• Define yourself by volumes, not by a single word
• Never compromise your values
• Listen to other’s wisdom, even if they offer it too freely
• Allow reinvention, but do not allow replication
• Read, learn, explore, for the day you think you know everything is the day you know nothing
• You will be discouraged, but remember, the sun always shines, even on a cloudy day
• Accept credit when it is due, accept blame when it is necessary
• Seek the company of friends and family when you can, seek solitude when able.
• Time is the one asset in which no one knows the total amount, but everybody pays back at the same rate
• Creativity cannot be forced, it can only be encouraged
• Sing as though no one is listening
• Do not seek acceptance if it forces you to change yourself
• Live as much as you can
• Dream as often as possible
• Love to your heart’s fullest extent

Me
I wonder what people will think of my photograph…

The “Casual Viewer”
That’s a pretty picture!

The “Amateur”
I wish I could have taken that!

The “Enthusiast”
I could have taken that!

The “Professional”
What a hack!

The “Deep Thinker”
What is the meaning behind this image?

The “Documentarian”
That’s been Photoshopped!

The “Brand Champion”
What brand of camera did he use?

The “Technologist”
What’s the resolution of the camera that he used?

The “Professor”
What photographic rules did he break?

After skipping the last two Photo Fridays I have returned with an image I captured a couple of weeks ago at Boyer Chute near Ft. Calhoun, Nebraska.  I hiked into the refuge and found a grove of cottonwoods tipped with hoarfrost.  I spent some time photographing the patterns and contrasts through the trees.  This image was taken about 20 minutes before sunrise when the cool blue of twilight dominated the prairie.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 200mm, f/8, 1/15 sec.
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

National Wildlife Federation Photo Contest

Widland Rice Smith Photography Contest

Coyote, why must you vex me so?  How did you know that my 1.6 crop camera, and large lens were in my car across the large frozen lake?  Why must you continue to walk towards me?  Is it a sign of defiance, knowing that I cannot capture you as large as life?  Why? Oh why?  No, don’t disappear into the woods, stay and play on the solid water while I go and get my gear… 

As much as I hate to say it, I was utterly unprepared for this coyote encounter.  For years I had a trusty green photo backup that managed all my gear.  In it I would carry my full frame camera, a crop camera, and an assortment of lenses, including my 300 f/4l and 1.4 tc combo.  About 3 months ago, my photo backup zipper broke and I have been using an awesome shoulder case that I mainly use for brief excursions, but it only carries my full frame camera and shorter lenses.  Normally, I had been carrying my 50D + 300 f/4l + 1/4tc (672mm effective) combo by hand, but as I was to cross a frozen lake I didn’t want to chance falling and dropping it.  Sure, I’ve got my eye on a new backpack, but like many of us, I have decided to cut back on “unnecessary” expenses.  Besides, it’s been a nice treat on my back and knees paring back a bit and carrying less, so all I had was a 5D Mark II and a 70-200 f/4l lens (100% Crop Above).  A lesson to all that read, heed the Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared”.  And Still…

Coyote, why must you vex me so?

A compelling introspective by Seung Kye Lee that looks at the deeper question of Why?

Unattainable Beauty

A Newsweek article on some of the most obvious recent Photoshop retouching issues that have caught the public eye.

Toot your Own Horn, Without Looking Like an Ass

An article by Lindsay Adler that encourages artists to “toot your own horn, no one else will”. 

Social Media for Photographers Kit

A 55 page document that offers advice for photographers struggling to navigate the currents of social networking.  While the advice is generally good, it is somewhat contradictory to other sources on the Internet.  For instance, the document encourages building a community around your “brand” (See the 5 Cs and the rule that 10% of your social networking should be self-promotion).  Many photographers have done this successfully bringing together many artists into great forums.  Some indicate that one should write according to the intended audience, generally not other artists.  In the end, I suppose it is really SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that allows one to rise up the ranks of the Google ladder.  In any event, remaining still is not an option, but there doesn’t seem to be a true north in the world of social networking. 

With a new month comes a new free wallpaper!  This month’s selection is “Cold Fire”.  To use the computer wallpaper for February 2010, click on the image that correlates with the resolution of your monitor and then right-click on the subsequent image and choose “Set as desktop” (or wallpaper).

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“Wow, you must have been lucky to see that!”, “That was lucky you had your camera ready at that exact time!”, or “Did you feel lucky when you saw that?!” are all sentiments I’ve heard voiced at shows and exhibitions to myself and other photographers. Are photographers really “lucky”? While I am happy to have witnessed some of the beauty offered by this earth, this word is perhaps used too freely amongst some of these individuals.

Andrew Fleming, a Scottish researcher, leaving for vacation, left some petri dishes out in his lab containing strains of the staph bacteria. Upon his return he noticed that in one dish one of the staph strains had died near where a mold had taken over. Recognizing the benefit of being able to create a substance to combat bacteria, he worked for years exploring this discovery. The mold he discovered was later termed “Penicillin” and the the modern antibiotic age was born. Of course, many might say he got “lucky”, but in fact he had the knowledge and experience to recognize the implications of what he found. It took years of hard work and dedication, but his serendipitous discovery could have been lost on a less inclined mind.

Seneca, a Roman philsopher is quoted, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”  Pratice, patience, planning, education, all go into building an artist’s preparation for when opportunities arise and these opportunities do not come readily. For example, a photographer who wants to capture the morning sun on a particular mountain peak must research sunrise times, angles, weather conditions, and ascent routes. Once all this information is compiled and processed the artist can then prepare equipment, dress appropriately and ascend the slope to gain the opportunity for a beautiful alpenglow shot. Upon arriving, more preparedness is then required compose the shot, utilize the appropriate filters, and later process the shot to its fullest extent.

Creating art forces artists to observe to the world in a more detailed manner. With more observeration comes a greater the apprecation of the gifts of the this world. An artist’s main goal is to share the beauty that comes from the heart and imagination and this requires dedication and preparation. The thrill of capturing beauty could be perceived as luck, but the end result is a greater realization of the gifts we have. As for the gifts I have?  I agree, I am lucky.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 25mm, f/8, 1/13 sec.
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

Taken at twilight from the tower at Platte River State Park in Nebraska after a fresh snow.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 200mm, f/8, 1/60 sec.
Platte River State Park, Nebraska

The tree is symbolic of an life of artist. The trunk is the base, the basics, knowledge and experience of the craft. The branches symbolize our various creative endeavours within that craft. Some of those branches are older and stronger and support many smaller branches, some are new and budding, while others are dying. Sometimes we must trim away those dead sticks so that we can encourage new growth. As the years pass, we may try to guide the path of these branches, but often there is a randomness that we cannot predict.

Our inspiration waters and feeds the artist-tree. Sometimes it rains and beautiful buds burst into being. Sometimes its winter and the tree waits quietly for the spring thaw. If we do not tend to the tree, it withers and the branches become brittle, but hopefully we can return and resume the care to save its precious nature.

Nurture and love your artist-tree. Let inspiration wash over it and allow the creative branches to reach to the sky. And remember: visit it often.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/6.3, 1/160 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

#5 But honey, I need to be able to photograph our vacation!

#4 But honey, I need to take better photographs of the children!

#3 If I could just get a little wider/longer I would have been able to get that shot!

#2 This will make my photographs better than Adams/Rowell/etc.!

#1 I’ll finally be able to sell my photographs!

Technical Details:
Canon G10
Platte River State Park, Nebraska

#5 Film vs. Digital

Finally, it seems that this argument has lost much of its momentum.  For a while individuals dedicated to film believed that the quality of digital would never match that of film.  It seems that enough film hard cores have come to the realization that the day has finally arrived.  Many digital people have also realized that there is still viable images and techniques that only film can produce.  Digital photographers using film and film photographers using digital, I guess we can all be photographers once again!

#4 PC vs. Mac

The computer is a tool, simple as that.  Some people like one brand, other’s like another.  Mac people, get over yourselves, you are no better than the PC people.  PC people, acknowledge that Macs are here to stay and will not be going anywhere.

#3 Photoshop vs. PhotoPaint (vs. PaintShopPro, etc.)

The program is a tool, simple as that.  Photoshop has its pros and its cons as do the other programs.  If someone is adamant about how great a program is, perhaps the initial image needs to be stronger. 

#2 Nikon vs. Canon (vs. Pentax, Sony, Digital Backs, etc.)

The camera is a tool, simple as that.  Nikon has some great gear and Canon has some great gear.  They both get the job done beautifully (as do the others, as well).

#1 Digital Manipulators vs. Documentarians

This particular argument is perhaps the most hypertensive, knockdown, drag-out fight that has been fought in the nature photography communities.  Countless soapbox speeches, different experiences, and various viewpoints have been espoused.  I remember at one art show at which I exhibited there was a gal who looked at my photograph, “Someday We’ll Find It…” and commented cynically, “I’ve never seen a rainbow look like THAT before.”  There is the old cliche that photographers must learn to “see” and it’s been my experience that many people just don’t “look”.  For example, there have been 3 spectacular occurrences of sundogs this month.  Of those, I have asked various people if they saw them, to which they universally replied they had not, even though I know that they were driving or otherwise outside.  I met up with three individuals during one of these beautiful sundogs, pointed up to the sky and said, “What do you think?”  All three replied, “Wow, I hadn’t realized that was happening!” even after they had been driving for a good 20 minutes during the show.  My point here is that many people get caught up in their day to day lives and never realize the beauty that surrounds them.  In a world of increased digital manipulation one can be forgiven if they do not realize what is real and what is not. 

This leads me to my next point, what digital manipulation is “right”?  In the article, “Photoshop and Nature Photography, how far is too far?”  Darwin Wiggett takes Michael Freeman’s view that the visual arts, including photography, is a representation of real life and therefore is a manipulation by its very definition.    Jim Goldstein concludes in his most recent post “Embracing the Imperfect Image” that perhaps we are over manipulated and an “imperfect image” should be embraced.  Indeed, my post from July “The Imperfect Image” discusses my discovery of the beauty that lies within an image with “flaws”.  Ultimately, after listening to one side and then the other, my view is that only an individual can decide for themselves what constitutes taking an image “too far” to become “perfect”.  Which side is right? It’s up to you decide, just don’t clog the communities with the banter, it takes away from the real goal: creating great art.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l @ 200mm, f/18mm, 1/15 sec.
Long’s Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Cold weather photography brings purifying white snow, ice kissing the grasses and trees, and of course the crisp, cool (or cold!) air.  Additionally, it usually drives away the crowds and makes for some great one on one time with nature.  Of course, in order to enjoy this there are a few items to keep in mind to keep you comfortable and safe!  I’ve placed the items of personal safety above the photography items.  Remember, if you’re not safe then it’s not a good idea to be out shooting!

1. Wear clothing that wicks away or repels moisture.  Leave those blue jeans and cotton socks at home!  Nothing is more miserable than trudging through snow and having it melt into cold water as soon as it warms up.  Additionally, wearing shirts that absorb sweat only cause your temperature to drop, which could be dangerous.  Ideal fabrics would be wool, Under Armour, fleece, and Gore-Tex.  When I’m out in the frigid weather, I pull on an Under Armour top and pants, fleece pants, wool socks, and then some Gore-Tex pants on top of that. 

2. Wear appropriate shoe wear.  Get some waterproof, breathable snow boots.  Cold, wet feet make for a shivering time, and could increase your chance of getting frostbite.  Is getting the shot worth losing your toes?

3. Wear a hat.  Seems basic enough, most of the heat of our bodies escapes through our heads so use your head!

4. Wear gloves.  In some conditions frostbite can set it very quickly.  Without fingers capturing photographs can be difficult!  One of the basic problems of photography is that gloves make it hard to change the controls on your camera.  This is something that plagued me for years.  I used to wear thin gloves that would allow better finger mobility, but this caused them to get cold too soon and once your hands get cold, its difficult to rewarm them in thin gloves.  I then got a another pair of gloves to put over those gloves so I could take off the top pair only when needed.  While this worked ok, I really found that finding gloves that grip well were my best bet.  I got a pair of Thinsulate gloves with some nice grip that allows me to work every aspect of my camera without removal, of course this took some trial and error.  If you must have the thin gloves to have better control, get the two pair of gloves as I have mentioned, but use a hand warmer between the two layers.

5. A good time for any occasion, bring a complete extra pair of clothes in your vehicle.  You never know what may happen that may force you to change your wear.  There have been times I couldn’t tell the end of a stream or shore under the snow and happened to step through the ice and drench my feet.  The extra pair of boots and socks came in handy!

6. Another good anytime tip, prepare your equipment prior to exiting your vehicle.  Minimize the snow and moisture that gets into your bag by knowing where to quickly reach what lenses, filters, etc. you need. 

