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 at a creative crossroads…

November 3, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Eagles, Hawks, HDR, Job's Peak, Lake Tahoe, landscape photography, Owls, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photoshop, Raptors, Scenery, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Wildlife photography | 3 Comments

When people embark on a journey, they plan their itinerary in great detail. Hotels, fuel stops, meals, sightseeing and other tourist stops are set with a timetable and destination in mind. If one is on a journey of discovery, however, there is minimal planning – because it’s all about the journey. A couple years (and lots of posts, don’t forget!!) ago, I started a journey in creative photography. My only plan was to learn how to make better images. This blog has been my vehicle to document and share my journey.

In the last few weeks, I realized that I was approaching a creative crossroads. There are two roads for me; the first continues on the path to making purely photographic images, while the other heads toward more artistic images. I never thought about the differences until I visited one of my photo mentors to learn about his workflow to process landscape images. He opened my eyes to editing techniques that I never imagined, so I’ve been experimenting with new and old images. When an artist takes a new direction or pushes the creative envelope, there is always a period when the work may be considered ‘overdone’ as the artist tries to find a balance – it’s just part of the journey.

I won’t get into detail about the editing for the following images. I think I’ll let them speak for themselves. Let’s start with a few landscapes.

I made this image at the Eden Vale Inn near Placerville CA (a wonderful ‘b n b’ – we highly recommend it!). I’m not satisfied with the sky, but I love the rest of the image.

These fall colors can be found along SR 207, Kingsbury Grade, between the Carson Valley and the Lake Tahoe Basin.

After I made the above image, I turned and saw this view into the Carson Valley. It was a beautiful stormy day, as you can see.

I made this image yesterday morning. The Carson River as it approaches SR 88, just south of Minden. The sun was just coming up behind the clouds.

This is the south shore of Lake Tahoe. I visited the lake last week, on a stormy day. I’ve never seen the weather cover the mountains so completely. I stitched together 10 images to make this panorama.

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The recent storms gave us wonderful skies and light. This a Jobs Peak (the snow covered peak partially hidden by clouds on the left) on a wonderfully stormy day!

Here’s some new Raptor images.

I just love this Great Horned Owl!

I used the same filter on this Hawk image.

It was raining when I made this image. This Hawk was focused on a potential meal. This image was selected as the ‘image of the week’ by one of the photography froups on Facebook.

I got a little aggressive with this image. The dark streak in the background is actually a branch.

Same picture, but with an added twist in editing. A little more detail in the chest feathers. I love this, but it doesn’t look like a photograph to me.

This Hawk was hunting along an irrigation ditch.

A little extra during processing, and the image has a completely different feel.

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I made this image last February. I struggled with the background.

New editing knowledge – new look for the image.

I hope you understand better my dilemma at the creative crossroads. I think my best direction is to assess each image independently and make the edits that bring out the best in every one. The journey continues – as does the fun for me! Using the digital medium, sometimes I will be a photographer and sometimes I will be a ‘cutting edge’ artist.

There’s much more on the way for this exploration. Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

It was a little Spooky at The PHOTOROGR Project this week…

October 16, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Close up photography, Nik Efex filters, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photomatix Pro, Photoshop | 2 Comments

I needed to get a little yard work done before the first big storm came in; I backfilled a new wall (losing 2 lbs in the process), worked on the drip system, and mowed and fertilized the lawn. The weather came in on schedule – bringing lots of needed moisture and compacting the fill behind the wall – so I moved inside to pretend to be a studio photographer. It’s October so my lovely bride is getting out the Fall and Halloween decorations. They proved to be worthy subjects for my camera!

A little background – when I was finishing my engineering degree (several decades ago), my lovely bride, Susan, was at home with 2 little boys. Between my working, going to class, and studying, we didn’t have much time for conversation. One of our neighbors in married student housing was a mechanical engineering student and his wife was in the same predicament. Susan and the neighbor wanted to have a night out, so they found a tole painting class. Susan was a natural and became a world renowned tole painter.

