Picture of the Day - 3/18/2011

Texas Wildflowers - Sheila and I are visiting her sister, Kerry, near San Antonio for the next week. One thing I was hoping for was that we would be in time for at least the first blooms of Texas wildflowers and we weren't disappointed. Texas Hill Country" west of Austin (primarily). There are nice pockets of flowers here and there, despite the fact we're a little further south than the prime areas. I took this picture in a vacant lot southeast of San Antonio, but there were nice areas along both sides of the road. Most of the flowers are Texas Paintbrush with some unidentified pink and yellow flowers. There is a good Web site for Texas wildflowers here: http://www.texaswildflowerpictures.com/

Picture of the Day - 3/15/2011

Pelicans in Flight, Boca Chico Beach, TX - Sheila and I spent the morning at Boca Chica Beach, the southernmost beach in Texas and just across the Rio Grande from Mexico. It's possible to drive your car out along the beach there and the few people there were usually fishing. While Sheila collected seashells, I walked Foxie and photographed the brown pelicans and other seabirds in the area. The pelicans typically fly in long lines parallel to the shore. Settings: ISO 400, 1/4000 second at f8, 28-300mm lens handheld.

Picture of the Day - 3/14/2011

Sunset in Laguna Atascosa NWR - We moved our camp to Brownsville, Texas, and spent most of the day in the Laguna Atascosa NWR - famous for the elusive ocelots living there. Unfortunately, they are nocturnal, so the chances of seeing one in the wild are very slim. However, there were plenty of waterfowl and other birds. This scene was taken on the Lakeside Road near the visitor center. Settings: ISO 200, 1/250 second at f5.6, 400mm lens on tripod.

New Workshop and Tour: Nat Coalson and I will be leading a new all-day photo shoot and Lightroom seminar at Garden of the Gods Park and Visitor Center, Saturday, June 4th. The cost is only $119 and you may register here. I'm also in discussions with a tour operator and guide service for a photo tour of Costa Rica in early November. We'll have room for a maximum of six participants. Please email me for more info.

Picture of the Day - 3/13/2011

Sunset in Mexico - We're camped right on the Rio Grande where we can see across to the wilderness and wildlife preserves in Mexico. Friday night, we were walking the dog right around sunset and captured this palm tree with the setting sun. I love the orange sky here...who says you can't/shouldn't shoot into the sun? Settings: ISO 1600, 1/1000 second at f25 28-300mm lens, handheld.

Picture of the Day - 3/12/2011

Santa Ana NW Reserve, McAllen, TX - This is the fourth and final day of the Summit, so I'm including a photo taken last Wednesday of the group of us walking out to the trailhead of the Santa Ana NWR near McAllen. This was one of the better spots to photograph aquatic birds and we ran into several - roseate spoonbills, grebes, egrets, cormorants and many others. Settings: ISO 200, 1/800 second at f5, 100-400mm lens.

Picture of the Day - 3/11/2011

Green Jay, Martin Reserve, TX - This is the third day of the Summit, so I'm including a photo taken last Tuesday of another green jay, a common species this time of year. It was taken from a blind at the Martin Reserve. They never rest for very long, so you need to be fast on the shutter. Settings: ISO 200, 1/1000 second at f4, 600mm lens and fill flash with Better Beamer magnifier.

Picture of the Day - 3/10/2011

Buff-Bellied Hummingbird, Hidalgo Pumphouse Reserve, TX - This is the second day of the Summit, so I'm including a photo taken Wednesday of a buff-bellied hummingbird (Amazilia yucataneous), a common species this time of year. It was resting on this branch for quite a while, affording me the chance to manually focus the lens deep into the bush. Settings: ISO 200, 1/40 second at f13, 400mm. This handheld shot was only possible by using an image-stabilized lens.

Picture of the Day - 3/9/2011

Green Jay, Martin Refuge, TX - The NANPA Summit started today, so to spare you from more rug pictures (joke from last year), I'll show you another image from the Martin Refuge taken last Tuesday. The green jay is one of the more colorful and plentiful birds in the area tis time of year. South Texas happens to be the location for a convergence of two major bird flyways, as well as the northern terminus for many of the tropical birds flying up from Central and South America. As such, the area around the Rio Grande River is rich with diverse birdlife. Settings: ISO 200, 1/3200 second at f4. Fill flash set at -2/3rds shot through a Better Beamer magnifier.

