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Photographer Spotlight: Robert Mitchell

2010-03-15T00:48:00Z

Welcome back to the Photographer Spotlight here at Photo Trek II. In this monthly feature I introduce another photographer who's work has caught my eye. This does not always mean a professional photographer, or even one who specializes in landscapes. One of the things that I enjoy most about photography is that anyone can do it, and it can capture all kinds of subjects. We have met professionals, enthusiasts, and a few that just like to take snapshots. This month, we will be looking at the work of a North Carolina landscape photographer (sound familiar?), who has been creating "serenic" photographs of the state for 25 years.

Departing Storm   Photo Copyright Robert Mitchell, used with permission

As I mentioned, Robert lives in Western North Carolina, where he has been for the last 30 years. He moved here a short time after his US Air Force enlistment was up and started working on his professional photography career. His early ventures were in the area of people, more specifically weddings and portraiture. After being exposed to the grandeur of the North Carolina Mountains, Robert became enamored with landscapes. I can't say that I blame him at all in this creative choice.

While his professional interests started in the early '80's Robert says that he has always been interested in photography. Even as a kid he found himself drawn to cameras and what they could accomplish. While he was in the USAF, he was able to attend a basic course in photography which laid the groundwork for what he was to accomplish later on.

While he has surely photographed many subjects in his life, Robert says that his favorite subject these days is the landscape along with other aspects of nature. Originally, he found enjoyment in this area of photography in an attempt to convey the beauty that he saw. However, that enjoyment has changed just a little bit and lately is dealing with the challenges. Robert has found that this form of photography can be rather difficult, and dealing with the issues that arise while creating landscape art is something that he relishes.

Elk Fork Creek   Photo Copyright Robert Mitchell, used with permission

Most of the featured photographers that you have read about here in these pages use cameras that many of us have used, or at least seen. Robert steps above the standard 35mm or DSLR camera in his choice of tool. In order to capture as much detail as he can while still maintaining portability, he uses a medium format camera. This 6x7cm negative that is produced contains an astounding level of image detail. For comparison, a frame of 35mm film is 24x36 millimeters. The camera itself is still quite portable which makes this camera format a logical one for those on the move.

One of the things that caught my eye about Robert's photography actually has nothing to do with his photographs. Honestly, while doing some searching on the internet, I saw the gallery title and fell in love with it...Serenics might not be a word in the dictionary, but it is very descriptive and brings to mind visions of....exactly what you will find in the gallery. I have spent some time checking out his photographs in both the regular galleries as well as his medium format gallery which houses his larger fine art prints.

In addition to having a presence on the web, Robert also runs Art Accents along with his wife Carla Mitchell. Carla worked in special education but also found time to run a wholesale mat-cutting business from home. In 1994, Robert and Carla decided that it was time for a change and opened up Art Accents in Weaverville, NC. This gallery is close to one of the largest tourist attractions in the Western part of the state...Asheville. It features the works of several different local artists who all portray the beauty of that part of the state.

For years Robert has earned his living with a camera. He does both art and craft shows, as well as selling out of Art Accents. His prints have appeared in over 250 art shows, and have been featured in private and corporate collections all over the world. Robert has also won awards for his prints at some of the nation's most prestigious art festivals.

While Robert wishes to continue earning income from his photographs, he admits that it is also fulfilling to know that he is exiting folks with his work.  He has been published in both advertising media and on various websites. In the future, Robert would like to devote more time and attention to getting even more of his prints published.

Hillside Phlox   Photo Copyright Robert Mitchell, used with permission

As with all of my interviews, I ask the photographer to share with me some of their influences. I find it very interesting at times to see who's work is inspiring to other photographers. Robert lists one photographer individually, and only by name. Ansel Adams needs no explanation when it comes to his influence to landscape photographers around the world. Whether you shoot color or black and white, Adams is a photographer that we can all learn from. Additionally, Robert gets motivation from anyone who publishes or produces excellent landscape work.

As a parting thought before concluding this spotlight, Robert has some advice for other photographers. First of all, "Great photographs usually take a lot of time and work to achieve. Rarely, do they come easily." This is oh so true, and should be at the forefront of a photographer's mind every time they intend on capturing a photograph. His second bit of advice is also quite poignant..."If you truly continue to grow, you will probably never be completely satisfied with your work." I have always wondered why I am my own worst critic!!! There are times I'm afraid to show myself my own work because I know what I'm going to say. Seriously, Robert makes some excellent points here, and he puts it so well.

Thank you for joining me as we meet yet another photographer through the pages of Photo Trek II. It has been a real pleasure getting to know Robert and his work, and I would like to thank him for being willing to take part in this feature. Its always nice to be able to feature another photographer from my state, and I've been fortunate to be able to do it twice in two months. Next month I think I will be venturing out to a New Hampshire based landscape photographer who I featured years ago in the original Photo Trek.

Written by Greg A. Kiser

Photo Trek: Oak Ridge, NC

2010-03-09T18:49:00Z

Photo Trek: 03-09-2010, NC 68, Oak Ridge, NC

Over a Barrel

The weather has not been kind to me on my off days this month. It seems that the best photography days have been spent working my normal day job, while my days off are filled with clear skies and bright sun. While that would be the perfect weather for most folks, I have found that clouds really add an exciting element to my photographs. However, I have been itching to get back out and go on another Trek.

I chose to do a short Trek this morning knowing that the usable lighting would be short lived starting right after sunrise. I had recently found a nice barn just off of NC68 in Oak Ridge, NC, this past week and wanted to give it a shot. Having scoped things out and found that the sun would be in the right position at either the beginning or the end of the day, I decided to give the morning light a try.

While the sky held little interest, the warm tones in the grasses really helped the scene. There is a sense of the impending spring with the colors that were present. I set the camera up using my moderate telephoto 24-70mm f/2.8L with nothing but a polarizer attached. I actually wanted a little bit of contrast in the early morning sun since I was going for a strong side/back light scenario. I found a nice old rusted out barrel to serve as my foreground interest. There was just enough sheen in the metal to reflect the rising sun making it a very strong focal point despite having similar tones to the surrounding grasses.

As the sun climbed into the sky, the blues started taking over and I switched positions to take advantage of that fact. Now facing due North, I was able to take advantage of the deepest blue in the sky. I worked several different compositions with the same setup that I had started the day with. The lighting was nearly perfect, and the low sun provided some great contrast for a sweeping perspective. I had to be careful though, because not too far to the left was a large bank with street lights and other non-rustic elements. To the right was a small housing neighborhood. Both of these forced me to be very careful how I framed the shots so as not to lose the overall feel I was going for.

When all was said and done, I had about 40 photographs to look through. I managed to find three that I liked, and one of which worked as a monochrome as well as a sepia version. The gallery has seen a total of four New Additions from this Trek which turned out to be rather successful despite the weather.

Photo Trek: Stone Mountain State Park

2010-02-28T21:00:00Z

Photo Trek: 02-28-2010, Stone Mountain State Park, Roaring Gap, NC

The Dome

So far, this year has been frustrating for Treks to say the least. I started out with a very successful Trek that ended up in terminal damage to my Canon 40D. The weather has prevented me from getting to the mountains for the most part, and I have been learning how to make the most of my new Canon 5D Mark II. I thought that the month of February was going to slip by without a full on hiking Trek to speak of. I just couldn't let that happen, and have been watching the weather as well as trail closures for the last couple of weeks. My intended destination was Stone Mountain, and quite frankly, nothing else would do until I made it there.

This set of off days was the first time that I have seen that the trails at Stone Mountain were open after multiple winter storms. It was now up to the weather whether or not I would try and make the Trek. According to www.wunderground.com, my best chances for the conditions that I was after would be Saturday and Sunday. As it turned out, after doing my latest Tips and Tricks, I just couldn't get up that early on Saturday morning. I was left with one chance before appointments and other obligations took over my spare time...that was Sunday.

The weather was looking good with 45-70% cloud cover, mild wind, and tolerable temperatures. I went to sleep at a reasonable time and was all set to wake up early. The alarm rang way too early in the morning, but I got up and started the process of getting ready. I checked the weather once again and it was about the same as I had seen last night so the Trek was on.

I arrived at Stone Mountain State Park just a few minutes after the gate was opened up. I already knew the trail that I was going to be taking....the Wolf Rock Trail, which would provide me with several nice opportunities for landscapes. I kept my camera safely packed away in my backpack as I hiked the trails. Most of them were clear, but I did run into some ice in a few locations which I was able to traverse with ease. I arrived at the Wolf Rock overlook and worked a few trees that were standing apart from the others. I was here about 30 minutes under decent skies. I was hoping for more at my next stop, however.

As I arrived at Cedar Rock, I was pleasantly surprised by the sky. There were bright white clouds, dark and stormy ones, as well as a bit of blue thrown in for good measure. The sun was covered which diffused the light perfectly. I quickly set up to take advantage of the sky, using a polarizing filter, as well as several of my ND Grads. In order to capture the sweeping landscape like I wanted, I used my 17-40mm f/4L wide angle lens. The combination proved to be nearly perfect for the subject and conditions. I was able to darken the clouds by two to five stops which provided the visual drama that I was after.

