Seeing and Sharing Beauty

Year: 2010 (Page 1 of 5)

Pack’s Gold

Do you edit your images?

I am often asked if I edit or enhance my images.

Absolutely!

Ansel Adams edited his film images in his film development and printing.  I edit in my digital images on a computer with software.

Pack's Gold

Pack’s Gold

Here’s my image titled “Pack’s Gold” from my New Mexico portfolio.  This image was honored with an award at the Mayslake Nature Study and Photography Club on December 6, 2010.

It’s my artistic expression of that scene, that night.  It has a “wow” factor.  Its contrast, color, and composition strikes a bit of awe and wonder in me and probably the judges too.   Someone commented to me later, “I bet it didn’t look that way.”  Right!  As an artist, I created this image to reflect the feeling and the impact of that magical evening — setting sunlight on the land against a dark stormy sky.

Do You Have Blue in Your Carpet?

Here’s another version of that scene:

Pack's Gold for Blue Lovers

Pack’s Gold for Blue Lovers

Not bad.  This one you might like if you prefer blue, or if the blue in the photo matches your carpet.

Both images were developed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.  Did it really look like either of these that evening?  Who can say?  I am the artist, and the first image is what I saw that night.  My will to create and my artist tools (the camera and software) allow me to render an image of awe and wonder that attempts to show how that scene in that evening moved my soul.

Is your camera an artist?

Below is the image as the camera processor recorded it, “camera neutral”.  A machine’s view of things, not an artist’s view.

Pack's Gold Raw File

Pack’s Gold Raw File

Three Kings

Three Kings

Three Kings

This was an exciting trip to several iconic locations in north-central New Mexico.  I was blessed with beautiful weather and days of spectacular clouds and light while photographing Battleship Rock, Cerro Pedernal, Chama River, Chimney Rock, Plaza Blanca, Orphan Mesa, Mesa Montosa, and the brilliantly colorful Painted Desert made famous by the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe.

In this season of innocence and gratitude, I am grateful to have been able to photograph these timeless natural sculptures, and glad to be able to share these images with you.

My best wishes to you and yours!

Hand of God

Hand of God

Hand of God

Still under the spell of the Land of Enchantment — New Mexico — near Ghost Ranch.  Here is my image titled “Hand of God”, taken of a mesa named Pack’s Point during an evening thunderstorm.

Normally, it is a “no-no” for the photographer’s shadow to show in a picture but, hey, I need to keep doing my shadow-work!  The sun at my back, I consider the hand of God made that mesa, and even helped me get up there to get the shot.  Talk about an enchanting evening!

Water Color

Water Color

Water Color, Cannon Beach, Oregon

I wanted to write something clever and inspiring for this post.  I was even going to go so far as to quote Forrest Gump, and how his saying about chocolates also applies to landscape/nature photographers: “Life [landscape photography] is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”

I was going to emphasize that the work is to be there, READY to receive what comes, to put yourself in a place and time to receive what the sky and weather and light and wind give you.  Just be READY!

But I had lunch with my son Harry III today, and he told me, “Dad, you don’t have to write anything.  Your pictures are worth a thousand words.”

So without further ado, I invite you to view my Oregon Set on flickr — Hood River, the Columbia River Gorge, and the Pacific coast from Florence to Astoria.  Waterfalls, mountains, lighthouses, crashing waves, beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

Enjoy!

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