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

The PS Challenge is Underway!

March 30, 2017 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Close up photography, Deer, Genoa NV, HDR, landscape photography, Macro photography, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photomatix Pro, Scenery, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Wildlife photography | 3 Comments

My apologies for the long break between posts. I’ve been busy shooting, but I took a little break when my friend and photo buddy, Richard Hawkins, lost his battle with cancer. Many of you are familiar with one of Rich’s best pictures.

Richard and I were out with the wild horses a couple years ago. I had just made a few images and turned around when he grabbed this shot of me. Shooting with him was always fun – he had a great eye for images and helped me look at things a little differently. Rich bought a 1964 Olds 442 just before he received his cancer diagnosis. He dated his wife in a car just like it many years ago. At his first car show, he won the ‘under construction’ category. He also asked me to take his picture in the same pose he was in when he had his original 442. I was very happy to do so. God Bless You, Rich – my cameras and I miss you.

On to the images from this month. I picked up a point and shoot camera, a Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II, to enhance my camera bag. I’m learning the capabilities and limitations of this tiny little camera (it’s only 3.75″ wide, 2.5″ tall, and a narrow 1.25″ thick), but it makes marvelous images. I’m getting very nice landscape images, as you can see, and there’s potential for close up and macro photography, once I learn the camera a lot better. The PS challenge can be either ‘point n shoot’ or PowerShot, depending on my feeling that day.

I made this image just south of Woodfords CA. That’s CA 89 on the left. I made this image with the PowerShot.

I’ve driven by this section of the East Fork of the Carson River several times, and finally stopped to make the image. Great sky and great light!

The beauty of the PowerShot is the ability to stop and jump out for the quick shot. This image was made from the side of CA 89 (the Carson River is just behind and downhill from these trees) in an area where a wildfire burned a couple years ago. The tree on the left was completely burned but the other two were only burned on the bottom half. I hope they survive.

The last PowerShot image for this post – the West Fork of the Carson River in the middle of the Carson Valley. The Town of Genoa is visible at the base of the mountains, and Duane Bliss Peak is reflected in the river.

As much as I love my PowerShot, it will never replace the big camera for many things. The PowerShot will bracket exposures and focal length, but the big camera does it much better.

This is an HDR combined from an exposure bracket of the West Fork of the Carson River, in the mountains. There’s lots of ice in the stream still, as this section of the river gets very little direct sunlight in the winter months.

Another HDR of a usually dry wash feeding the East Fork of the Carson River.

This is the Bower’s Mansion, an historic structure on the west side of Washoe Lake, just south of Reno.

The Eagles are long gone, except for the nesting pairs, and the other Raptors are slowly leaving the area as spring approaches. Smaller birds are returning, so we have subjects to shoot and new challenges in shooting. Small birds are more likely to move as you approach, so a long lens and quick reaction to spotting them is critical.

I found this Western Meadowlark on a fence post in the wildlife viewing area on the south end of Washoe Lake. Chilly morning, so it was trying to fluff up and stay warm.

This Western Meadowlark landed on a branch near me, and posed nicely.

These Black Tail Deer are part of the Town of Genoa herds, although these 4 can be found a couple miles north of town on Foothill Road.

I’m not sure they were more worried about me or something to the right, but they held still long enough for me to make this image.

I had the opportunity to try a new technique I saw in Outdoor Photographer magazine – the wildlife panorama. I usually try to get my wildlife images as close and detailed as possible, but I love the concept of combining wildlife and landscape photography. Watch for more images like this.

I found these 4 another day, but they moved into a grove of trees as I approached. New challenge to get a good shot through the trees. This one moved in and stopped, not exposing more head for me. Changing my position wouldn’t have helped, as other trees blocked the view.

Spring is here – evidenced by the blossoms on some of our fruit trees. These are from the Flowering Plum in the corner of the backyard.

First close up of the year – almost a macro. Each blossom is only 3/4″ in diameter. As more flowers bloom, I’ll shoot more macros. Hopefully, the wet winter will cause the desert to bloom, and not delay too much the mountain meadows blooming.

