Lower Yellowstone Falls. January, 2005

the singer ... not the song?

What is more important, where we photograph landscape or why we photograph landscape? Are we drawn to do what we do by the location of landscape or are we just drawn to the process of landscape photography itself? What I'm speaking of is motivation. Or more importantly the core question of all, why do we do what we do and when and where.

For me, the experience of being on the land is first and foremost and I think that this is always the motivation. Get out there... and bring the photo gear too! It seems however that just when I'm sure this is the process, something like a specific place or even location will jar the reasoning. Is it the place that sets off the spirit of creation or or the creation process that sets off the place?

at f/4 this image is rendered much more than a mundane road shot

While this thought is not of the utmost importance to me in the process of doing landscape photography, it does set the tone and mood, and I sometimes wonder how much a part it does play in the final image. When thinking of landscape photography do I think of The Grand Canyon, or cactus and rock in my backyard? The Yosemite, Death Valley or simply capturing the planet turning at dawn in a place that I'm not even sure of a name without a map? Does it matter in the long run and will it show in the final image?

What is certain to me is that I'm inspired by the land itself and the inspiration is to make an image of that inspiration. If there is no focal point in my mind I have found from experience that there won't be one in a print either. If done without passion it will remain passionless. I have spent a lot of time in a lot of  places proving that if it doesn't look good in the viewfinder, it won't get better later!

What brings the point to mind is the fact that I have in span of a few short weeks, spent time photographing in two of the premier national parks in the U.S. Yellowstone and Yosemite. In one I went with a specific thought in mind and the other, our annual workshop. In the prior, the place was first and foremost along with the season, in the latter, the group and experience was much more prevalent.

For Yellowstone I had a goal in mind. A future DVD issue spotlighting this historic and picturesque place in two of it's most appealing seasons. Shooting in this area in winter is always a challenge and the thought was to show both this and the difference in the landscape that the harsh winters bring here. The limitations are part of the process and I was hoping to show what was involved along with what the rewards might be.

Often seen Gibbon Falls takes on much more appeal when winter takes hold

Looking at an image at different time of the year has always been a theme I enjoy. What is taken for granted in familiar settings can become most spectacular in a season not explored much photographically. The image of lower Yellowstone Falls would fall flat in summer. I think we have all been to the railing, looked over the edge, and beat a hasty retreat back to the more photographed locations in this area. At this time of the year, it's not possible to go anywhere off the groomed trails so photography becomes much different in approach from the start. A long lens came out immediately to just have a look at the snow draped ledge. The heart thump that followed with the detail of the snow curtains made the choice of composition fairly easy. I did not want to loose any of the detail and decided that a forced view of only the top of the falls would accomplish this. A vertical showed where the water disappeared but also ran the eye away form the curtain detail. While still the more conventional composition, the idea was that this was not a conventional moment and the entire point was that this is a different season and needed a different view. 

With a long lens depth of field will always be shallow and stopping down only creates longer shutter speeds and the likelihood of camera shake. While I did want  background information I certainly did not want a shutter speed slower than 500th of second that my 500 f/4 IS would suggest. Even with a gimble mount a rig of this size is dicey with a slower shutter speed. With a polarizer to cut glare, I moved the ISO to 400 and got a very nice shutter speed at f/8. I shot a frame at a faster shutter speed at f/4 for insurance also. The color of the rock (for which the park gets it's name) was the foundation of the composition and the lack of direct sun on the focal point, which was of course the curtains of the falls, made the contrast minimal. The brighter areas would, and have been, dealt with in post processing since a graduated ND filter is not possible on lenses of this length.

Shot from a vehicle, a 500 mm hand-held using the window frame for a mount. This frame has incredible detail!

Wildlife in Yellowstone is the highlight of any season but animals are usually more scare in the areas of visitation in the summer months. Most are in the upper elevations and return to lower terrain to feed and for warmth in the fall and winter. Always hoping to put wildlife in my landscape images we came upon moose on our way out of the tetons and up to the park. Again, straying off the groomed and plowed roads and trails is just not an option. The moose you see in the image above was done hand held with a windowsill for a brace. Technique can be everything to an image and this one was helped, or made possible by putting all the right elements to work. The engine was turned off, the camera mounted 500 lens braced by the pressure of the eye to the viewfinder and a hand pressing down on the barrel. The camera setting to AI Servo (no need for a fresh meter reading or confirmation of AF here) and a wide open aperture of f/4 with an ISO of 400 for the fastest shutter speed obtainable. A deep breath, a slow exhale and a burst of frames (I usually find that the second or third frame is the best after everything settles when the shutter is triggered) captured incredible detail. From the eyes (this is everything in portraiture human or animal) to the eyelashes and whiskers, this image in it's habitat is most pleasing to me.

Yosemite valley at anytime from anywhere is striking, as shown here from below the old Big Oak Flat Road

Yosemite is a completely different feel for me. The Yosemite Valley specifically anyway.  I go with an open mind, or a clear one, and enjoy being as much as doing. This is one place that I have and will go gladly without a camera. Of course the experience is usually heightened with the presence of photo equipment and the hope of the opportunity to use it, but more and more I am finding that immersing myself in the people of the workshop and the magnificence of the setting is the reward. Anything that occurs from this is gravy indeed!

Our annual workshop is set in winter for the beauty of the season that holds some treasures that can, but I don't think should, be counted on. We set aside five days to simply walk, talk and explore this very short seven mile valley. We take the time to see what nature has in store and discuss the strategy, timing and feelings that are the passion of doing landscape photography.

This year most of the expected spots were available to us and one that is hoped for but not expected put on a show. The landmarks of Yosemite are stunning to say the least. I don't know of a place on the planet where one formation dominates the way Half Dome does from most anywhere on the valley floor! I've found over the years that it's almost impossible to divert ones eyes for any length of time from it's presence. If you can't see it you keep looking in it's direction. If you can see it, it's hard not to stare.

a slow shutter speed captures a rare snow slide off the top of Half Dome

The evening in Cook Meadow waiting for sunset was eventful. Being anywhere in the valley in anticipation of the low light at the end of the day is a treat in itself and the sudden show of a snow slide off the top of Half Dome was exciting. Well, the excitement would have been even more had we actually been able to see it. What we experienced was the sound. Thunder ... loud thunder was the thinking but you can see from the frame that thunder was not a good possibility and the image confirms that it was a slow slide. Unable to see anything we thought it might be a rock fall. It was only the image itself that gave the answer.

Instinctively I hit the shutter when I heard the noise. Again, as you see in the image it was late afternoon and the light still quite intense. This gave a fairly quick shutter speed even though the aperture was f/11 for the setup and ISO at 100. although more of a documentary image than anything else, it proves my old adage that -if you don't open the shutter ... you get no images!  :-)

Horsetail Falls once again, two years in a row, was visible in the last light of the day, and had a waterfall! This is not to be taken lightly. You can experience this magical event on the DVD Yosemite in Winter. Although the angle of the light was perfect for us last year, it's glow and intensity were a photographic event not to be missed. This year with more of the light hitting the face of El Capitan and without the long lens capability of the last shoot, I concentrated on the more traditionally seen image. Read the story of the 2005 workshop.

The shot of Horsetail Falls on the right is straight forward in approach and technique. I found the trees in the foreground more appealing in silhouette and made no attempt at using graduated density filters. The exposure from the camera metering just off the waterfall was exactly what I wanted to capture. The intensity of the color was helped along with the use of a Singh-Ray LB color intensifier. The fact that in most cases the weather or the waterfall does not cooperate, makes this image one that I will gladly add to my Yosemite in Winter collection!

the dual shadow effect on the face of El Capitan gives a three dimensional feel

So is it the singer and not the song? The place and not the artist? Both? I shot in two great places with two different approaches. I think I got what I was looking for in Yellowstone and got what I looked at in Yosemite!

I think the point is that what we do is determined by inspiration and passion. I would not argue that both of these are made easier by spectacular landscape found in our more familiar national parks. I would not argue also that similar motivation can also be found in most places of our wonderful planet if one takes the time to explore and look. I think both these shoots are proof of my favorite phrase; What is needed is to F/8 And Be There!

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