For years, our home has been a revolving gallery of her work – the theme changing with the seasons. With the storm in full swing, I set up a little studio and made images of Susan’s work. I hope you enjoy her beautiful art and hope that I did proper justice to her talent. Except where noted, the figures are painted on 1/2″ plywood and the other pieces are cut from 1/4″ pine.

This pair of trick or treaters is painted on 1.5″ thick wood. The Witch is about 7″ tall, and the Pumpkin is about 6″ tall.

This little Witch is 18″ from the bottom of her feet to the top of her hat, and her Ghostly companion is almost 10″ tall. As with all her figures, Susan paints each piece individually and then assembles them.

This beWitching lady stands about 24″ tall.

This lovely little Witch stands about 20″ tall. Her hands are made of 3/4″ pine, and the spider is 1/2″ plywood and 1/4″ pine.

This little Wolfman also stands about 20″ tall.

Halloween wouldn’t be complete without a Frankenstein monster, complete with charging posts. He stands about 22″ tall.

This is our candy basket for the trick-or-treaters. The box is about 12″ square and 3″ deep. The welcoming Ghost is about 16″ to the top of the handle, and stands in the center of the box. This was my most challenging image, trying to get it all in focus.

This Witch is about 16″ tall.

I processed this image using different filters and techniques – always exploring!

This Scarecrow guards our kitchen counter from intruders. He’s really good, because no unwanted crows are hanging around in there! He’s about 12″ tall.

And, a little different processing makes a picture showing a different feeling.

Susan also has a fun collection of chenille pumpkins and baskets, helping with that Autumn feeling around the house.

The sign says ‘Pumpkins for sale,’ but don’t believe it. Susan painted the sign as a decoration, not an advertisement.

I experimented with another of Susan’s painted pieces, this Pumpkin, and a lantern. I found the lantern to be very challenging because of the glass door. In many shots, I had unwanted reflections (in several instances, the striped socks I was wearing) blocking the candle. I made this image using multiple exposures and assembled them in Photomatix, then applied filters in Nik Color Efex Pro.

I hope these figures didn’t scare you too badly, but you can understand why it was a little spooky around here this week. I’m just glad I didn’t watch Young Frankenstein, too! Just wait, Christmas is around the corner…

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

Photo Fun in the Benson Sculpture Garden…

October 10, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Benson Sculpture Garden, Close up photography, Estes Park CO, HDR, Loveland CO, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photomatix Pro, Photoshop, Rocky Mountain National Park | 2 Comments

A couple months ago, my lovely bride and I loaded up and headed home to Wyoming to join family in celebrating my Dad’s 85th birthday! While we were there, we also celebrated Mom and Dad’s 65th wedding anniversary. (The anniversary actually happens in November, but we celebrated while we were all there!) I just realized that I haven’t shared our family portrait from the party.

The Van Alyne Family – August 2016

My lovely bride flew home the day after the party, so I was on my own for the drive home. The first photo stop on my trip home was going to be Rocky Mountain National Park, so I reserved a hotel room in Loveland CO (just downhill from Estes Park, the Gateway to RMNP, and about 1/3 of the price of a room up the hill). As I was driving to the hotel, I passed a brown road sign advertising the Benson Sculpture Gardens. While I was eating dinner, I looked up the Benson Sculpture Garden on my phone (yes, I know a little about technology) and decided to check it out. The Garden is a huge park full of huge sculptures.

I arrived at the Garden in late evening, so the light was a little dicey. Although the sun was nearly down, the sky was a bright white and the sculptures were in various stages of shadow. Knowing I was in trouble from a lighting perspective, I decided to experiment with a process called ‘light painting.’ In his book Night & Low Light Photography, David Taylor describes light painting as, “…the technique of lighting a subject during a long exposure. This can be achieved by using a handheld flash or with a suitably powerful flashlight.”

