Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce 2018 Calendar

December 10, 2017 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, CV Chamber of Commerce, Genoa NV, Jake's Wetlands, landscape photography, Mormon Station State Park, Scenery, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Wildlife photography | 5 Comments

I am very excited to have four of my pictures featured in the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce 2018 Calendar. This is the fourth year the Chamber has featured my images in their calendar.

Contact the Chamber at http://www.carsonvalleynv.org/ or by calling 775-782-9490 if you want to purchase a copy.

I submitted 12 images this year.

This view of Jobs Peak was taken just south of Mottsville Lane.

I was out one snowy morning and made this image of the historic buildings in Genoa. This image is featured on our Christmas cards this year.

These horses on Waterloo Lane have become a favorite subject. When I arrived the day I made the image, the horses were scattered about their pasture, but these two walked up to each other as if to say, ‘Do you think he has something for us to eat?’

Spring was still young when I made this image along the Carson River Trail.

The main building in Mormon Station State Park on a snowy day.

I shot from a low angle for this view of Jake’s Wetlands in Minden.

A storm was approaching over the Sierra Nevada Mountains in this image made from Foothill Road.

Jobs Peak as seen from the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on a summer day.

And the winners are:

JUNE: The Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park at the end of the rainbow. I checked – no gold!

JULY: the Waterloo Lane horses on a nicer day.

AUGUST: The Carson River as seen from the Carson River Trail.

DECEMBER: I found these four deer along Foothill Road near Jacks Valley and made this wildlife panorama.

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

PS Challenge – May 15, 2017

May 15, 2017 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, CV Chamber of Commerce, David Walley's Resort, Job's Peak, landscape photography, Sierra Nevada Mountains | 1 Comment

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day and treated their Moms like queens! I took care of my Mom earlier in the week and called her after her brunch date with Dad. Our son, Drew, joined us for brunch at the 1862 Restaurant at David Walley’s Resort. Great brunch – big thanks to the crew at the 1862! We had a couple surprises while we were there. Walking to our table, I heard my name and was greeted by one of my Eagle Scouts, now an engineer and helicopter pilot. What a great young man he has become. Also, on the way to the buffet line I bumped into a young man that I knew while serving in the Nevada National Guard. It was almost like old home week!

Today’s PS Challenge image was taken from Johnson Lane on our way to Walley’s. The light on Jobs Peak was wonderful, with a great assist by the clouds over the mountains.

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

An AMAZING Week for Me!

March 29, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged CV Chamber of Commerce, Eagles, Eagles & Agriculture, HDR, landscape photography, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photomatix Pro, Photoshop | 5 Comments

I have had an absolutely amazing week since my last post. First, I won both categories of the Eagles & Agriculture Photo Contest this year!

This Eagle eating a rabbit won ‘Best Birding’ photo. I made this image in December, when my lovely bride and I drove up on this scene just a few blocks from our home.

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Last May, I was invited to join other photographers to record this group of cowgirls moving a herd along Genoa Lane. This image won the ‘Best Agriculture/Wildlife’ category.

I am both honored and humbled to win. I stopped by the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce offices to see the other images. Holy Cow!!! What a great group of submissions this year.

My exploration into long exposures of water expanded a little, with the addition of some new software called Photomatix Pro. This software uses bracketed exposures to produce High Dynamic Range (HDR) images. In my last blog, I discussed exposure (controlling the light striking the sensor in the camera body). ‘Bracketing exposure’ means finding the right exposure for a given image and making additional images of the same scene by overexposing and underexposing. HDR software then combines the different exposures by selecting the best parts of each to create an exciting photograph. For example, in a landscape, the underexposed images give the best skies but renders the shadow areas black and without detail. Conversely, the overexposed images give great detail in the shadows but loses detail in the highlights. HDR allows the pixelist (see how I got my title in here!!!) to use the best light to make a great image. Some cameras will make the HDR image for you, or you can combine them using HDR software on the computer.