I worked three different locations where Stone Mountain itself could be viewed. I spent an additional hour and a half photographing the reason for this Trek. I found my lens and filter choice was the perfect choice for the entire day, and found no reason to change the combination. A bit of irony though, I had embarked on this Trek with the intention of capturing more black and white images than color. As it turned out, the lighting was so good that the color images turned out wonderful. I did convert two of them over to monochromes though. You can view the seven New Additions in the Four Forty-Six Photography Gallery.

Behind the Camera: In Need of Warmth

2010-02-27T23:59:00Z

Welcome back to Behind the Camera, a feature here at Photo Trek II where I pick one of my own photographs to talk about in detail. Each of my pictures has a story behind it, and a special meaning to me. The meaning could be an emotional connection that I have with the image, or it could be representative of a milestone in my photography. This month, my featured photograph is one which showed me a little bit about the capabilities of my camera.

In Need of Warmth

A few days into the month of February I had the opportunity to go out on an early morning Trek. The forecast was calling for a good mix of clouds and sun for the day which was promising for some landscape photography. I set out early, a little before sunrise with a location in mind just down the road from home. My intention was to get a nice sunrise shot over a field with a fresh blanket of snow. I arrived at the field and found a lot of things that I just didn't like about the setting which I had no noticed before. I quickly changed plans and made my way to a barn located off of Highway 158 which I had wanted to photograph for some time now.

There have always been some concerns with compositions on this barn which have kept me from trying it previously. On this occasion though, the snow really made the scene pop. The barn now stood out from the surrounding field and trees which made it a nice focal point for the photograph. Because this was not my original destination, I arrived very close to sunrise. The sky was looking very nice as I pulled off the road and set the camera up. However, the color faded quickly as the clouds rolled across the sky. Having stopped and set the camera up, I decided to stick around and see what presented itself to me.

Part of what makes this picture special to me is that it is one of the first series of photos which were made with my new Canon EOS 5D Mark II. There were several things which I was having to get used to with this camera which really slowed down the photographic process. I knew that I wanted to capture the snowy field with the old barn, and I wanted the barn to be a predominant element. For this to happen, I needed to use a wide angle lens which happened to be my 17-40mm f/4L which gave me the exact perspective that I was looking for.

With the sun quickly approaching the horizon the lighting was getting harsh and I knew that exposure was going to be a problem. For the barn to be an integral part of the image, I was going to need detail in the wood. This would cause the sky to blow out which I didn't want to happen. I really liked the way the clouds were looking and I wanted to be able to capture the sun as it was cresting the trees. My only option here was to fit a graduated ND filter. In order to get the proper exposure, I selected a 3-Stop grad to sufficiently darken the sky. Even then I was concerned on how the photograph would turn out.

I waited as the sun climbed in the sky and saw that it was going to rise right in the niche of some trees at the far right of the frame. This was going to be great for the composition and I became rather excited at the prospect of getting the sun in the frame. I waited and waited until the sun was above the main trees, and fired off a series of shots. Within minutes the sun was up too high and the clouds were all clearing. It was time to pack it in and head off to the next location. As it turned out this was to be my only destination for the day.

My biggest surprise of the day came when I processed the image. I was concerned about the shadows and highlights in this scene and was wondering how the final print would turn out. I was very impressed with the 5D Mark II's ability to capture detail in both the shadows and highlights. With very little help from the processing phase I found that there was plenty of detail in the barn as well as in the sky. After seeing this image printed out, I was sold on the capabilities of the new camera.

The title of this photograph was a natural and didn't require much thought at all. The obvious presence of the snow sets the scene for the time of year and gives a hint as to the temperature outside. The barn itself doesn't really look to be much of a shelter from the cold, but you can see that there has been some melting of the snow from previous day's sunshine. The key to this photograph is the rising sun in the far right of the frame. Here is the warmth that the scene needs so badly.

I always look for dichotomies in my photography, and I like how this element is present here. There is light and dark, along with hot and cold. There is a lot of visual drama and tension in this image which gives it a life of its own. It is no longer just a picture, it is a story, and there are lots of visual folds to keep your eyes busy.

You can view this photograph in the Rustic Room of Four Forty-Six Photography.

Tips and Tricks: 5 Questions to ask before the exposure

2010-02-27T03:14:00Z

Another month is coming to an end and that means its time for another installment of Tips and Tricks here at Photo Trek II. Over the last year, this monthly tutorial has covered lots of different topics from basic composition, to exposure (Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO), the use of filters, and even some creative techniques. Certainly, a lot of information has been discussed, all giving you a peak into what it takes to create a really significant image. Today we will be discussing a rather abstract concept that sounds quite simple on the surface. However, as we are about to find out, the questions that we must get in the practice of asking before the photograph is created can prove rather involved. So, let's jump right in...

Everyone who has ever taken a picture has turned on the camera, pointed at the subject, and released the shutter without much more thought than "Hey, that's a cool scene!" There is nothing wrong with that at all, in fact many great pictures have been created in just that very way. However, the chances of capturing something significant in this manner are quite slim. I'm all about stacking the odds in my favor when it comes to anything that I do...certainly including my photography. So, what else is there to creating a photograph?

There are certain questions that you must ask yourself before you press that shutter release, and ones you must ask before you even get the camera out of the bag. If you will get in the habit of asking these questions every time you take a picture, your chances for success will skyrocket. Almost immediately, you will find yourself making pictures rather than taking them.

The questions you need to ask, which I am about to discuss, are ones that I came up with after reading about only one of the questions. A few years ago I recall reading that a photographer should always ask "why" they are taking a particular picture. If they can't answer that simple question, then they need to move on to something else more interesting. I have built on that single question by adding the basic journalistic approach....who, what, when, where, and why. Let's look at these questions individually and talk about what they all mean for the photograph.

Who?

Salem

The question "who?" refers to who are you creating the photograph for? In most cases the answer to this will be yourself. However, as is the case with the above photograph, the answer could very well be somebody else. This picture was a commissioned shot of sorts. My client was a local dance company which wanted photographs of the Winston-Salem skyline which could be combined with photographs of their dancers. They were particularly interested in matching lines between the dancers and the cityscapes. While scouting locations I came upon this tree which happened to frame one of the more iconic buildings along with an identifying banner. The tree itself had graceful lines that reminded me of a dancer. Because of who I was creating this image for, it became a scene that I wanted to capture.

As I said, most of the time, the answer to the question "who?" will be yourself. That gives you free reign to capture an image that only has to please you. As you can see, there might be some simple changes in the creative process based on who the picture will be for. Ultimately though, you will be the one that needs to be happy with the picture. If what you are capturing doesn't appeal to you, then it is hard to expect it to appeal to anyone else. This is one question which needs to be determined long before the camera comes out of the bag.

What?

A Morning Stroll

What is it you are taking a picture of? This is probably the most important question you can ask before setting up the camera. This will determine what it is about the scene that interests you. In the picture above, I was actually set up on the beach to capture the sunrise. However, while concentrating on that, I saw a family walking by and it hit me.....This is one of those moments that defines the beach experience. My What had changed from the sunrise to the family. Fortunately, my camera was already set up and ready to go. I just had to swing it around, change a few settings and release the shutter to capture this touching moment.

In a very quick amount of time, I had to ask myself what about this scene made it worth taking a picture. The family was what caught my eye, but that wasn't all there was to the what. There was a story unfolding in front of me that I wanted to capture. This included elements like the warm light from the rising sun, the footprints showing their progress across the sand, and of course the ocean. It was the combination of these elements which answered the question what was I wanting to capture.

When?

Autumn Stroll

When should you make your exposure? This is about the last step before you actually take your camera out of the bag. You know Who you are creating the picture for, and What it is you are photographing. Now you have to determine When is the best time to photograph it. This is where previsualization comes into play. Every subject has a nearly infinite range of personalities depending on lighting and other environmental conditions. It is up to the photographer to choose When to make the exposure. Hopefully you have given this some thought before heading off with camera in hand.

Many times, you are forced to deal with what nature is providing at the time, but you do have the flexibility to wait for a cloud to diffuse the sun for a second, or maybe for the wind to die down to still the leaves. The photographer always has the ultimate control over When the exposure is made. Ideally, the proper conditions are thought out before arriving at the location.

In the photograph above, you can tell that the When was in the fall. The warm colors in the trees set the tone and mood of this photograph. It is cheery, while being subdued and relaxing. This was what I was after and waited until the proper season to create the picture. On the other hand, this very same scene can take on a much different feel just by changing the seasons as well as the lighting.

Salem Apothecary

Here you can see the difference. The buildings are the same, as is the general composition. However, the leaves are no longer a colorful addition to the composition. The winter fog has replaced the upbeat colors and has introduced a moody undertone. In comparing these two photographs, you can really appreciate the difference that the answer to When can make. Just consider the extreme difference between daylight and twilight on a scene. This can be the most valuable question that you can ask yourself when it comes to really creating a photograph that will convey a message or feeling to your audience.

