I wanted to highlight a recent documentary I discovered online called “Press Pause Play” which offers a fascinating look at the digital revolution and all of its implications for artists. I found it extremely engaging, as well as thought provoking in so many ways. 

In an age where everyone has affordable access to the tools to be an artist, especially in photography, how do we separate the good from the great. This is one of the very ideas I have been writing about on this blog since I started, and continue to focus on here and in my workshops. We all have access to the gear and technology, therefore getting the next best lens or camera body, or improving your HDR skills is not necessarily going to help you say something meaningful.

So the question becomes how do you stand out? How do you rise above the saturation of imagery in the world today? 

Watch the video, and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Clear Water, Hudson River

I received a few emails with questions about this months wallpaper photo “Clear Water, Hudson River”, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to write a “Making Of” article for the benefit of all readers.

Planning

This photograph was very much planned in advance in the sense that I needed a very specific and limited window of conditions for the image I had in my mind. I wanted low tide for a strong foreground (the rocks are completely submerged during high tide), sunrise during winter for quality and direction of light, and optimally minimal wind. Because the sun rises much further south during the winter, it actually creates a nice backlighting condition when looking south on the Hudson. This creates a subtle but dramatic lighting effect which improves the sense of depth and dimension in the image. Notice how the rocks in the foreground (especially on the lower right) and the mountains across the river have a beautiful 3 dimensional quality to them as the light seems to flow around their shapes.

Of course we can plan for these conditions, but there is no guarantee that everything will come together when the time comes to set up the camera. After several failed attempts, I found myself standing on the edge of the river once again this year hoping for a chance to capture something special. The weather forecast predicted clear skies for the day, but the morning started off rather cloudy and somewhat foggy. Patience and perseverance paid off however, and all of the elements I look for in a successful landscape photograph came together for a few moments: light, color, composition, and drama.

Setup

Wanting to create a panorama, I setup my Canon 60D with a Canon 24L f/1.4 lens and shot 7 images in a vertical position. I leveled the tripod as best I could, and used reference points along the river to make sure each successive shot would overlap the last by about 25%. Camera settings were Manual, f/11, 1/250 sec @ ISO 200 with highlight priority turned on. I also used a remote shutter release with mirror lockup enabled to keep movement to a minimum and ensure the sharpest and cleanest image possible. No filters or multiple exposures used. (No bias here, just didn’t think about either at the time.) I especially dislike polarizers when shooting a panorama because of the inconsistent look you’ll wind up with as you change your angle to the sun – given the effect is most pronounced at 90° and least effective at 0° or 180° from the sun.

Notice the focus point in the foreground, which is about 12′ from the camera – @ 24mm, f/11 gives me a hyperfocal distance of about 9′, so I approximated the distance and focused there. This brings everything into focus from 5′ to infinity, plenty for this image. I used manual focusing to avoid any anything changing between the 7 images.

Post-Processing

I processed the 7 images in Lightroom, making slight brightness adjustments to each so that they would match up better when merged in Photoshop. Lightroom has a great feature which allows you to select several images,then export them directly to Photoshop for merging into a Panorama. (Control-click on a group of selected images, then select “Merge to Panorama in Photoshop” from the menu).

Once the process is complete, I flattened all of the layers in Photoshop, then saved the new panorama to Lightroom. I don’t crop in Photoshops because I would rather use the non-destructive cropping in Ligtroom instead. This allows me to experiment with different crops and sizes. Finally I added a graduated filter in LR to control the highlights (and sun) in the upper left, and added some subtle dodging to some of the foreground rocks.

The resultant image is the equivalent of 32 megapixels, enough to make a print 54″ wide a native resolution of 180ppi. I could probably go much larger using Alien Skin Blowup (my favorite plugin for re-sizing images).

Lightroom Print module showing native resolution and size.

Summary

The important points I wanted to share here are:

• become intimately familiar with your favorite landscape locations
• be aware of light at all times
• use a tripod
• don’t use a circular polarizer for panoramas
• patience is your best ally, time is your best investment
• think about what inspires you to make photographs

Finally, why this image and why does it work for me? The lighting was the critical element since it had to be made in winter, yet I didn’t want it to be a “winter” image. The calmness and clarity of the water, together with the overall mood of the image is what I wanted to capture –  that helps convey what I felt, and often feel about the Hudson Valley. It shows how I view the world, how it inspires me to appreciate the very basic and simple things in life, and most importantly how I want to share that with others.

