Cold Memories

 Blog, Scenic, Uncategorized  1 Response »
Dec 122013
 

About 30 years ago my life changed.

God sent Karen and I a little redhead. Man was she a screamer!  But oh so beautiful.  My first of three kids. Like most families the picture taking starts out real heavy with the first child.  Then it declines as more little ones drop in.    Doesn’t seem fair to the other siblings.  Especially while sitting around the table the youngest asks ” why don’t we have any pictures of me?”

Dang.

In my house the photo passion started with the oldest child and grew more passionate even until this day.  In short order I put a studio addition in my home, installed a dark room, and added  more and more equipment.  Over the years I have always had a Nikon camera.  For a few years Hasselblads were added to my camera family.  So, for some 30+ years I have owned all kinds of camera gear, lighting and studio gear.  Though always an amateur.

Recently Nikon announced the Df Camera.

………

Holy cow it looked just like the camera body I started with.  The F series camera (FE, FM, Etc.) was my workhorse back then.  I had to have this new camera!

A couple of weeks ago the Df landed at my house.  Between work, stress, life and rattling in my head I haven’t really had it out to play with.  This past couple of weeks it has been really cold in Utah.  Tonight at sunset the Df and I went a shootin’. Though I still feel like crap from a cold I was pretty excited.  Then the memories flooded back.  Back in the day I would drive home from  work in the winter hoping to capture a beautiful sunset.  Probably all photographers look to sunsets in the beginning of their photography adventure.  I sure did.  With the Df in hand tonight, sub zero temps, an inversion and a cold  I was reliving the old days.

……..

The manual controls on the camera are perfect!  I love this camera.  I expect rain, cold, sun or night I will be carrying this gem.  If only to re-light some of my early photography visions!

 Posted by at 7:16 PM

A New Day

 Blog, Deer, Scenic  2 Responses »
Nov 202013
 

Sunday mornings.

What to do?  Often I sneak out and get a little free time and engage in my passion…… photography.

Early this year the company I work for sold to a relative.  A cousin, a niece, a very wealthy individual.  A Harvard graduate.  A very big deal.  The company has done extremely well.  What is the future?  I don’t know.  Sunday morning photography get-aways take me away from these type of questions.  I worry and see a dramatic change in how employees are treated.  Our new CEO is wonderful.  A real people person.  But does Harvard not have classes in interpersonal skills?  Or employee empowerment, recognition and encouragement?    Is the bottom line the only subject taught at Harvard?

A bit of complaining it sounds like.  Actually I worry.  I work at a level where I see moral at it’s lowest.  So indeed I need that quiet time watching critters.  Critters have no education and survive only by instinct.  What a concept…logic, instinct….

This was my first shot as I approached Antelope Island.  The refuge is bare of birds at this time so I make the trip to the island.  Tons to see there.

I always check the ‘barn” first.  The owl house.  The Great Horned Owl was there.  High up in the structural elements.  Beautiful birds!

Then I travel along the east side creeping along while looking in all directions.  Buffalo at most ridges and valleys.  This time of year I am looking for the deer buck.  The island is known to have some huge bucks.  In November they are very active as they are in rut.

Honestly I have been out there several weeks and struck out.  But this week.  Well I can say is WOW!  Gives me a boost to be in nature and get back to my realities.

It really doesn’t matter who owns the company.  I am grateful to be employed.  It’s their dime to lose.  I’ll do as I have always done, exceed expectations and deliver the very best.

The deer this day are focused on their mates.  They are also very alert to anything with two legs.  It is somewhat tricky to capture them in my camera.  Had to do a little crawling and sneaking around bushes.  All the shots of the deer are with the 600mm and a 1.7 teleconverter.  Obviously they were keeping their distance.

Maybe within the next 6 years I will able to wake and not worry about what ROI, IRR or reduction in benefits will pop up.  I do know that my camera gear will be close and ready to assist me with a great getaway.

 Posted by at 9:09 PM

Post Falls, Washington!

 Blog, Scenic, Travel  No Responses »
Oct 162013
 

Finally!

A chance to spend more than a few minutes looking through my viewfinder.  And capturing more than a couple of quick snapshots.  It’s been a while.

