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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
Canon 1DsMKIII, 24-70mmL @f/16, 5-frames bracketed with shutter, 100 ISO, Lexar Digital Media, Processed with Nik HDR Efex Pro and various filters using Nik Color Efex Pro-4 (see story below)
NOTE – I will be teaching my Winter Big Sur Workshop through Wednesday night and may not be able to respond to all your comments, but I certainly will be reading them!
Disappointment with most of our images results from the fact that our camera simply cannot see the world the way our eyes do. Today’s scene, captured along the north end of Point Lobos State Reserve near Carmel, is typical of such a high-contrast scene as it contains a wide range of tones (from the sun shafts to the shadows) that even the best of digital sensors would have a hard time capturing with a single exposure.
I thus decided to bracket my exposures (as there was no movement of the foliage) altering my shutter only and running 5 frames through Nik HDR Efex Pro software. From there, I had some fun layering various iterations in Nik Color Efex Pro 4 using the following filters: Pro Contrast, Brilliance and Warmth, Levels and Curves, Foliage, Detail Extractor and Glamor Glow. I ended up with an image that was more surrealistic than my original intent but I liked this version best. That’s what makes this stuff so much fun!
We have so many options available today that as long as we learn to previsualize the scene at capture, we can easily render our intent (or even go beyond) in software – it truly goes hand-in-hand!
BTW – if you are interested in purchasing any of the fine Nik Products (and I highly recommend that you do), please use my code DSMITH at checkout to receive a 15% discount!
I’m excited to announce something new for 2012, how-to videos. I’m starting with a two-part series on High Dynamic Range photography where I show you how to blend portions of various bracketed exposures of the same scene.
Motion is the main culprit in preventing even the best of HDR programs to display a realistic scene. I will demonstrate how I deal with this issue in Photoshop utilizing layers and masks. Instead of turning over the process to an HDR program, I’ll teach you how to take control of every aspect of the blend!
In Part 1 of this tutorial, I will show you how you can photograph a high-contrast scene and not only make the motion look realistic, but also how I go about eliminating flare issues.
To view my video, please click here: Part 1: HDR The Old-Fashioned Way With Don Smith
I’d love to hear any feedback you might have and any ideas for new videos. Eventually, I will be adding some location shoot videos where I will demonstrate various techniques in the field.
