Some Dude With a Camera

University of Utah: Presidents Circle.

2011-12-31T10:02:00.004-07:00

Day after Christmas, have to work.... how to make the day brighter? Take pictures after work! Nothing especially awesome here, just working on getting my mojo back. Been in a bit of a slump except for the Christmas at Temple Square shoot, and needing to just wander with camera in hand. Thought about the shots I got the last time I was up on the circle and decided to head back, this time with my 55-300 zoom. Usually I am a prime guy for this kind of stuff but wanted to try something different. My goal was to capture the wonderful detail on the column caps with good exposures that keep detail on the stone.

The first four shots are of Gardner Hall, home to the department of Music.

This last is of the LCB, or Leroy Cowles Building, I had many classes in this building. Not entirely sure that this is the best processing of this, I will re-post if I get something better.

Think I learned that I am still pretty much a prime guy for creative shooting.....

Draper City Park... Rocks the Christmas Light Game!

2011-12-24T13:08:00.003-07:00

Nothing especially technical about these shots. Just my usual night light work. Thought they turned out pretty well though.

Temple Square Christmas Lights 2011

2011-12-23T16:25:00.011-07:00

One of the most beautiful places to visit during the Christmas Season in Salt Lake City is Temple Square. A great deal of money is spent, and countless man hours as well, making the light display one of the most magnificent anywhere. At least in my opinion anyway.

I try to get downtown every year to take some photos and enjoy the ambiance. Some years have snow, others (like this one) are mostly barren of snow. I prefer the snowy day clearing at sunset weather but seldom get it. This year was cold, and hazy, but not enough to impact the photos. Though, the drive home was a bit scary due to some foggy patches.

I took my usual "Full Kit" Consisting of my K200d (without battery grip for more solid mounting on my tripod's QR plate) Cable Release, Rokinon 8mm f3.5, Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6, Sigma 17-70 f2.8-4.5, Pentax DA 55-300 f4-5.8, and my Pentax DFA 100mm f2.8 WR Macro. I really didn't need the Fisheye, but I like to have it around if an interesting composition comes up. I also, of course, had my trusty Induro Tripod and Vanguard Ball Head.

My intent this trip was less shooting what I have shot before, but looking for a slightly new angle or composition. I have shot here many times before so it is easy to get stale.

This first shot was from the plaza of the Conference Center that sits north of Temple Square. I was trying for extreme depth of field so I shot at f16 with the lens set at 53mm, and an 8 second exposure. (Hint to all those folks running around with their DSLR's set to the highest ISO and the pop-up flash raised. Bring a tripod... it makes your shots look a LOT better. Trust me.

I had several spots picked out before I went that I wanted to try for, this one didn't quite turn out as I had hoped. One day I will get a nice sunset and then have to stand around until the turn the lights on afterwards and composite it together. Till then this will have to do. 19mm f9.5 2s.

I really liked the symbolism of a tree of light in front of the Lord's House, I am almost afraid that the tree dominates too much on this shot. 21mm @ f11 and 2s.

This was a quite tough shot, the lighting on the statuary is much brighter than the lights in the trees. I ended up bracketing +2,0,-2 and blending them in Photomatix. I do wish I would have gone for at least a -3 or 3.5 to give me a little more detail on Mary and Joseph in the highlights, but overall I pretty much achieved what I set out to get. 48mm @ f9.5 Multiple exposures.

Another HDR from the opposite side of the reflecting pond. This shot shows where there is a lot of value in closely looking at your composition. I ended up just cutting off the top of the trees reflection in the pool. It would have taken very little maneuvering to get just a little more height and include that.... sigh.... 53mm f9.5

When I did my survey trip right after thanksgiving, I desperately wanted to include these red trees running east from the temple. They add just the right touch. The difficulty lies in the perspective distortion from the angle. I am not entirely satisfied with the look, I always notice things not being level, this is level, but it doesn't look it. The slight tilt up and the lens pointing just to the right of the temple combine to make it look akward. Need to work on it. 19mm @ f9.5 and 2s

Strangely this is right up there as one of my favorite shots ever taken on Temple Square. For some reason these bag lights really held my attention, and I really wanted to capture them. At larger size the texture of the paper and the holes in the bag just warm my heart. I LOVE this shot. 100mm @ f4.5 and 1/8s.

You may be wondering..... why did he just repost the same shot. Fooled ya! Sorta, same shot different aperture, which changes the look of the background significantly, shot a f6.7 and 1/3s, the out of focus areas are more sharply defined and more detail can be had deeper into the photo. I like the first one simply due to the background being smoother. I sorta wish I had shot one at f2.8 and really blurred the background...

I think this is a better use of the red trees and water feature, with a longer focal length the distortion of the temple seems less, plus I like the composition a little more. 28mm @ f6.7 and 1s. It is sharp enough though I do wish I had stopped down another stop or two. There are subtle changes in the shadow and highlight detail with a longer exposure and smaller aperture that are pleasing to my eye.

This is a favorite angle for me when there is a lot of snow on the trees. Really REALLY hoping to get snow in the next week or so before they turn the lights off. 15mm @ f11 and 6s.

This is a fairly commonly shot perspective, though often from 25-30 feet further back. I love the dominance of the Red tree on the left, giving way to the light of the temple on the right. The stillness and peace of the enduring light vs. the movement of the masses below. 15mm @ f11 and 8s.

While I like this shot, I am not really happy with it. Despite being an HDR, I still have too much highlight loss on the temple. The overall composition is pleasing but I am not completely convinced that I cannot do better. 70mm @ f9.5 multiple exposures.

I shooting through things, to make something familiar almost abstract, it is hard to achieve, which makes it worth trying. Don't believe I was truly successful. However, it is pleasing to me... so there! 170mm @ f9.5 and 4s.

This shot of the same window pleases me more I think. I really need to repeat it in the spring when the tree is blossoming and the sun is just rising. 55mm @ f6.7 and 3s.

I was itching to get my Fisheye out, but I am not fond of the distortion for architecture. This works for me though, mainly because it allowed me to get into a tight spot and make an interesting shot. 8mm @ f9.5 and 20s.

This shot is really my piece de resistance of the evening. I printed a similar shot, for a friend to give to her daughter earlier in the year, but it was pushing the resolution of my sensor a bit. I zoomed to 20mm and shot 9 shots (3 columns across and 3 rows down) giving me a file with the resolution of 6250 x 5000 pixels or 31 megapixels. Plenty of resolution to print this guy BIG!!!!

20mm @ f11 and 4s.

I hope you enjoyed my photos and maybe getting a little more of the technical side of what I was thinking. Merry Christmas!

Lloyd

Shots on campus......

2011-12-14T16:33:00.002-07:00

I am frequently on campus at the University of Utah, but I seldom take the opportunity to wander the lower parts of the campus below the Hospital. Wishing for better light I jumped off the train and set out. Not getting blessed with said light I still felt the need to flex my photographic muscles and creativity in preparation for some Christmas light shooting on Wednesday Night.

My first memory of this building is of a stormy October night, and a flash of lightning making the door look like the open mouth of some kind of academic monster. Wasn't able to frame it that way with the lens I had but I still like the shot.

These columns have always fascinated me... who in their right mind carves sandstone?

Turning my eye to the center of the circle, this chappie walking alone and cold in the encroaching December gloom seemed to epitomize the day.

Just off campus and down the road above is "The Pie" a great place for great food if you are on campus, or just in the neighborhood.

Couldn't help but take this "American Standard" shot, wonder who is renovating this corner shop, and for what kind of business.........

Thanks for going on my tour, will take you back again someday.... I promise!

Shooting stuff......

2011-12-03T11:37:00.002-07:00

Finally, finally, FINALLY! Got a chance to have a weekend where I can just hang out and do whatever I want to do. FINALLY! (Did I mention that already?) So I got up and pulled out my camera and got cracking.

First I wanted to play with my newly acquired Soligor c/d 200mm f2.8, it is an older screwmount lens that was (very kindly) given to me by a friend. It is not super sharp but feels like you could kill a buffalo with it when it is in your hand. Which makes the whole exercise worth it, that feel is kind of..... fun!

First shot was just to see how the lens handled out of focus highlights wide open. I deliberately shot this unfocused, and liked it enough to process it.

After doing some other stuff I went outside to see about some other subjects I have wanted to shoot. These red berries have been in our landscaping for awhile and the color attracts me to them, but I have never shot them. The overall composition pleased me, though the sharpness is not quite what I had in mind. Viewed large it is just not that sharp.

After playing for a bit and starting to get cold, I decided it was time to put my Sigma 300mm f4 APO macro on. Also got this from the same friend, it has a loose element but when pointed down it works quite well. I think it is not as sharp as my DA 55-300 but is focuses much closer! I really liked the contrast between the snow and the berries.

The texture of these leaves really pleased me. For some reason I have a thing about leaf texture.

Nothing incredible here just sorta decent photography of ordinary things. But satisfying anyway, it makes me feel good to be just a little creative.

Hope you enjoyed!

Miscellania from the last few weeks.

2011-11-16T20:40:00.003-07:00

Haven't taken many photos intended for general consumption recently, mostly family stuff and Halloween shots. Anyway, Here are some semi notable shots from the recent past.

Olympic Bridge at the University of Utah, K24mm f2.8, I really liked a shot I took of this with my dad's film Voigtlander, and I wanted to try digital and see the look I would get. I think I like the second one better but both are kinda nice.

I have been riding the light rail train a lot, and riding it at night, this is less than perfectly conducive to creative photography but I have tried to give it a whirl. Twisting the camera can be fun.

So can a swirly panning motion.

Last Sunday I got out the Sigma 300mm f4 and rattled off a few shots of the cool clouds to the east of my home. Love my view sometimes.

Mt. Timpanogos 2 shot panorama.

Will post anything decent I get in the near future for all y'alls entertainment!

"Buggy" Lenses

2011-11-06T20:47:00.002-07:00

One of the many reasons I wanted to get a Macro lens was to be able to get up close and personal with small things... like bugs for instance.

This bad boy was hanging out on the foundation of my garage and moving very little, I think it was dying from the cold maybe? Anyway, I saw him while I was putting up some Halloween decorations and after I got done I went and got my tripod and camera and started playing.

These were the two I liked the most. Enjoy..... if they don't creep you out too much!

Ah... Glorious Night! Thou That Reveals Thy Secrets to Those That are Willing to Stay Awake!

2011-11-01T18:15:00.009-06:00

Back to the Goblin Valley are again, just can't get enough of that place really. Took my Brother-In-Law down so he could see the place for the first time. We left in the early evening and got down there a bit after 10:00 pm. After setting up and turning off our headlights so that our eyes could adjust we were treated to a spectacular view of the Milky Way. (You can see a timelapse of the Milky Way rotating at the bottom of the post.) We stood there for awhile and watched meteors zip across the sky and took in the silent peace. Then went to bed after we got too cold to stand it anymore.

This shot was taken at 1600 ISO and f3.5 for 3 minutes, with the dark frame noise reduction setting turned on. Heaven knows what it would look like if it had not been. This is noisy and unsharp enough as it is. The lens was my 8mm fisheye.

I got up around 5 to a camera with dead batteries (mid 30's will do that to even the best of them.) so I changed them and took a longer exposure, that got to about 45min.... ish.... before the batteries in the remote died..... can't win for losing. The moon was out, which gave me more general illumination, and blued the sky a bit. The large blob in the upper left is Jupiter I believe.

Morning came early enough, and brought some wonderful color. One of the best sunrises I have seen in that area.

