I've moved my blog to a new platform. You can find it HERE.
I have a short post up on the new blog, and will be adding content over there moving forward. I will leave this page up, so the previous posts will always be available.
Thanks everyone for your support over the years - hope to see you over on the new blog.
Kevin
Kevin Schaffer Photography
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
A Past That Never Really Was
“Don’t look
back. Something might be gaining on you.” ~ Satchel Paige
The other night I was flipping through the channels on the television, bored, but too late in the evening and too lacking in ambition to be productive, looking for something to occupy my mind, when I happened across "American Graffiti," which had just started and which I hadn't seen in years. I started watching it, nodding at the familiar faces, some of which have been confined to distant memory, when a thought popped in my head - "American Graffiti" is a love letter
to a past that never really was…
"A love letter to a past that never really was..."
That thought stuck with me, I uttered it aloud, jotted it down so it wouldn't get lost to the dark of the evening, the glow of the tv...
"A love letter to a past that never really was..."
That thought stuck with me, I uttered it aloud, jotted it down so it wouldn't get lost to the dark of the evening, the glow of the tv...
I like old towns, those found off the Interstate, the ones that cling to life and simpler times despite the endless march of progress. One such town is Strong City, Kansas, a small town situated alongside Highway 50, a place to stop and get gas and stretch your legs on the way to bigger places like Kansas City that lie to the east.
I first ran across Strong City last November (which I wrote about here), and on a whim drove down the "main drag" through town, down to the courthouse square at nearby Cottonwood Falls, and back out to the highway, stopping to take a photo or two, but not giving it much thought. Never a bustling metropolis, this small town now boasts a population of fewer than 500 small town souls, one drive-in malt shop away from being locked in time.
This past July, while in the Kansas again, I took another slow drive through Strong City, this time spotting something new. New, yet old. A garage, the lot filled with classic cars in various states of repair, disrepair, the dreams of teenagers and grease monkeys and middle-aged men with a little bit of cash and a whole lotta love for the good ole days.
I like old cars and trucks. I have no interest in working on them, rebuilding them – I’ve twisted a wrench or two in my time, out of necessity, not fun or joy – but I appreciate their lines, their form, their individuality. I appreciate the nostalgia that comes with looking at an old truck with a flat head 6, a car with a rumble seat, bench seats and a three on the tree tranny. And this unexpected find on a sleepy road in a quiet town on an overcast, still day was a stop that one didn't have to think twice about making.
I grabbed my camera and chose my wide angle lens, one that would let me capture the whole of the scene from afar, and immerse myself in the world before me as I moved closer.
I started with a shot of the building and the parking lot, centering the shot on the front door while keeping the car on the far left in the shot, giving equal weight to parking lot, with its oil stains and cracks and texture in the foreground, and the sky overhead.
I eventually made my way around the back of the lot, where the rusted shells of several old rigs sat, overgrown with weeds, cast off, waiting their turn in the dreams of restoration and rebirth.
Using a wide angle lens lets you get really close to the subject while still taking it all in, until you become immersed in it. When I'm photographing old trucks I like to shoot through a side window, capturing the interior of the cab and the world that lies on other side of the windshield and side window.
With this shot I was maybe a foot from the grill of this old Chrysler. Wide angle lenses tend to distort objects when you're close to them, to stretch them and make them seem even wider than they are, and that was the look I was shooting for. Big, wide, sweeping out. I got close so I could pick up every bit of rust and pitted metal, tarnished chrome and peeling, faded paint that I could, the things that give away the car's age and give it character. I cropped the final version square because I wanted to fill the frame with the car, to unquestionably make it the focus of the scene.
I saw this old Coke machine, crouched down to get a shot of it, again pushing close while making sure to get the rusting car on the left and the rusting box on the right in the shot, framing the scene. If there's an old top loading Coca Cola machine, you have to stop and photograph it. I think it's a law.
Finally I walked back out for another wide shot, this time from the side of the building, complete with my own Hitchcockian cameo...
Small town America. Hot rods and sleepy streets. Coca cola and the corner diner. A love letter to a past that never really was. Or, a love letter to a past that still is...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 10-24 DX lens.
