Category: Creativity

The Woosh of the Wind!

Jason4 Comments

Journal Entry #1 – 2011 – Snowmobiling in Copper Mountain

Date:  January 1st, 2011
Location:  Copper Mountain Colorado
Temp:  -20 Fahrenheit
Wind:  10-20mph
Wind Chill:  -41 to -45 F!

What is this a great day for?  You guessed it – a snowmobile ride!  Seriously, I went on just such an excursion the morning of the 1st!  I layered up in my best winter gear:

  • Layer 1 – Thermals (long underwear)
  • Layer 2 – Lounge pants
  • Layer 3 – Blue Jeans
  • Layer 4 – Snow suit

It worked quite well as I never really got all that cold!  I took off from the house in Keystone CO where we gathered for the holidays with family, and drove the 45 minutes from 9900 feet to the 11,000 foot mark.  Nearly two miles above sea level now where the air is downright thin!

 

Snow and Ice in the Air
Snow and Ice in the Air

It was a nice tour, led by the well-regarded folks of Summit Concierge and their services across the Colorado Rockies. The tour guides were friendly, we got some handling time in a track loop to familiarize ourselves with the equipment, then they split us into two groups of six for some pretty exciting scenic views.  One group was a family or two, then the other was mostly adults (myself included, although I felt like a kid – adrenaline surging as we whipped around at about 30-45mph on our Polaris snowmobiles!).

The Whole Gang!
The Whole Gang!

As we crossed the mountains, with snow-covered pines, and gorgeous mountain-scapes.  Of course once we rode above the timber line, the scenery was just the white snow against the slightly paler misty sky.  It wasn’t snowing as at that temp, it’s just too cold.  Instead tiny bits of ice dusted the sky with hints of bluer skies behind the flakes of snow and ice.

At the summit!
At the summit!

I did imagine that we would get a bit cold in our extremities, as we whipped along.  After all, with a -20 gauge on the thermometer, 20mph winds and us tooling around with another 30mph of wind, it was likely very nearly around 50 below zero! But the handles of the Polaris were heated!  As you moved, the heat increased to snuff out the effects of the wind.  When we stopped I even took my gloves off to pull out the camera for some photography!  No gloves!  in 40 below temps!

Heated Handlebars Below...
Heated Handlebars Below...

The camera though, did not have the pleasure of heat, so it didn’t last too long, even inside my external snowsuit to shield it from the bitter cold.  I got perhaps 45 minutes of shoot time from the two batteries I packed.  The point and shoot fared better as it was inside my own snow jacket pocket, closer to the warmth of my own core heat. But it even capitulated to the cold after being taken out for a mere 20 minutes!  I found this out at one of the rally points…

Rally Point Break
Rally Point Break

Regardless, it was a great ride, with half pipes, remarkable scenery and even a stop for hot chocolate halfway through (the tour guide started the heaters as we began the trek)! For the adventurous – this is definitely one to consider when  you go to book your next adrenaline tour!  It was a great way to usher in the New Year!  How did you celebrate the start of 2011?  Share your thoughts, shots, and feedback in the comments below or via email.  Don’t forget to share socially too!

And finally, for those that read all the way through the journal article, here’s a short video I took from my Flip HD Video (Christmas Present):

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About Last Night…

Jason5 Comments

The first lunar eclipse to occur on the winter solstice occurred.  It’s the first time it’s happened in 600 years…and apparently won’t happen again for another 400 years.  I had two strokes of luck with this amazing astronomical event:

#1 – the path of the moon tracked almost directly over my house!  Literally!  I took maybe ten steps out my front door, and there it was, beautifully tracking across the sky.

#2 – Let me re-phrase that…beautifully tracking across the cloudy sky. 

At first it was just a few wisps…I started to capture a few shots at 10.  You know, to sort of document the before, during, and after.  But, by 10:30 the wisps were sticky patches of cloud cover.  By 11, even my naked eye could not discern any detail anymore.  It was very disappointing…

So, I put the camera away, began this post and went back out to glance at the sky for a bit before bed.  And as the first yawn escaped my tired body, sure enough, the clouds began to peel away.  At the halfway point, I finally grumbingly ran inside, bundled up, and grabbed the camera/tripod set which were already in place.  I’ve not done much post production on these, but here’s a select few:

I am sure others will get wonderful views, and the folks at NASA, Roswell, SETI, and all the others will document it quite nicely for the rest of us. But…it’s just not the same as viewing it in real time.  When all was said and done, I was glad I stayed up to watch it.  Not only did I end up getting some nice shots, but I got to see almost the whole thing before heading off to bed.

What about others?  Did anyone else stay up to watch it?  I’ll bet some pretty cool time lapse productions come out of this!  Share your own thoughts and perspectives in the comments.  Would love to hear from you!  Happy shooting, and I’ll likely have a full set posted tomorrow.

