My Favorite Horsetail Fall Moment

Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, February 18, 2008.

This past week, Yosemite’s nondescript Horsetail Fall has garnered national media attention! Within the past five days, The Associated Press ran a story that was followed-up the next night by a report on NBC Nightly News. There was also an interview with local photographer Michael Frye on National Public Radio. Not that Horsetail was the world’s best-kept secret by any stretch of the imagination; quite frankly, it’s just the opposite. Since the late-Galen Rowell’s 1973 image of this natural phenomenon of light and shadow was first published in his famed book Mountain Light, amateur and professional photographers have traveled from around the globe to both witness and capture their own version of this seasonal fall lit by the waning rays of sunset light. I must admit, it caught my attention also, but I did not attempt to photograph it until the winter of 2003 as I was busy running a full-time sports photography business.

This February once again found me in the Valley chasing this elusive light while co-instructing Gary Hart’s winter workshop. Needless to say, I have witnessed varying degrees of Horsetail light throughout the past 9 winters, but only once have I seen and captured what I consider the ultimate Horsetail light – the red lava type of light that, as I’m finding out, is extremely rare to see!

It was really a set of unforeseen circumstances that led me to that opportunity back on February 18, 2008, when as a group we photographed the fall the night before. Unfortunately, two participants missed meeting us and thus did not have the opportunity to join us for the shoot. I volunteered the next day to lead them out to a popular viewing location along Southside Drive. It had snowed quite a bit and I remember spotting a mound of snow smack in the middle of the Merced River. We had arrived 2 hours prior to sunset and decided to stake our spot on the snow mound in the hopes of getting a reflection. Another friend of my happened to also be there and he joined us. As the four of us waited for sunset, I discussed how I liked “rehearsing” my compositions. Sounds weird I know, but I reasoned that when/if the elusive light appeared, it was important to not get into a panic shooting mode.

Scheduled sunset time for that particular day was 5:39 pm, and at 5:11, as the light was starting to warm, it suddenly disappeared! One of the difficulties with shooting Horsetail is that one is generally immersed in the Valley with a view of the western horizon obscured by trees. I can only surmise that a cloud, or a bank of clouds, had blocked the sun’s path. I know this image appears to have been captured from some high mountain-top, but believe me, we were on the Valley floor – it is really somewhat of an illusion. By a rough guesstimate, we figured there had to be over 100 photographers surrounding us. As we neared posted sunset time, I feared the light would not return as the ambient was getting darker and darker. Apparently most of the photographers around us felt the same and most packed-up and left. I told my participants that we would stay until 15 minutes past sunset as I have seen alpenglow appear at its best, just at, or even past posted sunset time.

As posted sunset neared, and just as all hope was lost, I remember someone excitedly calling out from behind our position that they were spotting some faint red light near the base of the fall. We all immediately went into scramble mode and I can clearly recall a surge of adrenaline shooting through my veins! Within 30 seconds, the entire fall lit, at first faintly (see third frame from left – top row), then got more and more vibrant within the next 30 seconds. There it was – the red lava-like light I had only seen in other images and now I was seeing, and photographing it, live! With all the talk I did about preparation and varying compositions, I barely followed my own advice as I was so excited. I can remember actually trembling at the sight and not wanting to screw-up the image! The light lasted until 5:43 pm (4 1/2 minutes total) then quickly flickered-out and the show was over. High-fives abounded along with many whoops and hollers from the few remaining photographers. I couldn’t help but think to myself, “why did everyone leave?”

I have been accused over the years of “pumping up the red” in this shot, so it is time to prove this was not created in Photoshop. Here is an unaltered screen capture of my RAW images from that night: Click on image for a full-screen view.

Horsetail Fall Contact Sheet - RAW Captures. Canon 1DsMKII

The only processing I did on this image follows my normal steps of setting the white and black point, which resulted in a slight bump in contrast. I also tamed-down the brightness in the sky in the top-left of the frame. I’ve tried cropping it out but ultimately liked the version with it included. As you can see, I only captured one frame with my 24-70mm lens in horizontal format, while the rest of my captures were with my 100-400mmL at about the 300mm range. In retrospect, I wish I would have captured more horizontals but at the time did not think it looked that appealing. In the end, it is my most-prized composition of the evening and the one I have displayed large in my home. It also is my best-selling Horsetail Fall stock image via Getty Images. Don’t you just love 20/20 hindsight?

As I revisited these images for this story, I realized that not only did we have an opportunity to witness special light, but also, just the fall itself was lit. It was as if someone had punched a hole in the top of El Capitan and blood poured out! I have actually tried to increase the color/saturation of the red in the RAW images and can’t – no matter what Photoshop process I try. The red color is maxed-out in the RAW file!

By most accounts, the window for Horsetail Fall will be closing soon. If you plan on viewing and/or photographing your own image, be aware that the water levels are low this year and the fall could be down to a trickle by now. We shot it on two consecutive nights just after 4 inches of snow fell on the park back on February 15 and 16. No new snow has fallen since.

