Archive for category Photography
What lens should I bring?
Posted by backup in Photography on March 11, 2010
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It’s a question that you see all the time in photography forums: I’m going on a once in a lifetime trip to X what lens should I bring? I always answer the same way: All of them. While forcing yourself to use a single lens can be a great teaching device, having options is always a good idea; especially if you’ve only got one shot at it.
In Yosemite, Highway 120 crosses Cascade and Tamarack creeks right where they come together at the top of a water fall know as The Cascades. It has a fairly small water shed, so it dries up early, but it’s a very pretty area. While it’s possible to scramble down to the creeks, when with a workshop, we just shoot from the bridge that passes over.
To get this shot I had to drop my tripod to it’s lowest level, shooting through the bridge railing and some overhanging trees. That vantage put me almost level with the surface of the water before it tumbled down another cascade. To isolate the scene I used my Canon 100-400, zoomed all the way to 400mm. Since I was using my Canon 7D that gave me an effective magnification of 640mm. Had I succumbed to the notion that “Yosemite is a wide angle spot” I’d never have gotten this shot. While having the long lens adds a few pounds to the camera bag I wouldn’t dream of a Yosemite trip without it.
Cheers
Sometimes you just can’t help yourself
Posted by backup in Photography on March 9, 2010
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Last week I talked about trying to find fresh images in a very heavily photographed National Park. Today’s image is the result of succumbing to the urge to “shoot the icon.” While I normally go out of my way to avoid this type of shot, sometimes you just can’t help yourself.
This is another image from last month’s workshop. We woke to a clearing storm and fresh snow in Yosemite valley. Knowing that the morning sun would quickly erase the night’s work, we rushed our group to as many icons as we could before the light got too harsh. One of those iconic shots was the Elm tree in Cook’s Meadow. A number of photographers, Ansel Adams included, have some pretty well known images of that scene.
After giving the group far too little time, to do the scene justice, we called for them to return to the cars to head to the next spot. The sound of snowing already dropping from the trees added to the sense of urgency. While folks packed up their gear I stood, next to the car, looking up at the falls. The frosty granite, the snow in the trees and the tremendous depth of the scene was just too much to resist. I grabbed my camera and fired off a couple of shots. Sometimes you just have to give in.
Cheers
Just look behind you
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on March 4, 2010
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It’s difficult to go to Yosemite as often as I do and still find fresh images. The challenge lies not in the scarcity of subject matter, but rather in it’s abundance.
Photographers flock to Yosemite for good reason. As one of the most photographed locations in North America it offers many iconic views. Especially when visiting for the first time, the instinct is to capture the vista exactly as you’ve seen it time and time again. I still enjoy looking at those scenes but really try to get past them and look for alternatives. That’s an easy enough task when I’m in the park by myself but can be a bit daunting when on a workshop. People taking workshops in Yosemite are paying to see those iconic views. Often they gauge the success or failure of the whole trip on a particular, preconceived, shot. Recognizing that, we go out of our way to put folks in position to achieve their goals. That puts me, in the same iconic location.
Some of the views in Yosemite demand your attention. I find I become a lot freer to see alternative compositions if I just succumb to that demand visually. I appease myself by spending some time just taking in the view; sometimes with a camera, sometimes I just look. Appetite whetted, I turn around and start looking for a scene. That’s what happened with this frame taken from Swinging Bridge. With the frozen majesty of Yosemite falls and dozens of camera shutters firing directly behind me, I found this quiet scene that spoke volumes about the morning.
Cheers
On frozen pond
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on March 2, 2010
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Couldn’t you just do that in Photoshop? During the last workshop that was the running theme. The conversations varied from whether it was appropriate to add a moon to a scene to “I don’t use filters because I can do everything in Photoshop.” I suppose that’s correct to a certain degree but there’s one filter that Photoshop will never remove from my bag; the polarizer. Adding the moon? I won’t go there.