We quickly broke camp, stowed the tents and headed to Little Wild Horse. I had never seen the cottonwood trees in fall color (at least I think they are cottonwoods.....) it certainly fit with the landscape colorwise.

Back into my favorite scenery: a slot canyon. I was deliberately trying to think in B&W this trip. Looking more for tonal differences, texture, and shadow than color. this actually made it easier to visualize the shots for me.

In some ways this is a failed shot, I was so close to the tree that it was hard to get both tree and butte in reasonable focus. Even stopped well down. I still kind of like it, but not that much.

I had seen this before but had been unable to actually get close enough to shoot it. Finally got it, a good feeling.

A particularly favorite motif, or hackneyed and overused device depending on who you talk to. Is the dead tree in the desert. Heck if I care if it is overused, it still warms my heart.

Something about this butte just symbolizes being out in the desert to me. Stark strength in the midst of harsh and unforgiving dryness, enduring majestically, despite the slow erosion that will one day reduce it to blowing sand. Uncaring of man and his efforts to overawe the world around him, the marks in the sky of his ultrafast transit only serving to emphasize the stillness and peace surrounding it.

Here is my BIL, first time I hiked this slot canyon, we had to crawl under this rock. A lot of sand and gravel has gone away in those 2.5 years.

Down in the Hoodoo's of Goblin Valley now, we got a kick out of finding faces in the rock. This conehead was pretty cool.

Miles of walking can be had in the valley, some so densely packed it is hard to see where you are. Looking up all you can see is rock and sky.

After sadly parting from gods playground, we headed back to civilization, but not without spotting some four legged friends. This larger fella was chasing off some younger bucks, and protecting his ladies.

This guy didn't give a crud that I was there shooting him, or so it seemed.

Hope you enjoyed the trip with me!

Film! Film? Really.... FILM!!! I shot film!

2011-10-09T19:29:00.004-06:00

Having had the opportunity to use my fathers old Voigtlander Vito II camera, a folding 35mm film camera made in 1954...ish... I am excited to announce that it works, and actually works quite well!

I put in a roll of 24 exposure, Tri-X 400 and off I went. Now just so you don't think this was an easy painfree experience, here is a description of what is involved with taking a shot. After you have figured what you want to shoot.

1) Pull out the light meter, spend a minute or two using it to estimate the best exposure.

2) Put away meter, pull out camera, unsnap case, release folding mechanism and fold lens out locking into place.

3) Set exposure on camera, cock shutter, guess your focusing distance. No there is no way to confirm your focus. This is not even a rangefinder, this is point and guess.

4) Frame the shot, make whatever adjustments need to be made, take a deep breath, let it half out, hold and gently press the release button, trying not to shake. There is no Shake Reduction, or Vibration Reduction, or Image Stabilization.

5) Wait till you finish the roll, get it developed and find out if you messed up or not.

In this age of instant review.... this is hard to deal with, kind a fun though.

Now... on to the pictures. (Just as a side note, Blogspot is doing something weird with my thumbnails, and putting some kind of sharpening on them that is giving me halos at the dark/light transitions. This is not intentional, I try to avoid them at all costs.)

These are the "Keepers" from the roll, I was not super choosy, lowering my standards in difficult shooting situations keeps me sane!

Olympic Bridge at the University of Utah, this was part of the athletes village during the 2002 Olympics.

I have NO CLUE, where this shot was taken, likely someplace downtown, but I do not remember taking it at all. Absolutely LOVE the shadows though.

I have shot this staircase at the human genetics building at the U of U since I took this image and posted it here, but this was the first shot I tried.

Downtown Salt Lake, cast iron chair in a new plaza.

New Fountain on the plaza, I really liked the arch of the water, with the Salt Lake Temple in the background. I may try this shot during the Christmas Season when the trees are lit up.

This was a very unique fountain that caught my eye, the curves please me.

Back to the other fountain again, this could end up being a staple for me, I think there are lots of ways to photograph this.

The rest of these shots are from the Tour of Utah. I went up to the Presidents Circle after getting off of work and shot some of the cyclists as they went past. I really didn't expect any of these to turn out, but I got more keepers than I had any right to.

I'm NOT ready, but Fall is here anyway!

2011-10-02T09:22:00.003-06:00

This last week has seen an explosion of color here in the Salt Lake Valley. I HAD to get up and see what was out there yesterday morning. Fortunately I live close to several canyons and I was able to get into the color altitude quite easily. I was there before dawn (all part of my nefarious plan) to try to set up before the sun was up. I found a spot I liked, hopefully you will like it too.

Now, a caveat here, I am not a huge fan of overdone HDR, this borders on overdone, but it was the only way to get any foreground details at all. I am not really all that convinced that it is a shot to be proud of, but I am liking it a bit.

8 shots in 1 stop increments, tripod of course, @17mm.

Another HDR, but less of a push to get the details. This I like!

Everything is rusting except the dead tree and the evergreens. Due to the warmness of the early morning light, I had to cool this down a bit so that the greens looked like they should.

This little stand of Quakies was my favorite. Just turning and standing up for themselves.

My friendly dead tree, not sure why but I liked him enough to shoot again.

Further down the canyon, I found time to tramp around a secret part of the little stream that runs through it. Glad I have Gore-Tex waterproof boots, and that I take the time to look in the hidden places.

This little spot captivated me for quite awhile, I LOVED that God put some delicate little water droplets on a leaf in the midst of rushing water just for me. He knows I really like that kind of stuff.

Multiple shots follow.

Cropped and converted to B&W.

The original.

Trying to get closer, I slipped and splashed water over the leaf... sad.... sad... but there was still beauty to behold.

Happy Fall!

Finally a chance to shoot Macro in a Controlled Enviroment.

2011-10-01T15:39:00.003-06:00

I have been waiting since I got my new Macro lens for the chance to really put it through it's paces in a controlled enviroment. Getting to know a new lens takes time and pushing the limits to find where the lens will not do what you want it to do, and to find where it shines.

This lens is a challenging beastie, macro lenses at close focus will challenge your ability to hold your camera steady, when your depth of field is measured in tenths of inches there is little room for error. That is one thing that has challenged me so far when shooting handheld. The other difficulty is related to that, to get a larger depth of field, you need to stop down, well even in broad daylight stopping down to f16 with a 100mm lens requires higher ISO's or a tripod.

Anyway, I took the opportunity on Sunday to get out my softbox and tripod and see what this lens can really do.

First: My favorite flower along with Daisies, The Sunflower. While not at 1:1 magnification this type of shot is something that a Macro should excel at. I was not disappointed.

Moving in closer, makes things more tricky. Both exposure (increased to get detail in the middle of the flower blowing the petals) and point of focus have to be carefully set, often by positioning the camera and moving the subject.

Turning the flower and a larger aperture allow for isolation of certain parts of the flower. While not the best shot, it allowed me to see the effect of what I was doing.

Abandoning the flower, I photographed a treasured piece of Caithness Glass, I love this stuff, and it was fun to make a beautiful photo with it.

Getting closer is always a temptation.

Then getting a little more out there I put some water droplets on a CD and played with my LED Maglight. Liked the effect, but not as much as I had thought.

I learned a lot about my lens which will help me when I get to a more critical point when I need to get the shot and I need to absolutely trust the lens will do what I expect. So far I am really confident that this lens will deliver.

Yet Another Car Show.....

2011-09-21T21:35:00.000-06:00

My love affair with cars is well documented, I like classic old cars with details that are there just for decoration. Classic cars. Our local Rotary Club, sponsored a charity car show at a local collectors ranch last weekend. This was a treat, I never that this local business owner also collected cars. For my donation I got to see the cars that were entered and two HUGE barns of cars that the host owned as well. Really fun time. A lot of cars were inside and thus harder to photograph, but really fun to look at. I went a little different direction than is my usual wont, I took my full bag but only ended up using the Sigma 17-70 (a lot) Pentax DFA 100mm (quite a bit) and my Sigma 10-20 just once, but not a keeper shot. I really think that a kit of the DA 15 and DA 21, coupled with the DFA 100 would be a perfect group for this type of shooting.

1941 Cadillac... unusually enough in Brown. I liked it, really liked it.

Really liked the hood ornament. Just something cool about a naked angel in chrome......

Nicely done up '57 Chevy. Candy Apple Red works for that car.... really works.

I voted for this car as best of show. Just a beautiful car, second owner, insanely enough NOT RESTORED!!!! It is simply well maintained. Just awesome!

This Ford was next door, not as sure about the hood ornament that is also functional. I think I prefer them non-functional and purely decorative. This is the kind of shot that the Pentax DFA 100mm was made for. Stopped down to f4.5 it has essentially no CA or PF, and really nice rendering of the out of focus areas.

Ahhh...... Bliss in Olive Green. Just yummy! Chrysler Town and Country.

Another naked lady on a Cadillac, my Sigma 17-70 did pretty good with this especially considering the poor light over in the corner.

Pretty cool old Chrysler Airflow, never laid eyes on one before. Nice car, really nice.

Miscellaney and general stuff......

2011-09-17T17:30:00.000-06:00

Time to post some stuff to get caught up and clear my "done" box. I have been having fun just shooting what I see in daily life, with whatever lens is available. So this is just a catch-all post really.

First come Sugar cookies. Shot with my DFA 100mm Macro with my K200d mounted on my tripod using ambient light. Some exposures were several seconds in length, but with a tripod... who cares?

The biggest struggle I have with my macro lens is the depth of field as I get closer. I worked with much smaller apertures than I am used to to get a deeper DOF. Notice the difference between the two shots? The first is at f5.6 the second at f11.

Outdoors I can handhold the 100mm quite easily even when stopped down. This however was at f4.5, I managed to get the parts of the plant in focus that I wanted to with that aperture though. I have a self title in my mind of "Nature Finds a Way", amazing how on a busy light rail platform something can grow and thrive... even a weed!

At the library downtown I went wider to 24mm, which still wasn't wide enough, so I turned it sideways and shot 8 frames that I stitched together. I can do better but I like the building and the shot nonetheless!

Inside, I could not help but take this shot. I am trying to get more bold at shooting in public, I like to melt into the background and not be noticed. That is hard when shooting people. Figured this guy was asleep so I could do it unnoticed.

Looking up in the atrium was the staircase I have been wanting to shoot for a long time. Slowly finding the angles. I think this has potential, just need to find the best time to go after it.

The people lounging under this tree interested me, especially seeing as this is in front of the City-County building downtown. Surprised they let them stay there for any length of time. Thought the grocery cart was a nice touch.

In spite of how this looks, these guys were just goofing around, The DFA 100 worked well for this, I could have been even further away and still got the shot and maybe not have been noticed. This may work well as a street shooter with the hood reversed so it is compact...er.

Hope you enjoyed a journey through to days of my week. Man, don't think I could do a 365 project, would get way way behind trying to get something semi decent every day.....

State Fair WINNER.... well in my category, but I got a Blue Ribbon!

2011-09-10T22:38:00.001-06:00

Alrighty, so... I had a wonderful surprise last night, I went to the Utah State Fair last night to see how my photo did in the photo contest. Lo and behold, it won first place in the Advanced Amateur class, Architectural category. I was really chuffed and.... well.... made a lot of noise, did a few high fives with my buddy Dave who was there for moral support, just in case etc...

Since then I have spread the good word in several places and received lots of compliments and a few questions as to how I did it. Well here goes.

