(You might want to scroll down to play the 1967 hit from the Fifth Dimension called Up, Up and Away while you read the rest of this post.)
Imagine floating in Silence. Beautiful red rock vistas spread before you like towering sculptures.
That was the first thing that came to mind as a surprise when I took a balloon flight over the red rocks of Sedona. Silence only interrupted by the occasional roar of the propane burner to control our height above terra firma. Silence only changed by the occasional comment of a fellow passenger exclaiming about some new deer or rabbit that came into view unaware we were hovering overhead. Gliding over the landscape is an incredible way to experience Sedona.
You can’t beat it with a stick!
I was out on a photo ‘dawn patrol’ with my cameras and fellow Lumix Luminary photographers Suzette Allen & Jon Yoshinaga while they were in town for a visit. We set up for sunrise over the valley and were gifted with the lifting of the hot air balloons. It is always a fun addition to a shoot when the hot air monoliths pass through the scene as a colorful counterpoint to the scenery.
Here are a couple of the photos I captured of visitors heading off to a sky adventure.
Hot Air Balloon lifts off into the azure blue skies over the red rocks of Sedona. Captured with Lumix G7 with 100-300mm f4.0-5.6 Vario lens @f4.9 1/160th sec 193mm (386mm FF equivalent) ISO200
Balloons dot the skies above the Red Rocks. Lumix GX8 with 100-300mm f4.0-5.6 Vario lens @f4.5 1/10000th sec 150mm (300mm FF equivalent) ISO800
If you asked the question above you probably were not a black and white film photographer from past days. We usually learned about the reticulation effects when we treated our film badly by either getting it too hot, processing it at the wrong temperature or some other variable I can’t remember now.
But, after seeing the effects, I remember trying to screw up the film for art purposes. I came across the look when I was messing about (read that playing) in Photoshop.
Photographed around sunrise with haze in the distance. Straight out of camera (SOOC) Lumix GX8 with Lumix G Vario 100-300mm f4.0-5.6 lens @ f5.6 1/1250 sec ISO 800 @ 300mm (600mm equivalent)
I choose this lens to compress the scene.
After processing.
I had made a set of images one morning near dawn, and I was feeling a bit of a ‘Japanese aesthetic’ in what I saw through the viewfinder. Things like that can happen when you are out shooting thinking you are getting one thing then, being a bit disappointed upon return to the studio process the files. I still felt I had something worth which to work. I liked the distance imparted by the haze that we don’t usually see in the high desert due to the dry air. This particular haze was thanks to some forest fires sharing some smoke with us.
After trying various filters, I stumbled on a look that reminded me of the reticulation of old. I pushed for it some more, and you see what I got above.
Not sure I’m where I want to be with this set of images. I’m going to put them away for a little while then revisit at a future time. Sometimes you need to try something out and come back later to see how you feel about it. There are a lot of compositions involving this same scene. Who knows? These files may be a treasure trove with this processing or some other treatment.
Or, it could just be a pile of… We’ll find out later.
Something old could be new again. Reticulation anyone??
Ernst Haas was born in Vienna in 1921. His early photographic work on Austrian returning prisoners of war brought him to the attention of LIFE magazine. Offered a job as a staff photographer he declined to keep his independence. At the invitation of Robert Capa, Haas joined Magnum Photographers in 1949, developing close associations with Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Experimenting with Kodachrome film. In 1953 LIFE magazine published a groundbreaking 24-page color photo New York City essay. This was the first time such a large color photo feature was published by LIFE. A 1962 retrospective was the first color photography exhibition held at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
Needless to say, words of wisdom coming from an early icon have a bit of meaning son on to today’s Photo/Art Quote.
“There is only you and your camera. The limits in your photography are in yourself.” Ernst Haas
I believe these few words hold one of the secrets to becoming a better photographer. We need to look inside and learn what we want to create and how to do it. It goes back to something we talk about here in the Successful-Photographer blog, experimentation, and practice.
We also need to be forgiving of ourselves when we aren’t able to create the vision we have inside. Not having forgiveness leads to fear. Fear leads to lack of trying new things because we might not have success right away.
Lose the fear.
Experiment with new ideas and techniques.
Practice the new. Discard the old.
Learn your camera and its capabilities.
Look inside see what you can find to lose your limits.
Sometimes you just gotta change your thought pattern to get a better photo.
I was with fellow photographer Ralph Romaguera and his wife Cindy who were on a Route 66 road trip. They stopped by in Sedona as we are just down the road a piece for the Route 66 run. We shared a couple of meals and went out to shoot for a little while. Ralph has been using the Lumix GH4 and wanted to see if I had a few insider tips for best practices in using it. It turns out I could share a few ideas.
