Cholla in Snow Canyon, Utah

Cholla Basking in Sunlight

Snow Canyon

Varieties of the cholla cactus are common in the southern Utah desert. While I don't usually consider them spectacular subjects for photography, there is one condition where they shine and take over the spotlight. And that is in late afternoon when the plant is backlit by the sun and highlights the needles or spines. As a bonus, positioning my camera in just the right place will create some beautiful bokeh and sunflare, highlighting the cactus even more. I use these techniques with many varieties of cactus to help turn what would otherwise be a drab and ordinary scene into something more interesting.

Zion National Park

Zion National Park

Caught between Winter and Spring

I took this photo a few days ago.  In many areas of the park the cottonwoods and other trees are just beginning to leaf out.  At this spot on the Virgin River, there is just a slight green tinge visible on the treetops.  Come on Spring!!

Death Valley Wildflower

I think this is called Notch-leaf Phacelia

I have a really demanding ( his own word) blogging friend who wanted to see a close up of the flower in my last post.  Well, Mr. Author R. Mac Wheeler, this is the best I can do.  I didn't have a macro lens with me so this is the best close-up I have.  I liked this composition because of the contrast of the dark/solid and light/textured background dividing the frame diagonally.

Below is a different composition with the same flower:

 

Death Valley Spring

Taking Center Stage

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park

Sometimes we need to survive and grow where we are planted, even against all odds!!

Although this has been an epic spring in Death Valley, the flower show takes place in limited parts of the park. If one turns in the opposite direction, close to where my previous photos were taken, this is what you would see.

Death Valley - Yellow Ribbons

Yellow Ribbons in Death Valley

Part of improving nature and landscape photography skills is to take in all the elements of a scene that the eye sees, make sense of it all and then visualize a pleasing and interesting composition.  This means narrowing down and eliminating some of those elements and emphasizing other elements, and deciding on foreground to background elements.  Then comes deciding the f stop, shutter speed, angle, perspective or point of view, etc.  You may do this numerous times with different results.  The critical part of deciding whether you have an interesting and pleasing image that is a 'keeper' comes when you critique your images on the computer.  This is where you have to honestly determine the value of your work.  Here are a few of the many questions you could ask yourself:

Does this image tell a story?
Does this image evoke emotion?
Does this image make a statement?
Does this image show something unique or unusual?
Does this image show something common but seen in a different way? (Different light, different angle, different perspective, additional elements, etc.)

I asked the last question above about this composition.  I took lots of photos of these yellow fields of flowers along with all the other photographers in this location.  But I always try to think of what I can do to make my photos unique or different from the crowd.  I spotted this scene a ways away from where the rest of the people were taking pictures.  I liked the way the flowers looked like yellow ribbons as they reached the base of the mountain, and decided that this met the criteria of photographing something common, while including a unique element.   

 

Death Valley National Park - Spring Wildflowers

Death Valley Spring Wildflowers

A different view!  At this location, all the photographers with their cameras, and all the tourists with their cell phones and tablets were facing the same direction in order to capture the vast carpet of yellow nestled up against the mountains. I joined them, but then, I always challenge myself to face in the opposite direction to find a photo that is different from the crowd. This is my shot.

Death Valley - a Land of Contrasts

Spring in Death Valley, a Land of Contrasts

Spring in Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park

After a grueling but glorious week at Disneyland with the grandchildren, I convinced Jeff to take a detour on the way home to Death Valley.  Spring has come to this barren landscape, bringing a rare profusion of wildflowers basking in the warm late afternoon light just before sunset.

Manti Temple View from Cemetery

View of Manti Temple from the Cemetery

Bench with a view! Even though I said no more snow pictures, I took this photo the same day as my last post, and I really liked this composition taken from the nearby cemetery. I thought about this memorial bench with a perfect view of the temple. Sitting here in better weather, and looking up at this sacred building, (Manti Temple), must be a great comfort to the friends and relatives of the loved one who is honored by this bench. I would like to come back and take a picture from this place when spring comes.

