Sometimes....

Awesome Sunrise Cloudscape

After taking photos of a beautiful morning sky at sunrise, June and I stopped at theNewfound Gap Overlook for a short break.  When I left the restrooms I started running for the car.  June said "your running!", trying to figure out what was up.

What I saw was the morning sun hitting the trees on the other side of the gap making another beautiful scene.  By the time I got to the car, changed lenses and got back to the spot, the best light was gone.   That's the way nature works, sometimes the beauty only lasts a few seconds and if prepared you can capture some beautiful photographs, like the Awesome Sunrise Cloudscape.

Newfound Gap

Other times, the photo only captures the fading beauty like Newfound Gap.

For my photographer friends that are wondering, I didn't have time to think about which lens to use or grab the tripod.  I just slapped my 70-200mm zoom on the camera.  My first shots were duds because the shutter speed was too slow for hand holding the camera.  After cranking the ISO up a bit, I got one that was good enough for the web, but will never stand up to close examination.


"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."
Ansel Adams

Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter, but my camera is not ready.   At those times, the best thing to do may be to stop and enjoy the beauty God created for us.

Beyond Iconic Photos - Iconic Time Lapse

I recently read an online article in the Washington Post that proves my assertion that we all take iconic photos.  My definition of an iconic photo is one that is taken thousands of times by thousands of people.  These photos often look very similar, only varying by season, time of day or weather conditions.   Sometimes the photos are copies of outstanding photos by famous photographers, such as Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View or the obvious vantage point people naturally gravitate to when photographing a scene, such as this view of Butchart Gardens in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Butchart Gardens

Sometimes there are limited options which leads to everyone's photo looking the same.  An example is Triple Falls in Dupont State Forest.

Triple Falls

There is really only one place to stand where you can see most of the falls.  This has led to everyone's photos looking pretty much the same.  I tried to be different by converting to black and white.

If you google for images on the internet you can find many examples of iconic photos.   Try it yourself by entering "Butchart gardens images" and look at the top images.  They will look very similar to mine.

Now, researchers at Google and University of Washington have taken this to the next level.  They have searched through 86 million images on publically accessible photo websites looking for "iconic photos".

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/18/how-researchers-turned-the-chaos-of-millions-of-flickr-images-into-beautiful-time-lapses/

The Butchart Gardens photo shows up around the four-minute mark in the video.

This video would not be possible without people's tendency to take iconic photos.   As you can tell from my photos, I guilty of taking them as well.  It's OK to take the iconic photo, just don't stop there.  Look around for other shots from different angles that also tell a story, like these, also from Butchart Gardens.

A Photographer's World

Also taken at Butchart 

As is this one.  I have no idea what kind of flower it was but it was interesting.

Have fun and go Beyond The Iconic Photo.

Make It Simple

Carrying on with my Simplicity theme I have recently tried to simplify some of my macros.   In this case, I was making photos of a plant growing in my parents yard.

Click any photo to zoom in

In this first photo, I tried to simplify by getting close and eliminating everything except the subject, which is this cool leaf with buds popping out around the edge.  Not much else here to distract the viewer's attention from the buds.

In the second photo, I simplified by eliminating color.   Everything is pretty much green but converting to a black and white removes the color element making is simpler.

Here I cropped down to just the buds with water drops.  Cropping eliminated everything I didn't want and left only the things I did.

Finally, I used a shallow depth of field to blur out the background and drawing attention to the water drops on the end of the leaf.   This is a pretty simple photo.

Four different techniques to simplify a photo.  These can be used alone or in combination to creatively remove complexity and create simplicity.

I'm going to continue to try and simplify where I can.


"How many undervalue the power of simplicity!  But it is the real key to the heart."

William Wordsworth.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

I should be out in the yard working today but instead I'm working through some photos I took over a month ago.  I'll get out soon, but I want to share these two photos.

Both photos were taken at Anna Ruby Falls in North Georgia.  They were taken a few minutes apart on the same day.  Here's the first one.

