Yellowstone

Black and White and Snow

admin Blog, Landscape , ,

I’ve talked about this multiple times in the past but the fact remains the same, wintertime is one of the best times to shoot in black and white. Now I say that but I always do my conversions in post-processing just to be clear. Snow has lots of natural gradients to it and when combined with light the drama can really pop within the landscape to make for some great images. This is one of the few times I like finding an anchor to put in the landscape like a dark object to add some contrast to the overall picture.

Lots of Snow to Play With

admin Blog, Landscape ,

Some people see lots of snow as a burden or a pain in the butt, but to us photographers who enjoy winter landscapes, there is nothing better than a fresh blanket of powder. The challenge with landscapes is always trying to come up with something new and different, especially if you frequent the same spot over and over again. Well snow makes an instant change to any landscape that can yield some amazing results. One of my favorite ways to utilize these great waves of snow is to not only convert to black and white but to find a single black point to focus on.

Images Captured with Nikon D5, 200-400 VR, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

A Couple Tips to Working in Steam

admin Blog, Landscape , , , ,

Steam is one of the best parts of winter landscape photography. It adds so much drama and character to the images that the landscapes can take on a whole different life form. If you don’t believe me then find a good spot in winter, take a picture and then go back in the summer and you will see the awesome difference. But how do you protect your camera gear while working in that steam?

First off this is for those that are standing in steam while also photographing it. If you’re a good distance away then your gear really isn’t in any danger. With that when you are standing next to a steam pocket remember that the external surfaces of the cameras are quite resilient. It is the internal electronics that aren’t, so don’t change lenses, or cards or batteries while standing in steam. Next carry a towel with you to gently dab off any moisture that gets on the surfaces, especially by the buttons. Lastly be careful with the front element and what I mean is that steam is hot but the air around the steam is not so if you stick that lens into the steam and it gets hot and then you quickly move somewhere else where it is cool then that difference in temperature can cause damage. Instead try covering the front element afterward and then move. Let it be a little more gradual temperature change. I highly recommend NC Filters for these kind of shoots because if you damage a filter it’s no big deal where as a front element is. Don’t be afraid of nature just be aware of what can happen and be prepared.

Shallow or Max DOF with Landscapes?

admin Blog, Landscape , ,

It’s fun to play around with this area because you can make some very interesting and some very bad images as a result. While I have some basic guidelines that I myself go by, I’m always playing around with landscapes because there is a lot of room to do just that. When it comes to depth of field you have to remember what the story is. Depth can really change how the viewer looks at a photo. I put up these two images because they were taken at the exact same spot just different depths of field.

Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park has some great pools and formations to work with. I’ve gone to those spots many times over the years and each time it’s different. This time I was looking at the steam and the formations. Top image was taken at F/22 and the bottom at F/5.6. The difference is pretty noticeable but each one tells a different story of the same spot. Both exist at the same time so which one is better? There’s no good answer it’s just a different story. If you’re not sure which way to go then take the same composition both ways and see which looks better. Never plan on going back because odds are it will be different when you go back.

Images Captured with Nikon D5, 18-35 f3.5-4.5, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

When Blue Sky Landscapes Work

admin Blog, Landscape , , ,

I often don’t like shooting landscapes that have just a blue sky because they are kind of boring. Unless there is a lot going on in the composition, having a lot of blue sky just doesn’t make for much of an interesting composition. Why is that? Landscapes are often a multitude of colors and there needs to be a balance of those colors, so when one is more dominant, whether dark or bright, it sticks out. Bright blue sky can be like that. There are times when having nothing but a blue sky works.

One great example of when nothing but blue works is with steam. Steam tends to blend in when there is a cloudy background. Makes sense right, white and grey steam blending in with grey clouds. This is where that whole color pallet with landscapes comes back into play. Landscapes aren’t just about majestic areas and great light, a lot comes back to color.

Images Captured with Nikon D5, 70-200 VRII, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Fall Color and Snow

admin Blog, Landscape ,

Whenever someone says fall color the mind instantly goes to leaves. Mine doesn’t. I think about the geothermal’s that exist in Yellowstone because in the Fall there is more visible activity coming from the geothermal then there is Summer. The colder temps make for more dramatic compositions and the colors can be just as striking as the fall color. For instance the vents at upper Mammoth Hot Springs.

