New England In October

December 31, 2023

These last several years have been difficult emotionally and mentally as I’ve struggled to find that palpable connection with nature which I’ve been accustomed to for much of my life. It has felt as though a significant part of who I am, was stripped away as my brain functioned in different way. Earlier this year, I decided to make a habit of going outside, regardless of whether it triggered that emotional reaction or not. Throughout the summer, I was able to find joy again in the little moments and feelings that they presented. Camping in the forest and being near water created opportunities to once again, connect with nature in a way I hadn’t often experienced since the end of 2020.

During September on my walks during my break on workdays, I would suddenly experience a strong feeling and emotion would rush over me! These breakthroughs felt so monumental as the constant numbness that had persisted for more than 2 years, was abruptly broken, if only for a brief moment. Fall is always my favorite time to photograph nature with its stark contrasts and striking colors. Going to New England to experience their version had been at the top of my list since around 2008 and I was so excited to finally have the chance to travel to New Hampshire and Vermont with Katy!

My very first hike in the White Mountains took place in the afternoon on October 5th as I drove north on Hwy 302 through Crawford Notch as I made my way to the trailhead of Sugarloaf Mountain. The weather was calm and sunny with a thin layer of clouds off in the distance. In New England, the majority of trees are hardwoods which lead to a spectacular display of color if timed correctly. In western Oregon where I live, we have a majority of coniferous trees in our wild places with a few deciduous trees along with vine maples which turn a crimson red and golden yellow. As I crested the summit plateau of Middle Sugarloaf Mountain in the early evening, the granite shelf dropped away to reveal a sea of color that went on for many miles as the surrounding mountains put on a display of peak color that blew me away! This first image is one of my favorites as bright reds, greens, yellow and orange all swirled together and seemingly went on forever. I couldn’t have timed the peak color better for this location as just days earlier, it was mostly green and two days after this hike, a rainstorm would strip many of the leaves in the area.

Taken with Sony a7ii and Zeiss Batis 18mm f2.8

Taken with Sony a7ii and Sony 70-200mm f4

Another couple of favorite images from this hike included a couple that I took with my 70-200mm lens that I used to capture some closer details of the cluster of colors that appeared directly below the cliff’s edge. The first image below shows the brilliant display of color all together with a little bit of the granite cliff included. In the second image, I was able to capture a slice of sunlight that illuminated the hillside adorned in a scarlett red.

Mt. Washington in the middle of the frame taken with Sony a7ii and Sony 28mm f2

On October 6th, I again went north as I left early in the morning to hike Mt. Willard for a view of the famous Crawford Notch. Crawford Notch is an incredible swooping canyon with sloping granite walls on either side, filled in with mainly deciduous trees and some fir. The hike took me up the backside of the mountain at a casual but steady incline, through the colorful forest which paralleled a crystal clear creek in some areas. Once at the top, the view opens up to reveal an expansive scene which includes the road which I drove in on earlier in the day. A layer of thick clouds enshrouded the upper walls of the gorge as a brisk cold wind rushed up the face of the mountain. I had been hoping for some nice sunlight to light up the trees below, but it appeared that it might not happen this day. After waiting for an hour and a half, finally a break in the clouds allowed sunlight to spill across to the opposite side and bring out those rich colors below!

After the heading back to North Conway to pick up Katy, we drove south to connect with the Kancamagus Highway which was full of beautiful color. Thankfully, the day we went wasn’t busy and we were able to enjoy our drive as we made our way west towards Lincoln, Hew Hampshire.

After several days in New Hampshire, we made our way to Northeastern Vermont where we stayed on a beautiful property near the town of Danville. I loved traveling through both Vermont and New Hampshire as each state is small meaning destinations were often less than an hour away by car. Everywhere we went in Vermont was picturesque, full of rolling farmland and tree lined streets off the beaten path. Our host shared with us that the summer had been exceptionally wet, leading the grass to be a vibrant green in early October rather than the usual muted brownish color. It was stunning!