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And I'm now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Going Beyond The Edge
My last post spoke of intention - of intentionally slowing down, of intentionally taking a deep breath and trying to focus from within, of intentionally moving my feet to change my viewpoint. I used a recent trip to Bryce Canyon as an example: how I explored a section of the park from the amphitheater’s rim, the Bryce Point Overlook.
This post is also about intention... Of intentionally going beyond the rim, the outer shell of a subject, and submerging, submersing, into the subject matter, of looking up instead of down, of taking the time to weave my way down into the amphitheater instead of just peeking over the edge and walking away, of going down into the depths and intentionally forcing myself into a new perspective and viewpoint.
It's a more intimate look at the park, a look at hiking down and into the features seen from the rim, of walking amongst the hoodoos and slots and fins of rock, walking through the trees and jagged rock and folds of the earth, walking through the shadows and along the spines of rock jutting up from the canyon floor, walking through the amphitheater as the sun breached the canyon rim above and began the fill the cracks and crevices and folds of earth with its warmth…
It was July 28, and we arrived at Bryce Canyon as the sun's glow started to take the cool blue edge off the night, as the sun started to transform the landscape from night to day. Sunrise came that morning at 6:30, and we started our trek by spending a few moments at Sunset Point. This was taken at 6:18, as the orange/yellow glow of dawn took hold in the heavens.
Armed with a camera, one lens - a mid-range zoom that gave me enough flexibility not to have to worry about changing lenses on the trail - and a Camelback full of water, we picked up the Navajo Trail at the Sunset Point Overlook and began our descent down a series of switchbacks, the earth enveloping us as we went further down. Rips and gashes in rock formed over millennia of water freezing and expanding and wind whipping pulling us in with nothing but the cool, still morning air and the occasional sound of someone talking in the distance to keep us company.
We headed down the trail and when a split in the trail came, we turned left, following the trail down in a clockwise direction, dropping further and further down, one series of switchbacks after another, watching the walls of earth tower higher and higher over us, until the trail finally started to level off a bit. We followed the trail around until we reached the point where the ascent out of the grand striped and rippled sandstone bowl began, then doubled back until we found the connection with the Queen's Garden Trail. This route would lead our ascent out of the amphitheater, offering different views than the way we came...
Near the intersection with the Queen's Garden trail, I stopped and captured this view of the sun casting its spell on the ridge above us.
I then turned and within seconds took this shot of the sun peeking over the earth and through the tree behind me.
We walked the Queen's Garden trail, through a section that was wooded and cool and calm, as the trees and grass began to be bathed in the morning light and the birds turned and sang their morning song towards the warmth of the sun which had returned yet another day...
When we reached the Queen's Garden trail I took a few minutes to scamper up a side trail so I could get closer to the columns of water- and wind-carved rock...
Then we continued working our way up the Queen's Garden Trail towards Sunrise Point, winding and working our way free from the shadows and crevices and back into the light, the end to our morning's adventure nearing its end...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens.
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
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I'm on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And I'm now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Morning At Bryce Point
"A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” ~ Ansel Adams
If it were only that simple...
When I'm on location shooting I tend to get excited, to rush. I've been working on trying to relax, take a deep breath, take a step to the right, or forward. Sometimes I do this by using a tripod, forcing me to frame a scene and focus and observe, sometimes by simply reminding myself - repeatedly - to relax. I've been making a conscious effort to be intentional about where I stand.
This past week my wife and I went to southwestern Utah, to spend time at Bryce Canyon National Park and the surrounding area. We caught a sunset at Bryce, watched the next morning's sunrise there, and did some hiking. On our last day in the area - July 29 - we debated how to start the day, deciding to head back to Bryce Canyon for another sunrise, this time at Bryce Point - which we hadn't checked out yet - thinking that it would be less crowded than the popular Sunrise/Sunset Point area.
Bryce Point overlooks Bryce Amphitheater, the most recognizable section of the park, from the south rim. As we drove into the park the sky began to display streaks of orange and red and yellow that mimicked the streaked sandstone cliffs, crevices, slots, and folds of earth below. Shortly after walking out to the point we spotted this tree, which I worked into a series of shots.
As sunrise approached I moved to the right near the Peekaboo Trailhead, moved right and down and worked my way back and forth until I found this spot, where the foreground formed a V that framed the rising sun...
