by tmoffett | Jun 21, 2010 | Color, Landscape, Photo tips
Washed Ashore
I began photographing this log that had washed ashore as an example of an assignment I give some of my classes. I have the students find a subject and make at least 30 completely different images of hat subject. I want them to look at different angles and lighting. High, low, left, right, front lighting, back lighting, early morning, afternoon, etc. After about 20 images I really started having fun looking for new angles. I ended up with about 50 shots to pick from. I had close-ups of the water dripping from the decayed wood near the base, images of the 10 foot log that is hidden on the backside of this end, shots from eye level that show this in its true size (it is actually less than 3 feet tall), wide shots that de-emphasize the log and many other options.
This is a great exercise in vision. It helps develop vision in the beginner as well as keep the seasoned pro sharp. Any time I start feeling a little flat in my work, this exercise helps to get me out of the rut. It is even more effective when you do this exercise with another photographer and then critique each others images. Learning to see and developing your personal vision is vital to becoming a successful photographer. There is so much technical stuff in photography that we can easily get caught up in that we forget to let our feelings and instinct get involved in the process. If we can’t get to that point-letting feelings into our image making, then our photos will be lifeless. I really saw that happen in the series of photos that led up to this one. I was at first thinking about getting 30 images that I was thinking too hard. After about 20 shots I began to just go with the flow, whatever I felt I shot. That is when the “good stuff” began happening. I was no longer thinking about the technical things, they were taking care of themselves (comes from many rears of shooting!). I was having fun composing in the viewfinder, watching the waves and timing them as I waited at beach level to shoot another shot, moving around the log and looking from different directions, watching how the clouds moved and framed the log as I moved positions,…
This is what photography is all about. Having fun and sharing my vision of the world with others.
by tmoffett | Jun 20, 2010 | Architecture, Color
Boise LDS Temple
I do not shoot a lot of architecture, but on occasion get an itch to do something different than the natural landscape that I am so involved with currently. The Boise LDS Temple is one building that I have wanted to shoot for a long time. I have seen a lot of images that I think do not do it justice. I have felt that I could create a better image. I guess you could say it was a personal challenge to do this one. One evening when I needed to get out and photograph I decided I would give it a try.
One of the keys to successful architecture photography is to make sure that the light on the building and the lighting on the landscape that it is in are balanced. If the sky and surroundings are too bright, then they will take away the focus on the building. I arrived about 45 minutes before sunset in order to be able to set up and be ready as the sun dropped below the horizon. I had figured that just as the sun set the light would be in near perfect balance. On this evening I was lucky to have some color in the sky, which reflected off of the windows and trim on the front of the temple, giving some extra color contrast to the image.
After making this exposure, I wanted to try something different. I loved the tulips in front of the temple and decided to emphasize them. To do that, I dropped down a bit and moved in tight. I chose a small aperture in order to get everything in focus. These images cannot be done with a hand-held camera, you must be on a tripod. This is what I got.
Boise Temple and Tulips
I am not sure which one is my favorite. There are things about both that I like. I like how the spires line up perfectly with the corners of the roof on the second image. The color in the tulips is nice as well. If you have an opinion, I would live the feedback.
by tmoffett | Jun 19, 2010 | Black and White, Landscape, Photo tips, Uncategorized
Winder Reservoir
I love going to new places. I was out with some friends a while back over in South-Eastern Idaho and we decided to find somewhere to go fishing. We ended up at Winder Reservoir mid morning and wet our lines. The sun came out and it got hot and the fish were not biting. I decided to get out the cameras and make photographs. The light was pretty harsh, so I focused on the clouds that were drifting by. I have found that during the day when lighting is less than ideal, the clouds often look wonderful. That was the case that morning.
I also love black and white. In my formative years in photography that is all I shot. Very rarely did I even consider color as an option. This was an ideal time to load the camera with black and white film, put on Wratten 25 filter and shoot away. The trouble was I had no film camera with me. So I shot away with my Canon 5D, visualizing what the image would be in black and white, then when returning home converting the original color to the pre-visualized rendering of the image. By minimizing the foreground and emphasizing the sky and clouds, I was able to create a visually pleasing image in the harsh light of the late morning sun.
