by tmoffett | Aug 31, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape
Sunset, Melba, Idaho
A sunset is not just about the sunset. While the color is what pulls us in, there must also be something to hold our attention. I am always searching for that “something.” It can be in the foreground, it could be the horizon line, maybe an interesting silhouette or maybe some birds. Just about anything of interest works.
In this image, there are a couple of things that are going for it. It starts with the faint vertical lines of plowed rows in the field, met by a band of mist rising from the moist soil. The horizon line, not just a straight, flat line, but one with character, rising and falling as you move across it, then met abruptly by a single bush to stop your eye for a brief moment. Without the bush, I think the image is kind of weak, but with it, well, it makes all the difference.
Another lesson on being ready for anything was taught me the evening this was made. Christeena and I were parked along Southside Blvd. waiting for the Melba fireworks display when this scene came to view just across the street. I had to walk just a bit to find the right perspective to shoot from, but I was ready. Instead of just focusing on where the fireworks would be coming from, I kept an open mind to anything that might present itself. I did miss the first few fireworks while working this scene, but I don’t regret that at all. I have learned that if I am ready, many possibilities will present themselves. All I must do is recognize them and be ready to interpret and capture them.
by tmoffett | Aug 30, 2010 | Black and White, Photographic Philosophy, Ramblings
Clouds #16
In landscape photography, clouds can be a very big asset. Clouds affect the background area of the image, they affect light quality, and sometimes they can be the entire subject of the image. I love chasing storms in search of the perfect clouds. I have learned to create images with or without them, but my preference is always to have them.
One particular summer afternoon I didn’t even have to go in search of them, they came to me! I notice from inside the house that the light was changing, and so I went outside to check it out and as I looked up I saw some of the most incredible cloud formations I had ever seen. The clouds became my subject that afternoon. I put on my 200mm lens and began photographing smaller sections of the cloud formations instead of using the usual wide angle lens to capture the whole sky. Everything in the viewfinder became abstract. Some images, like the one above appeared to be inverted as well as having the appearance of having been shot from above. I had a great time exploring nature in my front yard that afternoon. It is a wonderful experience to create images while right at home.
by tmoffett | Aug 29, 2010 | Color, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy
The Rock
There are photographs everywhere just waiting to be created. Many times we are too focused on the big picture that we fail to see the details, when the details can be just as interesting, or sometimes even more interesting than what we see. We must train ourselves to slow down and become observant of our surroundings.
One afternoon I went on a hike with a couple of my boys to Bridal Veil Falls. I had made this hike on several occasions previously and had walked over/through this particular stream and never thought anything of it. However, on this hike, I stopped to check out some wild berry bushes and while looking I happen to look down in the stream and noticed the interesting color of rocks beneath the surface of the crystal clear water. This one stone seemed to stand out from the rest, so I photographed it. It is a reminder to me that I must make a conscious effort to really explore my surroundings. Life is much more enjoyable this way, and I often find new subjects to photograph as a bonus!
by tmoffett | Aug 28, 2010 | Landscape, Ramblings
Yankee Fork
On one of our trips to Stanley, Idaho, we went up to the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge. On the way back down we stopped here to do some fishing in the rain. The fishing was really slow, so I began looking for photography opportunities. When the clouds broke just a bit, this view opened up. The low lying clouds hovering over the mountains is what first caught my attention. I had been struggling all day to find something to photograph, as the destruction of the landscape caused by the dredging operation was everywhere in view. From this view, most of the destruction is hid from view, and the tailings on the right side are beginning to be covered in new growth, somewhat concealing them. It amazes me what damage was done during this mining operation and the years it has taken for recovery to start happening. I hope man has learned to preserve the beauty that exists in the world around us.
by tmoffett | Aug 27, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape
Rock Bottom
I love subtlety in imagery. The soft and delicate tones and color in this image, for me anyway, is what makes it work. This is an image that really needs to be fairly large, as the soft texture in the water begins to really become evident in the enlargement. The ripples on the surface cause a bit of distortion in the rocky bottom of the shallow waters of Lake Lowell. The contrast of the rocks under the water to the crisp and smooth rocks on the shoreline add visual interest as well. Also, the bush that is growing along the shore tends to frame the image, creating a stopping point or resting place for the viewers eye.
While different from the images of power that many of my water images have, this still catches my eye and is very pleasing to look at.
by tmoffett | Aug 26, 2010 | Photo tips, Photographic Philosophy
Wet Outside
“It’s cold outside.”
“It’s raining and I don’t want to get the camera wet”
“I didn’t have time.”