I’m often surprised to see folks, shooting landscape images, who either eschew or ignore something I consider to be essential. Regardless of your skill, a properly adjusted polarizing filter has no Photoshop analog. Oddly enough those same folks who would never think of using a polarizer often insist on having a, useless, UV filter on their lens at all times. I like to consider the end result when considering any filter or technique; if it’s not making a positive change I won’t bother. In the case of the UV filter, they increase lens flare and cheaper ones actually degrade overall image quality. I believe people come to use them largely because of camera store fear-mongering. If you drop the lens off of a truck, that UV filter isn’t going to save it. Concerned about your front lens element? Use your lens cap.
This shot wouldn’t have been possible without a polarizer. Most people just think about their effect on blue skies, not what really makes them tick: reflections. The ability to increase or negate the impact of reflected light can make or break an image. In the case of foliage, removing surface reflections makes colors really pop; no saturation slider required. In the case of this image, I was able to completely remove the reflection from the surface of this ice. Without the filter, the leaf was completely obscured. Because the polarizer is adjustable, I was able to bring back just enough reflected light to let you see the texture on the ice while letting the leaf shine through.
Got a polarizer collecting dust in your bag? If the answer is yes, throw away that UV filter and start using the polarizer. Don’t be content to just screw it on your lens, check and adjust it on every shot. You’ll be glad you took the time.
Cheers
Nature’s Monochrome
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on February 25, 2010
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Some photographers choose to shoot in color, some in black and white. Occasionally, nature makes the decision for you. Often, I write about the differences between our own vision and that of the camera. Effective photographers exploit those differences rather than bemoan them.
On my most recent trip to the valley, Mother Nature really kept things mixed up. I can’t even count the number of times the conditions swung from rain to snow, from snow to clearing and from sunny back to rain. The constantly changing conditions made for a physically demanding 4 days. The swiftness of those changes required that we push the workshop group pretty hard. I’m not ashamed to admit I was a bit gassed after 4 days of nearly non-stop nature photography. I’m always a bit melancholy at the end of a workshop, but this time the feeling was accompanied by a slight sense of relief.
I made this image near Swinging Bridge in Yosemite last Monday morning. While the group was soaking up the classic reflection scene of Yosemite Falls and the Merced River, I was looking for other compositions. Honestly is wasn’t that hard. When covered in snow, just about the entire park is photogenic.
To isolate this scene I used my Canon 100-400 on my 7D body. The sky was still very cloudy from an overnight storm giving a “soft box” effect to the whole park. The resulting light effectively removed any trace of color from this winter scene. To my eye, the color was perceptible. In the camera the subdued lighting and the compressed tones were rendered as nearly colorless. In a genre of photography where the saturation adjustment slider, in Photoshop, is notoriously abused I’m okay with that.
Cheers
Symmetry
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on February 11, 2010
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When I’m behind the camera, I constantly struggle to keep a balance between the logical and the artistic. An engineer by vocation I like things organized. (I mean really; doesn’t everyone require their drink coaster’s edges to be lined up with the tile grout?) As much as I try to keep that left brained activity in check, sometimes I have no choice but to succumb to it.
This image was taken near sunrise at Emerald bay in South Lake Tahoe, CA. After shooting the sunrise, I put on a telephoto lens and started looking for other images. Subconsciously I kept working on compositions very similar to this. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something about this scene kept drawing me in. It wasn’t until I’d downloaded the images to my computer that it dawned on me; The outline of the anchored boats was a near mirror image of the silhouetted land. My engineering focused brain, (or OCD, depending on who you ask), made me take the shot. It just goes to show that both halves of the brain, working together, are equally important.
Much of what makes this image work is the exposure. In an automatic exposure mode, the camera would have rendered a bright washed out image. To bring out the color, I metered on the bright water in the foreground and set my shutter speed to underexpose by 1 stop. The resulting exposure dropped the boats and the shore to silhouette while making the most of the reflected color.
World’s greatest taco stand
Posted by Doug Otto in Geek, Photography on February 9, 2010
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While Mexican food and landscape photography don’t generally share a common bond, that isn’t the case with this image.