Photogaphs can be created any where and anytime. We just need to know where to look. Recognizing what we can do in different lighting conditions is a skill that takes much practice. I am still learning. Shooting and evaluating are both necessary to learn this skill. Many times we forget the evaluation step, but without it we will keep doing the same things over and over and never learn. Take the time to review what you do. Show others and get feedback. That is what really helps.
Happy shooting!
by tmoffett | Jun 18, 2010 | Black and White, Composition, Landscape
John Day Fossil Beds, Painted Hills Unit
On our way home from the Oregon Coast last week, one of the reasons we nearly ran out of gas was because we stopped at the fossil beds to photograph and by the time we got back on the road and into a town with a gas station they were all closed. I am working on a panoramic image form here that I will post later, but this one I have grown to like as well. It really looks good as a larger print, so I hope you get the effect here.
The sun was setting and skimming across the surface of the hills causing them to really stand out against the brush around them. The diagonals flowing from left to right, top to bottom and then the lighter hills moving in the opposite direction break up the composition just enough to keep it interesting. This is one of those photographs that I was pulled into and started shooting, although I didn’t know exactly why. It was after I started working on it to get ready to print that I began to fall in love with it. It sort of grows on you. The more I look at it, the more I like it. The light, the line, the repetition, the movement of the brush in the foreground due to wind… I’m not sure what I like most. Maybe it is the whole experience.
Technical info: Canon 5D, Canon 24-70 2.8L @ 35mm, f22, 1.3 sec., ISO 100
More images at MoffettGallery.com.
by tmoffett | Jun 17, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape
Aspens, Jackson Hole, WY
Not everything that I photograph is water. I love nature and spend a lot of time in the outdoors. I have learned that wherever you are images can be made. If the light is right then you can find a composition that will be nice.
I was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming a while back for some meetings and found some time to go our photographing. We (Christeena and I) had been out photographing some barns and other old structures when it started raining, I mean really raining. We found shelter in the car and decided to wait out the storm. As the rain slowed, the sun peeked through the clouds and its diffused light fell on this small aspen grove that was right in front of where we had parked the car. I got out, composed and shot. It doesn’t happen that easy very often.
The dappled, soft light falling on the aspens and wet grass create and almost painterly look here that is wonderful. The soft color, the repetition of the trees, and all of the elements in play here add to the beauty in nature that we often find right after a rainstorm. Everything feels and smells so fresh. It was that feeling of freshness that I was trying to capture.
To view our gallery, click here.
by tmoffett | Jun 16, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape, Photo tips
Aqua Wave
Not all of my images of water are motion blurred. Sometimes it is more effective to stop the action. While I was shooting on the ocean, I was drawn in to the color of the water. It was most apparent when a wave would break and there was a little light coming through the backside. The wave would become nearly transluscent and the aqua color very dominant. It was as though the color changed from blue to green for just that instant. Capturing that color was only possible by stopping the motion in the image. Timing had to be perfect as well or the whitewater overpowered the aqua color. I followed wave after wave until this one broke in just the right location to capture the color I was after.
Even thought the motion has been stopped here, the curl of the water and the strong diagonal composition still leave you with a sense of motion. Also the shallow depth of field help to isolate the wave against the background, something that with a longer depth would just not happen. The background would become a distraction instead of an enhancer that it is here. I like the feeling that the wave is right on top of you, like it is going to jump out of the frame and get you wet.
by tmoffett | Jun 15, 2010 | Color, Composition, Family, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy
Wailua Falls, Kauai
The weather in Kauai is incredible! I was there in January with Christeena. We woke up one morning to rain and cool temperatures, so we drove 10 miles and were in sunshine and 80 degrees. The day we went to Wailua Falls was one of those rainy/sunny days. It was sunny when we left the hotel, then began raining as we drove up to the falls, stopped for a few minutes then the rain came down fairly hard, then the sun broke through for a while… any way, you get the picture. We decided to go down to the bottom of the falls, which was an adventure. It is very steep and due to the wet weather, quite slippery. I thank whoever is responsible for the ropes, which made the hike fairly safe.
