First, sorry (to those who enjoy following my work) that I have been off the grid for almost 2 months. For a month, I was in Uganda, Africa doing humanitarian work with orphaned kids (a work I have enjoyed being involved with for over 20 years now through a non profit called Good Samaritan Ministries - headquartered in Beaverton Oregon) and traveling around Uganda to scout out and prepare a potential Uganda Photography Tour for 2018. My new girlfriend has been helping me with some much needed back end business and she came with me and it was life changing for both of us to say the least! Uganda is a quite underexploited country in Africa with incredible potential for amazing landscape, wildlife and lifestyle images!
Then we flew back to the US (the Pacific Northwest for me and Florida for her) and I am now finishing up spring tours. One more and then my girlfriend flies in from Florida, for 10 days of us simply tootling around Oregon together before flying back to Jacksonville, Florida (my new home). I cant wait!!!! Yes, now 9 months into this relationship, things are going great so far. Instead of a 300 day a year, live out of my rig, isolationist landscape photographer I am more than gladly embracing love, family, friends, community (balance)... For years, often people have emailed or messaged me saying something like, "I'm envious of your lifestyle" or "your are really living the life man!" Well today I tell them, "No, you are living the life but you just don't know it!" By pushing travel, adventure and isolation to the extreme over the years I have vividly/painfully learned a critical lesson: it is the people and the relationships in our lives that are the true value in our lives. I am glad to have that lesson learned!
The image:
Please don't judge this one too harshly, it is just a quick test edit, edited on a non calibrated laptop monitor in the parking lot just after shooting it! I was watching over my clients cars and gear while they did their thing. I usually NEVER process on laptops (am usually very strict and about being on a full size, quality, calibrated desktop monitor for critical processing) but I have been absent so long, I decided to just let the chips fly.
Lastly, I hope everyone is well and getting great light this spring and great adventures of your own out there. Take care and be safe!
Congrats on all the success in your personal life, and it's great to hear you are out serving others.
I like this shot, and I think it looks great. Nice colors, and I like the look of the water. I have often thought you are a bit too tough on yourself as to demanding such an exacting processing set up. In the end, either the processed image looks good or it doesn't. I have found the person processing plays a much larger role in how a finished image looks than what platform the image was processed on.
Congratulations Mark. Once again a wonderful piece of work. Processing aside I really like the composition that brings perspective depth ending in a smoky water. Beautiful.
Love the shot, the processing and love the fact its in Oregon! (Its funny how laptop processing can many times set the standard once back home on my desktop.)
Adam_A wrote:
Very nice image. And congratulations!
Adam
Thank you very much Adam!
JimFox wrote:
Hey Mark,
Congrats on all the success in your personal life, and it's great to hear you are out serving others.
I like this shot, and I think it looks great. Nice colors, and I like the look of the water. I have often thought you are a bit too tough on yourself as to demanding such an exacting processing set up. In the end, either the processed image looks good or it doesn't. I have found the person processing plays a much larger role in how a finished image looks than what platform the image was processed on.
Jim
Thank you very much Jim!
As far as being a bit too tough on myself... When you teach color management, master print making and landscape photography... for your living I believe you have to be meticulous about it. Especially the color management side.
I think there's a tree branch in there that's off color :P :P. JK. The comp is beautiful. Fantastic flow that all leads all the way back.
Jason
I always enjoy your humor Jason! Thank you very much!
Anand Pichumani wrote:
Congratulations Mark. Once again a wonderful piece of work. Processing aside I really like the composition that brings perspective depth ending in a smoky water. Beautiful.
Anand
Huge thank you!
mb126 wrote:
Congrats on everything Mark and killer shot as always!
Major thank you!
dbehrens wrote:
I'm happy for you.
Love the shot, the processing and love the fact its in Oregon! (Its funny how laptop processing can many times set the standard once back home on my desktop.)
Looking forward to the next time our paths cross!
Dave
Thank you Dave! You rock! And so does our state!
aFeinberg wrote:
Mood and color is awesome. Fun spot!
Thank you Aaron! So you have shot here? Cool!
psharvic wrote:
A fine picture, Mark. I'd love to see a comparison repost if you can get it to look better using your big monitor. Congrats on the good life.
Thank you! I hope I can get to that!
arjen_m wrote:
Hey Mark,
Nice image and good to hear from you again. You're right: the quality of our life is directly related to the quality of our relationships!
Thank you and AMEN!
Hardcore wrote:
Bam! Nailed it! Voted!
Corey
Thank you very much!
arjen_m wrote:
Do they have such pretty rivers in Florida?
Thank you. Not sure yet!
gpelpel wrote:
Splendid image!
I love how you treated the water.
Thank you!
No treatment of the water outside my custom Raw Default settings.
(Its funny how laptop processing can many times set the standard once back home on my desktop.)