Kenneth Wyatt Photography

Photographing Reflected Light

2012-01-18T22:42:00.003-07:00

Photography is all about light and SEEING the light. The ability to notice unusual lighting and have the ability to capture it compositionally, separates the snapshooters from the true photographers. Rarely, is it possible to make a photograph in mid-day bright sun, as the light causes subject matter to end up too contrasty. Try squinting your eyes while looking at potential subjects under bright sun and you can simulate what your picture will look like - nothing but patchy darks and highlights. That's why most successful landscape photographers shoot in the early morning or late afternoon when the sun is low in the sky. Back in November, I explained why photographing forests in overcast weather is much preferred than with direct sun. This time, let's cover capturing reflected light. This is especially useful when photographing the desert landscape. This is also a great technique when photographing the sandstone formations in Garden of the Gods, and I'll show you some examples. Primarily, I'm looking for areas where the sun's light is reflected back on the rocks.

Here's a classic example where the North Gateway wall was reflecting onto the South Gateway wall near the petroglyph area. Because this was photographed in April, the trees were leafless and provided a nice graphic design. This occurred just after sunrise and is one of my favorite images of 2011.

One of my earliest instructors and colleagues, Weldon Lee, told us, "whenever you see water, think REFLECTION" and I've taken this to heart. I'm normally photographing early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the sun is low in the sky. During our annual "Eagles & Ice" tour, we generally find ourselves along the South Platte River as it rushes along the canyon. Very often, sunlight will strike the sandstone cliffs and reflect into the water, as in the following images.

Because the image above was photographed in the shade, the snow casts a bluish tint, contrasting well with the golden reflection in the water. I tried to frame the water with the snowbanks.

Here's another example showing the contrast between the blue ice and golden reflection in the water as it races along in ever-downward cascades. I used a slow shutter speed (1/8-sec) to show motion in the water.

Taken in the shade, but reflecting the cool shadowed light from the canyon walls, this patch of ice crystals was taken with a 100mm macro lens from a distance of 12 inches. The crystals are very delicate and about an inch long.

Moving now to the area near Crystal, Colorado, we found ourselves deep within an aspen forest well after sunset. The faint glow in the sky was all it took to backlight this grove. Some of my very best landscapes have been taken well before sunrise or well after sunset. The digital imagers on today's DSLRs are very sensitive and tend to pick up colors better than the human eye can capture.

Here's another image taken at the Crystal Mill/Pumphouse. It was a late fall afternoon and after walking down the hillside to the Crystal River, I noticed that by getting down low to the ground, I was able to capture an astounding reflection of the fall colors in the river. I used a 1/4-second shutter speed to turn the water a bit "cottony", which smoothed the reflections. The camera was mounted just 18 inches from the ground with the closest boulders about a foot away. Amazingly, if one was to stand up along the river bank, the reflection would disappear.

Finally, moving now to the west coast of Oregon at Indian Beach, we arrived just in time for sunset. In surveying the area, I noticed a very shallow portion of the beach where a small creek was running into the ocean. I knew this would afford a large reflecting surface and I carefully aligned the framing so the rocky cliff and creek ended right at the corners. By the time the sky lit up, I was ready to capture the event.

I hope these examples have given you the desire to consider adding reflected light to your photographic repertoire. Always keep an eye out for these sometimes subtle - and many times, intimate - landscapes!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas! - As I sit quietly watching the glow of the video monitor, I'm reminded once again just how fortunate we all are. Our lives are blessed with so many gifts––the richness of the creative process, the support and enthusiasm of creative people like you, and the love of family and friends. The opportunity to pass along knowledge and share beauty is a great reward to my soul. As we pass from this year to the next, my hope is that you, too, are finding new ways to share your gifts and talents with those in need.

Sheila and I have enjoyed sharing our travels and imagery with you this year and your comments have been a welcome companion along the lonely roads of the west. We both wish you all the very best 2012 has to offer!

For those wishing to sign up for the 2012 Pictures of the Day, click here...

Photographing the Total Lunar Eclipse - Dec. 10, 2011

2011-12-09T09:51:00.001-07:00

Lunar eclipses occur several times per year, but total eclipses are a little more rare. We have a chance in the Western US (plus Alaska, Hawaii, and much of Asia) to see it in totality right near sunrise tomorrow. The image above was taken a year ago near Colorado Springs and is composed of a series of individual shots composited together using Photoshop. A 300mm lens with 1.4X teleconverter was used.

There are a number of good resources to predict the timing of eclipses which will help you plan your photographic strategy.

For example, it's generally a good idea to plan on some sort of foreground to make your shots more interesting to the viewer. This can be rock formations or mountain peaks. In the case of the Colorado Springs area, we have the Garden of the Gods rock formations and Pikes Peak - both worthy foreground subjects. Below, you'll see an example taken last year during the totality. The rock was light-painted by a strong flashlight during the 30-second exposure. This was published in Sky & Telescope Magazine several months ago.

Here's a useful link to more info on the eclipse tomorrow (from the EarthSky blog). To calculate the eclipse timing, we take you to the U.S. Naval Observatory. This will customize the timing for your particular location. For Colorado Springs, we have the following data:

From US Naval Obs (http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/lunar-ecl-us)

Total Eclipse of the Moon

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO

o ' o '

W104 48, N38 51

Mountain Standard Time

Moon's

Azimuth Altitude

h m o o

Moonrise 2011 Dec 09 16:03 60.9 ----

Moon enters penumbra 2011 Dec 10 04:31.8 277.5 27.1

Moon enters umbra 2011 Dec 10 05:45.4 287.5 13.6

Moon enters totality 2011 Dec 10 07:05.7 299.0 0.2

Moonset 2011 Dec 10 07:09 299.4 ----

It turns out that totality begins about 7:05 AM Mountain Standard Time, which is very close to sunrise. Here's a handy sunrise/sunset calculator that will help you plan whether to shoot at night or at sunrise (moon over the mountains at sunrise, for example). Be sure to check off "Moonrise/Moonset" and "Civil Twilight", which is the time the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon and when landforms (under clear skies) are clearly distinguished. This would be the time when you usually can start photographing your "sunrise" images.

Making a calendar for Colorado Springs, we get the following data:

Twi: 6:36am
Sunrise: 7:06am
Sunset: 4:37pm
Twi: 5:07pm
Moonrise: 4:54pm
Moonset: 7:09am

So, the important info would be the entry into the umbra (main Earth's shadow), which starts at 5:45 AM, the start of totality (7:05 AM), Civil Twilight (6:36 AM) and sunrise (7:06 AM).

If you wanted to photograph some recognizable landforms for viewer interest and a sense of scale, you'll want to be in position and photographing by civil twilight (6:36 AM) and the light from sunrise and any leftover light from the lunar eclipse should be relatively balanced. Note that at totality, the moon will be just above the horizon (for us here in Colorado), so if there are high mountain ranges, or other obstructions, we'll miss totality. There will still be opportunities for a partial eclipse, however.

If you wish to use the Garden of the Gods rock formations or Pikes Peak for your foreground, you'll note that as the moon enters the umbra, it is still 13.6 degrees in elevation, which may (not having measured this just yet) put it just above the mountain range here. Good locations might include the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center parking lot or the overlook off Mesa Road. I believe locating yourself at the main parking lot next to the formations will be too close to include the moon.

Another good bet would be to drive west on Highway 24 to Wilkerson Pass and (using large telephoto lens) photograph the moon before it sets over the Collegiate Range.

Looking forward to seeing your pictures!

Photographing Forests

2011-11-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

I'm often asked to judge photo contests or to perform portfolio reviews and one of my pet peeves is overly contrasty images. These are usually the easiest to discard, as they hurt my eyes. It's also very difficult to pick out any detail. Usually, the highlights are blown out (no detail) and the shadows are blocked up (no detail). Yuck!

There are ways of modifying the light of the direct sun when photographing smaller subjects, such as wildflowers, and we use diffusing disks quite a lot during our wildflower tours. Forests are a different story, though! You just can't hold up a large enough diffuser to soften the light in a forest scene! Therefore, I always check the weather forecast for cloudy or overcast conditions and plan my shooting schedule accordingly. Clouds make a great diffuser!

As Sheila and I were photographing the various redwood forests in Northern California, the light conditions changed from day to day. Some days were cloudless and some were a perfect overcast. It seems I always need to prove to myself that - by golly - you just can't capture a decent forest scenic in sunny weather (as below), so most of the shots taken this day were discarded. This first shot was photographed with full sun and I tried my best to shoot only in the shade most of the time, but this is often what I'm presented with for review by novice shooters.

Redwood forest scene shot in full sun.

This first shot had a lot more contrast prior to adjusting in Lightroom. I toned down the Exposure and brought up Fill Light, which evened things out quite a bit. But there are still bright highlights, which tend to pull the eye away from the central subject matter. It's OK, but not great.

Redwood forest scene shot in overcast skies.

While it's difficult to find a comparable scene when we're traveling from park to park, this one is fairly typical. There are no bright highlights and the tonal value of the scene as a whole is a lot more consistent. Much easier on the eyes!