7. Have a travel umbrella.  Good for rain or snow, this keeps droplets off your lens.  If those stray flakes and drops hit, keep a cloth lens cleaner handy.

8. Bring Ziploc bags.  Besides being able to be used to protect your gear in the cold when conditions arise, if you exit and enter your vehicle often, condensation on your equipment can occur.  By placing your camera in a bag prior to entering your car, you can keep that condensation off your lens and prevent fogging.

9. Cover the legs of your metal tripod with insulation.  This prevents loss of heat from your hands when you are carrying or otherwise moving your tripod.

10.  Buy a spare battery and keep it in a pocket close your body.  Cold weather drains a battery about 2-3 times faster than mild temperatures.  Most good winter coats have pockets on the inside which work fabulously for this purpose.  Additionally, keep a spare memory card in those pockets. 

11.  If metering evaluative, expose 1.5-2 stops above the recorded scene to properly capture snow.

12.  Drink something warm before enjoying the cold weather!

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM, f/11, 1/80 sec.
Platte River State Park, Nebraska

Get up and get out of your comfort zone.

1. Use a lens that you don’t often use.  For instance, if you shoot wide-angle landscapes, try a landscape with a telephoto.  If you shoot wildlife with a telephoto, try shooting wildlife with a macro (probably smaller wildlife).
2. Use a different filter. (Physical or Photoshop)
3. Shoot from your belly.
4. Shoot in different light.  Shoot into the sun, in midday light, in diffused light, in fog.
5. Shoot a different subject.  If you normally shoot landscapes, shoot portraits, if you shoot portraits, shoot wildlife.
6. Shoot different angles.  Shoot horizontally, vertically, diagonally, up, down.
7. Shoot with minimal Depth of Field by choosing the largest aperture on the lens (i.e. f/2.8, f/4, etc.).
8. Shoot everything out of focus.
9. Photograph with a friend and look through each other’s viewfinder/screen.
10. Stop reading this and get out!

For the past couple of Friday’s I haven’t included a Photo Friday photograph, mainly due to the holidays. Today, I am presenting my first image of the year. Taken at Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge after quite a bit of snow in some balmy -12 degree temps. Crisp and cold!

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/13, 1/4 sec., 2-stop Hard Singh-Ray ND-Grad
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Cold Fire - Snow and Sunrise at Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge

Top Images for 2009

Starting with the new year, I am going to be offering free desktop wallpaper for your computer in different resolutions with a calendar included.  While this is not a unique idea, I feel like it is a nice bonus for those who follow my blog.  If this is something that you like, please let me know as I am doing this initially on a trial basis.  To use the wallpaper, click on the image that correlates with the resolution of your monitor and then right-click on the subsequent image and choose “Set as desktop” (or wallpaper).

I wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2010!

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Yesterday, I presented 10 questions I ask myself at the end of every year regarding my photography and indeed I recommend everyone asks themselves as well.  Some of the questions can be answered with hard data and analysis.  Others require a more introspective look at our motivations, emotions, and attitudes.

As I mentioned yesterday, retrospectively, I feel that 2009 was a successful year.  I have expanded my portfolio by nearly 25% and I have ramped up some business marketing effort.  For today’s review, I have prepared my top blog articles from 2009 from a selection of over 180.  They range from the hard pragmatic to the philosophical esoteric.  Unlike yesterday’s post that contained purely subjective matter, today’s post is formed from some raw data.  I researched the articles that have had the most clicks, most tweets, most comments, most diggs, most emailed, and most discussed around the water cooler (ok, maybe not that).  Even after all that, though, I have subjectively weighted some of the articles higher.  To be fair, the most popular articles are the how-tos, what-to-dos, and why-to-dos.  Some of the less popular articles are the introspective goal, vision, etc. articles.  Indeed, it is more likely that many more people searching the web for this topic than articles on less tangible aspects of photography. So, here are my top blog picks for 2009:

#7 Returning to One’s Roots With a Point and Shoot

While the total number of views is less on this article, I included it since I believe that this has been a fairly hot topic. With more and more people getting high quality point and shoots, including professionals, I felt it important to add it to the list.

#6 Soaring With Your Personal Photographic Vision

One of the more esoteric articles, this deals with the topic of defining one’s vision in photography. As I feel that this topic is essential to growth as an artist I have included it on the list. One of the more subjective picks.

#5 Why You Should Always Or Never Listen to Your Critics

A personal exploration of my reaction to photographic communities that has been surprisingly popular.

#4 The Evil Ones Who Lurk in the Dark Destroying the Bytes

A popular article that deals with my personal experience with hackers, data loss, and theft.

#3 How to Get Sharp Enlargements: Breaking the Megapixel Myth

Perhaps one of the most Google’d articles in my archives, this article discusses the “right” amount of megapixels for enlargements.

#2 Easy Techniques for Dripping Fall Colours With Digital Cameras, by Darwin Wiggett

Darwin’s inclusion as a guest blogger has been without a doubt an incredibly popular article. Although I did not write it, I have included it due to the sheer amount of clicks. Thank you, Darwin!

#1 The GO PHOTO Principles for More Self-fulfilling Photography

Lastly, I have included my favorite article of the year and my contribution to Darwin’s blog. A very subjective pick as I have no data regarding this particular piece, I feel that it was the strongest choice for #1.

I wish everyone a joyous New Year and hope that 2010 is prosperous for you and your family. Keep shooting!

1. Did I accomplish my artistic goals that I set last year?
2. Were my business efforts met with success?
3. What images did I fail to capture the mood/scene/emotion that I wanted? 
4. Did I surprise myself?
5. Do I still enjoy what I am doing? (Most Important)

 
If #5 is a Yes! (and it has been year after year), I look to next year and ask myself a few more key questions:

1. What artistic goals do I have for this year?
2. What locations should I focus on photographing?
3. What types of lenses/filters/techniques should I try?
4. What business ideas should I implement or push this year?
5. What hasn’t been successful and what should discontinue?

 
So what have I found by asking myself all these questions?  To follow the lead of others, here is my ”Best Of” list to illustrate my triumphs and to help answer those questions.  This is a collection of my favorite images, perhaps not the most profitable, but the ones that I feel exemplify my artistic growth.

#5 (Tie) Glorious Sandhills Sunrise and Toadstool Dawn

One of my ongoing projects is to photograph Nebraska, especially the not often seen places. I want to show the diversity of the state and the beauty that exists. These two photographs each show a different region of the state and places that many would overlook.

#4 Welcome to Wonderland

I choose this photograph because although I saw more spectacular sunrises and sunsets in the Badlands, I felt that this photograph was more dynamic and illustrated a better sense of the desolate landscape that encompasses this area.

# 3 Tommy

I included this photo of my nephew as an example of some of the portraiture that I worked on through the year. Before this time I rarely took photographs of anyone but my immediate family. My philosophy was to strictly photograph nature and architecture. An elm tree will never tell you that you made it look fat! I have since continued to expand my experience in this area and have been fairly pleased with the results. It seems to please my nephew, right?

#2 (Tie) Prairie Dog Pups and An Autumn Friend

These two photographs were my favorite wildlife images of the year. In both cases I was able to photograph these critters with minimal intrusion. I captured their image as they exist in their natural environments.

#1 Small World

This photograph was serendipitous to say the least. To achieve this composition many factors came together of which I was able to take advantage. Nebraska received an unusual amount of moisture in the spring. This caused me to venture out to photograph the many mushrooms that had formed. After I had setup for this shot, a little snail came through the scene and I was able to incorporate him. The mushroom alone would have been a fine shot, but the snail really made it come together.

An an added bonus, below are three images that I captured in previous years, but finally either processed them this year, or processed them in a way that I felt really made them shine.

#3 Storms Passing - Originally captured in 2008

#2 Spiral of Solitude - Originally captured in 2008

#1 Mistaya Oxbow Sunrise - Originally captured in 2007

Tomorrow I am going to present my top blog picks from 2009.

I don’t usually get a lot of time to photograph the city, but every year I make it a point to go to downtown Omaha and photograph the holiday lights that the city places on the trees throughout the mall. On each visit I attempt to make a photograph from a new location or a new perspective. This year was particularly spectacular as we got over a foot of snow dumped on us. I headed down right after the snow and before many people had walked through so that I could get a shot without any footprints. I was the first to make the prints, but of course, when I was done my feet were very cold, but my car was close.

Below are links to previous year’s images. It’s always fascinating to see how the city has changed.

• Holiday Lights Festival - 2005
• Holiday Lights Festival - 2006 - I
• Holiday Lights Festival - 2006 - II
• Holiday Lights Festival - 2007 - I
• Holiday Lights Festival - 2007 - II
• Holiday Lights Festival - 2008

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/9, 2.5 sec
Omaha, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Holiday Lights Festival - 2009

• Guy Tal’s unapologetic view of Internet marketing can be found at “The Unintended Consequences of Internet Marketing”.
• Darwin Wiggett’s thoughts on the show “PhotoeXplorers”.
• Samantha Chrysanthou’s short tutorial on vertical panos, “Getting the Long and Skinny”.

A few weeks ago I wrote an article entitled “How to get Sharp Enlargements: Breaking the Megapixel Myth”that gave some tips on creating images that could be greatly enlarged. Now, I am going to address the issue of “Acceptable Sharpness”. In a perfect world of capturing sharp photographs we would all have a remote similar to the movie “Click” in which we could simply hit the “pause” button and everything would simply stop. At that point we could setup our gear, put our tripod in place, connect our cable release, set the mirror lockup, choose the sharpest aperture, put on the best lens, fix the lowest ISO, and then finally capture the image. Unfortunately, no such device exists and so we are left to deal with breezes that blow, animals that run, and hands that shake and As a result, not all nature images are studio perfect. When zoomed in and analyzed imperfections may be noted, perhaps a little motion blur, perhaps a bit of depth of field issues and of course, hand held photographs will almost always be less sharp than an image from a tripod mounted camera. Does this mean that these images should be tossed out due to technical imperfections? At what enlargement point would these images degrade? These are the questions that led me on my path to finding my “Acceptable Sharpness”.

“Acceptable Sharpness” is different for every photographer and every use. Some photographers require high levels of sharpness regardless. Generally, as a photographer improves the level of “Acceptable Sharpness” also increases. I personally feel that I require a high level of sharpness for my photographs as many are enlarged quite a bit. At the same time, I realize that some uses may allow a lower level of sharpness. For instance, while capturing the image below, there was a steady breeze flowing through the forest. The breeze was not great enough to blur all the flowers for a surreal image and it never stopped enough for me to get an image for all the flowers to be perfectly still. Even after bumping up the ISO, there still wasn’t enough light to get a shutter speed capable of freeze all the motion. For me, the “Acceptable Sharpness” of the original image is too low for an enlargement beyond about 11×14. To address this issue, I have created two versions of this image, the original version that would be perfect for uses such as wall calendars, planners, and the link and another version with a creative “Orton” blur added for surreal effect, that also gives the image the ability for larger enlargements.

No Orton - “Acceptable Sharpness” up to about 11×14

Crop of the Original Photograph

“Ortonized” Image

What is your “Acceptable Sharpness”? It is a sliding scale with pixel peepers preaching the extreme sharp end of the scale, while others who create impressionistic nature shots dominating the other. Either way, this is a question for self-discovery with no right or wrong answer.

Technical Details (First Image):
Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 104mm, f/8, 1/320 sec.
Black Hills, South Dakota

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Morning Shadows - Morning light illuminates the pine trees in the Black Hills, South Dakota

Technical Details (Flower Image):
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 35mm, f/13, 1.6 sec.
Near Schramm State Recreation Area, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Ethereal Plane - Flowers Near Schramm State Recreation Area, Nebraska

A morning that started off cloudy and not very promising turned into a beautiful morning overlooking the Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/11, 3.2 sec., 3-stop hard ND Singh-Ray Grad
Badlands National Park, South Dakota

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Morning Illumination - Badlands National Park at Sunrise

While I was exhibiting at the DeSoto show I heard the comment, “I could have done that!” It’s not a unique sentiment as I have been there many times when I have viewed other’s photographs. But, you know what, when I was thinking it it simply meant that I didn’t do it. Sometimes, it pushes me out the door to try something new. Sometimes, I stay in my chair and continue to surf. Well, instead of “I could have done that!” make today “I did that!”

