Light Posts of Cheyenne

I was in Cheyenne, Wyoming last week on a work related trip.  Of course I brought my camera along.  Although I wasn’t able to spend as much time as I had hoped exploring the city (I was stuck inside until after 5 pm each day, and the sun set at 6:30 or so), I did manage to see a little bit of Cheyenne.  Fortunately, my hotel was located in the Historic Downtown Area.  Although much of this area has been lost to time and redevelopment, there was one thing that caught my eye.  The light posts.  I became obsessed with them.  Be it the single light post, or the clusters of five, I spent quite a bit of time – and burned through quite a few frames – trying to get a few shots that I liked.  These, along with a brief explanation of what I was trying to achieve, are the best of the lot…

This one was in front of an old building near the railroad yard.  I liked how the fall leaves seemed to match the brick exterior of the building, and the light post was icing on the cake…

Same light post, same building, different perspective.  I underexposed one step to emphasis the feel of late evening light…

This cluster of lights was in front of the train depot.  I liked how two lights were on, three off, and how the brick exterior of the building glowed in background from the fading evening light…

Same cluster of lights.  I moved to the left a few feet so that I could frame them against the clean background of the clear sky…

This was the shot I spent the most time on.  Obviously, I was trying to get the moon in focus with the light post in the foreground.  Not a great shot, but it has the mood I was looking for…

Another Day, Another Hike, Another Chance To Snap Away

Another autumn Saturday, perfect for a hike.  Last week’s adventure at Eklutna Lake had looked to be the last of the season, but the weather held – depending on which direction one ventured – long enough for another outing…  I say depending on which direction, because I first headed south in search of adventure, only to encounter heavy rain and blowing wind along Turnagain Arm.  After driving 25 miles with no sign of the weather letting up, I turned tail and headed back north, stopping long enough to take a few shots.  I pulled out my polarizing filter to try to get this rainbow to really “pop”…

I kept driving north and ended up at the Eagle River Nature Center, and soon lit out on the Historic Iditarod Trail.  The sun was out, so I left my polarizing filter on.  Soon a piece of birch bark caught my eye, as it reminded me of a flag waving in the wind, backlit by the sun…

Further along, the clouds moved in front of the sun, the mostly barren trees grew closer together, and I envisioned a black and white scene, like the background of a Bev Doolittle in total grayscale…

Not the best rendition of a black and white scene – by far – but some thing to think about and experiment with more in the future.  

The mountain ridge on the right was lit beautifully as the sun peeked through the clouds, and I tried to capture the dramatic light.  For this shot I underexposed two stops, and turned my polarizer until the sun’s glare on the rocks softened.

Then I concentrated on the section of the ridge to the left, trying to capture blowing snow and the sun’s glow.

On the way out several spruce grouse were spotted.  Since I had left my carrying case of filters in the car (including my clear UV filters), I still had my polarizing filter on.  The reason for this is that I didn’t want to be tromping around the woods without a protective piece of glass between my lens and the elements.  This resulted in losing a stop or two of light, so the ISO went up as I tried to freeze the bird against a rocky, drab background.  I got one shot that I think shows the similarity between the bird’s natural camouflage and its surroundings… 

And I learned a valuable lesson (and felt like a rookie at the same time) – don’t assume that the weather will cooperate.  As soon as the sun disappeared for the day – especially considering that the remaining foliage wasn’t saturated with fresh rain – the polarizer should have come off, to be replaced with a clear, protective filter.

Lastly, I got a couple of shots of a squirrel packing on weight for the winter.

Not my most productive day ever photographically (I don’t think that I got a single “keeper” shot the whole day), but a few lessons were learned that will hopefully push me one step closer to being a better photographer.

Twin Peaks Trail - Eklutna Lake

A beautiful fall Saturday, winter fast approaching.  I decided to go hiking, thinking that I would get in some exercise and enjoy one of the last glorious days of an Indian summer before the cold grind of another winter set in.  Of course my camera would be at my side (or, more accurately, hanging around my neck).  I had two goals in mind – to enjoy the day, and to get in some more time working on my craft.

I decided to tackle the Twin Peaks Trail at Eklutna Lake.  “Moderate to difficult” the trail guide said.  1800 foot elevation gain over 2.6 miles.  Piece of cake I thought. 