I chose a cloudy morning in February, with clouds that were moving quickly. (It helps to have that as I learned a year ago when I did my first version of this shot.) I set up my camera with my Sigma 10-20 ultra-wideangle lens on an L-Bracket in portrait orientation. I set the tripod IN the pond and almost in the waterfalls, basically reaching as far as I dared without falling into the water. Had to be careful the side was covered in ice. I centered and lined up the camera as best I possibly could, locking the ballhead in place. I then determined how far I wanted to rotate the head to compose the final shot. I determined that 5 shots would give me the best coverage. So I then figured the amount of rotation for each shot from center and commenced to shoot 3 bracketed exposures at each position. Once that was complete I carefully got both me and the camera/tripod back onto solid ground and left.

Once I was back at the computer I blended each bracketed trio in Photomatix obtaining the following shots.

At that point it was time to stitch those 5 shots into a panorama, I used plain old Photoshop Elements 7 for that. Once that was done I began to work on exposure, which included a layer that was just sky which allowed me to adjust the foreground and background separately. To make that look good I had to cut the edge around the buildings and horizon by hand. This took 3-4 tries and several hours to make look right. I was then able to produce this: Which I almost wish I had entered in the Panorama category as well.... sigh.....

From the above shot, after merging the layers and some sharpening and brightness/contrast adjustments, I used my B&W conversion program, to give my final product that you see here. Simple right? Not even! This whole process took me hours over several weeks. With a quick set of revisions right before I sent it to get printed. Hope you enjoyed the small glimpse into what I do with photos.

Revisiting old haunts....

2011-09-07T21:06:00.000-06:00

Ever since I delivered office supplies to this building as an undergrad peon working in the bookstore, I have loved this staircase, the perspective just works for me. Finally decided to shoot it. Not sure which I like better but the portrait orientation one is the stronger image I think. The leading in of the stairwell from the corner on the bottom left leads the eye into the frame better than the landscape shot.

A Pleasant Day at Thanksgiving Point Gardens: CAR SHOW!!!

2011-09-05T13:02:00.001-06:00

I had never had the opportunity to attend the Concours de Elegance at Thanksgiving point before, but my lovely wife took the opportunity to get me a ticket for my birthday. THANKS BABE!!!

I had my new Pentax DA 100mm f2.8 WR Macro that had arrived the day before so I took that and my K 24mm f2.8 and K 50mm f1.4 (didn't use) and headed down on a warm summer morning. The light was bright and the sky fairly cloudless so the light was harsh on most of my shots, but it was still a lot of fun to work out a new lens and see some beautiful cars.

This was my first real shot with my DA 100, I love the color rendition.

This belongs to a 1930 Packard, it was one of my favorite cars there and another shot further down is my current wallpaper. I love the old fashioned radiator caps and this one had a doozy!

Really liked this shot!

This Pace Arrow was fun as well, K24mm @ f2.8

Another Packard, a little more sporty in style.

Just down the row, there was a 1958 Cadillac... in Green... which really worked for me. the cleaner lines of this vs. the 1959 fins is a tossup, I like them both.

There was no year posted for this Cadillac Seville, it was a beauty though.

I believe this was on a '40's Pontiac with the 100mm @ f4.5

100mm and f2.8 produced a nicely rendered image and blurred background for this shot. Really liking this new lens!

This was my all time favorite hood ornament. Just LOVED IT!

Never knew Ferrari made a blue car, couldn't get a decent shot of the rest of it with the light and the other cars around it, but at least I got the name plate!

Lusted after this car for years, never will be able to own it, seating position looks terrible, but the outside is SEXY!

A little more outlandish shot of an early '80's Porsche, good looking car though!

Beauty of an old Jaguar, loved this car... to look at... probably not a daily driver though.

There was a nice covered walkway around a garden that pleased me aesthetically.

K 24mm @ f8

Ford

A few handheld flowers, getting really close with the macro requires a tripod to hold the camera steady, at 1:1 the slightest shake makes for blur!

all in all a fun day with a new lens and an old friend of a lens, created some memories and got really sweaty. The kind of day I like!

My favorite subject.....

2011-08-14T14:30:00.002-06:00

I love to take photos of my local temple, I really do. I had the feeling last night that I should go out and try to take some photos of it again, which I haven't since earlier in the spring. So I grabbed camera and took off. At first it looked like a bust, I was in a park a little ways away and it was clouded over and I was just a bit dejected. But I figured I could go up closer and get some drama from the clouds maybe. Well right after I got there there was a few minute burst of light which I was able to catch, which gave me this.

Which I really like. I took this too, don't like it quite as much but it is still kind of a fun shot.

Friday Wanderings in Salt Lake.....

2011-08-07T22:22:00.005-06:00

It is always nice to have a day to play, after having my wife gone for the week to Dallas, it was my time to run away and play while Grandpa took care of the kids after school. Always knew he was a bit crazy! Thanks though young man!

(as always click on the photo for a larger view)

After leaving my beater truck at my friends house, I headed downtown to the Hilton where there was a Photo Expo I wanted to attend. Always on the lookout for a photo I could not pass up this shot. I feel like putting this on the back of my backpack sometimes!

Down the street I noticed an interesting shadow on a less than interesting building. Did I make it interesting for you? I tried to...

I personally liked this one the best, though the first is the best technically I think.

Walking on 200 S. I was enthralled by the shadows, but not too many were particularly photogenic. Though I liked these.

I love these two chaps, the spiky crowns make me laugh. Enjoyed performing in the theater they once guarded. Now only the facade remains.

Stopped at the Photo Expo, Pentax had a booth and as a Pentaxian thought it would be fun to drop by. Here they had the 645D, Medium Format 40MP (on the left) Which I would gladly sell a kidney to own, it is the PERFECT landscape camera, and I am totally in love with the viewfinder, it is the best I have EVER looked through, simply incredible. In the middle is the new but not tested Pentax Q, it is tiny and could be fun, but isn't worth it to me. On the Right is the Pentax K5, if I could afford it I would buy it and never buy another camera until this one died. It is just exactly what I want out of a camera. Except I have to pay for it....

After a nice lunch I headed back to an alley I had visited before, lacking inspiration to get really creative, I just chose to document the progression of the graffiti, and move on, I was getting kind of hot.

The front door to Gallensons provided a chuckle.

I then put my camera to the test, and took this (JPEG as it came out of camera)

And pulled this from the RAW file, much better than I thought it would do, the window is a bit messy, I could clean that up if I cared to clone the old window back in at 50% opacity-ish. But I like this shot.

Deciding I was done sweating, I decided to head out to Butterfield Canyon and up the backside of the worlds largest eyesore, the Kennecott Copper Bingham Canyon Mine. Great view of the worlds largest open pit mine. Impressive but still an eyesore.

Portrait orientation pano.

Landscape orientation pano. Getting better at these things.

Hope you enjoyed sharing my day, let me know if you liked the shots.... or hated them too....

Of Sunflowers and Sunsets.....

2011-08-07T17:27:00.004-06:00

Went for a ride the other day after the kids went off to school. Along my route there are LOTS of sunflowers, happily this day there was little wind and they were not swaying much. (This makes things MUCH easier!) So I hopped off and quickly shot a couple. Only one that I really liked though, but I did like it enough to try to get it really right. BTW I seldom revisit a shot once processed. Unless I botch it the first time.

This was my first attempt.

This my second that I like just a little bit better.

At the end of the day, my kids and I took a free ride on the new Light Rail line, and then hustled to the east side of the lake to shoot the sunset. These shots were stitched together from a bunch of shots. Like them though.

15 shots in Landscape Orientation.

22 shots in Portrait Orientation.

My Dad's Camera: Voigtlander Vito II

2011-08-07T17:14:00.002-06:00

Seeing as some of my online photography buddies have been playing with film, I thought it might be fun to go WAY retro and play with a film camera. This guy was manufactured in the '50's, folds and makes you guess the distance, because you do NOT look through the lens. You also have to use a handheld light meter to set your exposure. This is NOT an action shooting camera.

One of the meters I have to use, my brother found it for me.

Uncased and unfolded. I wish somebody made a digital camera that folded like this. APS-C or Full Frame Sensor, 35mm equivalent Field of View. Simple and easy.

The Tri-X I put in, kinda messed myself up with 400 speed, daylight doesn't work so well, I can't set the highest shutter speed so I can't effectively shoot in broad daylight.

Looking forward to shooting with this camera, just need to find the right opportunities to do so.

Buggies.

2011-08-02T16:52:00.002-06:00

This guy/gal was hanging around our back porch last weekend. Ugly little bugger ain't 'e?

M 50mm f4 Macro, with reflected and diffused flash.

Thistles.... nothing fancy or spectacular....

2011-08-01T18:21:00.002-06:00

They were WAY too prickly to get too close to.

Both with the K 28mm f3.5

Downtown.....

2011-08-01T13:54:00.004-06:00

I love the varied texture of downtown, old and new next door, funky architecture. Energy everywhere. Anyway, because I love those things about it, I like to photograph it. So I take my camera when I can. This time with my K 28mm f3.5 lens, it is a very sharp old manual focus lens, that I find just a bit too short focal length wise. Still doesn't mean I don't like it though!

The New Library. I loved the curve of the building against the pattern of the clouds.

Can't put my finger on it but something with the pattern of the light on the sidewalk and the texture of the building drew me in.

This drainpipe drew me down the alley and off the street, to a little corner of color that I never knew existed.

Kobe...

Old Three Eye....

In color at the request of Al.

Tangle me Elmo.

"Containers"

Last look.

I really enjoyed shooting this lens again, it is a bit of a tweener for me, but it can be a useful focal length, it is the equivalent of 43mm on Film. The actual "Normal" for that format.

Night Magic

2011-08-01T13:43:00.002-06:00

After a recent date to a Mary Kay activity that my wife invited me to, being a spouse of a Mary Kay consultant does have some privileges beyond good facial care, we decided to drop by the lake near our home to take advantage of the full moon. I have always loved playing with my camera to reveal things that the eye cannot see. This was a night for that.

Northshore.

Double Bridge

Back Light.

The Dock. This was my favorite, the strong lines of the dock jutting out, providing a counterpoint to the smooth water and the moon.

A few shots from Temple Square

2011-07-25T10:12:00.002-06:00

I had the opportunity to go downtown with my lovely bride and have lunch on our anniversary. I am very unable to not take pictures when it is a beautiful day. So I did.

I have been wanting to get this angle when the fountain was running for a long time, but my timing has been less than perfect....

This shot needed a LOT of correction, it was shot through glass, and the color cast was pathetically green. I think it got it right though.

An 8 shot panorama of the lobby of the old Hotel Utah/Now Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Really should have done a double row and got more of it in.

Love the chandelier. Love.

The Opportunity Afforded by Carrying a Camera Constantly

2011-07-25T09:41:00.002-06:00

I have been intrigued by the Pancake lenses that Pentax makes for a long time. Even before I bought Pentax. DSLR's are bulky by their nature, flange to sensor distance, LCD screen behind the sensor array. They have to be a certain thickness due to the optical demands of their lens mounts. The only way to decrease the bulk is to make the part of the lens that sticks out smaller. Witness the Pentax Limited pancake lenses. Not being able to afford them at all, I have made do with some fun older Manual Focus lenses. My smallest being the K 35mm f3.5, which is really quite small. It is the next to the left hand one in this shot.

Anyway, I have started carrying my K200d and 35mm in my backpack during my commute to work on my bike. Which afforded me this opportunity.

While nothing spectacular, I was glad to have the opportunity to get the shot. No camera no photo.... ya know?

Special Requests...

2011-07-25T09:35:00.002-06:00

My daughter has been wanting some photos for a "Magazine" that they have been wanting to make. So I took the opportunity to let them take some. Here is our church that is right across the street.

