Tag: perspective

Getting on with your Intentions – in my case Birds at the Pond.

October 18, 2011
Expectationsnew projectsRichard Mack Photography

This morning I had my coffee by my pond – affectionately known as Big Thoughts Pond – as I usually do on a nice morning. All summer I have sat and watched the goldfish and birds as they move around and each time I think – I should get the camera. Well, this morning I had read a post by photographer consultant Carolynn Potts about jotting down notes on what you see each day. I thought why not just shoot it since it had been my intention all summer. I did shoot some of the flowers around the pond this summer, but never took the time to sit and wait for the birds to make their way down the trees to take their drinks or a quick bath. So this morning I sat and watched and clicked the shutter. The morning was overcast and rain was in the air eventually. This gave me the perfect light to shoot in with no shadows.

We should all do this more often, what we intend to do and haven’t found the time for. It clears your head. And for me making photographs is what I love doing and it seems this year have not been able to find as much time as I would like to make images. So I sat and watched the first one come in – a nice big Robin – and watched him look around and scope out whether the dog would bother him before he proceeded on into the water. They always move cautiously and seemingly in the same pattern. From high on the trees around the pond to the lower branches and finally the rocks by the water. Then it’s time for a drink or a bath or both. On some days they wait in the trees circling down like planes bound for an airport – waiting in the pattern for their turn to land.

Next came a Common Grackle, or so I think it is after looking it up. Might be a Brewers Blackbird I really don’t know. I am not a birder who can say for sure. This guy was a bit more stand offish and waited longer and spent less time in the water. Finally a tiny male House Sparrow entered the area and decided it was his turn. He was the only one I semi caught in flight.

I enjoyed spending the time shooting. Catching different looks from each bird. When shooting wildlife of any kind I somehow feel an attachment to them and when as close as I was it seems as though they are looking back at me and giving tacit approval for my shooting them. Clearly not, but it seems like it. By shooting things you find close to home you can test some things you aren’t comfortable with – for me it was Live View in my Canon 1Ds III. I just hadn’t played with it much. And I think I prefer to look through the view finder instead at a screen on the back but I can see why some folks prefer Live View. Once I started to review the 300 or so images in Lightroom I could also see very subtle differences in their bodies as they moved around. One shot their necks might be straighter and the next you can see some slight change in the feathers from the movements.

And near the end I just for fun I shot a few of the pond itself and some of the goldfish below. I was just playing with what came to me in the shapes and forms from where I sat by the pond. How the fish shapes below the surface played with the surface plants, the water fall streaking through the frame, whatever came to mind. To see some underwater shots done last summer search the blog for Underwater Shots.

You can see 75 of the images online at: Birds of Big Thoughts Pond. Enjoy.

If you have any comments or questions – whether about this post or pond building just post them here!

Peace,
Richard

For those interested here are the technical specs:
Camera: Canon 1Ds III
Tripod: Manfroto Carbon Fibre
Lens: Canon 28-300 f5.6 USM with a Canon 2X Convertor making most images shot at 600mm
Predominate Exposure: f.56 1/60 ISO 1600
Color temp: 5500K

Putting together a Portfolio of Images…

May 24, 2011
Black & White PhotographsNew WorkRichard MackRichard Mack PhotographyRichard Mack's Blog

 

I was asked by an art consultant if I had Black & White images she might be able to use for some of her clients, which are both private collectors and corporate collections. I am known for my color work, but I have been shooting Black & White images since I first held a camera when I was 18. I think every landscape photographer wants to shoot those grand B&W images and delicate close-ups in B&W. There is often more emotion in a B&W image, I believe because of the tonality of a great print and the lack of color which takes it to a different, unseen level, from real life.

 

 

So, I went to the files, now all in Lightroom, and selected a few of my favorite images. I also converted a few of my color images I had always thought would be great in B&W as well, even though I love there color versions. I am honestly not sure which way I like them in some cases. Each has a different feel.

 

 

  In going through a series of images shot a few years, or in some cases, many years ago, it is always kind of fun as the memories of each trip come flooding back. This of course can be a hindrance when you are editing as your emotions of the shoot come through and you may include a shot you might not have chosen without such memories. Hence it is sometimes a good idea to have a friend who is either another photographer or designer, or even a curator, to look over your selections. I opted for none of the above this time since time was of the essence. There were some I thought might make my first cut which on closer inspection just didn’t cut it. Other images came to the forefront when I didn’t expect them. Going back over your work also gives you a perspective of your abilities over the years. Both the times you excelled and those when you didn’t. It also gives you a broader look at your style and how you work. I think this is something every photographer should do occasionally, for going back through your work to put together a collection of images is always eye-opening and gives you that broader look at where you have been and where you are headed. This provides several options from which you can springboard forward in your new work.

 

I realize this is just a small sample of my collection of Black and White images. But it is fun to share these for now… to see the select I have made for now use this link: B&W Work  

Enjoy!

