elements

The three great elemental sounds in nature are 

the sound of rain, 

the sound of wind in a primeval wood, 

and the sound of outer ocean on a beach. 

~ Henry Beston

We spent the night at the coast this past weekend.I love the ocean.

I don't think I could ever live in a state that didn't have the ocean on one of its borders.

Not ever.

We went to the South Jetty in the Ft. Stevens State Park.

I love this location.

We were hoping for a nice sunset, but this is the best we got.

So, what do you do when expectations aren't met?

With landscape photography it's a bit more disappointing as you have traveled

a distance to be at a particular place at a certain time for the 'party',

but mother nature didn't get the invitation.

Don't cry. It's all good.

First, just enjoy the place you've found yourself...free of expectations.

Second, if you're intent on making a picture, there is always something to photograph.

Readjust your 'sights' and look around with new eyes.

You'll see something. 

Maybe even something better than what you were planning to capture in the first place!

Regarding the top image: I loved the vantage point

we had after climbing onto the rocks.

We were inline with the dilapidated wooden trestle, rocks, and the water, rather than viewing them from above via the observation tower.

If you've been visiting the blog, you know I'm a fan of long exposure water photography.

For me, the contrast between the textures of the hard rocks and wood and the 

soft water worked to create an intriguing compositional element.

I realized in researching elements of composition, that I had layers of the four 'elements'

in this image corresponding to:

Earth (rock), Wood (trestle), Water (sea), and Fire (sun).

I didn't think about this at the time I was making the image...maybe I did subconsciously...

In post-processing, I cropped out most of the sky except for the wee bit

of light at the top to provide context. 

Maybe I don't even need that...thoughts?

I do like the contrast between the warmer sky and cooler water, and keeping

the bit of sky in provides that contrast.

Below: An intact trestle near the Jetty.

Another favorite spot. We were able to walk all the way to the water's edge in the grasses.

I need to work this location more...we'll be back!

Let's round out the 'elements' theme of this post with a few links on 

elements of composition and strong imagery:

https://luminous-landscape.com/elements-principles-design/

http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-top-photography-composition-rules

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/photography-tips-12-elements-to-capture-that-winning-shot/

I especially liked this article:

http://www.photocascadia.com/blog/five-compositional-patterns-worth-finding-in-nature/#.VtMYqVKihdk

p.s. if you visit the jetty, be prepared for wind...it is always windy!

Bring plenty of microfibre cloths to dry off your lens/filters and glasses if you wear them...

the mist and splashes (yes, we were that close!) were unrelenting!

Carry a small water bottle, too...the sea spray is horribly sticky

on lens/filters/glasses.

choices

There are two primary choices in life: 

to accept conditions as they exist, 

or accept the responsibility for changing them.

~ Denis Waitley

Color or monochrome?

Sometimes the choice is easy.

Sometimes, not so much.

I was feeling a bit monochromatic on this day,
and the black and white image fit my mood better.
But, I also liked the color image.

It was a glorious February day and the color image was a perfect portrayal 

of the day and scene. 

I like monochrome because it accentuates the subject, and reduces the distraction caused by color. 
Some say you can see the soul of the subject when you shoot in black and white.

So, color or monochrome?

I don't believe there is a right or wrong when it comes to image processing...except regarding over sharpening (wrong) or swapping skies (also wrong)...but those things aside, how you process your image is personal.
You were there. You know what you saw and what you felt.
Your image is an echo of that moment.

Let your heart be your guide...it really is the perfect gps!

Remember,

if you save your original image with all the layers intact,

you can easily choose between monochrome and color 

as your mood and creative process dictate at some future date.

For me, I really like both of these images.
Usually I have a clear preference.
What about you, do you like one over the other?

Do you know what's more important than choosing how to process your images?

Yep! Shooting!!

Close down this blog post and go out and make pictures!

Do it now!

Fuji XT1 ISO 200 f/16 1/30 sec XF35mm (23.3mm EFL)

beach day

When anxious, uneasy and bad thoughts come, 

I go to the sea, and the sea drowns them out with its great wide sounds, 

cleanses me with its noise, and imposes a rhythm upon everything in me 

that is bewildered and confused. 

~ Rainer Maria Rilke

A trip to the South Jetty in Fort Stevens State Park 

near Warrenton, OR yielded these images.

It was a rainy, rainy, and windy day.

I was soaked.

I was perched on a wooden viewing platform.

Everytime another person climbed onto it it would tremble.

Not good in the middle of a long exposure.

I waited. I restarted. I stopped. Repeat.

I felt my patience was rewarded with this shot.

On the drive home I rounded a corner and saw a pop of color in the sky.

I pulled over, took out my camera and tripod and quickly...

...very quickly...

set up the shot.

I got off two shots before the color in the sky was gone.

Luck is a huge part of getting any shot.

Luck in being in the right place at the right time.

Luck in having the camera ready and attached to the tripod.

Luck in having a large shoulder to park.

Luck and patience.

