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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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