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 39mm, f/11, 5 sec., 2-stop soft ND Grad

Good photography requires a keen sense of composition and style, great photography requires forming an emotional connection with the viewer. For some connections between photographs and viewers that emotional connection is easily created, such as from a snapshot of a loved one or a remembered location. For images that have a less familiar nature, that bridge must be forged from elements and colors in the scene. For instance, a single leaf amongst a field of snow may create a feeling of peaceful solitude for one person or a feeling of hopelessness for another. If it is solitude that one is after, colors can be used to pop the leaf out of the surroundings. If it is hopelessness, muted colors or a lack of colors entirely may help shape the desired mood. Either way it is often beneficial to ask another’s opinion. When you do request a critique, instead of asking “Do you like this image?” try, “What mood is elicited when you look at this image?” or “How does this image make you feel?” If it doesn’t correlate with what you wanted go back and try again. Once your vision for an image instills the appropriate emotions coupled with a strong composition and style then you can move your photography from goodness to greatness!

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM, f/8, 1/100 sec.

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Cold Blue - Frozen Bubble Abstract

Taken the morning of the second day of the DeSoto show, the sun’s light was filtered by some interesting cloud patterns. For just a few seconds at a time the rays would cut through.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/9, 1/10 sec., Singh-Ray 2-Stop ND Grad, Singh-Ray 3-Stop ND Grad Reversed
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa Side

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Morning Relaxation - Sunrise Over DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

I recently implemented a tool called “Twitterfeed” to send my RSS feed to Twitter. This will allow anyone who follows Twitter using a mobile device or otherwise to follow my blog there. Since I am primarily a photographer and I barely have time for that, I am keeping it basic for now and only feeding my blog. Tweet, tweet!

To follow me on Twitter: @derrald

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/7.1, 1/1000 sec.
Upland Sandpiper, Ft. Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: The Watcher - Upland Sandpiper

To see the full story:

Gasp! Babies’ fat rolls being airbrushed away?

Seth Godin writes on his blog:

“The reason they want you to fit in is that once you do, they can ignore you.”

So don’t fit in, be different, create unique art.  If you do that “they” surely cannot ignore you!

The “unique” work above is Carhenge which is in a farmer’s field just outside of Alliance, Nebraska.  It is often listed on the top unusual roadside attractions to visit.  Although it is hundreds of miles from most tourist exhibits it attracts thousands of people a year.  It is a full scale replica of Stonehenge in England, except that it is made of cars.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 70mm, f/8 1/640 sec. 

When I was a young lad I had a 35mm Kodak camera that I had won at a contest in Montana.  About once a year my family and I would go on a trip, usually to a national park and I would be sure to pack the camera.  I would take several rolls of film and I would ultimately end up exposing most of it in the first couple of days and then I would have to ration the rest for the remainder.  During the time I was scurrying up on rocks and running up to lake shores to snap a quick photo, I had no idea that one day that would turn into something greater.  My only goal in those days was to capture the beauty around me so that I could be reminded of it later.

As time has progressed, so has my equipment.  During college I used a completely manual Pentax K-1000 to capture almost solely black and white images.  I did quite a bit of dark room work in those days, rolling and exposing my own film, and creating prints until the dead of night with only a singular red light for illumination.  I learned of different lenses, apertures, and shutter speeds.  I first used a tripod and a medium format camera.  Needless to say, the quick point and shooting slowly morphed into more deliberate, careful shooting, I had become a “serious” photographer.   Besides, now I had a grade depending on it.

Set Adrift

Upon graduation of college I bought a Pentax ZX-M, essentially a 1990’s version of the K-1000.  For many years I would carry both cameras, one with black and white film and the other with color slide film, but for the next few years I was back to only photographing vacations and family gatherings. 

When my wife and I married, one of the gifts that we received was a small HP digital camera.  Although this camera could only capture 2 megapixels, I loved the immediacy of the images which would guide my photographic desire.  On our subsequent honeymoon to Colorado, I carried 3 cameras, film, memory cards, and a tripod.  After that trip I knew I wanted the performance of an SLR fused with the abilities of a digital. 

In late 2004 digital SLRs were finally becoming “affordable”.  I was amazed at the image quality that was produced and to boot, I was sold on not having to carry 3 cameras!  I could get the instant gratification of a digital, the quality of 35mm, and I was able to convert any image to black and white in the camera or later in Photoshop.  I bought my first DSLR, the Canon 20d and thought I would never look back.  This purchase, of course, led to a couple of lens purchases, which then led to a Canon 5d purchase, which led to another lens purchase, which led to, well anyway, it eventually ending up leading to 20-30 pounds of stuff on my back and lengthy amounts of time to capture a single photograph.

Alone on a Foggy Shore

Once my daughter became mobile (very!) I found the setup way too burdensome and I needed a way to get quick shots of her without lugging the equipment around.  It seemed I needed something with more portability, easier to use, and the biggest features I wanted from a technical standpoint was RAW file compatibility and manual controls.  Keeping with the Canon family I picked up the Canon G10 a month after its release.  I immediately put it to use for family snapshots, but I didn’t really use it for any other shooting.

About 2-3 months ago I hurt my knee and so I’ve attempted to be easier on myself.  Hauling an additional 30 pounds wasn’t helping my situation so I’ve found myself grabbing the G10 for some nature shooting.  I’ve found that I’ve had to readjust to how the little guy takes photos, but once I’d mastered some of the intricies I found how flexible I could be!  I never use a tripod and I venture out to see what I can find in short periods of time.  Sure, more photos go straight to the recycle bin, but I have also found images that I would have never captured with my huge setup.  Previously, I would have spent 1 hour photographing a pine cone, now I find myself exploring a larger area. 

Endless Fog

This doesn’t mean I’m giving up my DSLR setup.  On the contrary, I believe the point and shoot has made me more effective since I can try so much with so little and thus go back to the DSLR and expand upon my successes.  I have essentially returned to where I began, but with more experience and direction.  So pick up a point and shoot and go out unencumbered.  Shoot like you probably once did before the gear lust took over.  You may find yourself rediscovering a simplicity that improves your photography. Remember, it’s the vision that makes the photographer, not the equipment.
 

Sleeping on the Forest Floor

These point and shoot photographs can be viewed on my website at: Journey Of Light Photography

Over the weekend, I was setup at the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge’s “Art of the Wild” show near Missouri Valley, Iowa. I want to thank everyone who stopped by and saw all the artists’ great work. It was so nice to visit with everyone and I had some great conversations. I look forward to attending again next year.

Additionally, I did get a couple of opportunities to grab a couple of new images. This particular image was taken in the parking lot with a leaf that I found on the ground. The sky was so beautiful I had to capture it in the background. The contrasting colors work well with this centrist composition.

Technical Details:
Canon G10, 6.1mm, f/3.5
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa Side

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Under the Skies of Fall - An Autumn Leaf Against a Blue Fall Sky

The reviews are in the order in which I recommend reading them.

Darwin’s Review - Real life test with 3(!) different models

Karel Donk’s Review

DPReview

If you decide that this camera is right for you, they are available at Amazon.

Myth: More megapixels will always lead to a sharper enlarged image.

This is without a doubt the greatest myth perpetuated by the camera industry today.  Marketing tells us more megapixels=better camera.  Back in the film days there were only a few choices, 35mm, 4×5, 8×10, 110, etc. In those days, (with a few exceptions, of course) the film size DID dictate how far an enlargement could be taken.  I remember years ago taking my 35mm black and white film that I had developed in the dark room and making test strips, then enlarging it to 6×9 and then to 11×14.  The sharpness of the image would begin to break down around that point.  The three main things I had to remember in achieveing the sharpest, largest prints in those days was 1: Shoot big film. 2: Proper focus when taking the photograph and 3: A grain finder.  For those of you who don’t know what a grain finder is, well, let’s just say its the equivalent of 100% zoom in Photoshop.

So, if larger film led to sharper, larger enlargements, shouldn’t more megapixels do the same thing?  I mean after all all those technical sites speak about resolving power and lines per inch and its always better bigger - right?

Well, the answer is somewhat elusive and lies in three basic parts.

1. Film size and megapixel size are not equal comparisons.  More megapixels are being pushed into the same size space.  Most camera sensors today are actually smaller than the 35mm film of yesterday.  That means that the process of enlarging that image is the same, it just means that the details are smaller.  The smaller something is to begin with, the less it can be enlarged without quality degradation at the smallest level. 
2. Logic should dictate that based upon #1, crop sensor cameras may not make very good enlargements. To get to the bottom of this answer, we need to look at how close one looks at a print. Most individuals who look at art for art’s sake will take in the piece as a whole. They may focus on select sections of the image, but overall when someone hangs an image in a room they are not going to put their nose to the glass. Simply put, the only people who care about resolution of print sizes are pixel peepers and they are generally too ingrained in the technical aspects of an image to appreciate the composition for what it is (art!). The larger a print, the further away one normally stands. A billboard, for instance, will normally be viewed from very far away. If you were actually pasting the billboard up there, though, the resolution would look horrible right up close (degradation at the smallest level). A prime example? This image used on a billboard earlier in the year was from a Canon 20d - An 8 megapixel 1.6x crop camera - and of that approximately 60%-70% of the image was actually used (to crop to a billboard format) and it looked great from the road.
3. Based upon the information in #2, we can conclude that most digital cameras produced within the last few years will produce acceptably sharp enlargements. This answer is a resounding “Yes!”. The problems lie not with the cameras, but with the photographers. Now I’m not going to tout the old adage that the camera doesn’t matter, because it does. But there are things that matter more, especially when producing the best possible image for enlargement. Remember, images can always be softened after the fact, but it is very hard and most of the time impossible to add sharpness where sharpness does not exist. Experience has taught me that these are the 4 keys to sharp enlargements:
   1. If you care about gear (and we all should at least a little), make sure that the majority of the money is used on lenses. Cameras make a difference, but a great camera with a soft lens will always take soft photographs. Lenses work on generation after generation of cameras too, so lenses are generally a one-time purchase, if you buy quality to begin with.
   2. Focus, focus, focus. If your subject is not in focus, it will appear fuzzy and that fuzziness will also be enlarged.
   3. Choose the right depth of field. Of course, determining what the right depth of field in your situation takes practice and patience. One hint is that if you want everything in the frame sharp, learn about hyperfocal focusing. The smallest or largest aperture never the sharpest, the sharpest is somewhere in between. Get to know the limitations of your lenses.
   4. Make sure that your shutter speed is fast enough to stop the action, or camera shake. If you shake too much or are using a slow shutter speed, use a tripod. Once again, this is a personal discovery with some guidelines available - namely keep the shutter speed 1 over the focal length. For instance, if you are shooting with a 50mm lens, the shutter speed should be at least 1/50 on a full frame sensor or 1/80 on a 1.6x crop. The longer the lens the faster the necessary shutter speed.

That’s it! If I had two choices, one an image that met those all requirements, but on a 6 megapixel camera or two a 21 megapixel beast with one of those four off, I would choose the former. Simply, sharpness enlarged more will almost always trump fuzziness enlarged less.

Technical Details: Canon 5d, 17-40 f4/l @ 19mm, f/18, 1/10 sec., Tripod
Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Canada

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Last Light At Maligne Lake

This is the time of year that migrating birds of all sorts make their way south for their yearly sojourn. Since most things are losing their color and going to earthy muddy tones, I like to take the opportunity to see some colorful, beautiful birds. This graceful Blue Heron is a prime example of some of the birds that make their way through this part of the country.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/6.3, 1/640 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa Side

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Graceful Glide - A Blue Heron Glides Effortlessly Through the Air

So, once again I had the chance to photograph a couple of stellar subjects, little McCoy and little Tommy. These photos are from two different shoots, but both little guys decided that eating leaves was for them! Needless to say this activity did not continue for too long as both mommies made sure they saved room for dinner.

On a technical note, some may notice that I use an original Canon 5d for these photographs. While the 5d Mark II also does a spectacular job, I have found that this camera really works for me for portraits. The file size is perfect since I really don’t need 21 megapixels for these images. I liked it so much that when my 5d wouldn’t power on, I had to send it away for repair quickly since I knew these photo shoots were coming up.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorites!

Technical Details: Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l @ 126mm, f/4.5, 1/200 sec.

Technical Details: Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l @ 200mm, f/4.5, 1/640 sec.

Technical Details: Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l @ 140mm, f/5, 1/500 sec.

This is an image of the same tree from Autumnal Brillance, close to sunset with the sun low in the sky. The leaves were completely gone in a matter of days after this photograph was captured.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/16, 1/60 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa Side

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Fall’s Final Curtain Call - A maple tree bursts forth into glorious autumn colors.

Now available from Amazon, the The Great Northwest 2010 Mini Wall Calendar, which contains 5 of my Pacific Northwest images. It would make a great gift for those who like photographs of mountains and oceans! Use the link below to purchase.

The Great Northwest 2010 Mini Wall Calendar

As winter comes upon us quickly, the vibrant colors of autumn give way to earthy tones, the time before white snow blankets the landscape and creates a scene of purity. This is an abstraction, a composition of this in-between time; branches devoid of leaves darkly contrasting in the moody blue colors.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/5.6, 1/640 Sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa Side

This photograph is available on my website at: Winter Contrasts - Tree branches contrast in a moody blue scene.