Here are some Orange Sticks from our adventure at the Sweet's Candy Factory.

I took this, Sunset on the way home from my folks. Nothing incredible but a nice scene!

Balloons.... Gotta love balloons!!!!

2011-07-25T09:15:00.004-06:00

On another day of our "Staycation" we went south to the Provo Balloon Festival that is part of the Provo Freedom Fest. We got there a little late for the pre-dawn inflation and balloons lit from the inside. But we still got there in time to see some fun balloons in the air.

I was particularly excited to see Darth Vader in the sky, a little freaked but excited! Who thought of making one of those? I like the piggy bank too, but we have seen that one before.

There is something deeply enjoyable for me, to look up at a balloon from below. Don't know what it is, but I just get this peacefully excited feeling when I look up at them. Probably due to imagining myself up there. I have never been up in a Hot Air Balloon, but would love to one day! (Bucket List!!! Along with floating from Flaming Gorge to Lake Powell in a raft.)

One High... One Low...

There was not a lot of wind, these guys decided to just set 'er down where they could. In the middle of football practice....

The Coca Cola balloon is supposed to be the largest in the world, and it is HUGE!!!!! They did not fly it just inflated it! sigh.......

They did invite me into the basket while they blew more hot air in. Kinda hot there, but a fun perspective!

Ah.... I LOVE balloons!

Hill Air Force Base Museum

2011-07-25T08:01:00.003-06:00

As part of a family "Staycation" we went to Hill AFB to see the aviation museum. I have been wanting to go back for a long time. Haven't been there in years.

I greatly enjoyed the interior and exterior displays, photographically they were not as amenable to good photos inside as they were outside.

Still, part of photography is being in the moment for me and I did enjoy making some memories of the place.

B-25 Mitchell, with (I think) a T-38 trainer above it.

B-25 from the balcony. It was a larger plane than I thought it was!

B-17 Flying Fortress, with a P-51 Mustang under the wing. This duo had a large part in the victory of the allied forces in WW-II

Love the split tail of the B-25.

Sikorsky Helicopter, BIG one too. Amazing that these things can fly they are so big!

F-86 Sabre (I think) with a replica of the signpost from M*A*S*H, all part of the Korean War legacy. I found myself constantly surprised at the diminutive size of the early fighter jets.

Moving outdoors, we exited to some interesting clouds, which initially made me think I was going to NOT get any good shots due to the flat lighting. I think I did OK.

B1B Lancer

B-29 Superfortress

B-52 Stratofortress

All in all an enjoyable outing!

LLoyd

Sunday @ the Airport and Lake

2011-07-25T07:48:00.002-06:00

Took my kids to the Salt Lake International Airport to watch some planes come in, they thought it was pretty cool. This was my favorite shot from some casual shooting from the Golf Course Parking Lot.

We then headed west out towards Saltair, catching the sun just at it was dipping behind the mountain.

It was a glorious sunset and a fun memory with my kids. Think I may do it again sometime!

Cars.... Cars.... Cars.....

2011-07-04T07:40:00.011-06:00

I love photography. I love old cars. I love using old lenses. I especially love using old lenses to take pictures of Old cars.

My local town has a Country Fest every June, and with that a car show. I finally had a weekend where my weekend off coincided with the Fest. I decided to put my K 24mm f2.8 30+ year old Manual Focus lens on my K200d, and my K35mm f3.5 in my pocket (only used it for a few shots, not sure if any made it onto here, the 24mm was perfect) I shot mostly wide open at f2.8 or maybe stopped down a tidge, and most importantly I had a GREAT TIME!

(As always click on a photo to get a larger version.)

Powder blue MG, I love the bug eye lights on these boys, the chrome, just love it!

Next a '68 Cord (I think) not really sure if the tubes have a real purpose but they look cool!

Self portrait in Chrome.

Someone had restored an old Ford Truck, beautifully as well, due to the crowded nature of the place, shots of the whole car were often crowded and not particularly aesthetic so..... you get lots of detail shots from me. Which actually worked well with the focal length and aperture combo.

I then came to the car I LOVED the MOST! A 1957 Chevrolet BelAir, THE classic car of the 50's next to the '59 Cadillac Coupe de Ville Convertible, you know! The one with the FINS!

Anyway, this car was done in a dark Candy Apple Red, with some of the chrome accents re-done in gold. Oh it was NICE!

It is the details that set these cars apart, and boy are those details nice.

Bullet bumpers... oh yeah!

Aiming for the sky!

Sadly moving on I found a '55 or '56 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria in black, a nice restoration and worth a few pictures too.

Last but not least there were a few Cobra's to play with, unfortunately they were so close together that good shots were harder to come by. Here are a couple that I liked.

This one is a bit over the top, but seemed to be well received when posted on-line. I may do a little bit more editing and print it.

Dry Forks of the Coyote

2011-07-03T08:28:00.010-06:00

Ah... the big adventure day begins. My brother and I leave the Salt Lake Valley to head south to the blessed peace of southern Utah. Adventures first stop? The Escalante/Grand Staircase National Recreation area. After a quick stop in Escalante, UT to pick up our backcountry permit to camp for the next night or two we head south on the Hole In The Rock Road to our first stop: The Dry Forks of the Coyote Gulch, to spend some time in some skinny, skinny, slot canyons!

The roads are well marked and we easily find our trailhead, and follow the cairns down into the gulch. Following along the contour of this side hill takes up to the right and down.

The cactus were in bloom, but pink in this area, in Capitol Reef they were Red last year in May.

Once you reach the bottom, you can turn immediately left into a nice slot canyon that is part of the main gulch, it is wide and fairly easily accessible. The light seemed to peek around the corners with a golden glow that was simply fantastic to behold.

Narrowing but never getting too narrow, it was a perfectly pleasant environment to wander through and enjoy the splendor.

A little further along we shoal up a bit bit it never becomes rough or intimidating.

Once you have explored as far as you want to, a quick trip back down just past the entrance to the gulch (on your right) brings you to the entrance (on your left) to Peek-A-Boo Gulch. Using the Moki Steps carved in the face on the left, you can fairly easily gain access to the main channel, the sandstone is highly figured and formed into holes and divots. This is not a place to be when it rains.

Not very far up the gulch, there is a series of arches, that in rainy times the water flows under. The contrasts of the bright direct sunlight and dark shadow challenge any camera and photographer. Using HDR to combine shots allows for the full glory to be shown. Here I have demonstrated three different approaches to this processing. Each with it's own pro's and con's. I cannot say which one is my favorite, I like them all.

Exposure Fusion

Details Enhancer

Tone Compressor.

The hardiness of the desert flora to flourish in this hostile of an enviroment continually amazes me.

Just up from the arches you have to duck through this low arch to get in and out. Here I am exiting.

A short walk down from Peek-A-Boo, is Spooky Gulch, so named because of how dark and spooky it was. I had to push my ISO's higher than I am usually comfortable using, but I really really can't hand hold lower than 1/3 to 1/2 sec and reasonably expect decent sharpness... sigh.....

It starts out reasonably wide, but.....

It gets nearly unreasonably wide quite quickly! I was required to take my backpack off and turn sideways for long stretches. I am not a claustrophobe at all, but I did get a little tired of holding my backpack out, I carry a lot of water and it is heavy!!!

There are straighter stretches where you can squish in your shoulders a little and walk facing straight ahead...

And places where you cannot. The glow of the light ahead was always a nice thing to see coming up. It has a very red tinge, that requires care to not over saturate.

Most of the time you cannot see the sun or sky at all.

My Brother is not a fat man, and made it through OK, but those that are horizontally challenged are not really candidates for this type of insanity.

Other places are more curvy and convoluted, but always always beautiful!

This fin was a little acrobatic to negotiate, the outside curve is just big enough to get you bottom into as you try to not get neutered.

If you look closely at the walls you can see sand on the little ridges, it was blowing quite hard up on the topside, and find sand was raining down on us at times. fortunately my camera is sealed so it did fine, my zoom was a bit sticky for a day or two but soon worked out the kinks.

All in all this was a BLAST! And a place I want to come back to, apparently another spot further down called Brimstone Gulch is just as narrow and even longer. Now that sounds like fun to me!

Next stop camp, and getting ready for Coyote Gulch tomorrow!

40 Mile Ridge and Coyote Gulch Area

2011-07-03T08:11:00.007-06:00

After exiting The Dry Forks, we made a quick stop at Dancehall Rock, this natural ampitheatre hosted many dances during the time the pioneers were chipping and blasting the Hole In The Rock down to the River.

Camping on the 40 Mile Ridge Road was an adventure of wind and sand, we camped next to the warning signs that keep the riff raff off the road and out of the Gulch. Taken with the last light of the day. A very good day.

The early morning light revealed the marks of the nocturnal denizens of the desert. A large black beetle that was simply too ugly to photograph left footprints everywhere. And the small lizards also were in evidence. The early morning light creates textures unseen in the harsh light of high noon.

An early start led us to the trailhead, and off in the distance to the confluence of Coyote Gulch and The Escalante River. The sand just beyond this early easy stretch of gravel boded of the effort involved in getting back to our vehicle.

The top of the bluff showed a magnificent vista of Navajo Pinnacles and the long sandy trail to the bottom of the gulch. Note the crack on the bottom of the photo, this is your route down to the dune. Those with larger packs than my Camelbak M.U.L.E. need to bring rope to lower them down otherwise they don't fit. This spot is just as tight in places as Spooky gulch was the day before.

This unnamed fin marks what was likely a bend in the river millenia ago, but is now just a guardian on the trail. The old riverbed covered with hundreds of feet of sand.

Oh the sand.... simply stopping on the way down demonstrates how soft it is, feeding our trepidation at having to come back up it, tired and in the heat of the day.

In color you can see the rich reds of the area, that simply boggle the mind.

Old landslides testify to the forces that shape the area. I have no desire to be in the area at the time something like this happens. They are best left unwitnessed.

The sand was invasive to say the least, my Asolo Hiking boots kept the sand away from my feet, my brother was somewhat less successful at keeping the sand out. And no, this was not staged.

Swapping to a sandal for the walk in the gulch is a good idea, you are walking in a perennial stream for most of your time in there. It is a good idea to cleanse your feet of sand prior to ascending the "Death Sand" as we called it. Allowing the sand inside your boots is somewhat akin to putting emery boards in there along with your socks. And achieves the same level of destruction on the feet of the unwary.

Waterfalls both medium and small abound, some more difficult than others to scramble around. Especially with several thousand dollars of camera equipment in your pack and around your neck.

Turning around when we felt it prudent, to preserve our energy and water supplies (forgot to bring the filter pump......) we trudged back up the Death Sand, finding the welcome shade to be blessedly cool and allowing us the ability to recover and ascend the crack and make it back to our vehicle.

The adventure section of our trip over, it was now time to get back closer to civilization.

Devil's Garden: Grand Staircase/Escalante

2011-07-03T08:07:00.004-06:00

After trudging out of Coyote Gulch, we staggered to the car, watered ourselves, got a snack and headed out to the Hole-In-The-Rock Road, next stop The Devil's Garden. Now there is a spot by the same name in the area of Arches National Park, this is not it. It is smaller but still lots of fun.

We started off with a bit of a wander to see what was there. This reminded me of a petrified Shark Fin.

The light still being a bit high in the sky and our hunger nowhere near satisfied, we decided to make some dinner and shoot at sunset.

As sunset approached, the light got warmer, but the sky stayed dark, making for an ideal dark sky shot of Metate Arch, I am tempted to go back and do this in color, but I just like how B&W makes it more about the shapes than the color of the stone.