Taken with Sony a7ii and Zeiss Loxia 50mm f2

One of the hikes that I was interested in including a short climb to a viewpoint overlooking a beautiful lake and the surrounding area. Not being familiar with the area, I plugged in the trailhead into Google Maps and drove off in our rented Chevy Equinox. Soon enough, I turned left onto a single lane dirt road that was covered in leaves that had fallen from the recent storm that had dropped heavy rainfall. Following the directions on my phone, I soon discovered that this road would become treacherous to drive on as it gave way to boulder crawling at a steep angle on shelves of rock covered in slick leaves. The one other car I saw in the road decided to turn back, smartly. I pressed on which I would learn was a terrible mistake as the road became a sloshy mess with deep mud.

Finally, I reached a point where I could no longer continue due to a deep creek crossing which forced me to attempt to turn around. Before I knew it, I was completely stuck and digging out the mud with my hands, trying to free the car! Thankfully the car was somehow able to get moving as I learned that I would be driving backwards through the difficult path that I come in on. A couple who lived in the area was taking a walk and briefly spoke with me. ‘Are you looking for Nichol’s Ledge?’ The woman asked. I answered yes and shared that I had learned that driving in this way was a mistake in hindsight. She shared that the recent rain had made it impossible to pass through due the conditions and that they had not seen a single vehicle come as far as I had tried. A bit after I had gotten the car unstuck, the man came back to make sure that I was okay and helped me to maneuver the car around so that I could face forward again. His kindness helped me to escape that road which I was so grateful for!

He shared with me, a much better way to drive to the trailhead which I learned was the way that everyone else in the area had used. Finally, I could do the short hike to the overlook and I didn’t have to have a tow truck come pull out our rental!

A favorite town that Katy and I visited was Hardwick, VT. We stopped into a local coffee shop and chatted with the locals who were kind and welcoming. The morning had a mist in the air that caught my eye as the town church steeple created a nice contrast with the moody hillside above. We loved our time in Vermont and will definitely be planning a trip back there during a future year!

Inspiration and motivation, where do they come from?

June 10, 2022

The past year and a half have been incredibly difficult mentally and emotionally. A number of factors combined together led me to a place of desperate anxiety and forced me to confront my several decade long battle with depression. Luckily, I was able to seek help and have my anxiety under control now. However, this has come at a cost when it comes to my motivation and drive to communicate creatively. I learned that the current medication that I am taking for my anxiety has a side effect that effectively stifles or mutes my creative drive. Many people, especially those who are wired creatively, experience this when taking this medication. It helped me to hear from someone I am close to, that he is also experiencing that same sensation, specifically when out in nature.

This past year has led me to examine and question, where do my inspiration and motivation for taking pictures come from? Through my journey of taking photos over the years, I have learned that my inspiration is fueled from my battle with depression. I seek those places in nature that strike something inside, touch a place that is deep and lonely…isolated. These feelings of strong emotion are always present and I have found that photography allows me to attempt to outwardly express those feelings in a visual way. I look for scenes that will evoke those feelings I have inside and then try to capture that feeling within an image. This has been the case for years now, until this past year.

Currently, I am able to enjoy life and have strong interests that excite me. But as the depression is stifled, so too is my creative drive. I find that my emotional state is more even keeled rather than large swings from high to low. I still enjoy being in nature, but I experience it differently than I did before. Those strong emotions that conjure up a creative drive to communicate inner feelings just aren’t there in the same way. However, there have been glimpses of those old feelings over the past year. One such trip was last September, during Labor Day weekend with my father-in-law.

Brilliant red vine maple frame a small lake on the way to our camp. Sony 28mm f2

The goal was to camp at Marion Lake in the Oregon Cascades and with a little luck, attempt to photograph the Milky Way as it rose behind the mountains. It was a pleasant surprise to see such beautiful fall color! That is always my favorite time of year to photograph nature because of the stark contrasts of color. The season is so fleeting, producing a brilliant display before quickly fading away until the following year.

Fiery red vine maple against a sea of green. Sony 28mm f2

Closer details photographed with the Sony 28mm f2

As we made our way along the trail, scenes such as the image above would appear around the corner. I really enjoyed this particular area as the cool grey tones of the rocks combined nicely with the rich reds and greens of the vine maples. I didn’t initially stop here to photograph the area, but after setting up our camp, I made sure to run back down the trail to capture these scenes since the light was perfectly even. Apart from aspen trees, the vine maple always stand out as a favorite subject to photograph each fall. During this trip, the unexpected surprise of early fall color was fantastic and brought me great joy. For those moments, I felt the inspiration to convey my feelings through these images. Though I don’t currently experience that very often, it’s good to know that it is still possible.