Welcome Spring and the changes it brings. Thanks for reading this blog!

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

Breaking in a new kind of whet stone…

February 1, 2017 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged American Kestrels, Carson Valley, David Walleys Hot Springs, Diamond Valley CA, Eagles, Genoa NV, Hawks, Hope Valley CA, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photoshop, Raptors, Scenery, Sorensen's Resort, Wildlife photography, Winter photography | 3 Comments

I can hardly believe that it’s already the first day in February! Tomorrow, the Groundhog comes out and we’ll see just how much longer we’re going to have winter – at least according to folklore. I’m betting we’re going to have more winter, partially because a big storm is coming into the Carson Valley tonight! Speaking of folklore, many of you have spent the last month trying to sustain the new year’s resolutions you made. I didn’t make any, nor did I set any specific goals for my photography. As I’ve continued my photographic journey, I’ve found that my best goal is to look for and be ready to pursue knowledge as I find new things.

In my last post, I announced that I was taking a winter photography course. The snow was deep and our outdoor shooting time was shorter than expected. The instructor was excellent – we shifted the program indoors to study light and shadow and photo processing techniques, which brings me to the ‘new kind of whet stone.’ Us old Boy Scouts remember that a whet stone is used to sharpen knives and axes. In the digital photography world, we use software as a ‘whet stone’ to sharpen our images. During the workshop, we spent quite a bit of time on sharpening. The most important thing I learned was that I’ve been doing it all wrong, and badly to boot. I now have a specific goal – become proficient in using software to sharpen my images!

In the book Real World Image Sharpening with Adobe Photoshop, Camera Raw, and Lightroom, authors Bruce Fraser and Jeff Schewe begin the discussion on sharpening with, “…one of the ways our brains try to make sense of the world as seen through our eyes is by breaking down the scene into edges (objects) and non-edges (surfaces). If the edges in an image appear too sharp or not sharp enough, our brains tell us that there’s something wrong, and in the case of a photograph, the image appears unconvincing.” Bruce and Jeff tell us that, “Sharpening works by increasing the contrast around edges.” (Contrast is the difference between light and dark tonal values.) And so begins my journey into the wide world of sharpening! Since I’m just beginning my venture into sharpening, I don’t have anything to show you. I will soon – I promise.

What have I been doing besides reading about sharpening? Let’s look at some pictures!

From the winter photography workshop – this is the view across the road from Sorensen’s Resort in Hope Valley CA. As I said, the snow was deep. Sorensen’s got a foot of new snow the night before the workshop and several inches while we were there. They were expecting another three feet that night!

Same picture, just a little bit different editing technique. Could be a nice Christmas card!

I ventured into Diamond Valley looking for Eagles and found this tree covered in Pogonip (heavy frost). I made this image before the frost melted away.

A recent storm dropped several inches of snow at my house. This is a Spruce tree in my backyard…

…one of the Austrian Pines…

…and one of the clumped Crab Apple trees in my backyard. The apples help feed the little birds all winter long.

I found this Rough Legged Hawk near Genoa last week. As I was shooting, the Magpie flew into the shot. How lucky for me!

A couple days later, I found the Rough Legged Hawk again – this time on a fence post. He launched…

…soared gracefully, close to the snow-covered ground…

…and pounced on his noon meal!

The Kestrels have been out in force. I came on this little fella’ just south of David Walley’s Hot Springs on Foothill Road…

…and his friend north of Genoa. They always give me a good look before they take off!

This Cooper’s Hawk was sitting on the snow pile when I first saw him. He launched as I was taking pictures.

I added a new tool to my toolbox – a 2X teleconverter! My big lens now has a maximum focal length of 1200 mm! While this is wonderful, the longer focal length comes with a new set of challenges. Using a tripod is a must. Autofocus only works in Live View (not a bad thing on tripod anyway). The longer focal length exacerbates any movement or imperfections in focusing, and depth of field is very shallow at any aperture setting. It’s a tool, however, and only a matter of learning how to use it! This is the first image at 1200 mm. Not bad!