Thanks again for your questions, and please feel free to leave any other questions or comments below.

Inspired once again by Seth Godin and a recent blog post titled “the difference between a failure and a mistake,” I wondered how I might apply it to nature photography and the issues we all struggle with in our attempt to make successful images. Of course this applies to life in general, as Seth so clearly explains, but I think it provides many paths of exploration fo those of us trying to be more creative with our photography.

Casscade Mtn, Adirondacks

Cascade Mtn fails on several levels, but mostly for me it lacks a clear path for the viewers eye to travel, which translates to a weak story.  A lack of textural contrast makes the image rather busy, and the light in the background competes with the details in the foreground. I was experimenting with trying to omit the sky and horizon in order to create a lack of perspective, but it didn’t quite work out as envisioned.  

As a workshop instructor, I work hard on trying to help students get beyond whatever is limiting their potential. Unfortunately the majority of reasons are due to mistakes and less often to failures. My goal is to reverse this and promote failure as a way to learning. Certainly I don’t want students strictly to fail as that would be rather frustrating and demoralizing in the long run. Who wants to come away from a workshop having only failed at their attempts?
What I mean is that by promoting failure as part of the process of succeeding, I can inspire students to take chances, try new things, and hopefully help them become more creative, successful photographers. It is so easy these days to stick to the tried and true, and get the predictable approval of those who view our images. But approval is not necessarily what we want as photographers if you want to stand out from the millions in the crowd. I much prefer making images that elicit a response or reaction, positive or negative, that keeps a viewer thinking about an image.

Partition Arch, Utah

Partition Arch was an attempt to bring together several elements in a harmonious composition, but doesn’t quite succeed. I was attracted to all of the various lines and how I would get them all to work together. Trying to balance the small trees in the foreground with the rest of the scene proved difficult once I started to work with my camera, and that is a good sign that what I’m feeling isn’t going to translate well to a photograph. I also couldn’t quite get the sky under control, and I feel it dominates the overall balance of the image. 

My wife says that she knows if a she really liked a movie if she is still thinking about it a day or two after watching it. I think we can use the same relative comparison in photography. I will often make a sale a few days after an art show because the buyer couldn’t stop thinking about a particular image. And almost always these images are ones I took a chance on and pushed my comfort zone. Perhaps a new perspective or composition, a location I have visited hundreds of times, or a lighting situation that has almost always led to failure in the past. Sure there have many more failures that successes, but what it taught me was worth the effort, and has led to insights I would not have experienced otherwise.
The common issues I see students struggling with usually have more to do with mistakes than with failures. Here are some common ones: lack of sharpness due to a multitude of mistakes ranging from a) improper focusing, b) wrong use of hyperfocal distance, c) improper aperture, or other common issues such as a) not eliminating distractions, b) not being aware of contrast limits, c) wrong lens choices.
These can all be corrected in so far as they do not become mistakes that are repeated. Failures however involve an understanding of these mistakes, and then breaking the rules in order to attempt something new and interesting. For example, using a narrow depth of field in order to eliminate distractions, using extreme contrast as a way to lead the viewers eye, or using blur as a way to convey motion and rhythm in an otherwise static image.

Hudson Highlands, New York

Hudson Highlands tries to blend both a strong foreground and depth in the background to convey the sense of surprise and mystery I felt on this summer day day while hiking along the Hudson River. I like strong and bold foreground elements, and I’m constantly trying find ways to create both visually compelling compositions that also feel fresh and different on some level – almost like using different instruments in an orchestra to play the same melody. Somehow the tree in this foreground dominates in a way that does not complement the image overall, as the tension created is too great for the feeling I wanted to convey. I tried several different compositions, but it never felt quite “right” when I reviewed the images back home. The small trees in the foreground disrupt the rhythm I was after, even though the attempt was to minimize them by trying to emphasize the larger trees on the left.