Meeting Your Goals…with help!

Jason1 Comment

Did you meet your goals in 2010 photographically speaking?  It’s an interesting question, especially for me because as I started to move in toward the holidays, with a new job ramping up, had felt as though work in the photography arena had stagnated for me to a degree.  It really was not the case actually – and the back story here is what is important.  None of us are an island – we all need help to both keep ourselves motivated, and to keep the fires and energies burning.  Sometimes we recharge from a break other times it’s from a good kick in the…well, you get the idea!

The Back Story

Colleagues, mentors, tutors, and others in the field can be a hugely helpful influence, and one sage such associate recently told me to shoot more and talk less.  The whole idea of “shut up and shoot” had come back to haunt me!  This is advice I give to others when they approach me – how dare he suggest that.  But then I considered…and in all honesty, the last month or so of photo production had not been as productive as I had wished.  I had excuses of the new job, sure…but the bottom line was that my colleague was right!  I needed to get out and shoot more! So I did just that.  In doing so, I got a few good decent photos together, including one for the desktop download series…

Then, another industry association (although I use that term lightly), is none other than Mr. David DuChemin.  You may recall he paid a visit to the podcast a while back, and occasionally we have had a few exchanges on Twitter, but it’s definitely a one-sided relationship where I learn from him and not vice-versa! 🙂  (There I go again with the self-deprecation – someone needs to shock me so I stop doing that!)  Anyway, he reminded me that the whole point of our craft is to share our vision and work with others.  It came through a Twitter exchange when I was giving a compliment to his work by also using my well-known tactic of self-deprecation.  It stuck with me so much, that I’d rather just share his exact words:

Sage Advice from David DuChemin
Sage Advice from David DuChemin

– and that is exactly what I had not been doing photographically.  Oh sure, test shots from lens reviews, a few sample photos here and there…but nothing really from the inner core that had apparently been needing some voice.  So, with that I decided to go ahead full force – not only with capturing more images, but completing the last of the Desktop Downloads for the year!

The 2010 Desktop Downloads

What’s that?  You don’t know about the Desktop Downloads?  Of course not, because I had been neglecting to share the information with everyone on the regular monthly basis that a new photo for inspiration and enjoyment had been uploaded.  For many months of the year, I was capturing photos and  content to share, and not sharing it!  The legwork behind it was lost in the business.  So, I owe the audience an apology and 12 downloads for the year!  No worries though – you know why?  Because I met my goal for the year!  In going back through each month for the image I had selected, I realized that this was also tied to a “project” I gave myself for 2010 – to shoot more often, and take on more projects.  The goal was one a month, and I did it!  With my personal success finally realized, it’s high time to share that success with everyone else.  For the monthly desktop image for December, you can get click the appropriate link and download for your own inspiration and enjoyment!

Colorado Sunset
Colorado Sunset

1280×1024 px

1024×768 px

To get the rest, simply hit the Downloads page and save for your own desktop wallpaper or screen saver as you prefer… As an aside, there are a couple months I had done the download as a calendar, thinking it would be more functional (May and June), but after toying with the idea for 2 months, decided it detracted too much from the image for my tastes (all due respect to Jeffrey Friedl and his PS plugin that helped produce those months though.).  Nevertheless, with the year far from over (most of December is left for us), I can officially say I met my goal for the year with 12 photo projects.  Already, I’ve shot nearly 20% more than I did last year, because of directed projects and diligence.  Have you met yours?  There’s still time, so get out there and shoot!  Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow…

Editor Note: (Who am I kidding, that’s still me…)  I know the Monthly Newsletter is still not out as promised and I expect that to be out tomorrow as well, so if you’d like to still sign up for that, there’s still time!

Close to Home – from Craft and Vision

Jason1 Comment

I was on the verge of taking a day off on account of tired – my new shift at work goes from 6:30am to 3:30, and the adjustment on my internal body clock has been a challenging one to accommodate.  However, I remembered a quick post I wanted to make to share with everyone a great eBook I had the pleasure of previewing from the crew working with David DuChemin.  So, now is as good a time as any! Continue reading “Close to Home – from Craft and Vision” →

Night Owl or Early Bird?

Jason3 Comments

In photography, there is much to catch in the morning hours – sunrises, dew glistening off everything around you, and the slow to low hum of the world awakening around you.  It’s both invigorating and peaceful at the same time.  I can’t begin to recall the number of times I’ve crawled out of the cozy warm bed in the middle of the dark, all to be at an ocean beach before sunrise, to make a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park before the morning glow catches the peaks of the mountains, or to catch butterflies and other creatures before the heat of the day scurries them away.

