My Fuji Reala 35mm film just came in today. I am sad to see Fuji discontinue this amazing film in 35mm. They still make it in medium format - which I may end up moving to.. who knows. So I have 15 rolls of Fuji Reala, a roll of Fuji NPS 160 and a Roll of Kodak Ektar. The great thing is that the Reala is not yet expired and has been refrigerated.

2012-05-22T12:31:00.001-07:00

Been a while since I entered anything here - this is due to being busy, and thus not being able to go out shooting. There was over a month between shoots, which got me thinking. During the next 3-4 months, I will most likely be pretty busy with work - so that means not a whole ton of shooting; but you never know. This got the thinking about selling the camera, as it doesn't gain value. Yes, I think about resale value on most everything:).

Then it dawned on me that I could shoot film. When I last shot film, I was not very good - to say the least. It is a bit more expensive, but not as bad as I had thought. Plus if I am not shooting a ton, it won't cost me as much, and film gear doesn't depreciate - especially the higher end bodies. Scanning is pretty cheap, and the files are equal to 17 MP files.

Another reason to shoot film is to get better as a photographer. With digital, one gets kinda lazy, especially with things like Live View, being able to instantly see the shot, and of course the histogram. I don't have Live View on my camera, the LCD screen on my old camera is not very good and I don't know how to read a histogram; so these extras I won't really miss. Sure I would be lying if I said I won't miss the instant results (i.e.; no waiting to get developed, etc).

Film will make me slow down, although I don't usually fill my CF card. Also, each shot will literally cost me money. I will still bracket my shots, but in moderation, lol. My goal is to be able to trust my skills enough to where I can go to some place new and know that I can get the same shot I could with digital. Perhaps shooting film might be a new trend. I have been told that B&W film is on the rise in the U.K.

Anyways, here is a shot from yesterday, taken in The Gorge.

Grand Staircase-Escalante

2012-04-23T20:02:00.004-07:00

We spent most of our time here, the majestic area known as The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. There are TONS of things here to shoot; from slot canyons to arches.

This is a shot of Sunset Arch. I don't think it gets a whole lot of love. Hiking in the desert at night with rattlesnakes is kind of a crazy thing - but I guess people who live here would think of hiking with bears is crazy as well...

Southwest Trip

2012-04-23T19:03:00.001-07:00

About a month ago, a buddy and I took a quick 2700 mile trip to Utah. We left on a Monday and came back early Saturday morning. It was a fun trip, and some really special about the Southwest.

The irony is that I spent many summers (ok, like 3 or 4 - but that is a lot when you are a kid lol) in Arizona - mostly in Flagstaff. Flag is about 2 1/2 hours from the slot canyons (Antelope, Canyon X, etc), 2 hours from the Grand Canyon, and 4 1/2 hours from Zion, and so on and so forth. The deal was that I wasn't really into photography back then. Might be due to me being 14, also being due to there was no such thing as a DSLR - or even blogs for that matter. It was also more expensive to click the shutter. How I wish I could go back in time.

There would be no waiting in line to shoot much of anything! Antelope Canyon wasn't as well known, and you didn't need a guide to access it. Same goes for many places - except "The Wave" recently had the permit system implemented. The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which by the way should be a National Park for sure; was not as visited as it is now.

The reason why I bring that up is that I HATE shooting in traffic. What I mean by that is I am not used to shooting locations that have 100s of people. That brings us to our first morning in the SW. We decided to hit up Arches National Park. It was easy and quick, which was very welcome after our 1000 mile drive. We rolled in at 2am and slept for a few hours in the car. Then awoke to jet-boil water for our coffee, and to my amazement, 10 cars or so roll into the parking lot.

We walked up to Turret Arch, and were yelled at by an instructor for a Hasselblad workshop. He was very rude to myself and to tourists. He acted like we were on private land. The bottom line was everyone paid the same to get into the NATIONAL PARK, and traveled to get there. Incidentally, I looked at the back of my Outdoor Photographer magazine just as we left to see if any tours/workshops were going to be happening while we were there. So I knew we may run into them. The instructors' name is Peter Lorber. He is a talented photographer, but has not much tact.

So after shooting Arches, we decided to hit up Canyonlands. We decided to shoot the False Kiva for sunset, and Mesa Arch for sunrise. Again, we ran into the Hassy workshop at Mesa. To keep a long story short, I kinda was forced from my spot, and found a way more wicked spot for a composition that I bogarted the entire sunrise. I later found out that the workshop was here 2 days earlier for sunrise - so I didn't feel as bad, lol.

To sum it up, we went to every National Park in Utah, except for The Great Basin National Park and Zion. We were in Bryce long enough to say we were in Bryce Canyon.

