Get down and dirty!

Most of us don’t like lying down in the dirt, especially when little creatures are about; then we have to get back up!

Think of it this way, kids do it all the time and we are always looking for ways to stay young. So, if you get down and back up again you will be younger!

No matter what your inspiration is when it comes to photography, all of us seem to be inspired to take good pictures, even to the extent that we will do things we normally won't, including lying down in the dirt with the critters.

Death Valley can be intimidating to the first time visitor, especially if they are geared up to make beautiful landscape pictures. The valley stretches over 100 miles from North to South and is about 5 to 15 miles wide in most places. The valley floor sinks below sea level and the mountains soar to over 11 thousand feet in elevation. Everything is large and far away. To drive from Furnace Creek Ranch, a popular location to stay, it is 30 minutes to the Mesquite Sand Dunes. If you are staying at Stove Pipe Wells another slightly more rustic location to stay, the drive to Bad Water is about 40 minutes. In between these locations is nothing but desert. Or is it?

I just spent about five days in Death Valley giving a photography workshop and one of the bonus features of the valley this year was the unusual amount of wild flowers. Because the flowers are sparser than most fields of flowers they are difficult to photograph when approached. In fact they almost disappear because they are up to 5 and 10 feet apart from each other. We passed out towels and recommended that everyone lie down and view the flowers from inches off the desert floor. As intriguing as the flowers became at that point of view, what many commented on was just how many other unusual things they noticed. From tiny bugs to stripped rocks everyone began looking down at everything when we walked anywhere. The valley was truly alive, it was just on a different scale. It looked like a different world when everyone started showing images of bugs, flowers and tiny tracks across the dunes. Not only were these fascinating, but, placed against the backdrop of the large valley, very interesting images emerged.

If you ever get stuck thinking there are no images to be made, just get down, get on your belly and get dirty!

Life is so very short. Take pictures of it!

Low light!

It was dark! In fact, I could not see much more than a few outlines of the larger features. I could hear the surf but it was still a ways off. My camera was on my tripod and thrown over my shoulder, as if I was cruising down main street in the middle of the day.
However, I was walking across slippery, wet and uneven rocks on my way out to a vantage point I had never been to. I was in Maine in the dark. The wind was pushing low clouds by at a nice slow pace and the seas were fairly calm, all signs it was going to be a perfect morning for long exposures. The clouds and the surf moving would be fantastic for adding movement to the scene. I was getting excited and I still did not know if the vantage point that I thought might look back at the light house existed. Then in a swift graceful swoop I was on my rear with my free hand jammed beneath some rocks. It hurt a bit but I was still too cold and tired to notice anything wrong. I finally grabbed for my headlamp which was exactly where you don't want it, in my pack and not on my head. I really don't like to use flash lights in the hope of allowing my eyes to adjust thus making it easier to compose a picture in the dark. I managed to flash on my head lamp and realized one of my fingernails was not looking so good. I rinsed it off in a tide pool, wrapped it in a napkin and went to work. The first images came out dark and then progressively got brighter as dawn approached.

What I did next is why I am writing this post. I noticed that the first images taken in the dark was far more interesting. The normal method for shooting in low light is taught to create a good looking histogram with the highlights and blacks all mapped out in good places. However, like all rules they can be broken. What I have noticed lately is that with the new high ISO cameras it has become easy to turn night into day. As cool as it looks to view the scene with little to no noise the effect of night is lost.


Here I've used Adobe Camera Raw to illustrate the difference between the exposure I made and the proper exposure. In order to do this I moved the exposure slider to the right two stops.

When I ask folks why they like their new cameras, the most common answer is for the low noise at high ISO. As exciting as this may be it does not mean the images need to be brighter! If you wish to make your images optimally exposed, then push the right side of the histogram all the way to the right side so there is little to no blank graph showing as in my example.