After the sun broke free of the horizon, its golden rays started to illuminate the fins and hoodoos in the amphitheater below, filling shadow and folds of earth with their warmth...
Walking back up towards the point, my original starting place, I stopped to look around and saw the sun peeking through this tree, scattering the first rays of the morning sun on the dew kissed brush...
When I got back to the main viewing area, I started zooming in, focusing on small sections of fins and hoodoos, watching the colors of the tableau below change as the sun rose higher in the sky...
"A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” ~ Ansel Adams
I can't say that I know where to stand, but at least now I'm moving my feet...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens.
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And I'm now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
If it were only that simple...
When I'm on location shooting I tend to get excited, to rush. I've been working on trying to relax, take a deep breath, take a step to the right, or forward. Sometimes I do this by using a tripod, forcing me to frame a scene and focus and observe, sometimes by simply reminding myself - repeatedly - to relax. I've been making a conscious effort to be intentional about where I stand.
This past week my wife and I went to southwestern Utah, to spend time at Bryce Canyon National Park and the surrounding area. We caught a sunset at Bryce, watched the next morning's sunrise there, and did some hiking. On our last day in the area - July 29 - we debated how to start the day, deciding to head back to Bryce Canyon for another sunrise, this time at Bryce Point - which we hadn't checked out yet - thinking that it would be less crowded than the popular Sunrise/Sunset Point area.
Bryce Point overlooks Bryce Amphitheater, the most recognizable section of the park, from the south rim. As we drove into the park the sky began to display streaks of orange and red and yellow that mimicked the streaked sandstone cliffs, crevices, slots, and folds of earth below. Shortly after walking out to the point we spotted this tree, which I worked into a series of shots.
As sunrise approached I moved to the right near the Peekaboo Trailhead, moved right and down and worked my way back and forth until I found this spot, where the foreground formed a V that framed the rising sun...
After the sun broke free of the horizon, its golden rays started to illuminate the fins and hoodoos in the amphitheater below, filling shadow and folds of earth with their warmth...
Walking back up towards the point, my original starting place, I stopped to look around and saw the sun peeking through this tree, scattering the first rays of the morning sun on the dew kissed brush...
When I got back to the main viewing area, I started zooming in, focusing on small sections of fins and hoodoos, watching the colors of the tableau below change as the sun rose higher in the sky...
"A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” ~ Ansel Adams
I can't say that I know where to stand, but at least now I'm moving my feet...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens.
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And I'm now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
Monday, July 20, 2015
Hike To Chimney Rock
"May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds." ~Edward Abbey
The other day my wife and I hiked the trail to Chimney Rock, located at Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu in northern New Mexico. We discovered the Abiquiu area during our first trip to New Mexico, and shortly after moving here, it quickly become one of our favorite places for a day trip from Santa Fe. We had done some hiking in the area, but this was our first time hiking at Ghost Ranch.
The Chimney Rock trail is a three-mile round trip, with an elevation gain from 6,500 to 7,100 feet, offering views of the Cerro Pedernal, Abiquiu Lake, the Piedra Lumbre basin, and expansive red, yellow, and white sandstone cliffs. After checking in at the Ghost Ranch Visitor Center, we walked down behind the corrals, crossed the arroyo, and headed out on the trail.
On the way up, on the left side of the trail, I spotted a couple of scraggly, dead trees. I looped up and around to take a look, and immediately saw the Cerro Pedernal (known locally as the "Pedernal") - a tall, flat-topped mountain that was a frequent subject of Georia O'Keeffe - off in the distance. I took a few shots, using the trees as a natural frame for the Pedernal.
Once I reached the top of the ridge I wandered a bit, from one side of the finger of land jutting out towards the valley below to the other, looking around and taking in the view. Walking out towards Chimney Rock I saw this tree and almost immediately thought "black and white."
Looking in the opposite direction, approximately northeast, offered this view of the sandstone cliffs and turquoise blue skies...
Once I got to Chimney Rock I just stood there, in awe. The view was incredible, looking over the Piedra Lumbre basin ("Valley of the Shining Stone") with the Pedernal standing tall in the distance...
After some time spent taking in the view, it was time to head back down the trail. On the way back I stopped to take a few shots of these wildflowers. The recent rains in the area have brought with them an abundance of wildflowers, adding another dimension of beauty to an already spectacular landscape...