I chose handheld flash, and found myself popping the flash from different angles and sides to see what the result would be. I had to work around all the people in the park – hundreds of them – all walking around looking at their phones. The Pokemon craze had just hit and it seemed that Loveland’s populace had embraced it fully – at least those who were in the Benson Sculpture Garden that evening!

I’ve taken a very long time to finish these pictures. Sometimes, we try things in camera that yield good results easily, but some of them take more work. I look at this as a wonderful learning process. I need to push the limits of my equipment, but I also need to push the limits of my knowledge of photography and image editing. I succeeded in pushing the limits. Using these images made in camera, I learned a lot about editing images using multiple software packages and filters.

A BIG THANKS to all the artists who created these fantastic sculptures and put them on display, and to the City of Loveland for assembling them in this beautiful setting.

I think you’ll like the results, so let’s get to the pictures!

One of the first sculptures I saw – Shakespeare. I tried to frame the sculpture with the tree in the background, but the sky still made this a challenge. I introduced a light vignette to bring the sky down a little.

Probably not the best angle of this Eagle, but it’s the one I chose. I used a little fill flash underneath to negate the shadows.

This sculpture is called ‘The Potato Man.’ It is one of my favorite sculptures in the Benson Sculpture Garden. I combined three images to bring out the colors and the details.

I made two images of this sculpture, using flash on both sides of the head. I then combined the two images in Photomatix to get this result.

This is an HDR image, using 4 images with different exposures and flash placement.

I applied a black and white filter and adjusted the contrast a little to make this version of the image. I like them both!

This sculpture was in shadow as the sun was setting behind and to the left. A little fill flash made the image work.

I loved this statue of a musical trio. There is so much going on that picking a spot to shoot was difficult. I explored the black and white presets in Nik Silver Efex, and liked this one. I need to remove the car on the left side of the picture, but it’s a Mustang. Hmmmmm…what a dilemma…

This is a close up of the saxophone player. I combined three images in Photomatix to make this image.

I applied a preset filter in Nik Silver Efex to make this image.

Some people would say, ‘…make it stop!’ Filters can be overused, but I had to share one more using this preset from Nik Silver Efex. This is the drummer from the other side of the musical trio statue.

Ah, the fun of being young! My Mom has a Christmas ornament based on this sculpture.

And then there’s the really interesting sculptures. I tried to capture the setting sun in the background…

This sculpture is in a beautiful and natural-looking setting. I removed the concrete pedestal to improve the natural look.

Another of my favorites. I used a fill flash to make this side of the sculpture visible.

A couple of bucks running through the woods! There are visual treasures at every turn!

These kids were really enjoying the park. This is a composite of three exposures.

So, there you have it. These are but a few of the sculptures in the Benson Sculpture Garden. I’ll return another day, armed with better knowledge of photography, to make more images of this wonderful place. If you’re planning a trip to this area, this is a must see. If you’re on a journey in creative photography (like I am), this is a great place to learn your craft!

I hope you enjoyed these images. Thanks for joining me on my journey! 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

Photo Editing Software…and Rocky Mountain National Park!

September 1, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Adobe Bridge, Close up photography, Elk, HDR, landscape photography, Lightroom, Marmots, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photomatix Pro, Photoshop, Pikas, Rock Chucks, Rocky Mountain National Park, Scenery | 1 Comment

In previous blogs, I’ve talked about the ways photography has changed due to the transition from film to digital photography. The basic principles of controlling and recording light have not changed, but editing processes have changed dramatically. Like many photographers, I work to get the best possible image in camera but further processing on the computer is essential to my success as a photographer. Thankfully, there are really smart people who have developed great software to make this part of photography easier. I use Adobe’s Photoshop (PS) CC (Creative Cloud – yes, I pay my access fee every month!) and Camera RAW (ACR) as my primary software. I also purchased Corel’s Paint Shop Pro X7 when it was cheap (PSP X8 had just come out) and work it every now and then, but PS and ACR remain my go to software.