Make Your Reflections Look Natural

Canon 1DsMKIII, 16-35mmL @ f/16, 1/10th second shutter, 100 ISO, Singh-Ray 2-stop soft graduated neutral density filter.

One of my favorite types of images to photograph in Yosemite Valley is reflections. The best time of the year is in the fall as the Merced River is reduced to calm pools. My second most favorite time is winter, generally in the early morning just as the sun begins to strike many of the monolith granite giants that reside along the northern side of the Valley floor. When I first started photographing reflections, I often returned disappointed with my results. Why? Well, the reflection looked too balanced and that is not the way they appear in nature. Thus, I really made a serious attempt to study the way a reflection appears naturally to the eye. I have deduced that in most instances, reflections should appear about one-stop darker than the object that is reflecting. Sounds simple enough, but I see so many images (both amateur and professional) where this is just not the case.

I believe part of the problem, at least in the film days, resided with my attempts at selecting the proper strength graduated neutral density filter. If I chose too strong of a grad, my image would appear too balanced, or even worse, a reflection that was brighter than the object it was reflecting. With digital, the problem is easily adjusted in post (though I try to get it right at the point of capture). For this scene of an early winter morning in Yosemite Valley, an overnight snow storm gave way to clearing skies and the rising sun warmed the face of El Capitan and cast its golden reflection into the placid Merced River. I metered the sun-lit portion of the snow-covered hill (just to the left of El Capitan) then metered its reflection and deduced that I would need to use a 2-stop soft GND to control the contrast. I dialed in what I felt was the proper polarization and this was the result:

Using a Singh-Ray 2-stop GND balance the image but made the reflection as bright as the face of El Capitan resulting in an unnatural looking reflection.

In my LCD the reflection appeared natural and the histogram read correctly; yet, as you can see, the scene looked too balanced and unnatural (remember, the reflection should appear about one-stop less than the object it is reflecting). In film days, I would have had to live with my miscalculation. But we photographers have been liberated somewhat and I can now deal with this imbalance in post-processing. Though there are many ways to go about this, here is how I dealt with the issue:

First. I duplicated my original then in the Layers blend-mode box, I selected Multiply.

I then added a mask by clicking on the third icon from the left on the bottom of the Layers palette. By default, the mask will appear white. Here is how the image now appears (note this screen shot does not include the mask but at this stage I just want you to see how applying a Multiply layer will darken your image): NOTE – Click on any of these screen shots to get a larger preview.

By choosing Multiply, I have darkened the overall image by minus-one stop. I now allowed my eye to only look at the reflection as that is what I need to lighten (we’ll deal with the top-half of the image later). I simply reduced the opacity of the Multiply by 1/2 stop by moving the Layer palette Opacity slider to 50%.

With the mask in place on the duplicated layer, I next selected my brush tool, (make sure the black and white color palette on the bottom of the tool palette has the black square over the white square), and made sure the opacity slider in the option bar was set to 100%. Next, I simply brushed away the top portion of the image to reveal my original exposure of El Capitan. This now made the reflection appear just a tad bit darker than the 1-stop I desired so I simply moved the opacity slider (in the Layer palette) down from 50% to 35% and achieved a reflection that appeared natural to my eye!

The result is a more natural looking reflection and closer to how it really appeared in nature. Lastly, I opened the image into Nik Software’s Viveza 2 to knock-down the brightness of the sun-lit snow at the bottom left of El Capitan. Remember, the eye will first gravitate the the brightest area of the scene, so a bit of tonal control was needed to make that section of the image less-noticeable. Also remember to knock down the reflected potion also or it will appear unbalanced.

So the next time you are out shooting reflections, really become a student of the reflection. Look at the tonal relationship between the object that is being reflected and the reflection itself and strive to capture the naturalness of that relationship. Also, remember to focus on the object and not the reflection itself even though the reflection is very close (in most instances). Thus, if the object is at infinity (such as El Capitan is in this scene) then that is where the correct focus point should be to get a sharp reflection!

Photo Critiques – Pros and Cons

Canon 1DsMKIII, 16-35mmL Series II @ f/16, 1-second timed exposure, Singh-Ray Slim Polarizer, Singh-Ray 3-stop soft GND. Mesquite Dunes and dawn light, Death Valley National Park, California.

One of the side benefits of being a professional photographer is the opportunity one is afforded to meet interesting people through travel and common interests. One such person I have had the good fortune to meet is Al Weber. Al knows more about the art of landscape photography than perhaps anyone I’ve met and spent 20 years working as a workshop instructor for Ansel Adams. Though it has been a couple years since I have last seen him, I nonetheless receive his newsletter that he still does the old-fashioned way – printed and mailed – very cool!

