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Nature Photography Writing Contest
A friend of mine turned me on to photographer Guy Tal. He has a fantastic collection of images from out West, and he’s also a great writer. Guy was holding a creative writing contest on his web site. So I entered a story that I wrote about the image “Body & Soul”, and my story was chosen as a runner-up.
Here’s the story:
I’ve been pedaling hard these last five miles along an old farming road, loosely packed with sand and dirt. Racing against the setting sun, my legs are getting really tired. The hot, humid August air is thick, really thick, and the sweat is pouring down my face. I want to stop for a drink, but I can see my final destination a quarter mile ahead. Earlier in the week I discovered a very photogenic tree that I wanted to capture with my camera; I knew I needed to return when the light was right. Now I am back with the “sweet light” in my eyes. I step off my bike, pull the gear off my back and take a deep breath; I have arrived.
Before me lay the magnificent Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States; a timeless stretch of beauty intimately known as “The Bay”. Over 400 years ago Captain John Smith sailed right past these shores exploring this “new” land in search of riches. This evening I am in search of a different treasure. The lone tree that I came to explore is quietly nestled between the Bay and a small pond. If I can frame it just right I’ll get the tree’s reflection in the still waters of the shallow pond. For nature photography, this is where the land and the skies collide. For those of us that live on the East Coast of the United States, the opportunity to witness the sunset over a large body of water is always a treat; the Bay seldom disappoints.
I have finally caught my breath from the bike trek, and as I wait for the perfect light, I begin to relax. The gentle rolling waters of the Bay are hypnotic. My camera is framed and ready to go; let the light show begin. I snap a few shots waiting patiently for the sun to light up the clouds. As time passes, I slowly realize that the low-lying clouds that help create those iconic Chesapeake Bay sunsets have been blown off to sea by a storm that passed through earlier in the day. I was in such a hurry to go out and shoot this evening I didn’t even pay attention to the weather. It seems my hopes of capturing the countless colors of the typical Bay sunset may be gone.
The sun slowly shrinks back below the horizon and the mosquitos (Virginia’s state bird) are in full force. I begin to pace around contemplating my next move. Should I stick it out to see what happens or head back to the campground? I look out at the Bay, look back at my camera, all the while slapping my arms, neck and legs to keep the bugs from biting me. My photographic journey has taken me here before: I have hiked up mountains, walked along rocky shores, been trapped in torrential rains, so I could catch that once in a lifetime shot. It’s times like this I am gently reminded what matters most is the experience of being surrounded by nature; it’s not all about the images. Mark Twain wrote that golf is a good walk spoiled. Certainly my golf game has spoiled some walks, but in this slow-paced world of nature photography it’s a bit different. Every hike I’ve ever taken, even the ones where I didn’t fire a single shot with my camera, have always been very rewarding; both physically and spiritually.
Staring out at the waters of the Chesapeake, I begin to sense the magic in the air. Over the course of my soliloquy the colors of the sky have slowly changed; the hues have moved from red to purple. The few clouds that are hanging over the horizon begin to light up. The sky has come alive! For the next thirty minutes I fire off shot after shot working quickly to capture every subtle change in the Western sky. My patience has paid off.
It’s now time to head back to the campground. I load up my backpack and hop on my bike. I have my tripod in one hand, the handlebar in the other. With my headlamp lighting up the way, I retrace my tire tracks that I made two hours earlier. I will never forget this quiet August evening I spent along the Chesapeake. I walk away with more than just images on a memory card; I leave with a greater appreciation for this fragile ecosystem. I look over my right shoulder to get one more glance of these tranquil waters. The sun has gently set, but with it comes the promise of a new day.
Q and A post
Jessica over at Ballson Arts and Craft market contacted me about doing a short Q & A for their website. She had some great questions about photography and among other things -Yetis. Check it out, and don’t forget to head over to Arlinton on August 14. I’ll see you there.
My new ipad
I finally received my new iPad! I’m so glad to be one of the first owners of this new device. There’s been such a buzz about this and now it’s all mine! I can’t wait to start playing around with it.
I have to say it is a little smaller than I had anticipated.
The Apple ipad
Cameras- the highs and lows
In the market for a new Point-and-shoot camera? Do you have $300 burning a hole in your pocket? David Pogue of the New York Times has his annual camera round-up. If you need something with a little more horsepower Hasselblad is coming out with a new medium format 40 megapixel camera. The price is nearly $20,000! Might as well buy 2 of them-what a bargain.
Trapped
If you spend too much time on the computer this is what can happen!
