Coming in at #4 is “Ruckel Creek” from the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon. This is the most beautiful creek I’ve ever had the chance to photograph. I returned to this scene again and again until the foliage was at its peak. Thanks for having a look!
Coming in at #5 is “The Red Barn” from the Palouse region of Eastern Washington. A wait of 3 days produced 5 minutes of incredible light to capture this scene. The wheat cycle was perfect to capture the intense greens unique to the Palouse. Thanks for having a look!
Coming in at #6 is “Winter Paradise” from Convict Lake in the Eastern Sierra of California. My buddy Ron and I experienced a magical sunrise with fresh snow on the mountains and the foreground rocks. It’s one of the best light shows I’ve ever photographed, absolutely perfect conditions!
Coming in at #7 is “Revelation” from The Wave in Coyote Buttes North, Arizona. What you see here are 3 rock faces made from the same sandstone, all receiving different qualities of light. I hope you enjoy!
Coming in at #8 is “Canyon Oasis” from Oneonta Gorge in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon. The title comes from the feeling you get one you’re inside. The tall canyon walls with the river flowing through reminds you of the Narrows in Zion National Park, but the amount of moss and the color green permeates the walls and is quintessential Oregon. This image is a blend of 3 exposures. The water is a 30 second exposure with an ND filter attached to the lens. By creating a long exposure, I was able to highlight the natural s-curve formed by the water dripping off the canyon wall. The second exposure is to compensate for the amount of wind in the canyon. The tree in the upper right corner was moving fast and I had to use an ISO of 3200 to freeze the leaves in order to make it tack sharp. And the final image is at optimal settings for the remainder of the scene in order to print the final image large. Thanks for having a look!
Coming in at #9 is “Belly of the Beast” from Lower Antelope Canyon in Arizona. Reflected light in slot canyons has become arguably my favorite subject in photography. The range of oranges to reds and purples and blues in the shadows is incredibly compelling to me and I continue to seek out ways to photographic it as uniquely as possible. With “Belly of the Beast” I was also able capture an optical illusion. The “belly” in the lower portion of the frame, is it coming towards the viewer or moving away? Thanks for having a look!
Continuing with tradition, over the next 10 days I will be sharing with you my 10 favorite images of 2011. My criteria for selecting these images is solely based on personal preference.
Coming in at #10 is “Existence” from the Narrows of Zion National Park. This lone tree growing on a cliff wall during peak fall foliage has been photographed before, but this is a unique angle discovered by a workshop client of mine. He sought out a unique perspective, and in doing so I think he found the most compelling composition of this scene. A big thank you to my friend Saravana!
This image was taken in Redwoods National Park in California. When considering how to show the scale of massive trees like redwoods or sequoias, we often think about using a wide-angle lens to show them in their entirety. With this image, I chose the opposite approach and used a telephoto lens, the Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS, to isolate a small tree juxtaposed with a giant redwood. By not showing the edges of the tree, the viewer is unable to gauge the enormity of the redwood. I hope you enjoy the image!
Pemaquid Lighthouse is the most photographed lighthouse in Maine. It is a sunrise shoot, and the logistics couldn’t be easier. Park your car and explore the shoreline for your composition. Chances are you won’t be alone. There were 4 other photographers on the morning I was there, and they were all searching for pools of water which provide a reflection of the lighthouse. This has become the standard composition. I wasn’t too excited about photographing the lighthouse as I rarely will include the “hand of man” in my images. But then I saw the remarkable, wave-like rock formations spilling out from the lighthouse to the sea. I knew instantly I had a compelling foreground! I searched for the most interesting foreground wave and waited for the warm glow of the first light to strike the rocks. I hope you enjoy the image!
First off, if you don’t own an iPad and can afford to do so, get in line or online March 11th. The iPad is a revolutionary piece of hardware, a must have device with no legitimate competition.
As for owners of the first generation iPad, are the new features worthy of an upgrade? Let’s review the new features.
A new processor, the A5, twice as fast as the A4. Is the iPad slow? I’ve never known anyone to complain about the speed. I’m not running Photoshop on the iPad, I’m playing Plants vs. Zombies, searching the web, or writing articles. I would love to be able to do Photoshop on the iPad one day, but we are likely a few generations away from that becoming a reality. I’m sure the new processor makes the experience zippier, but I would never call the A4 processor a slouch.
Cameras on the front and back, just like the iPhone 4. This to me is the add-on that means absolutely nothing, and I’m a photographer! It’s a bullet point for the back of the box. I couldn’t imagine a more awkward camera. Now, if it was the only means of taking a photo or shooting video, it might be viable. But guess what, your iPhone does the same thing. You always have your iPhone with you, you won’t always carry your iPad, and your iPhone is a much easier device for photo and video.
The last major upgrade is the most exciting to me, it’s thinner and lighter. I’m an ultralight hiker and traveler and I count ounces. If I can shave ounces off my iPad by upgrading to the next generation, I would likely do it. In this case though, I’m going to wait. I have a 6 month trip coming up in 2013 so I have the luxury of waiting a few generations. That being said, if I was leaving for my trip next month, I would upgrade without hesitation.
The rest of the upgrades are software related, plus a HDMI out. These apply to the original iPad as well, so there’s no need to discuss them.
What didn’t get upgraded? The screen remains the same, and there is yet to be an in device SD reader or a way to attach a USB device. I would give anything for the iPad to replace the Epson P-7000 Multimedia Photo Viewer. Every photographer would buy an iPad on the day that happens.
Apple put so much time and effort into developing a polished first generation product that the iPad is extremely difficult to improve. Apple will inevitably find ways, but in small steps, not leaps and bounds. For me, the iPad 2 is not compelling enough to upgrade. I already can’t wait to see what the iPad 3 has in store!
What are your thoughts? Are you going to upgrade?
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