Paradise Crossing, Havasu Falls, AZ
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow  

One of the places that resembles paradise is Havasu Falls. The blue-green water or the Havasu Creek provides a contrasting colors palette against the orange cliff of the canyon. It is ALMOST impossible to take a bad photograph at this place...but the access to this location is difficult as it requires you to backpack (or rent a mule or fly in via helicopter).

How was this photograph created?
Simple!!!! Point and shoot with a circular polarizer. But this photograph is less about the falls and more about the human element. I wanted to take a photo from this location when +Varina Patel was crossing the Havasu creek. I waited until her small figure in red jacket would stand out against the blue-green waters of the creek. Adding a human element puts the location and scene in perspective.

Who says women cant keep up with the men? +Varina Patel was the only photographer who crossed the creek at this point...ALL 4 of guys sat and watched. ;)) I have been on the other side few times on previous visits so I stood back and took photographs....Seem like a good excuse to me. ;))) 

#WaterfallWednesday curated by +Eric Leslie
#womenwednesday  curated by +Niki Aguirre, +Christina Lawrie, +Athena Carey, +Lee Daniels 

Enjoy & Share.
_________

A Matter of Perspective, Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys
#landscapePhotography, #photographyworkflow , #photographytips  

The first time I had seen the photograph of Dry Tortugas National Park, I was convinced that I had to visit this place both by sea and by plane. The day before I took this photograph I was on the beaches along the fort and the place is just as breathtaking. 

How was this image created?
To take this photograph I chartered a plane to fly me to Dry Trotugas and circle the fort at different heights. Before taking off from Key West we selected the plane that was an over wing aircraft (wing were above the passenger cabin rather than below) and which would fly slow enough for me to open the windows in mid flight to take shots. I used a circular polarizer to bring out the brilliant colors in the water...and the window of the plane was open when I took this shot.

Enjoy & Share.
_________

Caption This Photograph - A Helping Trunk?
  #wildlifephotography , #wildlife  

NOTE: This is NOT my photograph

There is an example of some very tender parenting from Africa. The photographer is award wining and well published photographer Marina Cano (From Cantabria, Spain) whom have know for several year now.

I would highly encourage you to check our work out on her website at: www.marinacano.com

Enjoy & Share.
_________

Garden on Eden, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
#landscapephotography   #photographyworkflow   #photographytips  

BEST VIEWED LARGE

I am pretty sure that Garden of Eden would have looked something like this? Right? I love this location of Eagle Creek in Northern Oregon. It is difficult to get here, but the best time to visit this location is when it is raining under heavy overcast skies. This was my third attempt to photograph this location....and if I had to try 300 more times before getting a shot like this I would have enjoyed every minute of it. 

How was this photograph created?
The composition of the photograph selected to create depth. To accomplish this, I placed the camera close the surface of the water and used a wide angle lens to capture the image. To capture this photo, I had to stand in the snow melt water for about 45 minutes and wait just the right distribution of the bubbles to go by me to capture their streaks. By the time I was done my feet were numb for next hour and half. ;))

Enjoy & Share.
___________

How NOT to ask a girl out!!

Go ahead and Caption this Photo...This is one of those funny photos I have to share for #caturday .

Here are my captions:

__I am not letting go unless you add me to you GooglePlus Circles.
__How do you think I met +Varina Patel? LOL!!!

THIS IS NOT MY PHOTO. THE PHOTO BELONG TO: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7787191@N04/6906414572/in/photostream

Enjoy & Share.
___________

Cloud Forest, Mombacho, Nicaragua
#landscapephotography   #photographyworkflow   #photographytips  

This lush green forest can be found at the top of Mombacho Volcano in Nicaragua. The top of Mt. Mombacho is covered with clouds and this mist feeds the exotic plants and animals who live in this area. It is a photographers paradise and we hope to explore more of it during our upcoming workshop in Nicaragua with +The Giving Lens and +Empowerment International. 

In case I am giving you WANDERLUST here is info to join us on a workshop ;)): 
http://www.thegivinglens.com/workshops/tgl-nicaragua/

How was this Photograph Created?
I used this small bridge to create the leading lines as well as a point of interest. I was using my camera to demonstrate to Janet (one of the senior kids) how to use hyper-focal distance to get close to your subject. The exposure was carefully balance so that the highlights were not over exposed. I also used a circular polarizer to cut through the glare. 

Enjoy & Share.
__________

Wacllela Falls, Oregon
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow , #waterfallwednesday  

Oregon the beautiful...It is closest to being in Garden of Eden. On our recent trip to the area we were greeted with PERFECT conditions...It rained while we were hiking the trail and when I set up my composition it started to hail. So I waited and enjoyed the conditions for next 10 minutes....and the flow on the small waterfalls on the right side picked up after the rain. Like I said PERFECT conditions!!! 

How was this image created?
Perfect conditions made is easy to take the shot. Everything was green and wet...and overcast skies make it easy to take the shot. But still the water was overexposed and required a manually blending using our iHDR workflow. I also used a circular polarizer to bring out the colors from the wet vegetation. 

Enjoy & Share.
_____

Fall Meandering, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow , #photography , #howtophotograph  

This location is about 15 minute away from our house. When you go wandering around in this area in fall the land is transformed into a field of yellow and red. The Brandywine Creek lies at bottom of a gorge that is blanketed by Maples leaves. 

How was this photograph created?
This photograph is about using the Brandywine creek to create a leading line through the image. I used a circular polarizer to cut the glare from the wet rocks and leaves. Overcast skies make the exposure easy. The shutter speed was selected show the flow lines in the water. 

Enjoy & Share.
_

On the Edge of Mordor, Hawaii

BEST VIEWED LARGE - You should be able to see the subtle intricate details in the Lava as well as the highlights.

We were incredible lucky to have wandered to the Edge of Mordor and back on Big Island of Hawaii. The lave has just started going into the ocean two days before we arrived and on our second visit an inflation cycle in the Volcano cause more than normal lava flow into the ocean. I wanted to capture the essence of what it was like when photographing the lava at Twilight.

How was this image created?
This is an manually blended image using our iHDR manual blending workflow. The sea floor and steam is lit by the light from the lava stream. While the sky is showing of the last glow from the setting sun. One of the biggest challenges was to dealing with the thermals caused by the heat around the lava streams. Camera's auto focus has a hard time getting an accurate focus in those thermal areas. Second challenge was extreme dynamic range: Water reflected lot of light, while the textured dark cliffs reflected very little light. 

Enjoy & Share.
___________
#landscapephotography   #photographyworkflow   #photographytips     #photography  

#AlbumTheme: High Dynamic Range Images
#landscapephotography , #hdrphotography , #hdrphotographers

High Dynamic Range images (HDR): Love it? Hate it?

The fact of the matter is that it is here to stay and in long run will revolutionize the digital photography as we know it. While It is true that HDR can be used to produce artistic images (with saturated colors and surrealistic textures), it can be used to create scene that closely resemble what you can see with your eyes. +Varina Patel and I use our iHDR workflow (manual blending technique) to recreate nature like the scene from Glacier National Park seen in the image below.

If you want to see before and after image of the photo below check out the video at: http://www.photographybyvarina.com/photography/videos/ihdr-workflow-overview

I have arranged my ablum so that the first 30 images were created using our iHDR workflow.

Enjoy & Share.
_

Lower Elaka Falls, Blackwater Falls, WV
#PhotographyWorkflow , #howtophotograph , #landscapephotography  

Here is one of three waterfalls on Shay's Run in Black Water Falls State Park. I love photographing this region of WV as it provide a varied terrain that includes waterfalls, overlooks, mountains and valleys.

How was this image created?
This image was a challenge to compose...I wanted to avoid the murky brown water as much as possible and maximize the lush spring greens. It was a overcast and rainy day and we had to cross Shay's run to get over on the far side to take this shot. Even with an overcast day the water was overexposed. I processed a single RAW file twice and then blended it using our iHDR workflow to get the final results. 

#waterfallwednesday  currated by +Eric Leslie 

Enjoy & Share.
_______

#Albumtheme: How to photograph Sunsets
#landscapephotography

In Episode 61 of THE GRID (http://kelbytv.com/thegrid/2012/07/19/the-grid-episode-61-blind-critiques-travel-and-landscape/) about landscape and travel photography +Scott Kelby and +Matt Kloskowski gave photographers a very good advise.... SHOOT DURING SUNET OR SUNRISE to capture dramatic landscape photographs.

I have arranged first 25 photographs on my G+ Portfolio to showcase colors and impact of sunsets. If you go through the album you will notice that the colors vary from rich gold to deep reds to vivid magenta and to deep blues. So, if you want photographs that are colorful and create an impact sunsets are one of the best times of the days you can shoot.