Although autumn was fleeting in Nebraska and Iowa this year, there were some hold outs after the snowfall. This maple tree turned brillant warm oranges and reds two weeks after the storm and managed to hang on to a majority of its leaves during some pretty gusty times. I couldn’t help but stop and capture the vibrant colors with the setting sun filtering through the leaves.

Technical Details: Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/14, 1/80 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa Side

This photograph is available on my website at: Autumnal Brillance - A Maple Tree Bursts into Vibrant Oranges and Reds

I will be displaying my work for sale at the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge’s “Art of the Wild” show on November 21st and 22nd. I am offering a diversity of different size prints with mats and some with frames. I will also be selling and signing my new book, “The Quiet Beauty of Nebraska“. If you are in the area, stop by and say “Hello!”.

Information about the refuge:
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is located 25 miles north of Omaha, Nebraska on U.S. Highway 30, between Missouri Valley, Iowa and Blair, Nebraska. The visitor center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, except federal holidays. For more information contact
712/642-4121 or look us up on the web at http://midwest.fws.gov/desoto.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300mm f/4l + 1.4tc, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec.
Double Breasted Cormorant, DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa Side

This photograph is available on my website at: High Flying - Double Breasted Cormorant Takes Flight

By traveling to 3 locations, taking thousands of photographs, Axel Mellinger of Central Michigan University pieced together this huge photograph of the Milky Way. Weighing in at 648 megapixels and 3,000 individual photographs this remarkable feat was accomplished in the span of 22 months and with the help of mathematical models from the Pioneer Space Probes. He has kindly made his work available for some personal and scientific use. To see this image in all its glory visit All-Sky Milky Way Panorama 2.0.

Gor more information visit Physicist Makes New High-Res Panorama of Milky Way.

Used with permission.
Image by Axel Mellinger, A Color All-Sky Panorama Image of the Milky Way, Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacific 121, 1180-1187 (2009).

Back on June 6th I wrote an article entitled Photoshop Ethics in Digital Nature Photography that posed the question, “Where do we draw the line in regard to photoshop usage in nature photography”. It seems that this is a question that is plaguing other industries as well and is even prompting governments to get involved. This is not a new issue, in fact, since the invention of the camera, there has been evidence of manipulation.  A recent set of articles have been written that focus on the extreme photoshopping that has been taking place in the fashion industry, one at the New York Times and one at the New York Daily Post.

These pieces deal specifically with Ralph Lauren advertisements that have been popping up in Australia and Japan. Frankly, I think that the women in the ads look a little freaky, and as a father of soon to be two daughters, I can’t say that I blame people for being upset with the image. It’s definitely a departure from the recent Dove ads that have been celebrating the “normal” woman. This leads to back to the question, where do we draw the line? Is red eye removal too much and we need to start putting labels on that, or do we have the ability to adjust contrast and maybe go with a little skin softening? If I decide to darken my sky with a physical neutral density filter, do I have to advertise that or just if I use the Nik neutral density filter? 

As I mentioned in my Photoshop ethics post from June, there are landscape photographers that are not advertising their techniques and in fact are telling people they do very little manipulation. Perhaps to them, it doesn’t seem that much. If they were to show their process to someone who is new to Photoshop, though I think that individual would have a much different opinion. It seems many have adopted a “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. One the one hand it is art, but on the other many view it as dishonesty. With regard to advertising I do believe there is a level of honesty that must exist, otherwise we wouldn’t have false advertising suits that keep the attorneys busy. With art, however, I do believe that Photoshop can be a powerful tool, but an image should not be misrepresented. Celebrate the process, do not hide and condemn it. Too often we see people who claim, “just levels and contrast” when in fact they have added a little blur to the sky, changed the tone of the landscape, and the density of the mountain in the background. I guess that is “just levels and contrast” to an extreme. Still, don’t be ashamed, if the final product produced matched your vision, then the piece was a success regardless of the process. If an artist is fully truthful with themselves they will always make their vision their own.

In the vein of full disclosure, I will admit that for my “Harvest Moon” image above, I processed with ACR into Photoshop, used Viveza to adjust the contrast selectively, used the Nik Tonal Contrast Filter to add more contrast to the moon, and then I duplicated the layer and used a bit of Orton for the clouds, masking out the moon. This is my final product and what I envisaged when I captured the image.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/8, 1/160 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa Side

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Harvest Moon - Late Autumn Moon Over DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

To see a preview of the book and/or purchase, please take a look, it would make a great gift for the upcoming holiday season!
 

The Quiet Beau…

By Derrald Farnsworth…

Book Preview

Yes, I live in Nebraska.  Yes, the agricultural industry generates a large portion of money for the state.  Yes, corn grows well here. 

Now that I have mentioned that, I will also say that one of my goals when I photograph Nebraska is to I try to capture areas that are not often seen, nor are these areas that would fall into the typical “Farm” or “Ranch” stereotype. Nebraska is a land of diversity and as such I actively seek out interesting and unique landscapes and insights into the state.  On more than one occasion someone has requested the “typical Nebraska scene” such as a corn field or farm.  Whenever I look through my files I have found only a handful of images.  It’s not that images such as those aren’t interesting, I haven’t chosen to focus on anything agricultural.  Well, for today’s Photo Friday image I have captured an image of corn, lots of corn.   Nice and abstract and it makes me hungry.  Enjoy!

Technical Details:
Canon G10, f/3.5, 1/160 sec.

It’s been a while since I posted an image from my Canon G10. In the next couple of weeks I plan on having a couple of posts dedicated to images that I have captured using this point and shoot. Today, though I wanted to share an abstract image that I captured a couple of mornings ago of the clouds during a sunrise. It’s a simple image that I think gives a great feeling of peace and which relies solely on color and form.

Since the G10’s format is natively conducive to many non-widescreen monitors, I am also offering this image as a free computer desktop wallpaper for whomever may want it in three sizes. On a PC, in order to make this your desktop, simply click on the link that corresponds to your monitor resolution and right click and choose “Set as Background”.

1600×1200

1280×960

1024×768

Technical Details: Canon G10, f/4.5, 1/15 sec., Light Orton Effect
Nebraska Sky

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Soulful Soaring - Colorful Illuminated Clouds at Sunrise

This past weekend I spent at my brother-in-law’s cabin in centralish Nebraska again. This is the same place that I made the photographs for my tractor series last month. Most of the leaves had fallen, but there was a nice cool morning that allowed me to get some frosty shots. Today’s image is a frosty fallen cottonwood leaf.

Techinical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM + Extension Tube, f/14, 1 sec.
Near Cedar Rapids, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Frosty Fall Leaf

Today is the second installment of my tribute to the short Nebraska fall. Grabbing my macro and extension tube, I captured these beads of water on the fallen red maple leaves.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM + Extension Tube, f/10, 1/60 sec.
Schramm State Recreation Area, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: The Last Moments - Drops on a Fallen Maple Leaf

Autumn is my favorite season, fresh apple cider is at hand, warm colors abound, orange pumpkins are everywhere, and bowls are filled with small candies.  The only downside I ever see to fall is that it means it’s going to be cold and bad driving weather and shorter days are ahead.  In Nebraska fall begins to gear up in early October and goes into full swing by mid-month followed by a hurried decline by November.  Unfortunately, this year we were just moving into fall when we received record snowfall across the state.  For one day we had some beautiful snow covered scenes.  The days immediately following were reminiscent of November scenes.  I did, however, manage to briefly make it out for a few images during the snowfall.  Over the next couple of days I will share the few images that showcase the my celebration and lamentation of the shortest fall I have ever witnessed.

And yes, I did just totally rip off a Phil Collins song title for the title of this post and image, but it fit so well!

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 28mm, f/9, 1/125 sec.
Schramm SRA, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: I Said Hello, Goodbye - A Forest Path at Schramm SRA, Nebraska

Technical Details: Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 40mm, f/10, 3.2 sec.
This photograph can be viewed on my website: Mt. Rushmore and the Avenue of Flags II

Following yesterday’s post “How to Chisel More Detail from an Image of Mt. Rushmore“, today’s Photo Friday contains 4 more images of Mt. Rushmore National Monument in South Dakota. To capture these images, I arose before sunrise and made my way through the Black Hills to the monument. I parked in the parking garage (I don’t know too many National Monuments in the western states that would have one) and for the first time in my life I saw the monument without another soul around. I watched as the warm sunrise light hit the faces and changed the tones from a light purple to a fiery red to a warm yellow glow. These images portray different angles with different lenses and in different stages of the early morning light (in order earlier to later).

Mt. Rushmore and the Avenue of Flags

Technical Details: Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 70mm, f/8, 1/60 sec.
This photograph can be viewed on my website: Mt. Rushmore and the Avenue of Flags

Sunrise on the Presidents

Technical Details: Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @200mm, f/8, 1/50 sec.
This photograph can be viewed on my website: Sunrise on the Presidents

Washington’s Profile

Technical Details: Canon 5d Mark II, 300 f/4l, f/8, 1/1000 sec.
This photograph can be viewed on my website: Washington’s Profile

There are many resources on the Internet that explain how to create a panoramic photograph utilizing mainly wide-angle lenses. In fact, I have yet to read an account of someone using anything longer than about 70mm for panos. The goal of most panos is to show an elongated landscape photograph, giving the image a width or height that is not achievable with the lenses while at the same time preventing some of the perspective issues that may arise with using an ultra wide angle.

These panos sometimes go so far as to include a 360 degree view of one’s surroundings and they usually create a very large image with more megapixels than which the camera is natively capable. An example of a previous image in which I used a wide angle lens to achieve this result can be viewed on my June 15th post, An Evening at the Ballpark.

Something I try frequently, though is using a longer lens to create an image with more detail than could be captured with a single frame. An opportunity to test this arose while I was visiting Mt. Rushmore National Monument. Here I had a perfect chance to photograph each face individually using my 300mm lens and then stitching them together for a large megapixel image. The main points to remember when creating these panoramas:

• Try to keep the camera as level as possible, using a tripod really helps with this.
• Make sure there is plenty of overlap with each subsequent image. Err on the side of large overlaps - digital is great in that we could take 10 images to make sure there is enough data for one that may have been able to be captured with one.
• When creating a horizontal panoramic, take vertical images, and when creating a vertical panoramic, take horizontal images. This will allow for the maximum detail for both width and height.
• Use only one aperature for each image, changing the aperture setting can effect the Depth of Field and as a result, the stitching process.

For this Mt. Rushmore pano I took these four images using my 21 Megapixel Canon 5d Mark II with a 300mm lens at f/8 for maximum sharpness:

 
It is evident I had huge overlaps with each photograph. I could have even used a longer lens than the 300 or my 1.4x teleconverter, but since I wanted the best image detail I stuck with the prime only. I then processed the “Washington” image using Photoshop and then loaded the images concurrently into Photoshop, applying the same settings to all four images.

I then copied the “Jefferson”, “Roosevelt”, and “Lincoln” images in order into the “Washington” image as new layers and then selected all the layers. By selecting “Edit > Auto-Align Layers” in Photoshop and then selecting the “Auto” option, these layers then become one long image as they are placed next to one another overlapping with the shared data. By keeping the layers selected, apply the blend with “Edit > Auto-Blend Layers”. This blends the color differences and other minor issues together into a seamless image. I finish the panoramic process by flattening the image and cropping out the extraneous data. This leaves me with my final image that I can then proceed with other color correction and other modifications.

With this Mt. Rusmore image, I ended with a 32 megapixel image. Evidence of the detail available can been seen in this 100% unsharpened crop of Washington’s eye (click for full size):

Obviously, I could have done this in a single image, and I took many while I was there, but this gives me the ability to print large with very refined detail.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 300 f/4l lens, f/8 - Multiple Images
This image is available on my website at: A Mt. Rushmore Panoramic

From the Forest Floor
Technical Details: Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM lens, f/10, 1.6 sec., Schramm SRA, Nebraska
This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Mushroom Kingdom

It was a cool, wet summer in eastern Nebraska, much different from the past norm of hot, muggy, and dry. It stayed a vibrant green almost all summer and I never had to water my grass, in fact I don’t even think I moved my sprinkler out into the yard once. As a result of this weather, mushrooms were sprouting everywhere. There were mushrooms the size that I have never seen growing out of rotten logs, growing out of dying leaves, and just growing straight out of the ground. Now, Nebraska can have a wet spring which causes some mushrooms early on, but these two particular photographs were taken in early September, much later than the normal season. I managed to get out and several mushroom shots, but these two are my favorites from the selection along with “Small World“. 