This is the usual practice for digital cameras because there is twice as much data in the highlights as there is in the shadows of all digital files. This information is great to recall when taking the picture but not so good when making the picture. My usual method is to expose the image with the mountain of data in the middle, or as I like to phrase it, the mountain in the middle. I then make the entire image darker in post by dragging the exposure and brightness sliders way down. However, at night this means your exposures are extremely long. My exposure for this image was 111 seconds. Had I made the exposure adjustment in camera without changing the F stop or ISO, I would have been there for 433 seconds. By the time the exposure was done I would have either been tanning myself in the sun or bleeding to death. In low light situations I always consider what the image should feel like to the viewer, bright or dark and moody. Just don't forget to make your images with a purpose, even if that means deviating from the rules.

Life is so very short. Take pictures of it!

HDR in the palm of your hands

Taking landscape HDR images can be quite cumbersome. I say, leave the equipment behind, turn up the fun meter, and shoot some hand held!

I normally set my big DSLR camera on a tripod and carefully determine the highlight exposure, then open up by two stops until I have taken as many exposures as it takes to capture all the detail in the shadows. Processing quality HDR images is normally a lengthy process for me. I teach the manual method during workshops in the same way a music instructor would teach music theory. However, this does not always have to be the case. With a few tips, automatic methods can yield fun and interesting results.

This post is about making the HDR process work in situations where you either don't have the time or opportunity to bring out all the bells and whistles.

What I have begun doing lately is grabbing my point and shoot Canon S90 and leaving the tripod back in the office. Using the Auto Exposure Bracketing feature, the camera is capable of taking three images in a row, at one stop apart. I hold the camera as steady as possible and fire away.

The key to processing these files is to use Photomatix Pro to blend the brightest and darkest exposures in what is called Foto Fusion. This method can be used with many exposures, but works best with only two. That means I don't even need the middle exposure, which as it turns out on my camera is the first exposure of the three. I also check the box "Align source images" and choose "by correcting horizontal and vertical shifts" in the opening screen while processing the files.

Even though the results may look pleasing, I attempt to make my saved files from Photomatix a bit flat and optimize in photoshop next. The file created by Photomatix is just the RAW exposure in my opinion. I then proceed to give it all the photoshop I might normally use. However, in some cases not much is needed.

I also have the option of blending the exposures manually if I want to take the time. The good news is I am able to create two exposures, two stops apart without much hassle or tripod. Of course it is a bit easier to align the images if a wider focal length is used. I would not recommend this hand held method at focal lengths over 90mm.

Keep in mind: You may need to trick the meter while using a point and shoot. By this I am refering to depressing the trigger half way to capture an accurate first exposure, usually in the highlight area, and then recomposing to begin the burst of the three exposures.
Also remember to bump up your ISO if need be to keep the exposure times above a 1/60 of a sec while hand holding. That means the first exposure needs to be at least 125/sec.

For this last example I utilized the first normal exposure. Because the surfer was best in this one, I masked him out of the file in photoshop and overlaid him onto the composite of the Fused file from Photomatix.

This third example shows the beauty of this process. I normally would not shoot multiple auto bracketed sequences of moving subject matter, especially sports. However, since the first exposure is the normal one it makes it simpler to time that as best as possible for the action and then don't worry about the movement of the person in the other two frames. Just remember, the larger the moving subject the more difficult the blending in Photoshop will become.

Life is so very short. Take pictures of it.

Taking The Little Camera Seriously

The little one that can!

I learned how to shoot with a 4x5 camera, so anything smaller was always considered, well smaller! 35mm format created a tiny slide when laid down on a light table, especially next to a 6x7cm or 4x5” sheet of film. When viewing 35mm slides I was constantly wishing I had taken the shot on a larger format. I even recall continually looking for the loupe, which was always misplaced.

In spite of my personal bias for larger formats, I was forced to shoot with a 35mm camera to capture downhill skiing and rock climbing. For everything else, not requiring a motor drive or super quick auto focus, I did eventually manage to take some interesting images with smaller cameras. In fact, I ended up purchasing one of my very favorite cameras of all time the Contax G2. This was a little range finder with several very high quality lenses. I only used this camera for two years before I went digital. The irony for me was that just when I discovered a great film camera — and Fuji and Kodak had created their very best emulsions EVER — I no longer needed them. No worries, this is not a post about film vs. digital but rather large vs. small.