This morning I was perusing his latest musings titled The Critique. Coupled with the fact that I just returned from co-instructing Gary Hart’s Death Valley workshop (and will be leaving this afternoon for another in Yosemite) this seemed a timely subject. If you have never had your work subjected to what we like to call an Image Review session, then this may or may not spark your interest. Yet, if you are serious about your work, sooner or later you will, or at least should, seek out opinions from some seasoned veterans. Your spouse or best friend is perhaps not the best person to seek advice in regards to your creations as inevitably they will lavish you with praise. That’s great for the ego but really not what is needed to grow as a photographer. At some point in time, one should swallow their pride and show their work.

On the other hand, critiques/reviews in my opinion should be constructive and not all negative. I have had my share of less-than-flattering statements thrown my way by various editors throughout my career and have learned how to handle them. But if you have never subjected your work to another professional’s opinion, then it can be an eye-opener. As a workshop instructor, I have had many review sessions over the years with my students. My approach is to start off positive. I truly believe that each image I review, I can at least find one or two things positive that I can say about the image. I will then offer ways that I think the image can be improved. Moreover, I always try to start by looking at the composition and lighting and ignore the processing. This was never an issue when using film. Now, we are not only the photographer, but also the lab (takes me back to my black-and-white days).

I have heard many horror stories from workshop students about how they were belittled by instructors to the point of embarrassment. One workshop student told me they were so harshly criticized that they thought of giving up! I feel this is wrong. These are people paying their hard-earned money for a professional’s advice. To simple discard an image as terrible is not the way to approach a constructive critique session. BTW – I try to avoid using the word critique because of its negative connotations; instead, I like using review. I try not to sugar-coat my opinions, but I am careful in how I choose my words as they can be hurtful. Unfortunately, not all of my colleagues feel this is the way to go. I had a recent student tell me his image processing was termed cartoonish by a well-respected teacher. That in my opinion is labeling one’s entire work when instead it could have been intended for one single image. I reviewed some of this student’s work and thought is was outstanding. Also, it is important to remember that comments made by an instructor come from that person’s point-of-view. If that person likes subdued colors, than anything vibrant could seem over-the-top and well, cartoonish. In retrospect, what I should have really asked was: did the instructor ignore the processing and address the composition and lighting? Far more important issue than Photoshop skills in my opinion.

Al relates through his newsletter an incident that I fear most with the way I handle my students. He relates how it was accepted practice in Ansel’s workshops to be rather harsh with critiques. He said that some of the staff – some with heady reputations – felt it necessary to be negative. He went on to tell of one student so decimated by the critique of his work that he had quit photography altogether! Al said it really got him to rethink how he handled his critiques. In his words, No one deserves to be emotionally hurt to the place where they alter course. Flippant and casual remarks can be devastating. Not to the photographs, but top the photographer. And there is no fact involved. It’s all opinion.

I know one professional colleague who says he will never shoot a sunrise or sunset photo as he considers them too common. To his credit, he does not discount those that do, he simply makes it clear that it is not his preferred time to photograph. I have been criticized by readers over the years for stating that I do not like shooting once the sun is up. For me, the best quality light is found around the fringes of the day. I try not to force others into my beliefs. I see some incredible images that in my opinion could be great images if only the photographer would have chosen a different time of day to photograph but this is just my opinion.

The bottom line of any critique/review session is that it is simply one person’s opinion. What I would caution my fellow workshop instructors is this: Your students have chosen your workshop first and foremost because they like not only the location(s) but also they like your style of photography. Being harsh with their images without offering any concrete suggestions on how to improve is cutting to their souls. They are paying you to help them cross the next bridge so-to-speak. On the other hand, simply handing-out lavished praise is not perhaps the best route either as that glosses-over the need for you to find a path for them to improve upon their image-making skills.

As with an image-review session, these are simply my thoughts. Would love to hear your thoughts – have a great week everyone!

Cameras Do Not Create Images, People Do!

iPhone4, processed in Nik Snapseed, manipulated in Ripple HD.

NOTE: Join Scott Schilling, Mike Hall and me this May 4-6 in beautiful Carmel, Ca., for our iPhone Photo Workshop in Carmel and the Big Sur Coast. We will demonstrate our favorite camera and processing apps, teach you the power of layers and masks for blending and combining images, and give you tools to improve your visual skills. Mike will show you creative and practical ways to improve your portrait and group images. We will also photograph along the incredible Big Sur coast!

As a landscape photographer and workshop instructor I hear it all the time, what camera should I be using? What lenses should I buy? What software do I need? All legitimate questions. I will usually give my opinion but always with the caveat, cameras do not create images, people do!

Granted, cameras and lenses do help to to create what one is hopefully seeing in their mind, but that’s it. The feel of an image must be there in the first place and it better be felt by the photographer or the image simply won’t succeed. The last time I checked, a camera doesn’t have a brain (though some may argue that its processor is smarter than most people). Moreover, a camera does not have a heart, emotions, love, imagination, creativity, energy, excitement, awareness, etc. It cannot see light creatively. It cannot see connections between lines, shapes, form, patterns, etc. In reality, a camera is really pretty dumb. It just records what you point it at, and most times, does a lousy job of seeing the way you see.