As we neared Marion Lake, a thick layer of haze made the visibility of nearby Three Fingered Jack a struggle to make out. With the goal of photographing the Milky Way in mind, this layer of smoke caused by wildfires was going to make that objective nearly impossible if things didn’t change by nightfall. We lucked out and scored an incredible camp spot, only a few paces away from the water’s edge. To our surprise as twilight commenced, the layer of smoke vanished completely! Pair that with a perfectly still Marion Lake and we were in business! By the time the last light had faded over the horizon, our eyes were well adjusted to the night sky. It always amazes me how many stars you can see with the naked eye when you are in a truly dark place. We pulled out our cameras and tripods and found our spots along the shoreline, ready to capture the Milky Way core as it reflected in the lake below. I was thrilled with how calm the water was since earlier in the day there had been a steady breeze making its way across the water. These two images of the Milky Way are some of my favorites, because I remember the exact feeling of being there in the moment, with my father-in-law. The images capture that feeling I had and take me back immediately every time I look at them.

Over the past two years, shooting the night sky has become one of my favorite subjects. I don’t do it very often because of all of the factors that must line up. You need clear skies, the moon to be in a phase that won’t emit light, and to be somewhere truly dark at the right time of night. This particular evening had all of those elements making for a fun night of shooting. After we were done, our tents were only a 30 second walk away which was a bonus!

Part of writing this blog post is to communicate my experience with mental health struggles and how that affects the way my brain functions in regards to my creativity and motivation to create art. The reality is that many people struggle with their mental health, but the topic isn’t talked about and feels uncomfortable to bring up. To struggle with mental health is to be human and talking about it will only help us to connect to one another and realize that we aren’t as alone as we feel inside.

Three Fingered Jack with the Milky Way Core. Sony 28mm f2

Skiing around Crater Lake, Oregon

April 17, 2021

Circumnavigating Crater Lake on skis has been on my radar for years now. In prior years, I’ve shared numerous trips to the National Park in the snow with my father-in-law. Each time, we’ve traveled in the vicinity of The Watchman peak, snow camping for the night then returning the next day. This familiarity with the park in winter conditions set me up for success when it came time to plan for a longer endeavor around the entirety of the lake.

I’m incredibly grateful for my friendship and partnership with my friend Micah as we have had the privilege of enjoying many trips together in the alpine over the years. There is a trust and understanding that you form from many hours spent traveling in these remote and often surreal settings in nature. The plan was set, a 4 day 3 night excursion around the lake in a clockwise direction. We chose the dates of April 10th-13th and hoped for the best concerning the conditions. This time of year in Oregon, it’s often a gamble that the weather will cooperate, especially at the higher elevations in the Cascade Mountains.

I half worryingly watched the weather during March as storm after storm pummeled Crater Lake with snow, week after week. ‘At some point, this has to slow down, right?,’ I thought. Then just around the beginning of April, the pattern switched and calm ensued. On Saturday, April 10th, I left Portland and met up with Micah in Bend. We made some last minute purchases of food and gear and were off, heading south on Hwy 97. We arrived at the Steel Visitor Center in the early afternoon in good spirits, excited for the adventure ahead. The intention was to camp on top of The Watchman peak during the first night, however strong winds dictated that we stop short of the peak and spend the night below. That was fine by us. The nighttime temperature dipped to around 15F and we woke to an uncomfortable chill in the air as clouds rushed by through the trees. This gave way to sunshine that warmed our faces and spirits alike. Each day, the temperature would climb into the 40s making for very comfortable travel with little to no wind.

We learned some new skills concerning longer days of travel while using our Alpine Touring ski setup. One being the transition of taking off our skins and sticking them in our pack belt loop when skiing downhill sections. This made for fairly quick and comfortable travel. We were able to take advantage of many miles of downhill sections which sped up our travel. Day two mileage was in the 12mi range. Once we got past the north junction road which is at mile 7, the experience began to feel truly like wilderness. Day three saw us cover 15mi and ski some absolutely amazing downhill terrain on one of the rim peaks.