I believe that small point and shoot cameras fall into a dangerous category for most, where due to the number of bells and whistles included, our intimidation meter spikes. Since they are neither large or tiny, we have next to no respect for them as an object of reverence. However, what I want to point out in this post is just how effective this size camera can be if a few potential misconceptions are cleared up and a few simple steps are taken.

My personal bias for larger formats has completely changed over the past six years. All of my large format equipment is in the very same place it has been for the past six years — in my office. I have come to realize several very interesting points about using different size cameras because of the number of different shaped and sized cameras I have used over the past decade.

The very first point I would like to stress is that it just seems to be human nature to take larger items more seriously. Because of this one single factor, it is rare to see anyone taking anything other than snap shots with their point and shoot cameras.

The other interesting point about size is when a camera becomes tiny, that is smaller than a pocket sized point and shoot, people begin to lose all inhibitions. A great example is the iPhone!

It's is not simply size that impacts our respect, but also our perception of the camera's sophistication. The more sophisticated an object appears the more intimidated we are by it and the more we respect it.

It's fun to watch kids take pictures with iPhones. They simply take pictures of what captivates them at that moment. There is no hesitation because of focus, light, focal length or anything! The creativity seems to flow, and it flows as fast as the camera can keep up.

So where does this leave us with the point and shoot camera?

I believe it is all about the way you perceive that little box in your hands.

The beauty of the point and shoot is in its versatility. You can use it to replace most shots taken with a SLR or use it to replace an iPhone with no techno gadget impediments between you and your creative thoughts, its all how you set it up and use it!

First, consider what you can do with it to replace a SLR that you have been using for several years. The issue most have with a point and shoot is its lack of quality. This can be true, but with recent developments in technology there are several point and shoot cameras that can kick some major &^*! The Canon S90 is one that I recommend because of its pocket size and large sensor. The sensor is larger than most point and shoots, but contained within a camera that fits into your pocket. The lens has an adequate range to capture most scenes.

I have been using a Canon G9 and G10 prior to the s90 for the purpose of understanding more about how the equipment I use affects my work. What I have discovered, is that the work I create with the smaller cameras depends entirely on the type of image I choose to shoot. At first I did not attempt any particular type or style of image, but just went out to shoot, knowing I wanted to use the camera I had in my hands.

When shooting a landscape image, I compose in the same manner and using as many of the manual overrides as I can to match the settings on my SLR. Here are a few tips to creating images with a small point and shoot that make the results look similar to a SLR.

• Use a tripod! This is the number one factor in beginning to take this little guy seriously. By simply placing the camera on a tripod you will begin to study the composition more carefully just as you do with your SLR.
  
  I use a Really Right Stuff (small Bi-directional plate) and small BH25 ball head, that allows me to place the camera very quickly on the tripod, so there are fewer excuses for not using the tripod. The tripod I recommend is the little Slik Sprint Pro 3way. I love to flip all the clamps open on one leg and watch it fall to the ground with gravity. I also have taken out the bottom of the center column to lose even more weight. With it gone I can get even closer to the ground, as well.
  

• Set the file format to RAW. This will allow you to maximize the file in post or photoshop if you have it.
  
  
• Use the manual meter mode with the histogram displayed. This is the very best way to meter, even on a SLR. Because the histogram is not as sensitive as on most SLRs you will need to compensate a bit. For example, when viewing this histogram for clipped highlights, I usually underexpose by an additional 1/3 of a stop just in case. 


• Shoot with some of the same practices you might with your SLR. Take multiple bracketed exposures for HDR. Take multiple exposures for different focus points to create sharp detail in the foreground as well as the back ground, (to be combined later in post).

Ok, those are some examples of how to use a point and shoot with respect. This ought to satisfy your sophistication requirements for it as well. Next, consider it an iPhone. It is now a toy!

