Archive for category Random Thoughts
Yosemite snow
Posted by Doug Otto in Random Thoughts on February 21, 2010
Right now, I’m sitting in a motel room just outside of Yosemite for a winter workshop. Using a setup that looks a little like the power delivery system in rural Mexico, I’m actually online from my motel room; that’s a first for me while at the park.
Much to the chagrin of the attendees, the workshop started under gentle rain. Late in the afternoon, the rain switched to snow and it’s still falling. The forecast has been updated and it looks like we should have a winter wonderland in the park by morning. Fresh images tomorrow.
Cheers
NANPA Summit update
Posted by Doug Otto in Random Thoughts, Travel on February 18, 2010
I’m still at the NANPA Photography Summit so this update will be a little different than my normal post. It’s been a good show so far. Last night I had the pleasure of presenting a short slide show on my Yosemite images. It was well received and I was contacted after the show about licensing some of my images for a nationally distributed calendar. Hopefully the deal pans out. I’ll provide details as things firm up.
More images soon.
Cheers
Merry Christmas
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography, Random Thoughts on December 24, 2009
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Rather than take the politically correct tone and wish you a “Happy Holiday”, I’d like to wish to you and your family a Merry Christmas. I refuse to accept the notion that wishing someone well, regardless of their beliefs, could be offensive. I certainly wouldn’t be upset if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah or Kwanzaa.
This truly is a Christmas image. Two years ago, my wife and I slipped away for a quick trip to Yosemite. We spent the night of December 23rd in an unheated tent cabin in Curry Village with the hopes of catching the sunrise on Christmas Eve morning. Northside drive was closed for construction so we had to wake early enough to make the walk back to Valley View, or Gates of the Valley as some call it. Because of the time of the morning and the difficulty of getting to the location, we had the place to ourselves. Even though it had been several days since the last snow, the conditions were pristine. The color in the sky lasted just a few minutes and then vanished as the sun peaked over the horizon. Satisfied that we’d seen all that there was to see we climbed back in the car. We arrived home in plenty of time for Christmas Eve at my Mom and Dad’s house with the whole extended family.
Sunrise is a special time of day when nature often puts on a spectacular show. On most of us, the show is lost as we rush through the morning to get to work, school or shopping. Others cringe at the very thought of being up before dawn. I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes the shrill call of the alarm clock is painful, but watching the morning break completely makes up for it. When considering your resolutions for the coming year let me make a suggestion. Vow to get up early enough to watch a few sunrises with someone you love. You can thank me later.
Cheers
A year of reflection
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography, Random Thoughts on December 8, 2009
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Although extremely similar to the image posted in a previous article, this is a new image. I chose it for a couple of reasons.
Nearly 3 years to the day after my first visit to Yosemite, I made this image. Both images were captured while standing next to my mentor, peer and friend, Gary Hart. Somehow, having lived my whole life just 3 hours to the North, I had never visited the park. From my perspective that makes Gary somewhat analogous to a crack dealer as Yosemite has become an addiction for me. Fortunately the analogy ends pretty quickly as I haven’t started stealing car stereos to pay for reservations at Curry Village. That said, it’s probably still a good idea for you to lock your car.
Today also marks the 1 year anniversary of this blog. My original goal was to just find a way to share my images with more people. An unintended benefit, I believe that it’s also made me a better photographer. I started out with a simple desire to explain the process that I used to make the images that I was sharing. Over time, the process of describing how and why moved from my office to the field. Understanding that there needs to be a reason behind each image has caused me to slow down and ask myself “why” before I click the shutter. A result of that process is that I’m not taking as many pictures but I’m throwing fewer away.
I’d also like thank you, the readers, of this blog for taking some time out of your lives to wade through my ramblings and to view my images. Photography is something that I do primarily for myself but it’s a lot more fun when I can share my work. To help say thanks I’d like to send a print to a couple of lucky readers. Just be the first two people to contact me on Facebook and correctly answer the following question: “I bought one new camera and one new lens within the last year. What did I buy?” Winners will receive a print of their choosing from last years blog images. Click early, click often.
Contest over – thanks!
Cheers
Win a few, lose a few
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography, Random Thoughts on November 23, 2009
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Last week brought what looked like a promising weather forecast for Yosemite. The first report had an 80% chance of precipitation and a snow level of 6,000 feet. By Friday morning, the forecast had changed to 100% chance of precipitation and a 5,000 foot snow level. Yosemite valley is just a touch over 4,000 feet so snow in the valley was still a long shot but at least there would be some interesting weather. All of this could only mean one thing: road trip!
(As I often do on short notice I made a reservation at Curry Village for Friday night. Since Curry village consists almost entirely of unheated tent cabins there are often rooms available in winter. While cots and blankets are provided, the trick to staying at Curry is to bring a warm sleeping bag. If you visit the park often, Curry is a great way to save some money as long as you can handle the no frills accommodations.)
Friday afternoon, clouds started to roll in but the storm never really materialized. Sunrise on Saturday morning greeted us with bright blue skies without a cloud for miles. There had been some rain over night but only patchy snow at the higher elevations. I knew that it was a gamble but I also knew that there was a 100% chance that I wouldn’t see snow if I’d stayed home. All in all, any day spent in Yosemite beats working around the house.
I snapped this shot of some black oaks on our way out of the park. This trip was the maiden voyage for my Canon 7D but I ended taking only a couple dozen shots. There will be other opportunities and I’m pretty sure that I’ll get to see more blank blue skies in Yosemite.