Image Stabilizing Lenses and Tripods!

2011-11-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

Most photographers fail to read the manuals that accompany their newest toys and I admit, I'm one of them. I feel the sign of a quality product is one where you don't have to read how to use it! However, when it comes to image stabilized (vibration reduction) lenses, this can be a major mistake. How many of you realize that most IS/VR lenses require the mode to be turned OFF when tripod-mounted?

Frankly, I have been guilty of this more often than not, and I always wondered why some images were just a bit fuzzy. I always assumed I had jiggled the setup during the exposure. I decided to create an example as I was photographing in Redwoods National Park in Northern California.

I mounted my Canon Rebel T2i body with 24-105mm IS lens on my tripod and photographed a redwood trunk from about eight feet away. I used no filters, and because I was shooting in shade, adjusted the white balance to "Cloudy". I was very careful to avoid shaking the setup during exposure. Then I exposed a shot with IS turned ON and another with IS turned OFF. Once I returned home, I cropped out a small area in order to magnify the surface of the bark. No processing or sharpening has been performed - both images are straight out of the camera. See how much sharper the second image looks? Because digital camera include an infrared (IR) filter which increases blur slightly, it would look even better with a bit of post-process sharpening.

Cropped image as shot with IS turned ON.

Cropped image with IS turned OFF.

Why I Use Polarizing Filters for Vegetation

2011-11-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

Most photographers know polarizing filters are useful to reduce reflections - mainly for wet objects, such as boulders in stream shots, or to enhance rainbows or darken skies, allowing clouds to stand out more clearly. Many do not realize they are essential for reducing reflections in vegetation. This came across loud and clear during our trip through the Redwoods National and State Parks in Northern California.

I was shooting in Jedediah Redwoods State Park near the Oregon border and tried shooting the images below with, and without, a polarizer. As you can readily observe, there is a lot of reflection from the ferns and other foliage.

What's also quite interesting is that you don't need full sunlight for the effect to occur. Normally, the greatest polarization effect is 90 degrees from the direction of the sun (as this picture was shot). But in this case, the sky was completely overcast (the best time to photograph forests, by the way). The filter had a very great effect, as you can see! Do you also see that the colors are a deeper, truer, green?

Neither shot was adjusted...these are both straight out of the camera using auto-exposure and aperture priority mode...

Which would you rather hang on your wall?

Scene without polarizing filter.

Scene with polarizing filter.

When purchasing a polarizing filter, be sure to buy one that will fit your largest lens. You can always use reducing rings to fit to smaller diameter ones. You'll also want to be sure to select a circular polarizer, as these will work best for auto-focus cameras.

Be careful when using a polarizer on a wide-angle lens 16-35mm) - especially, the super-wide lenses (10-18mm), as the thicker lens may cause shadowing (vignetting) in the corners of your images. This is primarily an issue for full-frame cameras...not so much with the cameras using the smaller APS-C-sized imagers. The other issue with wide-angle lenses is that the polarizer may cause the tonal value of the sky to vary from left to right. This is why they are usually not recommended for this case. A similar issue presents itself when shooting a series of images to be used in a panoramic. As the angle of the filter changes in relation to the sun, the tonal value of the sky will change, making it near impossible for the panoramic software to fit the pieces together resulting in a consistent tone in the sky.

Crater Lake, OR

2011-11-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Crater Lake, OR - The last time I visited Crater Lake was when I was in my early teens, so its been on my list for many years. We finally were able to get there to photograph it November 1st during our tour up the West Coast. Its depth of 1,943 feet makes it the 7th deepest lake in the world and deepest in the U.S. Compare this image with the commemorative stamp issued September 5th, 1934. This was part of a series of stamps issued that year from 1 to 10 cent denominations that honored major national parks. Camera settings: Canon Rebel T2i with 24-105mm lens, ISO 400, 1/400 second at f11.

Ansel Adams on "Creativity"

2011-07-21T13:03:00.001-06:00

"I cannot command the creative impulse on demand. I never know precisely what I'll photograph. I go out into the world and hope I will come across something that imperatively interests me. I am addicted to the found object. I have no doubt that I will continue making photographs till my last breath."

I wholeheartedly agree - do you?

Building Your Business

2011-07-21T12:09:00.001-06:00

How do you build your business, whether it be photography or anything else?

It's just a matter of "getting your name out there" and marketing your product! Easier said then done, as I continually find out. One of my mentors, John Shaw, once said that when you're in the field shooting, you're spending money, and when you're in the office working, you're making money. I've tried to take that to heart.

Networking is probably more useful in pulling in business than anything. But most people don't understand what networking really means. It's not approaching a group handing out your business cards and going around to everyone saying "buy my product - buy my product". You need to work on establishing relationships with people, learning their needs and offering value to them. I try to freely share things I've learned - even with my competitors. Hopefully, by adding value to the community at large, it will "pay back" eventually. Almost every job I've been offered is one in which I've established a relationship with the buyer.

Then there's that whole social media marketing thing. SMM marketing guru, Kevin Knebl, says that people tend to do business with those they "know, like and trust". While he feels that SMM may be just a momentary fad, he believes strongly that if you simply follow the teachings of Dale Carnegie, in "How to Win Friends & Influence People" (which I'm reading now), you'll outperform the majority of business people in whatever field you're in.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Picture of the Day - 7/10/2011

2011-07-19T12:53:00.002-06:00

(R-L) (Daughter) Linda & (Husband) Robb Parsons and Robb's cousin, Darin - Just after completing a two-day bike ride called the Double Triple Bypass - a 100+ mile ride over three major mountain passes (each way). The ride started in Evergreen, ending in Avon (just past Vail) the first day. The second day was the reverse. Of course, there was rain and hail both ways. Sheila and I were able to get pictures of both Robb and Linda during the break stations along the route. I'm sure I would have given up halfway up the first pass! Settings: ISO 800, shutter 1/80th second at an aperture of f7.1.

Picture of the Day - 7/9/2011

2011-07-19T12:52:00.000-06:00

Baby Mountain Goats, Mt. Evans, CO - Just west of Denver, you'll find the Mt. Evans Highway (CO-103) - the highest paved road in the U.S. climbing to over 14,000 feet in elevation. At the end of this road, herds of mountain goats generally hang out - sometimes right in the main parking lot at the top. They are somewhat habituated to humans, so it's possible to get close-up photos of them without the very large lenses generally used for wildlife photography. We were photographing them for quite a while and near the middle of the day, I saw these two newborns playing on the rocky overhang. I couldn't resist taking several shots. I used my 100-400mm lens (at 400mm) to frame the scene. Settings: ISO 200, shutter 1/1000th second at an aperture of f8.

Picture of the Day - 5/24/2011

2011-05-25T08:32:00.000-06:00

Peacock Displaying, Oklahoma City Zoo, OK - Here's the last B&W conversion done at my recent workshop and this will be the last of the PODs, now that I'm caught up from our recent travels. More will come as we continue traveling through the summer. I was just ready to leave the zoo near closing when I saw this male peacock starting to display - certainly reason enough to postpone my departure! Because of the multitude of colors in the tail, I had to be careful during the B&W conversion to adjust individual color channels carefully to avoid ruining the detail. Extra sharpening and mid-tone contrast was added to enhance the edge detail in the patterns. This was taken with a 100-400mm zoom telephoto lens, handheld, using image stabilization. Settings: ISO 1600, shutter 1/50th second at an aperture of f10.

Picture of the Day - 5/23/2011

2011-05-25T08:31:00.000-06:00

Upper Antelope Canyon, Page, AZ - I have two more B&W conversions made during the B&W Print workshop in Santa Fe I'd like to show you. These are both created from past images made during March this year. This one of Upper Antelope Canyon with the light beam is similar to a previous shot I posted in color. These beams last only a few minutes, so you need to know exactly where to be in the canyon during the time it appears. Our Navajo guide was a great help in getting us to the right place at the right time. This was a tough conversion because of the extreme difference between the highlights and shadows. Settings: ISO 800, shutter 1.3 second at an aperture of f8.

Picture of the Day - 5/22/2011

2011-05-25T08:30:00.002-06:00

Red Rocks, Abiquiu, NM - Here's one last shot taken at the Red Rocks area across from Abiquiu Reservoir. This is one of several colorful Mesas in this area. One goal during the process of B&W conversion is to enhance the foreground by adding sharpening and mid-tone contrast. I also added additional contrast in the sky and clouds. Additional burning and dodging provides emphasis on the main subject and balances out the tonal variations that may be distracting. These are the same techniques used by Ansel Adams in the darkroom, but converted to today's current digital tools. Settings: ISO 200, shutter 1/40th second at an aperture of f16 for good depth of field.

Picture of the Day - 5/21/2011

2011-05-25T08:29:00.003-06:00

Yucca at Red Rocks, Abiquiu, NM - Here is a B&W converted image of a small yucca plant - maybe 8 inches tall - in the Red Rocks area across from Abiquiu Reservoir, off Highway 84 in New Mexico. This was shot at a wide aperture to blur out the background, focussing more attention on the subject. I also thought it looked nicer cropped square. It required a lot of cloning (removal) of debris in the foreground and background in order to simplify the image.