• Set the camera to fully auto and simply shoot. Don’t worry about setting the resolution to RAW file format or manual meter, just fully auto and shoot.
  
• Shoot with the camera at different angles, such as over your head, under your feet, or better yet, under your dog's feet. Well, you get the idea! If you want to make the camera go a bit faster, there is one manual tweak, turn off the flash. The single most important tip for taking these kinds of moment by moment inspired images is to have the camera with you. Get yourself a pouch for it to hang from your belt, or find a location in your purse. The point is for this type of photography, it needs to be considered a toy, not a sophisticated camera. Think, there are no manual overrides. JUST SHOOT!

The image of my son was taken at the spur of the moment while riding in the back of a pickup way up high in the Colorado Rockies after a long hike. The flower image was taken hand held as well. There is so much to do with a pocket camera it just depends on how you perceive it! My friend Andy Williams carries two point and shoots, one for IR and the other for color. What ever it takes for you to change your perception of the point and shoot, try it!

Life is so very short. Take pictures of it.

Canon Tilt-Shift Lenses for Landscape Photography

I have used a Canon 24mm tilt/shift lens for five years now. I first purchased one 15 years ago for the rare moment when I felt like only caring my 35mm film camera instead of my large format 4x5. When that theory failed, I sold it for $400 to a friend, woops! Then after the Canon 1ds M11 arrived I quickly snatched one up and began utilizing it in several different ways.

I take this lens with me everywhere. Now there are two new Canon Tilt/Shift lenses, which I will be taking with me everywhere. The reason, they are much sharper and the image circle is much larger. The image below shows the corners of an image taken with a 17-40mm Canon lens compared to the corners of the very same image taken with the very same camera, but with the new 17mm Tilt Shift. I have not tested the new 24mm yet but have been assured by Canon that the design is very similar.

What I am so excited about is how sharp this lens really is. So I took it with me high into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and put it through the paces. Yes, it withstood my special shoving technique of placing it in and out of my climbing pack! The new design is far better, making it easy to lock into place and loosen when needed. All the movements are far easier to make due to the better and tighter design. I don’t know the exact reason for the dramatic increase in sharpness but I can imagine it has something to do with its resolving capabilities. I have been staring at digital files for 10 years now, from all kinds of cameras costing as much as a nice BMW. I have never seen anything as nice as a drum scanned piece of 4x5 film, until now! I believe Canon has made a significant leap in image quality by introducing these two new lenses. I have since used the 17mm on a 1ds M3, 5D M2 and even a 1Ds. Yes, even tested it with my friends original 1Ds and realized how tremendous that camera still is today. The resolving power of the new design inspired me so much that I wanted to make some large prints. If any of you are visiting me at the next print workshop be sure to ask me to view these new prints.

This image above, was made from two shots stitched together after shifting the lens side to side while the camera was in portrait orientation. And, a 100% enlargement from the file above:

I hope to post more about all the creative and cool ways to use a tilt/shift lens in the coming months.

Life is so very short. Take pictures of it.

Freedom

The airport security guards, all five of them stood behind the counter just shaking their heads at the request before them, “Please, give me my jewelry back?” she said for the fourth time when tears began flowing down here cheeks. She had to get on her plane as another airport security personnel was making the last call, because this was her one and only chance of leaving the country, Iran. It was not only a bracelet or necklace but all of it in gold and her wedding ring too that she had placed in a small bowl to get through the X-ray machine.

Her jewelry, or her freedom!

I was one of only a handful of people in the small waiting room watching the drama unfold. However, I had been in this airport for four hours waiting in lines, sweating at every step as family members in line next to me were denied permission to leave because of some detail on their visa that was not just so. This room was the last in a long line of humiliating and demoralizing steps to get through customs. So the drama was only an extension of what had transpired for hours, and yet this final act was no less difficult to watch. Suddenly a little old lady who had been quietly sitting next to me got up wandered over to the guards and fired off the most emotionally powerful Persian I had heard during my entire life. What ever she said worked! Just then with only seconds left, the guards reluctantly handed the jewelry back, while the young lady wrapped her arms around the little lady and stormed off through the gate to her freedom, with her jewerly.

