by tmoffett | May 1, 2010 | Color, Composition, Critique, Landscape, Photo tips
Evening Light, Downey, Idaho
The May Print of the Month has just been posted at MoffettGallery.com. Each month I offer a new print in an edition of only 50 prints at a 30% discount for one month only. It has proven to be a great way for many to start collecting our artwork. All images come matted and ready to frame.
This months image, Evening Light, Downey, Idaho, is another image that was created on an excursion with my wonderful wife, Christeena. Some friends invited us to meet up with them for a weekend getaway at Downata Hot Springs, and we had a great time. As we traveled to Downey, about a 6 hour drive, we found some interesting places, however the light was just not right. Shortly after arriving at the hot springs, though, the sun dropped to the horizon left us engulfed in this warm, wonderful light. Down near a pasture, just a short walk from the yurt we were staying in, I found this small grove of trees almost glowing in the light. The dark, cloudy sky made a perfect background. When looking at this image I am filled with warmth like that that radiates from the sun on a cool summer evening. With this image, I am also captivated by the lines created by the light reflecting off of the branches in the bottom third of the photograph.
The visual effectiveness of this image comes from not only the great light found that evening, but from proper selection of camera settings as well. A shallow depth of field was rendered by selecting an aperture of f2.8 and using a high shutter speed. The shallow depth of field and focus point on the near tree branches, the ones catching the light, causes them to stand out and create dimension in the image. I shoot the majority of my landscape images with a very long depth of field (f22 or more), but in this case, just the opposite was needed to make it work.
by tmoffett | Apr 30, 2010 | Black and White, Landscape, Photo tips
Storm Clouds, Rexburg, Idaho
I love clouds! They are fascinating to me. Always changing, never the same. Sometimes I photograph them as abstracts, reminiscent of Alfred Stieglitz “Equivalents” series from the 20’s and 30’s. Most often, though, I include foreground elements that can help create a feeling, such as uneasiness or fear from a powerful approaching storm or the calm feeling that results from soft puffy clouds on a warm summer day.
After attending an education conference at ISU in Pocatello, I decided to head up to Rexburg and look up some friends there. I threw my camera in the truck took off. I began making phone calls, but found no one home. Arriving in Rexburg with no plans now, I decided to find something to photograph. I drove up the hill to the LDS Temple and started there. The light was getting low and sweet and the grounds were quiet and peaceful. I soaked up the feeling and went to work. After about a half hour to forty-five minutes of shooting, I turned around and….WOW! This storm was rolling in and I hadn’t even noticed! I ran across the street to this field, set up and enjoyed the show. It lasted about 15 minutes and then the light was gone.
I have always been taught to be prepared. Keep a camera with you at all times! In this case it paid off. This is also one time I was glad that no friend answered their phone!
by tmoffett | Apr 28, 2010 | Black and White, Composition, Critique, Landscape
Lumbering Silence
This is one of my favorite images that I have ever created, shot near Tony Grove Lake in Cache County, Utah, a place where I spent a lot of time while attending Utah State University. I love the outdoors. The peace and quiet that the forest affords is refreshing amid the stress of daily life. When viewing this image I can almost feel the warmth of the sun on my face and hear the rustle of leaves as the cool mountain breeze blows through the trees. I can feel the protection from the elements that the tall, strong trees provide. It amazes me what a photograph can do to bring peace to the soul.
As I was walking around the lake I saw the late afternoon light pouring through these tall trees, illuminating a path wandering through the forest. The crosslight created by the low angle of the sun brings out the texture through the entire image as well as strengthens the power of the vertical lines of the trees. The light, line and texture all work together to create an image showing the strength and power, yet calming influence of nature.
Lumbering Silence, shot on film, is available as a handprinted gelatin silver print in sizes up to 8.5″x18″ inches, and larger prints as archival injet prints.
by tmoffett | Apr 26, 2010 | Black and White, Composition, Landscape, Photo tips
Entwined, Lake Lowell
This image is part of an ongoing series of images that I have been creating around our local reservoir, Lake Lowell. The lakes primary function is to provide water for agriculture, however it is also the home of the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge as well as much summertime recreation. Ample opportunity abounds to create beautiful images around the lake. It has become one of my favorite local places to photograph.
Last Spring, Christeena and I arrived about an hour before sunset to explore this area where we had not been before. I explored and made photographs through the sunset. I was really excited about what I had made, then on the way back to the car I spotted these vines. Earlier, with the sun up, I had walked right past this scene, but now, illuminated by nothing but the the blue sky, I was totally taken aback. The dark shadows opened up while the light leaves jumped out at me. I quickly set up the tripod and camera, looked for the most interesting composition, calculated exposure to capture what I felt and then enjoyed the results!