The point I’m getting at is that a camera is simply that – a recording tool. No musical instrument ever created could make music on its own, but it certainly could produce a beautiful sound when played by a master musician. I could swing the same golf club as Tiger Woods but that doesn’t make me Tiger Woods. In my opinion, we all (myself included) get too focused on the equipment and not enough on the process. I am in the business of creating images and teaching others how to create. That’s it folks, that’s all I do day in and day out. It dawned on me long ago that focusing on what camera and lens I should purchase next was not going to make me a better photographer; instead, I chose to focus my attention on the process of creating. I began to study master photographers, I read every book I could get my hands on to gleam a new thought or two – nuggets of wisdom so to speak. I then started studying the great artists. I still study painting and art history.

This entire process, which is still ongoing, has led me to this simple belief: if you want to improve your images, work on improving your creative side. Want to improve your creative side? Here’s my advice – PRACTICE! That’s right, as with anything in life, the more we practice, the better we will get. Developing your creativity is no different. If you want to get more creative, then work on developing your creativity. The way I go about this is easy, I try to set aside 30 minutes each day to discover something artistic in my everyday surroundings. Sometimes that means wandering around my yard, other times it means keeping my eye attuned while on a walk with my wife (much to her dismay). Other times I will shrink my world and look for macro possibilities. I basically do this without a camera, though I always have one right in my pocket. This awesome little camera that is with me all the time is my smart phone – for me – my iPhone. Most of us own one these days and most of us are tethered to them.

So I can now hear some of you saying, come on Don, really – an iPhone? Yeah, an iPhone! Now remember folks, a camera is just a tool – an iPhone is just a tool, you are the photographer. If the world is truly your playground, then open your eyes, challenge yourself to look for something that grabs your attention, then see if you can’t record a creative image with your own smart phone (even if it isn’t an iPhone). The images can even be printed. I’ve made some cool images rezzed-up to 12 x 18 with my 5 megapixel iPhone4. The new iPhone 4s is 8 megs, and I’m holding out for the iPhone 5 that should be even higher. But my end goal for using the iPhone is not to make prints – it is for developing my creativity. Rarely does a day go by that I am not using it to create an image. Remember – 30 minutes – that’s it!

The image accompanying this story was a result of my eye being captivated by a bouquet of tulips that my lovely wife Beri got me (see guys, it pays to be a nice husband)! I was busily working at my computer when I noticed one of the tulips had opened to the light streaming through my office window. I immediately grabbed my iPhone, attached it to my Gitzo tripod, and just began to play with various compositions. After 10 minutes (that seemed like 10 seconds) I had an image  that satisfied me. I then transferred the images over to my iPad2, picked the one I liked, and processed it in Nik Snapseed. I had just loaded a new app that I saw on another photographer’s Facebook page called Ripple HD, and began experimenting. This was the result.

This entire process took less than 20 minutes – from capture to output – how cool is that! Twenty minutes where I was free to create – heck it has taken me longer than that to write this blog (but even this is creating). Bottom line, I derive pleasure going through the creative process – I bet when you think about it – you do too. Isn’t that why most of us are so hooked with photography in the first place? I realized when I was 6 years old that my drawing/painting skills would be limited to unsophisticated stick figures. Thank goodness the camera allowed me a creative outlet.

A Day With With the Monarchs

Canon 1DsMKIII, 400mmL f/2.8 with 2x converter @ f/5.6, 1/60th second shutter, 200 ISO, Lexar Digital Media.

Funny how we tend to put off visiting places that are near to where we live. As usual, it is my camera and my quest for new imagery that gets me out to most of these “bucket list” locations. The other day I decided to parlay a doctor’s appointment into a visit to nearby Pacific Grove, California. Known as Butterfly Town, U.S.A., this idyllic seaside community resides on a peninsula southwest of Monterey. PG (as the locals refer to it) got its moniker because of the annual migration of thousands (roughly 25,000) Monarch Butterflies. Each October through early March, the town’s towering pines and eucalyptus trees become a safe haven for these colorful insects for their annual mating season. One area in particular has become home for these butterflies – aptly named The Monarch Grove Sanctuary, its trees and climate provide the perfect mix of warmth and shelter that these tiny creatures crave. They are so protected and cherished by townsfolk, that the local police department enacted an ordinance of a $1,000 fine for anyone caught molesting a butterfly. Hey, I’m not making this stuff up!

I was told by a kindly docent that these butterflies begin their migration from as far away as the Canadian Rockies and southern Alaska. I can just hear the Rodney Dangerfield of the group saying, I just flew into Pacific Grove, and boy are my wings tired! The butterflies start arriving in early October and by Thanksgiving, they are in full force. So why Pacific Grove? Well, there are varying theories out there, but is seems it has a lot to do with a perfect winter climate – not cold enough to kill them (a good criteria to have), and not too warm to waste precious energy flying too much. The trees in this Sanctuary provide the perfect mix of proper humidity, light, shade, temperature, and protection from wind. The Australian Eucalyptus trees that grow in this grove also bloom in winter providing the butterflies with a convenient nectar source.