Admittedly, this is going to be the most frustrating question that you will have to ask yourself as a photographer. This is the one that I bang my head on the desk time and time again waiting on the weather to cooperate. I have become very specific in the types of weather patterns that I want to work with for each type of subject. I often find myself asking When would be the best time to photograph this scene? This could mean a day or two delay in getting the shot....or several years. There are times where I look at a photograph and consider if there are any other times or weather conditions which might work better as in the case with the above comparison.

Where?

In Constant Turmoil

Where should the camera be in order to get the composition like I want it? Now it is time to get the camera out and find the best place to frame the picture. This could take a while so don't rush this part. With the Who, What, and When questions answered, you know pretty much what you want to include in the picture. Now comes the time where you organize the scene. In the above picture, I not only wanted to include the waterfall, but also the secondary rapids. It was the rapids which I felt added depth to the image, as well as a leading line directing the viewer's eyes through the photograph. The trick was how to include all of this in a single photograph.

As is often the case in waterfall photography, what I felt was the best composition wasn't available from the shore. It wasn't even available from the bridge across the water. The bridge had the most potential, but the angles were all wrong, I needed to get closer to the water. I hopped on rocks, and waded through some shallow areas in order to get the camera in position right in the water along the path of the rapids. It took nearly ten minutes of fine tuning the location of the camera to arrive at this composition.

By determining the precise Where that I did, I was able to organize the scene in the viewfinder in a very simple manner that eliminated much of the extraneous elements that did not add to the photograph. In this step, it is important to look around the edge of the frame to make sure that nothing has poked into the field of view that you don't want there. Fine tune you position until the Where enables you to include just what you want, and in the way that you want it. Something else that you don't want to overlook is the possibility of other Where locations. Never stop with one shooting location. Move around and find other compositions that satisfy all of your questions as well.

Two other questions that can fall in with this one could be Which lens and What focal length should I be using to make the best of the location I am shooting from? In the above picture, I wanted to accentuate the rapids which were visually small while including the main cascades. In order to do this from close to the water, I needed a wide angle lens. I used my 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 lens set to 12mm (approximately 17-18mm after the 1.6x conversion). This gave me the exact perspective that I wanted for the image, and included all of the elements that made up the answer to my What question.

Why?

Up a Lazy River

After you have your camera set up, now comes the time for the most important question of all, and the one that started me asking the questions in the first place. As you look through the viewfinder, ask yourself Why am I taking this picture? You should be able to answer that question very quickly and honestly with yourself. At the time of exposure in the above picture, I had already answered the previous questions to myself...

Who? I was creating this picture primarily for me.

What? This is one of my favorite local spots to photograph. It is the Old Guilford Mill, which is a functioning grist mill in Guilford County.

When? This was one of the main reasons for the photograph. After several days of heavy rainfall the stream leading up to the mill had swollen to the point that there were several rapids which had formed. I knew that these rapids would provide a nice visual foreground within a strong leading line. I waited until the sky was cloudy...not just regularly cloudy, but an overcast day where the clouds were heavy with different shades of gray. The clouds also served to diffuse the light from the sun decreasing the shadows which would be present on the mill.

Where? This was another very important question to answer in order to show what I wanted to in the photograph. I knew that I wanted to feature the rapids in the water as well as the mill. In order to do that, I was going to have to get close to the water and elevate the camera just enough to get an intimate perspective of the stream leading up to the water wheel. The water was too high to stand in, so I had to set up on the shore. In order to keep from having a very static composition with the shore and water taking up 50% of the lower space, I made sure that I included a tall patch of weeds which was protruding from the water. This provided a strong visual anchor in the lower left third of the frame which introduce the viewer's eyes to the rapids, ultimately leading to the water wheel.

Having answered all of these questions all that was left was Why am I taking this picture. This picture is all about emotion. In a single frame, I was able to capture a relatively dramatic sky which looms heavy over the scene despite taking up such a small portion. The intensity of the red in both the water wheel and roof add to that excitement. Even the rapids in the water help tell the tale of the previous rains which had fallen. The time of year also came into play. The vegetation was only partially dormant at this point in the fall. Much like the old mill, there was life left in the withering grasses. The lighting of the whole scene cemented the mood I wanted to convey with this photograph.

As you see, the Why in this image is much more detailed than "It's a pretty scene, and I wanted to capture it". I could have snapped a picture from the road and kept on driving. Instead I chose to work around different areas of this mill for nearly an hour and a half. The exposure even took around 13 seconds to make.

Conclusions

One of the themes that keeps popping up in my Tips and Tricks is that you must slow down the process when you are creating photographs. All too often we see something that we like and we snap a picture and call it a day. We are only cheating ourselves when we do this. If we were to just slow down the process a bit and go through these quick questions, I am sure that we would all find that our photographs would improve dramatically. If your intention is to have people looking at your photographs for more than just a second or two, then shouldn't you put at least that much time into the creation of the image? It is not uncommon for me to take well over an hour, and sometimes much longer than that to create one image where I am satisfied that all the questions have been adequately answered. Other times, this process can take only a few minutes. Regardless of the time, if you feel comfortable that the questions have been addressed and answered, you have a high probability that the photograph will be well received.

Thank you for joining me for another installment of Tips and Ticks. This one has been a fun tutorial for me because it got me out of the straight technical side of things. Everything here is just a thought process, and is not really discussed in books or magazines. In fact, other than asking Why you are snapping a particular photograph, I have not seen these questions associated with the photographic process before. I swear by these questions and use them in nearly all of my photographs. I believe that if you give it a try, you will see a marked improvement in your own photography.

Written by Greg A. Kiser

Photo Trek: Historic Bethabara

2010-02-20T16:42:00Z

Photo Trek: 02-20-2010, Historic Bethabara, Winston-Salem, NC

Log House

I've been on a few short Treks this month, but nothing like what I have wanted to do. The weather finally looked like it was going to cooperate with me on Thursday with decent clouds in the mountains. My intention was to head to Stone Mountain and do some hiking up to the summit to get some grand landscapes with maybe a little bit of snow. As normal, I woke up very early so I could get out there at first light, however, I was wondering if the inclement weather over the last two months has affected the trails. I checked the park's website and found that the main loop trail was closed due to snow and ice. This effectively removed this destination from my available Treks for the day. I checked Hanging Rock as well which had somewhat favorable conditions according to the forecast. However, their website advised that all trails were closed due to snow and ice. The weather locally was bright sunshine with no relief from the clouds. I never even pulled the camera out of the closet and went back to sleep.

Today was a different story, there were partly cloudy skies forecasted for the morning locally which meant that I could get out for a morning Trek. I chose Historic Bethabara because of a particular composition that I had in mind that would work with a colorful sunrise. My plan was to work this area as the sun came up, and then move on to hunt down some barns in the morning sun. All of this was going to benefit from some nice puffy clouds which was what was promised.

When I left at 6am, I noticed that the sky was completely clear, but I held out hope that the clouds would roll in within the next hour. I arrived at Bethabara around 6:20, with plenty of time to set up to take advantage of the changing light. I went right to my intended composition, but became a little discouraged as the light increased, and the clouds remained hidden from sight. About 15 minutes before sunrise I abandoned my composition and moved around to try and take advantage of the warm soft light from the low sun which was creeping closer to the horizon.

I chose the East side of the Gemeinhaus to set up, taking advantage of the rubble of a foundation as my foreground. I worked out a composition and waited for the sun to illuminate the church. It never did...the trees were too dense to my right and all I could get was slivers of light on the side of the church. After waiting over an hour, and loosing feeling in my toes and fingers I gave up on the light and moved to alternate shooting positions.

The highlight of the morning came from an unexpected source. There is a 19th century log house which I have never been able to photograph before that caught my eye this morning. The sun was bathing it in near perfect light, there was a slight bit of snow on the moss covered roof, and the trees were striking without their leaves. I worked this house from several different angles and found a few compositions that really worked to take advantage of this subject.

After about three and a half hours in the cold, the sun was beginning to increase in intensity and the lighting that was working out for me was no longer present. I again looked at the sky that was supposed to have nearly 55% cloud coverage and found not a single cloud as far as my eyes could see. It was time to head in and see what I ended up with.

With more than 70 frames captured, I ended up with a total of seven New Additions to the gallery. This marks the first time that a monochrome image was added without being a conversion from a color photograph. While it does share the same composition as a color image, this B&W image was created around 30 minutes prior with significantly different lighting.

Spotlight on ME: Roy's Folks WGHP Fox 8

2010-02-18T00:50:00Z

For those of you who receive my monthly newsletter A Polarized Life, this is something that you knew was coming. For those that still don't get the newsletter (why not??), here is some breaking news. I have been featured on our Fox Affiliate WGHP, Fox 8, tonight. The feature is called Roy's Folks and is all about ordinary folks doing extraordinary things. Thanks to Toni, they got the idea that I might make for a good subject and they contacted me for an interview.

