The Tourists
I guess it is time to confess that I owe Bob Lussier a high quality IPA for letting me borrow his Sigma 15mm while we were in Moab. When we started this trip, we made a rule that the first person who had to ask for gear from a camera bag that was not their own would have to buy the first round. We did break this rule, as it ultimately was determined that it stifled creativity, but I will honor my word and buy that man a cold brew the next time I see him. I will even do it with a smile…cuz I’m nice like that ;)
As for the lens itself, man did that sucker impress the crap out of me. I never thought that I would be contemplating anything wider than my 35mm, but after gracing my D700 with that sucker, I found a new love. It does take some getting used to however. In all honesty, I lost a few shots as my skill with how much that puppy takes in was too powerful for my skillset. I never realized how many shadows, tripod legs, and photog bums I snagged while learning this new glass. In fact, I still had to crop out my own tripod shadow in this shot, as I just could not get it to go away. Yup, it is just that much lens!
However, after a few tries I began to figure it out and walked away with this one piece of loveliness. There is probably no way I would have ever nailed this image without the help from Bob and Sigma. Well I might have snagged something similar, but the grand scale would be lost in a re-composition. So, Bob, thank you!
Be excellent to one another!
Technical Info:
Exposure: 1/250sec at f/8
Lens: Sigma 15mm
ISO: 200
Lighting: The setting sun
Delicately Painting with Light
It looks like I have a bit of a double post today, but for a good reason. The bonus here is because the nXnw pro photographers by the name of Justin Balog, Mike Criswell, Bob Lussier, Rick Louie, Dave Wilson, and Mark Garbowski all posted their light painting images last week. You can check them out on their respective blogs. Sadly, I was not able to participate in the mass internet spamming as I was in Madison and my photos were chilling out in Ames. Well, today I get to correct that.
The first image is that of Delicate Arch. I decided to go against the norm on this frame and go all monochrome with it. What I like about this is that it makes the texture on the rock stick out, along with adding a bit of emphasis on the stars. The best part about this image is that it was just the beginning of one heck of a fun night. Also, yes, that 1.5-mile hike back down to the cars in the dark was super fun!
Technical Info:
Exposure: 33 sec at f/6.3
Lens: 60mm
ISO: 1000
Lighting: Flashlights
Once we finished with Delicate Arch, we decided to hit up one last spot for a bit more light painting. Rick was kind enough to take us to Double Arch. Here, I got to light that spectacular place up with the massive flashlight that Rick had. While I worked that light like a Jedi Master, the others shot some frames and came away with some great work.
Now it was my turn to have a go at snagging an image. The moon was just starting to bathe the monument in its glorious splendor. So, I setup a few toys and let the natural light provide me all that I would need. I wish I had a wider lens so that more of Double Arch would be in the frame, but I made do with what I had. Yup, this shot is 100% pure moonlight. What a crazy cool night this was.
Be excellent to one another!
Technical Info:
Exposure: 62 sec at f/4
Lens: 35mm
ISO: 2000
Lighting: The pale moon light
These #AZ #sunsets are no damn joke! #photo #landscape
Weekend Relaxer #37
Well, here we are a mere week away from closing on a new home. I am both excited and nervous by this. I am definitely ready to see my wife again and not have to say goodbye after a brief day or two of visiting. However, we will once again have to learn how to live with one another. Is there some sort of device that automatically puts the toilet seat down for you? Oh, and I get to setup a room as a proper studio, so totally stoked for that!!
Left Hand Brewing is extremely hit or miss for me, and today falls into the miss category. I found the malts tasty at the front, with caramel and nutty tones present but not overbearing. The part where things deteriorate quickly is in the finish. This beer is missing something to close out a decent beginning. Maybe it needs stronger hops, or some different malts, but the backend just left me with a “meh” feeling. No, this is not a terrible beer, but it is clearly lacking something to define it and give it character. For a new beer connoisseur this might be ok, but seasoned beer lovers may just want to move on along.
Cheers! 
Abstract Sunrise at Higgins Lake
I know my landscape photography skills are weak, yet I still like to get out there and practice from time to time. I figured that while I had a wonderful setting in my grasp, I should attempt some sunrise photos over Higgins Lake, Michigan. So, I set my alarm in preparation of making it down to the water as the sun crests the trees.
I spent about 45 minutes shooting various boats and objects on the shore, all while taking in the crisp morning air. While many of my shots ended up in the “never to see the light of day” folder on my computer, I ended up keeping a few images like the one for today. Once the sun was just clear of the trees, I started playing with bokeh and a bit of abstract work. I like this shot as it leaves just enough for the imagination, yet defines enough that the mind establishes the setting. In the end, I had fun and that is what matters the most!
Enjoy!
I am a Ames, Iowa based photographer. I enjoy automotive, macro, still life, and street photography. To relax I wrestle dinosaurs.