Though a delicate species, it amazed me to learn that they migrate up to 2,000 miles, can cover as much as 100 miles per day, and fly at an altitude of 10,000 feet! Unlike other migrating species (birds and whales), these Monarchs have never been to this destination before; in fact, several generations of Monarchs have lived and died since last year’s butterflies departed – seems as if this destination is wired into their collective DNA. After arriving, the Monarchs cluster in large masses to conserve heat. In February, increasing temperatures and daylight trigger the development of their sexual organs and the mating season is in full bloom. They can be seen performing spiral mating flights, after which the couple will rest overnight. Come March, the spring migration occurs with the butterflies departing for the Central Valley, into the Sierra, and northwest to the Rocky Mountains, laying eggs as they go. The typical lifespan of a Monarch is a mere 8 months!

In the image (above), many of the Monarchs can be seen with their wings closed resembling dead leaves. When the sun would splash through the clouds, many would open their wings displaying their bright orange colors. To capture this image, I had to have some long glass. I used my Canon 400mmL f/2.8 coupled with a 2x converter, giving me a 800mm focal length at f/5.6. I would try my best to time a lull in the breeze and hope for a bit of sunshine. It all came together for this frame – one of many I shot over my 90-minute stay. Once the clouds walled-in for good, I was told the show was pretty much over. In fact, the recommended hours for viewing are 10 am to 2 pm. It’s not often I would be out with my camera at this time of day, but the shade and cloud mix were a perfect blend to tame contrast one usually experiences with harsh light.

If you are planning a visit to the Monterey Peninsula in the near future bring your camera and the longest lens you own. The clusters are high up and the viewing areas are limited. Even if you don’t have a camera, the Sanctuary provides binoculars and the sight of these colorful Monarchs is really a treat.

2012 Don Smith Photography Workshop Schedule

Here is my 2012 Workshop Schedule. I currently have openings in all my workshops except for Yellowstone/Grand Tetons where I can add you to a waiting list. My Northern Arizona (Grand Canyon, Page and Sedona) and Kauai are getting close to selling out so don’t wait!

Working A Scene – Making the Most of a Single Location

Canon 1DsMKIII, 16-35mmL @f/16, 0.6 second shutter, Singh-Ray Circular Polarizer, Singh-Ray 3 stop soft stacked with a 2 stop soft-edge, 100 ISO, Lexar Digital Media. Note the sun dropping into a band of clouds that had formed on the horizon.

NOTE – I wrote the rough draft of this blog yesterday afternoon then awoke this morning to read Gary Hart’s (my friend/colleague) latest blog post: Trust Your Instincts. Though the blogs are similar in some ways, they do offer some different thoughts on the subject. I thought about holding off publishing this piece but decided it was different enough to let it run.

In the film days I used to tell other photographers, “bracket for exposure.” Back then, we were using either Kodachrome or Fuji Velvia and the transparency films had an extremely narrow latitude of roughly 3 1/2 stops of light. Blow a highlight and the image was toast. With most modern 35mm digital sensors, this latitude is closer to 6 1/2 – 7 stops of discernible tonality (the manufacturers may tell you more, but it is strictly a numbers game). As long as one understands how to read a histogram, the need for bracketing exposures (unless needed for some sort of blend) is no longer required. When pros talk about bracketing nowadays, we tend to be discussing composition of a single scene.

Recently my wife and I took a leisurely walk along a portion of Pebble Beach’s famed 17-Mile-Drive, which meanders through the Del Monte Forest and then along an incredible coastline. Our two teenage sons were at their golf lesson at nearby Spyglass Hill golf course. I normally put my camera backpack and tripod in the car if I know I will be at a location that could offer some photographic possibilities; coupled with the fact that we were between two storms, the conditions seemed right for a fantastic winter sunset. As we walked, I kept my eye open for potential scene that would offer enough elements for an interesting photograph. We were no more than 10 minutes into our walk when I spotted this seasonal creek funneling water off nearby Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course into a culvert which went under the road and out to a cove by nearby Seal Rock. We were at low tide (a negative 1.5 as I recall) and sunset was still 2 1/2 hours away. We diverted our walk so I could poke around an area where the creek flowed between some exposed rocks and out to sea (see image above). This got my creative juices flowing. I quickly calculated where the sun would set thanks to an app on my iPhone called Focalware 2.2 I discovered it would line-up with the mouth of the creek. The app also told me that sunset would be at 5:22 pm. I then re-checked my favorite tide app – TideGraph – and was elated to see that we would still be at a negative tide at sunset. The rocks would still be exposed!

