Beyond the Lens

Photo of the Day – “Light in the Forest, Adirondacks”

RR Jr — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:23:06 +0000

Canon 1DS mkIII, 3.2 sec @f/16, ISO 100, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8L II)

I’m back from a week long camping trip in the northern Adirondacks, and this is one of several photos I made during my stay. While driving around, I stopped at the Adirondack Interpretive Visitors Center in Paul Smiths, and after exploring some of the trails and enjoying the beautiful scenery, decided to return a few times after wards in better lighting conditions. This image was from my third visit and is probably one of my favorites.

Working with light in the forest is really exciting for me, and I waited close to two hours for the angle and intensity of light that I thought would make this composition really work. Often when I find a composition I like, I’ll set up my camera, then just wait for that special moment. I might walk around a bit and do some exploring, but I’m always keeping a close eye on the sun and as soon as I think the conditions are getting close to optimum, I won’t move from my tripod. I almost didn’t think the light would happen on this particular morning since clouds were building, but a few lucky minutes was all I needed to make a few exposures. Patience is such an important skill, and one I continue to work on each time I venture out into nature.

CREATIVE NOTES:

Because there was virtually no wind, I didn’t worry too much about movement, and set my camera to ISO 100 for maximum image quality. I also stopped down to f/16 for good depth of field since I wanted to keep the trail going off into the distance fairly sharp and together with the light, creates a very strong leading line from the ferns in the foreground. I knew this would mean a fairly long exposure (3 sec) which I normally try to avoid in this type of situation (foliage in the foreground) but a quick check on the LCD display confirmed that my green friends had remained perfectly still! While looking at the image in the LCD, I zoom in as far as possible and scroll around to the spots that need to be tack sharp. Processing was done in Lightroom 3 with a slight touch of dodging on the fern in front of the left tree and the moss on the large rock to make those areas stand out a little more. This is one image, no HDR or combined exposure.

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Summer Travel and Updates

RR Jr — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 02:16:58 +0000

Farmland in Columbia County NY preserved by Scenic Hudson

I’ve been on the road quite a bit the last few weeks, and I’m off to the Adirondacks for six days starting tomorrow. When I return I’ll be preparing for a long drive to week in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia for a week, followed by a two week stay in northern Maine. Overall, I’m trying to take advantage of the summer months since I have a very busy art show and workshop schedule in the fall. The fact that my family gets to accompany me on some of these trips is something I am always grateful for.

While in town, I’ve been working on many photo shoots for Scenic Hudson, as well as the 2011 calendar , the new edition of the Photo Journal, and other marketing projects. Let’s just say I haven’t had much time for writing as of late, but I am motivated and committed to continue to provide valuable info for you as often as possible. A few of the articles I have in the works include how I stay motivated on and off the trails, a review of my current favorite backpacks, and how zen and nature photography make a powerful combination.

In the meantime, look for new images from the northern Adirondacks in the days ahead!

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July 2010 Desktop Wallpaper – Shoreline, Hudson River

RR Jr — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:00:03 +0000

The July 2010 Free Desktop Wallpaper is now available for download. Whenever I venture out along the shores of the Hudson River, I never know what I’ll discover but I have yet to be disappointed regardless of the time or weather. There’s always something unexpected waiting to be experienced, and here is one of those moments I remember quite well.

As always, thanks for your support and come closer to nature in the Hudson Valley.

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Instructions:

First determine your screen size. Your Current Resolution Is:

Then click on the link for the correct size. When the image opens in a new browser window, right click on the image and select “Set as Wallpaper” (on a Mac, select “Use Image as Desktop Picture”).

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On Assignment – Black Creek Forest

RR Jr — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:02:56 +0000

Black Creek Forest

On a recent assignment for Scenic Hudson, I needed to capture some images of a dark and very dense forest in a valley, which is always a great challenge. Because of the terrain and surrounding hills, there is never any warm light so the approach I took was to wait for the right conditions and work with shapes, lines, and especially color.

One of my favorite times to shoot in a forest is right after a heavy rainfall when everything is wet and colors are most saturated. Often there will also be some mist in the air which adds an aura of mystery and mood. In this example, I wanted to create contrast and depth using whatever light was available, and back lighting is my favorite for this. At the same time I used the trees to create rhythm using repetition and visual patterns – notice how the trees tend to get smaller and more grouped together from left to right. of course I had no control over this, but as a landscape photographer I am always looking for design elements in nature that can create excitement visually, and rhythm is just one of those ways.

Here I was drawn to the relative brightness of the foreground tree and again tried to use back lighting to add interest to the image together with strong vertical lines which create tension. In addition, having the ferns in the foreground help to create dimensional depth and add a strong color element.

Both of these images were shot in very low light, so I used a tripod and fairly high ISO’s (640-800). I did this in order to keep my shutter speeds down to less then 1/2 sec which helps prevent blurring from things moving in case of a slight breeze. Lightroom 3 has a vastly improved noise reduction feature over past versions, and I used it on both of these images without the need to export to Photoshop.

These are just some thoughts about how I went about capturing these images, and hopefully they give you some insight into my own creative process. I’ll have more “On Assignment” articles in the near future since I currently have a long list of locations to photograph. Please feel free to let me know if you would like any other specific information – I’m always willing to share whatever is helpful.