While it is true that the light intensity diminishes during the sunset and the dynamic range of is easier to handle...it is not always the case. Often times you may have to use GND filter or manually blend the images together (we use our iHDR workflow) to create these images - Like the image you see below from Glacier National Park.

Enjoy & Share.
__

Shades of Turquoise, Banff National Park, Canada
#PhotographyWorkflow , #howtophotograph

If you want to see picturesque lakes there is no place better than the Canadian Rockies (in my opinion). Lakes formed by the Glacial Run off often take on a turquoise colors due to the Glacial silt present in them as you can see this photograph of Peyto Lake.

How was this photograph created?
I used a circular polarizer to cut through as much humidity as possible on this warm and humid day. The composition of the photograph was selected to include various diagonals formed by the tree line, the rocks and the Peyto Lake itself. I waited until the clouds had formed interesting patterns on the lake AND the sun was shining on the foreground rocks (this brought out the rich colors in the rocks and the lichen).

Enjoy & Share.
_______

What happens in Single Internet Minute?
Source: +CNET +Intel 

Here is an interesting Infographics that shows what happens in Single Internet Minute. What I dont get is:

In 2015 there will be more connected devices than human population,,,What is everyone doing on online with so many devices?
....and how to divert only 0.000001% of the Google Search to my website? www.jaypatelphotography.com  

Here is an article from CNET that accomplished this info graphics: 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57575344-1/intel-reveals-what-happens-in-a-single-internet-minute/

Enjoy & Share.
___________

#Albumtheme: How to Photograph Sunsets
#landscapephotography , #photography  

If you ever want to create photograph with impact try shooting at sunset...during the Golden Hour. If you are lucky enough to be near the water try to use the reflection to fill the photograph with color (like the one you see in the image below).

NOTICE: The reflections in the image below capture the sun rays, clouds, mountains and the sky. And if you were to view this large you will see that the reflections blends with the details underwater. 

When we talk about reflections water is the first thing that comes to mind, but reflections are not just limited to water....any and all surfaces will reflect light to some extent. I have photographs in my portfolio that use reflections from wet sand from Canon Beach, salt flats from Death Valley, Dunes in White sands...just to name a few. 

Enjoy & Share.
_

Between A Rock & A Trillium, Olympic National Park, WA
#photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph

Here is a photograph that I took in Olympic National Park of a fully open trillium. This little cascade was located deep in the wood off the beaten path....and I was just lucky enough to stumble upon it. This simple photograph required lots of small details to compose and capture.

How was this photo created?
I wanted the trillium to stand out from the background...so choosing a composition as close to trillium as possible was a must. I also placed the Trillium in front of a dark background so that it would draw the viewers attention to the bright white flower. I placed the rock and the trillium using the rule of the thirds and used DOF to ensure that everything in the frame was in focus.

Enjoy and Share.
_

Fire Within, Yellowstone National Park, WY
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph  

Yellowstone is magnificent...and unique. The geysers like this are found every where in the park and when light is just right they display fantastic textures and colors. I had tried to photograph this geysers plenty of time...but this was one of the few times when I got a half decent light show. 

How was this photograph created?
This is a perfect example of why a simple cookie cutter approach does not always work for landscape photography. For this example I had to THINK how to capture the photograph. I choose not use a GND filter...Why? Simple...a GND filter would have darkened the top half the steam making the image look unnatural. This is a manually blended image using our iHDR workflow using a single RAW exposure processed three times: One for the sky, One of the foreground and one for the extreme highlights in the sky. How did I know a single RAW image would work? I took few test shots and checked my histogram on back of the camera. 

Question: Check out the Photo Details and see what focal length did I use for composition. Why do you think I used that focal length?

Enjoy & Share.
_____

Amazing Earth, Vermilion Cliff, Arizona
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow , #photography  

Verimilion Cliffs is truly an amazing place to visit. The geology of this place is formed by uplifting of the land caused by two plates of earth moving at different speeds. Throw erosion into the mix and you get a locations like these where art is created by nature itself. 

How was this image created?
This is an old image of mine taken with my good old Canon 5D. At the time, I was NOT familiar with blending techniques and relied on GND filters to tame the dynamic range. I used a 0.6 Soft GND filter to balance the light between the GND and the sky. We had to hike out in the dark over barren rock and no trails (I would not recommend it as it is easy to get lost...I had been to this locations few times and was familiar with the place). It was most amazing day +Varina Patel and I spend out at "The Wave".

Enjoy & Share.
_______

Landscape Photography Gallery: Composing with Repeating Patterns - #albumtheme

It seems that nature PREFERS repetition because repeating patters are found in almost every part of nature. On our recent trip to Utah we got to experience these repeating patterns again...but this time the looked like flames. We love using these patterns are a composition tool in our photographs.

This week's Album theme is repeating patterns...I have arranged first 15-20 images in my gallery to showcases repeating patterns in nature.

Enjoy & Share.
_

A View from the Top, Cascade du Herisson, France
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow

Best Viewed Large

What is about waterfalls that attracts us? I have yet to figure that out, but one thing is certain that flowing water is responsible for some fantastic photographs in my collection. Cascade du Herisson is a fantastic place in France to hike. There are about 31 waterfalls located on river Saut Girard which is fed by the waters of Lake Bonlieu and the Ilay Lakes.

How was this photograph created?
I was looking for something different...so rather than photographing the falls from the usual angle, I choose to photograph it from the top. This gave me an unique perspective...that I have utilized few times to photograph various falls. The composition was selected to avoid the sky and fill the frame with the fresh spring colors.

How was I able to get so close to the water and get everything sharp? I used hyper focal distance concept to get everything in focus.

Do you have an unique perspective on a typical location or terrain? Feel free to share it.

Enjoy & Share.
______

Life is NOT FAIR!!!
#photographydiscussion

PICTURE THIS....

Your clothes are torn or missing buttons, your plastic sandals are held together by tape, there are fleas jumping on your feet, mosquitoes biting you, there is sewage in the streets outside your home and you live in a room made up of corrugated metal sheets. 

While on the other side of the barbed wires is group of photographer wearing clothes with Nike logos, boots to protect their feet from the fleas/sewage, mosquitoes that magically avoid them, expensive camera gear, iphones and more...

And at this time you cant help but to think to yourself: LIFE IS JUST NOT FAIR!!

I am not a photo journalist...but while taking this photos I couldn't help but think about the emotions she may have experienced while we were photographing her. Feel free to share your experience. 

FYI: This photo was taken in the Barrio (Slums) of Nicaragua on our recent trip there. #tglnicaragua , +Empowerment International, +The Giving Lens 

Enjoy & Share.
____________ 

Born of Fire, Big Island, Hawaii
#landscapephotography   #photographyworkflow   #photographytips  

BEST VIEWED LARGE - To see the subtle textures in rocks, water, smoke and lava itself.

2012 was absolutely fantastic for us. Making it even more fantastic was the fact that we ended 2012 photographing lava from Mt. Kiluea on Big Island of Hawaii and began 2012 with photographing endangered Green Sea Turtles on a black sand beach on New Year's morning. Here is up of new land being formed. 

How was this photograph created?
Even a simple photograph like this demonstrate the challenge you face when photographing lava. The newly formed rocks surrounding the lava are pitch black, while the lava itself is super hot and glowing. This means that  you will have to bracket the shots to deal with the extreme dynamic range. Add to it the fact that smoke and water is moving. 

For this shot, I took three shot and manually blended them together using Photoshop Layers and Masks. I purposely kept the rocks dark with very little details because it was getting late in the evening and we could hardly see any textures on the rocks. Notice: The textures fades as one moves away from the light of lava.

Enjoy & Share.
_______

Album Theme: Waterfalls
#landscapephotography  

Waterfalls are breathtaking to watch and a lot of fun to photograph. Sometime we hike for mile just to photograph a particular waterfall. While photographing this in Columbia River Gorge, I had to stand in freezing rain and hail for 15 minutes (and hike in the rain for couple of miles) before the light conditions were correct. But the wait was more than worth it.

This week first 20-25 image in my gallery showcase some of the waterfalls from US and around the world. 

Enjoy & Share.
_ 

Landscape Photography Gallery: Composing with Repeating Patterns - #albumtheme

It seems that nature PREFERS repetition because repeating patters are found in almost every part of nature - from drying mud in canyons of Utah, to cloud formations over beaches in Florida, to waves on shores of Hawaii, to mountains in Glacier National Park, to dunes in Death Valley, to the plants growing in Smoky Mountains...even falling water arranges itself in repeating patterns before it hits the ground.