Post Falls is between Spokane, Washington and Coeur d Alene, Idaho.  Last week while driving from Cheney to Coeur d Alene I notice through a sliver of trees some small falls.  Turns out they are in a city named after them.  The falls as you will see are actually run off from a man made dam.

I climbed to the bottom of the canyon where it appeared the shots could be made.  Had fun.  Then I had to climb back out.  Over rocks and a steep grade.  Sweating like a marathoner in the mohave I made it back to the rental car.  It never looks as hard until I’m climbing back.  A little late had a wonderful dinner with my dear friend Sanford.  I’ll bet I’m walking a little funny tomorrow!

………

……….

 ………

 Posted by at 11:09 PM

Cheney Beauty

 Blog, Scenic, Travel  1 Response »
Oct 102013
 

I have been in Cheney Washington this week!  I love this area.  One of the first fogs of the year created a beautiful scene in the woods.  Just could not drive by.  I added a quote to the scene.

 Posted by at 7:11 PM

Windshield Time!

 Blog, Scenic, Travel  No Responses »
Sep 242013
 

Since last night I have driven through Denver, Cheyenne, Torrington, Scottsbluff, Alliance, and other cities in Nebraska.  Today alone I have been at the wheel for 12 hours!  Crazy!  Yes I stopped a couple of times to capture a few scenes.  In Geyring Nebraska is the Scottsbluff National Park can be found.  I arrived there at about 7:15 pm.  With just a few short minutes to catch late light I rushed around.  The shot is a 7 shot HDR image.  Converted to black and white in Silver Efex Pro.

 Posted by at 10:04 PM

Photoshop World!

 Blog, Scenic, Travel  No Responses »
Sep 052013
 

I have been at Photoshop World all week.  What a blast!  My head is chuck full of new information.  The world class teachers are incredible.  I have learned so much I’m a little worried about putting it to practice.  Though I arrived at the hotel late tonight I had to find a file and work in post.  As I have mentioned before I am so blessed to live at a time when so much control is given to the user!

 Posted by at 11:35 PM

Busy Scenic?

 Blog, Scenic, Travel  No Responses »
Jun 202013
 

I take a ton of landscape/scenic photographs.

I am never happy with the results.  Today I have not been able to travel far from the hotel.  Sick enough to stay around. No capturing.  Lots of time studying.   While reviewing many landscape photographs taken yesterday I realized something.   The main reason that I don’t like my landscape photographs is that they seem to busy.  Too much information.

Then it occurred to me that my photographs of Yellowstone are reality.  Yellowstone is busy!  Tree fall, trees, rocks, mountains, clouds, rivers, lakes, it’s all here.  It’s all a part of my photographs.  So here is my daring and busy Yellowstone scenic of the day.

 Posted by at 5:14 PM

Scenic Yellowstone

 Birds, Blog, Scenic  No Responses »
Jun 202013
 

The animals in Yellowstone are a very small part of it’s beauty.  The natural features are incredible.  All opportunities to photograph animals come with beautiful scenery.  Here are a couple of quick shots I captured while watching and photographing buffalo.

 Posted by at 10:22 AM

Black and White and Color in Twinn

 Blog, Scenic, Travel  No Responses »
Feb 272013
 

Drove to Twinn Falls today.  Carried the D800 with me.

Whenever I carry this camera I slip into Artsy Fartsy mode.  The resolution is over the top incredible.  Blown away every-time I bring up the images on my Macbook Pro with retina display.  WOW!!!!!

Even after shrinking the file size to put on the web the resolution kick’s butt.

…….

I love the black to white range of light in this photograph.

….

At Shoshone Falls while driving down the side of the gorge a particular rock formation caught my eye.   Look close at this lava rock formation and see if you can see a mans face in the rock……

Can you see it???????

……

This color photograph is a 6′ water fall just up the road from the man’s face in the rock.  It must run year round because of the incredible moss and moss related colors.   If I had not told you it was a 6′ high falls wouldn’t you think it looked bigger?  When I brought up the shot tonight my first reaction is that it could on screen or print pass for  much larger falls.

 Posted by at 9:42 PM
2016