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Capturing Memorable Moments

RR Jr — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:00:56 +0000

“We purchased a print of your Breakneck Ridge image for friends of our that got engaged last year on the ridge. We were planning on giving it to them as part of their wedding present. Well, Friday was the wedding and we finally gave it to them. Needless to say, they loved it! The groom even said that he had been looking for a print that captured the moment up there on the ridge for a year now. They already know where it will hang in their home.

Thanks again for capturing the “Ridge” so well. They will remember when he “popped the question” every time they look at that print on their wall.”

Tony & Anna Ravinsky

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Photo and Quote of the Day

RR Jr — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:20:07 +0000

Thunder Clouds, Hudson River

“When I first chose photography, I knew I was choosing the pleasures of creativity over the consolations of wealth.” – Philip Hyde

I haven’t been very active on the blog these last few week, but no worries, I have not disappeared! Just extremely busy with several projects right now that are not leaving much time for online fun. I’ll have more details and new articles soon – thanks as always for reading!

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Bannerman Castle Photo Trips

RR Jr — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:14:18 +0000

I’ll be leading two photo trips to Bannerman Castle this year together with photographer Tom Johnson. This is a great opportunity to get access to this historic ruin located on Pollopel Island at the entrance to the Hudson Highlands. Both workshops will be sunrise, with one in the summer and the second at the height of the fall season. We had a great turnout for last years trips, so we decided to offer these again to photographers who want to get up close to these famous ruins.

Part of the castle walls fell over the winter, so no one is quite sure how long the castle will last given the limited funds from state officials for repair and restoration. I worry that it may not last much further into the future considering the rate of decay and tough winters we have here in the northeast. The funds we collect for these trips goes directly to the preservation effort, and Tom and myself donate all of out time. Come out and support a Hudson Valley treasure, have a great time, and make some unique images all in a half day.

Dates: Sunday July 25th 8AM, Sunday October 17th 8AM

Cost: $110 (lunch included)

Please email me to register for either workshop.

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June 2010 Desktop Wallpaper – Lake Kushaqua, Adirondacks

RR Jr — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:33:33 +0000

The June 2010 Free Desktop Wallpaper is now available for download. Camping on the shore of Lake Kushaqua a few summers ago, I woke up one morning to experience an amazing start to a summer day, and spent the rest of the morning canoeing on this beautiful lake in the northern Adirondacks.

As always, thanks for your support and come closer to nature in the Adirondacks of New York.

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1280 x 800
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Instructions:

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Quote of the Day – Determination

RR Jr — Mon, 24 May 2010 13:17:58 +0000

I’m a big fan of Seth Godin and all of his great books. He also has a great blog which I read regularly, and recently one of his posts made me think about fear versus determination and how it relates to success in any endeavor.

I recently wrote about what I thought it takes to succeed as a landscape photographer, yet in my experience determination continues to be the single most important factor. Beyond technical ability, talent, experience, or many other important qualities that play a vital role, sheer will trumps them all in my book.

“Once the determination is in your eyes, the learning will take care of itself. If I can see the fear in your eyes, then I’m not sure that learning alone will take care of the problem. No one can prove that the path you’re on is risk free or guaranteed to work. Searching for more proof is futile. Searching for more determination makes more sense.” – Seth Godin

If you’re determined, anything is possible.

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Donating To The 2010 Mohonk Preserve Auction

RR Jr — Tue, 18 May 2010 03:24:35 +0000

“Millbrook Ridge, Mohonk Preserve”

The Mohonk Preserve is an amazing place to visit, hike and photograph, and I have often mentioned it here as a favorite local destination. Not only do I conduct photo workshops there, but I also donate a print every year to their yearly fund-raising benefit auction. The auction raises money to help keep the preserve the magical place it is now and hopefully for many future generations. This years benefit auction will be held on June 12.

I also use this opportunity as a way to motivate myself to make a new image that hopefully helps convey the beauty of this place. This year I sort of surprised myself when I decided a black and white print would be my selection. While I consider myself a color photographer, I’m always open to trying different interpretations of an image, and in this case I’m certainly glad I did.

Often when I’m in the field, I’m looking for that magic light that will work together with composition and color to create a successful image. Once the golden hour has passed and the sun rises higher in the sky, I sort of change my focus and start to look for compositions that emphasize shadows and highlights. In the case of “Millbrook Ridge” this is exactly what I was looking for, and it was just a matter of getting the most dramatic lighting I could manage which in this situation was back lighting, where the sun is behind your main subject. This can create dramatic photographs, but can also create problems with lens flare and difficult exposure readings. I used my baseball cap to block the sunlight at just the right angle which helped with flare and restored the proper colors and contrast to the scene.

In Lightroom, I converted the image to black and white, and used the color adjustments to darken the sky and brighten the vegetation which helps create separation and depth. I also added a very slight sepia tone to give the darker shadows some warmth. The final print will be matted and framed in a 28″ x 38″ wood moulding.

Using nature photography to bring awareness to our natural world is something we can all do, regardless of our skill level or chosen career. Consider donating your prints to a favorite cause, whether a local park or other resource that needs awareness and protection. I can guarantee you that giving will do more for your confidence and motivation for making photographs than almost anything else you can do as a photographer.

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