I really am a advocate of previsualizing the image in my mind before I ever get the camera to my eye. I envisioned a vertical composition with the water centered in the bottom of my frame. Unfortunately, the only way to accomplish this composition was to roll-up my pant legs and get into the cold water – brr! I returned to the scene about 30 minutes prior to sunset and got to work (cold feet and all). One of the lessons I have learned over the years of photographing around the coast is that weather can change rapidly as the sun nears the horizon and the temperatures drop. What was once a crystal-clear horizon now had clouds and mist and the real sunset time would be sooner than anticipated (remember, sunsets/sunrises are calculated for a clear horizon). With the clouds forming along my horizon, my true horizon was now higher, thus the sun slipped into the mist 8 minutes sooner than I was counting on. I needed to control the exposure on the sky and opted to stack two Singh-Ray graduated neutral density filters.

I really felt this was going to be my strongest composition and it indeed closely matched the image I had knocking around in my brain since first discovering this scene. Now, Mother Nature was providing the light I wanted and it was up to me to get the scene recorded properly. If I can control a scene with filters I will as that means less time at the computer working on blends. With each of these images, I zoomed in and out until the scene felt right to me – that’s right, at this point of fine-tuning a composition, I really rely on my intuitive side (my gut) to tell me if I’ve got it. Kind of like listening to a piece of music – you either know you like it or you don’t. I call this my “ah” moment. When I look through the viewfinder and go “ah” to myself – that’s it!

I really had no other time to photograph another composition as shortly after capturing this image the warm light began to fade. Posted sunset time came and went and the ambient light kept getting darker and the color was basically gone. Experience has taught me not to leave a scene until I am certain that the best light has gone for good and I was still in a window of time where I knew I could get some warm dusk hues – but I wouldn’t have bet on it. I took this time to dry my feet and get my socks and shoes back on. Then, just as I started to get up, I noticed a slim cloud catching some warm light above the horizon. Within a minute, the sky exploded with color as if someone had thrown a switch! This is something I would expect to see at high altitudes but no so much at sea level. I scrambled back to my feet and flipped my camera into a horizontal orientation, reattached it to my tripod and moved up next to two small pools of water I had kept my on and made the second of my three images.

Canon 1DsMKIII, 16-35mmL @ f/16, 10-second timed-exposure, 100 ISO, Singh-Ray Slim Polarizer, Singh-Ray 3 stop soft-edge GND.

As you can see, I moved the main creek off to the righthand side of the frame and balanced it with a similar strip of sandy wash. I had hoped for some reflected color in my small pools atop the rock but it never came. I did however get some nice warm reflections in the wet sand just beyond. After feeling confident that I had properly captured this image, I moved back and to my right to feature more of the righthand creek and was able to make another composition before the light faded for good.

Canon 1DsMKIII, 16-35mmL @ f/16, 6 second timed-shutter, 100 ISO, Singh-Ray Circular Polarizer, Singh-Ray 2 stop hard-edge stacked with a 3 stop hard-edge, Lexar Digital Media. This was the last of three compositions captured before the warm light flickered-out.

Three images, one location, and all producing a bit of a different visceral affect. I more-than-likely could have produced equally impressive images without moving from my first location, but in the end, I was pleased with the results (an my feet were a lot warmer). I think the key for all of us is to challenge ourselves to make more than one composition of a scene. Oftentimes it helps if I rehearse while waiting for the light to arrive. The window of time one has to work is often narrow and clouds can wall off the light in a split-second. So be prepared, challenge yourself, and have some fun. And oh yeah, always anticipate the bounce-back light – you never know. The worst scenario would be to see this light in your rearview mirror!

New Nik Software Ad!

I am proud to announce that an image I captured in Yosemite Valley four years ago is currently being featured in an ad for Nik Software’s new Color Efex Pro 4 software! You can see this ad in the current February edition of Shutterbug Magazine.

This image was captured during a workshop I was co-leading with my friend/colleague Gary Hart. After photographing first light on El Capitan, I took three students to this location in Cook’s Meadow to photograph this non-native elm in full fall color. I knew we had about a half-hour to make the 10-minute drive and get set up before the sun crested to the right of Half Dome. A handful of other photographers were already in the meadow including a child who was playing near the tree. Thankfully, her mother saw us setting up and and led the child away. Much to our surprise (and utter delight) this mist began to rise about five minutes prior to the sun cresting.

My original attempt at processing this image was blending five bracketed exposures into an HDR. Then, Nik Software contacted me about using one of my images for an ad. They asked for something dynamic and eye-catching and I immediately thought of this image. I was one of a handful of photographers chosen to beta-test Color Efex Pro 4.0, and I went back and selected a single frame from the sequence to see if I could make it work. It involved reducing all contrast settings in Adobe Camera Raw, then using various filters in CEP-4 to bring this image to life. I have to say that even I was amazed at what these filters could achieve! I have since modified my process and find that it does indeed work for most of my landscape images; even those captured in extremely contrasty light such as this scene. I now teach this workflow process in my workshops. I can confidently say that I can teach any photographer how to take a RAW file and process it to a finish image inside of 10 minutes – consistently. It’s amazingly simple and it works for virtually any scene!