The first step to overcoming an addiction is admitting that you have a problem. If you know me personally it’ll come as no shock to hear that, yes, I am taco junkie. I’m not talking those cardboard and packaged meat things you get from TacoBell™, I mean real tacos; some spiced meat in a soft corn tortilla with just onion, cilantro and salsa.
Over the summer of 2008 I took the family on a 5 day backpacking trip in Yosemite. The high country, in Summer, is a great escape from the crowds in the valley. There’s a little spot along Yosemite creek, about 7 miles from the Tioga road, where we like to set up camp. From there it’s an easy day hike to North Dome, Yosemite Point & falls or El Capitan; where this image was taken.
Rather than rely on packaged food, we always cook and dehydrate our own meals. It’s easy to do and it tastes WAY better than the bagged meals. On this particular day, my son had set a goal:
We should have tacos on top of El Capitan!
After a moderate 4 mile hike we were treated to this view. While my son started setting up the Jetboil stove, I took the time to make this image. After a few shots I sat down and had lunch at the greatest taco stand in the world.
Cheers
Stormy skies
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on February 3, 2010
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Sometimes good nature photography requires some suffering. In the case of this image, the suffering translated to very wet pants on a cold windy day.
I told much of the story of this image in a previous post. After witnessing a break in a large storm that had just passed through, I grabbed my gear and headed to the foothills above Sacramento. Although not raining when I arrived, shortly thereafter a cell developed and the rain started coming sideways. I ran to the car, and started going through my gear:
Rain cover for the camera; check.
Hat; check.
Umbrella; check.
Waterproof jacket; check.
Rain pants; oops.
The umbrella helped keep the front element of the camera dry but with the raining coming down sideways, it did little to keep my dry. It only took a few minutes for my jeans to be completely. The rain stopped after about 15 minutes but the wind coming through my cold, wet, pants reminded me of the event for the rest of the afternoon.
I could have hid in the car until the rain subsided but I’d have never gotten this shot. Being warm and dry isn’t always all that it’s cracked up to be.
I’ve been doing most of my shooting with my 7D but I wanted to go wider than the 24-70 would go on that body so I switched to my 5D for this shot. As much as I like the features and viewfinder on the 7D, there’s just something about a full frame sensor that can’t be duplicated.
Cheers
Horsetail fall
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography on January 28, 2010
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Often the journey is more important than the destination. Nothing underscores more for me thanHorsetail fall (Yosemite).
First made famous by the late Galen Rowell, Horsetail fall is a tiny water fall that can sometimes be seen on the side of El Capitan. What really makes it special is the treatment it gets, at sunset, during just a couple times each year. Fed by only a 30 acre watershed it often doesn’t flow at all, but when weather conditions are right it puts on an amazing show. Best viewed backlit, the fall appears as a river of fire down the side of the granite face.
Because of the special conditions, and timing required, Horsetail can be very elusive to photograph. While technically possible in the fall, due to the angle of the sun, Horsetail fall is traditionally photographed in middle to late February. Huge crowds of photographer arrive, each year, all trying to get the classic shot. Ironically, my best memories of Horsetail are of standing in the snow, shoulder to shoulder with some other photographers joking and laughing as we clicked away at the display. The photography was completely secondary. Even after “getting the shot” several times I still go back each year just for the experience.
This particular image was taken in late January from a less traditional location. Still early in the season for the full display, I liked it because of its different perspective. I took this shot with my Canon 100-400 from the edge of Southside drive, not far from Sentinel Beach.
Cheers
Keeping an eye on liberty
Posted by Doug Otto in Geek, Photography on January 25, 2010
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As I mentioned last week, I find macro photography to be very therapeutic. While I frequently drift from my landscape photography focus, macro photography is very similar; the compositions are just on a smaller scale.
About this time last year, I finished working on a custom macro lens. While sitting at home on a rainy weekend it occurred to me that I hadn’t tried it out on my new Canon 7D. The sensor format of the 7D gives it even more magnification than I get on my 5D. This image is a photograph of a small portion of a US dime. The area depicted is less than 5/16″ across. My, just turned 45 eyes, can’t even focus on it without my readers.
Cheers
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