Thoughts
Often times, I have songs stuck in my head. When I am out hiking, I often find it helps keep a tempo or rhythm. Sometimes I get a playlist or a jumble up of songs in my head. Sometimes it is not even the lyrics.
Anyway, I find that the songs can portray something in the scenery and inspire a picture. Other times, I hear a song and think of a picture or place. I am not sure why I do this. It could just be part of my odd memory bank! I do not know for sure.
One song that I just listened to, Make It Rain by Colbie Caillat, always reminds me of this one scene that I saw during a backcountry hike with a couple friends (park rangers at the time) in Rocky Mountain National Park. Our destination was Rock Lake in the Gorge Lakes region of the park. This meant getting up early to drive from Estes Park over Trail Ridge Road to Milner Pass Trailhead.
The day started off gorgeous with a few high clouds, but mostly sunny. We bushwhacked our way to the lake in fairly good time. There are fish in the lake and we took our fly rods to try our luck. We spent maybe an hour or so fishing, then decided we better start heading back. The afternoons in the summer months are notorious for thunderstorms.
Well, we did not miss out on the thunderstorm. In fact, we kind of hiked right into it and had to hunker down as it rumbled its way past our location. The hail, lighting, thunder, and rain surrounded us for quite awhile. By the time the storm subsided, we were all drenched. It did not matter where the next step was. It squished.
Even after driving all the way back over Trail Ridge Road to return home, I was still described as looking like a “drowned rat.” That hike is engrained in my memory. The one photograph I snapped that shows the curtain of water sheeting in over Forest Canyon always comes to mind when I hear that song – Make It Rain; it most certainly did! It became a song in a scene.
Yesterday, I had to leave two dogs home alone for some time while I went to take care of other obligations. These are not even my dogs, but they knew I was leaving. They had a certain sadness as they watched me get ready to leave, the kind that said – please stay; we will miss you.
At the same time, there was anticipation. There was a certainty of the return. I knew I would be back, and so did they.
I cannot help but think of the promise Jesus made to us. I won’t quote it directly, but he basically gives us this same situation – I am leaving you, but I will return. It must have brought a certain sadness to Him and His followers, and of course the anticipation of the return.
When I finally did return, it was not a grand celebration. It was simply a comfort of being there, back with the ones I had left behind.
Maybe, this can bring comfort in knowing that despite the sadness and separation of a farewell, there is the promise of return. Not just for a short time visit, but one that will last forever.
I have not been on here in awhile, and there is a list of excuses for why not. This year has been a roller coaster with good things and the not so good things. There have also been steps in one direction and then back the other – like a tug-of-war in decision making. Fortunately, there are more positives than negatives as I am reflecting back and looking forward!
First off, I decided to order a few prints at the end of the last year as a quality check. Some of the prints that I ordered were matted, framed, or simply just mounted. The quality of the prints is what I would expect. Some of the photos are ones that I would like to keep to hang. Others are for display or for sale. Two of them sold at a fundraiser auction to support a local PEO chapter.
One venture that is still up-in-the-air is portrait photography. I did a family portrait session, and the overall experience was a positive. However, I do not know if I want to dive into portrait photography full time. It is not really a question of whether I can do it, rather more of a question of how I would do it.
One really positive experience that I had was attending the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Airventure Oshkosh Airshow. For some reason, this really boosted my photo views. It was great to see the photo views increase as well as hear and see the comments! This was probably the biggest boost I had all year. A second really neat experience was finally getting a decent moose picture. Again, the increase in views and comments was a boost. I even had a couple of photo sales produced by these experiences!
Another positive experience was submitting one of my favorite flower pictures – Hedgehog Cactus Flower – to a calendar. It was selected as one of the smaller additional photos. However, it is really exciting to know that my name is on the back of the calendar for 2015! The calendar will be for sale at several of the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Centers in Arizona.
I am currently in the process of working on a neat photography project that some of my local fan club talked me into working on… This is a little nerve racking, because there are so many little details to think about and need to fall into place for it to come to a final product. At the same time, it is a nice thing to focus on. I have a feeling that it will all come together nicely. My list of things is growing, but each item is just a small step along the way. I will post more about this project as soon as some more of the details fall into place.
Some of the negative things that happened involved my equipment. I am in need of sending a lens in for cleaning, as well as my Canon EOS 5D III needs some form of repair for the automatic sensor cleaner. When the automatic sensor cleaner functions, it produces a strange squeak that was not present until sometime after Oshkosh and the moose. Both of these equipment issues are not really what I need at this point in time. “Camera down time,” as I coined the term, means less time producing images. The lens issue is a little bit easier to work around since I can plan not to use that lens. I have two other lenses to use instead of that one. When the camera body has issues, that means no photography at all.
