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"Calm Reflections" I woke up this chilly October morning to a big surprise, snow! I purposely parked my RV for the night next to this pond; I was hoping to photograph the morning mist rising from it. You can imagine my surprise when I opened the curtains and saw snow, in October! As I meandered quietly by myself I noticed my feelings of calm, and I wanted to capture that feeling. That said, with the snow covered trees, lack of vibrancy and the calm reflective waters, I knew exactly how to capture it and set up my tripod for a slow shutter speed.
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!
I am not a fan of cold weather but the allure of a great shot is like Christmas morning; I can hardly wait to get out there! That said, it was the first frost of the season when I headed out with eager anticipation of what I might find. As I drove along this countryside I stumbled upon this view and I immediately noticed the lead in lines of the bulrushes and that they lead my eyes to the old farmhouse. It was early, the morning air was calm, the light was still blue (see note below) and the sun was just about to appear from behind the mountain. “Perfect!” I thought to myself, and I waited patiently for the sun to appear (brrr!). When the sun finally did appear and I was thrilled by what I saw! Notice how the warm casting sunlight accentuated the lead in line of the bullrushes and how it created a mix of both blue and gold color hues. Within seconds this amazing view disappeared; my patience (and tolerance for the cold) paid off! “Blue hour” is the light that is just prior to sunrise, or after sunset.