The Chimney Rock Trail was worth every step it took to get to the top. Steps that I will be taking again, sooner than later...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens.
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And I'm now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
The other day my wife and I hiked the trail to Chimney Rock, located at Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu in northern New Mexico. We discovered the Abiquiu area during our first trip to New Mexico, and shortly after moving here, it quickly become one of our favorite places for a day trip from Santa Fe. We had done some hiking in the area, but this was our first time hiking at Ghost Ranch.
The Chimney Rock trail is a three-mile round trip, with an elevation gain from 6,500 to 7,100 feet, offering views of the Cerro Pedernal, Abiquiu Lake, the Piedra Lumbre basin, and expansive red, yellow, and white sandstone cliffs. After checking in at the Ghost Ranch Visitor Center, we walked down behind the corrals, crossed the arroyo, and headed out on the trail.
On the way up, on the left side of the trail, I spotted a couple of scraggly, dead trees. I looped up and around to take a look, and immediately saw the Cerro Pedernal (known locally as the "Pedernal") - a tall, flat-topped mountain that was a frequent subject of Georia O'Keeffe - off in the distance. I took a few shots, using the trees as a natural frame for the Pedernal.
Once I reached the top of the ridge I wandered a bit, from one side of the finger of land jutting out towards the valley below to the other, looking around and taking in the view. Walking out towards Chimney Rock I saw this tree and almost immediately thought "black and white."
Looking in the opposite direction, approximately northeast, offered this view of the sandstone cliffs and turquoise blue skies...
Once I got to Chimney Rock I just stood there, in awe. The view was incredible, looking over the Piedra Lumbre basin ("Valley of the Shining Stone") with the Pedernal standing tall in the distance...
After some time spent taking in the view, it was time to head back down the trail. On the way back I stopped to take a few shots of these wildflowers. The recent rains in the area have brought with them an abundance of wildflowers, adding another dimension of beauty to an already spectacular landscape...
The Chimney Rock Trail was worth every step it took to get to the top. Steps that I will be taking again, sooner than later...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens.
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And I'm now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
Monday, July 6, 2015
Cow Skulls - Ornament Of The West
Cow skulls. Ubiquitous in the southwest. Ornament, icon, cliche.
You see them in passing and keep going. Then, after awhile, you see them and stop.
I haven't read much poetry over the years, but one poet whose work has caught my attention, whose work I actually enjoy reading, is Dylan Thomas. In particular, "And Death Shall Have No Dominion." I love the rhythm of the words, the imagery contained in lines like:
"When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone."
Cow skulls. Their bones picked clean.
Now I stop and take a few shots of the bones picked clean, pausing to wonder.
Embudo, during my first visit to the Santa Fe...
Galisteo, where I only stayed for a few moments. I had an uneasy feeling, but I'm glad I stopped, as the banner and skulls are now gone...
Cerrillos, where this doorway to nowhere, unattached to any surrounding structure, stands...
Tucumcari, a small town that lies on Route 66, at an antique store...
Sedona, on the wall of the Visitor's Center...
Cow skulls, ornament of the west, adorning walls and windows, doors and posts. Bones picked clean and hung...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor lens: 10-24 DX (first photo), 55-300 DX VR (second photo), 18-55 DX(third photo), 16-85 DX VR (final two photos)
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And I'm now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
You see them in passing and keep going. Then, after awhile, you see them and stop.
I haven't read much poetry over the years, but one poet whose work has caught my attention, whose work I actually enjoy reading, is Dylan Thomas. In particular, "And Death Shall Have No Dominion." I love the rhythm of the words, the imagery contained in lines like:
"When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone."
Cow skulls. Their bones picked clean.
Now I stop and take a few shots of the bones picked clean, pausing to wonder.
Embudo, during my first visit to the Santa Fe...
Galisteo, where I only stayed for a few moments. I had an uneasy feeling, but I'm glad I stopped, as the banner and skulls are now gone...
Cerrillos, where this doorway to nowhere, unattached to any surrounding structure, stands...
Tucumcari, a small town that lies on Route 66, at an antique store...
Sedona, on the wall of the Visitor's Center...