It took a lot of work to get the interview done with my scheduling, but we made it happen at the end of January. We had actually started talking about it in October, and then I ended up on administrative reassignment through the holidays which made it impossible to meet with them for an interview. The segment was finally finished with a clip of me at work yesterday which was the opening bit to the story. I have to admit, I was very nervous about doing this, but with the support of Toni, I just jumped in and did the best I could do. David Weatherly and Roy Ackland made me look great and did a wonderful job putting the story together.

I have placed this video in the Gallery as well as in this entry. It will remain there as long as the server has it which I imagine will be a very long time. Its a short piece so sit back and give it a watch. Don't laugh too much!

Thanks Toni for making this possible, and for pushing me to go through with it. I love you!

Photographer Spotlight: Franklyn Millman

2010-02-15T01:08:00Z

Welcome back to Photo Trek's Photographer Spotlight! In this monthly feature I dedicate my journal to another deserving photographer out there. While I have featured professional photographers, that is not a requirement. I also enjoy introducing amateurs and hobby shooters and everything else under the sun. Photography is something that can be enjoyed by anyone, and experience or paycheck shouldn't prevent their work from being seen. Our spotlight this month happens to be a doctor by trade, and photographer by passion.

As it turns out Franklyn Millman lives in the same area of North Carolina that I do, but he didn't start out here. He grew up in San Diego, CA and was educated in the San Fransisco Bay area. He did his undergraduate work at UC Berkeley and attended medical school in San Fransisco. For 20 years he practiced medicine (funny how they are alway practicing) in San Diego which is almost a complete career in many fields. Had it not been for one twist of fate, Franklyn might have remained in the California area to this day. However, Wake Forest University managed to recruit him in 1995 to work at their medical facility.

Since relocating to North Carolina he has found lots to love. His "second career" of photography is thriving. His partner, Susan Von Cannon has been very helpful in this. She happens to have a degree in Product Design from the School of Design at our very own NC State. With her specialized talent, she has been instrumental in regards to his image designs and his studio shoots.

Franklyn's love of photography actually started long before 1995. Actually, it was while he was in high school that he initially became interested. As with several of my other spotlight photographers, his Dad played a part in Franklyn's development. A darkroom was added to his Father's workshop in their home. With his very own dark room, Franklyn set out to earn a little extra money. He photographed the neighborhood children (long gone are the days when this wouldn't get several 911 calls) and printed the pictures out for his spending money. It was the process of....ahem....processing which really captured Franklyn's imagination. He was "mesmerized by watching the prints develop under the safe light of the darkroom."

Kylemore Abbey Photo Copyright Franklyn Millman

In 1999 Franklyn's skills behind the camera had started to improve and his interest intensified. The decision was made to take some time off from his job at the Medical School and focus on his art. He spent some time at the Maine Photographic Workshops where he studied with the likes of Kit Frost, Bruce Barnbaum, John Paul Caponigro, and Richard Bernabe. Locally, Franklyn has attended the Grandfather Mountain Nature Photography Workshop, and has been a member of Carolina Nature Photography.

Since his love for photography started with photographing people, it stands to reason that this is still one of his favorite subjects. He enjoys portraits of friends and family utilizing studio lights, but his interests have grown quite a bit since the darkroom days. Franklyn now enjoys getting out into nature to photograph landscapes, as well as travel photography. Rounding out his interests is event photography.

Boats in Lake Photo Copyright Franklyn Millman

Franklyn is a Nikon shooter and currently uses two different bodies in his bag of goodies, a D3s and D700. He also has a nice assortment of lenses including a Nikon 12-24mm, 24-70mm, and a 70-200mm. This is his digital kit, but when it comes time to shoot film, he uses a Mamiya 711 and film scanner. Printing is handled by Franklyn with an Epson 3800 using Exhibition Fiber Paper or Velvet Fine Art for his matte prints. There is something to be said for controlling the quality from capture all the way to final print and I applaud Franklyn for choosing to do this in his photography.

For those of you who would like to see more of Franklyn's work than the few pictures I have posted here, be sure to check out his gallery at Smugmug. His images are posted for display only, but he has sold quite a few by request. These are mainly from contest shows and gallery shows. Several of his prints are currently on exhibit in the Medical Center where he works. While he is always flattered and pleased when people request one of his photographs, he doesn't actively promote sales of his prints since he is so busy with his day job.

Sunset Blast Off Photo Copyright Franklyn Millman

As with most photographers, Franklyn mentions a few of his influences starting with Ansel Adams. Franklyn has actually spent a lot of time in Yosemite which was Ansel's old stomping grounds. Frans Lanting and Art Wolfe are two other well known photographers who have captured Franklyn's eye. Each of these photographers have their own style which has helped mold Franklyn's own personal style. Its not just famous photographers who have something to share with other shooters. In fact some of the most influential sources can come from a much closer source. Franklyn mentioned the Piedmont Photography Club which has several superb photographers in its ranks. Having the ability to speak with them directly and see them work provides ample opportunity to learn from them.

Franklyn's goal as a photographer is to use his photography as a means to edify and to enrich those relationships which are important to him. He still shoots a lot of family and friends (again, something that normally would catch the attention of a passing police officer). His travel experiences are also enriched through his photography.

Franklyn has received numerous awards for his work. He has been fortunate enough to win one of the top three places in the Annual Medical Center Juried Art Show six different times. He has also won "Print of the Year" through the Piedmont Photography Club two years running.

In addition to awards, he has had the honor of photographing many special events along side of Susan, such as Alexander Julian's 60th birthday party, Gloria Steinem's visit to Salem College, and a High School basketball championship. Both he and Susan were selected as the official photographers of the River Run Festival for the first three or four years after it moved to Winston-Salem.

Franklyn would like to leave us with this tidbit of advice..."Concentrate on ways of seeing. Practice this even when you don't have a camera. The best images are the ones that are well captured. You can always adjust things the way Ansel did in the darkroom but you can't convert a bad capture into a good image. Concentrate on exposure, selective focus, and dynamic composition."

That about wraps up another Photographer Spotlight here at Photo Trek II. I hope that you have enjoyed getting to know Franklyn as much as I have. Its so nice to see talent like this right here in the Piedmont of NC. I would also like to thank Franklyn for taking time out of his busy schedule to help me put this article together. Its been a real pleasure!

Written by Greg A. Kiser

Photo Trek: Vance Rd

2010-02-13T22:37:00Z

Photo Trek: 02-13-2010, Vance Rd, Forsyth County, NC

Chilling Sight

It has been a lot longer than I had hoped since my last Trek. My plans were to go on a full scale Trek on this set of off days in an attempt to really shake down the new camera, however fate seemed to have a completely different plan. My first day off I was given a slightly early birthday present...the stomach flu. I won't get into details about how it affected me, but I will say that I questioned how my internal plumbing was put together the first day. As it turned out, three of my four days off were spent doubled over in pain with angry noises emanating from my abdominal region.

It wasn't until my last day that I felt somewhat normal again. As it turned out North Carolina had yet another wintry mess the night before. While I normally love snow, I have lost a little bit of my love for it after slipping in ice, and for the simple fact that I have been driving in it for nearly two months straight. I figured that my last day was going to go to waste, photographically speaking that is.

However, as I looked out the window early in the morning, I saw that the thick cloud cover was breaking up which provided some very nice visual interest in the sky. I decided to give a short Trek a try knowing that I still had several other things that had to be done before going back to work. I thought about a barn that I had recently photographed that I thought would benefit from the snow as well as the clouds.

I loaded up my camera gear and head out to Vance Rd. When I arrived at the barn the sky was all wrong...not to mention that the barn had changed as well. With all of the snow and ice that we have had recently the side awning had caved in and really changed the appearance of the barn. It was not what I wanted. I drove on past it figuring that my Trek was over quicker than it had began.

However, my luck was about to change...a little bit that is. Just about 60 feet down the road on the other side I saw a field full of the night's snow with a pond at the far end. What really set this pond apart from the rest of the scene was the color. It was red....bright red!!! I assume that it was from the constant runoff of the red mud in the field, but it was eye catching nonetheless. The sun was behind some thick clouds which caused them to show some great sunrise colors. I had to have this scene.

I knew that I was going to be under a time constraint since the clouds were moving at a fast pace. I took note of the time as I opened up the camera bag. A mere three and a half minutes later I was set up with my 24-70mm f/2.8L, polarizer, and 3-Stop ND Grad, all on a tripod....not bad. I guessed at the lens since I am still not completely familiar with how the focal lengths work with the new full framed sensor. As it turned out, I hit the nail on the head with my lens choice. Zoomed to about 60mm the lens worked perfectly.