Here is a shot of the False Kiva. This brings me full circle to my first few paragraphs of this entry. Without the internet, I would have NOT found this site. It is not hard to get to, but without spending months here to explore the wonderland that is Canyonlands, not many people would have their shot at this incredible vista...

One of 5 finalists

2012-03-21T15:10:00.001-07:00

So I got a call from Terry Richard, a reporter with The Oregonian (newspaper). I entered their annual amateur photo contest. It seems I am one of 5 finalist. The grand prize is a trip to Amsterdam, and the next prizes are gift cards to local photography shops! Pretty stoked.

I will know more in several weeks, when they choose their winner. I have posted this photo before, but here it is.

Can't believe it is March already

2012-03-05T16:16:00.001-08:00

In a matter of weeks, the Columbia River Gorge (along with most places) will come back alive with new blooms. The Gorge is prime in May, but is still good any time of year. This year has been crazy weather wise. It is supposed to snow tonight, and snow in The Gorge - which I may head out tomorrow to see if there is snow there.

I have been going through waterfall images lately. Many waterfalls are on my list this year. Here is one from Lower Lewis River Falls. I call this one "Par For Course"

Flickr (and a new photo)

2012-02-29T17:49:00.001-08:00

Here's the deal. I had a Flickr "Pro" account. I think it cost $29 a year. That isn't a ton of money, I agree. Equals like 2.50 a month or so - but let's break this down a bit.

What does the Pro account give you? Where does the money go, as far as improvements to the site? Are they better alternatives? These questions led me to make my decision NOT to give flickr anymore money.
Now I may seem like a mad, bitter person. Perhaps, perhaps not. But when one isn't working much right now, and money is tight - you may have better insight into my reasoning.

So somehow I ended up on Flickrs' "help forum", which really is not very well organized. I am sure they are going to address this when they decide to roll out their update in 8-9 months. I voiced my opinions, and as I expected, many people defended Flickr. I was told you cannot compare G+ or even 500px to Flickr. I was also told that flickr isn't a "social media"site. But isn't it? Maybe perhaps not in the sense that G+ or Facebook are, but it is no doubt still social media. There are Flickr Apps, Flickr plug-ins from Aperture (and I am assuming Lightroom as well?). It was also suggested I delete my account, or even get a website, which I do have.

If you have used Google Plus, I am sure you have opinions on it. You also know what a GREAT tool it truly is. I am sure that Google knew that it would be a HUGE hit with photographers. They already had Picassa in place, and it was integrated into G+ well before Google opened up G+ to the masses (it used to be by invite only). What is really wonderful about G+ is the "blog" aspect of it. I still like the traditional layout, but I could seriously use G+ as my blog. It is like instant messaging or texting, if you think about it. The beauty of G+ is that it IS FREE. As someone who cares about jpeg compression, G+ handles compression extremely well.

500px also handles jpeg compression well. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is, when you upload a 700kb file to flickr, and only 565kb is uploaded. A lot of people don't care about this, but if you are PAYING for a service, it should at least handle files better than a free service, right? Also, both 500px and Google do NOT limit the amount of files you can have. 500px DOES LIMIT the amount per week on their free account, but it is 20 per week. I have yet to even come close to that limit.

Also, and I may be superficial here, but the UI of Flickr is years behind the curve. It is not elegant at all, especially for a so called "non social media" site. Now we get to the cost. For my Zenfolio account, it cost me $80 a year. That equals $6.40 a month or something. For the extra $4 a month, I would much rather have a website that has unlimited storage, customizable, can sell prints from, etc.

However, I have met good people via Flickr. A few buddies I shoot with regularly with I met via flickr. I also met some via G+, and most people that have flickr have a G+. These are my opinions on this, and nothing else:)

Here is a shot I worked on this morning. It is near Fort Rock, Oregon. It was at sunset, and the temperature was around 35 degrees with a breeze.

processing block

2012-02-25T16:04:00.000-08:00

Time to admit that I am tired of looking at the photos from my last trip. I shot more during the mid day harsh lighting last weekend, than I have in the last 3 years combined. This has happened to me before - sick and tired of images from an outing. Sometimes it takes a while before I am able to process them. Weird, I know. Oh well.

So that being said, I switched paths and went back through my first attempt to shoot the tunnel. Ironically, it has taken me this long to be able to work something from there I am happy with. Actually, I did post a shot from there that I recently processed. Perhaps 2 weeks ago or less I worked a shot from here. Regardless, it was October when I took these; so a good 4 months, give or take a few weeks.

My how time flies. Spring is upon us, my friends! That means more rain (actually is snowing here today - and is forecasted tomorrow), the renewal of life, cherry blossoms, tulip festivals, and WATERFALLS! Wildflowers as well, but that is usually in May (for Gorge wildflowers - Rainier and Jefferson are a bit later; usually)

Waterfalls have always been my strong point. I think that is starting to even out with my ocean shots, with the mountain and wildflower shots a little weaker. That is obviously due to not having spent a ton of time up there. Desert scenes are way down below, lol. Anyways, here is a shot from October 2011.