Once at the bottom, the fun began. Shooting between cloudbursts and trying to get balanced light between the sky above and the falls and the river at the bottom was a challenge. “Hurry up and wait” is my motto. I will often set up and then wait for the light. Once everything falls into place, then I shoot.
The spray was heavy at the bottom of the waterfall, so I had to keep cleaning the lens. I set up on some rocks in the middle of the river in order to get the blue reflection of the sky in the water, as well as to capture some ripples to add some interesting movement to the photograph. After slipping on the rocks and nearly going in the river a couple of times, I was able to capture this image that I am quite pleased with.
by tmoffett | Jun 14, 2010 | Black and White, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy
Yachats Waves
While traveling down the coast we were nearly always in the midst of stormy weather. The wind was blowing and the waves pounding. It may not have been the perfect weather for vacationing, but as a working vacation for a photographer it was nearly ideal. Even in the storm, there is beauty to be found, we just have to look for it. This same concept applies to life as well.
In Yachats Waves, you can’t see the storm, only the beauty that it brings. These rocks are 10-12 feet above the ocean. The waves are pounding into the rock and washing over the tops, and then the water returns to the sea below. What looks like a stream is really the aftermath of that violent collision of an ocean wave with the rocky shoreline. Making this image was not easy. We climbed out onto the rocky shelf, dodging the water as it washed ashore. Christeena actually was holding an umbrella to protect our gear from the spray of sea water as the waves hit the rocks in front and beside us. We did take risks. We did get wet. We did get the shot. We must pay the price in order to reap the reward.
by tmoffett | Jun 13, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape
Haceta Head Lighthouse
The “postcard shot.” If I don’t shoot it, everyone thinks I am not for real. If I do shoot it, it looks pretty much the same as thousands of others shots. So I shoot them, show them and move on.
Haceta Head Lighthouse is one of the most photographed lighthouses on the Oregon Coast. The only way to view it and photograph it is from one of the several pullouts on the narrow, winding road. We stopped and shot. I was fortunate enough to have good waves to provide some interest to the foreground, one of the critical elements of a fine image. The sky is very simple, as it was a stormy day, or should I say stormy week! In a way, this helps the image, as a dramatic sky might just distract you from seeing what I want you to see… the lighthouse. The color in this image is also important, as it directs your eye to the main subject. The strong greens compliment the red very well. Technically, this is a very good image. It is, however very similar to many other images of this same lighthouse. I am always looking for something different and unique. I have my vision, but it is very difficult to show my unique vision in a “postcard” shot.
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by tmoffett | Jun 12, 2010 | Color, Family, Landscape, Photo tips, Photographic Philosophy
Mountain Stream
As great as it is to be away, it is always good to get back home. I haven’t had a chance to even look at what I shot yesterday on our way home, as we got in about 2:00AM and I was too tired to even look at them, so I am posting an earlier image from my archives today. I will be posting more images from this trip in the future, so come back often!
I mentioned that we got home at about 2:00AM, and we almost didn’t even get home at all last night. We came back on Hwy 26 through central Oregon, stopping along the way to photograph. It is a beautiful drive, and I would highly recommend it. We gassed up in Eugene, thinking it would be no problem getting gas along the way. I had no idea how hard it is to find gas in Oregon after 8:00. When the stations are closed, the pumps are disabled so you can’t even purchase gas with a credit card. Anyway, the low fuel warning came on in Vail, and we made it to Ontario on fumes and found a station open there, so thankfully, we didn’t have to spend the night in the truck on the side of the road.
This image, Mountain Stream, is an Idaho photograph, shot some time ago. I have been intrigued with the motion of water for a long time. Water is powerful, however it also has a very delicate side to it. The soft flow as it winds itself down the mountainside in the evening light creates a calm and peaceful feeling. I love black and white, however in this image, I feel that using the green foliage to frame the rocks and stream were really powerful. The color has a purpose here. If there is no purpose for the color, in other words, if it does not add to the image, then I keep it black and white. I am a strong believer that every element in the image should add to the effectiveness of the final piece of art. If it does not, then it should be somehow removed.
To see more of Terrell”s photographs, see MoffettGallery.com.
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