Picture of the Day - 5/20/2011

2011-05-25T08:29:00.000-06:00

Cross at La Santa Rosa De Lima Ruin, Hernandez, NM - Here is a B&W converted image of the cross at the ruins of La Santa Rosa De Lima Chapel near Hernandez, NM. This is close to where Ansel Adams made is famous "Moonrise Over Hernandez" image and where Georgia O'Keefe lived in Abiquiu (near Ghost Ranch).

Picture of the Day - 5/19/2011

2011-05-24T18:29:00.000-06:00

Upper Antelope Canyon, Page, AZ - Here is a converted image of Upper Antelope Canyon - a popular slot canyon near Page, Arizona. This was a tough image to convert because of the dramatic dynamic range between highlights and shadows. The important subject in the picture was the light falling on the tumbleweeds, so I let the shadows go black. I like the effect, however...what do you think?

Picture of the Day - 5/18/2011

2011-05-24T18:28:00.000-06:00

Zabrisky Point, Death Valley, CA - As a part of our workshop, I had brought several candidate images from home to convert to B&W and Dante's View in Death Valley was one of my favorites. Here's the converted image after massaging it using Lightroom. We'll be going even deeper into B&W conversions today. What's interesting about George DeWolfe's conversion techniques are that, as a past student of Ansel Adams and Minor White, he has translated their darkroom techniques to the digital realm to create a "presence" or depth to the 2D image. He's also pulled in specialized techniques from painters, such as outlining objects to make them stand out better.

Picture of the Day - 5/17/2011

2011-05-24T18:26:00.000-06:00

Red Rocks, NM - As a part of our workshop, George DeWolfe had us spend the afternoon photographing in the Red Rocks area just north of Abiquiu, the town where painter, Georgia O'Keefe, spent several years. While the day started out overcast, the clouds eventually became nicely photogenic and served as perfect backdrops for the gorgeous rock buttes. We'll be converting some of these to B&W tomorrow! Settings are ISO 200, aperture f11 and shutter 1/250 second. The original and B&W conversion are shown for comparison. I like how both came out, but which do you prefer?

Picture of the Day - 5/16/2011

2011-05-24T18:07:00.002-06:00

Santa Fe Architecture - As a lover of all types of architecture, I rarely walk around Santa Fe without a camera. Even the doorways are unique, Here, I show a very typical slice of Santa Fe adobe-style architecture in the soft light of the setting sun. I try to simplify my compositions, as well as look for complementary colors, and this image fits my style nicely. Settings are ISO 200, aperture f5.6 and shutter 1/2000 second.

Picture of the Day - 5/15/2011

2011-05-24T18:00:00.000-06:00

Moonrise Over Santa Fe Workshops - Sorry; a play on Ansel Adams' famous, Moonrise Over Hernandez. Sheila and I arrived in Santa Fe last Sunday and we were scouting out the location of the well-known (to photographers) Santa Fe Workshops site near the Old Town District, where I'll be taking a week-long black & white print workshop. I just happened to catch the rising moon over the administration building and as a tribute to Adams, converted the color image to B&W. Settings are ISO 200, aperture f5.6 and shutter 1/1600 second. For more info on Adams famous image, click here and scroll down a bit.

Picture of the Day - 5/14/2011

2011-05-24T17:59:00.000-06:00

Blue River - Here's a continuation from yesterday. A little further downstream, I came across this group of small waterfalls. By shooting down low, I was able to capture reflections of the sky in the water, giving a nice complement to the red bedrock. I used a slow shutter speed to depict movement of the water. Settings are ISO 100, aperture f20 and shutter 1/5 second.

Picture of the Day - 5/13/2011

2011-05-24T17:58:00.000-06:00

Golden Potholes - I'm attending the annual Moab Photo Symposium and as a part of the program, joined one of the many afternoon photo shoots - this one led by organizer, Bruce Hucko. We headed for a somewhat hidden creek flowing over sandstone bedrock, just east of Moab. After hiking about a mile, we had dropped down to the creek and were ready to make photographs. As we worked out way downstream, I came across these potholes filled with recent rainwater. By photographing from a low vantage point, I captured reflections of the red rocks. Settings are ISO 100, aperture f16 and shutter 1/6 second. Because I was shooting in the shade, I used a cloudy white balance to counteract the bluish color cast in the rocks.

Lower Antelope Canyon - 2

2011-05-05T00:18:00.000-06:00

Another section of Lower Antelope Canyon showing the multiple hues of oranges, yellows and browns.

Lower Antelope Canyon - 1

2011-05-05T00:17:00.000-06:00

Tour participant, Stan, composing a shot in Lower Antelope Canyon. We're shooting in the canyon about 50 to 80 feet below the ground surface. These canyons are best photographed during mid-day; an unusual time for nature photography, but the reflected light bounces all through the canyon causing the walls to glow multi-earth tones.

Upper Antelope Canyon - Light Beam

2011-05-05T00:13:00.000-06:00

Upper Antelope Canyon, near Page, AZ, is unique in that at certain times in mid-day, sunlight will shine for brief moments in various parts of the canyon. This was about a 1/8th-second exposure at f4.5 and ISO 400.

Monument Valley Sunset 1

2011-05-05T00:10:00.000-06:00

This was a memorable sunset looking west from the edge of Monument Valley. It lasted for about 30 minutes and we were able to take several panoramics.

Monument Valley Sunrise 3

2011-05-05T00:08:00.000-06:00

One more sunrise from Monument Valley. This was taken a little later than Sunrise #2 and we allowed the sun to create a starburst effect as it rose in the early morning sky. To get this effect, just allow a little of the sun to poke from behind the rock and shoot with your aperture closed down to f22, or smaller. The edge diffraction causes the burst.

Monument Valley Sunrise 2

2011-05-05T00:05:00.000-06:00

Getting out of the sack prior to sunrise has its rewards! Fortunately, we were camped right on the rim above the valley, so I simply stepped out of the trailer to capture this view of the Mittens.

Monument Valley Sunrise 1

2011-05-05T00:02:00.001-06:00

Sand dunes, totem pole and YeiBiChei rock formations at sunrise. We hired Navajo guide, Frank, from Blackwater Tours to bring us in here well before sunrise. For once, we had some interesting skies. Normally, it's rather bland just at sunrise.

Picture of the Day - 3/20/2011

2011-03-21T19:46:00.000-06:00

Foxie Posing in Phlox - Foxie is always so accommodating! We placed her in the midst of (I believe) a field of Drummond Phlox. She posed so nicely for us during her "photo shoot"; turning her head first one way and then the other - sometimes smelling the fragrance drifting in the wind. What a happy dog! Settings: ISO 400, 1/160th second at f13, 28-300mm lens.

Picture of the Day - 3/19/2011

2011-03-21T19:43:00.000-06:00

Texas Wildflowers (cont.) - Texas did not have the near rains of last year, so the predictions for wildflowers have been scaled back some. However, there are very good pockets of colorful flowers around Kerry and Richard's place east of San Antonio. This is farm and ranch country and Sheila and I drove around the nearby roads on the lookout for colorful patches. We ran into this one near a local Baptist church and I couldn't resist the layers of color in this composition. From front to back, Texas Paintbrush, Bluebonnets, what appears to be Missouri Primrose and more Texas Paintbrush and primrose. There is a good Web site for Texas wildflowers here: http://www.texaswildflowerpictures.com/

Picture of the Day - 3/18/2011

2011-03-21T19:41:00.002-06:00

Texas Wildflowers - Sheila and I are visiting her sister, Kerry, near San Antonio for the next week. One thing I was hoping for was that we would be in time for at least the first blooms of Texas wildflowers and we weren't disappointed. Texas Hill Country" west of Austin (primarily). There are nice pockets of flowers here and there, despite the fact we're a little further south than the prime areas. I took this picture in a vacant lot southeast of San Antonio, but there were nice areas along both sides of the road. Most of the flowers are Texas Paintbrush with some unidentified pink and yellow flowers. There is a good Web site for Texas wildflowers here: http://www.texaswildflowerpictures.com/

Picture of the Day - 3/15/2011

2011-03-15T19:22:00.000-06:00

Pelicans in Flight, Boca Chico Beach, TX - Sheila and I spent the morning at Boca Chica Beach, the southernmost beach in Texas and just across the Rio Grande from Mexico. It's possible to drive your car out along the beach there and the few people there were usually fishing. While Sheila collected seashells, I walked Foxie and photographed the brown pelicans and other seabirds in the area. The pelicans typically fly in long lines parallel to the shore. Settings: ISO 400, 1/4000 second at f8, 28-300mm lens handheld.

Picture of the Day - 3/14/2011

2011-03-15T12:32:00.002-06:00

Sunset in Laguna Atascosa NWR - We moved our camp to Brownsville, Texas, and spent most of the day in the Laguna Atascosa NWR - famous for the elusive ocelots living there. Unfortunately, they are nocturnal, so the chances of seeing one in the wild are very slim. However, there were plenty of waterfowl and other birds. This scene was taken on the Lakeside Road near the visitor center. Settings: ISO 200, 1/250 second at f5.6, 400mm lens on tripod.