Manti Temple with Sun Burst

Manti Temple with Sun Burst

OK, just one more photo with snow in it, although the snow is not the focus, the sun is. I have a new camera and lens and I'm trying to make friends with it!! I'm a landscape photographer who believes one can take interesting photos at all times of the day, and not just at the magic hours of sunrise and sunset. One of my favorite things in bright day light photos is sun flare which can happen in all sizes, shapes and patterns, depending on many variables, (and is something that many photographers avoid like the plague). So I was interested in seeing what my new lens would create on yet another winter photo of the beautiful Manti Temple, as the sun was shinning brightly this time I was passing through. (I didn't stay outside very long, however, as the temperature was 15 degrees F.) Anyway, I love the unique pattern this lens created.  I did not use any filters or fancy editing to create this effect.  The only thing I did was to increase the saturation and darken the sky a bit so that the sun burst pattern would stand out better.

Manti Temple in Snow

Manti Temple

Manti, Utah

I think I'm officially done with winter, even though the calendar doesn't agree with me! And to commemorate this decision, I think this will be the last snowy image I will post until next winter.  It is the beautiful Manti Temple taken several weeks ago. This majestic temple sits high on a hill in rural Utah and acts as a beacon and sentinel to be seen for miles around.

Buffalo on Antelope Island

Buffalo on Antelope Island

My last post reminded me of the last time I was on Antelope Island. I was really glad I was standing by my car with the door open when I took this shot!

Antelope Island

I must be a 'glutton for punishment!' I hate winter, I hate cold, I hate gray days, & I usually hate snow. So being ill with 'cabin fever', I drove to the barren, mostly desolate Antelope Island, accessed by a causeway into the Great Salt Lake. Water/ice, sky, land, everything was foggy/whitish/grayish. Most people go there to spot wildlife, and I'm a horrible wildlife photographer. I'm never patient enough to wait until I spy something to shoot, and if I do see some wild thing, I usually have the wrong lens, the wrong camera setting, or I fumble around too long and miss the shot....the bird flies away, the animal runs away, etc. So what was I thinking!!! For me, just to capture something at all is a success! So here's what I got.....

They must be antelope since I was on Antelope Island!!!

Is that a wolf???

Well, these must fall under the category of birds!

Red Rose for Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

I recently ran across this photo that was taken several years ago, but thought it appropriate to post again today.  I hope your day is spent with the people your cherish!  Today my family will gather for our annual Valentine's dinner where, of course, everything we eat must be red, which makes for some very unusual looking corn!!!  (We sometimes cheat with red food coloring!)

On the Way to East Cape, New Zealand

On the Way to East Cape, New Zealand

Day 6 that I've posted a photo of a tree for a Facebook challenge.  Too much pressure!!! 
Anyway, this photo was taken in a remote area of the north island of New Zealand. We traveled on this dirt road for quite some miles to reach East Cape. It is a point in NZ said to be the first place in the world to see the sun rise, however, several other locations also claim this distinction. Regardless, this drive was one of my very favorites.

Spring in Christchurch, New Zealand

Spring in Christchurch, New Zealand

Still trying to keep up with a challenge from a Facebook friend to post a 'tree' photo a day for a week.  (I skipped posting yesterday's photo on this blog because I think I have posted it here before.)  

Anyway, we strolled through this beautiful canopy of blossoms in Christchurch, New Zealand. This photo was taken on a lovely spring day.   It is especially poignant to me when I remember that this lovely park was surrounded by the devastation and tremendous destruction of most downtown buildings in Christchurch by a recent series of tremendous earthquakes.

Taveuni, Fiji

Taveuni, Fiji

Second day of Facebook 'tree' challenge.  This photo was taken on the small island of Taveuni, Fiji. Seems blissfully beautiful doesn't it........until I looked up and saw dozens of huge fruit bats roosting in the palms!! Yikes!

Pohutukawa Tree

Pohutukawa Tree, New Zealand

A Facebook photog friend challenged me to post a photo of trees for seven days.  Here is my first post.  These trees are very common in New Zealand and grow very big.  The kiwi's, (what New Zealanders call themselves), call them their Christmas trees because they bloom at Christmastime and are so beautiful.

Kolob Canyon, Zion National Park, Utah

Kolob Canyon, Zion National Park

It doesn't get much better for me than being outside at sunset, with my camera, in a beautiful location!!! This evening I had about one hour before sunset to jump in my car and find a 'photo opp'. I made it to Kolob Canyon, (part of Zion National Park), but it was so cold and windy that I quickly lost my enthusiasm for spending time outside, thus, this shot was taken out my car window. Lucky for me, it doesn't take much of a photographer to get a colorful photo when your 'canvas' includes beautiful orange cliffs bathed in the warm glow of sunset light!