With so many variety of repeating patterns found in nature it is natural that our brains are wired to respond to these repeating patterns....and a good idea to use them in your compositions. :-)))

This week's Album theme is repeating patterns...I have arranged first 15-20 images in my gallery to showcases repeating patterns in nature.

Enjoy & Share.
_

Rivendale, Metlako Falls Oregon
#photographyworkflow, #howtophotograph , #landscapephotography

Metlako Falls always reminds me of the land of the Elves from Lord of the Rings...and why not? Oregon is beautiful!!. The falls are located on the Eagle Creek and the whole area is just breathtakingly beautiful. A must for every photographer who plans to visit Columbia River Gorge.

How was this photograph created?
I used rule of the thirds, a circular polarizer and the right light to create this photograph. The vibrant colors you see are result of circular polarizer combined with wet spring growth that leaves everything looking fress and green. The fact that sun was peaking slightly through the clouds created textures for this image.

We created a small on location video that +Varina Patel will share when we get a chance.

Enjoy and Share.
__________

A Tale of Two Falls, Mooney Falls, Arizona
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph  

Who says you can ONLY create breathtaking photos with the latest and greatest? This was taken with my old Canon 20D ;))

Havasu Canyon is breathtaking to say the least...and this photo demonstrates why. This is one of the major falls in the area and requires a precarious climb with ropes and ladders to get down to the bottom (which I have done few times). 

How was this photography created?
The conditions at the time when I visited this location were near perfect to photograph. It was overcast, raining off and on and everything was very very wet (and cold...and sometime snowy). A circular polarizer help bring out the details and colors in the frame. The exposure was selected so that the view could see the flow lines in the water. 

#waterfallwednesday  curated by +Eric Leslie

Enjoy & Share.
_______

Gone Photographing in Pacific Northwest
#photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph , #landscapephotography

We are travelling in Pacific Northwest and may be slow to respond to your queries. Tomorrow we will hike out in the rain to photograph some of the gorgeous waterfalls in this area...like this one. In meantime enjoy our blog posts @ http://www.jaypatelphotography.com/blog

How was this photograph created?
This image was taken in between rain showers....I love photographing the Waterfalls when it is raining. The wet rocks display a rich dark tonal range with use of a circular polarizer and the spring greens seem to glow in the soft overcast light. Constant mist that covers the lens was a real challenge that made shooting this falls fun.

Enjoy & Share.
_______

#InspirationOfTheDay for the Non-Conformist in Us

From: http://www.lakejane.com/2012/02/attitude-of-gratitude_09.html

Enjoy & Share.
____________

Storm Break, Grand Tetons National Park, WY
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow  

Weather in mountain country is always un predictable...and this was the case when I took this shot. About 30 minutes before this light it was heavily overcast and raining. We drove to the Moulton barns to scout the location as we did not expect to shoot in such conditions. But we were pleasantly surprised as the storm began to clear out. 

How was this image created?
This is iHDR blend from a single exposure processed twice. Back in 2005, when I took this image blending multiple exposure was just a fantasy for me and never did it occur to me to take more than one bracketed shot. I did take several shot with different exposure mainly to check for the histograms for proper exposure, but only one was free of the rain drops. I did use a soft GND Filter to take this photo, but I still had to blend to balance the details. 

Overall the shot is a bit under exposed in the foreground. Had I taken this shot today, I would have bracket the image. 

Enjoy & Share.
_______

The Reflecting Pool, Yellowstone National Park, WY
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph  

Here is an example of prominent foreground object...Imagine the photo without the reflection pool....Does it have the same appeal?

Every once in a while you get shooting opportunity in most unexpected places...side of the road. On this particular occasion we caught a storm breaking apart while on a vacation with all 6 kids. We pulled the car on the side of the road and started shooting. The sunset lasted for nearly 1.5 hours. The kids listened to CDs in the car (under the threat of being fed to the bears) while we were shooting in all different directions. We got multiple rainbows just to followed up with a stunning sunset.

How was this photograph created?

I used a 0.9 Hard GND filter to create this photograph. Ideally I would have bracketed the shot, but on this particular occasion because I had taken so many photo I ran of of memory (I had loaned my other memory card to +Varina Patel). This was the only time in 10 years of shooting that I had run out of memory...but it had to happen at someday. This was last in the series of photographs...all shots before this one were bracketed. In the processing I used a single RAW image and processed it for the shadows and the highlights and blended them together manually in Photoshop using our iHDR workflow.

The composition of the image was selected so that small pool of water reflected the part of sky that had the most intense colors. 

Enjoy & Share.
_______

Lower Grinell Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana (MT), USA
#theexperienceproject , #photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph

I love Grinell Glacier Trail...it is about 12 miles and ~1500 feet of elevation gain with breathtaking view like this one along the way. Few minutes before we took this photograph we ran in three fully grown big horn sheep who were blocking the trail....They were so close that I could see veins in their eyes. We just stood there and stared at each other and fortunately for us they jumped over the ledge and let us pass.

How was this photo created?
This is photograph is all about timing...We had passed this location on our way up but the sun was directly in our eyes. So, we decided to shoot on our way back....for a while we were worried that we would not make it here in time because we could not pass the big horn sheep on the trail (they were happily munching away at the plants found along the trail). But we made it with moments to spare and took few shots of the location. I used a circular polarizer for this shot.

Notice: I waited until a cloud passed over the lake before taking the shot. :-)))

Enjoy and Share.
__________

Finding Neverland, Florida Keys
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph

Chasing Dreams...That is what this photo reminds me of. The dreams can be as silly as being young for ever, or sailing around the world or being a landscape photographer. If you dont chase your dreams you will never be able to CATCH them. :-)))

How was this photograph created?
This is a hand held shot from another sail boat while on sunset champagne cruise from Key West, Florida. I did use a circular polarizer to darken the sky and water and waited until the ship was under the clouds. You never know what you will get being a landscape photographer...sometimes you have stand in hail and ice water for 30 minutes to get a single shot and other times you just put your champagne class down and pick the camera to take the shot. :-)))

Enjoy & Share.
___________

Do you really need that latest and greatest equipment?
#albumtheme: Canon D30, Canon 10D, Canon 20D
#landscapephotograpy , #earlyphotos

How many time have you heard this before: Pros prefer Full Frame camera; If only I had that 1Dx, I can take images like this  ...or some variation of how equipment is what makes or break a photograph. But the truth of the matter is that photographer have been taking images long before all the fancy equipment was available and they have been producing breathtaking work. The image shown in this post was taken with Canon D30 a 3 MP camera.

So, this week Album Theme is about showcasing work produced using Canon D30 (3MP), Canon 10D (6MP), Canon 20D (8MP) cameras. I have arranged first 30 images in my gallery to to showcase what can be accomplished by those of us who shoot without the latest and the greatest.

Here is an article that speaks about the same thing: http://www.jaypatelphotography.com/photography/q-and-a/q-and-a-does-equipment-really-matter

Enjoy & Share.
_

#Albumtheme: How to photograph in harsh light?
#landscapephotography , #photography

We landscape photographer often get jaded...all we want to do is look for perfect light and avoid taking photographs during midday. But if we take some time to notice we will find that beauty surrounds us at all times of the day. Here is an attempt to provide some inspiration as to what an be captured during midday in broad daylight. 

Sometimes taking a photo at midday is as easy as pointing the camera in the right direction as seen in this short video: http://youtu.be/TzXvoYXBRBQ

Feel free to share you examples of the photographs taken during the day. 

#mountainmonday  curated by +Michael Russell 

Enjoy & Share.
_

Edge of Paradise, Havasu Falls, AZ
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph

#photographydiscussion    

Is the emotional impact of the photograph enhanced if you see a familiar figure (someone who is related to you) in a magnificent locations like this?

Often times the stock agencies will look for travel photographs with people in them. This was one of the photograph created for microstock. We got up early in the morning when no one was around to take this photo...it was a cold morning and some lazy photographer were still sleeping in. ;)))

How was this photograph created?
The most challenging part of the photograph was to make sure that +Varina Patel held still throughout the exposure...and she did. ;))) I used a circular polarizer to bring out the colors in the water and selected the exposure to be able to see the flow lines in the water and sharpness throughout the image.

Enjoy & Share.
_________ 

#AlbumTheme: 2012 A Year in Review
#landscapephotography   #bestof2012  

2012 was a Year of Change - For a change I managed NOT to wreck any expensive cameras or lenses ;)). We cancelled our on the ground workshop and instead concentrated on educational materials, seminar and short value added workshops like Beyond Exposure. We also took trips to Utah, Oregon, Hawaii, Colorado, California and Ohio. It is not often that I get to add a new terrain classification in my portfolio.....This year we were able to add LAVA classification to my terrain types. 