There was a lot that I liked about this scene besides the vibrancy of the tree and the rising mist. Nik CEP-4 allowed me to bring out the warmth and detail in the foreground grass and because I shot the scene at f/16, I carefully placed the sun along the trunk if the tree to produce a starburst. CEP-4 revealed all of the beautiful tonality and color and saved me from having to create numerous luminosity masks in Photoshop. The algorithms in this software are truly unbelievable. If you like spending all your time making precise selections and creating Curve adjustment layers, be my guess. Personally, I look at all the time I save as more time to be out shooting or spending with my family (can’t put a price tag on that in my book)!

If you would like to try all of the amazing filters from Nik Software, then please use my code DSMITH at checkout and receive a 15% discount off the purchase price. These filters will change the way you process images forever and give you more time to be out in the field creating new works of art!

Hyperfocal Focusing Demystified!

Canon 1DsMKIII, 16-35mmL II @ f/16, 1/4th second shutter, 200 ISO, Singh-Ray 3-stop Reverse Grad, Lexar Digital Media.

Where one chooses to place a focus point for a particular aperture and focal length determines the range of acceptable focus for that image. There is a helpful way if you are not sure called Hyperfocal focusing, that indeed takes a lot of the guesswork out of the equation. Problem for us landscape photographers is that our beautiful dawn/sunrise and sunset/dusk light simply comes and goes too quickly to spend time consulting hard-to-read charts.

Fortunately we are living in the techno-age where most of us carry some form of smartphone. I have an iPhone and I find it indispensable in regards to the number of helpful apps that I can consult at a moment’s notice. This includes a hyperfocal app – I use Depth of Field calculator put out by Focal. Unfortunately, they do not make it easy to find in the App store. If you search the following (focal depth of field) you will spot the app on the top of the page (see top left screen shot below). It is easy to use and very efficient.

First, let’s discuss exactly what the term hyperfocal means. The hyperfocal distance is the closest distance at which a lens can be focused while keeping objects at infinity acceptably sharp. When the lens is focused at this distance, all objects at distances from half of the hyperfocal distance out to infinity will be acceptably sharp. The term “acceptable” varies but is generally regarded as an acceptably sharp 8″ x 10″ print. Acceptably sharp also is defined by a term “Circle of Confusion,” (an optical spot caused by a cone of light rays from a lens not coming to a perfect focus when imaging a point source). I hope this isn’t too confusing!

So to put this into practical terms, look at the righthand image of the app below. You will see my camera listed – Canon 1DsMKIII, which is a full frame sensor. Set your camera into the apps’ memory and it will calculate for any crop factor. Next, set the lens focal length. If you are using a zoom lens, use your best guesstimate. Next, choose an aperture (I used f/22 for this scene as I wanted to maximize my depth-of-field). Lastly choose a distance that best correlates to your foreground subject. As you can see in this example, if I focus my lens five feet into the scene, everything from 1.82 feet to infinity will be in focus (or acceptably sharp). My true “hyperfocal distance” is 2.86 feet. Remember, roughly half that number to infinity is my range of true focus!

In the accompanying image captured at Big Sur’s Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, I placed my focus on the far edge of the foliage (roughly 5 feet from my camera) with my 16-35mmL lens (set at 16 mm). This allowed my foreground foliage to record sharp along with the setting sun on the horizon at infinity (I had a range of acceptable focus from 1.3 ft. to infinity). I did not have time to consult my app while the sun was rapidly disappearing; instead, I usually play with scenarios while either waiting for the light or while at home or in my hotel room. After a while, you’ll develop a good feel for range of focus and not have to constantly consult the app. Fortunately for this scene, I guessed correctly!

Five Lessons Learned From The World Of Blogging

Canon 1DsMKIII, 24mm Tilt/Shift II, f/16, 500 ISO, Singh-Ray Slim Polarizer, Lexar Digital Media

Next month will mark my fourth year spent on the blogosphere sharing my thoughts and images. I’ve learned a lot about human nature while taking this journey, most good but mixed sparingly with some not-so-good. Here are my top five lessons I have learned from my viewers/readers that had not anticipated.

Critics Are Looming: I remember my talking to the folks at Foliolink who host my website when I was kicking around the idea of starting a blog. They do not provide a blogging template and actually tried to discourage me from blogging because of the many horror stories they had heard about well-meaning photographers being beaten-down by the critics who seemingly wait to pounce on the unknowing artist. I can testify that they are indeed out there. My very first post was of Yosemite’s famed Horsetail Fall – lit top to bottom with the mysterious red light! It had been a 5-year chase for that image and I finally got it. Excited to share my prize, I was immediately belittled by a critic who said I had “no true vision to call my own!” Ouch! He went on to say that many of my images on my website were simply reconstructions of images taken by other “famous photographers” and that I had no originality. When I tried to respond, I was met by a barrage of profanity-laced e-mails that began to make my wife Beri very nervous. I simply reported the guy, marked his email address as spam, and moved on – although somewhat shaken and asking myself just what the heck I had gotten into.