This is my second attempt with the teleconverter. This Eagle was 173 yards away (I bought a rangefinder) and the background looks like heat waves, although it was near freezing when I made the image. A little soft, but he looks good nonetheless.

The Eagles have been in town. I seemed to find this one hanging out at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park rather frequently.

I think he’s in his final year of being a juvenile, based on the coloring in his head feathers.

His ‘pensive’ pose…

This is a different Bald Eagle (note the lack of dark feathers in his head), using his ‘regal’ pose!

One of the fun things for me was having one subject in the same spot on different days and different lighting conditions, then playing with the processing for a different interpretation of each image. I hope you’ve enjoyed my images, and I promise to be sharper in the future!

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

Shooting in snow! What a fun challenge!

January 14, 2017 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Genoa NV, landscape photography, Nik Efex filters, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photoshop, snow photography | Leave a comment

Our collective attention has focused on the weather for the last week or so, as seemingly the entire nation has been under siege by cold and snow. (One of my good friends ran off to Australia to escape. Travel safe, Butch!)

Taking pictures in snow is very challenging. I’m taking a winter/snow photography class next week so I’ll learn the mistakes I made in shooting for the last couple days, but I’ve had a great time this week and I look forward to learning something next week!

I’ve been out in the Carson Valley the last couple days. The snow was falling both days – very evident in many of the images. One of the challenges of shooting snow is preventing the snow from blowing out (or overexposing), making great white spots in the images with no recoverable detail. One means of preventing this, I’ve read, is to overexpose the image by one stop. (This is primarily done to maintain white balance in snow pictures. Since I shoot exclusively in RAW format and assign white balance in the computer, this is not a factor for me.) I tried this technique and feel that I had great success.

Let’s get to the pictures!

You’ve seen these horses before – they were in a landscape I did last year. The two on the left were standing in the snow, and the horse on the right came over the culvert to join them. I couldn’t have placed them in better position.

The irrigation ditches are running strong with all the moisture we’ve had. I was drawn by this meandering ditch with the yellow vegetation covered in snow. I thought about processing this in black and white but I loved how the yellow showed through, so I left it alone.

This is a bigger irrigation ditch with more vegetation. I didn’t need to desaturate (remove the color to make it black, white, and various shades of grey) the colors…nature did it for me!

I processed this scene using Photoshop and Nik Silver Efex to enhance the contrast, give the image a bluish tone, and add a nice vignette and border. I loved the dark tree in the foreground with the smaller tree up the hillside in the background!

I had a lot of fun with this image. This is the Genoa Bar in Genoa, Nevada. It is the oldest bar in Nevada. I had made three images when a guy drive his car into the foreground and parked. Darn it! For this version, I processed the RAW image and went into Photoshop. I created a duplicate layer and desaturated the first (or background) layer, then applied a Gaussian blur to the duplicate color layer. I overlaid the blurred layer on the black and white layer and blended them. I then adjusted shadows and highlights and applied a vignette to make this image. It’s a technique called ‘Dreamscape’ that I learned in a weekly photo challenge a couple years ago. It’s a fun effect and works well for this image.

Dreamscape is not for everyone, however. A couple of my friends didn’t like the above image, so I processed this image without the Dreamscape effect. Like most art, beauty is in the eye of the beholder (or something like that).

After the interloper disrupted my Genoa Bar shoot, I rolled forward a few feet and began shooting the structures next door. This antique store, with its wagon and covered porch, made a great composition. I worked to bring out the colors in the buildings and the wagon to offset the snow covered trees and foreground. If only I’d had some people in period costume or maybe a horse or two…oh well!

There’s a few of my snowy images from this week. I hope you enjoyed them. I look forward to learning how to take pictures in the snow next week, and sharing the results with you! Everyone stay warm, drive safe, and enjoy! PHOTOROGR

Behind the Scenes look at ‘A View From the Office’…

December 1, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Genoa NV, Genoa State Park, Lake Tahoe, landscape photography, mobile phone photography, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Rocky Mountain National Park | 1 Comment

I don’t know when I started the ‘view from the office’ series on Facebook, but I do remember why! I was trying to poke a little fun at my many friends who are still working, sitting at a desk or on a job site or somewhere every day. More bluntly, I was rubbing their noses in it!! I hope no one takes offense at this revelation – it’s all in good-natured fun and I love sharing my passion for photography with you.