It had been our intention to ski some of the rim peaks as we went. However, because of little sleep and wanting a casual experience, we skipped some of the earlier objectives, opting for staying to the road the majority of the time. Then on the third day, Micah spotted a nearby peak that appeared to have amazing lines of wide open terrain and good elevation change. We climbed the peak which included probably 5 false summits, eventually arriving at one of the most beautiful overlooks of the entire park. After a quick lunch, we peeled skins and let rip as we descended the peak all the way back to the road. These downhill runs in the backcountry are so rewarding and fun and always leave a huge grin and a longing for more!

Once back on the road, we enjoyed several more miles of downhill which allowed us to cover 15 on that third day. Little did we realize, there were only 2.3mi left to the car! The morning of our 4th day saw us arrive at the car after just 45min of skiing, making for a casual day of driving back to Bend and eventually Portland. The weather was absolutely perfect for the whole time we were there, which definitely isn’t a given. I remember prior trips during the same dates that included blizzard type conditions. There is such a sense of tranquility and peace when in the backcountry during snow cover. It allows one to escape the majority of people and experience the place in quiet solitude. After many years of snow camping in the backcountry, I’ve grown to feel comfortable with the travel and routine found on these trips. Each time, I return with a feel of satisfaction and appetite for more in the future. I’m very thankful for a safe and enjoyable time at one of my favorite places in Oregon.

-Chris

Early evening light washes across The Watchman and Hillman Peaks. Zeiss 50mm

Chasing fall color In the Adirondacks

November 18, 2020

I plan my fall color outdoor trips a year in advance. There are several reasons for this which I will explain next. The first being, this is my absolute favorite time of year to be outside. I'm always in search of scenes that will evoke an emotional reaction. It's a challenge to see if it is possible to translate the feelings of place across through an image. It’s the natural contrast of bright bold colors, those vibrant reds, oranges and yellows that for such a short period, announce that a transition to the quiet and dark months ahead, are just around the corner. I find a deep joy in the process of being in the moment, knowing that the current experience I am living will be a brief moment to cherish. The images are my attempt to freeze not only the visual aspect of the scene, but the feelings and emotions that accompany them. Secondly, depending on the location I am interested in visiting, the conditions for fall color and timing it right will often be a very specific and very short period.

Last year when my father-in-law invited me to travel with him to New England during the fall of 2020, I couldn’t believe that my dream trip would soon be a reality! I’ve wanted to witness the spectacular fall color in that part of the country for the past 12 years and so my planning began. We would be exploring both Vermont and New Hampshire for just under two weeks. Then COVID happened and forced a change of plans. Luckily, the state of New York was still accepting Oregonians and we had a fantastic plan B in place. In the following weeks I would learn just how lucky we were to make that trip as New York would tighten its restrictions on travel and Oregon’s numbers would sky rocket.

There are many differences and some similarities between the forests of western Oregon and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The main difference being the type of trees as Oregon is famous for the Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar as well as other types of coniferous trees that blanket the Cascade and Coast ranges. The Adirondacks on the other hand are plentiful in different types of deciduous trees including varieties of Maple, Birch, Ash, as well as Beech, Elm, Poplar among many others. It’s these hardwoods that provide the quantity of color each September and October. In this entry, I’m going to recall several hikes and adventures we had while on our nearly two week trip to Upstate New York during the first part of October. I’m choosing not to state trailheads or specific hikes but will instead give the reader a general area of the location. The reason for this is the location sharing culture that is now prevalent on social media. This has been responsible for an exponential growth in visitation to certain locations, many of which simply cannot handle the increased traffic. I acknowledge that I was part of the increased visitation to the state of New York as a tourist who is using the same trails as everyone else. But with this, I feel a responsibility to not geotag my exact locations when sharing on social media. I was able to find hikes and plan a variety of activities by doing my own research and I would encourage others to use the internet as a resource.