The Mushroom Kingdom
Technical Details: Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM lens, f/10, 1.6 sec., Schramm SRA, Nebraska
This photograph can be viewed on my website at: From the Forest Floor

The two biggest tips photography students are given when photographing wildlife is to get in close and fill the frame and to keep the eyes sharp. As a results, anyone who is really trying to get into wildlife photography ends up buying longer and longer lens, especially if you want to be close enough to even see the eyes of the animal. When I first started out in the film days, wildlife was not my primary focus so the longest reach I had was 70mm. I then moved to digital and thought the 320mm equivalent from my 70-200 f/4l coupled with the 1.6 crop factor of my Canon 20d would improve my work. This only led me to purchasing the 1.4x teleconverter to achieve 448mm. And yet, it still wasn’t enough. I’ve always tried to intrude as little as possible when I photograph critters, and when I was in Canada and saw a mother grizzly bluff charge a guy trying to photograph her cubs with a point and shoot, it reinforced the need for us to give them their space.  So I ended buying a 300 f/4l lens, which gave me a total of 672mm effective focal length when added to my 50d and my 1.4tc. And yet, it still wasn’t enough. For a while I thought I just needed that extra little reach, maybe a 400mm or a 500mm would just about cover it. Getting filled frame shots of wildlife is challenging, requires good equipment, great technical skills, and even better behavioral information of the creatures, but I was stuck on longer is better (and more expensive).

Upon review of my work I was definitely getting closer and closer, but I realized that there was a missed opportunity for images with wildlife on the landscape.  Wildlife environment portraits can be as compelling and as challenging, so I made it a goal this year to capture some of these types of images. I ended up looking for patterns and shapes in the landscape that complimented the critters, using lenses with less focal lengths, and generally keeping my distance. Today’s post is a result of that endeavour.  Here, the two buffalo are fairly minor part of the frame, with the rolling, grassy hills as the major component. The setting sun illuminates both them and the grass, warming the scene and accentuating the patterns of the hills.

To see an example of me getting in close (with buffalo), check out May 18th’s post at: A Buffalo Profile.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/5.6, 1/250 sec.
Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

This photograph is available from my website at: The Land of the Buffalo - Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Today brings my first wildlife photograph from my recent excursion to South Dakota. I have found that Pronghorns range anywhere from the very timid to the bold. While traveling out of Custer State Park and into Wind Cave National Park I briefly glimpsed the head of this guy resting on a hill. I quietly crept up slowly taking shoots and careful not to disturb this creature. He stood up, aware of my presence, but apparently not too troubled. I was able to capture this shot and then I quietly left.  He never ran, but sat right back down again. Perhaps, an example of being too acclimated to humans.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/6.3, 1/1600 sec.
Custer State Park, South Dakota

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: An Autumn Friend - Pronghorn in Custer State Park, South Dakota

Today I am going to share a couple of my internal processes that I have found has been valuable from a marketing standpoint and I think many might find interesting. These milestones come in the form of both time and quantity and they help me to keep my website effective to my intended audiences.

Quarterly Recurring Milestone

As I have mentioned previously in my blog, I have a counter on all photographs on my website.  This allows me to see which images are clicked on and viewed larger by my audience each quarter.  This information has been invaluable in me determining:

1. Which photographs seem to be the most popular from visitors to my website
2. Which photographs receive traffic from web marketing efforts (SEO, Blog, etc.)

As you will see below, I review this information for changes to my website. Additionally, I have determined that I am going to re-order some of the photographs in the galleries. For the most part for the past 3 years the order has not changed, with the exception of added photos. I am curious to see what effect reordering will have on the popularity. For those who would like to view the current popular images on my website, the top 12 are always on display on the “Most Popular Photographs” webpage.

The point here is to find a way to capture the information and then regularly review it. Of course, I analyze my website traffic data as well, but this is quick and easy and the information may be somewhat basic, but I find it is easy to understand and easy see occurring trends.

From my analysis of this quarter’s data of the top 50 photographs that have been viewed I have found:

13 of the images are from 2005
18 of the images are from 2006
8 of the images are from 2007
10 of the images are from 2008
1 of the images is from 2009

*Note all images are only work from when I went 100% digital. I have never gotten around to scanning and cataloguing all my slide film.

• “Chimney Rock and the Nebraska Frontier” is always in the top 12 most popular images, but rarely number 1. This is a direct result of this image winning Darwin Wiggett’s LLTL contest in June.
• This is the first quarter that two images from 2008 have made the top 12. Normally, newer images start off low and gradually gain popularity. It seems that in most cases time is required for them to generate exposure and momentum. I have tried various tactics to change this, but the older, popular images always seem to maintain a high status making it more difficult for the newer images to move up in the ranks. Of course, I have analyzed this data differently as well. In the past I have though that my newer work did not resonate with my audiences as well. This could be somewhat true as well as my goals and perspectives have changed through time, but since 10 of the top 50 are from 2008, the numbers seem to align with the quantity of production and the number of images from previous years.
• All but one of the top 12 images are on the first pages of my main galleries. I find that many people look at the first page of each gallery and then leave the site. I have questioned my website navigation, but since many more people are able to find the additional pages of thumbnails, I believe that the navigation is still fine.  Perhaps they just click on a image and don’t find something that works for them.  This is my main motivation for changing my ordering to see if that effects much of a change.
• My “Midwest and Great Plains” gallery contains the greatest number of popular images, but it also contains the greatest number of images as well. The total number of popular images from a gallery is loosely correlated to the number of images in a gallery.
• I don’t really look at the current year’s numbers (2009) until the following year, but “Small World” that was produced in this July of this quarter did make the top 50.

The top 50 viewed images in the 3rd quarter of 2009 with the year of production:

1.  Chimney Rock and the Nebraska Frontier - © 2005
2.  Fire in the Sky - © 2006
3.  Country Road - © 2006
4.  Frozen Exit - © 2006
5.  Frozen Solitary - © 2006
6.  Ebb and Flow - © 2006
7.  Serenity - © 2005
8.  No More Sleepy Dreaming - © 2008
9.  Peyto Lake - © 2005
10.  Someday We’ll Find It… - © 2008
11.  Going My Way? - © 2005
12.  Sea Dreams - © 2006
13.  Orange Glow - © 2005
14.  Quiet Giants - © 2006
15.  Clouds and Bales - © 2007
16.  Baby Elk - © 2005
17.  Mystic - © 2006
18.  Sunrise - © 2005
19.  Rhythmic Serenity - © 2006
20.  Awake From Dreaming - © 2008
21.  Omaha’s Tribute I - © 2006
22.  Endless Waves of Grain - © 2006
23.  An Iowa Evening - © 2006
24.  Solitude - © 2006
25.  Life is But a Dream II - © 2008
26.  Unordinary World - © 2008
27.  Bald Eagle - © 2005
28.  Magnificent Winter Desolation - © 2007
29.  The Holiday Lights Festival - 2006 II - © 2007
30.  Moonrise over DeSoto Bend - © 2006
31.  The White Stallion - © 2005
32.  Calming Dispersion - © 2007
33.  Pre-Dawn Downtown Omaha - © 2005
34.  A Spring Sunset - © 2006
35.  Wading it Out - © 2008
36.  Towering - © 2008
37.  Blue Silk - © 2006
38.  Dreaming - © 2008
39.  Arbor Day Lodge - © 2007
40.  Old Times - © 2007
41.  The Holiday Lights Festival - 2006 - © 2007
42.  Quiet Rest - © 2007
43.  Small World - © 2009
44.  Sudden Brillance - © 2008
45.  A Badlands Sunset - © 2005
46.  Above the Clouds II - © 2008
47.  Sunset Over the Plains - © 2006
48.  The Platte from a Distance - © 2006
49.  Rainbow - © 2005
50.  Banff Chipmunk - © 2005

I almost have 300 images on display in my main galleries on my website. This is the point at which I have determined that I wanted do some editing and to trim my galleries. This doesn’t mean my images will be moved completely off, they will be moved to my “extended” photo galleries which are still available in the search area. “The Weakest Piece” post from a few months ago touches upon what I have encountered when editing for a strong portfolio.  Since I have some additional solid data at this time I feel more confident that any one coming to my website sees what both the prior visitors and I have determined as the strongest work.

For the most part, I believe that this regiment has proven successful in keeping my website trimmed and up to date.  At the end of the year, I plan on posting some more quarterly numbers and perhaps even some year end totals.  Now, it’s time for me to go out and shoot some new images!

Technical Details:
Canon 20d, 10-22 ef-s, f/16, 1/20 sec., 3-stop hard Singh-Ray ND Grad
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska
A consistent top 12 popular photograph.

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Frozen Exit - DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

2009 Photographer Social Media Survey

If you have any input, please comment here as well, I am interested to hearing how well the social media world is going for you.

Today, I have a special guest post from my wife! Since she has not immersed herself into the photography world from a technical aspect, it is always refreshing to have her fresh perspectives on what I am doing and additionally, her support has been invaluable. So, here is her take on today’s Photo Friday image.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Derrald’s. I like the detail of the bee, from the sharpness of his wings, to the individual fine hairs of his fuzzy body. I think there is an interesting juxtaposition of the sharply-defined bee and the slightly out of focus thistle. It seems the colors in this picture are very vibrant as well. Normally I think of bees as miniature enemy pilots out to sting me, but viewing this picture, somehow I do not feel threatened at all. - Holly Thomas

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM lens, f/7.1, 1/100 sec.
Near Cedar Rapids, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Larger Than Life - Bee and Thistle

Often, travel photographers tend to go to different locations to shoot. The tendency is to grab a few shots of the grand scenics, the locations that are familiar to the masses and then move on. From a commercial perspective, these are probably the shots that sell the most as they are the locations that people remember when visiting a popular location. The saying “familiarity breeds contempt” comes to mind to describe these individuals. There are some photographers, however, that like to explore an area and find images that don’t fall into the “shoot and go” mentality. It is those artists that gain a greater appreciation for a place the longer they visit.

My wife and I have visited the Black Hills and Badlands area in South Dakota three times together. Before that we both traveled there multiple times as children. Indeed, it is a popular destination for people that live in Nebraska as the Badlands is the closest national park. We both have fond memories of this area so it was no surprise that we decided to take our 2 year old on this trip. Each time I return I gain a greater appreciation for the landscape, the wildlife, and the nature of the area and I find myself shooting areas that are not the “popular” locations. Today’s shot, while close to an overlook, is not a popular spot and I found myself hiking a little ways for a new perspective. The weather was very cooperative and gave me some god beams shining down on the ridges in the distance. I saw only one other soul while shooting, and he was photographing a deer (I think). It was a peaceful, serene morning in a place of which I was familiar and appreciate.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 29mm, f/11, 1/20 sec., Singh-Ray 3-Stop Hard Grad
Badlands National Park, South Dakota

This photograph can be viewed on my at: Welcome to Wonderland - Badlands National Park, South Dakota

I have recently returned from an adventure west and north to South Dakota and western Nebraska. My very pregnant wife, 2 year old, and I had some fun, saw some stuff, and I was able to do some work as well! Buffalo, pronghorns, big horn sheep, mountain goats were some of the critters we managed to see. In addition, we had a look at some killer prairie dogs - literally. Seems that some of these little guys have the plague. Didn’t realize that one until we saw the signs - “Caution, Prairie Dogs Have Plague! Keep People and Pets in the Vehicle.”

As far as landscapes, we got around to traveling through Badlands National Park, Mt. Rushmore National Monument, Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, the Black Hills, Chadron State Park, and Toadstool Geologic Park.  Additionally, we happened to stumble upon the only Uranium mine in Nebraska.  Once again, didn’t realize that until we saw the radioactive warning signs. Of course, my wife thought I was trying to kill us, or at least make us all very sick. It’s been a few days now and I can report that so far we have no symptoms and we do not glow in the dark.

I tried some new techniques during the trip and over the next couple of weeks I will be sorting photographs and processing and I may upload an image or two from the trip.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/6.3, 1/640 sec.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota

For the last in the 5 part series, I will demonstrate a variation of the “Orton” technique that I occasionally use. The Orton technique was popularized a few years ago and has gained momentum. Many ethereal modifications to photographs have been using different techniques centered around one goal - giving an image a slight blurry, other-wordly look.

For this image, I loaded the RAW file into Adobe Photoshop and tweaked the temperature, contrast, etc. until I had the image processed to my liking.

I then copied the background layer by right-clicking and selecting “Duplicate” and naming the layer “Blurring Layer”. This new layer will be selected. I then chose “Gaussian Blur” under the “Blur” options and picked a radius of “30″.

Going back to my layers menu, I changed the opacity of this layer until I had the effect for which I was going, on this image it happened to be 51%. For a final touch, I created a curves adjustment to add a little more contrast to the photograph, being liberal with the curve.