As those smart guys at Adobe make their products better and easier to use, and I learn how to use the features I have along with the new stuff, I try to produce better images. Recently, the Adobe CC guys announced a new feature in Lightroom (LR), a sister software to PS. As background, I prefer PS to LR because I can use layers in PS. ACR and LR use similar menus and controls for processing, so I’m not missing out on those features. LR manages files which PS does not do, however, I use Adobe Bridge for my file management.

Back to the cool new tool in LR – Boundary Warp. If I create a panorama in LR, Boundary Warp allows me to adjust the image without having to crop and lose content. Regardless of how well I shoot a series of images to merge into a panorama, there is always inconsistency in the edges requiring cropping and/or filling. Boundary Warp minimizes data loss and is very cool, from my perspective. I processed several panoramas using both PS and LR to determine if one is preferable to the other, but I’ll let you be the judge in the images below.

Oh yeah, LR now has a High Dynamic Range (HDR) feature in PhotoMerge, but I prefer PhotoMatix Pro for my HDR images.

Today’s images come from the day I spent in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), located in north central Colorado, last month. I entered RMNP from the east side (US Highway 36 from Estes Park CO). After a quick stop in the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center for some shopping and a stamp in my national parks passport book, I proceeded into RMNP and that portion of US 34 known as Trail Ridge Road. Trail Ridge Road is only open in the summer months, as its 12,000 foot (+/-) elevation makes for a very snowy road in the winter months.

I came across a flock of turkeys, but failed to get a decent image of them. I drove by this beautiful vista.

I believe the peaks to be (left to right) Mt. Wuh, Stones Peak, and Terra Tomah Mtn, with Tombstone Ridge in the middle ground. This panorama was created and edited in Lightroom, using the Boundary Warp feature.

Here’s the same view processed in Photoshop.

The differences in brightness, contrast, and color are my adjustments and experimentation. I manually cropped the LR version to a standard 5:1 ratio panorama, the same as the PS version. What’s important to note is that there doesn’t appear to be geometric distortion from the Boundary Warp, however, there is more foreground in the PS version (check the tree line) which indicates a larger availability of data in the LR image. Based on my totally non-scientific experiment, I opine that the use of PS versus LR for panoramas is a matter of personal preference at the moment.

Back to pictures.

I believe these peaks to be Mt. Chiquita (l) and Mt. Chapin. This is a panorama merged in PS.

For comparison, I shot this image using a wide angle lens. For this view, either shooting method works fine.

This is a panorama of Sundance Mtn. While I was at this location, I visited with a very nice young lady who was shooting with her Canon T2i and a Canon 100-400 zoom lens. We had a nice discussion about lenses and photography.

One of my favorite shots on the day. This is an HDR. When I shot this, the flowers in the foreground were in deep shadow and HDR allowed me to bring them into the light, so to speak. The wind was blowing at 12,000 feet, as you might imagine, so there is a touch of movement in the flowers. A few minutes later, the clouds moved off but the wind came up. The flowers in the full light images were blurry due to the wind.

If you’re an Elk in the mountains on a hot summer day, how do you keep cool? They’re on a snow bank enjoying the cool. They were probably 1/2-3/4 mile away.

And these Elk were using the trees to keep cool, again, 1/2-3/4 mile away.

I believe these peaks to be (l-r) Stones Peak (the sharp pointed one), Sprague Mtn, Nakai Peak, Mt Julian, and Terra Tomah Mtn. This is a panorama merged in PS.

I came around a corner with lots of people looking up a hill, watching this Bear. He was a couple hundred feet away and cared less about the crowd at the bottom of the hill. I parked and came back for this shot, the best of what he gave us before disappearing behind the trees.

When he disappeared, the crowd dissipated. I hung around to see if he would make another appearance, and made a few images of the flowers and landscape.