First 20+ photos in my album are arranged to showcase the images we took in Year 2012. This is by no means a complete collection....More to come. 

Enjoy & Share.
_______

Twilight Blues, Cannon Beach, Oregon
#photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph , #landscapephotography

I love shooting at Cannon Beach...and this was my first experiment in long exposure photography. I used a 30 sec shutter speed to capture this image.

How was this photography created?
Simple...I had to wait long after the sun down to get this shot. At the time, I had only a single 4 stop ND filter, so I waited until the light was low enough for me to push the shutter speed to 30 secs. An added benefit of waiting to capture this image was that I was able to get the deep blue colors of Twilight.

Enjoy & Share.
_______

#Albumtheme: Photographing Earth's Amazing Geology
#environment , #photography , #educational

NO...This is not an alien world, but this is our home planet earth. Earth's Geology is responsible for the breathtaking colors you see in these images: From deep blue hot springs (as seen in this photograph), to milky white exploding bubbles, to turquoise waters of Havasu Falls, to light beams that form when the canyons are eroded away by water, to the blue icebergs on black sand beaches of Iceland...and there is a location in Zion National Park where you can watch the river carving a small canyon. Geology is responsible for making our home planet beautiful.

I believe that our responsibility as humans who inhabit the planet should be to help preserve this beauty for the future generations. You can always donate to environmental causes...but more than money we need more education. Make the others aware the beauty that surrounds us, teach the kids to appreciate the great outdoors...just little things like teaching them not to litter can make big difference.

First 15-20 images from my gallery are arranged to showcase our planet's amazing geology.

Enjoy & Share.
_

#AlbumTheme: Lakes
#landscapephotography   #photographyworkflow  

Lakes are found everywhere in the world...from the coldest places to the driest of the places. I have seen lakes form by the heavy rains in Death Valley and at top of the Icefields in Alaska. These stagnant bodies of water provide a photography endless opportunity to photograph....such as reflections as seen in the image from Beauty Creek in Jasper National Park. 

I have arranged my album so that first 25 images showcase the beauty of the lakes from around the world. 

Enjoy & Share.
___________

Transient Light, Glacier National Park, MT
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph  

BEST VIEWED LARGE

If I were to pick 3 top sunrises/sunset I have seen in my photography career two of them have occurred on this small stretch of road called Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. This was perhaps the best sunrise in terms of colors and light that I have ever witnessed. 

How was this photograph created?
Brace yourself...This was captured on my old 3 MP Canon D30 using a soft GND filter. This photograph shows two different kinds of light. To the far right is the first magenta light that appears over the horizon...typically seen BEFORE the sun come up over the horizon. And to the far left is the first orange/gold light that appears AFTER the sun breaks the horizon. As expected the light on the  far left is far more intense than the that on the far right and I had to blend two images using our iHDR workflow to handle the dynamic range. 

How was the photo processed in RAW converter? Similar to this: https://plus.google.com/u/0/101145980349117737014/posts

#earlyphotos , #mountainmonday  curated by +Michael Russell 

Enjoy & Share.
_______

#Albumtheme: Forest

Hello from Granada Nicaragua....I am here with +Colby Brown, +Varina Patel and others on our Giving Lens #tglnicaragua  workshop working with +Empowerment International. 

Tomorrow we are going to explore the Rainforest and teach kids how to shoot photos so this weeks album theme is Forests. Here is a shot from Forest in Zion National Park. One of the things we will be teaching kids is how to compose in a busy terrain so the most important elements stand out. 

First 25 images in my album are arranged to showcase these magnificent forest from North America. 

Enjoy & Share.
__

Thank You +Christina Rollo
#landscapephotography

It is a good moral boost when someone picks you are an inspiring artist, but it a HUGE moral boost when someone as talented as +Christina Rollo puts you on a short list of the inspiring artist.

Please check out the other artists on +Christina Rollo's Blog @: http://rollo-christina.artistwebsites.com/blogs/inspiring-artists-to-watch.html

Thank you Christina Rollo for putting my work along with some great photographers.
______

Mountain Light, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
#photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph , #nationalparkweek

At 12000 Feet the road that passes through the Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the highest in the US. At this elevation even walking can be difficult when you are not used to low oxygen levels...but the view here are to die for especially when you get light like this.

How was this photograph created?
This photograph was taken with a soft GND filter to balance the light between the sky and the ground. Even then with a soft GND filters the light in the sky need a manual blending (using our iHDR workflow) adjustment to restore the details in the highlights. The composition is selected to capture the details in the bolder in the foregrounds and to form layers.

Enjoy & Share.
_______

Coming of Fall, Grand Tetons, WY
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow  

BEST VIEWED LARGE

I love Grand Tetons and if you every get a chance to visit it in Falls, I would highly recommend you take it. The trees are just blazing gold and the mountain backdrop provided a breathtaking sight. On this particular morning, the fog was hugging the ground before Day Break giving the viewers just a glimpse of the colors hidden in the trees. 

How was this photograph created?
This is a single shot exposure using a soft GND filter. Because I took the photograph during the "Blue Hour" the exposure was pretty straight forward. Sometimes the photographs are just matter of clicking the shutter...and this is one of those moments. 

Enjoy & Share.
_______

Candyland, Yellowstone National Park, WY
#landscapephotograpy , #photographyworkflow  

The bizarre formation located in Mammoth Hot Springs (Yellowstone National Park) are fascinating to watch and to photograph. They always remind of giant ice cream or candy melting away on the sidewalk. These formation are dynamic and change from year to year...and to photograph them is a hit or miss. On the day we arrived we were fortunate enough to get few good flows. 

How was this image created?
This photograph was taken during midday in harsh light...How? By minimizing the shadow areas you see in the foreground and midground. This made the exposing for the shot easy and the natural colors were preserved. I waited until I got a good steam buildup over the hot springs to take the shot. 

Enjoy & Share.
_______

The Last Green, Pebble Beach, CA
#PhotographyWorkflow, #howtophotograph

I took this photograph while shooting with some friends few year ago just north of Pigeon Point Light house. I was showing a group of students how to use the GND filters when I took this photograph.

How was this image created?
I used a hard Edge GND filter to balance out the light between the sky and the ground. The filter edge was aligned just below the rocks (accounting for the darkening of the rock at the very top). The composition was selected to fill the lower part of the frame with the Green Moss growing in the region.

If you look carefully you can see the light reflecting from the pool as well as the rock beneath the surface.

Enjoy & Share.
_________

Silver Streak, Grand Tetons National Park, WY
#PhotographyWorkflow, #howtophotograph

There must have been about a dozen photographer behind me shooting the reflections of the Grand Tetons behind me that morning, but I was drawn to the backlit mist just as the sun was coming up. The cloudless sky over the Tetons was rather uninteresting.

How was this photograph created?
As my skills were rather limited at the time, I went to great lengths to avoid the bright sky on my right. The photos is intentionally left dark to make the mist stand out. This was also one of my first attempt at manual blending...I spend hours trying to figure out how bring out the details in different parts of the image (back in 2005 HDR was not quite as popular).

At the time I was not convinced going through blending multiple images was was worth the effort. :-)))

Enjoy & Share.
___________

Spring Bloom, Iceberg Lake, Glacier National Park, MT
#Photographyworkflow, #howtophotograph

After getting multiple request, I have enabled the downloads of the images...Hope you enjoy them.

Iceberg Lake is about 9 Mile Round trip but at the end is this spectacular scene waiting for those who are lucky enough to make it to the lake. We arrived at the lake in a stormy weather as the opening in the clouds were shining patches of the light on this massive lake.

How was this image created?
This is a pretty simple simple image to expose as heavy overcast skies left soft light in most places. The timing of the shot was selected so that the lake was partially lit by the sun to bring out the brilliant colors you see in this image.

Enjoy & Share.
_______

Marymere Falls, Olympic National Park, WA
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow  

BEST VIEWED LARGE

In my last post I had mentioned how armed with $3500 worth of camera, lens, tripod (and some filter if I remember it correctly)...all I was able to do was produce an terribly exposed photograph that was more than a bit blue: https://plus.google.com/u/0/101145980349117737014/posts/9px4AsoVJF9

Fast forward 10 years later...and this is the photography you get from the same spot. Is it any better? ;))

No, I could have gotten the same shot in about 3-4 years, but did not have an opportunity to do so. So, what is different this time around? - Knowledge!! Not just processing knowledge, but also what lens to use, how to focus, how to set your exposure using histogram and most important.... WHEN TO SHOOT!! And today, I would have been able to produce the same result with the same camera. 

