Graf Nature Photography | Notes from the woods

Alaska fall color panoramic

It is hard to believe nearly a year has passed since my trip to Alaska.   I still have quite a few images lingering around that I need to process and publish, and milk for a few posts.  :-)  I quite fondly remember the majestic landscapes with fall color drapery.   This scene was in Cantwell, Alaska just outside Denali National Park.   I don’t do panoramics very much, but this particular shot seemed well suited for the format.   I imagine these colors are just getting started about now.

Lake Superior shoreline

It seems there are endless options for black and white processing these days.  One might argue there are too many to choose from, resulting in just sticking to one or two that work best for you and leave it at that.   Afterall, with tonality controls in Lightroom, numerous presets to get you started, and then further control with luminosity masks in Photoshop – you pretty much have more control than you could ever want.

Still, I keep reading things about Nik Silver Efex and how much people like it, so I am going through the trial period now.   I have been processing a series of images for a Shoreline themed project.   I like what I am seeing in the tonality of some of the presets, and it seems there are ample customization options.   However, what I haven’t figured out yet is can I do most of this stuff with the tools I already have?   Lightroom presets already give me a pretty good starting point, but I have to say I am seeing something a bit different with Silver Efex (that I like) that I just can’t place my finger on yet.

If there are any Silver Efex fans, I’d appreciate your feedback on your favorite aspects of it.

Bush Bay boulder, alone along a Lake Huron shoreline...

In a recent post by Seung Kye Lee, he wrote about a recent trip he had taken through Rondane National Park in Norway.   Of course, he posted some phenomenal images as usual and offered some thoughts about the inspirations he takes away from this place.   I admired this trek and the fact that he was able to photograph for nearly 48 hours straight due to the lack of complete darkness this time of year in Norway.     It seems so far away and remote to me over here on the other side of the world.   The solitude and isolation of simply being connected to some far off land sounds quite alluring.

In the discussion following the post, the topic of familiar vs. unfamiliar landscapes comes up along with a situation sometimes found in the US.   That situation being lines of other photographers showing up at some iconic place, each jockeying for position.   Most photographers reading this probably know exactly what he is referring to.

It’s true that in many places, this is the case nearly every day.   For such a place as America with our wide open spaces, isn’t it interesting that these spots attract so many?  In thinking about this, I began to reflect upon my own experiences here in Michigan.  Quite often, I am the only one present in my jaunts along the shorelines and through the woods.   While there may be signs of civilization and sprawl just a short walk away, it never changes the fact that that moment, that landscape, that light, is mine alone to experience.

Far off lands and unfamiliar landscapes are always nice to dream about visiting.  But if it remoteness we seek, peaceful solitude and connection with a landscape, we must not forget that these can also be found in our own backyards.

Peeling masks

This summer I was a latecomer in discovering the series “Dexter.”   It didn’t take more than one or two episodes to get me hooked, and then all of the sudden I am craving each new episode like an addict .   I quickly went through the first 3 seasons in a couple of months.   It is a brilliantly written series with a lot of rich characters.   For those that are not familiar with it, Dexter is a blood spatter analyst as part of the Miami police department.   He also happens to be a serial killer.   His justification for his killings are that his victims are always bad people, typically murderers, that escape the law.  He follows a guiding code taught to him by his father, who was one of the few who knew of his urges.

There is a lot of introspection on the concepts of masks – masks that many people wear to hide various things.  Many of the characters have them in various forms.  While carrying on an otherwise normal life – friends, girlfriend, kids – Dexter muses about keeping his mask on to hide his “dark passenger” from others.

Of course I began thinking about photographs eventually and this idea of masks.   Both the photographer, and the photograph can have many layers of exterior shielding from those that may want to look inside.  Hard exterior layers protect us from showing insecurities, self-doubt, and aimless direction.  How many actually reveal their trash bin?  Photographs can carry similar masks that may hinder understanding of its true meaning.

I wondered about how many layers we build up that need peeling back to get to our true selves as artists.   How many layers cover a photograph’s actual purpose and inspiration?   Is it necessary to lift these masks in order to access the true artistry we want to pursue?  If it is lifted, will there be acceptance or rejection?   Do we follow a code to keep order in our work or to make it more appealing to others?

It is fortunate that there typically isn’t killing involved when it comes to artists worrying about what they are doing and their purpose.  But I have to imagine the efforts to keep the masks on are often stronger than we realize, subconscious and perhaps many layers deep.