Beautiful mountain flowers.

I made this image with my trusty mobile phone. Every now and then, it makes a nice image. Note the wildlife.

I believe the center mountain to be Terra Tomah Mtn, with Jackstraw Mtn on the immediate right. This is another panorama merged in LR using Boundary Warp.

Same view from a PS merge. I see a subtle difference in the foreground, especially on the right side, but not enough to conclusively say one is better than the other. Both images are stunning! oh yeah, the LR image is cropped to 5:1 ratio and the PS is at 3:1.

I was making a series of images for a panorama when I caught movement out of the bottom corner of my eye. This Marmot, also called a Rock Chuck, was very busy and unfazed by all the people just 30 feet away.

The rocks were alive with these North American Pika. About the size of a Guinea Pig, these little fuzzballs were busy working on nests for the coming winter.

I have established a page dedicated to Rocky Mountain National Park. Visit the page to see more images from this part of my trip.

Since I got home, I’ve spent some time in the yard with my flowers, so I’ll close with them. Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

One of the Rose blooms in the backyard.

My favorite Candy Tuft. The sun was going down and lighting up the side of the bloom.

Working on getting closer!

July 23, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Close up photography, Macro photography, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Wild flowers | 1 Comment

Recall that I started an exploration into macro and close up photography a couple months ago, and posted Up Close and Personal on June 6. I’ve continued this exploration, introducing a couple new techniques into my process. The challenges I described in my previous post are still there, but I’m getting a little more comfortable with the solutions. In the last couple weeks, I’ve started using my flash off-camera to better control how I highlight the subjects, and I’m experimenting with diffusers and reflectors to help control the light as well. As always, the first time I tried the flash I got excellent results. Subsequent efforts have been a little more challenging – the result of thinking about what I was doing and not just doing it. Since I described the technical stuff a few weeks ago, let’s get right to the pictures!

This is a Day Lily in our front yard, and was one of my first images using flash. The flash really brought out the colors and helped with sharpness.

I took a drive up CA 4 to Ebbett’s Pass last week. This Sunflower was along the road…

…and this Sunflower was in the same little patch, but had some wildlife wandering around.

My lovely bride is very happy that this Hydrangea is finally blooming. Another of my initial flash images.

This Anderson Thistle was near those Sunflowers. Many regard this as a noxious weed, and rightfully so, but it can sure make a pretty picture.

I love how this Prickly Poppy turned out. For some, I took the processing a little too far. I did it on purpose to bring out the details in the stigma, styles, pistils, anthers, and filaments, and the lines in the petals. (Oh yeah, I love my wildflower book.)

This is a bloom on a Butterfly plant that appeared beside my Shop Building a couple years ago. As you’ll see in the next couple images, I had a little fun with this plant.

Another bloom from the Butterfly plant. The flash was under the bloom and I rotated the image to make it appear a little more natural.

And I got real wild with this one. I desaturated (removed all the color) everything but the yellows and oranges in the center of the flowers. It’s a technique I’ve always wanted to try. Did it work well in this image? Probably not, but the experience of doing it made it worth the effort.

I think this is a Black-Eyed Susan. Could it be the inspiration for archery targets?

Another view of the Hydrangea.

This is a pod cluster on the Heavenly Bamboo in front of my Shop Building. We were a little unsure when we planted this, but it is a beautiful plant and tough as nails! I used the flash on this, too.

I have another new technique for macro and close up – watch for it in my next blog! Meanwhile, just Enjoy! PHOTOROGR

Water Water Everywhere…

July 13, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Central Oregon, Columbia River, Columbia River Gorge, Crater Lake National Park, Deschutes River, Historic US 30, landscape photography, Latourell Falls, Macro photography, Multnomah Falls, Oregon State Parks, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Scenery, Shepherd's Dell, US 30, Vista House, Wahkeenah Falls, White River Falls | 3 Comments

My lovely bride and I made our annual trip to our grandson’s birthday a couple weeks ago. This year, we decided to celebrate the centennial of our national park system by visiting Crater Lake National Park on the way. Everyone should go to Crater Lake – but beware, you can’t take a bad picture there.