Sunrise 1
Sunrise 1
Sunrise 2
Sunrise 2
Sunrise 3
Sunrise 3
Sunrise 4
Sunrise 4
Sunrise 5
Sunrise 5

By the same token, there’s also something to be said for the waning hours of the day and the night time coaxes us to our nocturnal tendencies.  The deep blues of the sky as the moon begins to creep over a skyline, the brilliant oranges and blues mix in unimaginable ways through the clouds, and streaks of headlights and tail lights bring a sense of motion to the darkness – they all lull us to stay up and about to catch the images the work-a-days miss.  These are what draw us out at night.  The downside is that your dinner is cold, or your spouse/significant other has already eaten and you chow down alone.  Of course, you may be eating as you pour your images into Lightroom, Aperture, or other photo editor – beside yourself with anticipation of what you’ve captured.

Night Owl 1
Night Owl 1
Night Owl 2
Night Owl 2
Night Owl 3
Night Owl 3

There are pros and cons to being either an early bird (that gets the worm), or the night owl (that gets…a cricket?).  I’ve enjoyed (and suffered) through both, but would love to hear your perspectives.  Are you a night owl or an early bird?  Sound off in the poll and the comments!

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Does Fall Foliage Make for Good HDR?

Jason7 Comments

One of the best tips I’ve ever received is to look all around for photos – even in your own back yard.  Over the weekend, while on the daily dog walk, a few scenes happened to catch my eye.  Not satisfied with what the camera phone could do, I quickly came back to the house and got the SLR out.  A few minutes later, started capturing some of the scenery that remained of the fall foliage that is still present at the lower elevations.  The next thing I knew, I was looking up, looking down, looking behind me, and poof – I had a whole new set of images for a “fall foliage” collection!  These are the types of images that definitely benefit from some subtle HDR processing both to enhance the colors, as well as bring some light to shadowed areas while allowing for the lighter whites of the clouds.  Here’s some of the scenes I captured from just this one outing:

Yellow and Blue
Yellow and Blue

Iydillic Scene
Iydillic Scene
Orange, Red, and Blue
Orange, Red, and Blue

Yellow, Green, and Blue
Yellow, Green, and Blue

Colors Colliding
Colors Colliding
Going Low
Going Low

As you can see, the subtle HDR processing really added something to the photos.  Is it good?  Is it bad?  As in most things artistic, there is something of a judgment call involved.  Perhaps an important side note here in learning more about composition is to realize that something came out of an otherwise normal exercise (taking the dog for a walk), and in looking all around yourself, images are available everywhere.  Where should you look for your next photo?  Right there!  You just have to know to look for it!

Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

Water and Light

Jason2 Comments

The idea of writing with light is nothing new to photography, the very word itself means to paint with light (from the Greek photo, meaning light, and graphos meaning write), the most successful photographers through time are ones that have incorporated an effective use of light in their work.

While reading through the Sept. issue of Rangefinder, I found myself re-visiting the subject yet again, and with artists who I’ve seen and admired before, including Clark Little and Eric Curry (you may have seen Eric’s work featured over on David Hobby’s Strobist site periodically…brilliant lighting setups!).  The whole idea gave me a moment of pause – how much of my own work has been cognizant of the power of light? (It was a very Joe McNally/National Geographic type of moment if such a moment could be attained by an aspiring one rather than successful ones like those mentioned above.)

Nevertheless, taking cue from their inspiration, I perused my own portfolio for the theme of light.  It was actually quite extensive, so much so that another theme had to be incorporated to pare things down further.  Since Clark Little’s work has always been a source of inspiration and envy, I decided to go with a water pairing.  How have I managed to capture both water and light effectively?  The exercise was a good one, and looking at your archives with a new vision or perspective has always been one I encourage.  So, without further ado, here’s my take on combining the themes of water and light:

As inspiring as it was for me, take this cue as a source of inspiration for yourselves…pick a theme (or two), and peruse your archives (or go shoot with the theme in mind), and see where your creativity will take you.  Got ideas for creativity along these lines?  Share ’em in the comments too, as ideas for inspiration are all around us.  Check out what everyone says in the comments section below!

Happy shooting all, and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

Free advertising from me today…

Jason3 Comments

Being in Colorado, I am always one of the first to read the latest blogs for the day because East Coasters usually set their publish time to somewhere between midnight and 2am, which means between 10pm and midnight my time, I can catch up on all the news that is going to hit in the morning.  (California folks got me beat by an hour…)

So, when Scott Kelby’s blog went live a while ago, he was encouraging people to join the Kelby Training website with a video teaser compiled by his chief video guru, Jason Scrivner.  It’s a pretty funny video teaser, but did pique my interest enough to stop over and see how much time was involved in the new video.

Continue reading “Free advertising from me today…” →