The world is filled with excuses. I teach photography to high school students and I hear excuses every day. I am amazed that I hear these same excuses occasionally from “Professional” photographers as well. This is one area that needs to be corrected if we are truly going to find success.
I have learned that changing an excuse into an opportunity is simply a change of mindset. When it is raining outside I find the opportunity to create images that I cannot get when it is dry and sunny. Protecting the camera is a simple thing. It can be done with a garbage bag! When it is cold and snowy, put on a coat and gloves! There are photographs to be made that those lazy photographers will never even see, except when they view yours!
In the photograph above, for instance, a thunderstorm caught me off guard and I retreated to the truck. While waiting for it to pass I continued searching for a photo opportunity. I found this just before the sun broke through at the end of the storm. I know it is not a masterpiece, but it was a great exercise in looking for images, and it made me aware that no matter where we are or what the weather is, there is always photos waiting to be created.
Be looking for opportunities at all times. I guarantee it will make a difference.
by tmoffett | Aug 25, 2010 | Color, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy
Multnomah Falls
When arriving at Multnomah Falls in early June on our way to the coast, we found it utterly chaotic. As if the swarms of people from all over the world weren’t bad enough, a wedding party had just arrived and were preparing for the arrival of the bride. We fought our way through the crowds to find the base of the falls. As we arrived at the viewing area we found more people as well as a terrific spray from the falls. I had never seen this much water coming over the falls. It was a pretty awe inspiring sight.
Fighting the crowds and the water were draining. I sat back to get a feel for what the falls said to me. As I relaxed for a small moment I saw this bush on the side of the mountain protruding toward the falling water. It seemed as the sun peeked through the clouds and vapor just enough to highlight it and the cascading water behind it made for a perfect background. It was as though I was being told what do photograph. Nature was speaking loud and clear to my mind. While the world is full of chaos, if we slow down, sometimes just for a moment, we can find the simplicity that allows us to relax and enjoy life.
by tmoffett | Aug 24, 2010 | Color, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy
Waves, Lake Lowell
I have a new portfolio that will soon be released at MoffettGallery.com entitled “Shorelines.” I began working on this portfolio just over one year ago while on the Oregon Coast and continued building on it in Hawaii last January. This Spring, I started incorporating some of the techniques I was using into some new images at Lake Lowell here in Canyon County, Idaho. It was then that I decided to expand the work to include more than just ocean shorelines. I became intrigued with the interaction of water and land at many different levels. I noticed that even in small lakes water has great power as it laps against the shore. Rocks become smooth, sandy shorelines erode and movement is exhibited.
While the motion of the water creates very interesting patterns and lines, I think what I am most interested in is the translucency of the water rushing over the shore. It matters not if it is a rocky shoreline or covered in sand, whether vegetation is growing or it is barren. From within this transparent substance comes power and life. Rocks are moved, erosion takes place and life is renewed. Without water, all would die, with it, life is revived. Capturing its beauty is something that I will always enjoy.
The techniques used to create these images of shorelines will be covered in my Landscape Photography class that begins on September 16 in Nampa, Idaho and runs for 3 weeks. For more information call or email.
by tmoffett | Aug 23, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape
Foggy Morning, Lake Lowell
Combining the concept of simplicity and the design element of line in landscape photography is sometimes difficult for new photographers to grasp hold of. Often, I find students using line in predominantly “busy” images, which is just the opposite of simple. I love combining these two because when done successfully you end up with a very calm, peaceful image that has good flow or creates good eye movement throughout the photograph, as with the image above.
by tmoffett | Aug 22, 2010 | Color, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy
Country Road
The road to Gotts Point is a favorite location of mine for an early morning stroll with my camera and tripod. It is always quiet, allowing me to think deeply about whatever is on my mind. It is a great place to meditate and ponder, and as I do I feel invigorated and ready to move on to the next challenge.
The series of images that I have made over the past couple of years around Lake Lowell has evolved as I have spent time here. I think that the photographs have become more thoughtful and evocative over time. As I look at my earlier work I realize just how far I have come as an artist in just the past 2 years. I am having much more fun as well. Taking time to review and think about what we do is such a critical part of everything we do, yet so many neglect this area and it really does hinder their work.
I want my photographs to have meaning. I want them to evoke feeling and emotions. I want you to feel like you are at the scene and feel what I feel when I was there. This will only happen if I truly put myself in my work. I must know what I am about and then go out and shoot from the heart. When I am out with my camera, I forget myself and lose myself in the environment. If I get a feeling like I should stop and make an image, I do. Intuition seems to take over, and often, not until I return home and view the results do I realize the impact, power and meaning of an image. If shot from the heart, the image will speak to me, not the other way around.
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