Charlie is very much one fo the good guys — a fine photographer, a master of his craft, a good teacher, and a generally good person. He’s also a direct link back to Ansel, being one of his protégés. In the spirit of sharing what has been shared with me and what I’ve learned, I also have wrtten up descriptions of how I made various photographs, from capture through post-processing
Following up a bit more on this, Morris…
I usually don’t include the sky in my photographs — I’ll do it if the sky is special, but most often I leave it out. But when there are clouds (or for or other similar atmospheric phenomena) they can become the primary subject in some case.
I agree strongly with you about “get(ting more out of the light I captured in my post processing.” While not everyone realizes this, a good exposure (captured as a raw file) often does not do a lot with the light and can even look rather dull. So, just as many folks did in the film era, I capture to retain maximum usable image data (regardless of how it looks SOOC) and post-process to get the look I’m after. And a lot of this is about shaping and sculpting the light in the image.
Dan
morris wrote:
I could see Charlie's influence as soon as I looked at his photos. That was very generous of him and I also like to help other local photographers that show potential. The cloud photos did not do much for me and that's why I did not comment. There is only one that sort of grabbed me: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55612050590_7762aeae3d_o.jpg
I'm fond of using clouds in my images, they are always different and can add mood, contrast or softness.
I've always used light in my compositions when I take the photos and have been learning hot to get more out of the light I captured in my post processing. So many people put down there camera when we have beautiful soft light yet that's when I run out to take photos.
My dad was the one that taught me to see light, contrast and color. He was and illustrator and cartoon artist. He taught me to look at artwork (drawings, paintings and photographs) and to examine where the light was coming from and how it cast shadows to produce a 3 dimensional look, and contrast. He also taught me color theory. All of this was very useful when I studied theatre lighting and design in college. My instructor who was a Broadway designer, Richard Dunam, use the same type of excursuses and of cause they came natural to me.
About “unplanned” photos, indeed quite a few happen that way, or at least where the specific image was not planned. I think of it much like hunting. If I know my “prey” (the landscapes I’m working with) and the conditions, I increase the chances that I’ll be there, ready to see and photograph things when they happen.
On the other hand, some photographers plan a LOT. I’ve long been jealous of Michael Frye for a photograph he made at Trona Pinnacles that included the moon. He apparently planned the entire thing at home using software that predicts the locations of celestial bodies relative to the landscape, drove down there, set up, and made a great photograph.”
Not that I’m jealous. No. Not a bit. ;-)
Dan
Jaree wrote:
Thanks for sharing the background. Sometimes the best pictures are the ones that are unplanned. I have seen enough of grand fall colors in New Hampshire's White Mountains, Colorado rockies and other places so it takes a lot now to make me stop and appreciate fall scenes. Your shot of the fallen leaves was one such image. It seems almost as if someone arranged them carefully.
gdanmitchell wrote:
The area in those two photographs is probably well-known to folks who travel down the Eastern Sierra on 395, though it is quite a ways south of the areas you mention — more in the Bridgeport to Lee Vining area.
Yes, caught it on my drive from Truckee to Bishop. Narrowed down the spot to include #1, too, when I was looking on the desktop as opposed to the phone.
It's a beautiful area. Quite the seasonal difference, spring and snow and autumn brilliance. Fewer "peepers" that spring day compared to fall color season.