Enjoy & Share.
_____

#AlbumTheme: FLOWERS
#landscapephotography   #flowerphotography  

Spring has official started in North America so what was I doing trying to dig out my car from under 3 inches of wet heavy snow?  So for all of you who are patiently waiting for the spring to arrive  I have selected today's #albumtheme  to be Flowers. 

When you think about photographing flowers do you think about just Macro Photography? If so take a look at amazing variety of ways you can photograph flowers in nature. They can be used a foreground elements (as seen in the image below from Glacier National Park) or to add complementary colors to your images. I have arranged my album so that the first 20+ images features flowers in nature.

Enjoy & Share.
___________

Blue Hen Falls, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph  

Here is a shot I took about a week ago while wandering around in the forest after work. I had a new camera and was trying figure out how it worked. This small waterfall is located in Cuyahoga Valley National Park just few miles from our town. 

Can you imagine the same composition in fall when the leaves are changing colors?

How was this photograph created?
The composition of the photograph was selected using the rule of the thirds. The shutter speed was selected to highlight the flow of the water. Overcast skies make it easy to select the exposure and I used a circular polarizer to reduce the glare from the wet rocks. 

Enjoy & Share.
____

#Albumtheme: How to use Foreground Elements in your Photos?
#landscapephotography , #photography  

Foreground elements often help focus viewers attention on a specific area or lead them into the photograph. In the photo below i have use a single Trillium flower as a foreground element...but the choices for foreground element are endless. I have used Waterfalls, Lichen, Reflections, A light painted hoodoo, Rocks, Mud and even a human figure as a foreground element. 

I have arranged my album so that the first 25 images showcase the use of foreground elements in landscape photography. 

Enjoy and Share.
__

At the Bottom, Havasu Canyon, Arziona
#PhotographyWorkflow , #howtophotograph

When we backpacked to Havasu Canyon the site that greeted us was stunning to say the least. All the turquoise pools at the bottom of the canyon were just waiting for us to go swimming....but it was way to cold for that.

How was this photo created?
Simple I waited for the entire area to be covered in shade before taking this photograph. A circular polarizer help cut through haze and bring out the brilliant colors of the pool. The composition was selected to showcase the vibrant colors of the region. Highlights in the water were carefully controlled using layers and masks to prevent any over exposure.

After I took this photograph...I walked across the sedimentary formation to get to the other side of the creek...there was so much spray from the falls that I was thoroughly soaked.

Enjoy and Share.
__________

The Wonder Years, Escalante National Monument, UT
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow  

Can you imagine visiting the slot canyons for the first time in your life?

Escalante National Monument is one of my favorite places to visit and Willis Creek is one of the more unique slot canyons I have visited. This canyon has a stream running though and the wall glow deep gold colors. The canyon is pretty easy to access and I would highly recommend a visit if you in the area. 

How was this Photograph created?
Willis Creek Canyon is a compositional challenge. With all its beauty there is no defining feature that can act as an anchor in a photograph...so good compositions are hard to come by. For this particular image, I used a human figure (my than 13 year old) as an focal point for the composition. At the time I took the photograph, he is carrying my Canon 50D around his neck as was looking for interesting patterns to photograph....and it was set on manual exposure. 

Enjoy & Share.
______

Marblehead Blues, Marblehead Lighthouse, Ohio
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow

There are not many picturesque lighthouse in Ohio, but Marblehead is an exception. It is pretty difficult to photograph this place because of the location of the lighthouse and private land surrounding it. This is perhaps one of the few good shots I have of this area.

How was this photo created?
This photograph is all about timing and enduring the elements. We arrived here on a cold spring day and hoped that the clouds would put on a good show...but it was not to be. So, instead I stood in the freezing cold water (50 degrees) and used ND filter to capture a slow shutter speed shot. The blue skies were smooth water made for a striking contrast against the textures of the barren rock.

Question: Did I use a GND Filter for this shot? Why?

Enjoy & Share.
_________

Mirror Mirror in the Pond, Calf Creek Falls, UT
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow  , #photoshoptips  

Calf Creek Falls is a stunning location. It is easy to access (with a moderate hike) but is located in very remote part of Utah. In Fall (last week of October) the trees put on a brilliant colors. We were fortunate enough to arrive here with our workshop at height of the fall. We had to cross the creek to get to this location....and we were prepared to do so.

How was this photograph created?
This is a HDR image...Not a normal HDR as you may expect, but an manually blended image of 2 different images using layers and Masks in photoshop. I used a circular polarizer to capture the brilliant colors of the fall for my first shot. And then rotated the circular polarizer so that I can clearly see the reflection in the water for my second shot. I then combined the two shots together to create the image you see here using our iHDR Manual Blending workflow.

#waterfallwednesday  currated by +Eric Leslie 

Enjoy & Share.
_________

#AlbumTheme: High Dynamic Range Photographs
#landscapephotography , #hdrphotography

High Dynamic Range (HDR) photographs...People either love it or hate it and some just mute the post when they hear about HDR :-))). Most obvious use of HDR is to manage extreme tonal range as seen in the image from Grand Canyon.

The question often come up "When is it necessary to manage tonal?" In today's world it is more often than we would like. I have used iHDR workflow (manual blending workflow developed by +Varina Patel and I) to capture images in total Darkness with light painting, during middle of afternoon at Yellowstone & Glacier, to photograph birds in Everglades, at Moraine Lake in Canada and the list goes on.

I have arranged first 30 images in this album to showcase High Dynamic Range images. How many would you have recognized at being a high dynamic range images?

Here is a brief overview of iHDR workflow: http://www.photographybyvarina.com/photography/videos/ihdr-workflow-overview

Enjoy & Share.
_

Change Your Latitude, Big Island, Hawaii
#landscapephotography   #photographyworkflow   #photographytips  

Who says you cant get great photos in harsh light?

While exploring the Big Island we came across this rocky shoreline on a windy day. The surf was fantastic and the waves breaking on the nearby rocks. As we watched the wave come ashore we could see fish and turtles being tossed around in the crystal clear waters of the Pacific Ocean. 

How was this shot created?
This is a simple shot to capture if you can set your camera set properly. I used a long lens 70-200 on a crop factor sensor (with 1.4x Multiplier) to get the maximum reach. I put the camera on AI Servo (tracking mode) and used a circular polarizer to bring out the rich colors in the water. The ISO and Shutter speed were selected to free the motion of the water. After this...all that was remaining to do was to fire away as the wave came ashore. ;))

Enjoy & Share
__________

Rivendale, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow  

Oregon is Breathtaking; Beautiful; Awesome; Garden of Eden...I can go on forever. I love Columbia River Gorge....and I am convinced that it is definitely the home of Elves in Lord of the Rings. 

How was this photography created?
There are three other factors that we paid attention to while capturing this photograph. While two of these factor can be corrected in Photoshop (to some extent)...it took me less then 5 minutes to do it right in the field. Here is a video that show what workflow we followed:

http://www.photographybyvarina.com/photography/videos/quick-tip-video-shooting-waterfalls

By the time +Varina Patel had finished taking the video I was done taking photograph. We discuss these types of field workflow in our "Workflow Series" eBooks.

Enjoy & Share.
_________

Devil's Play Ground, Yellowstone National Park, WY
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow  

This was my first visit to Yellowstone and the sky put on a stunning show for us at Norris Geyser Basin. Just before this storm it was raining hard and the crowds from Norris Geyser Basin had all but disappeared. The colors on the ground and the sky were stunning.

How was this image created?
This image was taken with a soft GND filter. I used the curve of the hot springs as the foreground element and made sure that the exposure was properly adjusted to capture the steam rising form the geysers in the mid ground area. The image required targeted adjustment using Masks and Layers to bring out the details in the image. 

Enjoy & Share.
_________

#Albumtheme: Using a Strong Foreground Element
#landscapephotography  

A strong foreground element can take your photo to the next level like this one from "The Wave". To take this photograph my lens was only inches away from the erosion lines in the rock. How did I get everything sharply in focus? I used hyperfocal distance principles to ensure the sharpness throughout the image. 

I have rearranged my gallery so that the first 25 images showcases the use of strong foreground elements. 

Enjoy & Share.

#Albumtheme : Photographing Earth's amazing Geology

Geology more than any other factor (except perhaps weather) is responsible for colors, patterns, symmetry and beauty you see in my image: Hot springs in Yellowtone, stones on Pebble beach that look like jelly beans (good enough to eat), Salt pattern in Death Valley that create symmetrical hexagons, beams of light that stream down in slot canyons. And among this geological wonders are tell tale signs of humans exsistance...The waterfall image in the album below titled "Valley of Tear" was formed due to humans blasting a spillway nearby.