A blanket of yellows, reds, and greens flank the sides of Lake George. Zeiss Loxia 50mm f2

The image above was taken on October 8th near the top of a peak with expansive views of nearby Lake George. It was a goal to find these types of scenes which are very common in the Adirondacks and can be achieved by summiting peaks of various sizes. The rewards far outweigh the effort put into reaching the summit of this particular peak and the same can be said of many of the hikes we did that involved a bit of climbing. One big difference I noticed between Oregon and East Coast hiking in general is switchbacks. They simply don’t use them on the East Coast. Instead, trails we hiked would send you straight up a hill in as little mileage as possible. No time to mess around wasting unnecessary mileage when you can just climb up in a straight line! This meant that many of the hikes were medium to short in mileage, but the gain in elevation had nowhere to hide. I was so grateful for this hike because we were able to time the color just right as well as having fantastic weather to enjoy the views.

The images below are both shot at the same location on the same morning of October 11th and showcase the importance of using different lenses and focal lengths to achieve different results. This particular hike began in the dark by headlamp as we had risen early in hopes of catching the first light of sunrise as it washed across the rolling mountains that surround Schroon Lake below. The first image was taken at 200mm and is small section of the entire panoramic scene that you can see in the second image. Look hard enough in the pano and you will see the section that makes up the first shot. I loved this image because of the vibrant reds in the foreground as well as the light that illuminated the colorful hills in the distance, beyond the lake. This hike was a special one as it was my father-in-law’s birthday and a great memory that we now have together.

Morning light washes across colorful mountains that surround Schroon Lake. Canon 70-200mm f2.8 at 200mm

A panoramic image stitched together using the Zeiss Loxia 50mm f2

This next set of images focuses on water. There are hundreds of streams, rivers and lakes throughout the Adirondack region of New York. These images come from various locations along the eastern side of the Adirondacks and give you sense of the beauty and distinct qualities of this part of the state and country. One major difference that I noticed specifically in reference to waterfalls, is the limestone rock and formations that the water would flow over in the Adirondacks. The waterfalls have a stair step look to them in many cases which creates quite the picturesque scene. Along with the copious streams are hundreds of lakes and ponds. 200 lakes to be more specific. We had a lot of fun just driving for hours and checking out random lakes to see if we could find any possible photo opportunities. One pond in particular had the perfect combination of color and calm conditions which catered to reflection perfection!

Morning mist rises as the sun illuminates a maple tree near Chestertown, NY. Zeiss Loxia 50mm f2

Color, light, and calm conditions cater to the perfect conditions for a nice reflection near Minerva, NY. Zeiss Loxia 50mm f2

Light spills through the trees and hits the falls to create a moment of magic. Zeiss Batis 18mm f2.8

Leaves swirl slowly in a large circle as a waterfall feeds into a large pool deep in the Wilcox Lake Forest. Canon 70-200mm f2.8

Blue sky reflects in a section of rushing water as a leaf is trapped on the creek bottom. Canon 70-200mm f2.8

Calm water reflects the vibrant color and tree trunks of the shoreline at a pond near Minerva, NY. Canon 70-200mm f2.8

Duel waterfalls create a clockwise swirl of leaves in this small pool near Keene Valley, NY. Zeiss Batis 18mm f2.8

How to photograph the Milky Way

August 24, 2020

This entry will focus on the aspects of planning, gear, and the execution of photographing the Milky Way. I will cover post processing in a future post. Before I understood how to take photos of the night sky and stars, it always seemed like a highly technical and advanced version of photography that was above my ability. Looking at beautiful images of the Milky Way core was enjoyable, but not something that I understood. I’m going to tell you exactly how I plan and execute my astro photography trips so that you can go out and get the exact same type of images for yourself, no matter what gear you have.

Virtually every DSLR and mirrorless camera today has the ability to capture night sky images. Whether you own a beginner or advanced camera or whether it’s brand new or many years old, doesn’t matter. Of course the newer technology and latest cameras will have better high ISO capability with better low light performance, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t get fantastic results with older camera bodies. At the time of writing this, my camera is coming up on six years and is still producing incredible Milky Way images. The piece of gear that will make a big difference in your ability to get good results is lenses. You’ll want to use your lens with the fastest aperture which lets the most amount of light reach the sensor. Generally, f4 and faster will allow you to take nice images of the Milky Way. This summer I’ve been enjoying using two primes to shoot the Milky Way which are my 28mm f2 and 50mm f2. The maximum aperture of f2 is fantastic for letting in a large amount of light which gives me great results. That said, if you own an 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens for example, shooting at the fastest aperture of f3.5 will work great. You don’t need to go out and buy an expensive lens to be able to do astro photography. For Nikon DX shooters, the 35mm f1.8 is a great and inexpensive option that would work really well for photographing the night sky.