Here’s a landscape that I shot a couple years ago near Kernville CA. I used three images at different exposures to make this one. Set exposure to capture the sky and you don’t see the rich color in the rocks. Set exposure for the rocks and you see a bright white sky with no detail in the clouds.

Another HDR near Kernville. Yes, it was chilly and we got wet a couple times that day!

A waterfall on the Kern River in HDR.

This image of the Church at Bodie CA was made from two exposures, merged in Photomatix. I need to go back to Bodie so I can get shot that doesn’t cut off the steeple, and to make other images, too.

Learning this new software has been a lot of fun. As you might imagine, I can get a little crazy in the processing.

I made this image of a wagon on one of the local ranches in January. I’ve been trying to process the image to fit my vision for a couple months. This is nice, but it doesn’t convey the feeling I wanted to share.

When I processed the image in Photomatix, I found what I was looking for. One of my photo mentors thinks it’s over done, and I respect that. My lovely bride thinks I should crop it differently. Bottom line – there’s no right or wrong. What’s that old saying? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Please recall this image from last Fall. I photographed this bird condo in Walker CA.

I revisited the image to explore the boundaries and capabilities of Photomatix. The result is over done, but kind of fun. Again – the eye of the beholder.

West Fork of the Carson River in Hope Valley. This HDR image was made from 5 exposures, and is a traditional processing.

The same HDR image, with a little fun. I went here because I was struggling with ‘ghosting,’ a problem when the images don’t align exactly (like the wind blowing the tree branches). The processing I chose here masks the ghosting a little. It’s a fun interpretation of the scene.

Simple HDR from 3 exposures. With this image, I was more about the flowing water. I gotta say, however, that I hope there’s still water flowing when the vegetation leafs out to add a little color.

I processed this image in HDR, then decided to play with monochrome. Absent color from the vegetation, I like the effect.

The HDR in this image is right on the edge of going too far, but I like it.

And I haven’t been on the edge all week. We had a nice sunny day, and the birds and bees were visiting the yard.

This Lesser Goldfinch Hen challenged my very limited identification skills.

I was in the backyard enjoying the warm when I spied this butterfly on our Flowering Plum tree. I got the camera and made a few shots, but couldn’t help noticing the buzzing sounds…

…and several of these guys were working their magic. They’re harder to take pictures of than I thought.

My favorite image from the day. A large aperture opening gave a very shallow depth of field (the flowers in the foreground are blurry as are those in the background). The black and yellow against the vivid pink just hit the spot for me!

Well, that’s it for this week. As you can see, it really was an amazing week! Until next time – Enjoy! PHOTOROGR

February is a very busy time!

February 18, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, CV Chamber of Commerce, Eagles & Agriculture, Hawks, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photoshop, Pine Nut Mountains, Shooting the West, Wild Horses, Wildlife photography | 2 Comments

When I started this Journey in Creative Photography, I knew I would be spending lots of time learning how to make images (in camera and on the computer) and that some of my learning curve would be about the business side of photography. In my post ‘Order and Chaos’ (last December), I discussed the challenges of storing and retrieving images on the computer. I described how I installed additional memory in my computer and further refined my storage/retrieval system in my last post. I have been reaping the benefits of those changes in the last couple weeks, as I tackle another big challenge – what do I share, print, and show?

February in the Carson Valley is prime time for nature photographers. The calves are dropping and the Eagles migrate through to feed on the nutrient rich afterbirth and the occasional carcass. Long lens mounted, I go hunting for these regal subjects. Then, after downloading the RAW images on the computer, I review the images and decide which are worthy of processing and possibly sharing or printing. Believe me, you only see a small fraction of the images I make in camera. Why is this on my mind? Read on!

