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).

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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?
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I'm also on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And am now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto

#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?
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I'm also on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
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The Real and the Imagined

Last weekend we drove down to Socorro, New Mexico, a short overnight trip to explore the area.  The idea was to catch sunset at the Very Large Array, sunrise at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, and to track down a few green chile cheeseburgers.  We managed to do all this, but it was an unexpected stop that - as often happens on a venture like this - was the highlight of the weekend for me.

Saturday morning, after leaving Bosque del Apache, we decided to follow the signs to the El Camino Real International Heritage Center (which is now called the El Camino Real Historic Trail Site). After a short drive we arrived, walked in, glanced around, and decided to stay and check out the Visitor's Center and Museum.  In short, I can say that this is definitely worth a stop, as you can learn a lot about the El Camino Real and the settling of New Mexico by the Spanish and other emigrants during the 1600-1800s (you can find details about the Center here).
 
After going through the museum we went out on the observation deck, and almost immediately I decided to go back to the truck and grab my camera. 

What first caught my eye was the reflection of the clouds in the building's windows and how the blue tinted glass almost mirrored the feel of the blue sky...

 

There were cold blue steel girders and the patterns of those beams and wires against the backdrop of the cool blue sky and wispy clouds...

I looked up and saw a steel beam bisecting the sky...

 
Then there was this structure, jutting out from the ground like a concrete slab of progress fighting to gain a foothold in the barren desert landscape...

Walking back out to the parking lot, out the front walkway, I looked up and saw these converging lines, leading the eye out to the wide open, vast nothingness of the desert plain...

And looking back down the walkway I was taken in by the repetition of pattern, both in the construction of the building and the shadows that cut across the wall and the walk, the texture of the concrete blocks, and how this man-made structure served as a window to the still open, mostly undeveloped country...

Once I started thinking about it, everywhere I looked all I could see was the juxtaposition of this modern concrete and cold blue steel building against a land that, in any given direction, looked much the same as when the first Conquistadors crossed the rolling hills and open plains dotted with juniper and cactus, scrub brush and sage...

Footnote:  As I started to write this I jotted down an outline of thoughts that I had bouncing around in my head, then I hit the Internet to do a little background research.  I soon found the "Friends Of El Camino Real" website, and learned the following: "The wagon caravans, traveling the trail over the flat desert expanse of the Jornada del Muerto, were often described as looking like ships on the ocean. The Visitor's Center building was designed to be that ship that takes the visitor along El Camino Real. The entrance is the gangway to the ship; the building interior to appear somewhat like a cruise ship, entering along the promenade deck to a stairway to the main deck. Outside the building, to the east, is the ampitheater, overlooking the vast Jornada del Muerto, as if standing on the bow of a ship, complete with a bow mast and observation deck."  After learning this I thought about revising what I had written to that point, but decided to go with what my initial impressions were, knowing that I now had two frames of reference for the experience - the real and the imagined.

All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 camera body, and Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens

You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.

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Canyonlands Sunset

Last month we went to Moab, Utah, to spend time in the area - and do some shooting, of course.  One objective I had for the trip was a sunset shoot at Canyonlands National Park.  During a previous trip to the park last October, I spent an evening shooting sunset at the Green River Overlook, but between the lack of clouds in the sky and abundance of people on the ground, the experience came up a little short.  This time I wanted to try a different spot.

During that last trip to Canyonlands I had pulled over at the Candlestick Tower Overlook, which is on the way out to the Grand View Point Overlook in the Island In The Sky section of the park, and spent a few minutes looking around and taking a few shots.  I thought this spot had potential for a sunset shoot and tucked that thought away in the back of my mind. When we headed out this time I had my sights set on two spots - Candlestick Tower Overlook and Holeman Spring Canyon Overlook, which is on the spur road to Upheaval Dome.  After taking a look at both spots that afternoon the decision was made - Candlestick Tower Overlook.

I had decided to use one lens for this shoot - my Nikon 16-85 DX VR.  This would give me a good working range, and I was hesitant to change lenses during the shoot given that there would be a breeze and most likely dusty condition.  After we pulled over in the parking area, I grabbed my camera and tripod and worked my way down to the canyon rim.  Sunset was at 7:39 P.M. that night, and by 6:30 P.M. I was in position.  Now it was just time to hang out and see what would transpire.

Before long a bank of clouds started to move across the sun, casting shafts of light towards the canyon below.  I stayed with a wider angle for this shot, so I could get the canyon walls in the foreground and Soda Springs Basin - to the left of Candlestick Tower - in the shot also. 6:35 P.M.

Soon the clouds almost completely covered the sun, and the God rays (crepuscular rays) became the predominant feature of the scene before me.  I zoomed in on Candlestick Tower and tried to emphasize those aspects.  6:37 P.M.

For this shot I zoomed back out a bit to show the golden light on the canyon floor as well as the sun's rays.  Later, when working on the shot in the digital darkroom, I cropped it to a landscape ratio to give the scene a more "sweeping" look.  6:42  P.M.

Then it became a waiting game, taking a few shots now and then, watching the sun slowly descend in the sky.  A few minutes before sunset, as the sun started to touch the horizon, the sky started to glow.  7:30 P.M.

After the sun sank below the horizon the sky turned orange, so I zoomed back in to try and capture that beauty.  7:44 P.M.

This time everything fell into place...

All photos (except camera setup) taken with a Nikon D7000 camera body, and Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens

You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.