Canyon Rim, Central Oregon August 2020. Sony 28mm f2

The other piece of essential gear is a tripod. Depending on your settings, you’ll be taking exposures of around 15sec on average give or take, so camera stability is a must in this situation. I also use a remote to trigger the shutter so I don’t have to physically push the button on the camera which helps me avoid any shake or movement. You can also just use a self timer which works well. So now that you’ve got all of the gear that you need, you can start planning your astro photography trips!

When photographing the Milky Way, it’s important to pay attention to the moon cycle. Ideally, you will be able to shoot the night sky during a new moon. The reason for this is that when the moon is present while shooting the Milky Way, it can be far too bright and essentially washes out the stars and the rest of the night sky. When you photograph the Milky Way without the brightness of the moon, it allows your camera sensor to collect all of that star detail without being washed out. The several days before, during, and after a new moon are the best time to shoot. However, you can photograph the Milky Way during other times of the month if you plan accordingly. Look at the schedule when the moon will rise and set. There are times during the summer here in Oregon where I live, that the Milky Way is in the right position and the moon hasn’t risen yet, giving me a window of time that I can safely photograph the stars before the moon brightness washes out the sky.

Mt. Jefferson, July 2020. Zeiss Loxia 50mm f2

When planning to photograph the Milky Way, you absolutely need clear skies. In Oregon, that means that Milky Way season is generally May-September because of weather. I use two apps to figure out the position and timing of where the Milky Way will be on the night that I am going to photograph. These are Stellarium and Skyview Lite. Both of these are free which is nice. Using these apps, I am able to dial in exactly when the Milky Way will be in the position that I am looking for. An example would be the photo to the right, of Mt. Jefferson where the Milky Way is passing directly behind the mountain. With the help of the apps, I knew that at a certain time, the Milky Way would be in the right position and all I needed to do was set up my camera and wait. Where I live, the general direction that the Milky Way core appears is southeast to south.

So we’ve chosen a night to shoot the stars, the forecast is clear, and now it’s time to head out there and give it a shot. Trying to photograph in complete darkness seems a bit ridiculous at first. What I look for is the brightest star or planet in the sky which I will use to accomplish focus. You will be using manual focus during this outing and will want to open your aperture as wide as it can go. Generally, I like to start with settings like f2 or f2.8, ISO 6400, 15sec, then adjust from there. Looking at the back of the LCD screen in live view, I look for the brightest star or planet which many times is Jupiter. It can take some searching and time before you see it as they typically look like little twinkling dots. After I’ve found it, I will use focus magnification to zoom in on Jupiter as close as I can. Rack the focus back and forth until the point of light becomes pinpoint sharp. It will look like a blurry blob then for just a second, be tack sharp before becoming blurry again. It’s at that sharp point that you are in focus. Once focus is acquired, you can go back to your regular composition, no longer magnified. Because it’s so dark, you won’t know if you have a good composition until you take your first image. You will see the adjustments you want to make and go from there. Sometimes it takes me three or four shots before I have the composition I want. As you adjust your ISO, you’ll notice that the higher the number, the brighter the image. You’ll also see that it introduces more noise or grain to the image. It becomes personal preference with your settings as you play around to see what accomplishes the best results. These instructions are for taking single images, but there are various other techniques such as stacking and using a star tracker that are more advanced methods to accomplish a clean end result. I’ll touch on stacking in a future entry.

I remember vividly the first time that the Milky Way core appeared on the back of my camera screen on my first outing shooting the night sky. It was so exciting and my interest was peaked as this whole new world of photography had opened up to me! It is my hope that you are able to take some of this information and use it to begin taking your own images of the night sky. Creating nice images is a bonus, but one thing that photographing the stars does is take you to places that you otherwise might never visit during the night. When you are out there, take a moment to step away from the camera and just look up. When you are under a truly dark sky with no moon present, it’s absolutely amazing how many stars you can see! It’s a humbling experience that you will remember for a long time.

-Chris

Stop worrying about the gear, just take pictures!