The textures of the rocks become more and more sensuous as the light lowers in the sky, the layering in this rock created an ideal lead into the pinnacle, bathed in gold. The light truly was magical for me, lacking only clouds to create texture in the sky.

The sun almost down, the shadows creeping longer, the day almost done, but the rock is not done showing it's beauty to us.

The last vestiges of light about to leave, the day wrung out, the only thing left to do is bid farewell to the scene and find a place to stay.

As stinky and dirty as we were, we opted to head into Escalante, UT to get a real shower and a real bed to sleep on. A MUCH needed shower... did I say we needed a shower?

Last Stop: Capitol Reef National Park

2011-07-01T18:13:00.023-06:00

After spending a well needed night in a hotel following our time on the Hole-In-The-Rock Road area, it was time to visit a most loved area Capitol Reef National Park. We had poor to fair weather the last time, and never really got much in the Upper Cathedral Valley area, and we wanted to make another effort at that.

We proceeded East from Escalante on UT-12 a wonderful scenic byway, to Boulder, UT and thence East on the Burr Trail. Which funnily enough is paved all the way to the Park boundary. Which paving caused quite a stir when I was a younger lad. It starts out in some nice farm areas which peter out to fairly lush Juniper and washes filled with Cottonwood Trees and streams. Before too long we enter the Long Canyon area, a red sandstone canyon that we drive along the bottom of. The light was not so good for photographs but was interesting for simply driving and enjoying. The scenery was so nice I found myself not thinking like a photographer and simply riding along and watching.

This is looking back to the west from whence we came.

The morning was a bit hazy, but as we passed the park boundary and the Reef began to show itself, the vistas became more and more scenic.

The rolling hills and really quite good road made travel pleasant, and we really enjoyed the opportunity to take in the views and try our photographic luck. I was not sure that this shot would turn out as I was shooting back into the sun, but it was better than I expected. I love the perspective and layering of the land.

As we dropped into the wash that becomes the route through the reef, the uplift of the reef becomes more apparent, this long (100 mile... ish) reef is a truly unique and beautiful part of the landscape in this area.

This road down was originally quite narrow, I remember driving it as a young teenager and my mother wishing to switch seats so she could be in the middle of the truck and not look over the edge. While the switchbacks are tight, most any vehicle not towing a trailer would have little problem ascending or descending this spot.

As we traveled north parallelling the reef there were multiple opportunities to enjoy the light on the sandstone. (On a technical note, this was a stitched panorama shot in portrait orientation at 150mm with my Pentax DA 55-300, catching the perspective seen with the naked eye is tough in this area simply due to the vastness of the landscape.)

Once north of UT-24, we stopped at a favorite location for another go when there was NOT an impending storm as we had last year.

The bones of the cow that we found dead 2 years ago having been scattered a little, reminding us of the harshness of the area, and the bleak reality of life in the desert. It is large and empty and largely unvegetated most of the year, though there was some life in this alkali wasteland at this point in the spring.

One of the reasons I bought my Fisheye lens was for this shot, I just LOVE this old truck. Whatever year it was abandonded was a long time ago, and I always wonder exactly what the driver thought as he turned it off the last time.

I love the perspective that you can get with a Fisheye.

The road seemingly stretching on forever, of all the desert vistas I have seen, this depicts what truly translates into emptiness. It allows the mind and soul to expand without limit as the land has no limits to impose, you are free to be smart and live or stupid and die. Simple and uncomplicated. While not the most beautiful area by any stretch, it is the most uncompromising.

Walking the dusty road, I could imagine the lone traveler in the the days of yesteryear passing through the long dusty stretch of nothing unaware of the beauty that lies ahead.

Looking over the South Desert the immensity begins to dawn on you, I have traveled this, and it is LARGE! Nearly 27 miles to the campground from the last bit of pavement this would have taken days by other means of transportation. Lucky we can drive it in a matter of a couple of hours with stops for photos. The luxury of modern times.

After setting up camp and getting dinner, we repaired to the floor of the Upper Cathedral Valley, to hopefully get some nice evening light. I have spent many hours poring over maps and looking at sun angles at sunset at different time of year to see where the best spot would be. My best guess was further west in this area than we got. Which I think would have put us in the wrong spot, the cathedrals further to the west were angled just wrong on the north side to get the same amount of light as Needle Mountain did here. I ended up being quite pleased with the quality of color of the light. Though I wish I would have been more time aware during dinner.

Looking almost Due East, I was looking for a spot to do a 90-120 degree Panorama but could not find a spot that really worked compositionally.

This is likely to end up on my wall printed on Metallic Paper.

I had also been dreaming this Startrail for quite a while, though with the small spire balancing the North Star on it's tip. That didn't work as well as I had hoped and simply chose to frame the shot as best I could and hope for the best. I spent several hours watching the light fade until the sky was dark enough. (Thanks Phil for not getting too bored!)

This was a last minute idea to pull off while getting ready for bed. I rather liked how it turned out. The tent was lit by my MagLight.

The next morning, we got up early and hustled to Lower Cathedral Valley to shoot the Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon. The light was spectacular, I would have liked to be there right as the sun came up, but alas it was not to be.

The color and temperature of the light was quite warm on the rock and flowers. I cooled it off a little but wanted to stay true to the moment and the richness of light.

As we played peek a boo with the sun, it was important to choose the composition and wait for the light to be just right. Fortunately patience was easy to come by.

Climbing a low hill to the south of the two cathedrals afforded a viewpoint that I was quite enamored with. I find myself wishing to get higher on the side of the bluff, there is rumoured to be route to climb up there but I have yet to have the time to go look for it.

After getting some breakfast back at camp, we went back into Upper Cathedral Valley to visit this old ranchers cabin. Amazing that up to 8 cowboys would bunk up here at one time.

Yeah that is me, sorry to scare you with the pic, but I wanted evidence that I was actually there!

I believe this is a deer spine found just to the side of the cabin, looks like the remains of a meal for a local predator.

We spent most of the Afternoon up at 9,000+ ft in the 1,000 Lakes Mountain area staying out of the heat and napping, a nice break at the right time.

On the way back down this view of the upper Reef was simply too good to pass up.

Sunset was again spectacular, the light on the cliffs to the North East of camp being perfect as always.

With my trusty DA 55-300 I was able to reach out further than I have before, catching the last light on Needle Mountain (Featured in other shots above but from the other side).

Evening is always pleasant with a nice fire and a harmonica to entertain the denizens of camp and whatever beasts and critters were lurking in the darkness.

By Moonlight the valley looks rather unworldly.

The old Juniper Trees claw at the sky, their skeletal remains framing the heavens.

The dust in the air makes the horizon a special color of red and gold as the sun comes up despite the absolute lack of clouds. Compressing the rows of bluffs together @ 300mm gives a unique view of the desertscape.

The first light on the hills gilds them and the sky in liquid gold.

The depth and scale of the landscape is truly too large to comprehend at times, it simply goes on and on and on.

Leaving the area on a new road, less traveled than the main road brings a sense of adventure. 27 miles to Interstate 70.

Looking back on the desert shows the green that is unusual for this late in June, evidence of the late and wet spring.

The adventure almost complete, the desert has yet another surprise for me, seldom does this type and color of rock form buttes. The grey is a stark contrast to the golden rock left from eroding layers above. Almost like being on the surface of the moon, and encountering a piece of Mars.

Traveling through the higher mountains we found snow to welcome up back to the land of reality, again proof of the late and wet spring.

My thanks for lasting to the end of my journey, I hope you found beauty in the images I took, and that your desire for visiting the desert to experience it's beauty has been honed. Thank you for visiting my blog.

So this is where they grow antlers????

2011-06-29T21:04:00.002-06:00

Just thought this was a fun shot to take as I drove by. The Rye grass is just high enough to mostly hide the bodies of the Elk at this farm and there were just antlers in fuzz sticking up.

You choose!

2011-05-22T21:45:00.002-06:00

I finally got a chance to shoot the Mt. Timpanogos Temple in a flattering light from the right angle. I missed the blooming trees due to terrible weather, but I still am happy with the results! Too happy in fact, I cannot choose which one I like best. You tell me which one you would put on your wall.

As always click a photo and get a larger view!

Leave me a comment and let me know which one you like.

A Break in the Clouds

2011-05-19T21:36:00.003-06:00

We have been having some truly rainy weather for quite awhile, we got a break last Saturday morning and I couldn't help but run to my favorite place to take a few shots. I don't think they are quite as good as others I have taken, but I really do like them... if nothing else they are a place to start for the next time I get a chance!

These are the same shot processed differently and cropped differently. Can't choose between them.

This took quite a bit of correcting of perspective but I quite like it.

Flowers for Momma

2011-05-17T07:10:00.006-06:00

Wanted to take some pictures of the LOVELY flowers I picked out for my LOVELY wifey for Mothers Day (via phone...) so on the day after I set up the table and background and got busy. (as always click on a photo to make it larger!)

This white blossom was just my favorite, I love the complexity of natures engineering.

This was intended for a laptop wallpaper, but I just liked it a lot! So you get to see it too.

The full bunch!

After the preliminaries, I decided it was time to get a little crazy and pop down the rabbit hole into close up macro.

These next three were taken with my old Manual Focus 50mm f1.4 lens on Extension tubes (gadgets that move the lens further away from the camera so that you can focus closer.) The first with a 36mm tube.

Then adding 20mm for 56 total mm.

Last adding 12 mm for a total of 68mm.

The last shot taken with my DA 55-300 at 55mm. I actually think this lens performs better than the older prime for this shot sharpness wise.

One Really Busy Saturday Morning

2011-05-09T20:44:00.007-06:00

Last Saturday was a busy one from Dawn until Noon. Here are a few shots from my day.

First: this is a single RAW image from the middle of my timelapse. The sky was awesome, you have to remember here that the image covers 180 degrees from diagonal corner to corner, so a HUGE swath of the sky was beautifully lit!

Once direct sunlight was on the area my thoughts turned to macro and flowers. I have recently acquired some gear that helps me get closer and sharper than I could before. This was with my M 50mm f4 Macro.

This also.

For the rest of the day I mounted my old manual focus K series 24mm f2.8 lens which I think is my most versatile lens, and headed off to Salt Lake City for a morning Daddy/Daughter/Daughter/Daughter date. We first went to Temple Square and wandered through some flower beds, the variety and quality of the flower displays are amazing, this tulip is much larger than my fist.

The colors on this one just blew my mind, never seen anything like that before. The background is a bit busy but I still like the overall shot, it just captures what I was seeing.

At the Discovery Gateway I found a few interesting things to shoot, besides my kids. This is in the main lobby.

This is above the "Beehive" activity area, you can use blowers to move plastic balls through the tubing, way up high then watch them roll through the tubing back down to the bin. Endless entertainment for the littles.

On our way out I caught these two gentlemen talking on a bench, I just love the poses and interaction.

As always thanks for looking!

Trying out Timelapse....

2011-05-07T18:58:00.002-06:00

I have always liked the ability to create or warp reality with photos, taking what you see and making the photo look like what you saw rather than how the camera captured it.

With timelapse you can warp time (Take THAT Einstein!) that is really cool. So far I am just futzing around with it, but I will get better, though I doubt this will replace my regular still photography pursuits.

So here are the three timelapse videos I have done so far.

Other People's Money

2011-05-05T19:41:00.002-06:00

I had a chance to play with some money that DIDN'T belong to me, it was fun too, fake maniacal laughs, etc.... Then I grew up and decided to take some pictures of it, doubting that I will ever have the opportunity to have this much cash in these denominations in hand in the near future. So here we go, a bunch of Benjamins....