To recap:

1. Load the RAW file into Adobe Photoshop and set the temperature, contrast, etc.
2. Copy the background layer.
3. Use the “Gaussian Blur” filter with a radius of “30″.
4. Change the opacity of this layer until desired effect is achieved.
5. Create a curves adjustment to add a little more contrast.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 109mm, f/8, 1/500 second

Continuing in the steps of yesterday’s image, I wanted to convert a close-up of the headlight on the tractor to monochrome, but I wanted it to have a bit of a sepia, faded feeling like photographs from another era. Just as before, I loaded the RAW file using Adobe RAW and set my temperature, contrast and other settings close to how I would want the image if I was going to publish it in color. Once again, I used the grayscale option to help me to visualize how the image would like in black and white to help perfect my options.

The Large Conversion

Once I have everything set, I then activate the Nik Silver Efex filter and begin scrolling through my options on the left. About 2/3rds down the page, I find a couple of options for sepia toned images. I think that the Dark Sepia version works the best so I choose that one. It turns out a bit dark, so I use the brightness slider to increase it just a tad. I also up the contrast and structure a little bit from the defaults. While some of the pipes are falling into the darkness a bit, I don’t mind that, but I want to show a bit of detail so I did move the shadows slider up. The highlights slider I left alone.

Adding That Little Extra

Since the tractor consists mainly of reds and white, I choose a green filter which helps lighten the reds and create more a sepia tone across the whites. I didn’t like the effect full on, so I moved the intensity to 64%. Because of the quality of the lenses in the past, many of the old photos have a bit of a vignetting to them. My goal with this is to not make it too noticeable, but give the viewer a bit of a lead in into the photo. I moved the vignetting down to -7 which darkens the corners slightly, but not too noticeably.

To recap:

1. Load the RAW file into Adobe Photoshop and set the temperature, contrast, etc.
2. Use Nik Silver Efex Pro to find a sepia setting close to the desired result.
3. Tweak the Brightness/Contrast/Structure settings.
4. Modify the Shadows/Highlights settings.
5. Experiment with different colored filter effects.
6. Vignette if desired.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 40mm, f/10, 1/400 second

One of the most obvious processing treatments that can be performed on an image of an old tractor would be to convert it to various types of monochrome. Today’s image was converted to Black and White by using Nik Silver Efex Pro. Black and White conversions can be performed both in-camera and later in processing with tools such as Photoshop, but I have found that Silver Efex Pro gives me more control over how the image is converted with some great visual presets.

When loading the image into Photoshop, I first corrected for color, although I did not spend too much time on making sure that all my casts were gone. If I know I’m converting to black and white, I often use the “Grayscale” feature in the RAW import dialog box to get a rough understanding of what the image will closely resemble.

I then activate the Nik Silver Efex dialog and scroll through the various options on the left side until I find the look that I desire. For the basic settings, I tweak the settings on the right such as brightness, contrast, and structure. Brightness and contrast work the same as those in Photoshop, while structure adds more definition to the lines within the image. Also available, the shadow slider brightens the darker areas while the highlights slider tones done the brightest parts of the image. This can have the perceived effect of lowering the contrast of the image, so I usually keep these two settings at a minimum.

For today’s image, I choose High-Contrast Yellow filter and left the defaults on brightness, contrast, and structure. I increased the brightness in the shadow areas to somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2, but kept the brightness slider at default. If you are not familiar with what colored filters do to black and white photographs I suggest checking out “Using Coloured Filters with Black and White Film” to gain an understanding. From there, I could tone my photograph or add a bit of vignetting. I will discuss both of these options in tomorrow’s edition of the tractor series.

To recap:

1. Load the RAW file into Adobe Photoshop and set the temperature, contrast, etc.
2. Use Nik Silver Efex Pro to find a black and white setting close to the desired result.
3. Tweak the Brightness/Contrast/Structure settings.
4. Modify the Shadows/Highlights settings.
5. Experiment with different colored filter effects.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 37mm, f/11, 1/60 second

In yesterday’s post I shot through the prairie grass and focused on the tractor. In today’s image I was still shooting through the grass, but the real objective was to subtlety hint for the real subject.  The goal is to force the viewer to first examine the photograph and then look deeper for the intended subject. This creates more interest in the composition since upon first viewing, the subject may appear to be the in focus grass, but then the eye is immediately led to the bright headlight and then to the form of the tractor.

For this result, I kept the depth of field intentionally shallow at f/6.3 and focused on the grasses in the front. The objective is to use an aperture that gives us an impression of our subject while not blurring it completely. I used aperture bracketing to find the perfect balance of blur and form. Bracketing is capturing a range of images at slightly different settings in order to ensure that you have the highest selection to choose from in post-processing. With digital, this is great as additional images cost nothing. Most bracketing is done with exposure, however, I find myself bracketing aperture quite often in these types of cases. This technique can be attempted with the subject behind or in front of another object. Experiment with different positioning and apertures in order to find an effective combination.

To recap:

1. Experiment with focusing on an object either closer than your true subject or further away to subtlety blur the intended subject.
2. Bracket the aperature to achieve the desired look.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 109mm, f/6.3, 1/13 second

As I mentioned in the post “The Dew Drops of Summer“, my brother-in-law invited my father-in-law and me to his cabin near Cedar Rapids, Nebraska where I had the opportunity to photograph a restored 1951 Ford tractor. This week, I am presenting a 5-part photographic series of tractor images. Each day I am going to have a new tractor image and am going discuss what photographic techniques I utilized to achieve the effects in the image.

A Little Bit About the Tractor Session

I spent quite a bit of time photographing this tractor. I had asked my brother-in-law to park the tractor in some grass to which he replied “You want to park a fully restored tractor as though it had sat for years?!”. Well, yeah! I had visualized this image of the tractor in a field with some nice prairie grass. I began in the late afternoon sun and as it grew darker I asked my brother-in-law to switch on the headlights. He then suggested capturing some images of the tractor through the grass as though it was coming toward me. A marvelous idea! By trying different apertures I was able to experiment with the settings which would keep the grass in the extreme foreground out of focus, but still recognizable. I found that f/8 was the most effective at producing this result.

A Little Bit About My Camera Settings

Whenever I shoot images, I solely shoot in RAW format. There are many reasons for this, but the most basic is that I have full control over the processing of the image. When an image is created as a JPEG the camera assumes it knows what’s best and creates the image for you. Well, I’m just stubborn and I certainly don’t think the camera knows whats best for me! In each of the images of the series I used the RAW converter in Adobe Photoshop to process the photographs.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 104mm, f/8, .6 second

For some reason this guy allowed me to get close and take a few shots.  I focused on the eye that was reflecting the blue sky behind me.  Backyard nature at its friendliest, but I am sure the neighbors don’t like him eating their flowers!

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/6.3, 1/100 sec.
Omaha, Nebraska

Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself. -Mary Schmich

As humans each one of us is unique. Not one of us acts the same, speaks the same, or enjoys all the same pastimes. Genetics and environment have combined to create the person we are and many endeavour to achieve something greater than the sum of our parts.

If you were to take 10 photographers and place them in an unfamiliar location with a camera and any lens, filters, and equipment they choose you would have 10 unique images. No image is wrong, no perspective more correct than the other.  Yet photographers so often wish to imitate other’s work.  When one sees an image that inspires and moves, the siren call to create something similar can be powerful. When used properly imitation can be a strong learning tool, from it we can examine the process and techniques used to create the same types of mood and images.   

On photography forums I frequently read comments such as “wow, you really captured the [insert photographer] feel here” or “this could almost be [insert photographer]’s work”. If it was your wish to grow and learn from the experience of producing something similar, than great. However, if it is your desire to always walk in another’s footsteps, never to find your own creative path, then know that you will forever be enslaved to someone else’s vision.

As artists we yearn to create. Each photograph freed from our imaginations should follow our vision, it should be our own.  We need not fetter ourselves to an imitated style.  Use the lift of another to give you the boost necessary, but then fly on your own.  Catch your creative updraft and soar. 

If you would like to take a look at an on some things that I have found make my photography more meaningful, head over to Darwin Wiggett’s blog and check out The GO PHOTO Principles For More Self-fulfilling Photography.

Easy Techniques for Dripping Fall Colours with Digital Cameras
by Darwin Wiggett

I often get comments about the rich and vivid colours in my photos. Many people assume I simply push the saturation levels in Photoshop to get my signature saturation. In fact my vivid colour comes mostly from in-camera techniques rather than post-processing fixes. People are surprised to hear that I never use the saturation slider in Photoshop! Here are a few tips to help you create vivid colour every time you press the shutter button.

The Big Secret

Want to know what my biggest secret is for great colour? It is probably something you already own but simply do not use enough – it is the polarizing filter. Nothing helps pump up colour more than this ‘old school, been around forever’ filter. A polarizer works by removing reflective highlights from any reflective surface (leaves, water, rocks etc.). The great thing about a polarizer is that you just spin it around on the front of your lens until you see the effect you want. Where many photographers go wrong is that they assume polarizers only work with sunny days and blue skies. In fact one of the best times to shoot colour is on overcast days where a polarizer will kill the muddy grays and punch up colour in really pleasing ways. For example compare photo 1a of Mary-Ann falls in Nova Scotia taken without a polarizer with photo 1b which was taken with a polarizer – I am sure you’ll agree that there are huge differences and that a polarizer needs a place in your bag for optimal colour!

Photo 1a (© Darwin Wiggett)

Photo 1b (© Darwin Wiggett)

And if you think you can replicate the look of a polarizer after the fact using software, you can’t! No software can do what a polarizer does in front of the lens. This is one filter that is still necessary even in the digital era. Personally, I recommend a polarizer that has a warming filter built in like Singh-Ray’s LB warming polarizer because overcast skies and shaded foregrounds have a strong blue cast that can be neutralized with a warming polarizer. Want better colour, get a polarizer on your lens! In fact I keep a polarizer on my landscape lenses all the time – 90% of the time they have a positive effect!

After the Rain

Photo 2 (© Darwin Wiggett)

Speaking of polarizers and overcast light, if you truly want dripping wet colours the absolute best time to shoot is just after a rain. The colours of wet landscapes are super vivid and combining these ‘punchy’ conditions (wet subjects in even light) with a polarizer will give you that ‘wet paint’ look that is so appealing. For example, in photo 2, the wet conditions and a polarizer really gave the added punch needed to make the scene come alive. Whenever it rains, I try to sneak out for a photo session with my polarizer because I am guaranteed great colour!

Washed out Skies

Photo 3 (© Darwin Wiggett)

Another colour killer is the washed out white sky. Nothing will murder colours faster than if you include a bright sky in your photo. The solution is simple; ‘when white, shoot tight’. On overcast or grey days the easiest solution to retain great colour is to eliminate the sky. Once the glaring sky is gone the colours will just seem to jump out (photo 3).

Or if your sky is really interesting and has nice colours then you will probably want to include it in the photo. The problem is that skies are often so much brighter than the landscape that even a colourful sky washes out when you photograph both the land and sky together. For example in Photo 4a, the Chinook Arch over the prairie pasture loses all colours when the landscape is properly exposed. To get the colour back I used a neutral density graduated filter to darken the exposure over the sky so it looked more natural (photo 4b). If you do not know what a neutral density graduated filter (ND grad for short) is or how these filters work, then visit my website for instructional articles on filters - www.darwinwiggett.com. The point here is that if your skies are washed out, the colours in the rest of your photo will look washed out. Eliminate the sky or darken it in-camera with a grad filter to get the best colours possible.

Photo 4a (© Darwin Wiggett)

Photo 4b (© Darwin Wiggett)

A ‘Flare’ for Colour

If you really want punchy colours try shooting your landscape in strong direct backlighting. Backlighting works well with semi-translucent objects such as leaves or flowers by suffusing the subject with light that seems to come from within. The problem with backlighting is that strong light coming into the lens can cause flare (a scattering of light) which will degrade the images colour. To avoid flare use a lens hood, or shield the lens with your hand to prevent direct light from hitting the front of the lens. Take any unnecessary filters off your camera lens (UV, haze, or skylight filters) because the more glass in front of your lens the worst the flare will become. Also you can eliminate the sky or the pin point source of light (usually the sun) from your photos to further reduce flare. But if you want to include the sun and sky in your photo then try to have the sun more towards the middle of the frame or have it partly obscured by a branch or a cloud so it flares less. Neutral density graduated filters are the one filter that can help reduce glare in back lit scenes. By darkening the bright sky the filter reduces the amount of stray light scattered in the lens and makes the scene more colourful. For example, in photo 5, I waited until the sun was partially obscured behind a cloud and I also used an ND grad filter to reduce the brightness of the sky resulting in rich colour that literally pops off the photo.