Today’s cameras from Panasonic are a bit more like computers with a lens than just a camera.
We talked about the ability of the camera to capture multiple exposures of a scene with just a quick twist of the dial. Many times, especially with landscapes, the dynamic range can be so large the only way to capture detail in the highlight and shadow areas is to use multiple exposures and blend them in post-production.
Multiple exposures were obtained to ensure proper detail in shadow areas as well as full sun. Images were processed in Aurora HDR software from MacPhun. Image captured with the GH4’s little brother the Lumix G7.
I usually don’t like how HDR blends skies into leaves or horizons as it tends to leave a bit of a halo. I process another image straight from Photoshop into the HDR software generated image to make the transition clean. Accomplished with an extra layer and layer mask.
Using the touch screen and choosing the exact position of your focus point is extremely handy. You can set the camera to a Mode called Intelligent Auto. With this setting, the camera sets the Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO. It provides an amazingly good solid exposure for the scene before it. Am I going to use that all the time? Heck no. But, I leave my cameras set to this mode when I am traveling around. I jokingly call it the ‘Honey, stop the car!’ Mode. It allows you to capture a scene instantly. Then, if the animal or whatever is still available, then I’ll move to one of the other modes to take more control of the final exposure.
For an entirely different look here’s a black & white version converted in NIK Silver FX Pro 2 toned to selenium with a border added.
Al in all there’s a significant number of features to help you get the photo and/or video you are trying to capture in the GH4 and the G7. It nice to have photographers come from out of town for a visit that gives you a push to get out and shoot.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
“ The G7 makes an excellent camera for someone to grow into, offering all the key features a developing photographer would need access to. It offers some of the best tracking AF we’ve seen on any camera in this class. Video is the camera’s trump card, with the ability to capture high-res video giving all sorts of flexibility, whether you downsize back to 1080p, use it for selective cropping as you edit, or extract 4K stills of the decisive moment. ”
Ever found an image of yours being used without being paid for it?
I’ll bet you have. Whether it was a portrait client making prints from scans of your images or someone lifting a photograph from your website and using it without permission. Wait a minute, we all know as soon as you press the shutter button you own the copyright to the image, right? Right!
That’s true. But, professional photographers have long been left out of the copyright system. Legislation is underway for a Small Claims Process that will give photographers an equal seat at the copyright table!
Get the basic story in the video below.
Unless the infringement is more than $30,000 you won’t be able to defend your copyright in court.
And that sucks!
Professional Photographers of America has been on Capitol Hill lobbying legislators to help creators be able to have a small claims court option for protection of their work.
And now YOU can help! It’s easy but necessary for all creatives to get involved.
Join the Grassroots team to be part of getting the legislation passed. http://ppa.com/grassroots
You do not have to be a PPA member, or even a photographer, to be part of this copyright protection for ALL visual artists. Sign in to see how you can help. It won’t take much of your time. Encourage all of your photographer and artist friends to be part of this historic legislation. There probably won’t be a chance like this again in our lifetime. Everyone is needed to contact congress about how important it is to implement this small claims system
Everyone is needed to contact congress about how important it is to implement this small claims system. Add your voice to help protect your rights and livelihood.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – Please share this post with ALL creative artists
For infrared conversion of my cameras I use LifePixel. Infrared allows you to put an older camera to use and opens up a new time time of day for productive image creation.
Fotopro tripods are well worth checking out. You can learn about the ones I use and recommend by clicking on the Fotopro Tripods link at the top of this page. If you want to see what other tripods might fit your needs check out the Fotopro.com website. Check back with me before you buy as a Fotopro Ambassador I’m able to get you discounted pricing including complementary continental USA shipping for my followers that you won’t find through retail outlets.
Learn Photoshop in a fun environment. Aaron Nace applies the right amount of fun with easy to understand and follow tutorials. Actions and brushes are included with lessons!
Lightning, waterdroplets, sound, time-lapse, HDR sequences, smiles and much more control for your camera!
Cameras Get Smarter -
A High Speed Smart Camera Remote
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Platypod has become a great resource for being creative in getting your camera gear easily into unusual places. As an Platypod Pro I get to work/play with the gear even before it comes out. Head over to Platypod, subscribe to the newsletter and you will get special discounts reserved only for subscribers.
Balloons dot the skies above the Red Rocks. Lumix GX8 with 100-300mm f4.0-5.6 Vario lens @f4.5 1/10000th sec 150mm (300mm FF equivalent) ISO800
