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Are you wondering, “Why does this image have such strange colors?”. Well, let me explain. A photographer has to wait patiently for blue hour to occur. The sun will have long set, and the air temperature will have dropped before a photographer is ready to shoot. Often times (especially if it's cloudy), the blue hour is fleeting; and then just as quickly as it has appeared, it’s gone. That said, it's important for him/her to find composition first before it's just too dark. So, why the strange colors? Here’s a general explanation; with very little available light during this time period, a tripod and a slow shutter speed is required. That slower shutter speed allows the light that we don’t see to enter the camera, and the colors that we don’t see as well. On a side note; I learned the hard way to leave a headlamp in my camera bag because it can be challenging to find my way back to my RV in the dark!
"The Wapiti" This shot was captured in Jasper National Park, where over 1300 of Elk roam. Although I’m not a wildlife photographer and more of an opportunist, I definitely enjoy honing in on the many skills and challenges it requires. “The Wapiti” is the Native American name for Elk. It’s the second largest member of the deer family( after the Moose). An adult male elk can grow up to 5 feet tall at its shoulders, and can be over 1000 pounds. In a protected area, such as Jasper, they can often live for over 20 years. Only the bulls have antlers, which are grown and shed yearly. What I love about this photo is the rim lighting (on the Elk), combined with the defused lighting. I was fortunate to capture this Elk in such magnificent lighting conditions. The added bonus was the falling snow and to be able see its breath too! In my earlier years I was known as a studio photographer but today, I define myself as a “generalist”, which is a photographer who isn’t defined by just one type of photography. By being a generalist, I’m continually learning, exploring and challenging myself, which is important to me. That said, I feel passions add quality and purpose to our lives, and those we can share with others fill our hearts. This then, is my happy place!
Finding and planning photographic locations takes time (sometimes multiple visits) and physical effort but the rewards often yield some amazing photographs! The physical effort however doesn’t seem like a chore when I’m engulfed in my passions (early morning starts, cycling, hiking and photography); it’s then that I’m in my “happy place”! What could possibly be more fun than searching for spectacular locations, and then later have a prize photograph to go along with the memory! That said however, both weather and lighting play such a big roll and sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate but oftentimes I end up with the most amazing unexpected shots! This photograph has such a story. I had been searching for quite some time for a desert scene that wasn’t cluttered with desert debris (the overgrown desert and the fuzzy bushes (as I call them!). The overgrown vegetation often fills the entire foreground scene which stops the viewer’s eye from traveling through the photograph. That said, I was thrilled to find this location with its uncluttered foreground and strong composition. Notice the diamond shape of the predominant shadow and how your eyes follow its lines to the cholla and ocotillo. Then the ocotillo leads your eye up and back over to the top of the rocks; creating a circular path for your eyes to travel. The other thing I like is the combination of darks and lights. The shadows and highlights (which is often referred to as the darkest darks and the brightest whites) are complimentary in any photograph or painting. I found this location on an early morning bike ride at Brown’s Desert Ranch (a hiking/biking area in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Scottsdale) but unfortunately the best light was long gone so I made a mental note to return. That said, checking the next day’s weather forecast is always a big part in planning my photography shoots and although (on this day) it was more overcast than I had expected the sun did poke through occasionally; just enough to get this shot!