One of my rules for the ‘view’ is that all the pictures and videos are taken with my mobile phone camera. They are frequently taken from the same vantage point as pictures with my DSLR cameras, but not always. I post them on Facebook at the earliest opportunity, since I am often in places with limited or no signal.

I must confess that I took a long time before embracing the multi-media device we all carry to do anything but transmit and receive voice communication. I thought a mobile phone was for making phone calls and nothing else. I started looking at mobile phones differently when I carried a PDA (don’t ask me what it stands for, something like personal assistant) in one of my last professional positions many, many years ago. When I finally bought a smart phone and I worked my way through apps and having my email at my fingertips, I still resisted using the camera. Then I began using the camera, but I avoided video. Last February, I finally touched the little movie icon on the camera screen and recorded the snow falling in my back yard through my breakfast nook window. Since then, I’ve been making lots of short videos with my mobile phone. The next step is to engage the video function on my ‘big boy’ camera, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s get back to mobile phones.

The December 2016 issue of Shutterbug magazine has several articles on photokina 2016, the biannual event showcasing the future of imaging technology. The future is apparently perplexing -Editor Dan Havlik says as much in the issue’s Editor’s Notes. In addition to interesting developments by major photo equipment companies, Havlik laments that there were “…tons of – too many, actually – new Virtual Reality (VR) products at photokina…” A friend of mine received a VR device for his birthday recently, and he tells me his mobile phone provides the operating system to bring the VR media to the device. That’s a long way from making phone calls.

An article by Seth Shostak tells us what a camera of the future might look like, and how we might use and view the images it will make.

Joe Farace writes articles for Shutterbug’s ‘Geared Up’ column, which provides a discussion of new photo equipment. In an article titled ‘9 Trends That Will Change Photography Next Year,’ Joe gives his take on photokina and the future. Joe writes that cellphone photography is adversely impacting the point-and-shoot camera market, and that “…thanks to the smartphone boom the worldwide population of photographers has grown by a factor of eight over the past 10 years.” He continues, “…while smartphones represent the primary camera for a growing number of people…the opportunity for users to step up to a digital camera grows with every new photographer this trend produces.”

I hope I haven’t lost any of you by now – I have a point – really! I began taking pictures as a boy using the point-and-shoot technology of the time, my trusty Kodak 110 camera. I graduated up to a single lens reflex (SLR) camera just before our first son was born and carried that camera for decades. Almost 8 years ago, I bought an entry level digital SLR (DSLR) and have upgraded twice. The mobile phone is a much more advanced version of the point-and-shoot film cameras that my generation grew up with (it makes phone calls and connects to the internet, too).

For now, we have to be content with the tools we have and put them to their best use. For me, my mobile phone allows me to have the advantages of point-and-shoot technology. Further, it allows me to quickly and easily share with my friends and rub my retirement fun in their noses! Mostly, it allows me to quickly and easily share – that’s my story! Whatever your equipment or skill set, I encourage you to take pictures and share them, but mostly have fun.

Here’s a few examples of a view from the office compared with the image from the big camera.

I posted this image from Mormon Station State Park on November 29, 2016. I put my mobile phone on top of my DSLR camera for this picture.

This is the same shot from the DSLR and enhanced on the computer.

The Carson River on November 1, 2016.

From the big camera – love the sky much better!

Remember this image from October 27, 2016. The south shore of Lake Tahoe on a stormy day.

From the big boy camera and enhanced on the computer. Much better composition and drama.

There are some images that are fun to make, but are not deserving of getting out the big camera. This is the Welcome sign in Vernal UT. Mobile phone all the way.

Rocky Mountain National Park with the mobile phone, August 16, 2016.