Sometimes it is not so easy to differentiate between a failure and a mistake when we’re trying to be creative. That’s where practice becomes a mandatory part of the process. I have spent weeks shooting the same tree in my backyard just to learn the characteristics of every lens I own, or to master the cameras controls so that I can make adjustments instinctively. This way the mistakes become less frequent, and the failures become a way of improving my technique and my vision.
Here’s the thing, the best part of all of this seemingly depressing and frustrating work is that the you will experience successes, more than you will remember the failures. Each success outweighs the many failures by an exponential factor. I see them not only as positive rewards, but together with the failures as part of the journey we call creative photography. So go ahead and fail, because it will lead to insights you will not gain any other way. Those who view and enjoy your work will only remember the successes.

Beacon Light, Hudson Valley

 As I mentioned above, I’m constantly trying to find variations on similar compositional themes, and here it works to my liking. Balance between the two dominant trees and the rest of the trees feels rhythmic and harmonious, the strong green color in the foreground is contrasted by the subtle blue of the sky in the distance and creates a pleasing diagonal, and the light adds the drama in a controlled manner that doesn’t over power the details. I can’t help describing these elements in musical terms, perhaps because they are ingrained in my psyche and influence the way I see the world. Hopefully you can appreciate these ideas and incorporate them into your views and feelings about your favorite subjects.

Thanks as always for reading, and feel free to share your opinions and questions about your failures and successes in photography.

One of the most common questions I get from students is how do I know when I’m finished processing an image?” A related question is how do I distinguish between processing and excessive manipulation? Of course these are questions that are difficult to answer in a general sense, and often depend upon the photographer, his experience, his goals, and ultimately his commitment to creating work that is worthwhile.

One of my favorite books, Art & Fear written by Ted Orland, puts it more succinctly -

“Simply put, art that deals with ideas is more interesting than art that deals with technique.”

This has been my guiding principle as long as I can remember, even when I was producing and arranging music. The toys always fascinated me, and still do to this day, but the ideas were always more important. The following is a real world example from a recent shoot in my hometown of Beacon, NY.

Stormy Hudson, Beacon, NY

To say that I have photographed this location on many occasions would be an understatement. Yet there are images in my mind that I have not made, and so there is always something new to learn from re-visiting familiar landscapes. On this particular morning, I knew there was something special brewing in the sky, and with a strong wind, conditions were changing very rapidly.

Inspired by many Hudson River School painters, I have wanted to try and capture the feel and mood of a stormy Hudson, and this seemed like a good opportunity. I positioned the camera as low as possible and used a wide angle lens to accentuate the size of the waves and push the very dramatic clouds into the distance. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the right waves and cloud formations to line up in a pleasing composition (to me).

The strange thing was that though I wanted to capture the “moment” and all of its drama, it didn’t feel foreboding or dark, but rather positive and inviting. I realized I might be able to make a different interpretation of the same scene, a long exposure, so I added a polarizer plus a 6 stop ND filter to the lens (a total of 8 stops), then adjusted the exposure to match the reduction in light – 15 sec @ f/18 ISO 100. 

Calm after the Storm, Beacon, NY

Both images were processed in Lightroom, with some minor dodging to bring out some of the foreground details, and burning down some very hot highlights in the sky using the local brush tool. The conversion to black and white for the second image helps to simplify the message and really emphasize the textures and shapes. I never considered HDR or double exposures due to the high movement of water and clouds in both images.

How did I know when I was finished processing the images? I guess when what I saw on screen matched both how I felt being there, and also the images I envisioned in my mind. Of course with two different interpretations, I needed to shift my mindset for each image. But the principle remained the same – nature provided the ingredients that I look for in any image: light, color, drama and mood. The rest is composition, which ultimately determines the final result.

My point here is that having a very basic idea and visualization of what I wanted to capture helped tremendously, and allowed me to focus on translating the scene before me in creative ways. Of course being proficient with the technical side of things also helps, but this is mostly a matter of practice and experience. The processing is done when the image feels right, conveys your feelings as effectively and simply as possible, and most importantly draws the viewer into the scene. A tall order for sure, and one I continue to pursue (with many failures) on each image I make.

I hope these examples serve as inspiration for you to focus on ideas and vision, and not worry too much about the prefect location. Your comments and feedback are always welcome!