(As always click the photo for a larger image, and for those that care, I used my Sigma 17-70)

Easter Saturday Flowers

2011-04-28T19:31:00.008-06:00

I have been dying to have pretty things to photograph, this winter really got me down. So FINALLY things are blooming, and starting to look good. Recognizing this I ran up to the Temple, because the landscaping always has good flowers.

Most of these were taken with my new/used Kenko Extension tubes which I LOVE! They allow ordinary lenses to become macro lenses, and they do a very good job of it too. All these shots were taken with a combination of my M 50mm f4 macro both with and without the Extension tubes, my 55-300 with Ext Tube, and my Sigma 17-70. As always click on the photo for a larger version.

Evening Light....

2011-04-28T18:56:00.004-06:00

Back at the start of April, I realized I would be arriving in the area of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple close to sunset. Being smart enough to be carrying my camera, I zipped into the parking lot just before the sun started touching the mountains to the West. The sun was just kissing the North Face of the temple as it went down and the sky was just right.

Needless to say I was quite pleased! (click the photo to see a larger version.

Finally some blossoms!

2011-04-21T22:01:00.002-06:00

Boing! Boing! Boing! Spring is finally starting to rear its beautiful head! About time too. Here are a couple of quick shots just for fun. I am liking my M-50mm f4 macro, just need to use it more!

Rural Junk

2011-04-21T21:46:00.002-06:00

I had the opportunity to take a few things to my Aunt's house last week. She wasn't there when we got there so I took the opportunity to poke around. Of course I had my camera in hand and took a few shots. I only had my 55-300 with me, was expecting Big Horn Sheep or Deer by the side of the road. What I get for thinking I guess.

Anyway, I was fascinated by the patina of rust and ageing on an old metal cabinet in the back yard. So I spent a few minutes working it. I got two compositions I liked enough to take a shot.

Something about the color and hue just does something for me.

Something about the dual nature of the two handles speaks to me, perhaps it is the ability of some to withstand corrosive environments, while others succumb. Or just being the last man standing.

Again I see a losing battle with the elements, with a few last spots going screaming and kicking into the abyss. What is the value of fighting even when there is no hope?

Day 1: An Afternoon of Slot Canyons and Hiking Behind the Reef.

2011-04-18T18:18:00.019-06:00

April 8, departed Salt Lake City in a rain/snow mix hoping for better weather, as I was part of a planned expedition of adults and youth from our church to Goblin Valley State Park. We were worried about the weather, but to our great relief the weather got better as we went East towards Price. In fact once we got there we had essentially no rain whatsoever the entire trip until we returned to home.

If you want to skip reading this and go straight to the photos click here.

Upon reaching the turnoff from UT-24 we left contact with civilization and headed Northwest toward the San Rafael Swell. In my several visits here I do not remember any Antelope, however we found a group of them by the side of the road grazing. This was the best shot of the lot.

After setting up camp, George and I quickly headed out from the State Park and to the Little Wild Horse Trailhead. This is one of my favorite places to hike in the area, and truly a spectacular slot canyon that is really quite accessible, though it is getting a few more large rocks washed in each year. It has changed quite a bit since my first hike in it in 2009. This tree amazes me, It has to get washed against on a regular basis by a copious amount of water, yet it stands firm.

This is one of the first areas of narrowing, it gets progressively deeper and rougher as you go. The sensuous curves of the sandstone, and the delicate layering of eons old sediment is fascinating.

This part leans a bit, and I find it quite awkward, it is truly amazing to me how the path of least resistance sometimes leads to beauty, and sometimes elsewhere.

Here is smiling George, enjoying the day! Sad to say it was kinda fun to be there without the youth, it is very easy to enjoy yourself when you are not herding 14-16 year olds who think they are invincible and bulletproof.

Typical of the lower canyon, wider areas immediately downstream from a narrow section, it fascinates me how the water and wind can carve the stone into fantastical shapes and textures.

This is a large and new boulder that has been washed in. It is 4-5ft tall and probably weighs over 1,000 pounds, glad I wasn't there when it was being washed in. This was taken with my Fisheye lens, so you can understand the field of view, from corner to diagonal corner is 180 degrees, so from my foot to the sky goes from straight down to straight up. It is narrower than it appears.

I have seen the gap under this rock go from just a couple of feet 2 years ago too...

Nearly 6 feet. Amazing how the canyon changes.

Don't remember this rock pile either.

Twisty doesn't even begin to describe what this place is.

Boo! Yeah people put the rocks there, I put one, the other was already there.

Easy parts, but still beautiful.

The upper canyon just begs to be photographed.

The old Juniper and Cedar trees last a long time after they die, the strange patterns of the wood fascinate me.

I reworked this several times. I think I finally got it right... maybe....

I liked how this head looked kind of like a skull of some dinosaur, the contrast with the other rock also strikes me as well. There is more than one tone of rock there, and the differences are often spectacular.

This face is a little more happy, don't know why I never noticed before that there were a lot of these around.

Spotting this around several turns as we were descending Bells Canyon provided much needed anticipation of blue sky. We truly enjoyed our glimpses of the sun and sky.

Another of our friendly cottonwood trees in the river bottom, how it has survived this long I don't know. You would think that flash floods would have taken it out long ago.

George and I went down the road to Ding Canyon, a smaller spot that I have wanted to see since I did part of it a few years ago. What a blast! It is more straight forward and less twisty, but like a slap in the face on a cold morning, just a bit refreshing.

This is what is called a "Keeper Pothole" If you get in you don't get out, thus you are kept. Doubt I would drink the water unless I had to but it is good to know it is there in a moment of desperation.

In Upper Dang Canyon, there were some unbelievably large rocks just hanging out... literally.

We had a great time, but got really sore, we hiked for almost 8 hours straight. I walked like an old man honestly.... guess it is about time I started acting my age.

Day 2: Early Morning and Hobnobbing With the Goblins

2011-04-18T07:39:00.012-06:00

The next day was a fun day of walking around the HooDoo's in Goblin Valley. I was more than a bit sore from the adventures of the day before and begged off a couple of the more sketchy scrambles. When carrying expensive camera gear and not feeling in top shape it is (IMHO) smart to not get too crazy.

As always click on a photo for a larger view.

This shot uploaded in the wrong order, it was actually one of the last shots I took, or bunch of shots as it were. This is a 15 shot panorama covering nearly 180 degres. The sad thing is: it still doesn't really capture the size, immensity or grandeur of the place. I will probably be going back to this area for the rest of my life, and hopefully, one day, I will nail it.

At first light, my hopes of getting good light were dim, it was cloudy and you could not tell where the sun was at all. After a little more time lounging in my nice warm sleeping bag and comfy air mattress it was time to get up and see what the day offered.

After attaching my quick release plate (Hate having that on when I am not going to be using my tripod) and putting on my DA 55-300 I scrambled onto some small hills across from the camground. I have had many pretty views of the east face of "the Reef" which is what they call the east/southeastern escarpment of the San Rafael Swell. But never really at this time of day. Taking this shot makes me want to try to find a spot where I am less obstructed and can get this kind of light on a large swath of it.

This next series of shots are all of the same thing just treated differently, I like all three for different reasons. The first is a single shot, underexposed 2 EV stops from what the camera metered so as to not blow out the light coming through the clouds. I intentionally left the foreground dark and mysterious, to evoke more of a sense of "Light in the Darkness" or "Glory in the Gloom"

This is a combination of three shots, -2,0,+2 EV merged in Photomatix using the Exposure Fusion setting, this is much closer to the reality of what I saw.

The last one (above) is a bit more overcooked but quite a bit more dramatic. Not reality by any stretch of the imagniation. But as Ansel Adams said "You don't take photographs, you make photographs." In a weird way I like it the best.

The desert is not really greening up yet, but a few things were blooming, this purple flower bush was in a LOT of locations. Better light would have helped but it was still gorgeous!

Here are my companions, for the Goblin Valley part of the festivities, we were hoping for a fair number of young men and older guys from church, but our leader cancelled it, even though George and I were already there and the weather was not wet. In his defense it was pouring rain and slush the entire weekend in Salt Lake City. Aaron is pointing the way to a cave they discovered the previous night.

Looking out across the valley, it is a freakish yet wonderful place. The best part is the absolute silence. You can stand still and hear..... absolutely.... nothing.

This was a tricky shot, I had left my tripod in the truck, so I had to brace the camera on a rock shelf and hope for the best. Not super sharp but I like it. Definitely a possibility for another trip.

The group got a little rambunctious and went up some stuff I was not really willing to try and risk not making it up, so I wandered around and met them on the other side and on the way back to our vehicles. Despite the soreness I was deeply grateful to have been there and at peace in my heart. It does my soul wonders to be in the desert. The quiet stillness and beauty soothe my soul.

Thanks for looking at what amounts to a vacation slide show..... ;-)

Ah...... FLOWERS!!!! Yippee for me! I saw flowers!

2011-04-05T15:48:00.004-06:00

Spring is a lovely time of year for me, the renewal of the world through the beauty of flowers makes my heart sing. I try to shoot as many as I can though it usually takes a couple of tries to get back into the groove. So you will have to suffer with me through the initial few series of flower photos.

All shot with my SMC K 135mm f2.5, at either f2.5 or f4. As always click on the photo to enlarge it.

Sigh..... More snow..... (Not much to speak of photographically)

2011-04-03T13:02:00.003-06:00

An unwelcome visitor made its last (Hopefully) visit to our neighborhood last night. 3 inches of wet slushy snow bent our tree over, hopefully the little guy is flexible enough to bounce back!

The leaves appeared in the last two days, hopefully they are OK. Praying for the Tulips too!

The snow stuck to lots of things.

Not all of our trees got bowed down, but they were all covered. I HAD to run out and shoot while it cleared, run being the key word, it was a pretty small bit of sun.

The bushes were completely smothered in marshmallow.

The snow was starting to come off in the sun, wish it would have stayed out.... sigh...

Common things.

2011-03-28T13:59:00.003-06:00

I had just clocked out last saturday and was getting ready to leave when I had a thought. "Will I remember the things I use everyday 20 years from now?" I know I used expensive "Snob Pens" as I call them while in college for my undergrad degree. But I can't remember what kind they were. So I thought I would spend a few minutes shooting some of the things I use everyday at work.

Things I communicate with Part I: Writing. I give out lots of exercise handouts each week, and I add specific things on each as needed. The magnets are to keep track of who has which patient.

Things I communicate with Part II: Visual/Verbal, Hearing Aids (yes mine.... sadly enough), Vocera, kind of like a Star Trek Communicator Pin, with less reliable and shorter range. Oh and my badge, which tells people who I am and why I am there.

The controller of the CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) Machine that we use. Have these in hand all day long.

Goniometer, use these to measure range of motion frequently as well. Pretty much every PT in the world has one close to hand.

My computer, and the mouse I hate, I would rather use a trackball, but haven't figured out how to get work to pay for one. Not just going to pay to buy my own.

And the one thing I use the most, hand sanitizer, going in, going out, if I sneeze, just because. Keeps my skin nice actually, I feel the difference on the days I don't use it.

So.... stuff I use every day. When I am old and grey, and can't remember anything, maybe this will bring me back a smile of remembrance. Just like the smell of Crayons, Construction Paper and Elmers Glue takes me back to 3rd grade.

Digital Pictures of Negatives!?!?!?!?!