I just won 1st place in an on-line photography contest with this mousetrap picture. The contest was held at photoshopcafe. The idea for the contest was to come up with an image that best represents the caption “Create Don’t Steal.” I originally took this picture about 3 years ago, and I put it on the back burner for awhile. I heard about the contest dug into the archives and resurrected the shot. This was shot on a small set that I built with some old pieces I had laying around. The only “photoshopping” needed was some touch ups on the edges of the frame. I guess it pays too look back through the archives.
Off to the Shore
Timing is everything. The difference between snapping a boring everyday image or capturing a keeper that is worth hanging on your wall could be a matter of moments. In the case of “Body & Soul” it was one hour and that made the shot all worth it.
It was near the end of August when my family and I took a trip to the Eastern Shore of Virginia. My goal for the week was to shoot some sunsets over the Bay.
We were at the very southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula surrounded by water. If we looked east we could see the Atlantic Ocean, head west and we’d run into the Chesapeake Bay.
Whenever I go to a new location I try to scout the area during the day. I’ll look around for pleasing textures and patterns; compositions that will make a good image. The difficulty with scouting during the day is that the light typically looks terrible. So you end up guessing where and what the light will be like during the “golden hour.”
On one of my midday scouting trips I found this lone tree sitting on a thin strip of land: on one side of the tree was a small pond and on the other side was the mighty Chesapeake Bay. Sunset over the Bay, tree reflected in pond; I liked what I saw. This had some real potential.
So, I returned an hour before sunset. I changed locations several times hoping to line up the tree’s reflection just right. And then I waited, and waited. The sky had very few clouds, so the typical gorgeous Chesapeake Bay sunset was less than spectacular. I thought about packing it up and heading home; I was hungry and the mosquitoes were even hungrier. At times like this I always have this internal dialogue: I can go home and try again tomorrow or I can stick it out and see what happens. If I wait a little bit longer, maybe, just maybe the sky will surprise me…and it did.
The flatness of the sky, as the colors faded from warm to cool, really worked to simplify the image. So, my patience paid off. I went to bed that night scratching my bug bites knowing I made the right call.
Blossoms Blooming
The signs of Spring are in the air. The flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and the April showers are getting everything wet. The other day I went down to Brookside Gardens to witness first hand the arrival of Springtime. Brookside is fantastic location for photographers, painters and just about anyone looking to get out and enjoy the outdoors. There are three things that I love about Brookside: The gates are open sunrise to sunset(very important if you want to catch the early light), they have an incredible variety of plants, and best of all- it’s free to get in!
The tulips should be blooming in a few days, and if you’re in the Washington DC area it’s worth it to stop by and see all of the different kinds of tulips they have planted. All of the colors are amazing. With colors bursting everywhere it reminds me of a Fourth of July fireworks show. You may even find yourself walking the gardens oohing and aahing.
A Bridge of Hope
- Loys Station Bridge
The snow started falling early in the morning and it wasn’t the typical Mid-Atlantic crusty snow we’re accustomed to. This was the light fluffy stuff; great for photographs because it hangs on the trees, gently balancing on the limbs. My destination that morning was a covered bridge that was tucked away in northern Frederick County, Maryland.
Maryland has six covered bridges, and each one has a unique story, but the Loys Station Bridge has a special place in the hearts of many bridge enthusiasts. Originally built in the mid 1800′s this bridge stands not only as an icon of the past, but as a testament to the strength of a community. In 1991 the bridge was torched by an arsonist, causing extensive damage. Thousands of people banded together, volunteering their time and offering up donations to help rebuild the bridge. In 1994, the bridge had been reborn.
The snow continued to fall through the morning and I felt like the world had been sleeping. The silence at the bridge was broken only by the occasional snowplow creeping past, spraying its salt along the road. I took pictures for about an hour at the bridge, and then decided to head to the nearby Catoctin Mountains, for so more winter images. On the way back home, I decided to stop back at Loys Station Bridge. There was something magical there that caused me to return; a sense of peace that had fallen over me.
It’s been two years since I took this picture of the bridge, and I continue to look back at this scene with a sense of wonder. I don’t see it anymore as a snow-covered bridge made of wood and steel. I see it as a bridge of hope.
Happy Holidays
-Joe
Soar
I have been working on a series of images called “Signs of Life.” The concept is really simple: combine everyday photographic objects and text together to create an inspirational message. Now, if you’re asking yourself what does that mean? Take a look.
“Follow your Dreams” was shot at a nearby park on a very foggy morning. The arrows are part of the road that lead down the hill towards the lake. So, the plan was to take this image and with the help of Photoshop add the words “DREAMS” to the road. This was the beginning of the “Vital Signs” concept.
Since then I’m always trying to come up with new ideas to add to the series. So, I thought that I would write about my latest image, “SOAR”, and take you through the creative and technical steps in putting this image together.