Anna Ruby Falls

This is the classic shot taken at a wide 17mm focal length.  If you Google Anna Ruby Falls you will find dozens of very similar photos of the falls.   I took this to show that Anna Ruby Falls is actually twin waterfalls created by two separate streams- Curtis Creek and York Creek.  It was a bright sunny day, and I had to take three shots at different exposures and combine them using HDR software to balance out the super bright and very dark areas.

I really don't care for this photo.  There are too many rocks, logs and other stuff within the frame.  Too much to look is a distraction and doesn't give the viewer a single place to look.  When I look at it,  my eyes wander around the photo looking at everything but not focusing on any one thing.  It's not a pleasing photo.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo da Vinci

Here's the second photo taken from almost the same spot.  This time I shot at 200mm allowing me to zoom in and isolate down to a small tree and a section of the falls behind it.  Because I didn't have to worry about the dark areas, I was able to expose on the dark side, keeping the bright spots of the waterfall from being too bright and losing all detail in the water. The light on that morning was bright and harsh, but on that section of the falls it was beautiful.  I also slowed the shutter speed down to 1/4 second, giving the water a nice silky blurred look.

This second photo is much simpler, and in my opinion, more pleasing to look at.  The tree in front of the falls gives the photo a feeling of depth that it wouldn't have if it was just the falls.  There are only two things in this photo - the tree and the falls.

Simplification in my photography is something I want to keep working on.  It's also called minimalist photography.  Here's a good article that explains that better.  Give it a try and see if your photos aren't better.

A great idea, with some problems

I use a polarizer filter most of the time when I'm shooting outdoors in the day time.   The good news is I have four lenses that all use the same size filter so I have only had to buy one.  The bad news is that means I am constantly taking the filter off one lens and putting it on another.   This is a royal pain.

I was excited to learn about a new product that seemed to address the painful parts of swapping a

filter between lenses.  A friend showed me the XUME Quick Release Adapters.   Their website says - "frees you from the tedium and frustration of changing filters while clients wait or as the perfect light slips away. Never miss a shot again. Use the filter you want on the lens you want, when you want. Great for polarizers and variable NDs."  This sounds like the perfect solution and I ordered rings for four lenses and one polarizer filter, plus three lens caps that fit the rings.

I took these with me when hiking the Smoky Mountains on Sunday.   This was the first real use of the XUME system in the field and I have to say I was disappointed.

The first issue I ran into was some severe vignetting when using a wide angle lens.  I was shooting a full frame camera with a 17-40mm lens.   Their website says you might see moderate vignetting at focal lengths below 24mm on a full frame.   This can vary by camera and lens and I was seeing it at 28mm.   This may not be an issue for you if you are using a cropped sensor camera or a lens with a minimum focal length greater than 24 - 28 mm.  Since I like to shoot wide this became a serious issue for me. 

These adapters seemed to hold pretty tight, but it wasn't too long before I knocked my filter off the lens when pulling a lens shade off.  The filter dropped in the muddy gravel at my feet but wasn't damaged.   I can see damaging or losing a filter in my future.

After that, I took the rings off my lenses and filters.  I don't think I'll use them.   They wouldn't be a problem on my 70-200mm or 300mm lens but they are on my favorite 17-40 and 24-105mm.  Because you need to use them on all the lenses to get the maximum benefits it doesn't make sense to have them on some lenses but not others.

If anyone has a cropped sensor camera and lenses that use 77mm filters I'll be willing to let these babies go to a new home.

The Best Part

Paintbrush Sunset

I've been lax in blogging recently.   Spring has happened again and it's the season I want to spend as much time as possible out taking outdoor photos.   I had planned to lead a group outing to the Smoky Mountains this Saturday, but the forecasted heavy rain and thunderstorms forced me to cancel the trip and stay home.  