2011-03-26T22:14:00.002-06:00

I have been wanting to find a way to get my old film negatives into the computer without spending a LOT of money on a decent negative scanner. I pursuit of that I ordered a Pentax Slide Duplicator the other day that will be here soon. I couldn't wait though and wanted to try to DIY one. These are the results I got, as always click on the photo and it will enlarge. A description of my set up is at the end of the post.

And now for... SCOTLAND!

Dunottar Castle near Stonehaven. One of my favorite Castles of all time.

Loanhead of Daviot Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Here is how I did it, a translucent white box from Ikea, two flashes with Yongnuo RF-602 Flash Triggers. Camera on tripod more or less vertical and lined up with the slides, I used my K200d with M-50mm f4 lens. When I (Eventually) get my DA 100mm f2.8 WR Macro I will be able to get better copies, but as you can see what I have doesn't do too bad. The light in the front is to assist with focusing.

A new place....

2011-03-16T20:37:00.002-06:00

Pretty much everytime I work at the University I go past this place on the train, or driving. I usually pass by with a "I'd like to shoot that someday." in passing but never stopping in.

This day was different, figuring I had missed my bus I decided to take a few minutes and try some initial shots to see what I have to work with. Then wander and catch the last bus. For those of you who care I did end up making the bus I wanted it was running late and I saw it as I was walking up the street to find other things to shoot.

So here it is, The Salt Lake City Library. (As always click on the photo and it will link you to a larger version, which is usually much more enjoyable.)

The first thing that strikes you is the open and airy lobby, jutting stairways, and glassed in elevators.

While this is more disturbing to look at, I like the confusion that the tilt added, and the pronouncement of the bulbous stairways jutting into the space.

From above the curves become more apparent and the openness invites enjoyment of the space.

To me, the most elemental design piece of the building is the juxtaposition of gentle curves and rigid lines and angles. It speaks to me the most in these stairs. Going back to the first shot, they seem to burst into your awareness with a sensous curve pushing out into the openness above you. But upon closer examination you see that they are truly more hard edged than originally perceived. This photo speaks to me of this dichotomy that exists in this building, and in all of life and nature too. Nothing is truly straight and simple or purely for ornamentation, it all has a purpouse of some kind.

Technical stuff. K200d, ISO 400, SMC - K 24mm f2.8, at unremembered aperture.

A good day...

2011-03-13T21:26:00.002-06:00

Friday was a good day. I got to play on my way home from work, and then again after dinner. AWESOMENESS!!!!

One of the frustrations of being a landscape photographer is that you cannot schedule the light/sunset/clouds etc... you simply have to have places in mind that you would like to capture and simply be ready to drop what you are doing, grab your camera and run when the time is right. Oh, and be lucky. I wasn't so lucky with the sunset, the expected color really didn't come, but I still tried to get the best captures I could get. Here they are in reverse order.

As is my usual wont when photographing Temples this is a HDR, 6 shots in 1 stop increments from +3 to -2. I knew the color was not there and planned this as a B&W from the start. I think I captured the feeling/mood I wanted, but I think my focus was just slightly off. Still like it though.

This was earlier as I was getting set up and waiting for the sun to go down. I really thought it would be a throwaway shot, taken to check my composition, however it grew on me a bit. It is not sepia toned, that is the color as captured at that time of night.

This is the earliest shot, It is an homage to an online friend named Phil Zucker, who likes to do multiple shot self portraits like this. My first try, learned a lot, don't be surprised if you see more of these!

Just love the mountains!!!!

2011-03-07T14:00:00.003-07:00

I often take for granted how lucky I am to see the magnificent view we have here in the Valley. I try to sometimes stop and really look at the mountains see the details. A week ago Sunday I stepped out in the mid afternoon to see what was happening to the East. Deciding that Black & White would be a good option I tried out a few shots and liked what I got. All taken from within a 100 yards of my front door, with my K200d and DA 55-300 lens.

Lone Peak

Twin Peaks

Mt Timpanogos

Yep another sunrise post......

2011-02-19T10:57:00.002-07:00

I really liked the delicacy of the light coming around the mountain and hitting these low lying clouds. Sometimes I just love the winter..... What did I just say?

Lunchtime Blitz: Downtown!

2011-02-14T15:41:00.008-07:00

I love the opportunity to have people listen to me, whether they have a choice or not really doesn't matter that much. So when I was asked to assist with two training sessions at one of our sister hospitals downtown I jumped at the opportunity. I was even more excited to find out that this involved a longer than usual lunch break between classes. I had taken my camera with my SMC K 35mm f3.5 lens with me, mainly because this is my smallest and lightest lens, and was ready to have some fun.

As always click on the photo for a larger version, I will try to describe why each of the many photos was included, this time, just to sharpen my own impressions.

The State Capitol: I really liked the sky more than anything else, but having the mountains showing in the background really added to the shot.

WW I Memorial: I have never been a big user of Memory Grove, however taking the opportunity to walk through was enjoyable, I loved the carving and details on this monument. This first shot captured the light as I first saw it and really gives me the textures I wanted.

The curves of these next two please me, I tried to choose between them and couldn't, so you get both.

I tried to get the flag blowing but the wind was not cooperating. I like the starkness of the marble and faded flag against the deep blue sky. I did a fairly heavy perspective correction for this shot, but the sharpness held pretty well.

My title for this shot is "Bent", I loved the colors and contrasts in this shot, and the perspective of the fence running off into the distance pleased me as well.

This stone faced chappie bewitched me for a moment, I really wondered what he could be thinking. The texture and the light gave depth to his face, and the pigeon spikes added just the right touch of ridiculous.

I don't revisit a lot of settings besides Temples, but I have been wondering if this guys stuff would still be there, and it was, though less neat than the last time. I keep being intrigued by the unknown backstory.

To me "Plum" has always been a mark of good, a plum assignment was a really good one, you get the drift. Well Plum Alley was part of the old Chinatown that has now been dozed under and built on, and is now just an alley. I think I have too many elements going on, but that is downtown to me. the dilapidated Eat-A-Burger behind with the concrete block parking garage, the plane in the sky, the beat on Do-Not-Enter sign. They all combine to give the shot texture.

The last time I wandered downtown I found a garbage can behind bars, now I find a garbage truck. I just get intrigued that folks have to lock up an area with a garbage truck.... who is gonna steal it? Really?

Hummingbirds of bronze.... I like that... easier to photograph than the other kinds for sure. I just loved the color and strangeness of seeing this. Really not sure why this part is underlining... GRRRR!

I called this "The Snake Pit", I was really hoping that the wire was not live, and didn't get close, I really liked the swirling of the wires and the sharp edged cut. Like life, messy and not ending where you expect it.

What a delicious bright yellow contrast to the more decrepit background, and yet the lean tells a story, I liked having it lean out of the frame, breaking a rule but creating tension.

This Rat's Nest of wires was really kind of scary to look at. Found myself wondering if some drunken electrician managed to finish it before he electrocuted himself.

Heading back to Memory Grove and the long steep hill back up, Despite the beautiful sun there were none of these benches that were in use. It felt kind of lonely, that is what I liked here, the loneliness of these devices sitting unused.

Memorial Chapel: I am sure this looks better in spring when everything is a brilliant green. I felt it was more meditative in late winter with the dormancy of the environment reflecting the dormancy of death, yet with the knowing of the renewal of life to come, to meditate upon.

You got two of these, simply because I liked this composition as well.

Hope you enjoyed my lunchtime walk.

A day in the life of a Mountain

2011-02-14T08:29:00.002-07:00

Every morning last week I watched the snow blowing off the peaks of the Wasatch Mountains to the East of the Valley and have been regretting not having my camera with telephoto lens attached. So one day I rememberd to grab it as I went out the door. I ended up shooting morning lunchtime and evening from the grounds of the building where I work. These are the three I liked. (as always click the photo for a larger view.)

Storm Mountain: Blowing snow.

Storm Mountain: Clouds at noon.

Lone Peak: Last light.

This is a very well thought out article...

2011-02-13T21:02:00.003-07:00

http://www.bythom.com/blame.htm

Read it... tis interesting.

Raphsody in Blue

2011-02-06T19:10:00.002-07:00

Just something I have wanted to play with... Kinda like it!!!!!

20 Minutes of Monochrome Downtown (With just a splash of color)

2011-02-01T18:17:00.007-07:00

I have a thought that goes through my head on occasion (usually when I missed a shot because I didn't have a camera with me) that I ought to carry my camera with me more often. So I try, especially when I am going to places that are more likely than the average area in suburbia to present photographic opportunities. You have seen this in earlier posts where I have carried my camera with me to my occasional (PRN) employment downtown. Yesterday was no exception to this desire, and I chose my SMC K 50mm F1.4 vintage manual focus lens as my carry lens. It is a bit long for real easy snap shooting, and needs more studied compositions especially when shooting at f2.0 to 2.8 which is my usual practice with this lens. I am more likely to carry my 35mm f3.5 in the future, or something wider, but more likely than not whatever I carry will be Old, Manual Focus, and a lot smaller than my zooms. This is part of why I love Pentax, small primes. This lens (Pentax DA 21 f3.2 Limited) is my #2 on my lens buying list, and really calls to me. Give me a couple of years and I may be able to save enough to buy it. (Anybody wanna donate?)

OK, on to the fun part the photographs. These shots were all taken in a 20 minute span, with my Pentax K200d, and the above mentioned lens. It makes a pretty compact setup and it very nice handling and fairly lightweight.

I don't know why this caught me eye, but it did, wish I had had my polarizer along... I call this one "Headless Beauty".

The next several shots are all of the same bike, it was sitting in front of the same vintage thrift shop as the mannequin. All shots of the bike were shot in B&W in camera, and only slightly adjusted in Photoshop for exposure and contrast.

Not sure I would want to ride this puppy.

I was now in move mode, I had 25 minutes to get to the bus stop from the Train stop, and had used a bit of time surveying the bike. This was in a back alley I cut through, originally shot it in B&W but went back to the RAW and brought it forward in Color, simply because I missed the rust on the frame.

I wasn't sure why this level of security was needed for this trash container, but I had to admire it.

I shot this from chest level on a split second decision to take it. I almost deleted it, but liked the sense of motion.

This girl caught my eye as I walked past, she was busily primping and working on her hair in the reflection of the Pawn Store window, I didn't get he focus on, but caught the action.

I chose to go back and bring this out in Color as a contrast to the B&W, there is just such a juxtaposition of color and casual unusualness to the scene that I couldn't help myself.

I thought this made a nice end to the series, I am not sure how this stayed here all day, or however long it was there. The tidiness of the made bed in the doorway of a closed/boarded up shop made me stop in my tracks and stare. I really wished for a wider lens to show the people waiting for the bus with this at their backs.

Hope you enjoyed the display of 20 minutes of my photography life, I don't know when I have gotten so many shots I liked in as short of a time period before.

On a clear day I can see downtown.

2011-01-23T09:34:00.002-07:00

Been wanting to shoot this area for awhile. This is up on a ridge above my hometown. You can see all the way to downtown 25 miles away. A slightly different cropped version of this is my wallpaper right now!

Takes The Cake....

2011-01-22T09:29:00.002-07:00

Had a large painting project in my home so I haven't been doing much photography, but as I went through my memory card I found this from a family outing to celebrate two of my daughters birthday's. this was taken @ f2.8, 1/10 second exposure at ISO 100 with my old manual focus 24mm f2.8. The White Balance was a little tricky and required some fiddling in the RAW editor, I was very pleased with this shot. I love the concept of food photography, it combines several favorite things of mine. Being constructively occupied, making things that smell and taste good, and eating said goodies. This one I didn't make, Olive Garden did. Still tasted pretty good tho!

More Fisheye Fun!!