As I started out on the trail, which quickly turned into a climb instead of a leisurely stroll, it wasn’t long before I was captivated by the patterns of the shadows that crossed the trail…

There were few people on the trail, and I made good time.  The grade increased, my breath quickened, and I was enjoying the open air, although I was wondering when I would see something other than the path before me and the trees to either side.  Soon, as I rounded a slight bend in the trail, I noticed an opening in the trees and a glimpse of Eklutna Lake below.  A few steps off the trail and the scene unfolded…

After a brief rest, and few photos later, I headed out again.  Here I must note that I had a plan when it came to the day’s photographic “goals”.  First, I was going to use only my 18-55 mm lens on the hike up to my final destination (wherever that may be), second, I would then switch to my 55-200 mm for the descent, and last, I would make a conscious effort to use my polarizing filter, which I has only played with once or twice. 

On the way up I took quite a few photos, as I rested at the halfway point overlooking the lake, walking up the trail, and finally at my final destination.  I got a few photos that I was reasonably happy with, including the two which I’ve presented already. 

Once I reached the end of the formal trail, 2.6 miles and 1,800 feet of elevation gain later, I decided to go further.  Although I had a great view of Twin Peaks and Goat Rock, I wanted to go higher, reach the crest of the ridge to my right, and look out over Eklutna Lake.  So, I headed up the smaller, steeper path, and made my way another mile or so until I reached the top of the ridge.  It was steep, slow going at spots, but well worth the view…

I spent about an hour enjoying the view, eating a snack, and taking photos.  I also had a few “learning experiences” that came to light when I reviewed the day’s work.  The clear, bright day lead to quite a few photos with lens flair or excessive haze in the background, then I picked-up some very noticeable dust specks that can’t be ignored (and the photos weren’t good enough to spend time cloning them out in Photoshop).  Lesson/s learned. 

I took my time coming down, because of the steep grade and unsure footing at spots, and because I was enjoying the scenery and comfortable weather.  I also stopped occasionally to take a few photos, and was rewarded in one area with an abundance of dried wildflowers that caught my attention.

When I reached the halfway point on the way back I stopped again and took a few photos.  The angle of the setting sun was perfect for using my polarizing filter to take a few shots of Eklutna Lake…

After resting a bit, I headed down the final stretch of trail, stopping to take a few shots of an old abandoned car I had noticed earlier…

…and a leaf wonderfully backlit in the late afternoon sun…

All in all, it was a good day.  The last couple of times that I had went out with the idea of taking a few photos and seeing what I could come up with, I was – quite frankly – discouraged, because I had come up empty handed.  Although I have a long way to go before I reach the technical proficiency that I strive for, and accepting that the photos I’ve presented here are o.k. but nothing spectacular, I know that what I can do today is better than what I could do yesterday…

Making The Best Of A Dreary Day

Last Saturday was much like the previous week or so.  Anchorage was cloaked in a low layer of fog that blocked out the sun that had so shortly before shone so brightly in a warm blaze of an Indian summer that had been a welcome relief from a long, wet summer season.  I had repeatedly heard that the one could escape the grips of this dense fog by going up into the mountains, breaking through the fog to the warmth of the sun, or by heading north towards the Matanuska Valley, which had been spared the grey days of late…  I knew that the parking lots for the upper trailheads near Anchorage would be full of other folks similarly seeking the golden sun, so I decide to head north, thinking that I could find my own escape from the dull grey days of September…

Thunderbird Falls was the destination.  About 25 miles northeast of Anchorage, the trail to the falls is an easy one mile, one-way hike, but considering that I had a nine year old with me I figured that the length would be perfect, and – of course – I brought my camera along. 

As we drove to our destination the fog did not lift.  In fact, it got thicker.  Gloomier.  Colder.  When we arrived at the parking lot the fog hung thick, and did not abate during the two plus hours we were on the trail.  However, it wasn’t raining, there weren’t too many people on the trail, and the water level in Thunderbird Creek was relatively low so we were able to get pretty close to the falls.  The wet weather had yielded an explosion of different mushrooms and fungus, which provided the two of us with a constant source of “cool, look at those conversations.”  Despite the dull, grey skies, it was definitely worth the drive.