Richard

Changing Your Pre-Conceived Ideas as Needed

April 18, 2011
ExpectationsGreat Lakes ProjectLake MichiganLighthouse BeachLighthouse Beach PierRichard Mack PhotographyRichard Mack's Blog

Since tonight is another Full Moon yesterday I once again ventured down to my favorite place to shoot this, or try to. As past readers know Lighthouse Beach is about a mile from my house so it is very convenient and has the relics of an old pier to work with. Now I have probably shot there dozens of times, certainly in and around the beach in various seasons. I have never been able to get a shot of the Full Moon rising which I have in my head. And last night I was once again thwarted in my attempt as the clouds moved in as the evening wore on. Yet when confronted with the idea your preconceived image will not be had, or even if it is, the thing I always try to do is look for other images. This may sound simple enough and intuitive – of course you should look for other ideas. But you’d be surprised how many folks just give up. “Oh too bad the sunset isn’t nice.” “Boy I wish the clouds were different.” “Where is the wildlife?” “Boy it is a crappy day out!”

Really? Not sure I’ve ever had a day where you couldn’t get something. Might not be what you were thinking when you started but there is always something. So, struck down in my quest to capture the full moon rising over the old pier yet again, I set about making images in the evening light anyway. I noticed that the lake was not dead calm but almost. What caught my eye this night was how even everything was. The light was flat, the lines of the horizon and the flatness of the water played against the clouds above. I kept the color balance close to 6000K which recorded the scene with a slightly bluer color than what my eyes compensated for. Plus you can always change the color balance when processing the RAW files in Lightroom. 

This night was all about the negative space and the lines which made the images come to life. One of my favorites from the evening was this image of the jetty and water. Very minimal yet it strikes me as a fine image. I also played with selecting just a few of the posts and water. Set against what was left of the evening sunset. 

It is all about letting go of your preconceived notions of what you are after and adapting to the conditions you are given. Something it seems is applicable to more than just photography. I was talking to a class of 7th graders the other day before they started out to investigate their neighborhood with fresh eyes and record it for their journals. I mentioned that part of the process is seeing outside your preconceived notions. Change perspective – don’t just put the camera to your face and snap it. Move up, down, side to side, get in close, step back. Get a different perspective and you may be surprised by the results. I used the water bottle sitting on a desk as an example and told them maybe to get in real tight and shoot just the label, or get in tight but include all the folks behind it. I think they might have thought I was nuts when I said you could make an interesting shot of a water bottle. I wonder if any of them did something like that during their assignment. 

Anyway, back to my point of changing your preconceived notions when needed… just because you go out to capture one image, I have found sometimes the best ones are the ones you never thought of until they were in front of you. Be ready and enjoy the moment!

Peace,
Richard

To View more from this evenings shoot use this link: Sunset at Lighthouse Beach

Postscript: The night to shoot the full moon is the night before it is full as it rises at the same time the sun sets, giving you some daylight to work with in the landscape.

High ISO and Perspective – Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

March 30, 2010
seeingWorkshops

Bluebonnets, Rookwood Ranch

I recently read an article by George Lepp in Outdoor Photographer which reminded me of a few things I talk about in the Quiet Light Workshops. With the advent of the digital world and especially today’s cameras with high ISO settings photographers – and especially landscape photographers – need to remember to think outside of their usual comfort zone. Today’s camera ISO’s, or as film folks think, ASA, can now go to an incredible 25,600! Remember when ASA 800 seemed on the edge? As landscape photographers we are used to working at the best possible ISO of 50-100 for the finest in detail. Yet in digital the loss with higher ISO’s is minimal. Yes, there will be some additional noise but nothing which can’t be overcome with noise reduction software.

Elk, Great Smoky Mountains NP

When shooting my last book Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Thirty Years of American Landscapes I had the need to extend the ISO of my camera’s (Canon 1Ds Mark III) highest setting to 3200 when I was shooting the elk in Cataloochee. It was nearly dark when the elk began to actually begin their rut and clash their heads together. Since this is what I had come for I had no choice. I confess, as I was shooting them I was fairly sure I would need to come back, so imagine my surprise when later that night the images looked great in Photoshop!

Indian Paint Brush, Rookwood Ranch

Last week I was in Texas and once again wanted to play with expanded ISO’s. This time not because I was forced to but to see how it would help you be more creative. I was visiting my aunt and uncle’s ranch Rookwood near Brenham. Aunt Char is a great photographer herself and was excited to show me around. The wildflowers were just beginning to come out. I found that by using the higher ISO’s I could handhold when necessary to get a better angle. I also played with the depth of field so I could show workshop participants directly the differences in looks when you step out of the landscape photographer mode and use a shallow depth of field to highlight an area of an image. The Indian Paint Brush and Bluebonnets in their fields became my subjects for this study. The fact is by changing the way we work we open up endless possibilities to how we see.

Sometimes we find ourselves doing things the way we have always done them – low ISO and stop down all the way to make sure that image is sharp all the way through. And sometimes it is best to break that “rule” of landscape photography. This may seem a very simple idea, but sometimes we need to be reminded to step outside our comfort zone and see the world in a different way.

If you would like to see more images from Texas you can use this link: www.mackphoto.com/blog/Texas/

To see the Great Smoky Mountains National Park book go to www.quietlightpublishing.com

If you would like more information on my workshops please visit www.quietlightworkshops.com

Go on and get out of your zone! Experiment!

Peace,

Richard