Cow skulls, ornament of the west, adorning walls and windows, doors and posts. Bones picked clean and hung...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor lens: 10-24 DX (first photo), 55-300 DX VR (second photo), 18-55 DX(third photo), 16-85 DX VR (final two photos)
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And I'm now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Seeking Sedona
“Don’t think about the image before the image happens. Don’t go into the moment with a belief of what you expect to see, just go in and see what there is to see.” ~ Vincent Versace
Last week my wife and I traveled to Sedona, Arizona, to take in the scenery and try and capture the beauty of the area in photographs. I had visions in my head of grand vistas, epic sunsets; I had in my head visions of... I'm not sure what exactly. All I knew was, it was going to be grand, epic, sweeping...
The first afternoon we drove up Schnebly Hill Road, heading up the road a bit, past where the pavement turned into a rutted, bumpy dirt road best suited for Jeeps, going a short way before turning around, all the while enjoying the scenery and the truck's air conditioning. Despite the heat and the haze of the late afternoon we pulled over at one point, and I took a few shots looking back towards Sedona. My favorite was this one, with the century plant in the foreground.
Over the course of that evening, while hiking the next morning, and on into the day, I kept being drawn in by - and kept photographing - a singular subject that caught my eye, over and over. It wasn't the gorgeous red rock vistas, or any particular mountain, but something on a much smaller scale.
The century plant, agave americana. Dotting the landscape. Catching my eye. Capturing my imagination.
Late on the second night we headed up Dry Creek Road, where the previous evening I had spotted a century plant near a "medicine wheel" a short distance from the road. I put my wide angle lens on the camera and darted off into the brush...
I then headed uphill, stopping to take photos here and there, until I found this century plant, standing tall against the sky with the golden glow of the evening in the background...
I worked the scene for a bit, moving around the century plant until this composition with the sun setting behind the mountains in the background made me pause...
I went to Sedona looking for epic vistas and adventures straight out of an old John Wayne western and ending up being drawn in by a tall, lonely, beautiful plant that lives to bloom once and die...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor lens: 16-85 DX VR (first photo), 10-24 DX (other photos)
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm also on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And am now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
Last week my wife and I traveled to Sedona, Arizona, to take in the scenery and try and capture the beauty of the area in photographs. I had visions in my head of grand vistas, epic sunsets; I had in my head visions of... I'm not sure what exactly. All I knew was, it was going to be grand, epic, sweeping...
The first afternoon we drove up Schnebly Hill Road, heading up the road a bit, past where the pavement turned into a rutted, bumpy dirt road best suited for Jeeps, going a short way before turning around, all the while enjoying the scenery and the truck's air conditioning. Despite the heat and the haze of the late afternoon we pulled over at one point, and I took a few shots looking back towards Sedona. My favorite was this one, with the century plant in the foreground.
Over the course of that evening, while hiking the next morning, and on into the day, I kept being drawn in by - and kept photographing - a singular subject that caught my eye, over and over. It wasn't the gorgeous red rock vistas, or any particular mountain, but something on a much smaller scale.
The century plant, agave americana. Dotting the landscape. Catching my eye. Capturing my imagination.
Late on the second night we headed up Dry Creek Road, where the previous evening I had spotted a century plant near a "medicine wheel" a short distance from the road. I put my wide angle lens on the camera and darted off into the brush...
I then headed uphill, stopping to take photos here and there, until I found this century plant, standing tall against the sky with the golden glow of the evening in the background...
I worked the scene for a bit, moving around the century plant until this composition with the sun setting behind the mountains in the background made me pause...
I went to Sedona looking for epic vistas and adventures straight out of an old John Wayne western and ending up being drawn in by a tall, lonely, beautiful plant that lives to bloom once and die...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor lens: 16-85 DX VR (first photo), 10-24 DX (other photos)
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm also on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And am now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
The Lone Tree
Somewhere I read the phrase "if there's a lone tree, you must photograph it."
The lone tree can be an interesting subject, a living contrast to a stark environment.
Resilient. A survivor. Bent, but not broken. Resistant to forces of nature, meddling of man, the Ides of March and random acts of God...