New Workshop and Tour: Nat Coalson and I will be leading a new all-day photo shoot and Lightroom seminar at Garden of the Gods Park and Visitor Center, Saturday, June 4th. The cost is only $119 and you may register here. I'm also in discussions with a tour operator and guide service for a photo tour of Costa Rica in early November. We'll have room for a maximum of six participants. Please email me for more info.

Picture of the Day - 3/13/2011

2011-03-13T14:17:00.000-06:00

Sunset in Mexico - We're camped right on the Rio Grande where we can see across to the wilderness and wildlife preserves in Mexico. Friday night, we were walking the dog right around sunset and captured this palm tree with the setting sun. I love the orange sky here...who says you can't/shouldn't shoot into the sun? Settings: ISO 1600, 1/1000 second at f25 28-300mm lens, handheld.

Picture of the Day - 3/12/2011

2011-03-13T14:16:00.000-06:00

Santa Ana NW Reserve, McAllen, TX - This is the fourth and final day of the Summit, so I'm including a photo taken last Wednesday of the group of us walking out to the trailhead of the Santa Ana NWR near McAllen. This was one of the better spots to photograph aquatic birds and we ran into several - roseate spoonbills, grebes, egrets, cormorants and many others. Settings: ISO 200, 1/800 second at f5, 100-400mm lens.

Picture of the Day - 3/11/2011

2011-03-13T14:15:00.002-06:00

Green Jay, Martin Reserve, TX - This is the third day of the Summit, so I'm including a photo taken last Tuesday of another green jay, a common species this time of year. It was taken from a blind at the Martin Reserve. They never rest for very long, so you need to be fast on the shutter. Settings: ISO 200, 1/1000 second at f4, 600mm lens and fill flash with Better Beamer magnifier.

Picture of the Day - 3/10/2011

2011-03-13T14:14:00.000-06:00

Buff-Bellied Hummingbird, Hidalgo Pumphouse Reserve, TX - This is the second day of the Summit, so I'm including a photo taken Wednesday of a buff-bellied hummingbird (Amazilia yucataneous), a common species this time of year. It was resting on this branch for quite a while, affording me the chance to manually focus the lens deep into the bush. Settings: ISO 200, 1/40 second at f13, 400mm. This handheld shot was only possible by using an image-stabilized lens.

Picture of the Day - 3/9/2011

2011-03-13T14:12:00.001-06:00

Green Jay, Martin Refuge, TX - The NANPA Summit started today, so to spare you from more rug pictures (joke from last year), I'll show you another image from the Martin Refuge taken last Tuesday. The green jay is one of the more colorful and plentiful birds in the area tis time of year. South Texas happens to be the location for a convergence of two major bird flyways, as well as the northern terminus for many of the tropical birds flying up from Central and South America. As such, the area around the Rio Grande River is rich with diverse birdlife. Settings: ISO 200, 1/3200 second at f4. Fill flash set at -2/3rds shot through a Better Beamer magnifier.

Picture of the Day - 3/8/2011

2011-03-13T14:10:00.003-06:00

Roadrunner, Martin Refuge, TX - I spent the afternoon today at the Martin Refuge (www.martinrefuge.com) sitting in a blind and photographing the myriad of birds found here. Joining me in the blind were, photographers, Jon Fuller (Moab Photo Tours) and Jack Panseca (27 Birds). The blind was about three feet below grade, so we were able to set up tripods with lenses just above ground level for perfect eye-to-eye photography. Dominant birds included green jays, yellow-fronted woodpeckers, cardinals and long-billed thrashers. We did manage to photograph a roadrunner, who (very politely, I thought) posed for us in various spots, turning his head first one way and then the other, just showing off the the cameras. I was using the 600mm lens with the Canon 1D Mk2 body with a 12mm extension tube to bring the focus a little closer. The refuge management had constructed a couple small ponds and several nearby natural-looking perches. Settings: ISO 200, 1/4000 second at f4. Fill flash set at -2/3rds shot through a Better Beamer magnifier.

Picture of the Day - 3/7/2011

2011-03-13T14:09:00.002-06:00

Sunset over the Rio Grande River, near McAllen, TX - Sheila and I arrived to the RV park about 5 PM today. Our camp spot is very close to the edge of the Rio Grande River in South Texas. It's in the high 70s and slightly humid, but otherwise pretty comfortable. We just finished a nice visit with good friends King and Sharon near Austin and will be spending this week at the NANPA Summit (www.nanpa.org), an annual nature photography conference. As I was reheating leftovers, I noticed the sun was preparing to set, so I ran out to the river's edge and grabbed a few shots. Settings: ISO 200, 1/125th second at f6.3. I cropped the image at the top and bottom for a better composition. Note the ugly posterization around the sky - a good reason to have saved this as a TIFF, rather than a JPEG (with associated loss of bit depth/resolution). Makes for a classic picture, though. The next two days, I'll be spending on wildlife preserves, so hopefully, will capture a bird or two.

Picture of the Day - 3/5/2011

2011-03-13T14:08:00.002-06:00

Meerkats, Oklahoma City Zoo - It's probably not possible to take a bad meerkat picture! Oklahoma soil contains a lot of brown clay, which colors their coats. Settings: ISO 400, 1/640 second at f8, 360mm lens.

Picture of the Day - 3/4/2011

2011-03-13T14:07:00.003-06:00

Mountain Lion, Oklahoma City Zoo - The Oklahoma City Zoo has been fixing up their displays over the last several years, primarily to make the enclosures more natural-looking. This mountain lion was photographed through a plexiglass viewing port, which allowed for unrestricted photography. Many zoos still have fencing that tends to interfere with picture-taking, but we'll be talking about zoo-photography and how to overcome this in the March newsletter. Because this was taken in the shade, the lighting was nice and even, however, there was a slight blue color-cast that had to be corrected by adding a little yellow. I liked the natural-looking pose, but this requires a lot of patience - a good trait for wildlife photographers!

Picture of the Day - 3/3/2011

2011-03-13T14:07:00.000-06:00

Pops Store and Restaurant, Oklahoma City - Our last stop during our visit to Oklahoma City was to the famous Pops Restaurant and soda pop store. Located just off the historic Route 66, the store sells hundreds of exotic soda pop. Sheila and I also split a whopping-big chicken fried steak dinner - a classic meal in this area. While we were eating dinner, I noticed a sunset was happening and captured an image of their multi-colored soda pop bottle, which I estimate is about 75 feet high.

Picture of the Day - 3/2/2011

2011-03-13T14:05:00.001-06:00

Peacock Displaying, Oklahoma Zoo - Sheila and I visited her cousin, Jeanne, near Oklahoma City. Jeanne is an artist who paints wildlife portraits and enjoys visiting the zoo to make "reference photos". We spent the next couple days there and in our wanderings, found this peacock displaying for the ladies.

Picture of the Day - 3/1/2011

2011-03-02T08:13:00.001-07:00

Sunset Panorama, Vega, TX - Sheila and I are on our way to the NANPA Summit (www.nanpa.org), which will be held in McAllen, Texas, this year. We're making stops at a couple friend's homes on the way. During a gas/dinner stop in Vega, Texas, we caught this unbelievable sunset. It warranted a panorama, so this image was comprised of four separate, overlapping, shots and stitched together in Panorama Maker 4. Settings: ISO 400, f4, 1/100th second, handheld. Next stop, Edmond, Oklahoma and a visit to the zoo.

Picture of the Day - 2/17/2011

2011-02-17T16:05:00.001-07:00

Iridescent Clouds - I caught this effect occurring last Sunday morning just prior to our church service. This somewhat common, but rarely noticed, event occurs because sunlight is hitting water drops or ice crystals in the cloud formation at just the right angle. Because this is a diffraction phenomenon, it works best with a thin cloud layer, so most of the sun encounters just a single layer of water drops or ice crystals. To get the "starburst" effect due to the sun, I positioned the camera so that just a tiny part of the sun poked out from behind the roof and used a small aperture (high "f" number). This was captured with my small Canon SX130 compact. Goes to show you it doesn't require expensive camera gear to get great shots! Image straight from the camera - unprocessed.

Picture of the Day - 2/16/2011

2011-02-16T08:45:00.002-07:00

Young Meerkats, Pueblo Zoo - Who can resist young meerkats, playing and sleeping together? Sheila and I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day at the Pueblo Zoo. While I wouldn't consider this one of the top zoos in Colorado, they do have a good variety of animals and appear to be fixing the place up gradually. The zoo was established in the 1920s and most of the buildings were constructed during the WPA in the 1930s. Many of the outdoor exhibits were shut down for the winter, but are supposed to reopen in mid-March.