Fundy Tide, NS

One of my goals on my recent  trip to Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy was to try and make more black and white images, since it has always been a great way for me to study and work on compositional skills. Along the Bay of Fundy,  the large variation in the tide is constantly changing the landscape, and the more time I spent along the shore, the more I became fascinated with the limitless lines, shapes, and forms along the coast. Learning to focus in on areas of contrast, and how they lead the eye is a skill that may take a lifetime to master, but is so vital to creating successful photographs.

In both of these images, I have tried to lead the eye to what I found most interesting in the scene, but they get there in different ways. “Fundy Tide” above primarily uses highlights to bring out the accents in the image – brighter rocks, flowing water, and the beautiful clouds lingering on the horizon. “Rocks and Tide” below uses the shadows and the rich darkness of the large rocks in the foreground to create interest, and help focus the eye on the tiny shells clinging to the rocks. The sky helps to balance the brightness of the water and keep the viewer moving back to the foreground.

Rocks and Tide, NS

In “Trees, Irving Nature Park” below, lines created by trees always excite me visually, and the patterns and repetitions they create are what always draw me into spending as much time as I can in a forest like this- serene, majestic, yet intimate. While I photographed just the vertical trees, this version with the horizontal tree in the foreground helps to anchor the image a bit more in my opinion, and create some tension, especially with the two other horizontal trees moving the eye up towards the middle of the image.

Trees, Irving Nature Park, NB

The photographic possibilities along the Bay of Fundy are not only truly inspiring, but limitless in terms of where your interests lie, whether that is landscapes, wild life, macro and intimate scenes, or the maritime experience of boats, people, fishing, etc,. I will be returning this October during the fall season to explore so many areas that I visited yet did not have the time to photograph.

I have written here in the past about how familiarity is so important to really capturing the character of a place, as well as your emotions and feelings. Every time I visit Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy I learn a little bit more about myself and why I continue to return. The whole point is to share those feelings with others, and of course remind inspired to be creative. I hope this gives you some food for thought and helps you find your way in your own work. Thanks for reading!

Below are a few examples of areas that were inspiring and are on my list to return to in October.

Delap Cove, NS

Pot Rock, NB

Brier Island, NS

Clearing Storm, Cold Spring, NY

No matter where you turn these days in the world of nature and landscape photography, there seems to be an ever increasing amount of gear and equipment coming at us regularly. Not to mention the constant marketing and emphasis from manufacturers on acquiring more stuff in order to improve our images.

For sure there are many essential items to any photo kit. But I’m constantly asked what makes a good investment, and where can you skimp in terms of your photography expenses.  So after some careful thinking about my own experiences, I came up with 10 things I think are crucial when it comes to serious landscape photography.

In addition, I approach and practice photography from a holistic perspective, so this list is not specific to camera gear, or technology in general. My 10+ years of experience has taught me that there is much, much more to capturing successful photographs than you might realize. So if you think you don’t have the time for the items that don’t require money, think again. I’ve found that looking at my priorities was always a good place to start to find more time!

Top 10 Things to Invest In

-Tripod  I see so many students try to save money with cheaper tripods, only to regret the decision once they get frustrated in the field. Sloppy movement and lack of precision and adjustability, unstable in rough weather, heavy and unwieldy- these are just some of the reasons to purchase a top quality tripod. My two tripods have been through hell, including being totally banged up, submerged in water, used as trekking poles in the snow, and yet they still work great. Choose a carbon model from Manfrotto or Gitzo and you can’t go wrong.

Also, don’t forget a good ball head. There are many to choose from, but Really Right Stuff and Kirk Photo make some of the best. I have the Kirk BH1 and after fives years of abuse is still as smooth as the first day I used it.

-Lenses In my opinion a lens is so much more important than a camera body. Over the course of a decade, you may own multiple camera bodies, but you will probably use the same 3 or 4 high quality lenses. I invested early on in Canon L lenses after I realized the difference in both build and image quality. I still use the same 3 core lenses today though I have gone through several camera bodies and more in the future I’m sure. Great optics will always trump a great sensor, so always buy great glass first. Plus they are really investments since their resale value will always remain high. Here’s a great guide to choosing Canon lenses. 

