Muse about to be incised by T-Rex teeth and other tips

BoyNhisDog

I know many of you are interested in photography as in evidence in the gallery section so here is a little bit more on lighting, post processing and composition.

Sometimes you will have to shoot in mid day harsh sunlight. Now you are really going to have to think. You can’t blow any highlights or you’ll pay later so be on the lookout while in the field. In this shot the sun was overhead and the tops of the rocks were in danger of being over lit. As you can see my highlights here are on the top-left side of the near rock where poor Linda is in the jaws of a time frozen prehistoric beast. She is the perfect hiking partner and muse, full of patience, willing to assist and possessing a good eye herself. I had to do some work in Photoshop to pull this one off. My exposure was the best it could be but I had to open up the shadows and pull back the highlights to get what I wanted out of this one. Notice the clouds have been pulled back a bit too much but it saved the foreground rock which is more important anyway. I like this portrait of her.

Remember, don’t center every portrait. If you recall the portrait done on one of their extreme hikes that JW63 took his avatar from, he was well lit in the foreground off to the right a bit and Sunhiker was offset to the rear and to the right. It was a brilliant composition and excellent lighting maybe from overcast skies. That was handled as good as they come. ( I am taking this from memory so if it is bit off in accuracy, you know why)

Spend a little time in the low light of the sunrise and sunset. Things start to become very interesting in these precious minutes. Every dawn and every dusk are different and locations add something more so be on the lookout for opportunities. The soft glowing light and interesting shadows will put life into your shots that you won’t be able to get in any other part of the day. And if you get stuck like I am in this self portrait, then just back out and try again. This was late afternoon just before the sun dropped behind the west wall, somewhere in the desert near Page.

It isn’t always necessary to have a person in your photos but some scenes do benefit quite nicely when you do. If you are alone then do as Galen Rowell used to do, put yourself out in the photo. Try wide angle with sweeping backgrounds or go in tight for detail.

The southwest has some of the most intense flowers in the world. Try different angles. Lots of people just shoot down into the flower which can give an incredible angle but sometimes a lower angle will give you an internal glow that you won’t see from above. This was shot with natural light just as dawn broke. I used my Thermarest stadium pad to serve as a background and to block out an overly busy background that was distracting.

Most of you find yourselves in places that few people ever will and you do it over and over again. You will see sights out there that can hardly be put down into words. Maybe some of these thoughts will help you capture that rare light striking a magic landscape whether it be deep in the stunning deserts or high on a sub-alpine slope. Experiment, revel in the light and compose the elements in search of the secret to the fabric that holds it all together.
_________________
Seize from every moment its unique novelty and do not prepare your joys
- Andre Gide

RedRoxx44 · Queen of the Walkabout Joined: 15 Jan 2004 Posts: 1167

Your photos are awesome and thank you so much for taking time to give out these tips. Composition is everything.
That's also why I hike solo a lot, I take a photo, walk a few feet, squat down, climb up, take it again. It sometimes drives my friend Jerry crazy. But just walking a few feet can change the angle of sun enough to get the sky, or dampen the light on a wall or tree. Sometimes that little bit of adjustment can really change what you see.
After all, you might not walk there again. Thats what my photos do for me. I look at them and go on that journey all over again.

IAHiker · Joined: 23 Dec 2003 Posts: 29 Location: Scottsdale

Glen,

I always enjoy reading your topics and seeing your great photos. It gives me ideas for when I take pictures on my next hike. Idea

Thanks for the photo tips.

-Mark
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"Strive for Excellence"

SUN_HIKER · Joined: 05 Dec 2003 Posts: 1057

Glen, great tips on Photography, just what I was looking for Laughing

please keep em coming! You are one of the best (and I need all the help I can get)

Thanks for sharing

GB
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SUN_HIKER
http://community.webshots.com/user/sun_hiker
Nobody can make you feel inferior
without your permission.
-Eleanor Roosevelt-

Shihiyea · Joined: 20 Oct 2003 Posts: 1135

JW

BoyNhisDog · Posted: 6/9/2004, 4:36 pm Post subject:

Glad you all enjoyed it. I am lucky to have a patient hiking partner. Been a long windy, bumpy flying day and company has just arrived so I sure I'll have more to say later.
_________________
Seize from every moment its unique novelty and do not prepare your joys
- Andre Gide

BoyNhisDog · Posted: 6/9/2004, 5:58 pm Post subject:

JW, I wondered who took that shot. Kudos to HikerInGilbert. That was just perfect. Too bad I can't keep up with you and Kent. I would have liked to photograph that Four Peaks epic, high adventure in rock from the basement of time, formed before any life was on this planet. Well, at least I got to read about it.
_________________
Seize from every moment its unique novelty and do not prepare your joys
- Andre Gide

JW · Posted: 6/10/2004, 7:02 pm Post subject: Keep up?