Planting seeds

Sunrise is about 2 hours away when my alarm wakes me up.  Gather the gear, hoping not to leave some critical piece behind, and head out to whatever location is calling to me today.   Maybe its planned, maybe just a whim to see what there is to see.  Weather seems good, good light in the forecast, and the elements of nature as my muse.   What will it be today?  Macro? Wildlife? Landscapes? Artistic?  Hard to say in advance sometimes.   I am hoping the place will tell me.

The fact is, it is rare that I don’t utter the words in the title of this post upon arriving anywhere, somewhere.   It doesn’t matter the place or time of year.  It’s as if I am trying to poke my subconscious to bring forth something original.  I mean, heck, nature photography should be wide open with so much subject matter it should make your head explode.   But my inner judge kicks in – I have seen that before, been there, done that or I am just not “feelin’ it.”  Excuses come to mind – too green, too ordinary, too harsh, too ho-hum, too boring.  What am I not seeing?  Nature certainly can be very subtle in the way she speaks to you.

This is often a hurdle for me when I am out photographing – an internal pressure that I fight.  Throw in other elements like distractions, moods, headaches, tiredness, weather, bugs and the hurdle just seems to grow significantly taller.   It’s a struggle between the part that just wants to enjoy being there and the other part that feels the need to create something to show that enjoyment and appreciation.

Too often I tell myself just to relax, it’s just a walk in the woods.  If something is there worth photographing, you will find it, or it just wasn’t meant to be.   Are fate and inspiration so intertwined?  Well, certainly being there is the start.

Fall leaves after rain on riverside slate

Despite being mid-Summer here, I am already yearning for the cooler temperatures and variety of color of fall.   I am not a big fan of the heat.  It saps my motivation more than I would like on a great many things – photograph – keep up with my blog, keep up with other blogs.  :-)

I have always been one to try to look at any particular scene for its very basic graphical elements.   Leaves certainly make for good candidates due to their very recognizable shape. This particular image I had sitting in my files for awhile, originally because it had some distortion in it from the wide angle lens I used to create it.   The distortion bothered me, so I put it aside to fix it later.  Well, my fellow photographers know how long the interval can turn into from putting something aside and then actually working on it.

As it typically happens, I am sorting through my files looking for something else – for a print order on another image or stock submission – and end up finding images I had forgotten about.   I originally uploaded this to my gallery as a horizontal, but the more I think about it, I think it looks better as a vertical.  So another one gets rescued from purgatory.

Thank you for visiting.

Sand ripples

With temperatures this week soaring towards the upper 90’s (37 Deg C or so), and humidity levels well over 50% – I have been yearning for a cool down in Lake Superior.   It is difficult to breathe with air this hot and thick.

Unfortunately it wouldn’t yield any immediate relief as Lake Superior is at least a 6 hour drive from where I live.   There is definitely a unique character to Superior.  The water can be unbelievably clear.   Clarity always seems to imply healthy and fresh water.   Sandy bay such as the one here offer rhythmic patterns.   It can be flat calm to a raging sea that has swallowed many ships in its time.   As a diver, I have often appreciated the water clarity and good visibility, even though it gives a glimpse at shipwrecks when times were not so peaceful on this Great Lake.

Ah well, at least I can edit a few images with a fan breeze blowing and at least try to imagine wading the shoreline.   Cool water against your legs, soft sand under your feet, and the gentle movement of water as a massage.  A feeling of connection with the lake.   Sounds pretty good right now.

Fortunately some rain is coming, and a cool down.   I have also created a new gallery of Great Lakes pictures during my indoor escape from the heat, stop by and check it out.

Calm reflection on Lake Superior

Textured Coneflowers

In reviewing this image in post, I thought the composition might lend itself well with a texture blend.  By itself I suppose it was fine, but I felt the need to do something a little different instead of a plain, out of focus background.  This is the result.  I experimented with 3 or 4 different ones until finally settling on this one that just “felt right.”   I have always wanted to create a collection of these, just haven’t put the time into it yet.

I also thought it might make for a good candidate in some health care artwork that I have been selling over the past few years.  Flowers always seem to do well as they are “universally pleasing.”

Subject matter can be quite particular for hospitals.  Birds – a no-no.  Some people are just freaked out by them.  Thank you Hitchcock!  Same goes for any predatory animals, bugs.   It even goes as far as avoiding things like using waterfalls in renal treatment areas.   The selection process is quite similar to how photo editors may not choose the best image photographically, but the one that better suits their specific needs.

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