Many years ago, the local Chamber of Commerce (http://www.carsonvalleynv.org) teamed up with area ranchers and conservationists to create a wonderful event called Eagles and Agriculture. The opening reception and photography exhibit is tomorrow at the Senior Center, and the tours start Friday! The Eagles & Agriculture Banquet is Friday night, and I will have a table to sell my pictures and note cards. I’ll also be there Saturday morning – if you’re nearby, stop in, say hi, and buy a picture or note card! I’ve been printing, matting, and framing new images for a week or so (I love Amazon’s 2 day delivery on ink for my printer!). The image retrieval system was critical to my printing activities, and the modifications to my process made it soooo much easier. This will also help as I prepare for my presentation at Shooting the West (http://shootingthewest.org).

I’ve also been making time to get out and make new images. The Eagles have been a little difficult to capture, so other subjects have endured my intrusion – most notably, the wild horses in the Pine Nut Mountains. The foals have been coming a little early this year – we now have 3. I shared pictures of Skye in my post ‘Inspiration – the Key Ingredient’ although we didn’t know that she was a she, and she hadn’t been named when I posted.

Skye with her Mom, Suzie Q (in back), and Dad, Shorty (facing).

Here are the other foals!

This is Sassy with her Mom, Bossy Betty. Sassy got her name by exhibiting an ‘independent’ behavior.

The family portrait (l to r): Sassy, Bossy Betty, Skye, Suzie Q, Shorty (looking right). Shorty is the proud Papa, but he plays it cool.

This is Hardy with Mom, Lady. Dad is Blue – the undisputed King of the Pine Nut bands. Hardy is named after my father-in-law, who celebrated his 90th birthday last week!

Hardy running with other members of the band. The horse on the left is Copper and we’re waiting to see her foal. Lady is keeping Hardy in line.

While shooting Blue’s band the other day, Blue decided we had been there long enough and came over to tell us. When we didn’t leave immediately, he took a couple steps as if to say, ‘Didn’t you get the message?’

I found Mystery again – we started with a game of hide and seek, and then it got interesting!

Mystery hiding in the trees.

Mystery posing for me.

Mystery deciding he wanted to check me out! He walked to within about 25′ of me before I convinced him it wasn’t a good idea.

I saw several horses who were having lots of fun!

This is Hope. She’s a yearling and Blue’s daughter. Apparently, mud bath was the day’s fun activity.

Another of Blue’s yearlings played in the mud.

This little fella’ is The Rogue’s son. I found him in a different area, but he had been playing in the mud, too.

This is Little Jo, one of Blue’s yearlings. She’s quite a camera tease, and apparently doesn’t play in the mud.

I can’t post without a bird picture…

This Sharp-Shinned Hawk was in my neighbor’s tree. I got some good pictures…

…but obviously overstayed my welcome. It’s a problem I have on occasion (just ask Blue).

One more shot of Hardy – a guy just has to scratch sometimes, even when he’s only a couple days old.

Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom. I know I shared a lot of pictures, but you see my dilemma! Like the convenience store, I just have ‘too much good stuff!’

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

Process improvement – another important ingredient!

February 7, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, CV Chamber of Commerce, David Walleys Hot Springs, Eagles, Eagles & Agriculture, Genoa NV, Hawks, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Raptors, Wildlife photography | 4 Comments

Many years ago, I retired from military service. My last assignment was on the Plans and Programs staff at State Headquarters. While my efforts focused on emergency preparedness and response planning, I assisted others on our small staff with strategic planning and process improvement. I’m comfortable with goal setting and brainstorming new ideas (imagine rooms full of important people with a facilitator guiding the participants through a long and sometimes interesting discussion on making the organization better). These days, my process improvement thoughts and actions are a lot more personal – mostly making higher quality images and developing my creative side.

Well, not all my improvement processes are about making images. For the last couple months, I’ve noticed that available space on my computer’s internal hard drive is continually decreasing, and some software seems to be running more and more slowly. I didn’t break out the marker boards and markers to evaluate the problem and formulate plans to mitigate the problem, though I was tempted. Instead, I decided to install more memory in my computer and move all the pictures to a dedicated internal drive.