2011-01-11T20:14:00.005-07:00

I haven't had a lot of time to play with this lens since I got it, one trip to the state capitol principally, so I decided to take it with me on my Commute to my Extra Job downtown. This is the job that allows me to even dream of having enough money to buy lenses etc....

I have come to the tentative conclusion that there are really two uses for a fisheye. 1) to simply get it all in and make it look different in the process. Call it "Distort and Conquer" if you will, but the simply different perspective allows for some crazy ways to get different elements in a shot and make them look strange. 2) to isolate a smaller detail in the midst of a larger setting. This is like getting really close to a flower and then letting everything else fall back into the background and look smaller than it is in reality. So manipulating the viewpoint of the lens to accentuate some things and diminish others.

Here are a few more quick shots, most were in some part premeditated prior to starting the day. As in: I wanted to get something like this and looked for the opportunity to get it.

As always click on the photo for a larger version.

I deliberately panned this following the train. I would like to go for lower ISO and longer shutter speed the next time and see how well I can follow the aim point. As it is I still like the feeling of movement of the train, and the disorientation of being up that early around fast moving things.

This is a mild redux of a prior shot but completely different. Wildly different field of view than a 35mm lens.

I love the symmetry of architectural support structures, but often find myself disappointed in photographing them, yet another thing to master. In some ways I like the ability of this lens to change what I see into something new.

I spend a lot of time looking at this when I travel to this job. The parking on the University campus is just atrocious, and after awhile they start to track your license plate and get onto the fact that you are there regularly. They then out a flyer on your car asking you to tell them who you are visiting and or what clinic you have been going to. The parking folks are notorious for being.... persnickity about not paying them, some kind of a power trip thing I guess.

One of the things I love/hate about the urban slot canyons you get in a city, is the strips of sky that you have to look up to see. I generally prefer to have sky framed by Navajo Sandstone... but sometimes I like the city slots too. This is one shot I wanted to try for since I got this lens.

I liked the reflections of the clouds on this building, but wasn't able to really show them. Probably should have gone across the street and tried there too. One of the toughest things about this lens is getting it square to something when you need to. I had to straighten this a bit as the lens was rotated a little. Looked square in the viewfinder....

So far I regard this lens as a cheap gem. It is sharp, has really good Chromatic Aberration control, and is easy to use. I can set the focus at anywhere from 3ft to infinity and have most of the frame in focus. The only time I need to play with it is when I get close. Which I should have done in my stairwell shot. At closest focus and f5.6 or f8 you can have nearly infinite Depth of Focus, though the further away stuff will not be critically sharp. Loving it!

Thanks for looking in!

Grabbing Sunrises....

2011-01-09T16:03:00.002-07:00

I have a penchant for looking at things for a long time before realizing that there is a photo opportunity there. I have been driving (or riding) past this Cemetery for almost 6 years as part of my daily commute. I have always been struck by the incongruity of an anti aircraft gun in the middle of it. I had passing thoughts that I really should stop some day and look closer at it, but never thought (what is WRONG with me?) to take a picture of it.

Well I was driving in last week and with the developing sunrise (a scarce thing recently) looking better each moment I had the spark of inspiration to drop in and grab a quick shot or two. Really quick as I was not in a situation where I had a lot of time. Here is what I got, hope I remember to visit it again sometime.

The Sentinel

Aim

Still aiming, hopefully never to be used again.

Last Light of 2010

2010-12-31T18:08:00.003-07:00

Not much to say really. The aribtrary sectioning of our lives has decreed that this particular section has ended to be never again. As it closes it is traditional to reflect on the past increment, and look forward to the next. I have had a FANTASTIC year of photography, and have taken many memorable images, and more importantly I have taken them in even better and more memorable company. Friends I salute you! Slainte!

My last two landscape shots of 2010, taken at the lake by my home. 6 degrees F.

Happy New Year!

Peace.

Lloyd

Fading Afternoon Light

2010-12-27T19:09:00.002-07:00

Days of gloom, punctuated with only minor breaks of light, weighing down on my soul, light precious light blooms on the mountain. Above the mundane glory.

3 From Today

2010-12-26T22:12:00.002-07:00

Been mostly too busy to shoot the last couple of days. Grabbed this one because I HAD too! Haven't seen much blue sky recently and was not about to miss this chance!

Rokinon 8mm
Went to a party for my 18 year old Nephew at my sisters. The cat "Eddie" tends to make a good subject, he lies in front of the fireplace and seldom moves unless my 5 year old gets after him. He definitely has the Regal Air of a cat. Both of these with the Pentax 35mm f2.4 @ f2.4

He got progressively more sleepy it seemed, then he ran away not too long after this shot.

Night Lights in the Rain.

2010-12-22T20:05:00.003-07:00

For the first time in my memory the city I grew up in has decorated some trees in the city park. And as usual I have been dying to take pictures of the lights. I have not had an opportunity to go to Temple Square in Salt Lake City yet so this is as close as I have been to anything fun in the snow.

It was actually raining, it had snowed for most of the day then warmed up and changed over to rain, light but enough to make it more difficult to keep things dry than I would have liked.

The light was hard to balance for color, needed to use a Tungsten WB in the RAW converter to get it looking even decent, otherwise it was a orangey/yellow.

The bridge is new and the stream used to be buried, amazing was has happened since I was a kid.

I thought to use my 8mm Fisheye, but it didn't give me the crazy distortion I was looking for, plus that huge front element collected a lot of moisture, I had to spend a fair amount of time cloning out water drops from the image.

These trees on the East side of the park were also well done, but less photogenic with powerlines and cars in the background.

A couple of parting shots on the way out, enjoyed getting wet and cold.

Whoa! I think the tree exploded! Well... actually I just zoomed during the exposure. Kinda like it though!

More Thoughts on the DA-L 35mm f2.4

2010-12-21T17:08:00.006-07:00

Having shot just a little more with this lens I am still not even close to making judgments regarding how good it really is, this I can say, it is a really good lens. Had I not bought my beloved 30+ year old SMC (K) 35mm f3.5 Manual Focus lens, I would be hankering for this to be my first autofocus prime. Seeing as the K is pretty decent I am more than willing to wait until one day buying the DA 35mm f2.8 Limited Macro (a 1:1) macro though you have to get REALLY close to get that.

Anyway here are some photos to give y'all an idea of the size of these lenses.
(L to R: DA-L 35mm f2.4, FA 35mm f2.0, K 35mm f3.5)

Front View same order

And a few outdoor shots just for grins, all with the DA-L, it is not the closest focusing lens around but it does OK, and it is REALLY quick to focus, The only problem is that is focuses slightly behind the focus point (BackFocusing) which is a problem at f2.4.

I simply couldn't get the AF to focus on the front of the weed patch on the front R, it blurs the front of it just a bit, could be the older AF on my K200d....

This was shot on tripod at near closest focus distance, and Post Processed a bit, just trying to create a more dreamy shot rather then totally hard edged reality. Kinda like it though.

Playing with more Bokeh...

2010-12-15T15:05:00.002-07:00

I did an impromptu Temple Square visit with my family on Monday, shooting a little bit with the DA 35mm f2.4 I have borrowed but found the field of view a bit limiting, but shooting mostly with my 30 year old Manual Focus 24mm f2.8. This year I have become ... enamored? of shooting wide open (meaning that I don't use the aperture to limit the amount of light coming in.) because of the effects on the out of focus highlights, also known as bokeh. This allows me to make some cool looking pictures as well as not use a tripod all the time.

f2.8

This one was deliberately unfocused throughout the frame just to see what it would look like.

I was VERY pleased that this turned out as well as it did, it is not super sharp but is sharp enough for ISO 200 and 1/20s shutter speed. The color of this lens even wide open is really quite good, with decent contrast.

I really love the Tabernacle as well, I have sung there several times in my youth and it is just a special building.

Exit Level 4

2010-12-15T08:50:00.003-07:00

Took a borrowed copy of the new Pentax DA 35mm f2.4 (a budget priced new prime) with me to work on Monday. As has been my usual wont over the past while I try to find at least one interesting shot each day. I found this corner of the parking structure I walk through interesting in an Urban Decay kind of way. I went for 3 different approaches and left you with one untouched frame to compare with. Don't know that it really works but was a fun exercise. I have a LOT to learn about street/urban shooting.

This was pushed WAY over the top. Looks pretty freaky.

Untouched, WB as the camera chose on the Auto Setting.

B&W conversion using A/W Converter.

WB set in camera to Flourescent, some tweaking in Photoshop. I kind of like the conflicting lines in this one the best.

Some First Shots with the 8mm Fisheye

2010-12-10T22:23:00.007-07:00

I am very interested and excited to learn this new lens. The perspective is simply out of this world, and it is able to pull in very small and cramped spaces and "Get it in". Corner to corner it gives you 180 degrees. So far I find it's sharpness to be superb and color rendition indoors to be neutral and accurate. It is all I could ask for especially at the price.

So.... I got off early last Friday (The value of being efficient!) and ran away to the State Capitol. A building that I love, but struggle to capture due to the sheer immensity of the building. I have a penchant for domes and lying on the floor to take pictures of them. This one involved lowering my tripod a bit and lying on the floor. I really like the perspective (Distort & Conquer is my motto!) and the colors turned out pretty good. Sometimes indoor HDR's tend to get a little weird color wise but I am getting better at controlling them.

This is a non HDR and non turned funny shot for comparison. Did I mention that I really like the perspective that is afforded by this lens?

There was a bride getting some shots taken so I tried to stay out of their way. Personally I would have been using a little fill flash in this lighting setting, but that is just me....

The House of Representatives Chamber was open, and I took a few shots. I did a 5 shot pano but I am having trouble getting my programs to play nice with them... I think the distortion is getting me in trouble. Will keep working on that! What I had was really quite wide enough though for one shot. Again an HDR.

The Rotunda/Dome again but from up on the balcony. Considered a pano again here, but liked this perspective.

Playing with funky compositions, really needed to extend the tripod a bit and get really close to the light though I think.

Non Fisheye shot of the bride taken with my Pentax 55-300, just because I liked the interplay of the bride with the photographer.

Hope you enjoyed, I will be putting more shots up as I get the chance to use it, after a while the shine will wear off and I will use it when appropriate but not all the time! ;-)

Ahhh...... New Glass!

2010-12-09T20:37:00.004-07:00

I have been lusting after two things lens wise in the recent past: A fisheye lens, and a Macro Lens. (We won't talk about camera bodies right now, the new Pentax K-5 is stellar and completely out of my price range especially with a camera that is perfectly functional.) Well thanks to an extra shift and an understanding wife I now have that fisheye. This is a fairly well regarded lens, and is MUCH cheaper than any other option I have available.

Here are a few shots of the unboxing.

It is a reasonably sized lens considering that it has a 180 degree field of view diagonally from corner to corner.

Here it is next to my Sigma 10-20 EX DC f4-5.6 which is a pretty good size chunk of glass in it's own right. This lens is reasonably enough sized that I would be willing to hike with it. Just imagine the breathtaking shots I can take looking over the edge of a steep cliff!

First shot, bounced my flash off the ceiling. Problem... flash is going to be tricky. I like to bounce off things, but this lens includes too many things IN THE FRAME which will make it just a little more complicated!

HDR from tonight... MAN this thing covers a lot of image.

This is with One pass of correction of 100 in Photoshop, not nearly enough.

This is with a second pass of 100 of correction, still not quite there, though the wings on the sides are near straight, the fountain edge is still pretty curved.

This lens is going to take some learning, but I think it will be about right for my uses and is GREAT for the price!