I decided, due to the camera body issue, to buy a second camera body. It is a Canon EOS 7D. The price was not terrible since the 7D II was just released, and there was a rebate on the 7D. I figure this gives me something to take pictures with in the event something happens to the 5D III again. The sensor issue on the 5D III has not been totally resolved yet. I am working around it at the moment, since it does not keep the camera from taking photos.
One thing that I have really noticed is what many other professional photographers talk about. I find myself taking fewer pictures due to time spent working on other things. There is that “list of excuses” and other priorities that comes before getting out there to take photographs.
I really feel it necessary to extend a thank you to everyone that is following my photography! Again, the positive boosts from all of the views and comments keeps the passion for getting out there with the camera going! I will try to get back on with another update about the photography project I am currently working on, soon!
The night sky is a captivating scene to gaze at. The millions of stars shining like pin drops in a tapestry entice viewers to imagine what is beyond us. As a photographer, I can attempt to capture these scenes as they whirl by in cycles of time.
The time factor within photography is aptly controlled by the shutter speed. How long is light permitted to dance across the sensor to create the image? For some photos, it may be a fraction of a second which freezes things in place. For other photos, it may be several seconds or even minutes.
The fascinating thing, to me, about long exposures is how they allow a scene that may be otherwise unnoticed to unfold. Without them, the start trails around the north start are merely unnoticed. Life is not frozen in time. It is constantly moving and bustling about. Water falls flow; people ride there bikes on trails; a cat jumps into the window-sill; a dog fetches a frisbee in the park.
With a little bit of practice and patients, the long exposure adds this movement into the scene. I think that is why I am slightly fascinated by this technique of capturing a scene. I recently practiced capturing the night sky with a series of 2 minute exposures. I was actually trying to capture what was forecast to be a possible appearance of the Aurora Borealis in northern Colorado. Although, the aurora did not appear, I managed to compile my first time-lapse as well as composite a few start trail images.
The results turned out okay, and I will definitely be taking my camera out to capture some more night scenes with long exposures!
This is a time-lapse of 99, two minute exposures with a one second interval between exposures. It has some errors, but it is my first time-lapse.
This photo is a composite of 16, two minute exposures with a one second interval between exposures.
I recently went on a road trip to Oshkosh, WI to attend Experimental Aircraft Association’s [EAA] Airventure Airshow. It was a good trip! The total number of pictures from the two days I spent at the show is 720, and I am working on whittling that down to the good ones. I am now at 216.
The trip was also a good opportunity to catch up with friends and relatives. Actually, I owe all of them a huge thank you for their hospitality, as the trip would not have been possible without them. It was also a good trip to reflect on good times and look forward to more things to come!
Some of the highlights, for me, from the road trip include: the hospitality of all my friends and relatives along the way, flying RC planes with my friends, seeing the US Air Force Thunderbirds for the second time, getting Amelia Earhart’s autograph, the night airshow, and the good food.
I am reflecting on the trip as I go through the pictures, and am already wanting to go on another! Who knows where the next place will be?
Wow, where has the last month gone? It has been busy with numerous photography projects along with the Fourth of July and relatives visiting for the summer. I have managed to take my DSLR out for a few of my first portrait sessions.
I am still learning the art of flash photography. It is tricky, but I am actually enjoying the results. The macro ring-lite has been out for a few flower sessions, including some: Pasques, Wild Iris and Calypso Orchid pictures. I also used my reflector/diffuser kit for some of the Calypso Orchid pictures to soften the harsh sunlight.
As I mentioned, I did my first family portrait session during the last weekend of June. I used my flash to fill in some of the shadows on faces and to give a little bit of a catch light in the eyes. I definitely learned a lot and enjoyed the challenge. I can see things to improve upon or do differently next time I have a portrait session request. However, I am really pleased with the results!
My sister came to visit for the Fourth of July, and I did a few portraits for her using the fill flash, also. There again, I see things to improve upon, but am happy with the results.
I made a comment, to my sister, that it is actually nice to have the iPhone with its built in camera. It is great for taking the fun, silly and more casual documentary pictures! I felt more freedom and relaxation using the iPhone than when using the DSLR. I think I put pressure on myself to get a quality photo when I carry the DSLR around. I don’t see it as a tool to be fun with. It really does “intimidate” people to see that kind of equipment [the DSLR] and that makes me feel like I need to be more professional with it.
I had another great break through with the iPhone earlier this month. I have been using the Eye-Fi card in my camera for some time now. It automatically sends photos to another device over a wi-fi connection which I have been using as a way to back up photos. I was having some difficulty syncing the Eye-Fi card with my iPhone until I figured out what was causing the glitch. The Eye-Fi card was trying to send photos to my iMac over a different network. This was taking priority over the direct mode network required to connect to the iPhone. Once I turned off the network connection to my iMac, the photos then synced over the direct mode connections to my iPhone. How is this a big deal? Now I can instantly show clients pictures of photos on my iPhone without having to awkwardly show them on the back screen LCD of my camera! I also downloaded the Adobe Lightroom Mobile App, which means that I can do some minor tweaking to photos right on scene.