I just finished reading Edward Abbey's "Desert Solitaire," a collection of reflections - mostly from the time he spent as a park ranger at Arches National Park in Utah - and musings on the park and "industrial tourism" and the desert, the benefits and shortcomings of isolation, the need to preserve and protect and spare the wild land from the interventions of man. I'm still absorbing what I read and coming to terms with some of the more radical thoughts put forth, and part of that process is writing this post. Abbey's book got me thinking about the harshness and beauty of the desert Southwest - which circled back to thoughts of the lone tree.
The last couple of months I've been drawn to the idea of simpler, starker, uncluttered compositions, and incorporating the subject of the lone tree into some of my recent work reflects this idea of aesthetic.
Last April I spent a dreary, misty, foggy morning driving around the panhandle of Texas outside of Amarillo, taking in the landscape, the rolling hills and flat expanses of farmland. At one point I saw this tree, bent from years of fighting the wind for a foothold on the open range...
This juniper was at Dead Horse Point State Park near Moab, Utah, ever reaching towards the dawn...
There was this cottonwood along the Colorado River outside of Moab, beginning to relinquish its summer green for the golden yellow of fall...
This bristlecone pine near the South Window in Arches National Park, its branches and form seemingly framing the arch behind it...
"If there's a lone tree, you must photograph it." I started photographing lone trees because I liked the look of an uncluttered composition. Now I stop and photograph them because it gives me a moment to pause and reflect and take in the beauty that lies within a harsh environment or in unexpected places...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor lens: 16-85 DX VR (first and third photos), 10-24 DX (second photo), and 10.5 DX Fisheye (last photo).
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm also on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And am now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
The lone tree can be an interesting subject, a living contrast to a stark environment.
Resilient. A survivor. Bent, but not broken. Resistant to forces of nature, meddling of man, the Ides of March and random acts of God...
I just finished reading Edward Abbey's "Desert Solitaire," a collection of reflections - mostly from the time he spent as a park ranger at Arches National Park in Utah - and musings on the park and "industrial tourism" and the desert, the benefits and shortcomings of isolation, the need to preserve and protect and spare the wild land from the interventions of man. I'm still absorbing what I read and coming to terms with some of the more radical thoughts put forth, and part of that process is writing this post. Abbey's book got me thinking about the harshness and beauty of the desert Southwest - which circled back to thoughts of the lone tree.
The last couple of months I've been drawn to the idea of simpler, starker, uncluttered compositions, and incorporating the subject of the lone tree into some of my recent work reflects this idea of aesthetic.
Last April I spent a dreary, misty, foggy morning driving around the panhandle of Texas outside of Amarillo, taking in the landscape, the rolling hills and flat expanses of farmland. At one point I saw this tree, bent from years of fighting the wind for a foothold on the open range...
This juniper was at Dead Horse Point State Park near Moab, Utah, ever reaching towards the dawn...
There was this cottonwood along the Colorado River outside of Moab, beginning to relinquish its summer green for the golden yellow of fall...
This bristlecone pine near the South Window in Arches National Park, its branches and form seemingly framing the arch behind it...
"If there's a lone tree, you must photograph it." I started photographing lone trees because I liked the look of an uncluttered composition. Now I stop and photograph them because it gives me a moment to pause and reflect and take in the beauty that lies within a harsh environment or in unexpected places...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor lens: 16-85 DX VR (first and third photos), 10-24 DX (second photo), and 10.5 DX Fisheye (last photo).
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm also on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And am now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Astro Photography
Last week I decided it was time to try my hand at astrophotography. I've been feeling "restless" lately, like I'm getting into a rut, feeling the need to try something new. I checked the weather report and saw that - after a period of cloudy skies and wet weather- last Sunday night was supposed to be clear, cloudless night, coinciding with a new moon. The decision was made.
After sunset I headed south, turning down County Road 51, following the winding two lane road past where the pavement ends and the road becomes a narrower dirt thoroughfare, down through the canyon and up, winding and climbing until I reached an open plateau, drove through the dark until the last house faded in the distance, drove until the trees thinned and the land was open, drove until all I could make out in the fading twilight was an old windmill, finally pulling the car over roughly 25 miles southeast of Santa Fe as the crow flies. I got out, stared into the pitch black, stood there until my eyes adjusted to the dark, then grabbed my camera and tripod and setup on the side of the road. I double checked the settings I had dialed in before leaving the house - focus set to infinity, lens at its widest angle (10mm), camera set to Manual mode, aperture at f3.5, shutter speed at 20 sec, ISO 3200 - and started taking a few shoots, trying to get a composition that I was happy with.