The image of a group of helium ballons lifting off has been “floating” around my head for the past 3 decades. Way back in elementary school we had a balloon launch. Every student put there name and address on a card along with a postage stamp. We then tied the card to the balloon string and released our balloons. I still remember this like it was yesterday; two hundred balloons all being released at the same time! As the days and weeks passed, the cards came trickling in. The strangers who found the cards sent them back to us with a note where they were discovered. Some balloons travelled more than 200 miles.
So I have this 30 year old image stuck in my mind, and I want to recreate it on a smaller scale. The easiest thing to do would be to get a bunch a balloons and release them into the air, but I don’t want the nearby trees littered with the remains of my efforts. So, I decided to shoot all of the pieces separately and put them together in Photoshop.
Step 1: Up, Up and Away (sort of)
Here’s a shot of one the balloons. I taped a piece of monofilament to the top of the balloon and then clamped it to a lightstand.I didn’t use a real helium balloon because I didn’t want it floating all over the place. I then laid on the ground and shot the balloon from the bottom. I had the sun as my main light, and then I filled in the shadows with an off-camera flash.
I did this about 50 times shooting from different angles. I ended up using 3 different shots for the final composite.
Step 2: Tie A Yellow Ribbon
The next step was the string and card. I wanted this to look as natural as possible. I got a yellow ribbon and tied it to a card and with the help of my trusty lightstand and some copperwire, I made a simple rig. I needed a large depth of field, so the card and the ribbon could stay in focus. So, I cranked up the camera to a 6 second exposure. And with several short burst of off camera flash I tried to recreate some natural shadows on the card.
Step 3: The Road Trip
Now comes the fun tedious part; putting it all together. It’s kind of like taking a long road trip: the first hour is exciting then it starts to drag on, and you wish it were over. I spent the next several hours “cutting” out tiny yellow ribbons, but I knew hoped all of this planning would pay off.
Step 4: Shoot the Sky
Everyday I would go out look up in the sky; search for the best clouds and start firing my camera. The neighbors probably thought it was a little strange, but hey– this was art. Besides, I had a great UFO story to use in case they asked.
Step 5: What to say?
I have the sky I want, I have the balloons arranged correctly, now I need some words on the cards. I didn’t do this when I shot the cards, because quite honestly I had no idea what to put on the card. My original word was “Hope.” Then I showed the rough picture to some friends and family to see what they thought. Everyone had a different opinion. I went through the suggestions and came up with “SOAR.” The other advantage of doing the text in Photoshop is that I can change the words at a later date if I ever change my mind.
Step 6: The Color Wheel
I have most of the elements in place, but the balloons are an ugly shade of green. It’s now time to pick the colors. Adobe has a great product called Kuler. It’s a simple program that gives you “hints” designing color schemes. And best of all it’s free!
The final balloon colors I used are “loosely” based around the compound colors of the sky; light and airy, as my sister suggests.
Step 7: The Countdown
Four days later the final composite has surfaced.
The Photoshop file has about 90 layers. I think this is a new record for me.
My computer hated this file.
Step 8: The Launch
Since putting this image together, I’ve gotten a lot of great comments about it. It’s always difficult when you are doing something creative, because you operate in a bubble. Everytime I start a project like this it’s a journey riddled with reflection, doubt and discovery. But that’s what makes it soar.
Don’t Adjust Your Set-Yet
During the summer months when I do the art show tour, a lot of photographers stop by my booth to talk shop. The thing I hear most from the other shooters is, “their prints don’t match what they see on their monitor.” When I ask them if they’ve calibrated their monitors; the overwhelming answer is, “no.”
Now, I understand that spending a couple of hundred dollars on a hockey puck with tentacles isn’t as fun as getting the new lensbaby, but think of the money, as well as the aggravation, you’ll save by not throwing away your money on bad prints. The colorimeter, or spyder, which really is about the size of a hockey puck, sticks to the front of your monitor and measures the color values as well as the brightness of your screen—it takes the guess work out of setting up your monitor.
I’ve worked in the television industry for the past 17 years, so when I had trouble wrapping my head around this whole calibration issue, I thought about it in terms of something I knew best—television— the original digital industry.
Have you ever fallen asleep on the couch only to wake up to those strange-colored vertical bars filling your television screen? These color bars, in a way, are like a colorimeter. They take the guess work out of the set-up for a video technician. The bars are used to properly set-up the videotape, so the show looks the same on every tape machine that it plays on. In theory the idea is the same; create a color neutral work environment.
So, if you’re having trouble with your prints do yourself a favor and calibrate your monitor. And the next time you wake up on the couch with drool running down your face, and the TV is filled with color bars, you’ll be rest assured that all is calibrated in your world of color.