May 23, 2020

I admit it, I enjoy geeking out on gear reviews on YouTube and have been doing that quite a bit during this quarantine. Camera gear interests me and seeing the latest camera technology and lenses reviewed by entertaining personalities is fun. But it brings up a topic that I feel is important to remember when thinking about photography as a whole. Ultimately, it’s not the gear that makes memorable images but the photographer.

At the bottom of this blog entry are three images. Each photo was taken with a different camera and two different brands. I used my first digital camera for nine years before finally upgrading. In 2007 I purchased the Nikon d40x and loved using that camera for everything! Of course, buying the top of the line lenses will make a difference in the quality of your images when compared to the kit lenses, but ultimately the images we capture are meaningful to us because of the emotions they evoke in us as a photographer and the viewers who enjoy them. Thinking of past customers who have purchased a print or clients who have received wedding photos, I can’t remember anyone saying to me, ‘I’d love that image you took but was that taken with a 10mp sensor and not a 24mp one?’ No, people connect with your art because of the emotion it evokes within them, not because you have x amount of megapixels or a G Master lens. Cameras are tools that we use to capture special moments forever, and it’s those moments that provide meaning.

Recently someone made a comment on my Instagram post saying that because of the color, I must be shooting with a Nikon camera. The truth is that I did shoot with Nikon DSLRs for ten years before switching to the Sony mirrorless system in 2017. That particular image was shot with my Sony camera which shows that the viewer can’t tell the difference what camera I’m using. I think the most important thing photographers can do is to just take images and continue searching for those moments that inspire and convey that emotion that we feel we want to be communicated in an outward way. You don’t need a full frame camera or an expensive lens to take impactful images. So many people think that if they just had this camera or lens then they could finally start creating the work they always wanted to but the reality is that practicing and learning will take you farther than any gear will, however expensive it may be.

When I look at the three images in this post, I don’t see a beginner Nikon DSLR, prosumer Nikon DSLR, or full frame Sony mirrorless camera. I see three memories and moments that bring me joy because I used the tool that I had in that moment to capture images that convey those feelings of being in those moments.

Finding intimate scenes within the bigger picture

April 18, 2020

When visiting a beautiful space in the outdoors, especially ones with grand scenes and views, it can be tempting to pull out the wide angle lens to capture the entirety of what you see. I remember the first couple years following my first purchase of a wide angle lens. I did exactly that, shooting mostly with the ultra wide lens and truly enjoying photographing scenes with great depth, foreground element, and a grand scene on the horizon such mountains or a colorful sky. Once I began moving on from that phase, my interest began to shift toward the smaller scenes within the grand picture.

Inherently, this process forces one to become more creative when searching for a subject to photograph. I would suggest using a lens with a focal range of 70-200mm or a kit lens such as the 55-200mm. By using this focal length, you must become very intentional when choosing your subject. Over the years, I’ve acquired the skill of looking a scene whether that be a fir forest during October, full of vibrant red or yellow vine maple, or a single oak tree standing in a field, and find something about that scene that intrigues me. I’m always searching for images that will evoke an emotional reaction within myself. Everyone is wired differently, but for me I feel like the intimate smaller scenes do this to a greater extent that the broader picture.

Let’s take this oak tree for example. I recently visited and photographed this tree with two different ideas and outcomes in mind. First, the wide angle image which included the entire tree, rolling hills, and light pouring through the branches and illuminating the grass below. This was shot at 24mm. The next image was a much tighter shot of the interior tree trunk branches, showcasing the texture and details of the middle section of the tree. This was shot at 70mm. Both images are of the same tree but each tells a very different story, potentially producing and evoking a different outcome within the viewer. As a personal challenge, I would encourage you to exclusively use a longer lens like the 70-200mm when visiting a place. See how this shapes the way you look at the landscape and forces creativity in a different way than you have previously experienced.

Welcome!

February 24, 2020

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my website, it means very much to me! One of my main goals with this site is to use it for written word which will accompany the images that I enjoy sharing with you. In my photographic journey over the years, one thing has remained the same. Each image I create is a piece of work that I feel deeply connected with. There is an emotional aspect behind the photographs. By its nature, the images reflect outwardly what is happening on the inside at a heart and soul level. It is my goal to reveal a part of myself to you through this art and my hope is that you can get to know me a little better because of it.