After taking a few shots I decided to experiment with a little light painting. I found a composition that I liked, with the glow of fading sun still on the horizon and the windmill on the left hand side of the frame. During the twenty second exposure I hit the "lock" button on my car's key chain, and the quick flashes of the car's light lent a warm glow to the windmill and the foreground... Taken at 10:28 PM.
I had brought with me a small pen light which projected a cool blue light. During this exposure I used the pen light to paint the road with a small patch of light. Taken at 10:38 PM.
In this shot I used the pen light to illuminate the windmill, while capturing the Milky Way rising over the horizon to the left. Taken at 11:11 PM.
That night I listened to the coyotes howling in the distance, the occasional bird call out into the night before bedding down, not another car, not another soul, encountered on the road... That night I got caught up in the moment, listening to the sounds that come with the still night, playing around with light painting and compositions. It wasn't until I got home that I realized I hadn't taken the time to vary shutter speed, to experiment with different ISO settings, to wait and bide my time until the Milky Way has ascended higher in the night sky.
Which only serves as an excuse to go out into the night again...
While I have your ear, I'd like to mention that I am showing my work at the Santa Fe Artists Market on select Saturdays this summer, with June 13 and 20 tentatively scheduled as the next days I'll be there, and I will be appearing at the 54th Annual New Mexico Arts & Crafts Fair June 26-28 at the EXPO NM Fairgrounds (Manuel Lujan Building) in Albuquerque.
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 camera body, and a Nikkor 10-24 DX lens
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm also on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And am now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
After sunset I headed south, turning down County Road 51, following the winding two lane road past where the pavement ends and the road becomes a narrower dirt thoroughfare, down through the canyon and up, winding and climbing until I reached an open plateau, drove through the dark until the last house faded in the distance, drove until the trees thinned and the land was open, drove until all I could make out in the fading twilight was an old windmill, finally pulling the car over roughly 25 miles southeast of Santa Fe as the crow flies. I got out, stared into the pitch black, stood there until my eyes adjusted to the dark, then grabbed my camera and tripod and setup on the side of the road. I double checked the settings I had dialed in before leaving the house - focus set to infinity, lens at its widest angle (10mm), camera set to Manual mode, aperture at f3.5, shutter speed at 20 sec, ISO 3200 - and started taking a few shoots, trying to get a composition that I was happy with.
After taking a few shots I decided to experiment with a little light painting. I found a composition that I liked, with the glow of fading sun still on the horizon and the windmill on the left hand side of the frame. During the twenty second exposure I hit the "lock" button on my car's key chain, and the quick flashes of the car's light lent a warm glow to the windmill and the foreground... Taken at 10:28 PM.
I had brought with me a small pen light which projected a cool blue light. During this exposure I used the pen light to paint the road with a small patch of light. Taken at 10:38 PM.
In this shot I used the pen light to illuminate the windmill, while capturing the Milky Way rising over the horizon to the left. Taken at 11:11 PM.
That night I listened to the coyotes howling in the distance, the occasional bird call out into the night before bedding down, not another car, not another soul, encountered on the road... That night I got caught up in the moment, listening to the sounds that come with the still night, playing around with light painting and compositions. It wasn't until I got home that I realized I hadn't taken the time to vary shutter speed, to experiment with different ISO settings, to wait and bide my time until the Milky Way has ascended higher in the night sky.
Which only serves as an excuse to go out into the night again...
While I have your ear, I'd like to mention that I am showing my work at the Santa Fe Artists Market on select Saturdays this summer, with June 13 and 20 tentatively scheduled as the next days I'll be there, and I will be appearing at the 54th Annual New Mexico Arts & Crafts Fair June 26-28 at the EXPO NM Fairgrounds (Manuel Lujan Building) in Albuquerque.
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 camera body, and a Nikkor 10-24 DX lens
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm also on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And am now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
Friday, May 15, 2015
#250 - Why do I blog?
"Your voice is as important as anyone else’s." ~ J.J. Abrams
Why do I blog? I started this blog in September 2010, without any idea of what I was doing or where I thought it would go, other than I wanted to start writing about my new hobby, photography. I wrote a few things over the next couple of years (most of which has since been deleted, they were so poorly written and unfocused), then I started to blog consistently in August 2012, mostly posting a single photo with a short description. Eventually it evolved again into what it is today - longer posts with multiple photos and the "story" behind them.