Cedar Breaks, Utah

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Red cliffs, green pine trees and blue sky.....my favorite combination!

Cathedral Gorge State Park, Nevada

Cathedral Gorge, Nevada

Last winter I was on a photo shoot with a group of photographers to an old west town in southern Utah called Modena.  (HERE and HERE are posts of Modena.)  After we were done there, several of us traveled a few miles across the border to this state park in Nevada where this photo was taken.

Gunlock, Utah #2

Upon request, here is the previous post zoomed in and cropped to a vertical orientation.

Gunlock, Utah

Gunlock, Utah

I have not done any outside photography for several months, and finally today I had to get outside, if only for a few minutes.  My challenge was to find a scene to photograph under the following conditions:

*  I only had about 45 minutes to find something of interest to photograph

*  I only had time to travel within 10 miles of home

*  It had to be a landscape and not a macro

*  It is winter here and that means there was no snow, no flowers, no leaves or anything else really green.  In other words, the scenery is mostly brown.

*  In addition, the sky today was mostly covered with high, gray boring clouds, with occasional patches of blue.

The best I could do was reflections in a small pond.  Oh well, it still felt great to be outside taking pictures!

Salt Lake Temple

Salt Lake Temple in Winter

I don't like winter! I don't like cold, snowy scenes unless I'm viewing them through a window as I'm sitting by a nice warm fireplace! Therefore, my winter photo collection is slim. And so this photo of the Salt Lake Temple is a first for me. Most of my pictures of the temple include the bright, colorful flowers of spring. And the only other winter photos I have of this temple are surrounded by a gazillion sparkly Christmas lights. But, somehow, the soft, muted neutral colors on this day seemed to match my mood. Haven't decided if it is a keeper or not.

My 13th Grandchild!

Welcome to the world, my sweet, little grandson.  

He is perfectly adorable and he is my 10th grandson, and 13th grandchild.

Nature Photo Challenge #7

Antelope Valley, California

For my last 'challenge' photo, I thought I'd post something to remind us that spring and summer will come again! This photo was taken in the Antelope Valley region of California's high desert. Often these hills are barren, however, in spring when the previous weather patterns and rain fall have been just right, they burst into riotous colors of blue, purple, gold, yellow, red and orange, dominated with California poppies and lupine that cover miles. It is a glorious sight. This post is something different with a bit of a painterly look.

Nature Photo Challenge #6

Sedona, Arizona

Sedona has some of the most beautiful red rock formations in the Southwest.

Nature Photo Challenge #5

Moorea, South Pacific

My photo today is of beautiful Moorea in the South Pacific. It is top of my list if you are looking for a small island paradise, with towering, craggy, lush cliffs and mountains, pristine turquoise water, minimal tourists, yet just enough accommodations from modest to luxury, and just a short ferry ride from Tahiti.

Nature Photo Challenge #4

Manukau, New Zealand

New Zealand is surrounded by the most picturesque beaches, bays, and coastline scenes.  They are clean, pristine and usually deserted.  Amazingly beautiful places.

Nature Photo Challenge #3

Cannon Beach, Oregon

 

It was just an ordinary day when we were there, but when the sun set, the magic happened!!





 

Nature Photo Challenge #2

Green Tree Frog

Costa Rica

If you are looking for some of the most colorful, plentiful wildlife on the planet, then Costa Rica is the place to go. This is a red eye tree frog. Pretty photogenic, don't you think?

Nature Photo Challenge #1

Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

A facebook friend challenged me to post a nature image each day for seven days, which I have been doing.  Since I have put photography 'on the back burner' for awhile, I thought this would be a good challenge for me to look back at some favorite memories and pictures, and get me excited to do more shooting in 2016!

(Thought I'd post my 7 images here as well.) 

From My Home to Yours.....

Merry Christmas to all my blogging buddies!  I hope your homes are filled with friends and family, laughter and joy, pine boughs, peppermint sticks and presents, and mostly, the spirit of love, peace, gratitude and worship!

The Holy Bible

Good Reading for This Month 

(and every month)!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and there is nothing as beautiful and colorful as poinsettia plants from Costco!  Now if I can just keep it alive until the 25th!!