I ordered the drive and had one of my smart neighbors do the install and setup (it’s not true that all engineers can remove the covers from their computers and not do harm). Then I sat down to move the pictures and the light bulb came on – I could fix all the frustrating and wasteful file organization issues I had been thinking about since I started this Journey in Creative Photography! I spent much of a day re-organizing my folders and moving the images around on my computer. I’m pretty sure that my image storage system is more efficient now, and will probably feel that way until I do my monthly backup to external hard drives in a few weeks. If you’re having a hard time with your image storage system, make time to make it better. You’ll be much happier.

And remember, the bad part of process improvement is that it’s continuous, but that’s also a good thing. We’ll revisit my reorganization at the end of the month.

It’s been a great shooting week. I found Eagles, Quail, a Cooper’s Hawk and, just today, I finally got that elusive Bobcat shot. Eagles & Agriculture is only a couple weeks away, and I’ll be spending a lot of time prepping for the show. I have several new images to print, mat, and frame. Of course, the weather is supposed to be really good, which means that I’ll be out shooting, too. It could be a problem, but it could be a fun challenge, too. Here’s the fun stuff from this week!

This Cooper’s Hawk was out in the snow, hunting from this gnarly tree stump just outside Genoa, Nevada’s oldest town (but don’t ask Dayton).

This Red-Shouldered Hawk was also south of Genoa, a little closer to David Walley’s Hot Springs. He posed, but wouldn’t make eye contact.

I was on a local ranch looking for Owls and a covey of Quail came by. This one posed on an old ranch wagon.

These Quail were marching in a parade, except for the guy on the lower fence rail. We’re not sure what he’s up to.

We are blessed with a nesting pair of Bald Eagles in the Carson Valley, and I made this very long range image earlier this week.

I was watching a Bald Eagle in a field a couple days ago, and this Bald Eagle flew in to crash the party. He was only 100′ or so away, and looking very regal! This image will be on sale at Eagles & Agriculture, with other images from my collection.

This is my prize capture this week. I’ve been looking for this cat for a couple months. He was in this tree laying down, and would have stayed hidden if he hadn’t sat up and revealed himself.

That’s it for this week! Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

Inspiration – the Key Ingredient!

January 30, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, CV Chamber of Commerce, Eagles, Eagles & Agriculture, Geese, Hawks, Owls, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photoshop, Pine Nut Mountains, Raptors, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Turkeys, Wild Horses, Wildlife photography | 4 Comments

In my last post, I talked about luck (right place, right time, right settings) and the importance of being prepared. In the last month, I’ve discovered another ingredient that I feel is key to the creative photography process – inspiration!

Inspiration comes in many forms and governs everything. For example, I have to be inspired to go out with a camera, inspired to stop and make an image, inspired to spend time processing an image, and then be inspired to share the image. In the last month, my inspiration (and sometimes lack of inspiration) has been all over the map. I’ve been excited to fire up the PHOTORANGER and go looking for subjects. I’ve just stayed home because I just wasn’t ‘feeling it’ that day. I’ve pulled over for something I liked, and often driven on and sometimes missed a shot. When I’m back home and downloading images from the day, I’ve said ‘yuck’ to everything (you don’t see those!) and resolved to correct technical errors or find better subjects, and resolved to get out there again. And then a whole month passes between posts (I really need to work on that). You know how the inspiration roller coaster works.

In the last week, the inspiration peaks and valleys have become less extreme – returning to almost normal, in fact. Subjects have been plentiful and my settings have been good, improving my images and increasing my inspiration. Here’s some images from the last few weeks. I hope you enjoy and are inspired by them!

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

Every winter, the eagles visit the Carson Valley for calving season. I found this Bald Eagle along US 395 a couple days ago. Eagles & Agriculture is only 3 weeks away!

This Bald Eagle was hunting along Foothill Road, on the west side of the Carson Valley. Not sure he knew about his ‘shadow.’

This juvenile Bald Eagle was in the southwest part of the Carson Valley.

I’m not sure what these two were discussing, but they sat for pictures for quite a while.

I found the Carson River Road turkeys in the trees a few weeks ago.

Remember that ‘right place right time’ discussion.

These two are part of another turkey flock, generally found just over the California line.

I’ve seen this nest many times, but didn’t see an occupant until the last couple days. I’ll watch and see what develops.

This little fella’ flew from fence post to sign to sign while I followed and took pictures. I’m not sure if he’s sending a message here…

Remember that ‘right place right time’ discussion? I forgot the ‘right settings’ piece, as I was zoomed in too close when this Hawk took flight…

…but I got this Red-Tailed Hawk just fine.

This Blue Heron was focused on his next meal and didn’t worry about me as I got closer and closer…

While he looks unconcerned, he never took his eyes off me.

I don’t normally take pictures of geese, but I was inspired when their flight path brought them close to me. Jake’s Wetlands, Minden NV.

This is KC. His mares are known as the Sunshine Band.

One of the Sunshine Band. I like this composition.

Peeking through the trees…

Next to an eagle shot, new foals are great inspiration. This little one is about a week old, but has not been named as the Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates are waiting for confirmation of the sex. That’s Mom on the left.

New foal staying close to Mom, Suzie Q!

And Suzie Q making sure I wasn’t too close.

This family portrait shows Shorty, the sire, keeping a close eye on me while the foal nuzzles Mom. This picture has gone viral on Facebook! Thanks everyone!

It’s hard to top the ‘family portrait,’ but I wanted to share this panorama of Jobs Peak (second peak in from right). It’s a little different view of the Sierras.

Honored and humbled and excited and intimidated…all at the same time!

December 16, 2015 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged American Kestrels, Blue Herons, Carson Valley, CV Chamber of Commerce, Eagles, Eagles & Agriculture, Hawks, Owls, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Pine Nut Mountains, Raptors, Shooting the West, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Wild Horses, Wildlife photography, Winnemucca NV | 4 Comments

A year ago, my good friend and photography mentor, Craig Moore, introduced me to Shooting the West, a photography symposium in Winnemucca, Nevada. I ventured to Winnemucca last March and had a great time, made new friends and improved my photo skills. Any of you who attend events such as this know that the promoters solicit feedback from the attendees. In my evaluation, I noted that the program did not include a nature photographer and I suggested they include nature photography in future programs. One should always be careful for what one wishes because last August I got a call asking if I would be interested in making a presentation on nature photography at the 2016 Shooting the West symposium (honored and humbled). I thought about it for about 3 seconds and quickly assembled a brief outline with a few examples of pictures (excited), and submitted my proposal for a nature photography tour of the Carson Valley. A couple weeks later, I got an email advising that they accepted my proposal and I would be on the program (more excited).

As the initial excitement subsided, reality set in – I would be showing my pictures to a room full of photographers from around the country (intimidated). Thinking back to last year’s program, I realized that, in addition to the amateur and hobby photographers in attendance, there would be people who have been shooting for decades, travel the world and get published in National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, and other international publications, and write books and teach classes about photography and photo editing. Oh my God!!! (More intimidated!!!!!) And I just said yes to showcasing my work on a really big screen for all to see (even more intimidated). I’m not afraid of public speaking – as many of you know all too well – but I’ve only been shooting seriously for a short time. Then I said to myself, “Self – get it together, put your best foot forward, and see what happens.” Finally, the voice of reason (but I’m still intimidated).

Shooting the West XXVIII will be held April 26 – May 1, 2016. Registration opens January 18. For more information, go to shootingthewest.org, call 877-623-3501, or email info@shootingthewest.org. I’m back to being excited, by the way (and still honored and humbled)!

It’s winter – prime raptor season – I’m out almost every day trying to get new and good images for my STW presentation and to market at Eagles and Agriculture (February 18-20, 2016, go to http://www.carsonvalleynv.org/pages/EAGLESAG1/ for information). Don’t worry, I’m not limiting my presentation to raptors only. I hope to include a good representation of game animals, non-raptor birds, and the Valley’s predators – at least the ones of which I have pictures.

Here’s a few images from the last couple weeks. I think you’ll like them.

I was out checking an area for a Golden Eagle aerie, and I found this stud wandering in the Pine Nuts all alone. He let me make lots of images. I’m trying to decide which one to submit to the Pine Nut Wild Horse Association for their 2017 calendar featuring studs.

He and I watched each other closely while I shot. He’s not from the area, that we know of anyway. We’ll see if he makes it all the way down to the other bands. We named him Mystery. Oh yeah, I haven’t found that aerie yet.

I’ve seen lots of Kestrels in the last few weeks. I’m not sure if they are more plentiful, or if I am better at seeing them.

This one looks like he’s giving me ‘the bird’ as he flies away.

My lovely bride commented that I get a lot of ‘butt pictures’ when I’m shooting birds, but I love seeing the frozen motion of their wings and feet as they take flight.

I saw this Blue Heron on a very windy day…must have stopped blowing for a second or two while I made the image.

I found this immature White-crowned Sparrow near the Nevada-California state line. This is my favorite composition for birds – tack sharp with a blurry background…

It was a snowy day outside this pole barn, but this Great Horned Owl didn’t seem to mind.

I saw this Golden Eagle probably 600 feet away.

This was the scene outside the pole barn…this guy was trying hard to stay warm and paid me no attention.

Same bird – different angle and background…maybe next year’s Christmas card???

Did you see that? Yeah, but I don’t believe what I saw…

Coming in for a landing…er, going up for a landing…

I drove by this Red-tailed Hawk, and went back for the picture. At first, he tried to sell me a watch…

…and then he took a spin around me…

I think this is my favorite. I was checking a location for Owls and saw this guy. Again – my favorite composition – tack sharp subject with a blurred background.

That’s all for this post. Between the raptors returning to the Valley and the wonderful weather, I’ve had a great couple weeks of shooting. I look forward to more fun, finding that aerie, and a visit from Santa! Have a very Merry Christmas! PHOTOROGR

Slow November…

November 19, 2015 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, CV Chamber of Commerce, Eagles, Gardnerville NV, Hawks, Lightroom, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photoshop, Raptors, Sierra Nevada Mountains, sunrise, Wildlife photography | 1 Comment

November is slow for the nature and wildlife photographer here in the Carson Valley. The bears are heading for their winter beds. The leaves are gone from the trees. The raptors are slowly returning to the Valley. The wild horses are winning at hide and seek. We’ve had some early snow, which has provided some good photo opportunities, mostly of the mountains. I’ve been working with Photoshop a lot, trying some new editing techniques. I’ve done a couple images in Lightroom, too, but I think I like Photoshop a little better.

Here’s a few images from the last couple weeks.

This Red Tailed Hawk wasn’t mad at me – he was squawking at a crow flying behind me.

Driving on Genoa Lane one day, and this Hawk was doing litter control watch. Not sure I’d throw anything out the window of the car with him around.

…and somebody must have done something, ‘cuz he was off in a shot. A good friend advocates that movement in images should always be left to right. I thought about it here, but left it alone.

I love the Kestrels, but they are difficult to get. This one was shy and refused to turn around for me.

This guy was more cooperative. I asked him to sit on this branch and look left. I love this picture!

I got my first Eagle of the season. Driving up Mottsville Lane last week, and there he was on a utility pole. He sat for a minute or so, and then took off.

I can’t get enough of the Bald Eagles and look forward to the coming Eagle season. I think this is one of our resident birds – it’s a little too early for the transients to arrive.

I love the detail I was able to capture. I’m making big plans for this image.

Last Sunday, Edsel woke me up early to show me the amazing sunrise. I tried to resist and stay in my warm bed, but ultimately got up and made these images.

I made this image just before the sun popped over the horizon.

I turned around to see the Sierras just before sunlight struck.

And here’s a couple more panoramas, just for fun.

I worked this image in Lightroom. I need much more practice in LR.

This is the full width of the Sierras in Douglas County. This concept has potential for the future.

One last shot – I was out on a snowy morning and tried to make an image of the ‘welcome to Gardnerville’ sign in Sunset Park, at the border between Minden and Gardnerville. A 24″ x 36″ print of this picture is on display in the Gardnerville town office. I need to get a nice spring, summer and fall shot so they can display a different picture with each season.

Welcome to Gardnerville!

Until next time – enjoy!! PHOTOROGR

I just get distracted too easily…

September 19, 2015 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Blue Jays, Carson Valley, CV Chamber of Commerce, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photoshop, Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates, Sierra Nevada Mountains, sunsets, Walker Burger, Walker CA, Wild Horses, Wildlife photography | 1 Comment

I’ll admit it. Three weeks between posts is abhorrent and shows a lack of discipline on my part. I just get distracted too easily. Between taking pictures, exploring new techniques in shooting and editing, friends visiting, printer issues, some business stuff, and ensuring I spend time with my lovely bride and the family, the blog suffers – sometimes for a couple weeks. When you see the pictures, however, I think you’ll appreciate what I’ve been doing.

I fixed the printer problem by purchasing a large format printer. I can now print up to 13″ x 19,” and shouldn’t be distracted by printer dysfunction anymore. By the way, the prints are great!

I spent some time working with the PhotoMerge function in Photoshop and Lightroom. I successfully merged a series of images of the Sierras that I made in 2008. I was on my way to work when I saw the mountains with a band of snow, a band of light, a band of dark, and some low clouds. I was in awe and stopped to grab a few pictures. My plans to merge them were always set aside (see, distracted too easily), until now. Here’s the result – not a great image, but it proves that I can do it. More to follow!

Susan’s dad asked for a Walker Burger a couple weeks ago. (It’s a great distraction!) If you haven’t been to Walker Burger, it’s worth the drive from anywhere. Thankfully, it’s only a 40 minute drive from the Carson Valley on US 395. Go soon, because they close for the winter on October 15. Not only are the burgers the best on the planet, but the ‘Garden Dining’ experience is wonderful. The Blue Jays were great and the small birds enjoyed the bird feeders. You can buy a bird house there, or just enjoy the bird houses in the dining area.

We’ve had some phenomenal sunsets due to the smoke from the California fires. Most exciting for me, however, was the morning that the sun was screened by the smoke and I got great pictures. See what I mean! (Check the Landscapes and Scenery page for more sunset images.)

Yes, this is the sun screened by the smoke. The color is great, but I was very excited to catch a couple sun spots.

If I put a stem at the top, it could be an orange or a peach, but it’s the sun. Not the sharpest focus, but the colors are beautiful!

One of my favorite sunset images. The smoke can be seen low on the horizon making a wonderful golden glow, but the light on the contrails makes the picture for me.

Last weekend, a good friend came to visit. Brian and I served together in the Air Force almost 30 years ago. We drove a bunch of miles, but the horses weren’t cooperating, the leaves are already gone in the Sierras (dadburned drought), and the Glen Alpine Falls were a mere trickle. We had a great couple days, catching up on family and life. I’d say ‘just another distraction,’ but it could have been a different story if I’d gotten some pictures.

I caught up with some of the horses this week. Most were uncooperative, but Blue let me walk around his band and make images. In spite of his gruff demeanor, he’s just a big Blue puffcake at heart. Don’t tell the other studs, though – they will NOT believe you! Check out the Wild Horses page for more images.

Blue! Nothing more need be said.

I don’t get ‘artsy’ with the horses very often, but I loved the line of heads as they walked by.

Socks – chillin’ under a tree while his ladies were enjoying a dirt bath. Seriously…

Blue with a couple ladies and one of the kids!

For the business stuff – I’ve been working on new note card designs and filling an order for Christmas cards. I have two images in the Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates Foals of 2015 calendar, and got notified that I have an image in the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce 2016 landscape calendar. It’s very exciting for me!

So, I hope I’m forgiven for the long wait and I hope you enjoyed these pictures. Many more to follow – please stay tuned!

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

A little R and R…

February 27, 2015 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Bodie State Park, Carson Valley, CV Chamber of Commerce, Eagles, Eagles & Agriculture, Hawks, photo editing and composition, Raptors, Wildlife photography | Leave a comment

It’s a nice Friday morning here in the Carson Valley, but the weatherman says a change is coming. We may get some much needed moisture and will definitely get some cooler temperatures in the next couple days. I’m listening to one of my favorite soundtracks, The Last of the Dogmen. If you haven’t seen the movie, you should (you should also listen to the soundtrack). The story is excellent, the scenery is phenomenal, and I like Tom Berenger and Barbara Hershey, who play the main characters. With a successful Eagles & Agriculture in the rear view mirror, I’ve slowed my picture taking this week and continued preparations for next week’s Shooting the West photography experience in Winnemucca, NV. I also caught up my checkbook (aggghhh) and made sure the bills were paid, renewed my driver’s license, and made time for a few pictures.

In military parlance, the term ‘R & R’ refers to rest and recovery, or rest and rehabilitation, or rest and…well, pick your favorite ‘R’ word. The key to R & R is ‘rest.’ As you will see, I tried to rest, but there’s just no rest for the wicked, or when you’re wicked, or if you’re wicked. Let’s face it, I’m no singer (I won’t try to type her name, but Travolta butchered it – she sang in Wicked on Broadway, get it?) and I’m having a little too much fun (just ask my lovely bride), and I’ve been called worse than wicked – but I digress. You’re interested in my pictures, not my meandering thoughts!

Here’s what I did this week. And don’t forget to watch The Last of the Dogmen! You’ll love it.

Enjoy – Photorogr

My photo challenge last week was ‘black and white.’ With my busy schedule, I used some images I made in Bodie State Park, http://www.parks.ca.gov/bodie/, last summer. This image was my submittal. After desaturating (removing all color), I adjusted the image to maintain the reflection of the mountains and clouds in the window while trying to enhance the details of the products that have been on these shelves for more than 70 years.

This beautiful old stove is in one of the few buildings that the public is allowed to enter. I also experimented with a sepia tone on this image. For those of you unfamiliar with Bodie, it was a mining ‘boom town’ in the late 1800’s. When the mining stopped, the town was finished. People literally locked the doors and walked away. There are similar stories all over the western United States – thanks to those who work to preserve these historic places!

Some of the old mining equipment. I tried to bring out the shadows in this equipment, but I overexposed the original image which made those adjustments impossible. I guess I’ll have to go back and shoot Bodie all over again – darn it!

I was on my way home from the store with a car full of fresh fruits and ice cream bars, when I spy a Golden Eagle floating on the wind currents. He disappeared behind a house, so I went looking for him. I found him in a pine tree. He made the obligatory adjustment before taking off…

…so I followed him skyward. There I see several more Golden Eagles enjoying the wind currents – like a convention up there. And then they were gone and the sky was empty. That allowed me to get home in time to save the ice cream bars. It was the best of both worlds – great pictures AND ice cream bars!

I went out yesterday with some friends. The birds were skittish and wouldn’t let us get close. I did the best I could. Love this Bald Eagle in the air…

…and this Marsh Hawk taking off – away from us, of course. Fun day with good friends!

I took a quick trip down Mottsville Lane this morning while Edsel was at the groomer. I went to the groomer, too, but Edsel came home much cuter than I. I was on the hunt for pictures for this week’s photo challenge – Abandoned. I found this Hawk on a fence post along the road, and I’m a sucker for a chance to get a Hawk up close. I found some good shots for the challenge, but I’m still working on them. Stay tuned!

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