Photo 5 (© Darwin Wiggett)

Cloudy White Balance

A simple trick with digital cameras for better colour is to set your camera for ‘cloudy’ white balance for more pleasing colour. Warm colours are more inviting and seem ‘cheery’ compared to cool or neutral colours, and the cloudy setting will give you warm colours. Even if you shoot RAW where you can change the white balance in post-processing, using ‘cloudy’ will make your images ‘pop’ on your camera LCD making it feel like you are making great images. If you shoot JPEGS where choosing the right white balance needs to be done in-camera, then try comparing ‘daylight’ or ‘sunny’ white balance (photo 6a) with ‘cloudy’ white balance (photo 6b) of the same scene. I’ll bet you prefer ‘cloudy’ in 80-90% of the situations and your JPEG photos will look more colourful in the end.

Photo 6a (© Darwin Wiggett)

Photo 6b (© Darwin Wiggett)

Most of my great colour comes from these tips I use regularly in the field. If you can get the best colour possible in-camera, then it will take very little processing to make your images look stunning. It is not what you do after the capture that is so critical, it is more what you do at the time you press the shutter.

A couple of weeks a nasty looking storm moved through eastern Nebraska which I tracked and realized that would hit the Platte River near South Bend near sunset.  I have photographed this location previously (Patterns in the Sandbar - More Nature Abstracts) and kept it in mind as there is a converted trussel that now serves as a footbridge across the river that would allow me to position myself anywhere above the water.  As the clouds and rain moved through I took several images attempting to capture some lighting in the distance.  This photograph was the best of the storm with a lightning strike, some blurred cloud movement, and cloud to cloud lightning resulting in some colorful light in the distance.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 20mm, f/6.3, 30 sec.
Platte River, Nebraska

This image is available on my website at: Tumultuous Thunder - Storm and Lighting Over the Platte River, Nebraska

For several years I actively participated in a couple of different photography forums in which I would comment on others photographs and post some of mine. For the most part, I would try to offer some constructive criticism and in return I hoped that my images would receive the same type of feedback as well. Along the way I met some great people and looked at some inspirational photography and interacted in a fairly supportive community - fairly being the key word.

About 2 years ago I posted the above image to a forum. This was a group that in the majority would be generally best be described as unconsciously (or maybe consciously) “cliquey”. The first commenter was one of the more respected photographers on this site and his comment was curt - he didn’t like it, it wasn’t original, and therefore it had no beauty. Those remarks tainted the rest - instead of receiving constructive feedback I received negative comments exclusively. Of course my ego was bruised, but more than that I couldn’t believe that instead of people telling me what would improve the image, they simply chose to file in line, unwilling to express their own opinion.

This instance was only a repeat of previous experiences. In the past, I had received positive comments on other photos and like lemmings everyone agreed with the occasional lone dissenter among them. It was these unique insights and views that I found the most relevant information and the tips that would improve my photography. Unfortunately, these individuals were usually not members of the clique, so they usually departed after a short time.

A couple of months later, I posted another photograph, one which yielded very positive reviews. The poster stated that my photograph reminded him of the work of the photographer that had previously left that negative comment.  This “positive comment” made me realize that I had been falling into the clique, that my vision was being tainted too much by what others were saying and doing.  The event spurred me to take a hiatus from photo critiquing sites for a while.  Cole Thompson mentions in his blog post “Your Images Remind me of Ansel Adams” that he would like to see something as though he had been blind and immediately given vision, that way external photographic influences would not direct how he captures the image.  This would make certainly make everything new and ensure that I would know that my perspective is uniquely my own.

Perhaps I have been too hard on the critics.  After all, without critics how would I know if an image appeals to others?  With each photo we take comes memories and a history that impacts our mood and opinion.  It often takes impartial critiques to give us a nudge in one direction or another and that ultimately helps us to see more creatively.  At the same time, we must maintain our goals and our vision and not let ourselves be led too far off.  In the end we should always listen to our critics, but at the same time be sure to never listen as well.

Technical Details:
Canon 20d, 10-22 ef-s lens @ 19mm, f/4.5, 1/15 sec.
Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington

This photograph is available on my website at: Wandering Traveler - Photograph of the Sunset at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington

When I first began placing my photography on a website I figured that my work would stand on it’s own.  I was under the assumption that if I posted photographs to the web, they would come.  Who “they” were, I wasn’t sure, and why I thought they would come… well, let’s just say that it was the beginning of a long and never-ending education that I am happy to share today. 

My first websites had many photographs that may or may not have had a title and there was usually no description.  Visitors were sparse and driven only by other communities in which I participated.  Analysis of my web traffic data showed strange search phrases driving search engine traffic.  Like many artists my titles would be something abstract such as “Ethereal Sunrise” or “Awake from Dreaming“, titles that I thought helped my work fit into the “art” category.  Indeed, many photobloggers today subscribe to this belief as well.  In order for the photo to be art it has to have a catchy “artsy” name.

While these original photograph titles may satisfy the artist on a creative level and it did for me, on a technical level it does nothing for driving people to the site through search engines.  In fact, many great artists toil in obscurity because of their titles, and as a result they try for catchier and even more abstract titles perpetuating their enigmatic condition.  For most artists who post images to the web, this is counterproductive to what they are trying to achieve, recognition.  In part 1 of my 3 part series “When a Photograph is Not Worth 1,000 Words - SEO Tips for Photographers“, Tip #2 is:

Make your page title readable to those who are searching and contain the most important keywords first.

Through research and trial and error I have found there is a balance between the “artsy” title and the “technical” title. 

My website originally had the title of the photograph be the page title.  As this is what most search engines display and catalog, I realized by searching for my own work, that even I wouldn’t click on it since it didn’t appear to meet my needs!  I changed my strategy and instead focused on targeting a specific set of words and then placed these words at the beginning of the page title.  An image originally titled “Small World” became “Nebraska Nature Photograph | Small World“.  Of course, I could draw it out a bit more to “Nebraska Nature Photograph - Snail and Mushroom | Small World“, but you want to make sure that you’re not “keyword stuffing” into the title.  Too many keywords and search engines begin to dismiss the legitimacy of your site.  The point here is that anyone searching for a snail and mushroom photograph will now find my photograph, whereas before my hits probably came from individuals looking for something that indicating a miniature planet.

The same concept translates well for photoblogging.  For my blog, I wanted to keep my photograph post titles specific, but I wanted the search engines to pick up additional keywords related to the post.  There are many tools that can do this for all the blogging platforms, but since I am using Wordpress I downloaded the “All In One SEO Pack“.  This gives me the flexibility to display a different title than my the acutal post title that people see.  For example: “From the Photo Archives: A Touch of Light” now becomes “Scenic Waterfall Photograph of Multnomah Falls, Oregon | A Touch of Light“.  Now anyone that is searching for a scenic photo of Multnomah Falls is more likely to find my image, but the post viewer still sees the original title. 

By harnessing the power of the page title, web travelers are more likely to find your site and stop by.  Remember, individuals looking for a specific photograph are not going to know what your title means, but by providing some insight into the picture, they can have a better understanding of what you have published.

Tip Recap:

Tip 1: Use the power of your page titles.  Put keywords related to your photograph first and the “artsy” title last.

Tip 2:Find and use an SEO plugin for your blog or website, this will help to publish search engine friendly titles that are separate from your post titles.  I use the “All In One SEO Pack” for Wordpress.

Bonus Tip: I frequently use the pipe symbol “|” and the hyphen “-” to separate, but others use the tilde “~” or the colon “:” as well.  Anything that gets web travelers to see a visual separation in the search results is good. 

Technical Details: Canon 20d, 70-200 f/4l @ 84mm, f/4, 1/160 sec.
Indian Cave State Park, Nebraska

• 18MP APS-C CMOS
• Dual DIGIC 4 - allowing for 8 FPS (94 FINE JPEG/ 15 RAW)
• Improved Autofocus - 19 cross AF points
• ISO 100-6400 (Exp 12800)
• 100% 1.0X magnification with intelligent display, horizon assist (leveler)
• iFCL metering (exposure and colour)
• 920K Version II LCD, 160 deg viewing
• Full HD video (w external mic input n HDMI output)
• Switch for Live View/Video mode
• Stronger body design, metallic shutter sound, 150K shutter life
• Supports EOS intelligent Speedlight system - Ability to command external flash units

 
Personally, I have no current plans to upgrade (unless someone gets one for me!), but the features that interest me the most are the durability, speedlight control, autofocus features, frame speed, 100% 1.0x view in the viewfinder, and the leveler.  In regards to the leveler, I do have a couple of bubble levels which are pretty darn good too!

One last note, it uses the same battery as the Canon 5d Mark II, which is on a pretty good deal at Amazon right now.  Pick one up you decide to purchase.

There is now a waitlist for the camera from Amazon, but I recommend getting on the list if you plan on getting one!

More information is available at Rob Galbraith’s site. 

Beginning Image:

The Tonal Contrast filter is one of the last steps in my workflow.  Before I use this filter, I adjust the global contrast, colors, saturation, and exposure.  When adding contrast to an image, it is good to note that this sometimes has the effect of an increased of perceived saturation.  If I know that I will be adding some contrast to the image, I tend to keep my saturation and vibrance sliders on the conservative side.  When dealing with skies and clouds most of the contrast we want to affect will be in the highlight zone with some falling into the mid-tone zone.  The majority of the adjustments will be made by tweaking those two sliders.

Too Much:

Too much and the image begins to turn into a watercolor on acid.  Although, this maybe an effect that is pleasing to some, in most instances it can be taken too far.  In this image I pumped up the highlight slider to around “60″ and the mid-tone slider around “30″.  The edges in the sky start to bleed out and cause some very defined lines.  Since this result falls short of my goal, I am going to bring the settings down.

Just Right:

Here, I have brought my highlight contrast levels down to “19″, my mid-tone contrast settings are set around “5″, and my shadow settings are currently at “1″.  Additionally, I have protected my highlights by using the shadows/highlight slider and bumping the highlights to about the half-way point.  Here, the clouds have additional contrast, the rest of the scene has a tad more contrast, but nothing that would make it unrealistic.  As I remember that day, there were some crazy clouds and weather going on, and now the end photo better brings out that experience.

Screenshot of the Final Settings:

Technical Details:
Canon 20d, 10-22 ef-s lens @ 22mm, f/7.1, 1/100 sec.
Medicine Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
Nik Software Complete Collection - Tonal Contrast Filter

In summer of 2006 I had the pleasure of photographing the Columbia Gorge region of Oregon. Since Nebraska is not known for waterfalls, I really wanted to get out and see the many that the region had to offer. Unfortunately, due to multiple issues with United Airlines, we missed over an entire day of visiting this serene area, but I did make a point to visit the grand Multnomah Falls.  Besides photographing the waterfall in its entirety as many do, or even half of it with the bridge, which is also common, I choose to put on my 70-200 with a 1.4x teleconverter and selectively photograph various sections of the falls. In this particular image, I focused on the rainbow that was created as a small slice of light was hitting the falls.

Technical Details:
Canon 20d, 70-200 f/4l + 1.4tc @ 198mm, f/16, 1/8 sec.
Multnomah Falls, Oregon

This image can be viewed on my website at: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/photo.asp?pictureid=ATouchofLight&xmlfile=/journey06/xml/color/pacificnorthwest.xml&x=0

While processing some photographs from my western Nebraska trip in May, I came across this image which I almost archived, but something about this composition drew me back. Here, two trees stood for an eternity, alone on a vast empty prairie yet they remain together. For me, this image evokes a calming feeling, one of togetherness and companionship. Two united against the elements and time.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 109mm, f/13, .4 sec.
Ft. Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/photo.asp?pictureid=StandByMe&xmlfile=/journey06/xml/color/midwest.xml&x=27

I came across a post entitled “6 things you forgot to do when you first got your new dSLR“.  There is some good information there.  I only have a couple of things to add:

1. Check the autofocus accuracy with all your lenses.  This may seem time consuming and tedious, but in the end it is well worth it.
2. Buy a second battery (or do this when you order the camera).
3. Photocopy your registration card and make a note of the serial number.  I save this information by scanning it into my hard drives and keeping all my serial numbers - lens, cameras, software, in a common folder.
4. Breathe.

Technical Details:
Canon 20d, 17-40 f/4l @ 31mm, f/9, 1/60 sec.
Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington

Before my days as a photographer, in February of 2003, I was working as a Senior Engineer at the largest privately held credit card processing company.  It was supposed to be one of the happiest times of my life - I was young, I was about to be married, my career looked good.  Then “The Intrusion” occured, and in an instant everything went out of control.