Picture of the Day - 1/28/2011

2011-01-31T09:54:00.002-07:00

Ken Flying the C130 Simulator - A little different image today - well, it's late Friday! Sheila and I have been cleaning out shoeboxes of old family prints and scanning them into digital files. I ran into this one - ahhh, taken a few years ago - of me flying a C-130 cargo aircraft simulator based at what used to be El Toro Marine Air Station in Orange County, CA. Notice the fancy "flight suit"! As an active pilot back then (mid-70s), I was used to flying any number of single engine fixed wing planes - Cesnas, Cherokee Warriors and the fast little Grumman TR-2 trainer. This was my first effort at "flying" a multi-engine military aircraft and it was surprisingly easy! It actually seemed as responsive as any Cesna I'd flown.

Anyway, I ended up flying it from El Toro MAS to Catalina Island, about 20 miles off the coast of Southern California, circling twice and flying back. The takeoff and landing went well, but this picture was taken shortly after I crashed the plane into one of the hangers during the taxi! Oh well, no harm done! Guess I'll stick to smaller planes!

Picture of the Day - 1/26/2011

2011-01-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Crystal Mill/Pumphouse (toned B&W) - Still experimenting with B&W conversion in preparation for the workshop I'll be taking with George DeWolfe later in May at the Santa Fe Workshops. This is a shot of the famous Crystal Mill/Pumphouse, east of Marble, Colorado, and taken during our fall color tour last year. The primary purpose of this structure was to provide fresh air to the nearby gold and silver mines. It's rather difficult to get to, either requiring a 5 mile hike along a very rocky road, or a high clearance 4WD vehicle. The scenery, though, is well worth the effort! This B&W conversion was slightly toned to give it a antique "feel". Settings: ISO 800, Shutter 1/10 second at f11 (tripod-mounted).

Picture of the Day - 1/25/2011

2011-01-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Aspen Grove (B&W) - Recently, I've been experimenting with B&W conversions using Adobe's Photoshop Lightroom and Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro (plug-in). This scene was shot last fall during our tour to the Aspen, Colorado, area. It was originally captured as a vertical, but there was a bunch of sky showing as bright highlights in a band about 2/3rds the way up, which I felt was distracting. So, I cropped it as a horizontal keeping the boulder as an "anchor point". Because the sun had already set, the details could still be seen in the shadow areas. While this would have made a great image in color, I wanted to feature the more graphic nature of the aspen trunks. Most of the conversion was performed in Lightroom by first clicking on B&W, then adjusting the tree trunks with exposure and then setting the Blacks and Contrast sliders to darken the shadow areas bringing more attention to the trunks and boulder. Final adjustments of the individual color channels completes the conversion. Settings: ISO 400, shutter 1/100 second at f8.

Picture of the Day - 1/24/2011

2011-01-24T19:05:00.000-07:00

Winter Sunset - This fantastic sunset was taken as I was on the country road home a few days ago with my compact Canon SX130. The clouds were formed into bands of intense blues and reds. The camera exposure compensation was adjusted to -1 EV in order to bring out the colors best. This is also a good setting for capturing rainbows. Settings: ISO 400, 1/100 second at f5. Cropped slightly top and bottom with Lightroom.

Picture of the Day - 1/21/2011

2011-01-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

Aspens in Snow - During the last big storm a three weeks ago, I took off in the Explorer to go find some pictures. It was bitterly cold with a stiff breeze, which quickly froze my unprotected fingers. Fortunately, I was able to work from the warmer vehicle. Near our house in Woodland Park, are several groves of aspens that make great subjects. This was originally captured as a vertical (you generally shoot vertical subjects vertically), however, once on the computer and looking carefully, I realized the whole top half was cluttered with distracting elements. So, I decided to crop the image to a square format, lopping off the distracting top, and leaving the composition seen here. Three of anything is generally a pleasing arrangement and I really like the resulting simplicity. The grasses add a nice background of texture, which balances the boldness of the trunks. This is what originally caught my eye, so the right thing to do was to get rid of everything else that failed to add to the composition. This may make a good B&W conversion as well! Settings: +1 EV exposure compensation, ISO 200, 1/250 second at f11.

Picture of the Day - 1/20/2011

2011-01-20T19:56:00.002-07:00

Old Wagon, Ashcroft Ghost Town, Colorado - This old broken-down wagon sits alone in a vast field near the old ghost town of Ashcroft, near Aspen, Colorado. This was one of our stops during the fall color tour last year and we really worked it for all it was worth! I liked this particular view and have played around with a black & white version as well. Settings: ISO 200, 1/60th second at f5.6.

Picture of the Day - 1/19/2011

2011-01-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Un-named Peak near Ashcroft, Colorado - Enough winter scenery for a while! This peak with the first light of dawn was taken during our photo tour around the Aspen, Colorado, area. It's an example why we get up and out to the field shooting well before sunrise! The only adjustment was to lighten the foreground a bit, otherwise, the color on the peak is just as we saw it. Settings: 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm, -1EV exposure compensation to bring out the color best, ISO 800, 1/250th second at f8.

Picture of the Day - 1/18/2011

2011-01-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

Frozen Cascades - Sheila took this shot while we were exploring Eleven Mile Canyon, near Lake George, CO. The water has a light aqua coloring, which I particularly liked. The ice formations frame the subject nicely. As there was no sun this day, we didn't get the bright orange reflections, but you learn to work with what you're given on any day. She captured this at ISO 100, shutter 1/4 second and aperture f25 on the Canon Rebel T2i.

Picture of the Day - 1/17/2011

2011-01-20T19:51:00.003-07:00

Bald Eagle Pair, Eleven Mile Canyon, CO - This nesting pair of bald eagles was captured last Saturday in Eleven Mile Canyon near Lake George, CO. While fairly skittish, they posed for quite while on this branch - at least long enough for me to deploy the 600 mm lens with 1.4X teleconverter on my Canon 1D Mk2 (for a total equivalent 1092 mm focal length). This image was cleaned up and cropped slightly for composition. Normally, I'd place the birds more to the right side, so they were "looking in" to the frame. However, I liked the symmetry of the branch, so centered them. Here's a situation where you want to avoid using "matrix" or "evaluative" metering, as the eagles heads will likely overexpose, due to the dominant dark background. Best to use manual exposure in this case. Spot-metering their heads may also help prevent overexposure. Settings, ISO 800, Shutter 1/1600th second, aperture open all the way at f5.6.

Picture of the Day - 1/14/2011

2011-01-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

Ice Crystals - Many nature photographers strive to capture the widest landscape scenes they can, but very often, a better technique is to extract a more "intimate landscape" from the "whole". In this case, I noticed a crunching sound as I walked along the bank of the South Platte River. Looking down, I saw a myriad of ice crystals. Steadying the camera, I captured a few of these in the viewfinder. Settings: ISO 200, 1/320th second at f4. Adjusted in Lightroom with slight adjustments in contrast and structure using Nik Software's Vivesa 2.

Picture of the Day - 1/13/2011

2011-01-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

Sunrise near Woodland Park, CO - I'm usually an early riser and when I looked out the window to check the weather conditions, I could tell that the sunrise could be spectacular this morning. Leaving a bit early for a monthly business meeting, I grabbed my camera and captured images all the way into Woodland Park, where I live. This view is looking west a few miles from town. One of my neighbors can be seen enjoying an early morning bike ride in the brisk air - the clouds playing before him; a masterpiece painting by our heavenly Father.

Settings: Cloudy white balance, ISO 200, 1/50th second at f5. Exposure, sharpening and noise reduction was adjusted with Lightroom.

Picture of the Day - 1/12/2011

2011-01-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

Blue and Gold with Boulders - Since there were no bald eagles to be found last Saturday (very odd!), we continued to turn our lenses to the river and all the great reflections. If you wish to accentuate the reflections, as well as impart "movement" to the water, try slowing the shutter down to 1/10th to 1/2 second. This image was taken at ISO 200, f18 and 1/6th second exposure. I love the subtle blue and gold striations in the main flow of water over the boulders. You can just hear the crashing of the water!

Picture of the Day - 1/11/2011

2011-01-13T20:52:00.001-07:00

South Platte Glow - This image was taken along the South Platte River near Lake George, Colorado. Being winter here, there was a lot of ice, but the first thing I noticed was the sun reflecting a golden glow along parts of the surface. This image was captured with my 80-200 mm lens and then the top and bottom was cropped to highlight the rapids and colorful water swirling along. I set the shutter for 1/6th second exposure to blend the water.

Picture of the Day - 12/31/2010

2011-01-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

Total Lunar Eclipse, December 20-21, 2010 - We'll close out 2010 with a composite image of the total lunar eclipse on the evening of the 20th and 21st. Images were taken with a 300 mm lens with 1.4X teleconverter and with the Canon T2i body, for an equivalent 672 mm. I used Live View to focus and assembled the collage with Photoshop CS2. Manual exposure was used.

Picture of the Day - 12/30/2010

2011-01-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sunset, Ft. Collins, CO - I seldom miss a chance to shoot a sunrise or sunset. This was taken during a visit to Chris and Alex's place earlier this month. Shot with the little Canon SX130 compact camera.