However, my good luck changed once again. In the very short time it took me to set the camera up the sun had come out from behind the clouds and the colors in the scene changed significantly. My first thought was to pack the camera back up and call it a day. I then thought that I could wait for the clouds to once again cover the sun. There were no more clouds in the sky. Well, I was looking at a camera that was set up and ready to go. I also remembered that this 5DMII has a great exposure latitude compared to what I was used to. I decided to give it a shot...or five.

With careful placement of the ND Grad, and application of the polarizer, I was able to get a few exposures that actually captured all of the tones in the scenes according to the histogram on playback. I was starting to have a little bit of hope for this scene even though the lighting that captured my eye was now gone.

When I got home I was very much impressed with this camera. In the RAW conversion I was able to determine that I actually had a little bit of room on both sides of the histogram showing that I had plenty of detail in both light and dark areas. I converted the file as a 16 bit image for tweaking in Photoshop. I was able to eek out lots of detail through dodging and burning and was very impressed with the image...which turned out to be a 121mb file in .tif format. I love the resolving capability of this camera!!!

Unfortunately, I was only able to add one New Addition to the gallery from this Trek. It was nothing like what I had planned on for the weekend, but it was better than I thought I was going to get while I holding my belly wishing for the demon to escape!

Photo Trek: Stone Mountain State Park

2010-02-05T05:41:00Z

Photo Trek: 02-04-2010, Stone Mountain State Park, Roaring Gap, NC

Winter's Cascade

As I finished up with my morning's Trek, I realized that I wasn't done for the day just yet. There was more that I wanted to do with my new camera. I had wanted to go to Stone Mountain to photograph Widow's Creek Falls again, but with all of the cold weather I was afraid that it would be frozen over, and surrounded by snow. I figured that it would be better if I just stayed in the local area and searched out some more new barns to work with. I drove around for about a half hour until I gave up due to the increasing clouds.

Those clouds were perfect for waterfall photography, and I still had that itch to go to Stone Mountain. I decided to take a gamble and head to Roaring Gap to see Widow's Creek Falls. I gassed the truck up and started west. The clouds actually started to thin as I got closer to the park. I thought about turning around since I doubted that there would be anything worth photographing when I got there.

Not wanting to give up on the day so quickly, I continued on and arrived at the park around 10am. I parked the truck at the pull off parking near the waterfall and mounted my camera to the tripod. I still had the 17-40mm f/4L lens attached which was just fine for this subject. I took the quick hike to the falls and was impressed to see that the water wasn't frozen at all...in fact, the water flow was more impressive than I had seen it before. The snow on the banks was melting, but appeared untouched which was great for the compositions I was thinking about.

I headed up the trail to the left of the water to get blocked by several fallen trees. These trees happened to be smack dab in the middle of my intended shooting position. What's worse was they were effectively blocking my route to the water. I looked around to see what my options were. I could go around to the other side and try getting into position from there, or I could climb over the tree and snake myself through the limbs. I decided on the latter and worked my way into a shooting position on the other side of the downed trees.

As I was working compositions I realized that I wanted to get to the other side of the water for a different vantage point. With memories of my last fall still very fresh in my memory I decided to carefully cross the water on a rocky ridge. It was slick so I took my time standing in water that was slightly above ankle deep. As I got to the other side, the water level had risen above my boot, and therefore the Gortex lining. My feet were now cold and wet.

I played hide and seek with the sunlight as it poked through the clouds and eventually got tired of waiting for the sun to stay covered. with about 30 frames under my belt I decided to head back to the truck and for home. My feet had finally resumed body temperature and I was not looking forward to crossing the water again so I headed down the rocks to another crossing. First, I decided it was best to pack the camera up....just in case.

I cautiously headed down the rocks using the route I had used so many times before. When I got to the bottom and the crossing point to the stream I found myself stumped. The snow and ice made this crossing quite treacherous, and just a little too risky for me. I started back up the rocks to the original water crossing. I held my breath and started to wade through the water once again. Just like the first time, it entered my boots making my feet feel like they were standing in an ice box. With my camera stowed away I moved a little quicker than before soaking my pants up to the knees this time. Gortex is great...but next time I think I'll get taller boots. Once on the other side of the water I remembered the downed trees which I now had to work through with numb feet and dripping legs.

I did finally make it back to the truck with no casualties except for that unmistakable feel of jungle foot. I headed home and found a total of four images that I liked, of which there are three New Additions to the gallery. The last image will find a home in my portfolio, but isn't quite ready for display in the gallery room.

Photo Trek: Forsyth County, NC

2010-02-05T05:21:00Z

Photo Trek: 02-04-2010, Hwy 158, Forsyth County, NC

In Need of Warmth

After nearly a week of reading about how to work my new Canon 5D Mark II, I figured it was time to take it out and give it a try. We have had a good bit of snow here recently, and while I love to get out for some good snow pictures, I have been stuck at work. My first day off was raining, the second too sunny....but the third was just about right. I set out early in the morning hoping for a good sunrise. The sky looked promising, but the color came and went very quickly.

There happens to be an old barn on Hwy 158 which I have wanted to photograph for some time now, but have not yet found the right conditions. I thought that I would give it a try since I had not really paid that much attention to it with snow on the ground. I also knew that the sun would be coming up on the other side of the field, so there might be some dramatic lighting with the snow on the ground.

I stopped and got out of my truck to see what kind of compositions I might be able to use. I was limited because the actual highway was rather close to the barn. The field, however, was nice and sweeping. The snow provided some nice depth which would otherwise be lacking. I decided to give it a try since I didn't have anything else going for me at the moment. I decided to use my 17-40mm f/4L lens in order to get a nice perspective with the large barn, sweeping landscape, and lots of sky. It was strange seeing such a wide perspective out of this lens after being used to using it in conjunction with a cropped frame camera. The 5DMII's full frame sensor allowed this lens to be what it was intended to be...an ultra wide angle lens.

I worked on a few compositions before settling on a couple using some of the brush which was sticking out of the snow as my foreground interest. I stayed pretty low to the ground to get the full impact of the lens. It was a good thing that I wanted to do it this way because I happened to learn a very valuable lesson on the Trek. When the tripod legs are wet from a Trek, its best not to store it in the cab of the truck in the dead of winter. Two of the legs were frozen and I couldn't extend them if I had wanted to.

As the sun came up, I was disappointed in the lack of color, however, the clouds in the sky gave me some incredible texture to work with. The sun was giving off a pale yellow light as it climbed into the sky. The snow was providing a decent reflector which allowed me to get some light on the barn which was needed. In short, the conditions were pretty good for this shot. It took some bracketing to get the exposure just right, along with the use of a 3-Stop ND Grad to keep the exposure of the sky back.

With all of the bracketing, I ended up shooting about 45 frames of this barn. When it was all said and done, there were two New Additions that I was relatively happy with. These have both been added to the galleries of Four Forty-Six Photography.

A new chapter begins

2010-02-03T02:13:00Z

After about a month of trying to make my damaged 40D work a little bit longer I decided it was time to give up the ghost. Not only was my ultra-wide lens broken which hampered my ability capture certain landscape scenes, other facilities were starting to fail with the camera itself. Just a couple of days after the fall, I lost the ability to use my remote shutter release. While I could work around the camera shake issue by using a timed shutter release, there were other things which I could not work around. The bulb feature was now missing so I couldn't take exposures longer than 30 seconds. I also could not take exposures exactly when I wanted them to take into account wind, or subject motion. Finally, it seems that the auto focus was starting to fail. While I rarely use auto focus, I do use it occasionally, and when I do I utilize the AF points. I could no longer select which point I wanted to use which reduced the effectiveness of the auto focus.

I had been thinking about upgrading to a Canon 5D Mark II for some time now. While this camera is not without its faults, its benefits greatly outweigh the negatives. The two biggest downfalls for this camera are the auto focus facilities which are not improved from the original 5D and the motor drive for continuous shooting. Neither of these features are terribly important to me. I have never used the motor drive in my 40D, and I am manually focusing over 95% of the time. On the other hand, I now have the resolving power of a 21MP full frame sensor. In simple terms, this camera is on par with the resolving power of a medium format film camera. This is really big news to Four Forty-Six Photography. I am always searching for ways to bring higher quality images to my clients, and this camera body will help me achieve that goal for those interested in the larger print sizes.

My Tamrac Expedition 7x is still loaded to the hilt, albeit with one less lens. You see, with the addition of a full frame sensor in the 5DMII, I no longer have to apply a crop factor to my lenses. My 17-40mm f/4L lens is very close to the broken 10-22mm which broke. The downside of this is my 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L is no longer the equivalent of a 160-640mm lens. I may have to add a teleconverter at some point get back some of that telephoto reach, but its the wide angle that which means the most to me for my photography.

I am looking forward to putting this camera through its paces and seeing just what it can do. If the weather clears a little bit I will hopefully be able to get out soon and get a few new additions added.

A complete list of my equipment can be found here.