Same view with the big camera. I shot multiple images and stitched this panorama.

Eden Vale Pond, October 3, 2016. One of the fun things about shooting with the mobile phone is that I can include the big camera in the image.

Same pond, big camera.

While this was not a ‘view from the office’ post, I include it because of the comparison between my mobile phone camera and my DSLR.

I haven’t mastered the art of the mobile phone selfie, hence I make very few and show even fewer.

I vastly prefer the DSLR selfie – I can make a good one that I’m willing to share. Thanks to my lovely bride for being seen with me in public!

That’s the behind the scenes look at ‘A View from the Office.’ I hope you’ve enjoyed the view on Facebook and now see the difference between the view and the final image.

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

I’m just about to burst…

September 20, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged CA 120, Close up photography, fall colors, Ford Ranger, Genoa NV, Genoa State Park, landscape photography, Macro photography, Mormon Station State Park, Mt. Patterson, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Pine Nut Mountains, Porsche Club of America, Scenery, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Sonora Pass, sports photography, sunsets, Treffen Lake Tahoe | 1 Comment

I’m so excited about my photography right now that I’m just about to burst! I know, it’s been 3 weeks since my last post and I’m sure you’re all asking, ‘if he’s so excited, why so long since his last post?” The answer is simple – I’m having too much fun to make a post! The problem with that, however, is the backlog of images to share. I still have two posts worth of images from my trip home last month – stay tuned for them!

We’ll get to current pictures in a minute because there are fun things I want to share. First, I’m waiting for my new lens, the Generation 2 Tamron 150-600, to arrive. I’ve been shooting with the first generation 150-600 since it came out almost 3 years ago and have always loved the results. The new lens has better optics, faster autofocus, and a shorter minimum focusing distance (by almost a foot!). I found a nice home for my old lens (the new owner has already made some great images, and has nicknamed the lens ‘Godzilla’), so I’m without a super telezoom for the short term. My withdrawal is almost as bad as when my camera body fried a circuit board last June and I was without my 7D for a time. I’ll get through it – I promise. With the raptors returning to the Carson Valley, I’m excited to try out the new lens!

Second, I’m launching my exploration into Shutter Priority (Tv) mode. For the last couple years, I have shot primarily in Aperture Priority (Av) mode, which controls light using the aperture opening. Aperture size impacts depth of field, or how much the image is in focus from the foreground to the background (large openings = shallow depth of field, small openings = deeper depth of field). For wildlife shots, especially birds, I shoot wide open. Large aperture openings also allow fast shutter speeds, capturing detail and freezing motion. I don’t worry about the background being in focus because I want to highlight the bird or animal in the image. For landscapes, I use smaller aperture openings to have more of the scene in focus. I shoot my landscapes from a tripod, so shutter speed is not really a concern. I use Manual mode for my landscapes, allowing me to control exposure with either shutter or aperture priority, looking for the best settings for the particular subject and conditions.

What prompted me to explore Tv mode? Sports photography! One of my son’s friends has two little boys who play flag football. I took pictures at a game last Saturday (they won – it was very exciting), and asked a friend/mentor to critique my work. His comments were very helpful, pushing me to explore the wild world of Shutter Priority. Here’s a couple pictures from Saturday.

He had just intercepted a pass and was running into the end zone for a touchdown!

These little guys take the game seriously – look at the intensity (or maybe fear of getting hit) on their faces!

As you can see, the focus is just a little soft. I shot these in Av mode, so a shift to Tv mode will give me a faster shutter speed to freeze the action better. I’m excited to give it a try!

A couple weeks ago, I went to Mormon Station State Park in Genoa to take pictures of Treffen Lake Tahoe, the Porsche Club of America’s cruise around the Lake Tahoe area. The tour made a lunch stop in Genoa. Go to my Treffen Lake Tahoe page (https://photorogr.com/treffen-lake-tahoe-2016/) to see my pictures from the day.

My retired guy ATV group made the ride up Mt. Patterson the other day. Here’s a few images from the trip!