-Filters It goes without saying that if you spend a few thousand dollars on lenses, you don’t want to use a cheap $35 filter from Best Buy. The glass in the filter needs to complement the lens, otherwise your image quality will suffer. I use filters from B+W and Singh-Ray, mostly polarizers, ND filters (for long exposures), and graduated ND filters. Worth every penny.

-Hiking Boots I hike for most of my photographs, and so my feet are an essential part of my kit.  Being comfortable and sure footed is critical to my safety and good hiking shoes help avoid any number of ailments such as blisters, plantar fascia, or inflamed arches. Without healthy feet, my career is over, so I don’t skimp on footwear, and neither should you. Right now I alternate between a pair of Scarpa’s and Lowa’s depending on the terrain. They keep my feet dry, comfortable, and provide the support I need day after day, week after week, and mile after mile.

Also, invest in a good insole which makes all the difference in the world. After a recent  struggle with soreness, I purchased a pair of Signature EV Ultra’s from Sole that cured my problem.

Hidden Path, Hudson Valley

-Camera Backpack I reviewed my current backpack the Guragear Kiboko in a past article, so be sure to check that out. But again, there is nothing like a backpack that is comfortable, gives you easy access to all of your gear, is lightweight, and can hold everything you need for a photo hike. I also use a ThinkTankPhoto Streetwalker when I need a lightweight pack for cycling or other athletic activity.

-Fitness I’ve written extensively about fitness for photography in the past, and I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for me, and can be for you. The more fit you are, the better you’ll feel both physically and mentally. Both of these are absolutely necessary for successful landscape photography over the long term. For me yoga is the ultimate way to keep my mind and body in peak condition, but any form of exercise is a good investment in your physical well being. It has helped me recover from back injuries, a badly broken ankle, and numerous other “occupational hazards.” Plus my balance, endurance, and flexibility make my work more enjoyable.

Whether talking about photography or your body, “function maintains structure” or the more popular “use it or lose it” are both ideas not to skimp on. Time devoted to your fitness is time well spent, and you will reap the rewards for years to come. At 45, I’m in the best shape of my life, and see no reason why that should change anytime soon, considering I keep putting in the hard work. And numerous studies have shown that it doesn’t matter at what age you start to exercise, the human body has incredible adaptive capabilities for muscle growth, flexibility, and strength. Don’t take it for granted!

Path of Light

-Learning and Motivation Continuing on with the idea of flexing our muscles and minds, inspiration comes to us from learning more about the art of photography, and staying fresh to new ideas. Put in the time to read about things that inspire you, and it will pay you back in your creativity. I try to stay up to date on all the new techniques out there today, as well as stay grounded in the works of the masters. This balance is necessary in my opinion to create work that is both relevant, yet grounded in principles that are universal, such as beauty, emotion, and mystery. Time spent in study, whether days, weeks, or years, will payoff during the split second press of the shutter when you know you’ve captured something special. Turn the TV off and read an inspiring book, it will make a difference behind the camera.

-Printing Paper As Ansel Adams said many times, “the print is the performance”, and for me my work is not finished until I make prints of my photographs. The paper is the main ingredient here, so choosing one that best brings your image to life is crucial to how it is interacts with the viewer. Right now I use Canson exclusively, my favorites being Platine and Photographique. Try a few high quality papers, then settle on one or two and learn how print your images on them – it will make a huge difference.

-Computer Monitor After all the money and time you invest in all of the above, why skimp on the single piece of equipment which shows you the fruits of your labor? Similar to camera bodies, I’ve gone through several computers over the last few years, but still depend on my NEC monitor to deliver true, accurate colors and tones. Your monitor is probably the single most used piece of equipment in digital photography, so choosing the best you can afford is paramount.

I use the NEC PA series monitors which offer a wider color gamut than most monitors. This allows you to see the colors in your images more accurately, improving post processing and helping to create better prints. Save on the computer, spend on the monitor.

-Time Finally we come to the most important investment of all, and that is time and dedication. Nothing will improve your work more than spending time practicing the craft. Many think that practice is only valid when you are in a situation to capture a beautiful scene, but in fact anytime you use your camera, whether in your backyard or snapping photos of family is a chance to learn about light, composition, technique, and many other aspects of image making.