First 15-20 images in my album are arranged to showcase earth's amazing geology.

Enjoy & Share.
_

#Albumtheme : Canon 10D, Canon 20D
#landscapephotograpy , #earlyphotos

Here is one of the first photograph I took with my then newly acquired Canon 10D....I remember the reason I purchased 10D was to experiment with a slow shutter speed in low light conditions (something my old D30 could not do very well). Between Canon D30 and 10D I had skipped a generation of camera (Canon D60) and concentrated instead on improving my skills. It was time well spent!!!

Some of my most well know images (such as Finding Neverland, Valley of Shadow of Death, Arizona Dreaming) image were produced using these cameras. I have arranged first 30 images in my gallery to to showcase what can be accomplished by older generation cameras.

Enjoy & Share.
_

#AlbumTheme : Using Leading Lines in you Photos
#photography, #landscapephotography  

Leading Lines are prolific in nature and we use them whenever we get an opportunity. First 25 photographs in the album below provide an example of the use of leading lines.

Some of these lines are curved while others are straight, some are created by connecting dots while others are formed by jigsaw puzzle in drying mud, some are formed by erosion over 100s of years while others last only for an instant (wave along the beach). some are made by human hands while others are complements of Nature....even some islands and lakes form a leading line when viewed from the right perspective. 

For #leadinglinesmonday  

Enjoy & Share.
__

Pebbles @ Banff National Park, Canada
#landscapephotography   #photographyworkflow    #photographytips  

I love Canadian Rockies...specially the blue green color of the lakes. but if you were to look closer at the lake the water is perfectly clear like this one. I took this photo of the on a morning to showcase how clear the water was.

How was this photograph created?
The composition of this photograph was selected to create depth. My camera was inches away from the ground and the focus was selected to ensure that sharpness was maintained throughout the image. Because the terrain was uneven, I did not use a GND filter.

#thirstythursday  

Enjoy & Share.
_________

Pebble Beach, California - #PhotographyWorkflow, #MacroMonday, #howtophotograph

Pebble Beach gets it name from these small Pebbles that wash up on the shore of this small piece of land. The Pebbles are tiny, but they have brilliant colors and textures as you can see from this photograph (view the photograph at large size to see the incredible details in the image).

How was this image created? #PhotographyWorkflow

Because of overcast conditions and small area of the image, the exposure setting for this image was relatively simple...the challenge was to get proper DOF. This image was created by focus stacking two of images together. This allowed me to get up close and personal with my 180mm Macro and yet get good DOF throughout the image.

Have you ever used focus stacking to increase your DOF? Feel free to share examples.

In other news, we have been asked to make a presentation at PSA (Photography Society of America) conference in San Francisco in 2012 about Detailed and Macro Photography...more information to come.

#AlbumTheme: Older Cameras
#landscapephotography   #photographydiscussion  

Here in Nicaragua with +The Giving Lens and +Empowerment International  we teach kids with donated cameras that are often a generation or five older than the ones that the workshop participants carry. We often get a question: What can these kids do with old used equipment?  The possiblilities are limitlelss...and to show this I have arranged my album so that the first 25 images in my album were taken using D30, 10D, 20D cameras.

Enjoy & Share.
_____

Valley of Tears, Iceland
#photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph , #landscapephotography  

Here is an image from one of the most fantastic areas that we visited on Iceland. I call this place Valley of Tears because these waterfalls were created when man disturbed nature. The color of the water is stunning blue-green and there must be 10s of waterfalls in the valley.

How was this photograph created?
This location was challenging to compose. One had to resist the urge to capture the grand vistas and trying to capture every single waterfall in a single photograph. I used along lens to focus in the areas that I felt would give a pleasing composition and highlight the colors in the water. I used circular polarizer to cut through the glare on the surface of the water to bring out the details and colors in the water. 

For #waterfallwednesday  curated by +Eric Leslie 

Enjoy & Share.
_____

#AlbumTheme: Rivers
#landscapephotography  

We love to explore rivers because like lakes the provide a variety of opportunities to photograph. We often hile along the river banks photographing  different terrains along the way. 

I have arranged my album so that the first 15-20 images showcase the rivers and the terrain found around them. 

Enjoy & Share.
__________

Would You? Could You?
#photography   #photojournalism  

....just when you think you have seen it all!! Here is slice of our world from first week of Feb as seen by Time:

http://lightbox.time.com/2013/02/08/pictures-of-the-week-february-1-february-8/#36

Enjoy and Share.
_____________ 

Life on the Edge, Bryce Canyon National Park, UT
#PhotographyWorkflow, #howtophotograph

I just realized that all the time that I have visited Bryce I have yet to post an image from Bryce on G+. So here is one of my first shots of Bryce Canyon. Best when viewed at large size

How was this image created?
This image is all about light and composition. I waited until the first says of the sun (red light) hit the canyon walls before taking this shot. The tree in the foreground is used to frame the image and to create a depth in the image - One can see the finest details in the foreground as well as the details on the far side of the canyon. I used a circular polariser to bring out the colors and details in this shot. The final was processed using our iHDR workflow from a single RAW exposure processed twice.

Cover up the root and tree and view the image and just view the hoodoos..does the image convey depth without the small details?

Enjoy and Share.
_________

Inspirational Stunts and Timelapse Image for your Friday!!

FYI: This is NOT my work.

Enjoy and Share.
____________

Spring Bloom, Redwood National Forest, CA
#landscapephotography   #photograpytips   #photographyworkflow  

BEST VIEWED LARGE

Spring is coming and the question is where to go shoot next? If you have not visited Redwood Forest National Park in spring I would highly recommend you do so. I arrived at the park in pouring rain...and next day when I wander into the woods I was greeted with a breathtaking site of the pink rhododendron in full bloom.

How was this image created?
It is difficult to shoot in a cluttered place like a forest and so for me this was a exercise in composition. I used hyperfocal distance to get as close to the flowers as possible so that they would stand out in the image. I selected a patch of flowers surrounded by the green to create a fresh spring mood and to further make the flowers more visible by using principle of complementary colors.

Enjoy and Share.
_____________

#albumtheme : Using Leading Lines in your Composition
#landscapephotography , #leadinglinesmonday

Leading Lines are one of the most commonly used compositional element by photographers. These leading lines can be formed by sand (as seen in this photograph from Death Valley), by sandstones in Coyotes Buttes, by mud cracks in Slot Canyons, by bacterial mats in Yellowstone National Park and by rivers and creeks. Human brains have evolved to respond to these leading lines...and often time forms the leading lines when there are none by just connecting similar elements (as seen the example from Bisti Wilderness in the gallery below.)

I have arranged first 15-20 photographs in my gallery to showcase leading lines used as compositional element in landscape photographs.

Enjoy & Share.
_

Siblings, Olympic National Park, WA
#photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph , #landscapephotography ,

I love shooting marine life in the tide pools found in Olympic National Park...and couple of years ago while on vacation with the kids I stumbled upon a family of brilliant sea anemones.

How was this photograph created?
This is image about how light and water interact with one another. These anemone were lying in "PERFECT" amount of water...just an enough so their tentacles are submerged under water but not deep enough to be dull their brilliant colors. I positioned my camera so that light from the surface of the water bounced off away from the lens...leaving me with near perfect view underwater. Had there been too much water the clarity would not be there...had there been too little water the anemones would close up.

For #macromonday curated by +Kelli Seeger Kim, +Kerry Murphy, +Jennifer Eden, #nationalparkweek

Enjoy & Share.
______

The Canyon Maze, Paria River, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Utah (UT), USA

The composition was a challenge for this photograph as there were foot prints in the wet sand. This photograph was taken at 29mm focal length and is an focus stacked image. Focus stacking was necessary to get an entire image in focus due the fact that the canyon floor was less than 2 feet from the camera.

In all my travels to southern Utah this is the only time I have only encountered untouched (almost untouched) canyon floor that can be used an foreground.

Landscape Photography Gallery: Photographing Lakes and Ponds - #AlbumTheme

This week's album theme is Lakes. First 15-20 images in my albums are arranged to showcase the photographic opportunities found along the shores of the lakes.

Lakes provide an opportunity for all kinds of wildlife to come together (specially in the dry season) as well as mirror like surface to catch the reflections. This particular photograph of the Alligator modeling for the photograph was taken in Florida.

Enjoy & Share.
__

Reflecting on the Tetons, Grand Tetons National Park, WY

BEST VIEWED LARGE

I have been to Grand Tetons several times, and I just love to photograph the park. This was taken on my first visit to Grand Tetons. When I was taking this shot (along with a 10 other photographers) a giant bison walked up about 10 feet behind us an made himself at home. ;)) For rest of the shoot we were very quite and made sure we did not disturb Mr. Bison. ;))

How was this image created?
In those days there was no HDR and the only option left to a photographer was to use GND filter. So, I used a soft GND filter to balance the light in the sky and the reflections. Everything was perfectly still and the mist was hanging around at the end of the pond. 

