Notes To My Mother

I am going to give you some advice and if you are like me you will hear the advice, know that it is good advice and then you will find ample opportunity to ignore it. I knew at the time that what I am about to tell you was a good practice to follow and I ignored it and learned from real life that yes, indeed, it really is good advice. The Green River I was on my way to Moab, Utah, driving in from Grand Junction along the Green River. It was early October and the cottonwoods were in color and since I was looking for color you might say I was in photographer’s heaven. A bit west of Fisher Towers to the south of the highway I saw a line of trees against a silhouetted background. To shoot it I had to pull off the road and hike up a hill, maybe a half mile, not far. It was late afternoon and the sun was getting low casting backlighting on the trees. The scene held promise. Green River Valley I reached the top of the hill and began shooting and looking for good per...

What follows pertains getting sharp images in landscape photography not sports or action photography. These steps will apply any time you are shooting on a tripod, and from my view that applies to almost every time you are shooting a landscape. Coulter Bay, Jackson Lake                   Use a Tripod The first guideline is to use a tripod. Not just any tripod, but one that is sturdy enough to hold your camera steady in whatever conditions you plan to shoot. If you will have the legs of your tripod in moving water, or if it is windy, the sturdiness of the tripod becomes very important. Also, if you are using a long lens (powerful magnification) the need for a steady tripod increases. To test this out, put your camera with a long lens in live view and zoom in as far as you can and watch the screen. Now reach up and press the shutter release button.  Watch to see if there is movement. I was amazed at how sensitive my 400mm l...

Sometimes in order to get the shot you want you may find yourself compelled to take certain actions (chances) that you would likely never do under so called normal circumstances. It is that part of photography where the photographer gets a little fixated, obsessiveness clicks in; reason, caution, and common sense seem to just disappear. I had a small dose of this hit me while exploring for shots at Arch Rock Viewpoint in Boardman State Park on the coast of Oregon. I found the shot I wanted but I could not find a clear shot of it, one without obstructions in the way, from any of the designated viewing locations. I could see that if I could just get a little closer to the edge of the cliff I would likely have the perspective and the open view I wanted. The fence was a low one, only about three feet high, and there were no signs saying to not climb over it. And the clincher was, there was no one else around. I hopped the fence and made my way closer to the edge. Then see...