The largest reported credit card hack up to that time happened, my company was the target, and I was in the think of it all.  Over 10 million credit cards had been siphoned out of our servers by the Russians via a Chinese implanted backdoor.  In the ensuing months I became physically worn and gained 30 pounds, emotionally drained, and I was uncertain that anyone would ever hire me again.  The good news?  A year or so later, one of the perpetrators was eventually caught, but not because of hack itself, but because of a completely unrelated charge.

The scenario I illustrated, while true, does sound like something out of a Hollywood film.  The actuality is that the important data is usually much easier to obtain.  Many individuals and companies lack security believing they are immune – “We don’t have any really sensitive data.”, “No one would ever hack us.” “We are not a financial institution.”   In reality, these are the primary targets as these are the easiest.  If a company or individual only has 1/10 the useful data of a more secured company, but it is 100 times easier to obtain, than its a simple matter of math.  Sure the big hacks get the headlines, but the small ones go unnoticed and as a result not prosecuted.  10 sets of low-risk data=1 set of high-risk data. 

When I read a recent Gawker Article about an individual who’s Flickr account was hacked and subsequently terminated, the memories of that February gone past overwhelmed me again.  3,000 photographs, years of work, gone, all because:

1. The individual didn’t back up the data.
2. Flickr didn’t back up the data.
3. The individual had lax or no security.
4. Flickr had lax or no security.

 
Most people are placing the blame on Flickr, but in reality, the onus was on the individual to backup and secure his data.  Who’s to say that Flickr will even be in business tomorrow?  Companies on the web come and go and very few survive.  Sure, Flickr has made it further than most, but that is still no guarantee.  In the brave, new world of digital photography, the key word here is digital.  Like all information stored in bits and bytes, it should to be secured and backed up under the photographer’s control.  No one is more responsible than you.

What do I do?  I have been forever changed by the events I witnessed first hand.  I backup my data three times with an offsite copy.  My photographs and digital information are perhaps my highest regarded assets and most protected after my family and pets.  Cameras can be replaced, prints can be replaced (as long as you have the files), but the memories can never be replaced.  Chubb, Inc. recently conducted a poll that asked the question, “If you had a fire (or other natural disaster) and your family and pets were safe, what is the number one thing you would want from your household?”  The #1 response: the family photo album.

Lastly, what’s up with the image associated with this post?  Every time I think of those past days, I need to go to a happy, peaceful place complete with blue skies and the sound of soft rustling leaves.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/8, 1/40 sec.
Pikes Peak, Colorado

Unfortunately, I was ill last Friday and through the weekend, so I did not complete my “Photo Friday” post.  As a result, I am posting a new photo today.  About two years ago I wanted to start focusing (no pun intended - well ok maybe) on my macro photography.  My wife purchased an extension tube for me and I went out looking for itty subjects.  It’s been a challenging two years to say the least!  When you’re used to wide-angle everything with the occasionally telephoto for wildlife, small subjects can be a bit daunting.  Add to that the fact that every little breeze may move your subject around and the fact that crouching in all sorts of unnatural positions can really torque your back I began to wonder if macro was for me.  Well, I stuck with it and I can now say that I’m glad I did, there are so many great little worlds in nature to explore. 

A couple of weeks ago my brother-in-law’s graciously took my father-in-law and me to his cabin near Cedar Rapids, Nebraska.  Besides casting a fishing line in the lake, I spent the two cool mornings looking for some little things to photograph.  This reed with dew drops fascinated me and I spent probably a good 45 minutes trying different compositions (between breezes of course).  I wanted to capture a bit of the surroundings reflected in the big dew drop and then I stopped down a bit to give the specular highlights on the smaller drops a star-like look.  This effect is visible near the top of the reed on the right side. 

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM lens, f/9, 1/160 sec.
Near Cedar Rapids, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/photo.asp?pictureid=DewDropsofSummer&xmlfile=/journey06/xml/color/midwest.xml&x=36

1. Nik Viveza– Viveza contains a great interface for isolated brightness, contrast, and saturation control. This is by far my most used filter to complete some minor (or sometimes not so minor) adjustments to my image. Before Viveza I used masks and color ranges to accomplish these things, but now I found my workflow time has improved.
2. Nik SilverEfex – Black and white conversion program on NOS. This allows granular control on how the image is converted to monochrome and any film/style that may accompany this conversion.
3. Nik ColorEfex Pro – A collection of some good and some great treatments and effects. In version 2.0 I found myself overusing the Skylight filter, but now I use the effects sparingly or when I want to. My top three favorites within the collection?

• Tonal Contrast– For adjustments to local contrast for highlights, midtones, and shadow areas.
• Vignette (and Vignette Blur)– Two similar effects that produce a darkening or blurring effect on the edge of images.
• Graduated Neutral Density– To simulate the use of a grad filter on an image.

4. Genuine Fractals – The best program to enlarge photographs for bigger prints. Genuine Fractals extrapolates the information in the image and then uses that to intelligently place additional pixels to reduce the jaggies that can be produced when an image is enlarged.
5. Noise Ninja – The best program that I have found to reduce noise in photographs. I use this program sparingly, however, as I have found it can cause an unnatural look to some images.
6. Photomatix – A good program to create HDR images. This program can create some unusual (sometimes desired, sometimes not) looks to photographs.

With the photograph above I used a combination of these programs.  I began with Nik Viveza to slightly darken the background and add more brightness and contrast to the eyes and face.  I then processed the image through SilverEfex to convert it to black and white with a bit of tinting.  Lastly, I used ColorEfex to give the final image a bit of a vignette at the corners.

Over at the American Express Small Business forum I read a marketing article entitled “7 Ways to Become More Yessable” with some great points that fit in pretty well to the photography industry. The article focuses on how to become a leader in the marketplace, and outlined below is how these core bullets can be applied to becoming a more successful photographer, both in business and creatively.

Become a fixture in your industry.

Simply put, keep on making images and putting them out there.  Market your images, network with others, become someone that people think of when they think photography. 

Become recognized as a person who knows how to solve problems.

Everyone has problems that need to be resolved.  Is there a particular shot that a client wants or needs?  Go a little further and find unique and interesting ideas that will solve the issue.  Use your creativity to expand upon those ideas and fully explore them.  When that is done brainstorm some more ideas.  Do this until the problem is solved so completely that the client forgets what the issue really was.

Become so distinct that you’re perceived to be a monopoly.

Find your niche.  Maybe it’s the location you shoot, perhaps its a specialized developing method unique to you.  Focus on what you do and show the world that you do it best, that you are the only one.  Annie Leibovitz has cornered the market on portrait photography for celebrities so well that it is the perception  by this group that she is the only one that they have capture their image and personalities.

Become the universally presumed perpetrator.

Be the first and the best at what you do.  Don’t settle for less, don’t stop until perfection is achieved. 

Generate ongoing demand.

Keep creating new and varied material.  Show your range and flexibility within your speciality and shine.  Don’t settle for one type of shot all the time.  Experiment.  Improve.

Make yourself necessary to the world.

Position your art and your expertise that you are the one to turn to when something needs to happen.  Do it in a way that clients continually return to you whether it by for the type of image you create or the way that you handle the tough situations.  Be the expert.

Secrets aren’t the secret.

Share your expertise and experience with others.  Continue to learn and grow so that they keep coming back to learn from your wisdom.  Define your personal style.  People will use your techniques, but if it imitates your vision your audience will recognize it as such.

I am continually amazed and inspired by other photographers and artists on the web. The more on I click on their images the more I find myself bookmarking and revisiting their work. Often, I will reach out to those artists via email and inquire about their inspiration, experiences, and motivations. Most photographers are reachable and usually return a message with some insightful information about their photography. This turns the artist from a simple set of galleries of images with some descriptions into a warm and inviting conversation, perhaps not as friendly as physically sitting down with a cup of coffee, but friendlier nonetheless. 

The feeling of email is a little different than commenting on a photograph on a social site. On social sites photographers are soliciting comments and information regarding their images.  An unsolicited comment or question will often times foster a dialog that goes deeper than the one-sentence responses indicitive on those sites.  Additionally, by emailing other artists not only are you gaining insight into their photographic process, but you are providing encouragement them as well. So often as artists we find ourselves locked in a phase that may take some external stimulus to help us view our work little differently. As a result, this may inspire a whole new tangent of ideas.

So take the time today to email a photographer or two you admire.  You might just find that it may help bolsters both your work and theirs.

This is not a solicitation for emails to me, seek out photographers on the web and send them a shout!

Canon LP-E6 Battery Pack for Canon 5D Mark II Digital SLR

Although I have never done any astrophotography, the images produced by telescopes are beautiful and scientifically fascinating. The ultra deep field photographs that Hubble has produced can really cause one to pause for reflection on the vastness of the universe and our tiny existance.

Video by Tony Darnell.
Image by the Hubble team at NASA.

I’m going to be starting a new trend here on Traveling the Journey of Light, I’m going to post a new photograph every Friday.  While I will still post photographs through the week, I’m making sure that something new and visual shows up on Photo Fridays.

Today’s image was taken atop a hill in eastern Nebraska near Herman.  It was an awesome display of light as a storm just passed overhead as the sun was setting in the west.  I have seen many photographs of this day and people still talk about it in Nebraska as the quality of light was simply stunning.  Besides this photograph I captured two others of rainbows and a couple of the passing storm.  Nature at its most remarkable.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/8, .4 sec., 3-stop hard Singh-Ray ND-Grad
Near Herman, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/photo.asp?pictureid=StormsPassing&xmlfile=/journey06/xml/color/midwest.xml

A recent Time Magazine cover has been causing quite a stir amongst photographers on the Internet in the past couple of weeks.  Blog post after blog post has been written, tweets have been tweeted, emails have been flying.  Why?  Because the artist sold his photograph for $30.  Normally, rates for such usage range in the thousands of dollars, but to this particular artist this photograph was worth about the change that was placed in the jar.  If you are curious, this is apparently not his day job.  The rumor is that he manages a furniture store.  From the fervor of some photographers I wouldn’t be surprised if he were to go to work one day to only find sticks and cloth where sofas and easy chairs once stood.

Photographers have ranted, claiming the old model is dead and no one can survive!  I admit, there are some problems with the stock world today.  It parallels the health care system issues in the United States, everyone thinks they know how we got here, but no knows how to get us out.  No one solution that will cure either and each idea spawns deeper questions and more pressing issues. 

What’s the answer?  I wish I knew.  Some claim that photographers entering the market need to be better educated.  How?  Does every Mom that buys a DSLR and sells photographs of her neighbors children need to have a business manual to do so?  Does every photo hobbyist who knows a jeweler need a college course on pricing before shooting earrings?  Some claim that stock agencies should go back to the old rights-managed model exclusively?  After Time Magazine has tasted a $30 cover?  Unlikely.

When most photographers are asked why they began, most answer that it was simply to satisfy their creative desires.  They shoot because they want to shoot.  They began to share those photographs because they wanted others to see the beauty, gaze on the grandeur, and feel the inspiration that they felt.  It was only after thousands of photographs later that the determination set in to persue photography as a business.  I can tell you that almost every one of those same photographers has later occasionally felt the despair of the system.  The professional photographic system is flawed, but no system is ever perfect.  It could be better and I believe that it will someday. 

My hope is that when the revolution is over and when an acceptable solution emerges those same photographers that began shooting for themselves to feed their inspirations are still there to share that vision with the world.

Flickr has been a great site for many photographers to share photos, receive feedback, and to learn new techniques. For many, it has become the photographic community of choice when it comes to online forums and for many people the way that they have gained exposure. Unfortunately, it is not without its own issues and problems. Referencing an article by Guy Kawasaki, “Will Anyone Pay for Anything” it is quite evident that our society has developed the perception is that anything on the Internet is free. In a more specific illustration of this point, Jim Goldstein’s article, “If It’s On The Internet It’s Free! Didn’t You Get The Memo”Jim speaks specifically to the issue of Flickr and Facebook images showing up around the world without the permission of the photographers. In fact, Jim dedicates many articles to these infringement issues. Here are a few worth mentioning:

How Every Flickr Photo Ended Up on Sale This Weekend

This article references projects in which Flickr uses submitted photographs without getting additional permission. In fact, a screensaver named “FlickrFan” was using any images with the designated tags pulled from Flickr for the screensaver.

Watermarks: Evolution of a Watermark

In this article Jim Goldstein references his experience with watermarking images and how with even those precautions how images are still lifted for use.

Facebook’s Right’s Grab: How Far Does It Go?

This article studies the specific terms of use outlined by Facebook. Specifically, Facebook’s terms of use are written in such a way that they could be potentially acquiring rights to all uploaded photographs. The thought of this is scary in the least and legally precedent setting in the extreme.

Copyrights: Protecting My Photography

Jim’s article dedicated to the process of protecting the copyrights of photographs.