For sure, the nature photographer makes his own luck, which means you put in the time in the field day in and day out in order to be prepared for mother nature’s gifts. Visit the same locations year round and learn how the light interacts with the landscape, and you will improve your work and make better images. “Spray and pray” may get you quick results, but time and dedication will provide the ingredients to make images that convey your vision, experience, and sensitivity about nature.

Twilight on Storm King

Conclusion

Regardless of whether you’re a beginner or seasoned pro, I hope this list provides some food for thought, and inspires you to think about what really matters to your photography, from both a time and financial standpoint. I’d love to get your feedback, as well as other suggestions. Thanks as always for reading.

Hidden Path, Hudson Valley

I love capturing fog in nature, and often the subject of the image becomes the fog itself. How do we photograph fog? Well for sure there has to be some context and that is where composition and the use of light is essential.

While I was drawn to the shapes of these trees and the path that leads  between them to some further unknown destination, it is the fog that creates the mood and feel. The atmosphere is what I really wanted to convey, and so the challenge is not to let the other parts of the scene obscure the main character of the image, the fog.

I can’t tell how much I have practiced this, and how often I have failed. But slowly my sense of composition and balance is getting closer to what my senses tell me when I’m in the field. What does that translate to in the real world? Simplify, simplify, and simplify. Lead the viewers eye without any distractions, tell your story with as little words as possible, or in this case, remove everything from the frame that does not add to the image.  Time and practice is all it takes, and those investments are never wasted when it comes to photography!

From a technical standpoint, I find I usually have to overexpose my meter reading by about a stop or so when photographing in heavy fog, otherwise I don’t get the important parts of the image into the right hand side of my histogram. I want to preserve the dark shadows more than the highlights here, and not lose the detail in the trunks of the trees. While this scene does not exceed the dynamic range of most DSLR’s, by exposing to the right I keep the shadows cleaner (less noise), and my large prints look that much better for it.

Below you can see my histogram in Lightroom 3 and the different parts of the image that I think about when both exposing and processing the RAW file. The final image was finished and printed completely in Lightroom, I didn’t see any need to export to Photoshop.

Comments, feedback, and questions are always welcome, thanks for reading!

I recently had the honor of being interviewed by writer and photo editor Kelly Kingman for an upcoming ebook she was writing for photographers titled“Going Pro” for the Digital Photography School.  We met at a local coffee shop for close to two hours while she asked many questions about how I got started as a full-time landscape photographer, how I sold my work, and how I managed to make a living doing what I love.

It was a great and thought provoking conversation, and  I was as open and honest as I could be about the fine art photography business and how I sold my work. I was happy to share what I’ve learned in my own career, hoping that it might help someone else avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made along the way. You see I think that being a professional photographer is serious business, and should not be underestimated in any way. It’s not just about buying the latest gear, setting up a website, and learning the latest HDR techniques.

It’s about the dedication, the long hours, the insane competition, mastery of the craft, and the endless study of the art and business of photography.  Sure you can pick up a gig here or there and make some money, and all of a sudden you might think you’re a pro. But a career is much more than this, and if you’re not prepared for the myriad of challenges over the long haul, it can be a very painful experience. But I’ve always been a “glass half full” type of person, and as I’ve said here before, only you can prevent yourself from achieving your goals.

Going Pro – How To Make Money Through Your Photography is one of the best resources I’ve seen on this subject in quite a while. I would venture to say it is unique in that it offers advice and valuable information from many different types of photographers working professionally today. Whether you’re interested in commercial, fine art, wedding, or photojournalism, there is great advice for each of these fields. The book  covers everything from choosing a business model, finding your customers, marketing, and getting exposure. Even if you’re already a pro, there is always something new to learn and it was great reading for me as well.