In terms of photography, it was another chance to get out, experiment, and fire off a few frames.  I haven’t had much experience working on a foggy, damp day, so I took the opportunity to do so.  Also, I left my trusty Nikon 55-200 VR in the car.  I’ve found that 99% of the time I use this lens.  Although it’s doesn’t have as wide a range as the Nikon 18-200 (or the new 28-300), it has quite a bit of versatility, which is why I love it.  Since I don’t have a wide angle lens (yet!), I find myself shooting quite a bit of my landscape work at 200mm, trying to get an interesting slice of a larger whole…  This day I set forth with the 18-55 kit lens that came with my Nikon.  I was determined to get to “know” this lens better…

So, here are four shots from that outing. 

No real winners, but they are somewhat representative of what how I was trying to familiarize myself with this lens’ capabilities.  Two things that I like about this lens are its ability to get fairly “wide” and its ability to get pretty close to a subject.  No true macro capability, but some nice close-up possibilities.  What did I learn that day?  That I need to be aware that I have a tendency to severely underexpose images on an overcast day, that I need to work more on grasping what is a good out-of-focus background, and that I need more practice, practice, practice…

Wasted Day?

One of the goals I have set for myself recently is to take more photographs, on a more consistent basis.  Since I bought my Nikon D40 I’ve taken 9,800 photographs.  Sounds like quite a few, and definitely well on my way to getting the first 10,000 out of the way, so I can start making true progress towards taking fewer “snapshots” and more “photographs”.   Then, I did the math.  I’ve had the D40 since May 2008.  850 days, give or take a day.  9,800 photographs divided by 850 days = 11.5 shots a day.  It takes about two seconds of thought to realize that 12 attempts at anything a day – photographs, free throws, free kicks in soccer, whatever, is nowhere near enough to develop a skill or find a voice or become so familiar with a process that it becomes second nature…


So, I’ve come to realize that I need to shoot more photos, more often.  Not to run up the number on the shutter count, not to fill up hard drives full of random shots, not to take photos for the sake of taking photos, but to take the time to experiment, look, visualize, to try and SEE the world around me differently, and to translate that into better photographs, on a more consistent basis.  To become better, I must practice and push myself, no different than when I literally shot hundreds of free throws, day after day, when I was 13 and trying to become a starter on the junior high basketball team…

I’m not talking about sitting in the living room every evening taking 200 “candid” shots of the cat sleeping on the back of the couch.  I’m talking about taking the camera along whenever I go for a drive (and, let’s face it, even in town who hasn’t had the “damn, I wish I had my/should have brought my” camera thought), on long walks with the dog, those everyday opportunities that we realize later would have been the perfect time to try and capture something different or unexpected…

Last Saturday was a perfect example.  Unseasonably warm weather, hardly a cloud in the sky, leaves turning into their autumn hues, gently falling to the ground.  Sun warm on the skin even if the slight chill of fall was in the air.  A perfect day for a long walk.  We decided to take advantage of this perfect day and headed to Eklutna Lake for a long walk and a picnic lunch, the first big “nature” outing with our semi-new dog.  A perfect opportunity to take the camera along and get some practice in…

And, I did.  25 shots or so at Eklutna Lake, then another 35 or so later at home, trying to capture a shot of fireweed gone to seed, thinking the cottony tendrils backlit by the sun might make an interesting shot.  After the sun faded and as the evening was winding down, I downloaded the day’s work to the computer and took a look.  What did I have?  Nothing.  Not one shot that I would show someone else, not one shot that I would say “huh, that turned out alright”.  A big zero.  Was it the subject matter?  Was it my technique?  My vision?  Or lack thereof?  I honestly don’t know.  I would like to think that it was just one of those days where things just didn’t click.  But, to be honest, I would tend to think it’s more a reflection on my present skill set and lack of creative vision…

So, back to the title of this post.  Wasted day?  Not at all.  I learned a tad bit more about myself as a photographer, tried a thing or two that didn’t work (and that I’ve tucked away in memory).  Most importantly – and this is the true lesson of the day – I got to spend a wonderful day with my family and our semi-new, lovable (and exhausted) rescue pup…