Getting it Right
I saw a post on Facebook from an aspiring photographer that went something
like this: "I don't need to get it right with the camera, I'd rather spend time
in Photoshop". At the same time, I am reminded of a quote from professional
photographer Andrew S. Gibson, "A good photo is comprised of one-third the
composition, one-third the lighting and one-third the technical ability of the
photographer." I do agree with Gibson, and I had rather spend time in getting
the photo, which I find both relaxing and exhilarating than sitting at the
computer working out the tedious details.
Please don't get me wrong,
I do enjoy the post-processing and love to play with my images in Photoshop or
Lightroom. However, when I was learning the basics of photography, it was
demanded that you get it right before the shutter was pressed. Furthermore, in
the darkroom days before the enlightened digital era there was only so much that
could be done with a negative compared to today's Photoshop.
Going back
to the comment on not getting it right, I am reminded of several occasions where
I was trying to get a particular photograph and had only that one chance to get
the scene as it appeared in nature.
"The Challenge" has become one of my
best selling photographs. I was tracking the sorrel stallion with my manual
focus Nikon 500mm 4.0 lens as he was walking away after drinking from a pond.
Suddenly the black stallion came out from the bushes, they reared up and it was
over so fast that I hardly had time to focus. Since I wanted to have the
natural terrain as sharp as possible in the photo, I pre-selected an aperture of
f/8, which also gave me a faster shutter speed to catch the action.
The waterfall at Lost Creek Canyon only flows during times of adequate
rainfall or snowmelt. One January, a winter storm brought heavy snow to Red
Rock Canyon. Over night, the storm passed through and I was heading out early
the next morning for photos. I saw the waterfall flowing from a distance and
knew that I had to get these rare photos. After reaching the pool at the base
of the waterfall, I selected my widest lens--a Nikon 24mm 2.8, and dropped my
tripod all the way down in the water, as low as it would go. I chose an
aperture of f/22 to slow the water, and then bracketed the exposure. My goal
was to keep the detail in the features of the canyon without burning out the
highlights on the top portion. No sooner than I had gotten off several
exposures, the canyon began to fill with other people crowding in to enjoy the
scenery.
"Summer Storm" has become another of my most popular images.
Back in my film days, I had been waiting to catch lightning striking over the
Spring Mountains near Las Vegas, Nevada. Early one evening, I watched the
clouds build and began to notice streaks of lightning. After driving into the
desert over a dirt road to get closer to the action, I used my Nikon 80-200mm
2.8 lens to focus on the area where the lightning was really striking. With
camera secured to tripod, I held the shutter open with a cable release for two
minute intervals at f/ 5.6. I was allowed four exposures before the wind and
rain forced me to pack up and leave.
On June 5, 2012, Venus made a
historical transit across our Sun. This was one event that I really wanted to
photograph, so I did my research on solar photography and hoped for a clear day
with no cloud cover. To photograph the sun, I made a lightproof box with a
Baader solar filter and attached it to my Nikon 500mm lens with a 2X
teleconverter. I selected an aperture of f/4 and bracketed the shutter speed
from 1/125 seconds.
Venus just beginning to transit across the sun with faint
cloud cover.
The sun setting over the Wassuk Mountains with Venus slowly
making its transit.
I guess it’s an ego thing because I love being out
getting the photos, but I also love the thrill of seeing the scene as it appeared
in nature load in on my computer monitor. If I choose to alter the photo, I can
always go back to my original which was shot as close to natural as possible.
For more on Venus Transit:
http://bonnierannald.blogspot.com/2012/06/transit-of-venus-from-walker-lake.html
What
an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love
it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get
treated to new experiences.
Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!
Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.
"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"
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