Cheers
Fall has arrived
Posted by Doug Otto in Random Thoughts on November 9, 2009
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The Sacramento area really never experiences winter. A couple of months a year we get some rain, fog and general unpleasantness but we only average one day a year below freezing. If we ever got anything more severe than that, the whole city would grind to a halt. While we’d been easing into Fall gradually, there was a definite chill in the air this morning. I even briefly considered putting up the top on my car during my commute this morning.
I took this simple image along the Merced River, in Yosemite, last month. During a midday workshop break I had to make a run up to Crane Flat to fill up my gas tank. (If you’ve ever had to purchase gas in El Portal then you know why I drove to Crane Flat.) On the way back to the hotel I stopped along the river where I found these leaves. Back-lit and slightly underexposed, they made a nice little scene.
Cheers
Pixel Peepers
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography, Random Thoughts on August 19, 2009
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Have you ever failed to see beauty that was right in front of your eyes because you were too busy worrying about other details to notice it? In photography that happens a lot. It’s really easy to get caught up in the details and that blind you from truly seeing. This image, taken during the same workshop as the previous image, tells just such a story.
Our group was out at Olmsted Point in Yosemite. The sky was amazing. Landscape photography is all about the quality of the light and this evening was truly special. Even before the color in the sky really started to develop everything around us began to take on an otherworldly pink glow. The light was soft and warm making just about anything that it touched a photograph waiting to happen. It was one of those special photographic moments that you alway want to catch but seldom do.
As amazing as the scene was, the most vivid memory that I carried away from there was that of two other photographers that we saw that night. They were already set up when we arrived and didn’t budge from their initial location. Both had multiple, and expensive, cameras. The whole time we were shooting, everything in sight, they stood by their tripods and debated. They discussed whether or not the light was going to get better or had it already peaked, was this better than “that other time” ad nauseam. They went on for at least an hour. I’m still not sure if they even took pictures.
You see that sort of mentality all the time in the “gear” forums on photography sites. There are always folks whom you never see post a real picture but will spend days arguing over which lens is sharpest at a 200% crop. Successful images convey the feelings and experience of the photographer. Pixels don’t evoke emotions; photographs do. The message here is to slow down and take the time to appreciate what you’re photographing. That appreciation is the soul of your image. Be aware of the limitations and technical details of your equipment but don’t let them blind you. Let the scene generate an emotional response from you and your camera will certainly follow.
Eye of the Beholder
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography, Random Thoughts on June 29, 2009
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Photography, and art in general, is incredibly subjective. I recently entered an open show at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center. My single entry was accepted, but the juror for this show rejected more pieces than he accepted. One of my local peers had a photograph rejected that took first place in another show on the same weekend. It is impossible to cater to the likes and dislikes of everyone who sees your images. While there is no denying that it is a great feeling when someone expresses admiration for one of your pieces or, better still, purchases one but really it is important to please yourself first.
I shoot landscapes and nature because I enjoy it. Since I’m not on assignment, it lifts any pressure to please someone else. Being free to create images the way that you see fit empowers you to find your own vision. All of us, as photographers, are influenced by other’s work. It is the act of shaping those influences into your own creative expression that lets your images sing.
Is that Photoshopped or is it real?
Posted by Doug Otto in Photography, Random Thoughts on April 22, 2009
The title of this article is a very common question that digital photographers get asked. While often an innocent question it’s rooted in the misconception that “digital photography is fake and that film is real.” Neither portion of that statement is inherently correct and there really isn’t any difference between the two. The tools and processes that photographers use in Photoshop (PS) are nearly all derived from darkroom techniques. The darkroom, both chemical and digital, is still an important part of the process.
Ansel Adams maintained that the negative was much like a musical score. It contains all of the information but requires an orchestra to complete the performance. He considered the photographic print, to be the performance. Recently, I stumbled upon the following quote by him: “Dodging and burning are steps to take care of mistakes God made in establishing tonal relationships.” The goal of the fine art photographer is to deliver their own artistic vision of a scene to the viewer, using whatever tools are available. A successful photograph instills the same emotions and feelings in both the photographer and the viewer.
In terms of recording the human experience, the camera is a very poor tool. Our eyes see a much wider range of light than the camera can capture. In addition to the visual limitation of the camera, all of our other senses help deliver on the moment. Wind, temperature, humidity, motion are all part of the original experience but not directly captured by the camera. It’s the job of the photographer to use the tools available to give you that sense of “being there.” Ansel Adams didn’t take his film to the local pharmacy for development; neither should you.
A Night at the Aquarium
Posted by Doug Otto in Random Thoughts, Travel on December 17, 2008
We’ve been members of the Monterey Bay Aquarium for a number of years. The coast is a great escape from the heat in the summer and the grey foggy skies that plague Sacramento’s winters.
Every December, they hold their Holidays in Store event. If you’re a member of the aquarium and haven’t been to this event you’re missing out. The evening starts in the Portola Restaurant with a fixed menu featuring local ingredients. After a relaxing dinner you’re free to walk the aquarium.
In front of many of the exhibits there are tables staffed by local wineries. Five dollars gets you an engraved wine glass that you carry with you from winery to winery for unlimited tasting. (It’s at this point that I’ll recommend that you get a hotel within walking distance.) In addition to local wineries they have crafts and handmade items, available for sale, from local artisans.
The best part is that you have much better access to the aquarium than you would on any given weekend. There aren’t nearly the number of people that you normally have to deal with which makes for a really enjoyable evening. I’ve never been to the aquarium without a camera in my hand but I’ll have to admit that having to put my wine glass down to shoot does limit the number of pictures that I take while I’m there.
Cheers
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