FYI: This was taken with my old Canon 20D.

Enjoy & Share.
___________
#landscapephotography   #photographyworkflow   #photographytips  

The Wind & The Ocean, Hawaii
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow

I love watching the waves break as they approach the shore in Hawaii. While strolling on the beach on a windy day I decided to capture the wonderful turquoise color of the ocean. I had to find a spot there the wave were breaking just at the right distance to be able to see the rich colors of the ocean.

How was this photograph created?
Who says you cant take good photograph in Harsh Light? This photo was taken in middle of the afternoon under the blue skies. In most cases harsh afternoon light would ruin your photo but while photographing the ocean the harsh afternoon light brings out the colors in the water. I had to use high shutter speed and carefully select the exposure (using histogram) to keep the water from over exposing. I did use a polarizer to bring out the colors in the sky and the ocean.

Enjoy & Share.
_

What can you do with Layers & Mask in Photoshop?
#photoshoptutorials , #photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph

With Lightroom and HDR tools gaining popularity we often get this question Do I really need to know how to use Photoshop? If you want precise control over image editing the answer is simple: YES. Here is an article that shows the targeted adjustments you can make using Layers & Mask in Photoshop.

http://www.jaypatelphotography.com/photography/q-and-a/q-a-why-do-you-need-layers-and-masks

You can see before and after photos of St. Mary's Falls and the adjustment we made with various Layers & Masks in Photoshop.

Enjoy & Share.
_______

Crystal Mills, Colorado
#photographyworkflow   #photographytips   #photographytutorial   #landscapephotography  

If you judge by the road to get to Crystal Mills you begin to question why the heck would anyone want to live so far away from civilization...but when you look at the magnificent beauty surrounding you cant help bu think WOW what a great place to build a town.

How was this photograph created?
This is photo is a reminder that flexibility pays in landscape photography business. We had it all planned out...we had rented a 4 wheel SUV to make it to this location. But after travelling 1.5 miles it was clear that our little outback was not prepared for the roads. So, we parked the car and hiked another 2.5 miles in wet muddy road to be able to take this shot...and then hike back. Both way it was raining intermittently but the overcast skies were perfect for shot like this. 

Some building around this location were no longer standing and the part of the hillside is barren (dirt), I used the foliage in the foreground to cover this up and still give a full view of the Mill.

Enjoy & Share.
___

Twilight @ White Sands National Monument

BEST VIEWED LARGE - Look closely and you will be able to see the grains of sand in the foreground.

White Sands National Monument is an amazing place, but a busy one. The challenge for the photographer at a location like this is to get away from the crowds and find a untouched piece of land. To this we hiked out in the sand for several miles to find a place which was not visited by the tourists in few days...and came upon this location. ;))

How was this image created?
I almost did not catch the last glow of light and was packing up my gear for the day when the sky light up with magenta colors. I quickly ran up this dune to find a composition to include subtle textures in the sand. The light was strong enough that this shot required me to bracket the image and then blend it using our iHDR manual blending workflow. This control over the exposure enabled me to retain the textures you see in the foreground (VIEW LARGE).

Enjoy & Share.
___________
#landscapephotography   #photographyworkflow   #photographytips  

#AlbumTheme: 2012: A Year in Review
#landscapephotography   #Bestof2012  

What was year 2012 like for us? In someway it was a typical year for us and other ways it was transition year for +Varina Patel and myself. We took photography trips to Utah, Oregon, Denver, Colorado, Nicaragua, Hawaii and few other small trips.

The first 20 Images from my album are from 2012. There are no images from Hawaii because they are yet to be processed. ;))

What else did we do in 2012? Here is a smallish list:

----We survived yet another apocalypse… and made it through 69 soccer games for our 6 kids as well.
----We (barely) survived having 3 high school students at once.
----We partnered with +SmugMug, +Wacom Americas, Lens Rentals, +fstop, +Nik Software, +onOne Software, +JOBY, and +Induro.
----We started two communities on Google+: Landscape Photography and Photo Tips. (Come join us!)
----We visited Nicaragua with +The Giving Lens and fell in love with the kids at +Empowerment International.
----We put out blog posts EVERY SINGLE WEEK DAY in 2012… thanks to +Varina Patel 
----We put out two brand new eBooks: What the Heck is a Histogram? and  The Workflow Series – Details and Macro (We also updated out Learning to See, Vibrant Colors, and How to Choose a Tripod eBooks).

Enjoy & Share.
_

A Grand View, Grand Tetons National Park, WY
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow , #floralfriday , #earlyphotos  

This is a view of Grand Tetons rarely seen by most visitors. To see this view you have to hike about 6 miles into the mountains along the Cascade Canyon Trail. On this particular visit my 7 year and a friend of mine spend 2 days backpacking into the mountains. This was the view out of our tent. During this trips we saw Moose, River Otters, Foxes, marmots and other small wild animals....Needless to say we were the only ones camping in the valley.

How was this image created?
This is a manually blended shot using a single RAW image taken with my old 20D. It was impossible for me to use a GND filter and preserve the true nature of the scene due to tall mountains, so took a single RAW image and made sure that I had sufficient details in all area. I did use a circular polarizer to cut down on the haze.

Enjoy & Share.
_______   

Up Close & Personal & Tom McCall Preserve, Oregon
#landscapephotography   #photographyworkflow   #photographytips  

BEST VIEWED LARGE

I took this photograph on the day before we met +Michael Riffle , +Patricia Davidson +Brian Matiash and +Nicole S. Young. This was a scouting day for us to see how the flowers in the area were coming along. Although the lupines were not yet blooming these yellow flowers were in full bloom. 

How was this photo created?
The composition was selected so that the small foreground would dominate the photograph. How? By getting up close and personal to the flowers. I used hyperfocal distance theory to ensure that everything was acceptably sharp in the image and appeared to be in focus. And then there was a small challenge of blending the sky and foregound due to uneven distribution of light. I tackled that using our iHDR manual blending workflow. 

Enjoy & Share.
___________

The Shire, Iceland, #PhotographyWorkflow, #howtophotograph

Part of Iceland are so green that is hard to believe that it is located at 66 degrees North Latitude. The land near Kirkjubaejarklaustur is an perfect example of this. This area had moss growing so thing that at times our foot would sink 6 inches into the moss....and when we lifted it the moss would pop right back in its place.

How as this image created?

From compositional stand point, I wanted to capture the tiniest details in moss so I set up my camera as close to the moss as possible without loosing sharpness throughout the image. I selected the side lighting further define the textures of the moss covered rocks. Final image was a combination of 3 bracketed images blended using our iHDR workflow.

I took this photo the day after our accident at Jakusarlon from with my Canon 50D and Canon 16-35 F2.8L borrowed from a friend. My Canon 5D MKII was dead for the duration of the trip and Varina was using my primary lens: Canon 17-40 F4 L. You can read about our adventures at Jakusarlon at: http://www.photographybyvarina.com/photography/blog/iceland-day-5-2

Enjoy & Share.
_______

Magnificent Panther Creek Falls, Mt. Adams Wilderness, WA
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow

BEST VIEWED LARGE

I have known about Panther Creek Falls for a while but did not have a chance to visit them until +Varina Patel and I met up +Brian Matiash, +Nicole S. Young, +Patricia Davidson and +Michael Riffle on our recent trip to Oregon. When we arrived these falls were flowing quite nicely and the soft overcast light was perfect for taking photographs. 

How was this image created?
This is a difficult shot to capture even in soft light. The most challenging thing about this location is the different flow density of the water. This means that where the volume and foam of the water are high the water tends to get over exposed. For this reason, I ended up bracketing the shot and merging the final shot so that the flow lines are visible in ALL parts of the waterfalls. 

Enjoy & Share.
_______

Pebble Beach, California
#photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph , Best Viewed Large

I love shooting at Pebble Beach (a tiny portion of beach located close to south of San Gregorio Beach)...Its bizarre geology combined with diversity of vegetation and terrain makes it an ideal place for finding interesting foregrounds like this small puddle surrounded by green moss....to top it off the sky was putting on a show its own.

I have Portrait composition: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/101145980349117737014/albums/5656445039152794033/5711393800307355714

Which one do you prefer?

How was this image created?
This image was result of a 0.9 Hard ND filter and manual blending using our iHDR workflow. The overall exposure was adjusted to make the scene look a natural as possible. If you look closely you can see the both under water and reflection of the setting sun and the textures in the moss and rocks.

