by tmoffett | Jul 11, 2010 | Color, Family, Random images
Bayhorse, Idaho
Just up the road from the kilns that I posted yesterday is the city of Bayhorse. In its day it was a booming mining town. The first miners moved in hoping to find gold, but it was silver that was in abundance here. Now there is nothing left here, but just upstream there is a little lake that has some terrific fishing. That is where we were headed when I stopped to photograph for a while. I love to fish, but if I have to choose between fishing and photographing, the camera nearly always wins out. Just ask my kids! They often get tired waiting for me to get the shot. Instead of hearing “Are we there yet?” on a family trip, it is “Hurry up dad, we’ll never get there at this pace!” This day was no exception.
We still got to the lake in time to catch some fish.
by tmoffett | Jul 10, 2010 | Color, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy
Abandoned Kilns
As a landscape photographer, I don’t find myself drawn to structures very often, however on a trip to the old ghost town of Bayhorse, Idaho, we passed these old abandoned kilns and I had to stop. I have since thought about why I needed to stop. What is it about ghost towns that we are drawn to?
Bayhorse was a booming mining town in the 1880’s and 1890’s. these kilns, along with 3 others are where charcoal was made to fuel the smelters. I can imagine these in full operation. It was a very busy place. And now, nothing. Empty. Only a figment of our imaginations.
It is amazing to me how a place can be so full of life one day, and totally deserted the next. The emptiness is what I felt as I pondered what I was photographing. That is what I wanted to portray. I think it shows. I know I feel it again when I view the image. The soft light coming from an overcast sky helps create the feeling, as well as the darker, moodier interpretation of the final print. The rocks in the foreground also enhance the feeling of abandonment and decay. I hope you can feel it as I do.
by tmoffett | Jul 9, 2010 | Architecture, Color, Critique, Photographic Philosophy
Yaquina Head Lighthouse
I don’t know what it is about this image. I initially didn’t think too much of it, but every time I have reviewed the set of images from my Oregon Coast 2009 trip, this one stands out more and more. It is kind of growing on me, I guess.
I have found over the years that certain images will really appeal to me initially, and over time kind of fade away, and others will take time to grow on me, but I seem to never tire of them. For this reason, I always do an initial edit of my work, but review it several time over the course of several months or even years. Often I find little gems that I missed at first. This is one of those.
When I was at Yaquina Head, the fog was rolling in from the sea and you could barely see the top half of the lighthouse. We hiked down to Cobble Beach and occasionally the fog would grow thin and you could see the top, however it left a unique softness to the image. I think that is what is drawing me in. The subtle color and softness create a very passive feeling, very relaxing to look at. It is very different from the stark, crisp and sharp architectural images that we are used to seeing. I kind of like it for a change.
by tmoffett | Jul 8, 2010 | Landscape, Photographic Philosophy, Uncategorized
Solitude
I love shooting photographs of the local areas. I feel that I get to know them, yet never tire of them. It seems that I see something different every time I return to a familiar place, or maybe I just see the same things differently. The light is always changing, so the same things can look totally different from day to day. I challenge you to go back to a favorite location many times over the course of a year and see how many different images you can create.
Lake Lowell is my “fallback” location. If I am wondering where to go, I go to the lake. I originally planned to do a 15 print portfolio from the lake, however by the time I had 15, I felt like I was just starting, so I kept going back. This is an image just shot this week. I was at one of my favorite evening locations, but this time in the morning. There was a completely different look in the morning than at sunset. Just prior to sunrise there was a coolness to the light. Everything was blue except for the western horizon which had a touch of red. Not a cloud in the sky and the breeze was blowing creating some motion in the trees and the grasses. It was cool for this time of year, and the bluish color enhanced the coolness in the air. The lone tree, surrounded by water in the cool, crisp morning air creates a cold, lonely feeling, but reaching out, not far away is the warmth of the rising sun.
To me, photography is all about feelings. If an image causes you to feel something it is a success.
by tmoffett | Jul 7, 2010 | Color, Photo tips, Random images
Tunnel Vision
This image brings back great memories! I was with a couple of friends out photographing in Eastern Idaho and we hiked down to this tunnel. It was light when we arrived and the scenery in the area was great. We shot until dark, and then some more. We then realized that none of us had flashlights and it was pitch black. No moon out and away from the lights of the city. We stumbled our way out and finally made it back to the truck. It would have been quite funny to watch us. It was all worth it, though. I also learned to keep a light with me at all times, because you never know when you might need it.
Back to the image. As it was getting dark, the tunnel became quite interesting. I could see a faint light at the other end and the wood trusses created an interesting pattern. The only light available was my Canon 580EX camera flash. I decided to send one of my friends into the tunnel and pop the flash. I ran a test and determined where and with what power to use the flash, then I locked the shutter open and we went to work. We used 8 flashes inside the tunnel and when my friend returned we popped the landscape twice, skimming the light across the surface instead of blasting the light directly into it. In all, the exposure was about 3.5 minutes.
Learning to use and control the light that is available to you is very important as a photographer. It will allow you to make creative images in places and at times that others cannot because they lack the necessary knowledge and skill. It will open new doors for you to explore, and if you are at all like me, you like exploring new ideas.
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