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot: Peaceful Places

2010-02-01T12:07:00Z

A Spot of Reflection

Welcome to another week and a new month for the Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot. This week's theme is one that will hopefully relax all that view the entries. We take a look at Peaceful Places, and when it comes to peace and relaxation I always think about this scene at Price Lake along the Blue Ridge Parkway. I have often gone to this location for photography and have been in awe of how quite and still things are at this spot. It was the perfect choice for me for this assignment.

Behind the Camera: The Layered Veil

2010-01-27T13:13:00Z

As another month comes to a close its time to take a look at another one of my photographs in detail. In the Behind the Camera feature here at Photo Trek I go into some depth about the creation of one of my photographs from the month. This is not always my favorite addition from the month, but it is always one that stands out from the crowd for a certain reason. This month I am pleased to be able to feature an image that is both my favorite, and one that stands out from the others.

The Layered Veil

As a photographer, I have found that there are many locations that I visit over and over mostly due to their proximity to me. Its not always easy to pack up and go to far off places, nor is that always the best course of action. One of the best things that a photographer can do is continue going to the same places under different conditions, with different mindsets and photograph some of the same things again and again. Other than the obvious practice that develops from this, there is another benefit. You have the chance to study what you have already done and think about ways that you can change it. Not only that, but you begin to have an intimate understanding of the lighting conditions around a particular subject.

The Layered Veil was created at Hanging Rock State Park around the middle of January. It is not the first time I have visited this waterfall...in fact, its not the second, third, or fourth time. I have now visited and photographed this waterfall five times in as many years. My first visit to this waterfall was a complete disappointment. The lighting was horrible even though the weather conditions were right, and the water flow was barely a trickle down the waterslide. I photographed it anyway. On subsequent Treks I liked the waterfall better because I was able to work out different compositions and was getting a feel for the lighting, but the water level was never where I wanted it to be.

A family hike to Hanging Rock following an extended rainy period happened to end up at the Upper Cascades. I was impressed for the first time with this waterfall. The water was flowing in great volume over the rocks. This was no longer a waterslide, but a full on cascade. There were only two problems....The sun was bright causing deep shadows in the cove, and I had no camera. I recalled that the weather was going to change in a couple of days with some clouds moving in. I decided to keep an eye on the weather and hoped I could get back to the cascades before the water levels dropped.

As forecasted, two days later we had thick clouds over Danbury and I set out early. I knew from previous attempts at this waterfall, it benefited from the early light more than most waterfalls do...even in the heavy clouds. When I arrived at Hanging Rock the ground was still saturated with moisture which was a good sign that the water levels would still be up. I made the short hike out to the Upper Cascades and was happy to see that the water flow was still nice and forceful.

Customarily, I would have fitted my ultrawide 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, but since it is no longer serviceable, I was forced to work with my standard wide angle 17-40mm f/4L. I was going to use my feet more on this Trek to offset the loss in focal length. I had an idea of the way I wanted to set the photograph up prior to getting there. I wanted to get low to the water this time and emphasize the moving water more than the leading lines leading up to it. I found the position that I wanted, but it happened to be in the middle of the water. I'm glad that I have Gortex boots since I stood in water just above my ankle for about 40 minutes as I worked this shot out.

As with all waterfall photography, I selected a polarizing filter as well as an ND8 neutral density filter. This helped to remove the surface glare from the water and also allowed for a very slow shutter speed. To slow it even further I stopped down the lens to f/22 giving me an exposure time of 20 seconds at 100 ISO. The stage was set and the lighting was perfect. I worked on fine tuning my composition so that all of the elements lined up as I wanted them to. I was very fortunate that the water was cascading so heavily because it gave the waterfall a very pronounced look which was just what this scene needed.

OK, I'm sure that I have bored you enough with the technical side of this photograph. Truth is, photographs are not numbers, and settings and the results of following rules. Photographs are meant to be things of beauty which can be shared with others. It takes no special knowledge to appreciate a photographic representation of a landscape...only eyes and a heart. This is what makes this photograph so special to me, and is the reason I am featuring it this month.

For years I have been less than happy with the photographs of the Upper Cascades. Not because they let me down compared to what I was seeing, but that the waterfall itself was not all that photogenic. I tried and tried to capture it in a way that would make it appear more than it was, but failed each time. That is...until this time. Everything fell into place for this image. The lighting, and all the consideration that went into the composition. This photograph does this waterfall justice and captures it not only how I saw it, but how I have wanted to see it since I first visited in 2005.

There is a muted strength in this image. To look at it relaxes you as you listen to the roar of water in your head. However, you can look at the water and imagine the force as thousands of gallons of water move over the rocks. This image not only captures the essence of this waterfall (that is rarely seen), but also illustrates exactly why I love waterfall photography.

You can view this waterfall and many others in my Waterfalls Room at Four Forty-Six Photography.

Tips and Tricks: Focal Length

2010-01-27T01:08:00Z

Here we are once again in the classroom. Its time for another installment of Photo Trek's Tips and Tricks where I discuss an aspect of photography. Last month we stepped outside the box and dealt with a creative technique called cross polarization. That was a lot of fun to do, but its time we focused back on some of the basics of photography. Not too long ago I talked about lens choices for those that have SLR/DSLR cameras. Its hard to talk about lenses without talking about focal length....but what is it, and how can it be used in your photography?

What is Focal Length?

Well, to put it very simply, focal length is the angle of view of the lens which dictates how much of a particular scene will be presented to the film or sensor of the camera. This applies to both the point and shoot as well as a interchangeable lens system camera. The focal length is represented by numbers in "mm" measurements not to be confused with the camera format. When you hear about a 35mm camera, this is not a focal length, but a reference to the size film that it takes. Whether you are using a disposable camera or a medium format professional rig, every photograph has a focal length attached to it. A normal focal length is 50mm (in 35mm film format), while numbers lower than that are considered wide angle, and numbers higher are telephoto. Sometimes this is referred to as the zoom range, but that is not the whole story. There are actually two functions of focal length when it comes to photography.

The first one you are already familiar with if you have ever used a zoom lens camera. The wider (shorter) the focal length, the more you can fit in the frame. The narrower (longer) it is, the closer you can make things appear. This is the basic function of focal length and comes in handy when you are up close to a subject or far away. This is where the correlation to zoom comes into play. To fill the frame you change the zoom setting to wide or telephoto. However, there is a lot more going on than just filling the frame with your subject.

The other function, and the one that we will be spending the most time on here is in relation to perspective and composition. Focal length is a very valuable tool for the artistic photographer, whether they are photographing landscapes, people, or sports. Something that I never really noticed before I studied photography was how the perspective changed with the zoom or focal length. For those interested in creating photographs, this is a concept that you need to fully understand and be able to implement.

Focal Length Basics, filing the frame

Courtesy dpstudent.com

As I mentioned, zoom range and focal length are closely related. As you can see above, as you zoom in (longer focal length) you get a narrower field of view which will enable you to fill your frame with a subject that is far off. Conversely, you can include a lot of elements when you choose a wide angle lens which has a much wider field of view. Each of these focal lengths has their place in photography. As a landscape photographer, I have used everything from 16mm all the way up to 640mm. The extreme focal lengths have a more limited use than the more mainstream which would be considered 28-200mm.

This is what most budding photographers are comfortable with. This is illustrated by point and shoot camera manufacturers marketing cameras based on their zoom range such as a 14x zoom. What this means is that the lens on the camera is capable of a wide angle of say 35mm and a telephoto end of 14 times that. This would give you a focal length range of 35-490mm. They show you things like photographing wildlife, concerts, as well as landscapes with these cameras. There is nothing like being able to photograph a sweeping landscape, then zoom in on your friend doing something funny, and finally snapping a picture of that distant bird all with the same lens.

As nice as it is to be able to zoom in and out in order to capture images that fill the frame, there is so much more to focal length, and what it can do for your photography. There is a compositional element that runs beyond just framing the image. The important thing to consider is, whether you understand this next part of focal length or not, it will be a part of your photography so you might as well be able to control it.

Focal Length, compositional control

When you change the focal length of your lens, you are changing more than just how much of the frame is filled with your subject. You are changing the relationship between the elements within the frame. Depending on whether you use a wide angle, normal, or telephoto lens (or focal length in a point and shoot), you will be altering the relative sizes of the foreground and background. Perspectives will also change with individual elements. Lets take a look at some of the science behind this. Figure A, below shows the difference in the field of view between a wide angle lens and a telephoto lens. The relationship is the same when you are talking zoom range on a point and shoot.

In figure B above, a 21mm wide angle lens expands its reach at 74 degrees. Looking at the lines you can see a rough example of the field of view. As you zoom to 200mm, the field is reduced to a mere 12 degrees. That changes what the camera will capture tremendously. For comparison, humans see (clearly with detail, not peripheral vision) at about 50mm, also represented in the diagram. This is the chosen focal length for many portraits because the proportions of the subject are similar to how our eyes see them. Do what????? I thought zooming in and out just changed the size of the subject.