I can live with that. 

exploring

Travel makes one modest, 

you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. 

~ Gustave Flaubert

Another image from some autumn exploration.

This was taken on a hill above Yale Lake in Washington.

It was a glorious autumn day.

Beautiful for a drive with the camera in tow.

You never know what you might see.

FujiXT1 ISO 200 f/16 1/40 sec XF18-55mm (83mm EFL)

home

We must make our homes 

centers of compassion and forgive endlessly.

~ Mother Teresa

We were out and about this past weekend chasing waterfalls and leaves.

I found a barn.

Extra points for it being red barn!

I was surprised this image turned out.
The face of the barn was in deep shadow and the sky and roof blown out.

Thank goodness for graduated filters in ACR. I was able to darken the sky and roof of the barn,

and retain the exposure of the barn face that was then easily corrected in CC2015.

I loved the bee boxes to the right of the barn!

FujiXT1 ISO 200 f/5.6 1/150 sec XF18-135mm (135mm EFL)

more water works

In those vernal seasons of the year,

when the air is calm and pleasant,

it were an injury and sullenness against Nature

not to go out and see her riches,

and partake in her rejoicing with heaven and earth.

~ John Milton

Autumn is in the air!!

Today is the first official day of autumn!

Yay!!

To continue the 'water' theme, I give you waterfalls. These beauties are located

about 1 hour from where we live. It is a short walk to the falls in the upper image, and the

falls in the lower image were easily accessed from the side of the road.

I was lucky that there wasn't a full load of water running over, as it would

have created a sheet of white, and it would be difficult to get the correct exposure, and

it would block the beautiful rocky amphitheater visible behind the falls in the upper image.

I like the green moss on the rocks in the lower image; when there is a lot of water running over the rocks you wouldn't even know the rocks were there, let alone the beautiful moss.

I favor long exposures of moving water. I didn't have my large tripod for the top image, so did

my best to use a small, tabletop tripod. 

Lesson #1: Carry that tripod in with you. Better to have it and not use it, than to wish you had it!

Lesson #2: Bring boots! I missed my boots! I would've loved to have waded a bit into the water, 

and to follow the creek a bit. But be prudent...rocks are slippery!

Lesson #3: Carry a circular polarizer and a neutral density filter. Even though the area was "dark", I still needed both filters to allow the combination of a long shutter speed, low ISO, and small aperture I wanted. The CP allows you to cut glare, reduce light, and generate richer colors. 

Lesson #4: If you don't have a remote/wired shutter release, you can always use the 10 second timer on your camera to avoid camera shake when you deploy the shutter release.

Finally, always remember to have fun!! Whether your shots turn out or not doesn't matter.

First and foremost, enjoy your surroundings!

I get a little obsessed with capturing the shot, so I'm working hard to learn to enjoy the

place I'm at as the primary outcome of the adventure. 

Baby steps!

Happy Autumn!! Now turn off your computer, grab your camera, and go enjoy the season!

Fuji XT1 ISO 200 f/22 6 seconds (top)

Fuji XT1 ISO 200 f/18 4 seconds (bottom)

puddle play

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.

~ Soren Kierkegaard

There are many great things about rain to write about. We'll save them for another post ;)

One of the best things about rain is the puddles it produces!

Puddles mean reflections.

Reflections add a unique element to your image
and are a great source for a creative photo opportunity!

Tips: Get low to the ground and close the water's edge:
this gives you more of the subject in the reflection.
Morning and late day are great times to shoot reflections - when the sun is low in the sky,
and you're able to get warm light to contrast with cool water tones.
Ripples provide an abstract element - and don't forget to play with long exposures!!
Avoid glare by looking for the light to fall on the subject not the water.

iPhone reflection photo tips (These are good concepts for any camera)
School of Digital Photography tips
Think outside the puddle (fun examples of reflection photography)!

I think this set of three puddles will be a constant source of entertainment for me

as the rainy season continues.

iPhone 6 / native camera

Snapseed

Stackables

monday blues

There is no blue without yellow and without orange.

~ Vincent van Gogh

I've had a lapse in posting.

This is from earlier this summer.

The 4 mile long Astoria-Megler bridge during the blue hour.

Awesomeness in steel and light!

I used a small aperture, low ISO, and a 10-stop ND filter to set a long enough exposure

to achieve the silky look of the water. 

FujiXT1 ISO 200 f/16 50 seconds XF16mm 1.4 (EFL 24mm)

deeds

With every deed you are sowing a seed, though the harvest you may not see.

~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I came across these wonderful hay bales on my morning run. But, it was overcast.

Coming home that same evening, the sun was out and sunset was close at hand.

I did the only reasonable thing - I drove by the Bernet Farm to check out the hay bales.

I'm so glad I did.

Not only did I get some shots of the guys gathering the hay bales in their truck, 

I was able to capture the quickly disappearing light on the few bales remaining in the field.

15 minutes well spent.

Fuji XT1 ISO 250 f/8.0 1/80 18-135mm (88mm EFL)