Lesson to be learned: just because the sun has set does not mean it is time to stop photographing. Often the best light happens after sunset. This was more than 15 minutes after the sun had dropped below the horizon. With a tripod long exposures are easily doable. In order to maintain sharpness throughout the image, I shot at f/22 with a 5 second exposure.
by tmoffett | Apr 20, 2010 | Color, Composition, Critique, Family, Landscape
Pastel Sunrise, Cannon Beach, Oregon
This was my first morning ever on the Oregon Coast. We arose early to be on the beach at sunrise, and we were not disappointed! As the sun began rising in the east, the light haze over the ocean to the west created a soft pastel sky. It was beautiful. Christeena and I spent the morning walking the beach, photographing the ocean, watching the light change as it gradually fell on Haystack Rock, listening to the sounds of nature, talking, soaking it all in. After the sun rose and the quality of light diminished, we headed to Pig’N Pancake for some fresh blueberry pancakes. We spent the rest of the day hiking, exploring tidepools and relaxing. Great company, good food and a wonderful atmosphere. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
This image is quite unique for me. It has a very soft, almost painterly feel to it. It is very simple yet quite complex at the same time. There is just enough motion in the water to give it a soft feeling, yet still sharp enough to keep the shape of the waves intact. The closer you look, the more you see. The vertical motion of the foam in the foreground counters with the horizontal lines created by the waves in the midground to inject a bit of tension and excitement, yet the overall feel is still very calm. The image is almost monochromatic, yet there is just a hint of pastel color in the sky, created by the early morning light as it interacted with the haze hanging low over the ocean. The .6 second shutter speed was just slow enough to capture a sense of movement, yet just fast enough to maintain some detail. Any faster or slower and the image would not be nearly as effective at creating feeling and emotion.
by tmoffett | Apr 19, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape, Photo tips
Sunset, Ecola State Park
This is another image from my Oregon Coast series. This was our second night on the coast, and that day the marine layer moved in and left it hazy for us all week. At first I was disappointed, but realizing that it wasn’t going away I tried to find images that worked with it. One good thing that it did do was create great color as the sun lowered in the evening sky. I am a black and white shooter, but when you get color like this… well, what else can I say. It did set the stage for some wonderful, romantic evenings.
I love the strong horizontal composition in this image paired with the wonderful warm tones of the sunset suggesting peace and tranquility, warmth and comfort. Capturing a silhouette like this is not to difficult a technique to master. Using a spot meter, meter the sky and increase the exposure about 1 stop. In this case, my meter read f/16 at .6 seconds, so I shot at 1.3 seconds, obviously with the camera on a tripod. To avoid camera shake I always lock the mirror up on my Canon 5D and use a cable release.
by tmoffett | Apr 13, 2010 | Black and White, Family, Landscape
The best trip of my life! Christeena and I threw everything in the truck and told the kids we would call them each night and tell them where we were. Not a worry in the world. No schedule. Just the two of us. Next to getting married, it was the best decision we had made. After nearly 20 years of marriage and raising children, we needed some time, just us two, to remember what brought us together. We had such a great time that we have decided to do this much more frequently!
We drove to the Oregon Coast and arrived in Astoria just in time to photograph the sunset (a topic for a future post), then headed to Seaside for the night. We photographed Canon Beach the next morning, then during the afternoon did some hiking between Seaside and Canon Beach. I loved the lush green forests. I was used to the forests in Utah and Idaho, but had never seen forested areas with so much foliage and thick undergrowth like this. It was incredible. And to share the moment with my most cherished possession… Christeena.
Viewing this image brings back the memories. I can smell the fresh, moist air, the cool ocean breeze filtering through the trees. That is what I love most about photography. Being able to capture memories, not just documentation, but true memories of what I feel at any given time and then share those feelings through my images with others.
by tmoffett | Apr 6, 2010 | Family
Awestruck!
This image of my 4 boys reminds me of the need to capture images frequently throughout our lives. Not a masterpiece by any means, but definitely a “keeper” in my family album. I made this image several years ago while on a family trip. I remember as a boy myself being captivated by water fountains like this. When my four boys lined up on the steps of the fountain, I was happy to have had my camera with me to capture the moment. My oldest is now 18 and the youngest in this photo 11. I often wonder where time has slipped away to.
This photograph tells me to slow down and remember the important things in life… family! Take time to enjoy life. There is always something that needs to be done, but it can wait. Boys grow up too fast. Soon they will be independent young men with school, jobs, etc. Life will pass us by if we don’t take the time to notice.
by tmoffett | Apr 4, 2010 | Family, Portraits
I love this portrait of my son! Anytime I photograph a person I try to capture something more than what shows on the surface. This particular image, at least for me does that. I see the independence that is within. I see a bit of an inner struggle as he is learning to be an adult… who am I, who should I be, who do I really want to be…?
Christeena, my wife and his mother, prefers the smiling portrait that I made at the same time. I think it is the motherly side seeing what she really wants him to become. I see glimpses of that personality emerging at times, but now, this is what I see. So this is what I photograph.
In a portrait everything must come together. The clothing. The lighting. The pose. The print treatment. Everything. When it does, as it does here for me, then you have a timeless statement. A True Portrait.
by tmoffett | Apr 2, 2010 | Landscape, Print of the month
The April Print of the Month is now available at the MoffettGallery.com website. This month’s image, “Circle of Life,” is a 13″x13″ black and white image, matted to 20″x20″ on white museum board. This image can be purchased during the month of April for only $195 (over a 30% savings)! At an edition of only 50 prints, this investment will surely appreciate in value over the years.
Circle of Life
While on a trip to the Oregon Coast last summer, Christeena and I were exploring an area near Canon Beach when this hillside caught my attention. I love the diagonal lines created by the dark green foliage in the foreground contrasting the light tones of the larger, older and dying trees rising out of their midst. Just as these younger trees are beginning to crowd out the older generation and provide new life to the forest, I see our children rising up, often thanklessly pushing the older generation aside and trying to claim their ground. Often , I think they forget the protection that these wise, more experienced elders have provided as they grow.
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