It has been a busy, but enjoyable month! I will try to post again, soon.
Genesis 1:1-5 and 14-19 (NIV) “1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” “14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.”
Genesis chapter one is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. There is so much content in such a short story. As my welcome page indicates, it is part of my inspiration for photography in that photography is a way to witness that story [and many other Biblical stories].
One of my growing passions within photography is the area of astrophotography. The reason why is that many people fear darkness. To me, I see it differently. I see the light shining in the darkness. The moon and the stars are set above us as a reminder of the story that began in Genesis. We can mark our calendars and set our clocks by the movement of the sun, the moon and the stars.
Later on in the Bible, there are references back to this incredible story. Jesus, himself, says He is the light of the world. John 8:12 (NIV) [Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony] When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
That is why I am inspired to go out at night with my camera to take astrophotography pictures. There is no darkness. There is always light, even on the darkest of nights. Walk outside and take a look up at the stars. Lay down or sit in a lawn chair to look up at the stars above. Watch for meteors and “shooting stars” to wish upon. It is okay. God is the light in the darkness. He will hear the prayers, and given time will shine His presence back down. Just have open eyes to see [witness] the light in the dark!
The “work” that most people see photographers do is the easy part. Taking pictures or shooting the video is only part of the process.
The knitty, gritty hard part happens before and after. Preparing the equipment takes a lot more time than it may appear. There is making sure: all the batteries are charged, the lenses are clean and the correct ones are in the bag, memory cards are formatted, etc. before heading out to the locations. After the session, there is: uploading files from the camera to the computer, which includes organization, sorting through to pick the good scenes, processing the good scenes, checking the equipment and prepping it for the next session, etc..
All of the behind the scenes preparation and post processing is what mostly define the work. The scenes would not be possible to capture and share with others. The behind the scenes stuff is the hard part that goes mostly unnoticed.
Wow, this month has been interesting. I am using my Canon 5D III to shoot video of a production at church. I am finding that my equipment list may need to expand, again.
The main issues I am encountering are battery and memory capacity. I have two batteries for my camera, as I always like to have a spare on hand in any situation. Well, shooting video requires a lot of power, and one battery does not last the entire show length. I have to either swap out batteries during a break, or hope it does not run out during an important scene! Luckily, I have recorded the show a few times and can plan for the battery swap during one of the scene breaks.
The other issue that I ran into during a test run during rehearsal was memory card capacity. I ended up working around this by lowering the video quality a little bit and recording in IPB instead of ALL-I. Unfortunately, shooting in IPB allows the camera to compress multiple frames at one time to save space, and it is not the best format for post editing. However, I am not going to be doing that much post editing for this video. In this case, that made the compressed file size worth it. I am able to record the entire show on one card. If I were to shoot the entire show using the ALL-I format, I would be running over on memory capacity. This would require planning a memory card swap similar to the battery capacity issue.
These are minor issues that I also encountered. Some of them are just technicalities that I will have to adjust for or learn more about. Others can be fixed with additional equipment. I recorded the show a few nights using different lenses to get different angles of view. Some of the things that I noticed involved my current tripod and tripod head. When panning, the camera tilts off level unless it is pointing in the direction I initially set it up for. Although, it is a subtle tilt, a keen eye may notice. I shot with my wide angle lens, one night, in order to cover the entire set. However, I was not necessarily thrilled with the result of having people in the crowd over shadowing the performers on the stage. It is a cool view, being that it really puts the viewer in the crowd. I’m not sure that is the point of view I would prefer.
Another subtle issue is zooming. I made the decision not to zoom during recording. This left me with fixed focal lengths. Part of my decision was based on the types of lenses that I am using. They are designed primarily for still photography with quick zoom and focus characteristics. This is not necessarily a good characteristic for shooting video. There are lenses designed for cinema that have smoother zoom and focus.
Some of the solutions I thought of to fix these issues include purchasing: more battery power [which may include a battery grip] or an AC adapter, larger memory cards, a better tripod head that will keep the camera level through panning, a taller tripod or stand, and, of course, there are always more lenses.
On a similar but different note, I am still debating how much portrait photography I want to do. I have a decent amount of equipment for this type of photography, now. However, I see a few more items to add if I am going to increase in this area. The main equipment being lighting. I can get by with what I have. There is always more to add. This reflects on one of my earlier posts about “how much is too much?” This post also brings up a good question of where I want to end up, and how much demand there is for each type of photography.
JUST PhotographIN' 