Enjoy & Share.
______

Mystic Light, Olympic National Park, WA
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow

Lake Crescent lies on the northern edge of the Olympic National Park and is surrounded by tall mountains on every side. Photography here is difficult, but the colors and foreground variation offered by the lake can produce some stunning shots if the light is right.

How was this photograph created
We knew that during the cold night of Pacific Northwest the humidity from the previous day would settle in the valley as fog. But we did not know just how thick the fog would be. So we took a chance woke up are ridiculous hour and drove down to the lake to catch the sunrise. You know what they say...Luck favors those who are prepared. We got some stunning spot lighting effect on the lake and the sun broke through the fog.

Enjoy & Share.
_______

What location would you like to photograph this summer?
#photographyworkflow #howtophotograph

This shot always reminds me about reflecting on your priorities. Most of us spend days, weeks and month sitting in a little cubicle and staring at a little screen....but we all need a bit more time outside. So, this summer why not take some time and wander around places like this?

How was this photograph created?
We were fortunate enough to come upon the Oxbow bend with almost no wind. I included just enough reflections to add interest to the photograph. Why did I take this photo in harsh light? Because the distribution of elements is such that it creates no big areas of harsh shadows in the image.

Enjoy & Share.
_____

#Albumthem: Majestic Mountains

I love mountains because of diversity of flora and funa found within them. From photography perspective mountains are host to some spectacular lakes, wildlife, flowers and are capable of producing some of the most dramatic light you have ever seen. 

I have arranged my album so that the first 25 images showcase the majestic mountains. 

Enjoy & Share.
___________
#landscapephotography  

Oregon Dreaming, Tom McCall Preserve, Oregon
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow

Do you dream about traveling?...I am always dreaming about going places like the ones you see in this photograph...and when composing this photograph I used shallow DOF to create a dreamy effect. This was an experiment in creativity to see if I can produce a half decent shot with a shallow DOF. Does is work?

How was this photograph created?
This is photograph is all about composition. I selected the image to ensure that the foreground flowers were sharply in focus while the other elements were out of focus. Another composition choice to was to make the sharp objects appear bigger to draw the viewers attention. And I used a polarizer to bring out the colors on the wet leaves.

Enjoy & Share.
_______

When it Pours, Baume-les-Messieurs, France
#Photographyworkflow, #howtophotograph , #landscapephotography  

Baume-les-Messieurs is a commune in Jura district of France where this waterfall is located. When we arrived at this waterfall, it was at the height of spring and the extra water created a gorgeous view for us. The flow dries to just few trickle in the summer. 

Here is a free eBook about Photographing France by +Varina Patel: http://www.photographybyvarina.com/photography/ebooks/ebook-photographing-france

How was this photo created?
I took this shot on an overcast day using a polarizer. Even with an overcast lighting it is difficult to control the overexposure in the water. So, a single RAW image was processed twice to bring out the details in ever part of the image (merge was done using manual blending techniques). I choose simple composition to capture the entire waterfall.

#waterfallwednesday  curated by the talented +Eric Leslie 

Enjoy & Share.
_______

Cactii Storm, Death Valley National Park, CA
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow , #howtophotograph  

BEST VIEWED LARGE

This image is a good reminder that you have always more to learn...even from your students. We try to teach our student how to make most of the light conditions at a given location and at time we make selecting the shooting location an interactive process. One of students suggested that we should shoot those lovely pink cactii that we passed along the way....Having been to Death Valley several time before I never shot at this location but we decided to give it a go. Now..this location is regular stop on our workshops in Death Valley.

How was this photos created?

This is a single exposure shot with a soft 0.6 GND filter to control the light in the sky. Even with a GND filters it was necessary to process the RAW image twice and blend it together using our iHDR Manual blending workflow. Why? Because the sky was over slightly over exposed.

The light you see on the cactus was some of the last light falling on the foreground. This allowed the Cactus to stand out from the dark background. 

Exposure: 1/3s@F16, ISO 100
Focal Length: 17mm

Enjoy & Share.
______

#AlbumTheme: Old Cameras
Canon D30, Canon 10D and Canon 20D
#LandscapePhotography, #Camera   #photographydiscussion  

What makes a good photograph? Equipment or the Photographer? 

I am sure there are some of you would argue that without equipment you cant take the photo you want....and to some extent it is true. But the real talent and passion lies within the photographer. So while we all want to think that getting our hands on that latest Canon 5D MKIII or Nikon D800 will allow you create the images you only dream about...it is rarely the case (and that includes me).

To prove my point (or to start a good discussion), this weeks album them is Old Cameras. First 25 photo in my album are taken with Canon D30, Canon 10D and Canon 20D. In fact the cover photo below was taken with Canon D30 (Canon's first DSLR...it had a whooping 3mp resolution)....and terrible dynamic range. ;))

Enjoy & Share.
_____

#Albumtheme: Rocks and Mud
#landscapephotography , #photography  

Rocks and Mud are found everywhere in nature and we love to use them in our photos. Sometimes they form a leading lines while other time they create a point of interest; sometimes they exhibit brilliant colors while other time they are dark dead object (like the one seen in the image below); sometimes they form repeating patterns while other times there is no pattern to them at all. But in all cases they add to the impact of the photograph....and without rocks and mud the photo would loose some or all of its appeal.

First 25-30 images showcase how to use rocks and mud creatively in your photograph to make them more appealing.

Enjoy & Share.
__ 

The Shelter, Big Island, Hawaii
#LandscapePhotography   #photographyworkflow   #photographytips  

Sometime unexpected conditions create some unique photos. While wandering around a local park near Hilo we were stunned to see the light beams being traced by the mist that was blowing from the sea in this narrow region of the park. It was a blue sky day, but this small section of the park was exhibiting its own micro climate. 

How was this image created?
I used a man made object (a small shelter) as a focal point. While true landscape photographs frown on this technique +Varina Patel and I will often use this to draw attention to our scene. Due to extreme range of light I used our iHDR manual blending workflow to retain the details in the highlights and shadows. 

To read more about how to use human object in your photos check out the article below:

http://www.jaypatelphotography.com/photography/tutorials/using-human-elements-in-your-photos

Enjoy & Share.
__________

Prelude For the Light, Glacier National Park, MT
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow , #earlyphotos  

Of the three best sunrises/sunsets that I have successfully photographed, two of them have occured on this narrow stretch of road known as Going to The Sun Road. Here is one of them....when photographing this, I remember turning to my fellow photographer and asking him if we are still on planet earth.

How was this Image created?
This shot was taken early in my photography career with my good old Canon D30 (3MP) camera. At the time my composition skills were not as advanced and neither were my processing skills. I did however understood the value of GND filters and balancing the light. I used a SOFT 0.6 GND filter to take this photograph.

 +Patrick Smith, +Ivan Makarov, +Mike Spinak, +QT Luong  and other have been sharing early photos as well....feel free to check out their streams.

Enjoy & Share.
_______

Storm @ Grand Prismatic, Yellowstone National Park
#landscapephotography , #photographyworkflow

Yellowstone is magnificent....and my first visit was in in 2005. I visited the park twice that year in different times of the year to capture it in different conditions. It also allowed me to see the park under different seasons and different weather conditions.

How was this photograph created?
This photograph is all about waiting...Waiting for the light to fall at the right place. While photographing Grand Prismatic I noticed that when the sun broke through the clouds it backlit the mist creating a superb contrast against the dark storm clouds. I caught this photograph at the time that the mist from Grand Prismatic was back lit by the sun. This is a single image processed twice and blended together using manual blending techniques.

Enjoy & Share.
_______

The Valley of Tears, Iceland - ##WaterfallWednesday, #PhotographyWorkflow, #howtophotograph

This hidden valley in Iceland (requires some off road driving) is characterized by several waterfall and turquoise water. We came to this Valley and my first reaction was WOW! We knew that we would be returning to this place when the light was right....and we did several times.

How was this image created?

The most difficult part about this location was composition. Sometime when we stand admiring a location it is difficult for us to know why we like the vista before us...and this happened to me at this location. Finally after reflecting on the location it came down to couple of key elements...10s of waterfalls and turquoise river that flowed through the canyon. This composition tried to capture the inspirational scene into the components that characterizes a location. I used a circular polarizer to bring out the colors in the water and to cut through the haze.

Does the composition work for you? What do you think?
Another Interesting question: What kind of color scheme dominates this photograph?

About the Title: This is a title of the photograph...not of the location. When we found out that this place was created by hand of man...it seemed to me that the nature was shedding tears are being disturbed in such massive way and hence the title.

#photography #landscapephotography
________________________________________________