The bacteria that grows in the geothermal’s create a range of different colors and the fallen debris inside the geothermal’s creates some unusal textures. Leaves, branches, even animals all break down in the boiling water and the results are well, interesting. It’s a lot like looking at another planet. Photographically there are many ways to work with this type of subject from a macro to a wide angle, being so bright and colorful the viewers eye will go to it no matter what. The downside is you can’t really use a tripod in Yellowstone because the boardwalks have to remain passable. It’s a little easier in winter time when you go out on a private tour when the park’s roads are closed but thats another post.

First Snow Has Come!

admin Blog, Fishing , ,

This past week we saw our first snow fall of this upcoming winter. Every year we usually get some snow on the ground in the beginning of September and right on cue after a few days of rain that snow showed up. It was a welcome sight to help deal with the many fires in the state currently. The crisp days are going to hang around for a few days this week which means some great photo opps.

Fall is one of the best times to be in the Rockies. Between the snow, changing colors, clouds, constantly changing light and the generally feeling of the land just makes for some great opportunities. The one big tip I can give for this time of the year is to be outside as much as possible. I fortunate to be in Yellowstone fishing on the Madison after the snowfall and it was just beautiful.

Images Captured with D750, 24-70 AF-S, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Keeping the Diversity Together

admin Blog, Wildlife , ,

If there are two animals that really sum up “the plains” it’s the Bison and the Pronghorn. These are true plains mammals. Both were hunted for their hides and meat and at one point were on the edge from being over hunted. Today both can be witnessed throughout the west.

Photographically these two mammals couldn’t be further apart. One is massive and dark brown the other is tiny and a bright tan/white. Both together they represent a history. This morning was perfect for the two of them as the cloud cover created a nice scrim to diffuse the light so neither stuck out or blended in. Using the D5 and 600 f/4, I watched as the two herds moved by each other.

The Right White Balance

admin Blog, Wildlife , , ,

So I know right off the bat that this post may or may not be well liked because of the title but it came up recently so it seemed like a good learning experience to write about. What’s the right white balance? Notice I said right not best. There is no such thing as best. The answer is, the right one is the one that best tells the story that you’re trying to communicate in the photograph at the moment of capture. Since each moment is different it’s impossible to say that one works the best with everything. This Bull Elk was the perfect example this past week.

On a very windy day this bull was bedded down with his buddy just below him on top of a ridge. He was very nice to lay down where he did. Notice the ears, as I mentioned earlier this week little details like the ears forward is important. As for the white balance, that day was nothing but clouds with intermittent sun shining down on the ridge. So what was the answer? First off, he’s a light subject putting a dark background behind him makes him pop more. Second, the white balance depended on what the light was doing. When it was behind the clouds, the light was very different from when it was directly on him. I ended up jumping back and forth between Auto, this image and Cloudy WB.

This image was taken in cloudy WB. The difference when the sun is behind the clouds is pretty apparent. But there is another option.

This last one was taken with more direct light on the Elk, notice the harsh shadow under the neck. I went back to Auto WB but I added in A +2.0. This raised the Kelvin Temperature which brought out more warmth in the image. This is a very useful option when it comes to white balance. While holding down the WB button and spinning the front dial you can change the kelvin temperature either up or down, B or A, which adds blue or adds yellow. Thus changing how cold or warm the image is. So in the end the answer kept changing as the scenario kept changing and how I wanted to tell the story. This applies the same to you.

Images captured with Nikon D5, 600 f/4, TC-17EII, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

A New Twist to the Hot Springs

admin Blog, Wildlife , ,

Have you ever photographed something so many times that you start to think about new ways to make it interesting? This thought was going through my mind when I was photographing Mammoth Hot Springs last week. I have spent many days over the years at these springs and have worked them on some truly beautiful days and some hideous days. As a result I have learned a few things about that spot. In this case I figured I’d try something new.

Mammoth Hot Springs is known for the steam and the brilliant colors that come from the bacteria growth in the water. It truly is beautiful under the rights conditions. What are those conditions? Really cold but sunny days. The sun brings out the color and the cold brings out the steam. On this day we had neither and the whole scene seemed more gloomy then anything else. So with the D5 and 70-200 VRII, I looked for patterns in the contrast between the snow, the trees and the geothermal. It’s a different take on a place photographed so many times.

error: Content is protected !!