Longhorns

Right now, I'm at home eagerly waiting for the brown truck to drop a package off on my doorstep.  In that package is the latest version of Adobe Lightroom, which is my favorite photo editing tool.  It has a lot of new features I want to try out and see if I can improve my photos using the new software bells and whistles.   A few days ago I bought a tripod from a good friend that's smaller and lighter weight, making travel easier.  While that may not improve my photos, it sure will make traveling easier.   For a couple months, I've had my eye on a specialized lens to take pictures of star-filled skies.

 Click on any photo for a larger version

Texas Ranch Sunrise

Like many photographers, I'm always looking for that new gadget or piece of software that will improve my photos.   While I'm a little frugal (cheap) others spend a great deal of money on their photography hobby.  

In past blogs, I've said the best photography investment is in workshops.   I've been to a few and I always learn new things and come away a better photographer.  But, workshops are not cheap.

Wildflowers at Old Baylor

I've got a secret for improving your photography, having a great time, and not having to spend a ton of cash.   FRIENDS!

A couple weeks ago I got to spend several days with four great friends who are also great photographers.   We traveled around Texas together in a van hunting for flowering bluebonnets, longhorn cattle, historic sites, sunrises, and sunsets. (Photos available online here)  I came home with about 1,400 shots and almost as many good memories.

The five of us traveled together, shared ideas, learned from each other, copied (stole) each other's shots, wished we had stolen other shots and had a great time.   I came home with some of my favorite photos and more importantly I came home a better photographer.   You can put a price on gear, software, workshops, but not friendship.  It's invaluable.

We are already making plans for future trips together.  Personally, I don't think it can happen soon enough.   I look forward to the photography, but more importantly I look forward to being with good friends, who just happen to be photographers.

You don't have to travel to far away places to make photographer friends.  Join a local camera club, meetup group, or other gatherings.  Your photography will improve and you will make friends.  Then, find time to get out with those friends, take some photos and have a great time.

Want to see more photos from this trip?  Check out http://www.thesiggins.com/AllWorks/Earth-Sea-and-Sky/Texas-Spring/

A Well-Watered Garden

What comes to mind when you hear "a well-watered garden"?  Lush greens, vibrant colors of spring flowers?  Kind of the exact opposite of what we have been experiencing through the last few months of winter.

To be well-watered, your garden needs a reliable source of water.  A lake, river, or even a spring provides the moisture your garden needs to produce the lush greens and vibrant colors.  

This month's calendar shot is from Magnolia Plantation and Gardens outside Charleston, South Carolina.  From their website "Founded in 1676 by the Drayton family, Magnolia Plantation has survived the centuries and witnessed the history of our nation unfold before it from the American Revolution through the Civil War and beyond. It is the oldest public tourist site in the Lowcountry, and the oldest public gardens in America, opening its doors to visitors in 1870 to view the thousands of beautiful flowers and plants in its famous gardens."

My photo was taken April 12, 2014 while on a long weekend photo outing with the Eastman Camera Club,   I have hundreds of photos from Magnolia Plantation and Middleton Place just down the road.  The photo at the bottom of the March calendar page is from Middleton Place., as is the December photo.

Middleton Place

Middleton Place

We were there in April to enjoy and photograph the Azaleas in bloom.   The gardens come alive with brilliant oranges, reds, purples, and whites.   Both plantations are wonderful places to visit and photograph in April.

One suggestion if you go -- try to go on a weekday and get there as early as possible before the crowds descend.  If you can be there on a cloudy or rainy day it will be even better.  The clouds may keep some people away and a cloudy day is perfect for this kind of photography.

Magnolia Plantation

You can bet they are diligent in watering these gardens to keep the shrubs and trees as beautiful as possible.   What about you?  Are you feeling well-watered or is your soul a bit scorched?   As Isaiah said, The Lord can satisfy your needs and renew your soul like a well-watered garden.   Unlike man-made gardens, His spring of renewal never runs dry. All you have to do is ask.