I took this on the drive up, with my mobile phone. Note the smoke low on the horizon.

This is the view looking west from the top of Mt. Patterson. It was mid-day when we arrived and I wasn’t happy with the light. I made the image anyway and am pleased with the result.

The view to the north. Lots of smoke low on the horizon. The signage going up the hill described Mt. Patterson as ‘Mars with vegetation.’ I love the colors in this mountain.

On the way to Mt. Patterson, we passed the turnoff to CA 120, the Sonora Pass Road, and I just had to go back and drive Sonora Pass. The leaves are starting to turn, and the PHOTORANGER loved the drive.

The PHOTORANGER at the summit of Sonora Pass.

Fall colors, on the east side of the Pass.

Hopefully a sign of a good fall color year. I found a great book on fall color in the Sierras, with excellent information on where to go. Fall color exploration, here I come!

I was amazed at the amount of water still flowing.

The mountains had a fresh dusting of snow.

This panorama was stitched from 8 images, then processed using a couple Nik Color Efex Pro filters. Some of my mentors/friends think it’s a little overdone. I like it!

The scenery was stunning, everywhere I looked.

I made several images of this mountain. I like this one for the trees in the foreground.

I didn’t forget to make images of the yard. Here are a few.

Remember the discussion of Aperture Priority above? This flower was shot with a wide open aperture and close up filters. The foliage in the background becomes a pleasing blur, while preserving the detail in the petals, stamens, and pistils. When I master focus stacking, the petal at the top will also be in focus.

I finally found a Daisy bloom that hadn’t been molested by the rabbits.

I love these Roses, but they are proving very challenging for me. I am constantly fighting the monochrome of the petals and work to introduce meaningful shadows to separate the petals. I was drawn to this composition by the dead bloom at the bottom of the image, in contrast with the vibrant blooms above.

The last image of this post. I took a quick trip into the Pine Nut Mountains, just a couple miles east of our house, one evening last week. The sun was going down and was shining through some clouds. I’ve never made an image like this, so I thought I’d give it a try. I’m not totally happy with the result, so I’ll be working to improve my image capture processes in these lighting conditions.

That’s a lot of fun for me. I promise that I’ll get the images from my trip done and posted. They’re worth the wait – I promise.

Thanks for reading my blog. 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

All Who Wander Are Not Lost

April 14, 2015 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Coloma CA, Como Mine, Dayton NV, Genoa Cowboy Festival, Genoa NV, Genoa State Park, Lake Tahoe, Palmyra NV, photo editing and composition, Rawe Peak, Virginia City NV, Wild Horses, Wildlife photography | 4 Comments

My lovely bride and I snuck out for a quick dinner last week and, on the way, I saw a sticker on a car that read, “All Who Wander Are Not Lost.” For some reason, the phrase resonated with me – maybe because I was hungry – but the thought seemed incomplete. Susan and I discussed the sticker over dinner, brainstorming ways to complete the thought. We decided that it needed to say, “All Who Wander Are Not Lost – Some Of Us Are Taking Pictures!” I slept well that night, meeting a subliminal need to be profound. Maybe it was the good dinner and wonderful company – I’ll go with that (love you, Cutie!).

In my last post, I teased you with a promise to deliver a great composition montage from my photography challenge. Here you go!

This is the stamp mill at Coloma State Park, overlaid with a texture from a classic Chevy I found in a barn yard. I placed the wood stamp mill in the rusty areas of the texture and let the faded grey areas interact with the background and foreground.