I Am Thankful!

I AM THANKFUL!

Today was busy!  Shopping, cleaning, cooking... all the preparations for our Thanksgiving celebration tomorrow.  My mom taught me that setting the table the night before company comes not only saves time on the big day, but also creates a peaceful feeling and a few minutes to reflect on the reason for the celebration.  I continue my mom's tradition.  After setting my table tonight, I lit the candles and took a few minutes to enjoy the quiet and to say a little prayer of THANKSGIVING for all of my many blessings, far too many to name, and far more than I deserve!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING FRIENDS & FAMILY!

She Bows in Submission

She bows her head in submission 

to her inevitable fate as winter finally arrives. 

 I hope she knows I still see beauty and grace in her old age. 

It is a blessing to see the beauty in nature 

in all seasons of life and death. 

This was shot out of my bedroom window yesterday, 

documenting the first snowfall of the season 

at our northern Utah home.  

Tech Talk Tuesday - Are You a PHOTOSNOB?

As noted in my last Tech Talk Tuesday, we all have our own preferences and personal style of photography, just as we do with other art forms, such as painting.  In the past decade photography has evolved and diversified rapidly into many new and wonderful art styles.  In my opinion, we have a responsibility to NOT be 'photosnobs'.  By that I mean, our own preferences should not be seen as superior, or of greater value than someone else's preferences......only different!

This week I've encountered several situations where photographs and/or photographers were judged solely on how their images were produced, not on the merit of the images themselves.  In other words, the process was viewed as more important than the result. 

For example, one might think the work of a photographer who composites several images into one shot, or who uses focus stacking to create a sharper image, or who digitally creates a beautiful 'painterly' look to a photo, is superior because that photographer has developed exceptional skills over and above the basic photography skills necessary to produce a traditional SOOTC image.  They view their computer and editing expertise as advanced photography processing skills.

In the other camp, the SOOTC shooter may think of himself as a purist, and he believes 'getting it right in the camera' and using traditional techniques should be the only way to create 'real' photography that holds the most value.  He may feel his photography skills are superior because he thinks the digital photographer is cheating or making up for poor photography skills by fixing bad photos.

In my opinion, both of these extreme attitudes show disrespect for personal artistic expression.  In my mind, this would be like saying the painter who uses something he sees with his eyes as his inspiration, is better than a painter who uses something he sees in his mind as his inspiration!  Ultimately, it's the end result on canvas that matters!

Consider the following.  You might be a 'photosnob' if:
*  You feel the need to ask a photographer if his image is edited. 
*  You tend to be critical of certain photo and editing techniques or methods used by digital photographers today.
*  You think that how a photo or image is made, does affect its intrinsic value.
*  You think that photographers who do not use Photoshop or other computer editing programs are old fashioned and are afraid to learn new skills.
*  You have changed your opinion or were disappointed in a photo you initially admired, when you found out it was produced in a way you think is unacceptable.

After many years as a photographer, (first traditional, now traditional and digital), I try to keep what I feel is a healthy balance between my 'in the field' skills, (just me and my camera), and my 'in the digital darkroom' skills, (just me and my computer).  There are many photographers I admire.  Some of my favorite photographers produce images that are minimally edited, and some produce images that are way over the top and blatantly manipulated.  I love them all!  I know the majority of the photos I love have been processed, some in traditional ways and others with modern technology, but often it is impossible for me to tell how they were edited, or how little or how much.  I don't know, I don't ask, nor do I care, because for me: 

 The beauty is in the image, regardless of how it was produced!!

JUST FOR FUN:

To check your 'photosnob' meter,  decide how you feel about the following photo then answer the questions below:

*  Do you love this photo?
*  Does this photo not appeal to you?
*  Does it look like a SOOTC shot?
*  Does it look like a composite or heavily edited image?
*  Would you like it less if I told you I added the background?
*  Would you like it more if I told you I added the background?
*  Would it be easier to decide if you liked it if I showed you the 'before' shot to compare?
*  Do you want to know if I added the background?
*  Do you like it less because the background makes it look more like a painting than a traditional photograph?
*  Do you think I shouldn't call it a 'photograph' because I digitally manipulated the SOOTC original and didn't tell anyone? 

Only two of the above questions are valid to me.  Guess which ones!!!  