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This pano was taken from the west side of the Lake.

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Also from the west loop, this pano includes the caldera (volcano within a volcano) inside the main crater.

From the south side of the lake. Love the clear blue water and great reflection of the clouds!

After a wonderful day at Crater Lake, we drove to Portland and had dinner with our niece. The next morning, we spent some time in the Columbia River Gorge checking the views and the waterfalls.

World famous Multnomah Falls. This was our first time there, and we understand why this is one of the most photographed falls in the world!

Wahkeenah Falls, just west of Multnomah Falls. Also very spectacular!

Another view of Wahkeenah Falls.

Shepherd’s Dell. A smaller fall than the others, but worth the short hike to get there!

We found this small waterfall on one of the trails. The branch at the top left caught my eye, and I used it to frame the falls.

Latourell Falls. The rocks are the best feature of this site.

The Columbia River is spectacular, as well.

A view looking east from historic US 30. This road was built about 100 years ago, and is a marvel of engineering. I think all transportation professionals should have to study how this road was built. This road was built with emphasis on the journey, not the destination.

The Columbia River from the aptly named Vista House!

We drove along the Deschutes River – one of the images I shot there.

And my favorite waterfall – White River Falls, in central Oregon near the Deschutes River.

I wish we had been there earlier in the day for better light, but I think it worked out.

The state park has several excellent views of this beautiful waterfall!

I am going back to this waterfall – I promise! When one lives in the desert, one forgets how fun it is to see water flowing in July!

I’ll close this post with a few flower macros! I’m really having fun with macro photography!

Found in a park in Richland WA.

I had help from my grandson taking this picture. Look close and you can see the bee in the center of the flower!

I shot this on the side of SR 22 on the way to Portland!

Macro and some creative editing.

On one of our non-photo stops, a nice person working in a store told me about these Poppies and mailboxes at the edge of town. I found it, and had to make the picture. Not macro – but a great image!

Water water everywhere! We had a great trip and really enjoyed the scenery. I didn’t try any new techniques, instead reaching into the toolkit for those that I’ve been developing. Thanks for following my blog – until next time! Enjoy!! PHOTOROGR

Summer is here…

June 23, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Gardnerville NV, Heritage Park Car Show, landscape photography, Macro photography, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photoshop, The Great Race | Leave a comment

…and it’s getting hot outside! Thankfully, the Carson Valley cools down at night, which helps keep the house comfortable!

I’ve had an exciting couple weeks since my last post. I received an email from a museum in Roseville, California, asking if they could use some of my panoramas in their train diorama. I’ll let you know when the display is ready! I have note cards at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park. They’re the big size, so go get them. I also got a call from a company looking for a picture for a proposal. The image came out great and I wish them luck with their proposal.

I got out and did some long exposure/HDR stream shots. They’re so much prettier when the vegetation has leaves and a little color. I also spent last Sunday at Heritage Park in Gardnerville, shooting the Car Show and The Great Race lunch stop. The pictures came out great, but my Canon 7D broke and is at the Canon Repair Center. We hope it’s not fatal! While I don’t think it broke because I was taking pictures of foreign cars and those made by the Evil Empire, I’m not ruling it out!

Take a look at the Heritage Park Car Show page for pictures of the car show, and The Great Race page for pictures of the race cars! There are links to The Great Race website on both pages.

So, here’s a few images. Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

This is a Columbine flower. When I master ‘focus stacking,’ it’ll be a better picture.

West Fork of the Carson River.

More Carson River…

The moss on the rocks and branches really made this picture for me!

Great Race racer – Lincoln Continental – now that’s a great cruising machine!