I certainly don’t face such challenges to my freedom while living here in the US, but since that early morning experience in the gates of the Tehran airport in the spring of 1996, I am thankful every day for where and when I live.



I was working for Ski Magazine on a story about a ski resort called Dizin, built by the Shaw of Iran back in the 60’s. The writer Michael Finkel and I were the second American journalist allowed into the country since the revolution. I expected the experience to be much worse than it turned out to be. At 2:AM in the morning prior to leaving the country we had a scheduled meeting with the Minister of Tourism. He was the only one able to wrap up my 60 rolls of film and give it the one and only government stamp that would allow it to go through customs and not be opened. To go that far out of his way at that time of the morning was spectacular. All my suspicions and preconceived sentiments had been slowly eroded away during the ten day trip. One by one, each person we encountered had heartfelt welcomes topped of with sincere invitations to come back. Iran really was a fascinating country and the majority of its citizens that I met knew it. The conundrum they live in though is their biggest challenge.

Usually my ski images are depicting ideal conditions with adventurous, skilled skiers gliding through spectacular conditions. Iran was different. I needed to address the unusual two sides of a country torn. The image below is of a lady skiing in her Chador. All women are required to wear them in public, even while skiing!

As photographers we have the freedom to tell our stories and share our impressions of a place as we see fit. Since my visit to Iran I always consider this freedom first when making images. If there is one issue I feel strong about when making images anywhere it will always be freedom. I feel very fortunate to have witnessed such strength and power in the people of Iran. The little old lady who saved the day will always be my hero.

Life is so very short. Take pictures of it.

Return of Wild Utah

There is a part of every state that few see. However, in the state of Utah there is an entire section the size of most states few folks ever see, and that is where I enjoy going. Two years ago, Muench Workshops spent five days bouncing around through the outback starting in Goblin Valley and venturing out into Capitol Reef National Park. We photographed sunset in the Cathedral Valley fallowing one of the best meals ever assembled in the field. Hondo Guides have spent a lifetime catering to folks in the outback and it really showed. What we discovered that night was how long our batteries lasted in the gazillion candle watt flashlights we used, how long our camera batteries would last during multiple long exposures and what apertures to use for stars to show. We set our cameras up on tripods about a quarter mile away from the Temple of the Sun, set the mode to bulb, the ISO to the lowest possible and the lenses to their optimal apertures. For most of us, the shutter times were very similar so we could synchronize our exposures and take turns lighting up the monument. This year we plan on finding more equally dramatic locations to paint with light. What is exciting about doing it all over again is that the cameras are much better at high ISO’s giving us the opportunity to take night images with shorter exposure times, while getting much brighter stars. This makes a huge difference since we were taking 20 min exposures back than, just to get enough light in the sky at 200 ISO. Now with a useable 800 and 1600 ISO we can shoot many more compositions.

We also visited some very remote rock art. In fact the panels we photographed are 60 miles from the closest gas station. We used fisheye lenses to capture the entire arc of the mesa walls that the rock art was painted on. While lying on our backs in the cool desert sand and composing the shots others were painting the walls with flash lights.

We enjoyed the experience so much last time, that for this Fall trip we have decided to spend the entire night out under the stars rather than rushing back to a hotel. This will give us the chance to not only take pictures all night but drink more of the greatest cowboy coffee in the West. I have many great memories of the last trip but what stands out the most is the chance to look at such exclusive landscapes in the company of people that really live for the adventure. This year a third pro David Porter will be joining us. David will be demonstrating his fill flash technique that can be used in the middle of the day. I call the technique Night for Day. One of my favorite movies is Clint Eastwood's “The Eiger Sanction”. If you watch the film carefully you will notice that this technique was used frequently to emulate night climbing.

Life is so very short. Take pictures of it.