Over the following four years, I have to say the negativity has been few and far between, yet it still comes every now and then. I had many conversations with colleagues, friends and family as to how to deal with such comments and came to the conclusion to just leave it be. That was until about two months ago when I received an unwarranted tongue-lashing from a reader on a blog post where I discussed my ideas about color and my ways of using it. It was extremely nasty and harsh so I sent an e-mail to the author (something I had never done before) where essentially I told the person what I thought of them. Turned out the next morning I received an email back telling me he was 75-years -old and trumpeted his accomplishments as a 50-year pro photographer – then he proceeded to pound me over the head again! Wow, I can understand bitter people venting but another pro? Someone who understands how difficult it is to succeed long-term in this highly-competitive business? I never responded back and I still scratch my head at that one. BTW – other pros are not my targeted audience!

Set The Bar High And You Will Be Expected To Stay There: We all like to post our “grand slam images” when we blog and I am no exception. But the truth of the matter is that “grand slams,” even for pros, are few and far between. Since this past June, I have challenged myself to post a blog every four days, and post on Facebook nearly every single day. That simply means you are going to see some triples, doubles and a whole lot of singles and bunts! Ansel Adams once said that 12 great images in a year is a good crop – and he was the best of his era! I had a reader yesterday write on my Facebook page that my image I had posted was not of my usual high-caliber. I wrote this similar reply and to his credit he responded back, “understood.” I am out with my camera 4-5 days per week – that is a lot – even for a pro. But there is more to running a successful photography business than simply taking pictures; in fact, that accounts for perhaps 25% or less than an entire week for most pros. There are time-consuming edits to attend to as well as marketing, bookkeeping, planning workshops, answering emails (I receive about 75-100 per day), etc. Post a killer image every day – ain’t going to happen folks!

Some People Will Always Want More: I have always tried to share an idea or teach a lesson when I post an image. A big part of my business is teaching workshops, and I feel it is a way for a new reader to understand that I have some valuable knowledge that I can share – hoping that perhaps one day they will want more and sign up for a workshop. Also, blogging and Facebook has been a way for me to “give back” for all the kind mentors who have helped me along the way. I feel there should be no secrets in photography, only good images. Having said that, if I was to give away all my knowledge to my readers, why would anyone want to take a workshop from me? Please remember that this is how I make my living and feed my family. Most people respect this fact but there are a few that think I am Wikipedia and any and all photo questions they have I should answer. I am besieged with e-mails every week asking what equipment I recommend or I will get attached photos with questions on how to make them better. I would really love to answer all of them, and most I do. But all of this takes time – time away from my day and my family. I’ve seen some of my colleagues resort to charging for this information. Fortunately I have not gone this route but I certainly understand why they have. If I paid to see my lawyer, I would not think that I am entitled to two-years worth of free follow-up questions!

Most Simply Look But Few Actually Read: I realize and understand that in our modern-society that most simply don’t have the time nor inclination to read what I have written regarding the posted image. I get the occasional comments as I did the other day that, “love your image but it clearly is out of register for an HDR,” when in the text I clearly describe that I added a Glamor-Glow filter to the image to give a dream-like affect and that the image was indeed checked at 100% on my monitor. Now I feel the need to respond – in kind – what I have already taken the time to write in the narrative. I guess the way around this, should I choose to follow the path, is to only post my “grand slams,” and believe me it has got me thinking. But for now, I will continue to post the occasional singles and bunts and deal with the occasional off-the-cuff comments. I know one colleague who simply chooses not to respond to any negativity and let the readers do the sorting – perhaps that is the best path to follow – I’m still not sure.

Most Readers Are Kind And Respectful: My last lesson learned over the past four years, and the one that keeps me going full-tilt at blogging, is that the majority of people who are actually moved enough by my images and writings to continually leave kind messages. I try to respond to all as I feel if they took the time to write me, then I should be gracious enough to write back. I’ve been told that a continual “Thank You” from me becomes trite but I disagree. I’d like to think of myself as someone who is still humble enough to say “thank you” when someone is courteous to me. I believe not responding gives an air of superiority, that somehow I am entitled to be lavished with high praise for my imagery. This is not a knock on those who don’t feel the need to respond to each of their readers, it’s just the way I believe it should be handled. So believe me, if you write a comment, positive or negative, I will try to respond. I would just ask to be constructive, not cruel, with your negative comments. Hey, I’m only human.

If you have stuck with me through this posting then congratulations and “thank you!” Count yourself as one of the few. BTW – the accompanying image was one I made two nights ago on the last sunset shoot of my Winter Big Sur Workshop. I had a great time helping 11 workshop attendees and felt at peace with my surroundings as we closed out the show. Hopefully this image adds some peace to your hectic schedule. Thanks for hanging in there with me and I hope to share a lot more in the coming years!