1966 GT350-H…rare and gorgeous. How would you like to drive this across country?

My friends, Mike and Sharon Silvera, won ‘Spirit of the Show’ with their 1911 Chalmers! What a gorgeous car!

Another friend, Mike King, with his classic Woody! Check out the rest of the show cars at the Heritage Park Car Show page!

Up Close and Personal…

June 6, 2016 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Close up photography, HDR, landscape photography, Macro photography, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photomatix Pro, Scenery | 2 Comments

Desert flower!

Well, my exploration into Close Up and Macro Photography has begun in a big way! Sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun!

Rob Sheppard begins his book on Macro Photography this way, “…This truly is a different world for most people and most photographers. When you and your camera get in close to things, what you discover can be amazing, unique, and remarkable. We simply don’t usually spend time looking at most things around us with a close-up point of view.” A few pages later, Rob describes this paradox, “By going small, you can go big, very big. How is that possible? By getting in close to the small things, that smaller majority, we actually see more of the beauty of the world. The world becomes a bigger place!”

Not only am I developing a new view of the world, I’m developing a new set of photography skills as well. Depth of field (DOF) is very different when you’re working in close. Shoot a landscape at a small aperture opening and DOF goes for miles. Shoot a flower at a small aperture and DOF is measured in centimeters and fractions of inches. Hand held shooting is possible, but keep your expectations low. The definition of ‘good light’ takes on a whole new meaning, however. For example, mid-day light is very harsh and unforgiving to the landscape photographer and gives me fits when shooting wildlife. Go for the small subjects, and mid-day light can be your friend. For me, Macro and Close Up brings a new set of challenges, but it reinforces the same basic photography concepts by forcing me to use them in a different way.

Enough technical talk for now – let’s get to some pictures!

I found this little fella’ working our new Catmint in the backyard.

My lovely bride likes it cropped a lot closer…thoughts?

This is a Macro of a Rose in our backyard. I gotta say, I’m putting fewer miles on the PHOTORANGER since the flowers in the yard are blooming!

Red Hot Poker just starting to bloom. When it’s fully bloomed, the tips are red and the rest of the bloom is yellow. This is one of my favorite plants!

We found this California Poppy at Topaz Lake. One of my few successful hand held macro shots!

On the Thornless Hawthorne in our backyard. These flowers are gone now.

When I started being serious about Macro, I rented a Macro lens and went looking for subjects. I drove Monitor Pass and found these beautiful flowers. Don’t ask me what they are – they’re just pretty!

This is a Peony from our back yard. I made multiple exposures and merged them in Photomatix. With our flowers, that’s always dangerous because the wind moves everything. I got lucky this time!

I found this Peony at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park.

Not a Macro – a Close Up! This is a headlight on a 1927 Willys Knight that I saw at a car show over the weekend. This is an HDR image processed in Photomatix.

Well, it hasn’t all been Macros and Close Ups. I took a ride with my old retired guy ATV group the other day. We drove east of Carson City to Silver Springs, then south towards Fort Churchill. Just south of Buckland Station, we turned left into the high desert and unloaded the ATVs. A short 11 miles later, we arrived at Hooten Well and took a break.

This is a panorama looking west towards Cleaver Peak. The desert is green, but it was a very hot and dusty ride!

Cleaver Peak with remains of one of the stone structures in the foreground.

Our ultimate destination was Salt Cave. Native Americans used them for shelter and decorated the ceilings.

…and I had to shoot them in Macro…yes, I need to work on my DOF and focusing…

My plan is to continue to be up close and personal for a while, with the occasional landscape and panorama. HDR is a great tool, and I’m getting more comfortable with it.

For my LinkedIn friends, please consider endorsing me for Digital Photography. Thanks in advance!

Until next time – Enjoy! PHOTOROGR

The PHOTOROGR Project

A Journey in Creative Photography!

Tag Archives: photo editing and composition