Yes, you are changing the size of the subject but you are also changing the relationship between elements as well. Looking at the diagram on the right of figure B you can (hopefully) see this. The wider the angle, the more difference there is between foreground and background. As you zoom, the lens captures elements in a more linear fashion to where the relationship stays closer between up close elements and those in the background. This is because with the wider angle, the camera will capture much more of the scenery and what is closer to the camera will become more predominant due to its proximity to the lens. As you zoom in, you are normally excluding what is close to the camera and only including that which is further away.

What does this mean to me, I'm confused? That's OK, its a weird concept to explain, and harder to understand. This is what it means. You can emphasize a bit of foreground by using a wide angle lens and getting close to the object. It will appear much larger than it actually is because the lens is very close to the subject. Keep in mind that the background will be expanded causing it to appear smaller and more distant. If the background is more important and you want to change the relationship you would need to back up to another shooting location and zoom in to a longer focal length. You can still include the same foreground and background, but the background all of a sudden appears larger and more prominent in relation to the foreground which has been reduced in apparent size. This is because the subjects' distances from the camera is more closely related.

Whoever said a photograph doesn't lie was pulling a fast one on us. A photograph is the ultimate liar. By choosing a focal length, you can make a leaf appear larger than a house, or a shell appear larger than a boat on the ocean. You can also compress the foreground and background so that the apparent distance between the two is shortened. This is a very powerful tool and one that can really set a picture apart from others of the same subjects.

How does this really work?

Lets look at some examples of the creative use of focal lengths to really get an idea of what can be accomplished with this creative tool. Lets look at wide angle photography first. There are times when you need the wider focal lengths to capture large subjects which are up close. In the following example captured at Hanging Rock State Park, I would have been unable to include as much as I have without backing up if I were using a "normal" lens. The problem was there was nowhere to back up to without falling off of the rock outcropping I was standing on.

Jagged Precipice Captured at around 17mm

There are other times when a wide focal length is needed in order to emphasize the foreground for some added visual pop. The following photograph illustrates this quite well. I wanted to capture both the observation tower as well as a clump of wildflowers. The problem was, the tower was dominating the wildflowers, and they would get lost in composition with a "normal" lens. By selecting my ultrawide lens, I was able to dramatically capture the small clump of wildflowers (only about an 8x6ft patch) against the tower. An added benefit was being able to capture the clouds above.

The Observation Tower   captured at around 16mm

Here is another example where a fountain was used as the primary focal point for the image, but I wanted to include a nice section of the downtown skyline. By getting very close to the fountain, and using a wide focal length, I was able to capture all that I wanted, and with the exaggerated perspective on the fountain. It was this exaggerated perspective that really showcased the primary element in my composition.

Urban Oasis   Captured at about 20mm

Now you see some of the interesting effects that can be introduced with the wide angle end of the spectrum. The "normal" focal length which is around 50mm is not as impressive compositionally as the others because it is what we see with our own eyes. Relationships between elements, as well as their apparent distances are kept in tune with what we are used to. This is not a bad thing at all, and can actually be very helpful in our compositions. There are times when you see something and everything just fits together like it appears to your eyes. This is when you know you need that "normal" focal length to capture your image such as this image from Historic Bethabara.

Log Cabin   captured at around 45mm

Telephoto focal lengths are when it gets real interesting. The first time you look through a long telephoto lens, you will be amazed. It really looks like you can reach out and touch the scene through your camera. This is probably the most used feature of the telephoto range of focal lengths. There is just no substitute when your subject is off in the distance, and you want to fill the frame. This is where wildlife shooters really benefit such as this image of a very small bird. There is no way I could have gotten close enough to snap this with a "normal" lens, but with a long telephoto it was no sweat, and there was very little chance of me frightening him.

The Red Eye   captured at about 600mm

Wildlife isn't the only subject that benefits from being able to reach out and grab some distant details. There are times when you just can't get close enough to your subject with a "normal" lens. Such was the case with this bit of fall foliage. It happened to be across a fairly steep and rugged ravine. It would have been rough to cross over, but from the opposite bank, I was about 75 yards away from it. Using a long telephoto lens I was able to isolate a small portion which included just what I wanted without any extraneous detail.

Thinning Foliage   captured at about 500mm

So, what about this compression thing that I've been talking about with telephotos? Well, you can see a bit of it in the photograph above. Distances are skewed, but not too bad because the elements were very close to start with. I have another example which shows how this works a little bit better. In the following example, the tree in the foreground is about 100 yards from the barn in the distance. Using a wide angle lens right at the tree would all but make the barn disappear. A normal lens would capture the tree, but the barn would get lost in the background. However, by moving back well away from the tree, I was able to change the perspective of the two primary elements. The tree was smaller now because I was about 75 yards away from it now. All of a sudden, the barn wasn't that much further away. Using a moderate telephoto, I was able to compress the distances (visually) and make the barn larger than it appeared to my own eyes.

Change in Tempo   captured at about 125mm

As you can see, there is a lot more to focal length than just zooming in to fill the frame. Perspective is not without its trade offs though. When you are selecting your focal length, or your lens, you need to keep a few things in mind. As with everything else in photography there are compromises that have to be made, some are good and some are not so good.

Focal Length Compromises

Just when you thought you were starting to grasp focal length, we are going to throw a curve ball at you. Focal length also affects your depth of field. As a general rule, the longer the focal length, the narrower depth of field that you will have. What that means is at a constant f/8 aperture, you will have a much wider field of sharp focus with a short focal length than a long one. This is great for ultra wide angle photography. This focal length is usually reserved for the landscape photographer who desires sweeping landscapes to be in total focus and tack sharp. With a wide angle lens stopped down to f/22 or narrower, the photographer can focus on a foreground element inches in front of their camera and still get a distant background in apparent sharp focus.

In Constant Turmoil    Captured at about 17mm at f/22

While wide angle shots benefit from increased depth of field, telephoto shots see the opposite. Depth of field decreases at focal length increases. What that means is you will need a very narrow aperture in order to keep relatively close objects in apparent focus. However, many times when you get into the longer focal lengths, you are working on wildlife which much like portraits can benefit from a narrow depth of field. All of a sudden, that slow f/5.6 lens is acting like an f/2.8 "normal" lens when it comes to depth of field. Unfortunately though, the actual speed of the lens is not affected in the same manner.

Overseeing   Captured at about 320mm at f/4.0

Rosy Outlook   Captured at about 620mm at f/32

For the landscape photographer depth of field becomes an issue at the longer focal lengths. As you can see above, the aperture had to be a whopping f/32 in order to keep this scene in focus and relatively sharp. Even at such a narrow aperture, you can see obvious softening in the extreme background, but not enough to detract from the photograph fortunately.

Conclusions

As you can see, there is a lot to focal length, and how it can affect our photography. For those wanting to venture into the artistic side of creating pictures, the use of focal length is as important as your choice of exposure. Thought must be give to each composition in order to pick the best focal length possible. Keep in mind its not just a matter of where you are in relation to the subject (filling the frame), but your subject's relation to supporting elements within the frame (compositional control). You have to ask yourself how you want things to interact in your photograph, and then pick a focal length. You will have to adjust your shooting position in order to effectively utilize your desired focal length. There will also be times where your only shooting position dictates your choice of focal lengths.

Whether you are using a point and shoot camera or a sophisticated SLR camera what you have read here will be of equal importance. The difference is the extent to which you can use the information here. With an SLR you can add lenses to your kit covering all sorts of focal lengths while point and shoot users are restricted to what the fixed lens is capable of. Rarely do these cameras go wider than 28mm which will limit your wide angle creativity. Regardless, all cameras have some perspective control through focal lengths and you owe it to yourself to explore the possibilities.

Written by Greg A. Kiser

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot: Houses of Worship

2010-01-25T18:11:00Z

Gothic

Its time for another assignment from Carly over at Ellipsis. She wants to see houses of worship this week with stained glass for extra credit. At first, I didn't think that I had anything for that theme, and then I remembered a few of my photographs from last year which led me to more that I wasn't thinking about. I guess thats the problem with having around 700 photographs online, I tend to forget what all I have from time to time.

As far as the extra credit, I have a recent photograph which showcases stained glass which turned out very well.

A Peaceful Sanctuary

Photo Trek: Hanging Rock, Waterfalls

2010-01-20T19:49:00Z

Photo Trek: 01-20-2010, Hanging Rock State Park, Danbury, NC

The Layered Veil

Despite having some pretty severe equipment issues this month, I still seem to be able to get out and Trek a good bit more than I normally would this time of year. I think that I have all of my damage under control now, and have found ways to work around my limitations with the exception of the loss of my ultra-wide angle lens. I still have a very strong desire to create new images, and try some new things along the way. Its been a while since I have done a waterfall and quite frankly I've missed it. This is usually the best time of year to photograph cascades but I have been a little apprehensive about going too far with the functionality of the camera in question.