Why do I blog? It's a creative outlet. There was a time when I wanted to be writer. I studied writing, read constantly, filled journal after journal, wrote short stories and sent them off to publishers, and filed away the rejection letters as they came in - if they came at all. I plugged away, then "life" happened. I still wrote, off and on, then, in my early thirties, I finally went back to college and took it seriously. Writing became a necessity, essays and term papers. Shortly after college I switched careers and dove into the world of grant writing for a nonprofit, the stakes got higher, and the joy of writing subsided - it was now a j-o-b. I stopped writing for pleasure. Now, a couple of years removed from the grant writing world, I've slowly started to enjoy writing again.
Why do I blog? It's a means to document my journey. The small steps and big leaps. I look back at photos I took a couple of years ago, a year ago, a month ago, and I see improvement. And I see room for improvement. The better I get, the further I feel I need to go.
Why do I blog? To share a new technique I've learned. This is one of the first photos I developed in the "digital darkroom" using the High Dynamic Range (HDR) technique.
Why do I blog? To show off what I can do with a new toy. This photo was taken with my fisheye lens, which enabled me to get the sunburst with the well defined rays.
Why do I blog? To share a new direction my photography has taken, in this case urban exploration (Urbex) photography.
Why do I blog? To share those moments rooted in serendipity.
Why do I blog? To share the little things that catch my eye.
Why do I blog? To share kitschy, quirky, pieces of roadside Americana I ran across.
Why do I blog? To share a sunrise.
Why do I blog? I’m a quiet person by nature. Sharing my photography has given me a way to express myself and share things that catch my eye and pique my imagination. I look forward to continuing to search, explore, and discover the wonders of the Southwest and wherever else my muse may take me, and continuing to share those experiences.
That's why I blog.
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 camera body, and Nikkor lens
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm also on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And now on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
Why do I blog? I started this blog in September 2010, without any idea of what I was doing or where I thought it would go, other than I wanted to start writing about my new hobby, photography. I wrote a few things over the next couple of years (most of which has since been deleted, they were so poorly written and unfocused), then I started to blog consistently in August 2012, mostly posting a single photo with a short description. Eventually it evolved again into what it is today - longer posts with multiple photos and the "story" behind them.
Why do I blog? It's a creative outlet. There was a time when I wanted to be writer. I studied writing, read constantly, filled journal after journal, wrote short stories and sent them off to publishers, and filed away the rejection letters as they came in - if they came at all. I plugged away, then "life" happened. I still wrote, off and on, then, in my early thirties, I finally went back to college and took it seriously. Writing became a necessity, essays and term papers. Shortly after college I switched careers and dove into the world of grant writing for a nonprofit, the stakes got higher, and the joy of writing subsided - it was now a j-o-b. I stopped writing for pleasure. Now, a couple of years removed from the grant writing world, I've slowly started to enjoy writing again.
Why do I blog? It's a means to document my journey. The small steps and big leaps. I look back at photos I took a couple of years ago, a year ago, a month ago, and I see improvement. And I see room for improvement. The better I get, the further I feel I need to go.
Why do I blog? To share a new technique I've learned. This is one of the first photos I developed in the "digital darkroom" using the High Dynamic Range (HDR) technique.
Why do I blog? To show off what I can do with a new toy. This photo was taken with my fisheye lens, which enabled me to get the sunburst with the well defined rays.
Why do I blog? To share a new direction my photography has taken, in this case urban exploration (Urbex) photography.
Why do I blog? To share those moments rooted in serendipity.
Why do I blog? To share the little things that catch my eye.
Why do I blog? To share kitschy, quirky, pieces of roadside Americana I ran across.
Why do I blog? To share a sunrise.
Why do I blog? I’m a quiet person by nature. Sharing my photography has given me a way to express myself and share things that catch my eye and pique my imagination. I look forward to continuing to search, explore, and discover the wonders of the Southwest and wherever else my muse may take me, and continuing to share those experiences.
That's why I blog.
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 camera body, and Nikkor lens
You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.
Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm also on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And now on Instagram: @kschafferphoto
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