"Almost Paradise"

Now linked to my website - and a new image

2012-02-22T18:04:00.002-08:00

Zenfolio has streamlined the ability to import (or even create) a blog right on the homepage. This is a very welcomed addition. Managing more than one blog would be quite a task, although it would be all "control +C and Control+V"; copy and paste:).

I do have a tumblr blog started, and will probably start one there as well - just for more exposure. After all, photography is 80% marketing - ok 90%. There are people out there with far better marketing experience and far less photography ability than myself, making a living (or even selling a print, which I haven't done yet) at this. If I didn't think I could sell anything, I would've sold my camera and equipment long ago. At least when I start showing my work at shows, I will come out with guns a blazing!

So what would a blog post be without pictures you are probably asking? Kinda boring, I suppose. So to remedy this problem, here is a picture I took Monday. I was the only one that didn't have any other lenses, or fitters, and they all had like $10K worth of glass - and nice enough to let me borrow some glass.

This was taken with a 24-105L and a 10 stop B+W filter. I think this will print up superb on metallic. The finished file looks superb, as do all my finished files;)

Northwest Territories

2012-02-22T17:02:00.000-08:00

Growing up, I spent a lot of time in Flagstaff, Arizona. That is where I first started to have an appreciation for photography. I have always enjoyed history and geology, and in another life I would be a geologist (or a pro photographer!). The vastness of Arizona (the whole Southwest in general) has a spell on me.

On this trip, that feeling came back to me. Eastern Oregon really is a special place, that not many people get to experience. Something about standing most anywhere and seeing the same thing Native Americans or settlers did is pretty amazing. Time seems to stand still out here.

There are many secrets out here. Google searching will not help. It seems the locals really enjoy sharing the spots of interest, especially with photographers. I hope that anyone reading this, either who currently resides in Oregon or plans on visiting Oregon, does visit this area. It is quite a drive from Portland (8 hours), but is not too bad if starting out from Bend, Oregon (160 miles maybe?). The Steens are special, to say the least.

Hopefully this summer I can head back out. It WILL NOT be another 32 years before I get back out here. I am hoping once a year. If I am lucky enough to start selling my work, I will visit this place seasonally!

Road Trip 2/16 - 2/20

2012-02-22T09:41:00.001-08:00

Just got back from a road trip to one of the most remote places in Oregon, and possibly the whole Northwest region of the US. A guy we ran into while out in the Alvord Desert told us that according to a google search, the Alvord is the darkest place in the US - as far as light pollution (or lack thereof) goes.

In any case, it was dark. The stars were amazing, although we didn't get any star trails. Kinda wish we did, as the moon is at 1/4 (crescent) and didn't rise until 5am. It was was cold, and on Saturday night, it was a smelly 8 degrees and some snow. Also the wind was brisk at times.

I hadn't been here before, so it was really something to see. The Alvord has a playa (ply-ah), much like the more famous Death Valley Race Track. The Alvord Desert is larger than the one found in Death Valley, which is interesting. It doesn't get a lot of love, and many people here have never heard of this - even photographers. I am sure my buddies and I won't help keep this a secret any longer.

While I didn't get any amazing sunsets/sunrises, I am now addicted! I am hoping next time I get out here (hopefully this summer as the thunderstorms I have been told are a true sight to behold), I can explore the area a bit more. It is quite the trek (8 hrs one way from Portland), but that is a good thing, as it keeps people from exploiting this area too much.

Here is the first shot I have worked from the actual Alvord Desert. My sensor dust is pretty bad, and I am a perfectionist - so it takes me a bit of time to clean up the image before editing.

New Website

2012-02-13T20:01:00.001-08:00

I sold my printer (Canon Pixma Pro 9000 II) due to me not using it that much - plus the fact that if/when I start selling, people aren't wanting to buy "home prints", even though that printer is legit. I also wouldn't want to do that.

So I finally bit the bullet and got the zenfolio website. It is a bit confusing at first, but I am figuring it out. The site may change from time to time, as far as layout and such - I haven't dialed it in 100%. I will be adding images daily most likely.

What does this mean for this blog? Absolutely nothing! I will still post here. I mean it is Dustin Gent Adventures™after all, and there is usually a story to go with the images. I am heading to the Alvord Desert on Thursday evening - so will be there for a sunrise. Plenty of beer (good beer, like Fort Gorge - based in Astoria, Oregon) and alcohol (Makers Mark and Patron) and a few good buddies. Hopefully the light and weather will be amazing. It is an 8 hour drive from PDX to this isolated location, which I have never been to before. Only one of us that is going has been there.