As it turned out, I took a family hiking trip to Hanging Rock State Park a couple of days ago just to get out and enjoy the warm day. While we were there, we hiked to several of the waterfalls which were rather swollen with water from the recent rains and snows that we have had. One waterfall in particular, the Lower Cascades, was more lively than I have ever seen it. I really wanted to get back to work on this waterfall soon before the water subsided. I knew that my last day off was supposed to be cloudy so I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

For once the forecast was right on the money. I left early in the morning in order to get to the park when they were opening the gates. It was still a little chilly, but the ground was still very moist which meant that there was a lot of water feeding the waterfalls still. I started out hiking to the Lower Cascades which was my primary reason for going to the park. The hike was short and when I arrived, I was pleased to see roughly the same water flow coming down the rocks. I quickly set up my bruised camera and attached the widest lens that survived...the 17-40mm f/4L. While not as wide as the 10-22mm which is no longer serviceable it does give me a decent focal length I can work with for waterfalls.

In order to capture the compositions that I wanted, I found myself having to step further back than I would normally. Thanks to my Gortex lined boots this was not a problem, although my feet are still kind of cold from standing in the frigid water. I tried some new angles, and spent a lot of time with the camera very close to the water and me leaning over to see what I was capturing. This gave me much better compositions than I have managed before in order to be more comfortable. It just goes to show that the best camera position is rarely one which is convenient for the photographer.

The lighting was perfect, and with my polarizer and ND filter attached, I was able to slow the shutter down to around 20 seconds which was just perfect to smooth the flow of water over the rocks. I was fortunate that the wind was still with such long exposure times. There were also tree limbs that were in the frame which would have blurred in any sort of wind. In short, the weather conditions were great!

With Careless Abandon In B&W

After working the Lower Cascades for a while, I changed locations and moved to the Hidden Falls which also benefited greatly from the recent precipitation. This is one of those falls where there is a limited number of compositions that you can get without getting trees in the way. This keeps me in the same basic areas as I've been many times over which is not a good thing. However, the increased water flow added a much needed element to the mix. Even though the compositions are similar, the waterfall looks quite a bit more impressive than it has previously.

With both batteries getting weak and the sun peaking out, I decided to pack it in and head home. With about 45 exposures I managed to cull them down to four photographs that I really liked. Two of those were also converted to monochromes. There are a total of six New Additions which have been added to Four Forty-Six Photography.

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot: Winter Landscapes

2010-01-20T00:03:00Z

Portage Glacier

Dancing Across the Mountains

Arctic Landscape

Arctic Winds

Its time for another weekly Monday Photo Shoot brought to us by Carly at Ellipsis. This week's theme is a great one considering we are fully in the midst of winter. She is wanting us to submit winter landscapes...not just pictures of winter, but ones which are refined and show winter in its rawest form. With that theme in place, I could go to only one place to look for photographs....My Travel Room. It is here where my Alaska pictures are found, and I have several of them with that winter feel, even though it was late May when I went. Since I don't get that much chance to pull these out of the gallery and talk about them, I decided to post several pictures here for the assignment.

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot: Pairs

2010-01-16T01:42:00Z

Dominance Established

I seem to consistently be off several days for the Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot....but I am consistent in my inconsistence. I've just got a lot of irons in the fire lately and keep putting things off. This week's theme is an outwardly simple one, Pairs. Carly loves taking something very simple and making it a challenge. She opens this up to our imagination which of course makes me not want to go for the obvious picture.

I know you are looking at this picture and wondering what it is you are looking at, and why I chose it for pairs. Well, I'll go ahead and answer both of those questions. What you are looking at is a photograph of smoke that I did just a few days ago. It is a very interesting technique and one that is very fun to do. At some point I might do a Tips and Tricks on it. Now...why did I choose this one for the pairs assignment. That is where the imagination comes into play. When I look at this picture, I don't just see a plume of smoke. I see two rams butting heads. The ram to the right has been pushed back and only the very front of the head and horns can be seen. The ram to the left has established his dominance and is now filling the frame as he is pushing the other ram away.

I'll admit, my mind does work in strange ways. Hey, this is abstract art and open to interpretation, and you just heard mine. I see a pair of rams.

For those that still don't see what I see, here is another entry. This one is a lot more straightforward, and is even in keeping with the season.

Twin Pines

Photographer Spotlight: Richard R. Geigle

2010-01-15T23:25:00Z

Here we are at the middle of another month and you know what that means here at Photo Trek II...that's right, its time for the Photographer Spotlight. This is a monthly feature where I introduce you to another photographer who I have come across. The neat thing about this feature is I get to talk about all types of photographers, whether they be enthusiasts, professionals, or even just the casual hobbyist. Photography is something that anyone can enjoy and I try to illustrate that through this feature.

This month we are going to talk about a photographer who I met through this journal. He actually left a comment for me with a link to some of his pictures. I followed the link and saw quite a few photographs that stood out to me. After a couple of emails he agreed to take part in this article. I am pleased to introduce Richard Geigle...Dick for those of us who know him which will be all of in a very little while.

Photo copyright © Richard R. Geigle

For Dick, photography has always taken a back seat to other things in his life. Primarily his career drawing custom architectural home designs has been the focus of his creative energy. However, now semi-retired at the age of 67 (I promise I didn't ask his age), Dick resides in his Edmonds, WA home. He has been here since 1957, and has lived in the state of Washington all of his life. What started as just a passing interest in photography has now turned into something much more.

Dick has been interested in photography for many years, but his drawing career "won out". Four years ago that changed with his retirement. Now he has more free time to play around with a camera again. His excitement was sparked while he was watching television of all things. It was a show about wood working and he felt the bug when they started showing pictures of the wood working projects.

Even though it was wood working projects that got him back into photography, it was airplanes which found themselves in front of Dick's lens. For those that don't know, Boeing has an assembly plant in Washington, and it happens to be adjacent to the county airport. There were plenty of planes to focus on and he used them to hone his skills for action shots. Moving aircraft provide plenty of opportunity to learn quick reactions. When he wasn't around planes, seagulls provided the movement and action that he wanted.

Photo copyright © Richard R. Geigle

Dick has no formal training in a classroom setting. This is not to say, however, that he has been winging it. Like many a self educated photographer, Dick has picked up tricks of the trade through reading magazines and books. The internet has also provided a great learning environment for him. All of this would be for naught if Dick didn't take what he had learned and put it to work in the field. Practice is the final element to the puzzle of being self taught. Dick has gone out and put what he has read to the test and found out what works for him and what doesn't. He continues to hone his skills every time he goes out with his camera.

When it comes to equipment, he is a Nikonian and shoots with a D90 body attached to either an 18-200mm lens or a 50mm f/1.4 lens. In addition he has a Nikon Speedlite, remote shutter release, and a few filters. Dick is a photographer after my own heart and uses two different tripods as well. This is an often overlooked accessory and is very important to achieving sharp pictures in any conditions.

There are two main places where you can view Dick's photographs. The first is his oldest presence on the web at Smugmug. His newest offering, which is brand new off the internet press is his Flickr site. Both of these sites are open for anyone to view and enjoy. Dick is trying to develop these sites into something to supplement his finances and does offer full size prints for sale. He is also willing to do photo shoots in his local area for those who are interested.

Photo copyright © Richard R. Geigle

Dick shoots primarily color, but has a deep respect for b&w photography...specifically those photographs captured by the great Ansel Adams. "There is something about b&w, this type of photo has only two colors to enjoy." This is the draw to monochrome images for most photographers...it breaks the photograph down to composition and light. Another photographer who inspires Dick is Betty of BPDPhotos. Its funny, while I was writing this passage I knew I remembered that name, but it just didn't click until I went to find the link. Betty is a photographer who I featured a couple of years ago in the original Photo Trek. It really is a small world in the land of photographers, but I digress. In addition, Dick references a few other photographers who have influenced his work such as Lee Mann, and some guy named Greg Kiser....hey wait, I recognize that name too!

When I asked about Dick's goals as a photographer he simply stated that he would like to become known for his work. He realizes that this is a long battle, but is willing to set his goals and go for it. As he is working toward his goal, he would also be interested in entering some competitions along the way. As far as accomplished goals, Dick is just happy that he has gotten familiar with all of the bells and whistles of his Nikon.

One concept that Dick is very firm on with his photography is one that he happens to share with me. I really like the way he puts it, and think that it says it all very well. "My goal is to keep my photos in their original settings. I feel its important to see photos just the way we see them through our eyes. I believe in my REP 'Real Eye Photography.' The landscape is too beautiful to change and we should enjoy it in its real form as we see it with our eyes." In light of this statement it comes as no surprise that Dick suggests that we, as photographers don't manipulate our pictures. The landscape is too important to make it not real to the human eye.

I would like to thank Dick for taking part in this feature. It has been a real treat to get to know him. It was also very rewarding to learn that a photographer that I have featured here before is one of his influences. This is one of the things that I dearly love about the photography community. We are quite close knit and each one of us has a certain influence on the other. We all feed off of each other and our art.

Join me again next month when we learn about another photographer who's work can be found on the internet. Until then keep checking by for updates on my photography as well as other features.

Written by Greg A. Kiser