As for my contribution, here’s a very short excerpt from my interview:

“I think of my 20 years in music as almost being a boot camp for photography because of all the mistakes I made; now I don’t make those types of mistakes anymore. Things like listening to other people’s opinions too much, or not having confidence in myself. Also believing that all I had to do was create great work and customers would come…be the best photographer on your block, and then in your neighborhood, and then in your town, and so on. Expand from within because then it’s a lot easier and the people who are going to support you first are those who are closer to you geographically, the people you see on a day to day basis”

I highly recommend this ebook to anyone considering a career in photography, and though it is a cliche, I wish I had read this book years ago when I had started. With a beautiful design and layout, Kelly has done a great job to give you an inside look at how you can accomplish your dreams, as well as provide real world advice from those already achieving their goals in this very competitive and difficult field. Of course no book is a substitute for real experience, but every little bit of preparation helps! If you buy the book, I’d love to get your take on it in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

I have no affiliation to the publisher, and I do not receive any compensation for sales. I just think this is a great book, and Kelly is a great writer and friend, and a local resident of my hometown Beacon, NY!

Zen Trees

Nothing has influenced the way I see in nature more than learning to work with light, and its many qualities. This seems to me like an endless process, one that I will never be able to complete in my lifetime. Yet each experience I have teaches me something profound, both mentally and emotionally.

Working with light is photography at its essence, where everything else is stripped away and all that is left is your vision and intuition about how to convey what you feel. I know, we all want to know more about settings, lenses, exposure, best use of everything we have in our camera bags. So at the end of the post I will share the details.

We are so distracted by the technology and complexity of digital photography these days, that this essence is missing most of the time. So here’s a useful exercise- put the magazines down, shut the computer off, put a camera around your neck with one lens (yes, leave the backpack home), and find your favorite spot in nature close to your home.

Then just look. (Feel free to substitute look with watch, see, feel, and breathe)

Observe how the light changes throughout the day, or in different weather conditions. Study not only what it does to the landscape around you, but how it affects you and your emotions. Notice how the same tree can evoke different feelings, and symbolize different ideas based on your own perceptions and experiences.

This level of thinking requires passion, study, time, and more time. Is it worthwhile? Only you can answer that for yourself. What does photography mean to you, and most important, why do you photograph? This is a question I have asked here more than once, but for me deserves re-thinking every day.

Zen Trees is an image I recently made while hiking during heavy fog conditions. Working in fog is difficult, since the direction of light, the little that there is, is crucial to the success of the image. The same ideas apply as in direct light, but here they are so subtle, and the light so soft that you really have to watch how it changes carefully.
Also, the drama that we normally have with direct light is not quite the same, so composition is crucial. Here I was just trying to emulate many of my favorite landscape paintings, where the light is soft, yet the forest is seems lit from the side so that shadows are minimal. Color was also on my mind as I tried to frame the different shades of green to greatest effect.

Camera settings are 1/40 sec, f/4, 32mm, ISO 800. It was relatively dark, so I wanted as fast a shutter speed as possible to minimize leaf movement. A forest scene is more forgiving with higher ISO’s, so I wasn’t worried about using 800 on this camera, which I know has great high ISO performance. (Knowing every aspect of your gear is important here).

The rest is just working with the composition until it feels cohesive, but also with some tension created by the strong pull of light in the top left, balanced with the rocks lower right. Failure is a great teacher.

Remember the tools are here to serve us, and not the other way around. Knowing and understanding this is not enough, you must apply it in real life – maybe the next time you go out to make photographs. I hope these thoughts and ideas are helpful, thanks as always for reading!

Spring Rain, Hudson Valley

Spring is here, and with the warmer weather comes rain which transforms many parts of small creeks and streams into waterfalls. I find photographing waterfalls particularly challenging because it is such a popular subject, and light is difficult to work in this limited setting.

Here I tried to capture the essence of the waterfall, which to me is the sound of the water as it makes its way over the rocks. Of course the water has to come in contact with something before it can make a sound, so the bare  rock in the foreground provides something for the imagination, as well as visual weight to anchor the image away from the brightest area in the top left. The diagonals are all working here from lower left to upper right, as well as the background rocks pulling in the opposite direction – again visual tension and interest. Narrowing my focal length to this small section left the the rest to the imagination again, wondering where the water is coming from and where it is going…if it even matters.

These are all compositional ideas that came into my mind at the time I made the image, but mostly they were felt rather than analyzed. The thinking comes afterwards as I try to explain to all of you why I did what I did. I hope this helps in your attempts at photographing common elements in nature.

Feedback and questions are always welcome!