Here is a shot from the Central Oregon Coast, taken Saturday evening.

HDR - a fine line

2012-02-09T21:40:00.001-08:00

So perhaps you may know, I am NOT a fan of HDR at all. It probably has to do with the way over-cooking of it. That is most likely due to the mis use of it when it first came out. I also don't like it due to people using it, and not disclosing it is an HDR, even though it is obviously HDR.

Now I admit that I have the Nik software, and have the HDR software. I haven't used the HDR software. With this said, I saw on 500px a nice shot of Punchbowl Falls. PB falls is kinda hard to get a unique perspective, as most people who shoot there either shoot from the shallows or the water is too rapid to get out further (thus the reason for shooting in the shallows). I know for a fact that when Eagle Creek is raging, I cannot even get out to where this was taken. It is THAT crazy (and wicked cold).

So I went through my Aperture and saw a few sessions from Punchbowl. One such shoot was from 2006, when the log was still present. I will post a shot from that series soon, but i am not happy with any of them. As I was working this shot, I didn't realize that it started to look kind of like an HDR - kinda. I describe HDR as "chrome like". This kind of has that feeling. I know that people can achieve HDR manually in photoshop, but HDR is usually used to bring out the detail in shadows and such. This photo didn't have heavy shadows.

In any case, HDR is a fine line between beautifully executed and over done. Programs and methods are getting to the point where one cannot discern between HDR and non-HDR - but it is far and few between. I think this photo caught my eye because of the colors and the sharpening used. Anyways, this will be printed in metallic, and it will work well I think.

2012-02-09T13:54:00.000-08:00

I realized that I have been ignoring my blog lately. I apologize. I am a numbers guy. I like looking stats and such. Apparently this blog is over 10K views since I started this back in October. That is mind blowing, as one wouldn't think that as I don't have any comments - but I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. I keep this blog to show my work and perhaps give a story, or an adventure summary (if you will) behind the images posted.

So with this said, I promise to pick my "blogging game" up. I have many, MANY images that want to share. The problem has been the lack of post processing skills. More advanced techniques and such were over my head. That is my fault, as I didn't really take the time to learn. It is a daunting and overwhelming! Where does one start? There are tons of great videos out there. Sean Bagshaw and Zach Schnepf have amazing videos out. I haven't met either of these guys, but my buddy I shoot with quite a bit (heading to the Alvord Desert next week with him) has shot with these guys! My buddy Paul has shot with Chip Phillips several times (and has taken his workshop), and they are all part of Photo Cascadia. Check out the links and their blog! Very informative.

In any case, I have taken the time in the past 3 months to learn and mess around with different things in Photoshop. I feel my editing has improved a ton, and now I am going back over old photos that I had kept, with the hopes I would improve enough to bring them to life, so to speak. In the past, I tried to do as little post as possible, but now realize that is not a good idea. Even with a 1Ds3 and top of the line glass, post processing is still needed. Just taking the picture is half the battle - seriously. Now that I have learned (and am comfortable) with blending several exposures, I now bracket my shots when needed. I have no filters at my disposal; so on some scenes, I have the knowledge on what exposures I need to take to be able to execute a blend. I used to shoot bracketed (manually) shots years ago, but they were simply too far apart in exposure range to make them work.

With this said, I am still very much a novice at photoshop. I use the WONDERFUL Nik software, which all that stuff can be done in photoshop. The aforementioned videos show you how to do this, but Nik makes it much easier and quicker. I will probably learn how to do it manually. I also use Tony Kuyper's awesome actions. They seriously improved my post processing 100%! I have received many messages and comments in the past few months about how I have improved as a photographer, and how my photos look much better. To that, I reply that it probably is a combo of both. 2011 was when I really emerged from mediocre to above average I think. I upgraded cameras, but honestly most wouldn't consider it an upgrade. I had a 40D and a Canon EF 17-40L, and very good ultra wide zoom lens. I sold that and got my Canon 1Ds that is FIVE YEARS older than the 40D, and my lens I picked up in May - which I think made as big a difference. Combine this with the post processing tools and knowledge I have gained, and those are the reasons.

Also "shooting with a purpose"™ is my mantra. If I won't print it, I won't take it. I am also very hard on myself, and thus am very critical of my own work. Sometimes I will work on a photo for an hour or more, and then realize I don't like an aspect of it, and just trash it. If I am happy with the final edit, I know someone will want to buy it. I am hoping that this angle will actually prove to be correct!

Next week I am heading to southeast Oregon, specifically to the Alvord Desert. I have never been there, and am going to spend 4 days in this region. That means 9 sunrises and 9 sunsets. The Alvord receives 4" of rain annually, so I am hoping they don't reach their quota while we are there. Hoping the light gods are there with us, as it is an 8 hour drive there.

I will be back in a bit with new work. Stay tuned!