Picture of the Day - 12/29/2010

2011-01-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Sunrise, Teller County, CO - I often rise before the sun - especially this time of year when the days are short. I really liked the muted and subtle pastels earlier this month filtering through the three aspen trees. Taken with the Canon SX130 compact. Taken handheld with settings of 1/80th second at f4.5 and ISO 400.

Picture of the Day - 12/28/2010

2011-01-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

Abstract Tree, Denver Zoo - During our Zoo Lights trip through the Denver Zoo, I was on the lookout for any unusual lighting. This tree, lit reflecting nearby blue lights Looked like a possible subject - especially, with the contrasting red-lit leaves in the upper-left. Since this was designed to be an abstract, anything is fair game! I enhanced the image slightly using Nik Software's Vivesa 2 by increasing the contrast and darkening the sky a bit. Since I wished to avoid carrying a tripod, I supported the camera on a nearby trash receptacle. The exposure was 5 seconds and f5.6 at ISO 1600.

Picture of the Day - 12/27/2010

2010-12-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

"Zoo Lights" at the Denver Zoo - While the Denver Zoo also has an annual "holiday light safari", I couldn't help but try out some abstract photography this evening. There are many ways to create interesting abstracts and most cameras (even the small compacts) can be set up to do this. While "zoom blurs" may only be done with lenses that can be manually zoomed during the shot, the "jiggle" or (horizontal or vertical) "pan" blurs may be done with any camera. Remembering that the actual image ends up on the imager upside down, to achieve the "swirl" blur as pictured (a series of "smiles"), you need to swirl up and down in a circular fashion. For the best effect, it helps to look for a multitude of multi-colored and closely-spaces lights. Trial and error is the order of the day for these and it usually takes several tries before I like the result. Camera settings: ISO 1600, aperture 5.6, shutter 1/6 second. Be sure to pre-focus first.

Picture of the Day - 12/26/2010

2010-12-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

Electric Safari, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (Colorado Springs, CO) - After a delightful BBQ rib dinner, cooked by Chris & Alex, we all headed off to the local zoo for some night time photography of the lights. Here's a shot near the entrance showing some of the lighted animals and walkway. The zoo is unique in that it is (likely) one of the highest in altitude at 6800 feet and its built onto the side of Cheyenne Mountain, which requires a certain amount of exercise to experience all the exhibits. The Electric Safari is an annual event held right around Christmas time and it attracts quite a crowd!

Picture of the Day - 12/25/2010

2010-12-26T14:19:00.003-07:00

Merry Christmas! - For all those who celebrate it, Foxie wishes you all a very Merry Christmas from our house to yours! Best wishes & God's blessings for the New Year!

Ken, Sheila and Foxie

Picture of the Day - 12/24/2010

2010-12-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

Stare At This - I'm sure this image has been floating around for a while now, but I thought it appropriate for this Christmas Eve. Stare at the four dots for 20 to 30 seconds, close your eyes and tilt your head back a little. What do you see?

Picture of the Day - 12/23/2010

2010-12-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

East Face of Mt. Whitney - I took this photo last February on my way to the NANPA (www.nanpa.org) photo conference in Reno. I was just entering the town of Lone Pine from my stay the day before in Death Valley. Whitney is the highest peak in the continental U.S. at 14,495 feet. While I've climbed it twice via the main trail, I've yet been unsuccessful in climbing the east face. Coming upon this scene this year reminded me of my attempt to climb it while in college. My climbing partner and I made it about 3/4 of the way up, before being chased back down by a lightning storm. It's hard to tell the scale, but it took us over 20 rappels to get back down and out of danger. Photographed with a Canon 1D Mk2 with 100-400 mm lens at 310 mm. ISO 200, f8 and 1/800 second. I did the B&W conversion in Lightroom.

Picture of the Day - 12/22/2010

2010-12-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

Lunar Eclipse with Tower of Babel - Here's one more take on Monday night's lunar eclipse at the Garden of the Gods Park - this time with the moon fully shadowed by the earth. If magnified, the moon would look rather orange. Focus was achieved by switching to Live View mode and adjusting the moon for best sharpness. Taken with a 16 - 35 mm wide-angle zoom set to 16 mm on a Canon Rebel T2i body. ISO was 800 with shutter at 30 seconds and f5.6. The rocks were lightened slightly and the sky cleaned up in Lightroom. The rocks were lit only by ambient light from a nearby building.

Picture of the Day - 12/21/2010

2010-12-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

Lunar Eclipse, Garden of the Gods Park - Sheila and I spent the better part of the night last night (and this morning!) photographing the total lunar eclipse. It was fascinating to watch the full moon with its bright light casting shadows around us, with near full visibility...to near total darkness, in a matter of several minutes. I had set up two cameras - one with a 300 mm / f2.8 (and 1.4X teleconverter) on my Canon T2i body, in order to obtain close-ups of the moon itself. The other one was set up in a fixed location near the Tower of Babel rock formation, hooked up to an intervelometer shutter release, set to fire every 8.5 minutes. The primary purpose of this one was to capture a sequence of moon shots, which would later be combined into a single frame showing the moon at different stages of eclipse. The 8.5 minutes was calculated such that none of the moon images would overlap. The tripod was located such that the sequence would have arced directly over the rocks.

This is one frame from that sequence, showing the moon as its just coming out of umbral stage. The slight sliver of crescent moon is causing a "starburst" effect, which I thought was unique. This was photographed using my Canon 5D with 24 to 70 mm /f2.8 lens (adjusted to 30 mm) and set to ISO 800, 30 second exposure at f5.6. It was slightly adjusted with Lightroom to bring up the shadow detail in the rocks. I also applied sharpening and noise reduction to clean up the sky. Because of the 30 second exposure, if one were to magnify this image, you'd be able to see slight arcs in the stars, due to the earth's rotation. The light on the rocks is from the natural ambient light from the nearby building in the main parking lot where we were located.

Note that focussing any lens at night (especially during a total eclipse) is troublesome. If your camera body has a "live view" mode (or equivalent), where you can see the actual image via the LCD screen, it's possible to set focus on bright objects, such as the moon or stars. You'll want to switch to Manual focus, so that successive shots don't end up defocussing the lens. For camera bodies without "live view", it's tougher. It's generally best to prefocus the lens during the day or early evening, switch to Manual focus and tape the adjusting ring down with gaffers tape. This assumes there will be no drastic temperature changes, as this can affect the focus point (mainly on large telephotos). For these lunar shots, I set the exposure to Manual and diddle around until I get proper exposure for the moon. To see stars well, you'll want to set the aperture for around f4 to f5.6 and the ISO to a setting where they start to show well in the LCD screen. The shutter speed should be 15 to 30 seconds for good detail. If you're fortunate enough to have some foreground, it can be light-painted with a strong flashlight during the exposure.

Picture of the Day - 12/16/2010

2010-12-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas 2010 - This photo was taken earlier this year during a winter weekend. We were staying with good friends Larry and Terrie at the Mt. Elbert Lodge, near Twin Lakes, Colorado. The sky was pretty clear and I stayed up late to capture this scene overlooking some of the other cabins - along with a starry sky. You can see Orion just right of center. For a situation like this, I tripod-mounted the camera and set the exposure to manual (using f8 and adjusting the shutter by trial & error). To emphasize the sky, I used a wide angle (16-35 mm) lens. Adjusted slightly using Lightroom 3 with text added in Photoshop.

Inspirational Prints Added

2010-12-14T09:51:00.001-07:00

In time for this special Christmas season, I just added several new inspirational prints in the Gallery section of the Web site. These would make ideal gifts for your loved ones. If ordered by the 17th, I should be able to deliver by Christmas.

Mobile Connectivity on the Road

2010-12-10T12:21:00.002-07:00

Those of you who travel a lot - especially into remote areas and who need internet connectivity for email or conducting business on the road - this may be your solution! My job takes me on the road quite often and I need regular access to email and the internet. There are many providers of "mobile connectivity" for areas not blessed with free Wi-Fi, but most force you into buying an expensive 2-year contract along with their plug-in USB "dongle". Virgin Mobile, on the other hand, offers a no-contract, month by month plan, which is ideal for the occasional traveler. I purchased their MiFi 2200 credit card-sized solution ($150), which works off the Sprint (or roams to Verizon's) network - the combination of which is one of the most extensive coverages in the U.S. This can be ordered off their web site (http://www.virginmobileusa.com/) or purchased through Best Buy and others.

This small card allows wireless connection of up to five devices. So, once its turned on, both Sheila and I have access simultaneously! I can be answering client emails while Sheila surfs the Web or goes through her email. The speed varies, but both Spring and Verizon have fairly fast networks (up to 150k bps rates). While not the speediest, it gets the job done! Best of all, you're not locked into a long-term contract. I just pay $40/month or $10 for 10 days - just for the time I need!

Cradock fotoSoftware Holiday 30% Off Sale!

2010-12-08T11:47:00.001-07:00

Cradoc fotoSoftware is having a holiday 30% off sale! This applies to new customers and existing customers who upgrade. fotoQuote Pro 6 is the pricing tool I most recommend during my Business of Photography seminars. Click here for more...