The challenge for last week was street photography. The instructions were simple: go to a location(s) and take pictures of street scenes – include people if you can. I was a bit apprehensive for this challenge. I don’t live in a big city where people can be oblivious of activity on the street. And the Carson Valley is not small enough so I know everyone. Granted, I know lots of people here, but not everyone and, in true pioneer spirit, being too invasive can get you shot around here – figuratively, not literally. So, I traveled across the Valley to the Town of Genoa. It’s a quaint little place – the oldest settlement in Nevada (unless you’re from Dayton, where they take exception to Genoa’s claim, but I digress). Tourism is big in Genoa with lots of people around, so I felt safe with my camera over there. Genoa has one main intersection with a 4 way stop. I parked a little bit away from the intersection and started taking pictures: a nice couple walking through the Genoa State Park; vehicle traffic going through the intersection; a family stopping at the General Store from their bicycle ride; and a group of men enjoying drink outside the Genoa Bar, the “Oldest Thirst Parlor in Nevada.” My attention kept returning to a group of people placing mulch in the planting areas along the street. I recognized one of the workers, so I approached and said howdy. They are members of the Friends of Genoa, and were sprucing up the downtown before a major tourism conference next week and a big event, the Genoa Cowboy Festival, the first weekend in May. They were very chatty and welcomed me and my camera. Here’s my image.

I got rave reviews from the photo challenge facilitator, who liked that the woman’s red jacket complemented the red in the stop sign, the ‘V’ positioning of the people, and the lines created by the tools connected the people in the picture. Better lucky than good? Yes, I think so!

One of the great things about being retired/self-employed is that my time is mine to use as I wish. Susan and I live in a great neighborhood with wonderful neighbors. Several of these neighbors are members of an ATV group that hits the trail at least once a month. This month’s trip was southeast of Dayton, the Rawe Peak area, and featured fun stops at the Como Mine and the Palmyra town site. If you want more information on this area, just Google ‘Como Mine’ or ‘Palmyra, Nevada’ and you’ll find lots of information on the area.

This is Lynn, John, and Bob, with the Como Mine in the background.

Looking down to the road from the mine equipment. The high desert was beautiful.

This drum was intriguing. I don’t know enough about this mine to tell you what its purpose was.

The remains of the only building ‘standing’ in Palmyra.

I can’t go anywhere without looking for a little wildlife. We hit the jackpot near Palmyra, as we found a band of 6 horses, including a young colt.

Here he is with Mom. A fire passed through this area some years ago, making tough walking to get close to the horses. Not too close, however – this was shot with the big lens and then cropped.

The yellow grass, bare trees, and reds in the horses created quite the challenge for my limited photography skills. The horses were mostly cooperative and didn’t run away.

We also went to a nearby mountain, just down from Rawe Peak, to enjoy the views and let a couple group members do their geo-caching thing.

Looking northeast towards Stagecoach, Nevada.

Looking northwest towards Mt. Rose. Dayton is in the right side of the image, and Mound House is on the left.

Looking across the Dayton Valley to Virginia City on the hillside (along the light brown line in the far mountainside). Mt Rose is just out of the image on the left.

The view to the southwest and the Carson Valley. Jobs Peak, Freel Peak, and Little Sister are the prominent snow covered peaks. Lake Tahoe is just over the ridge of the far mountain range.

I’ll close this week with a images of the wild horses closer to home. I checked on them the other day, and they are enjoying the spring very well. I now have images of 7 new ones this year. I know the names of 4 of the 7. I hope you enjoyed my fun week. Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

These are the two little ones in Shorty’s band, I think. They didn’t get too far from their Mamas.

This is one of my favorite images from this year, and is available on a small note card or as a larger print. Sorry, I had to get one commercial plug into the post!

…and 2015 starts off with a BANG!!!

January 9, 2015 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Eagles, Genoa NV, Hawks, photography techniques, Raptors, Turkeys, Wildlife photography | 4 Comments

My first week of 2015 was wonderful, from a photography perspective. I enjoyed many ‘firsts.’

My lovely bride gave me a wonderful Christmas present – she enrolled me in a 52 week Photo Challenge. This class teaches photography techniques through a series of challenges. The first challenge was ‘selective focus.’ Without getting too technical, this technique uses aperture to control depth of field (the amount of the image that is in focus). As a nature/wildlife photographer, this technique is the staple of what I do. I submitted this image for the challenge.

Notice how the Hawk, brush, and fence posts near the raptor are in focus, but out of focus in front of and behind the raptor. This is a shallow depth of field, and is caused by opening the aperture as wide as it will go. I use this technique to emphasize the subject and reduce clutter in the image. You will see this in many of my images.