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Morning At Broken Arch

About a month ago my wife and I went to Moab, Utah, during her spring break, to check out the two National Parks in the area - Arches and Canyonlands - as well as Dead Horse Point State Park (which I wrote about here) and various other points of interest in the area.  While we were there we took a sunrise hike to Broken Arch in Arches National Park. 

There are arches and destinations in Arches that are more spectacular, or iconic, but a sunrise hike to Broken Arch is probably my favorite.  The trail is easy, about 1.2 miles round trip, following a sandy trail that goes from the parking lot across a large meadow to the arch.  Walking into the sunrise, you can feel the morning sun on your face and watch the shadows forming across the landscape as the sun breaks the horizon.  Dawn that morning was at 6:37, with sunrise at 7:04.  We were on the trail as the sun rose, just in time to watch the subtle differences in light and gesture as Broken Arch met the morning...

I had my wide angle lens (Nikon 10-24 DX) on my camera as we hit the trail, knowing from past experience that I would need a wider angle to frame the arch in its entirety, and that I may be able to incorporate a sunburst in a few shots.  We got to Broken Arch shortly after sunrise, and after I walked around to the east facing side of the arch I took this shot.  7:16 A.M.

 
I then turned towards the arch and scrambled up the rocks to get this shot...  7:18 A.M.

As the sun started to warm the arch I moved closer, framing shots until I found a composition I liked...  7:20 A.M.

I then climbed back down and walked around to the west side of the arch, and started taking tight shots of the arch as the sun began to shine through...  7:31 A.M.

I waited another couple of minutes until the sun hit the rim...  7:33 A.M.

 
Then I switched to my fisheye lens.  This lens lends a little more curvature to the scene, and also produces a "tighter" sunburst, with more defined rays.  This was taken at 7:38 A.M.  

  
Broken Arch is definitely worth the effort of getting out of bed to catch sunrise.  The next time I'm in Moab, I'll be sure to make the trek again...

All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 camera body, and Nikkor 10-24 DX (wide angle) and Nikkor 10.5 DX (Fisheye) lenses

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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Catching Sunrise at Dead Horse Point

“Your landscape pictures shouldn’t say ‘I was here,’ they need to say ‘you need to be here.’” ~ Moose Peterson

Last week the wife and I spent Spring Break in Moab, Utah, one of my favorite places to explore and photograph, jumping point to Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and several smaller yet also noteworthy areas.  While in Moab one of things I wanted to do was catch sunrise at Dead Horse Point State Park, an area I hadn't visited yet.  The park is known for a dramatic overlook of Canyonlands National Park and a section of the Colorado River known as the Gooseneck.  I knew the time had come to see this in person.

We made the decision to head out to Dead Horse Point on the morning of March 31.  Dawn that morning was 6:40AM, with sunrise at 7:06 AM (I'd like to take a moment and recommend SunCalc - located at www.suncalc.net - a free desktop app that shows sun movement and sunlight phases during any given day at any given location, with the ability to go back in time and look up sunrise/sunset times, which is a handy feature for people like me who don't always take the best notes).  Knowing that the drive to the park from Moab would take about 45 minutes, and that I would want to be into position early to get the best spot to shot that morning, necessitated a 4:15 AM wake-up.  Thankfully my wife is a light sleeper and early riser, so all I had to do was get up - knowing I could leave the driving to her...

We arrived at the destination around 6, and after a brief wait walked out to the overlook, took a look around, picked a spot, hopped over a wall, and got into position on a ledge overlooking the river at around 6:25 AM.  I set up my tripod and mounted a 16-85mm mid-range zoom to my camera, so I would have a good range of focal lengths to work with...   

 
With sunrise coming at 7:06 AM, now it was time to wait and watch the light.  At 6:45 AM. I took a few shots of the cool, dawn, pre-sunrise light.  When post-processing the shot later I used a Tilt Shift effect to give it a both a "miniature" look, and to help pull the viewer in... 

A few minutes later the sun rose, then at 7:17 AM the sun started to hit the top of the ridge on the canyon's far side, opposite the sunrise.  There were few clouds in the sky, but the light playing off the canyon walls was more than enough to get my full attention...

7:20 AM.  As the sun rose higher in the morning sky, the light started working its way down the canyon walls and hit the ridge on the piece of land circumvented by the Gooseneck section of the Colorado River...

7:25 AM...  At this point I switched to my wide angle (10-24mm) lens.  The canyon lands were bathed in light now, with a strong reflection of the landforms in the Colorado River, and I wanted to use a wider angle of view to show as much of the light playing off the land as I could...

7:40 AM.  The sun had risen high enough in the sky by this point that the light was starting to even out a bit, and although it was still a spectacular sight, the best shots of the morning had been taken.  After breaking down my tripod and hopping back over the wall to the foot paths, I still had one more shot I wanted to get.  On the way in I had seen this juniper tree, and I wanted to get a couple of shots with the morning light kissing it.  Still using my wide angle lens, I zoomed all the way out to 10mm and walked up as close to the tree as I could while still capturing the sky behind it.  I was probably two feet from the tree when I took this shot...

Dead Horse Point.  What is there to say other than I want to go back, to catch another sunrise, to catch a sunset, to marvel once again...

All photos taken with a Nikon D7000, and Nikkor 16-85 DX VR and 10-24 DX lenses.  Camera support provided by a Manfrotto 190XPROB Pro Aluminum Tripod with Manfrotto 496RC2 Compact Ball Head.

View my online portfolio here