Picture of the Day - 12/6/2010

2010-12-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

Snowy Ridge, Rocky Mountain N.P. - The day after Thanksgiving, we drove Chris & Alex to Estes Park and took a loop through Rocky Mountain N.P. While there, we were able to photograph bighorn sheep, elk, and lots of icy reflections in the creeks and streams. On the way back to Estes, we noticed the snow blowing off the ridge of the craggy mountain range. Glad we were in a warm car, as it looked pretty cold up there!

Picture of the Day - 12/4/2010

2010-12-04T08:21:00.001-07:00

Grasses in Snow - The morning following our first decent snowfall a few days ago, I peeked out the front door into the chill air to capture this image of grasses poking up through the fresh blanket of snow. A single ray from the sunrise lit up the row; the effect lasting for a brief moment, and then was gone.

Pro Tip - Submitting Images to Photo Editors

2010-12-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

I've been writing for various hobby and professional magazines for 25 years now and after speaking with many editors over the years, as well as attending several writing and photography workshops on this subject, I've got it down pretty well. I go over much more detail in the Business of Photography seminar, but I did want to mention an easy way to get sample images (or "comps", as they're called) to photo editors and buyers.

First, you need to establish a relationship with the editor(s). Avoid contacting the "editor in chief" as they're usually more a management role, than "worker bee". Don't be afraid to drop the photo editor or assistant editor a short email or letter describing yourself along with a few sample images. Don't overwhelm them - they're under constant pressure to "get out the next issue" and they may take a while to get back to you. Generally, they prefer not to take phone calls. One thing I do 2 to 4 times a year is send them a "promo sheet" with a few of your BEST recent representative images. Need I mention, images that reflects the needs of the specific magazine? Make sure it's printed on classy paper and include your contact info. You want it beautiful enough they'll want to pin it up on their wall!

Second, you need to know what images they need. Don't just send a bunch of unsolicited pictures - especially via email. Many magazines publish writers and photographers guidelines on their Web site. You also want to locate the "editorial calendar", oftentimes located in the "Advertisers" section. Be sure to read through these, as often they will mention how they'd prefer to receive pictures (email, CD, light table on Web site). If you can, request to get on their "want list" email distribution. This is an emailed listing of specific images they're looking for in the months ahead. Remember, magazines have a three to six-month lead time. Right now, they're working on the spring through summer 2011 issues.

Next is the actual delivery of comps (sample low-res images they can use for the initial pasteup drafts). Most editors won't want you to attach them to an email, unless they're in a hurry to get them. This is where you really need to listen to how they wish them delivered. Lately, I use Photoshop Lightroom to adjust the images and then I use the included plug-in that uploads the selected images directly to my PhotoShelter account. Once the upload is complete, I create a "light table" section for just the editor to see. PhotoShelter automatically creates the email notification and includes a series of thumbnail images with your pictures. There is an included link within the email they can click on to see the larger images and to download comps for layout purposes. The whole delivery process takes just a few minutes.

Should one, or more, of your images get accepted, the editor will want the originals (high-res) converted to TIFF and delivered "yesterday", so you'll want to have already loaded in some ftp software in order to upload the images directly to one of their ftp servers. I use CuteFTP, which works well. The editor will provide the ftp address and password to get access to their server. That's it!

Photo Tip - The Thought Process of Photography

2010-12-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

After several years of photographing nature, I've developed a consistent sequence or process of thought prior to actually photographing a subject. I run through this sequence for every situation and because it's sort of a "check list", I rarely miss a step. I thought I'd pass this along to you, as I'm frequently asked questions about the technical aspects of my images along the lines of lens types, shutter speeds, and so forth. If you learn a consistent process (and it may be different for you), after a while it will become second-nature.

Depending on the subject I intend to photograph, I'll run through the equipment I'll likely require before leaving home. Will I need special lenses or lighting? How about spare batteries and memory cards if it will be an extended shoot? Scenics or wildlife or both? If it's a commercial shoot, will it be a portrait session or product photography? Will I need to bring studio gear?

Once I answer these general questions, I'll pre-visualize the shots I intend to take. Of course, if it's a commercial shoot, I'd probably have developed a "shot list" in advance. Let's say this example will be a nature shoot. Here's the thought process I go through once I arrive at the location and start scouting for good spots.

1. Is the lighting bright or dim and can I use a tripod or must I hand hold? For handheld, I'll ensure the image stabilization is "on" and I may increase the ISO to an appropriate speed. If tripod-mounted, image stabilization should be switched "off". I also make sure my exposure compensation is "zero" (or, for my Canon bodies, I find setting it to -0.3 is best for the initial exposure).

2. Since I normally shoot in raw, the white balance is really immaterial, but to save a step in post-processing, I may pre-adjust the white balance to the appropriate lighting source. If it's critical to get the white balance correct (mixed lighting, for example), I'll go through a custom white balance. If shooting snow, especially if including shadow areas, or sunsets/sunrises I'll automatically place the white balance in "Cloudy" to warm up the image. If you're shooting JPEG, then you'll definitely want to pre-set your white balance!

3. Is the subject wildlife or scenic? If wildlife, I'll use the appropriate telephoto and support the camera. If scenic, either the normal zoom (24-70mm) or wide angle (16-35mm) if I need the foreground to dominate. It's best to use a tripod for either case.

4. Narrow or wide depth of field (DOF)? Scenics generally use a wide DOF, while flower or wildlife portraits use a narrow DOF. Set the mode to Aperture Priority and adjust the aperture accordingly. Set the focus to the hyperfocal distance (usually 1/3 up from framed image in the viewfinder).

5. Do I wish to show motion (stream or waterfalls) or create abstracts (zoom or "jiggle" blurs)? Set the mode to Shutter Priority and the shutter to an appropriate setting. I generally use 1/10th to 1/4 second for moving water. Any more and the water starts to lose detail and overexpose. (If shooting sports, set the shutter to 1/500th second, or faster.)

6. Is the subject neutral-toned or lighter/darker? Preset the exposure compensation in advance and check the histogram after the first shot. Strive to "expose to the right", but avoid extreme overexposures. If photographing sunsets, sunrises or red rock formations (Southwest or Garden of the Gods, etc.) watch that the red channel doesn't oversaturate.

Usually, I'm pre-adjusting the camera as I'm approaching the subject. By using this thought process enough times, it will become second-nature.

Picture of the Day - 12/1/2010

2010-12-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

Succulent in Sandstone - on the way to dropping off some prints to a show in Colorado Springs, I stopped for a while in Garden of the Gods Park and spent a few contemplative minutes photographing along Ridge Rd. Not the typical plant found in the park, this succulent, growing from a crack in the sandstone caught my eye. Often, the simplest composition is the most powerful visually. Photographed with the new Canon Rebel T2i.

Picture of the Day - 11/25/2010

2010-11-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

Sandstone Outcrop with Piñon Pine - I was looking for a snowy picture this morning to celebrate the start of our winter here in Colorado. This image was captured earlier in the year on my trip to Reno and the NANPA (www.nanpa.org) conference in February. I was just entering Zion N.P. via the "back" way (from the east) and came across this scene just before entering the valley. With bright white dominating the scene, we have a classic case where spot metering off the rock (which is close to neutral-toned) is best for achieving proper exposure. The lone tree growing in such an inhospitable spot, reminds me of a similar image I have in my "Inspirational" collection, "With God, all things are possible" (Matt 19:26).

Sheila and I would also like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! While we've had both happy and sad times this year, we continue to count the many blessings God has provided and thank Him for the many places He leads us to capture His wondrous beauty!

Best wishes to all! Ken & Sheila

Picture of the Day - 10/22/2010

2010-11-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

Backlit Forest in Fresh Snow - Overnight, we received a fresh layer of snow, and this morning, I was up for the sunrise to capture this backlit scene looking out into our backyard. I like the areas of golden backlighting along with the graphic nature of the composition. Taken at 1/15th second at f11 (ISO 800) with the new Canon Rebel T2i. Touched up slightly in Lightroom.

New eBook on Travel Tips

2010-11-10T08:18:00.001-07:00

One subject I've been teaching for several years now is Travel Photography - a seminar I'll be teaching this coming Friday! As such, I'm always on the lookout for new reference materials that will augment the class. Yesterday, I ran into a brand new eBook on travel photography by Christopher Grey, "Travel Photography Tips - Part 1". This covers properly exposing for different lighting conditions, use of architecture for framing, use of different perspectives, panning, several useful compositional techniques, photographing the locals and much more. The cost is just $10.00 and you'll be able to download immediately. Published by ProPhotoPublishing.com.

Click here to visit ProPhotoPublishing.com. Then click on "Travel Photography Tips 1" in the right-hand sidebar.

Picture of the Day - 10/24/2010

2010-10-23T22:23:00.003-06:00

Sunrise at Garden of the Gods - This morning, I left early to try photographing the full moon setting during sunrise. Since there was cloud cover, there was no moon to be seen, however, I hoped for a decent sunrise and was rewarded beyond my imagination! I walked uphill from the visitor center and concentrated on taking panoramics of the scene as events unfolded. I knew the cloud cover to the west would provide some dramatic color, so I maximized it in the composition. Notice, also, that when composing panoramics, it's a good idea to find an obvious starting and ending point - in this case, the rock formations. This will give the viewer a more pleasing experience. For this image, I used eight overlapping vertical shots and imported them into Panorama Maker 5 Pro, which I use to build most of my panoramics. Although advertised to, Panorama maker doesn't seem to play well with raw-format images, so I exported the unaltered raw images to JPEGs using Lightroom prior to building the panorama. Once I had the JPEG panorama, I made slight adjustments in Lightroom. In the past, I've noticed that while photographing the formations during sunrise, the red channel of the imager tends to oversaturate more quickly than the blue and green channels, so I actually had to unsaturate the red channel a bit in Lightroom to make the colors more realistic. What you see here is very close to what I saw - pretty amazing! It does pay to get up early!

Picture of the Day - 10/23/2010

2010-10-23T22:22:00.001-06:00

North Cheyenne Canyon #2 - With the help of fellow photographer, John Vinson, I was able to locate another great spot to photograph along North Cheyenne Creek, near Colorado Springs. The fall color was maybe a week past prime, but I just loved all the fallen leaves on the rocks along the creek and the multitude of interleaved waterfalls. Exposure was about a half second at f16 and ISO 250.

Picture of the Day - 10/22/2010

2010-10-22T09:47:00.003-06:00

Black Bear in Tree #1 - Sheila and I were photographing in North Cheyenne Canyon yesterday and just prior to entering the park, we caught sight of two black bear cubs - maybe two years old? - that were scavenging for food. Their mom was just up the street. I captured one of the cubs as they climbed an apple tree and started scarfing down the fruit. Must have been tasty, because it stayed there quite a while chowing down! Canon Rebel T2i with 70-200mm/f2.8 lens, handheld.

Picture of the Day - 10/21/2010

2010-10-21T22:20:00.000-06:00

Cheyenne Canyon #1 - Sheila and I spent part of the afternoon photographing in North Cheyenne Canyon. We were trying to take advantage of the last vestiges of fall color. It was heavily overcast by the time we arrived - perfect conditions for photographing dense foliage like we had here. Most of the leaves had already fallen and were covering the trail. I love the subtle colors that are just about gone. The camera used was a Canon 5D with f11 and 1.3 seconds exposure. The best angle for this shot was with the tripod positioned in the middle of the creek!

Picture of the Day - 10/14/2010

2010-10-15T14:20:00.000-06:00

Backlit Aspens #2 - Here's another take on backlit aspens. This was captured along the road SE of Aspen, CO, near sunset. A lot of attention to detail was paid in this image - not only the correct technical details like exposure and depth of field - but compositionally, as well. I positioned the major trunk just off-center towards the right, with the smaller one positioned in the larger half of the frame. This creates balance to the image. I also placed the darker branches so that they served as framing elements, top and bottom. I allowed the ends of these branches to exit at the corners (right side). The diagonals they form are also a pleasing element to the eye. The dark green background of trees was adjusted during post-processing and the green complements the yellow leaves. All these help create the most pleasing composition - at least for me! I hope you enjoy it also.

Picture of the Day - 10/12/2010

2010-10-13T11:54:00.000-06:00

Crystal River Reflection - While the Crystal Mill is the reason most of us to trek down a very rough and narrow road east of Marble, CO, there are many more great shots in the area. This view, for example, captures the fall colors and sky in the Crystal River just below the famous mill. I set the shutter for 1/2-second in order to soften the rapids, making the image a bit more abstract.

Picture of the Day - 10/9/2010

2010-10-10T07:47:00.000-06:00

Wedding Bells! - Today, we celebrated son, Chris, and his fiancé, Alex Ramirez', wedding in LaPorte, Colorado (north of Ft. Collins)! The wedding was held outdoors in the shade of huge oak trees at the Tapestry House, a large mansion and farm - now converted to an event center. The happy couple will honeymoon in Estes Park, a favorite haunt of theirs. Several family and friends were able to participate with a reception following. My sister and retired wedding photographer, Susan Langley, photographed the event. What a special day!

Picture of the Day - 10/8/2010

2010-10-08T20:54:00.000-06:00

Backlit Aspens - Friend and fellow tour guide Nat Coalson who we passed on the road to Crystal Mill, recommended we check out the aspen grove just past the near-ghost town of Crystal once we had finished photographing the Mill. Boy, am I glad we did. We had stayed at the Mill until near sunset and as dusk was approaching, we drove on past Crystal and were met with this incredible scene. While the sun was well down, there was enough glow from the sky to provide an amazing backlight to the golden leaves. Everywhere we pointed our cameras was more backlit scenery! We took individual shots. We took panoramics. We "worked it" for all it was worth. By the way; most of the photographers had left long ago. We were nearly the only ones to experience this amazing light! Just goes to show you it's always worth staying "a little longer", just in case God plans a special show. Forget Crystal Mill - this is the picture to capture!

Picture of the Day - 10/6/2010

2010-10-06T09:19:00.000-06:00

Maroon Bells Sunrise - Here's the image you were all waiting for - Maroon Bells reflected in Maroon Lake. THIS is why we nature photographers drag ourselves out of bed at 4:30 AM! This was taken 18 minutes before official sunrise. The mountains were being lit purely by early morning sky light. To our eyes, it was still nearly dark. To the camera's sensitive imager (with a 5-second exposure), this is what was actually captured. Tomorrow, I'll pull the camera back and show you a different perspective!

Picture of the Day - 10/5/2010

2010-10-05T13:02:00.000-06:00

Aspen Shadows - This image was taken during our half-day fall "mini-tour" and right at the turnoff for Gold Camp Road, near Victor, CO. Although most forest photography is hopeless during mid-day sun, due to the typically extreme contrastiness, if you point directly into the sun (as in this case) or directly away from the sun, you can often get usable photos. I used a wide-angle lens and included the shadows on the ground for a dramatic effect.

Picture of the Day - 10/3/2010

2010-10-04T10:38:00.002-06:00

Crystal Mill/Pumphouse - I actually sent this picture out to the group in error, but so many of you asked about it - well here it is officially! This is one of the classic Colorado icons and it took me a while (many years ago) to locate it. It was constructed in 1872 to pump air to the various mines in the area. Water was diverted from the adjacent Crystal River, through the building and down the flume to drive the pump machinery. The owners have continued to restore the building, because it is so often photographed; hence the steel cables and new roof installed last year. To reach this spot requires traveling on a VERY rough jeep road from the town of Marble, Colorado.

Picture of the Day - 10/4/2010

2010-10-04T10:30:00.000-06:00

Aspen Grove, Maroon Lake - While the fall color tours are over for this year, I thought I'd draw things out for you by continuing to send pictures for a few more days! Besides, there were several more great images I'd like to share.

The best time to photograph forests is prior to full sunlight, so before the sun reached the highest ridge to the east, we walked over to the west side of Maroon Lake and started photographing the thick forests there. This was one of my favorite spots, as the large boulder creates a strong compositional element with the trees wrapping around the three sides. We spent quite a while here working it from all angles, but this was my favorite.

Picture of the Day - 9/29/2010

2010-09-29T19:38:00.002-06:00

Aspen Leaves on Water - During this last day of our fall color tour, we ended up driving over Independence Pass into Buena Vista and then up Cottonwood Creek. One of my favorite locations for photographing aspens is about three miles past Cottonwood Lake where there is a large stand of pristine aspens. Next to the road is Cottonwood Creek and I noticed an area adjacent to the creek filled with pools of water. Thousands of aspen leaves had fallen into the pools and covered the surface in a thick blanket of golden color. We spent several minutes here enjoying the abstract patterns of leaves and river rock.

Picture of the Day - 9/28/2010

2010-09-28T21:50:00.000-06:00

The Grotto, near Aspen, CO - The Grotto is a little-known (to outsiders) waterfall and recreational area just south of Aspen, Colorado, off Highway 82 and about halfway between Aspen and Independence Pass. A steep stone-stepped trail leads down to the waters edge. The major pool is deep and locals will line up on a hot day to jump into the cold water from the cliff 20 feet above. While we were photographing, a fisherman was catching fish after fish in the deep pool. It's the perfect place for a picnic, as there are plenty of good "sitting" rocks all around.

Picture of the Day - 9/27/2010

2010-09-27T23:02:00.000-06:00

Maroon Bells and Aspens - We rose before the sun today to photograph the Maroon Bells (along with about 50 other photographers!) and while we took the classic shot with the reflection in Maroon Lake, I actually liked this one the best. It's a very different composition with the top edge of the aspens following the jagged ridge of the peaks. The colors today were close to peak with a colorful patchwork from green to yellow. There are many diagonals in this image, which is pleasing to the eye - not only the peaks and tree tops, but there is a main diagonal line between the mountains and aspens, which nearly bisects the image. This primary diagonal provide a balance to the shot. This picture defines "Colorful Colorado"!