I’m excited to continue the challenge and moving forward on my journey to better photography. You will hear more about the challenge in the coming year.

I found an American Kestral for the first time – actually two! They are a small Falcon, formerly known as a Sparrow Hawk. They are colorful and make a great image, if you can find them and have them sit still long enough!

My very first Kestral. This one was on a utility wire along Mottsville Lane.

This one was north of Genoa on Foothill Road. I had just finished photographing some Golden Eagles and almost missed it.

I participated in the National Bird Count Day for the first time. My partner was an experienced birder who had done bird counts in California. He taught me how to ‘see’ the smaller birds and helped with identification techniques. Here’s one of my images that day.

I’m not sure what this is, but I sure like the detail and composition.

The next day, Susan and I were heading out and I found this beautiful bird in a tree near our mailboxes. I thought it was a Merlin, but I was subsequently told it’s a Cooper’s Hawk.

I’m trying to learn how to identify birds and have purchased a couple books, but I obviously need more practice and training.

And then there’s the Wild Turkeys in the Carson Valley. I found them in a snowy field on the west side of the road – great light, although I don’t know if I used the natural light very well.

And what week is not complete without some Eagles? I found a beautiful Bald Eagle south of town, and a pair of Goldens north of Genoa.

This Bald Eagle was a some distance away, but I still managed a decent shot.

This Golden Eagle was in the tree but, using Selective Focus, I was able to make this image.

And so, the year started great. Thank you for following my blog and being a part of my Journey!

Enjoy – Photorogr

Bonus day! “I’m ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille”

December 13, 2014 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Genoa NV, Hawks, Raptors, River Fork Ranch, Wildlife photography | Leave a comment

When I am composing a shot in the view finder and subsequently processing the image on the computer at home, I work hard to make the best image possible. I try to add something to the image – a little context – especially with the raptors. Sometimes I am successful, when I have a nice fence line in the shot, and sometimes there is nothing to be done, like the Eagles and Hawks on a utility pole or in flight. That said, I don’t make many images of Hawks on utility poles. Eagles – absolutely! Flying – oh yeah (at least I’ll try for the image)! But not many Hawks on utility wires or poles.

As I was out trolling for pictures yesterday, with seemingly minimal success, I passed by a Hawk on a wire. I was heading for the River Fork Ranch east of Genoa, hoping to find an Eagle near the road, and the Hawk shot just didn’t appeal to me. Alas, the Eagles weren’t near the road. With an itchy shutter release finger (I hadn’t consumed many pixels at that time), I reconsidered the ‘Hawk on a wire’ shot.

Thankfully, he was still there. I parked, grabbed the camera with the big lens from the passenger seat, and got out of the Expedition. I grabbed a couple quick shots, crossed the road (a couple more quick shots)…

and began working my way closer to the Hawk (click click).

Suddenly, the Hawk looked at me…

…and took off…

I thought I was done. Hawks usually fly away faster than the girls I tried to talk to in high school (big sigh)! But I digress.

Like a scene from an Alfred Hitchcock movie (The Birds, for those who don’t know their Hitchcock), this Hawk flew along the utility line and landed on the wire right across the road from me. He had actually come CLOSER! Holy cow!

He then proceeded to look right…

…then left…

…and then he looked at me as if to say, ‘There, are you happy now? Will you leave me alone now?’

Or, maybe I just got lucky! (As a side note, I did not crop the last three images. They are exactly the image as seen by the camera sensor.)

Enjoy – Photorogr

The PHOTOROGR Project

A Journey in Creative Photography!

Tag Archives: Genoa NV

Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce 2018 Calendar

The PS Challenge is Underway!

Breaking in a new kind of whet stone…

Shooting in snow! What a fun challenge!

Behind the Scenes look at ‘A View From the Office’…

I’m just about to burst…

Process improvement – another important ingredient!

All Who Wander Are Not Lost

…and 2015 starts off with a BANG!!!

Bonus day! “I’m ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille”