New Releases

I would like to share a few new selections I created in the last couple of days…

Snow Canyon Glory

 

Pine Valley Watercolor Effect

 

Pine Valley Grove Backlight (Selenium Tone)

 

Pine Valley Reservior

By The Cat Tails ~ Pine Valley

Just Around the Corner!

Yesterday I went out shooting sunrise at Snow Canyon State Park and sunset at Sand Hollow State Park. These are all a few minutes from my home base in St. George, Utah. I thought I would share some of my “selects”. Enjoy!

Two crazy days with Jack Graham

My sidekick for Monday and Tuesday was Jack Graham – both of us formerly of NE Ohio. Jack now is located in Portland, Oregon and I am in St. George, Utah.

Anyhow…

Jack flew in to attend the PMA (Photo Marketing Association) Conference in Las Vegas for business and we thought we would take a leisurely day in the natural environs to do some touring, gaping, and shooting.

Monday we spent in Zion, visited three different photographer’s galleries including Michael Fatalli’s, and checked out the petrified dunes in Snow Canyon State Park. Although it was a whirlwind day, it was still relaxing and there were some excellent photo ops. (It is impossible to not find subject matter here.)

Here’s a few I put together from Monday… 

 

Small canyon detail in Zion NP

 

Checkerboard Mesa

 

Tuesday, was completely different. We headed down to Vegas early expecting massive crowds and delays at PMA. Surprise! Even at 10 AM opening we found a parking spot near the door. This was my first PMA, so I didn’t quite know if this was normal. Everyone I met assured me that this year was in the pits due to the economy. Tumbleweed city!

Here are some observations, rumors, and opinions I walked away with…

1. Every professional photographer should make an attempt to occasionally attend this event. You can’t get in unless you are in the biz; it is not open to the general public. It is an invigorating experience.
2. Don’t eat the chicken sandwiches (I’ll take Jack’s word for it).
3. Major DSLR manufactures (Nikon and Canon) had no new DSLR camera introductions.
4. It is rumored that a Nikon D400 is in the works for release in about a month.
5. It is rumored that a Nikon D700x is in the works closely thereafter. (D3x resolution).
6. No Canon DSLR body rumors, but one would assume something will shake loose by fall to keep pace.
7. Canon lenses: nothing new except the already announced Tilt-Shift wide angles.
8. Nikon lenses: I didn’t pay any attention, sorry.
9. Look out for Sony. They are making some serious attempt to rule the DSLR roost. Big threat!
10. The sweetest lens I ever saw in my life was the Sony 300mm f/2.8. Not much bigger than my Canon 300mm f/4 L IS. Painted “Canon Beige”. Hybrid Canon/Nikon metal work. A serious array of Canon-esque controls.
11. Sony also had the requisite 70-200 f/2.8 with the same styling.
12. Carl Zeiss is about to release Nikon and Canon mount lenses, perhaps with full automation. A new 21mm is on the way.
13. Canon has the Explorer’s of Light giving back-to-back presentations and live studio shoots on the Canon Stage. This was great stuff. Much to learn. Live video feeds from wireless remotes. Camera to print (24×36) in about 8 minutes. Amazing!
14. I saw the 5D Mk2 video capabilities. They quality is very high. The human interface needs a lot of work; but this is the start of something big – High Def video in a DSLR. Perfect for event shooters.
15. Canon and Nikon are both promoting their prosumer lines very heavily. This show was all about the Nikon D300 and D700 and the Canon 50D and 5D Mk2. The pro stuff (Nikon 3Dx and Canon 1Ds Mk3) as well as all the entry and consumer DSLRs took a back seat.
16. Vendors all had smiles and they all seemed phony. The bad economy has hit home.
17. This was the first year they charged an admission fee to the show floor.
18. Ilford is about to release a new series of papers in the Gallery line; an update to the Pearl surface. Rolls now; sheets by mid-year.
19. Some of the photography I saw used to demo products was amazingly second rate – I just can’t understand this
20. I’ll probably go back about every other year.
21. Conspicuous by their absense: Epson, Bogen, Manfrotto, Gitzo

HDR Comparison

It has intrigued me that the clamor increases regarding the potential and benefits of using HDR methods to compress dynamic range. As an experiment, yesterday I shot in Snow Canyon atop some sandstone atolls that have “water tanks”, the local moniker for “pools”. I present to you, for discussion and comment, both HDR versions and my traditional renditions of two of these scenes. I used Photomatix Pro 3.1 in Detail Enhancer mode. I will withold my opinion just yet. Please let me know what you think of the results.

 

Photomatix HDR

Traditional Photoshop

Photomatix HDR

Traditional Photoshop

Snow Canyon

Today, I spent a few hours at the Petrified Dunes in Snow Canyon State Park.

 

 

 

High Desert: The exploration begins

I just spent a few days with my buddy Jerry Emery guiding me to some of the scenic treasures around home. There is an amazing place called Snow Canyon State Park about 5 miles north of me. Slick rock, sandstone spires, high desert flora, lava beds, amazing geography. No real photography yet; just getting oriented and marking the GPS. I plan to make these places repeated, persistent haunts to capitalize on “being in the right place at the right time”. Tomorrow there may be a light dusting of snow in the canyons.

My first series of field workshops will entail the treasures of the High Desert.

Zion: After the Storm

Rainbow in Zion Canyon

Basalt on Slick Rock

Snow Canyon Palette

Slick Rock | Slick Jerry

The full gallery can be found at http://boku.smugmug.com/gallery/7315986_fCRuo#470633927_kBZh7