If you guessed the first two, you are right.  These are the only questions that determine if your personal preference is based on how you feel about the image itself, and not on any prejudice about how it was produced.

  

(All right, a few of you might actually be curious to know if this is a SOOTC shot, or if I added the background from a second exposure in post processing.  Keep scrolling down and you'll find the answer.)













       




This is a SOOTC shot, with a slight crop.

Powell Plateau Wild Flowers

 Powell Plateau Wild Flowers

We were on a RZR ride late last summer near Bryce National Park.  One day we explored some of the surrounding area, and found beautiful 'secret garden', even though it was very late in the season for most Utah wild flowers.  (Would it spoil this picture for you if I said there is a very, large, very ugly cell tower right next to where I was standing!)

Tech Talk Tuesday - Edit to Enhance or Degrade

As photographers, when do we know our work is done and our photo or image is ready to print or to publish on the internet???

This decision can truly be confusing for photographers.  Back in the day, we would choose what kind of film we wanted to use, we'd take 36 shots, and then hope that a few would be 'keepers' when they were developed.  Pretty simple!  (I'm talking here about the average amateur photographer who did not have their own darkroom and did not develop or retouch their own work, which in those days, took considerable time and effort.)

With the technology of today, the possibilities are endless.  We still have the option of printing or publishing SOOTC (straight out of the camera).  But with the editing programs, plugins, apps, that are readily available today on our computers, pads and phones, the sky is the limit.  We can alter our images in minor ways, or we can create composites or manipulate our images so they are unrecognizable from the original shot.

Here are some questions:  When is enough, enough?  How much manipulation should I do?    How many editing programs should I buy?  How many different 'looks' should I create before choosing the 'best' one? How much time should I be spending on the computer to edit an image?  Do you find yourself sitting at your computer, looking at your images, and asking yourself some of these questions? I do!

The variety and complexity of the choices today's photographers have to make can be mind boggling, because as you already can guess, there is absolutely no correct answer to any of these questions.

The following is a good example of what I'm talking about:

SOOTC

Here is my original image.  It is acceptable, but for me, kind of boring.  I tend to not like totally out of focus backgrounds.  So it's time to start editing and experimenting.

Adding Bokeh
Since I'm a big fan of bokeh and interesting lighting and lens effects, I came up with this.  I think it is a bit more interesting and holds my attention a bit more than the first image.  But is this the best I can do?

 Softened and Topaz Impression
Recently I've seen some beautiful images on the internet where the artists have used the Topaz Impression editing program, so I downloaded a trial version to play around with.  I softened this image, while keeping the ladybug sharp, then added a texture.  When I manipulate a landscape or nature shot, I usually want to viewer to feel the image is 'believable' and could be SOOTC, so I strive for editing that is not blatantly obvious.  This treatment created a different and interesting look, but was not quite believable to me.

Blended in a Second Image

I often shoot out of focus images of foliage, flowers and other nature scenes to use as background interest.  This is what I did with this photo.  For me, adding some form and a hint of background foliage makes this image more believable and interesting. 

Of course this is all personal preference.  Some would prefer the SOOTC shot, others might prefer one of the other versions, and others would have a totally different editing idea.  But at some point we all have too decide when enough is enough.  We need to develop the ability to learn when our editing improves an image, and know when to stop before we over manipulate and ruin an image.

  

Valley Sunset Near Cedar Breaks, Utah

Valley Sunset Near Cedar Breaks, Utah

Our fall color in Utah is starting to fade, and is a reminder to me that winter is just around the corner.  At this time of year I am always a bit melancholy knowing that I will miss the bright, beautiful colors of spring, summer and fall during the winter months that will soon be here.  

Milky Way at Lake Powell

Milky Way at Lake Powell

On this beautiful Lake Powell night, as the day's fading light slowly revealed the splendor of the heavens, I paused from taking photos to be still and enjoy this profound beauty. The tranquility and peace of my moment was only interrupted by the sweet sounds of laughter that was music to my ears, as 12 of my 13 grandchildren were all together in the houseboat, playing twister and eating more junk food than their parents would allow in a year. And, I would like to think, that somewhere among the stars, my 13th grandchild, my precious angel grandson, was watching over his brothers, sister and cousins and he was enjoying this moment with me. I believe that families are forever, God is in His heavens, and all will be well!