I haven't calculated the exact number, but I estimate that I take about one thousand photos for every one that I end up posting online. Unless there's a particular image that really hits me, I often don't sort/process photos until months after an adventure.
In this case, I went up to the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains in California last October. The peak of fall foliage was a few weeks later than it had been in previous years, but I managed to time my trip pretty well. The orange leaves of the quaking aspen trees glow beautifully when backlit by mid-day sun, so I ended up taking hundreds of photos during the day. However, it wasn't until early evening that I found this softly lit scene. It was the spindly bare white branches of the aspen trees and their leaves in various stages of autumn color stacked almost vertically against a steep hillside that made an image that struck me as fall time in the Sierra. I look forward to going back this fall!
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The sand at White Sands National Monument is made of gypsum, giving it an unusually light color. Gypsum crystals don't retain solar energy like typical silica sand does, so it often stays relatively cool, even on hot summer days. On winter days, though, the sun does very little to warm the sand. Add a little moisture from recent precipitation, and it gets super frigid!
To avoid filling my shoes with sand during this winter adventure, I opted to go barefoot. I didn't want to miss the rapidly approaching sunset, so I rushed out onto the dunes, hoping that my feet would get used to the numbingly cold sand; they never did. This was one of the more physically painful photos that I've taken in a while, but the sunset was worth it. White Sands National Monument - New Mexico Clouds make a huge difference in scenic outdoor photography. Think about it: the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets are those with clouds to add color and texture to an otherwise featureless sky. Even during the day, clouds considerably change the feel of a scene - dark and gloomy clouds, puffy white clouds, or striated winter clouds - they contribute immensely to a photograph.
Ah, but California is frustrating in that regard. The state has so much natural beauty, but it also has seemingly endless sunshine. When composing an image, I often look for an interesting foreground AND background - and a lot of times, I want the sky to be the background. Sometimes I won't even bother getting my fancy cameras out on a bright sunny day since it makes for undramatic lighting and background. This recent trip to Death Valley National Park surprised me, though! After a few days of completely clear skies, clouds began to roll in from the west. They weren't the most amazing clouds I'd ever seen, but they sure helped complete this scene with the 700-foot-tall Eureka Dunes towering over one of the driest valleys in North America. Yep, just as the title indicates, everything has to start somewhere, including the Road Trip Rip blog!
But where does one start? Let's not put too much thought into it. Ready? Set? Go! The first thing that comes to mind is that it's part of human life to sculpt the universe in which we live. Well, we all do to some extent, but some "sculpt" more than others. Some folks prefer to watch the sculptors at their various crafts. Can photography be considered "sculpting?" Whoa - this first blog post went sliding into a philosophical plate, right off the bat! Whether photography is "sculpting" or not doesn't matter; I see it as a creative outlet. I see it as a way to share my adventures with those who don't travel beyond their work and home too often. Even if we travel to the same places, the conditions can vary considerably. I'll often work with the weather and lighting that I'm presented, but I also go to great lengths to plan photographs for certain lighting, seasons, or alignment of celestial bodies - some kind of scene that one might not see in a typical visit. If I can capture an image that hits someone enough to convey a feeling or tell a story, I feel like I've done well. I know that not every photo will hit everyone the same way, but it's fun trying. Hmm - I feel like I should keep this first blog entry going, but I'm going to stop here. I plan to have entries detailing conditions behind certain photos that I've taken, why I've chosen pieces of camera gear that I use, and how I plan my photos. If you have suggestions for upcoming blog posts, send me a message, or leave a comment below. Keep the shiny side up! |
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January 2021
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