Picture of the Day - 3/8/2011

Roadrunner, Martin Refuge, TX - I spent the afternoon today at the Martin Refuge (www.martinrefuge.com) sitting in a blind and photographing the myriad of birds found here. Joining me in the blind were, photographers, Jon Fuller (Moab Photo Tours) and Jack Panseca (27 Birds). The blind was about three feet below grade, so we were able to set up tripods with lenses just above ground level for perfect eye-to-eye photography. Dominant birds included green jays, yellow-fronted woodpeckers, cardinals and long-billed thrashers. We did manage to photograph a roadrunner, who (very politely, I thought) posed for us in various spots, turning his head first one way and then the other, just showing off the the cameras. I was using the 600mm lens with the Canon 1D Mk2 body with a 12mm extension tube to bring the focus a little closer. The refuge management had constructed a couple small ponds and several nearby natural-looking perches. Settings: ISO 200, 1/4000 second at f4. Fill flash set at -2/3rds shot through a Better Beamer magnifier.

Picture of the Day - 3/7/2011

Sunset over the Rio Grande River, near McAllen, TX - Sheila and I arrived to the RV park about 5 PM today. Our camp spot is very close to the edge of the Rio Grande River in South Texas. It's in the high 70s and slightly humid, but otherwise pretty comfortable. We just finished a nice visit with good friends King and Sharon near Austin and will be spending this week at the NANPA Summit (www.nanpa.org), an annual nature photography conference. As I was reheating leftovers, I noticed the sun was preparing to set, so I ran out to the river's edge and grabbed a few shots. Settings: ISO 200, 1/125th second at f6.3. I cropped the image at the top and bottom for a better composition. Note the ugly posterization around the sky - a good reason to have saved this as a TIFF, rather than a JPEG (with associated loss of bit depth/resolution). Makes for a classic picture, though. The next two days, I'll be spending on wildlife preserves, so hopefully, will capture a bird or two.

Picture of the Day - 3/5/2011

Meerkats, Oklahoma City Zoo - It's probably not possible to take a bad meerkat picture! Oklahoma soil contains a lot of brown clay, which colors their coats. Settings: ISO 400, 1/640 second at f8, 360mm lens.

Picture of the Day - 3/4/2011

Mountain Lion, Oklahoma City Zoo - The Oklahoma City Zoo has been fixing up their displays over the last several years, primarily to make the enclosures more natural-looking. This mountain lion was photographed through a plexiglass viewing port, which allowed for unrestricted photography. Many zoos still have fencing that tends to interfere with picture-taking, but we'll be talking about zoo-photography and how to overcome this in the March newsletter. Because this was taken in the shade, the lighting was nice and even, however, there was a slight blue color-cast that had to be corrected by adding a little yellow. I liked the natural-looking pose, but this requires a lot of patience - a good trait for wildlife photographers!

Picture of the Day - 3/3/2011

Pops Store and Restaurant, Oklahoma City - Our last stop during our visit to Oklahoma City was to the famous Pops Restaurant and soda pop store. Located just off the historic Route 66, the store sells hundreds of exotic soda pop. Sheila and I also split a whopping-big chicken fried steak dinner - a classic meal in this area. While we were eating dinner, I noticed a sunset was happening and captured an image of their multi-colored soda pop bottle, which I estimate is about 75 feet high.

Picture of the Day - 3/2/2011

Peacock Displaying, Oklahoma Zoo - Sheila and I visited her cousin, Jeanne, near Oklahoma City. Jeanne is an artist who paints wildlife portraits and enjoys visiting the zoo to make "reference photos". We spent the next couple days there and in our wanderings, found this peacock displaying for the ladies.

Picture of the Day - 3/1/2011

Sunset Panorama, Vega, TX - Sheila and I are on our way to the NANPA Summit (www.nanpa.org), which will be held in McAllen, Texas, this year. We're making stops at a couple friend's homes on the way. During a gas/dinner stop in Vega, Texas, we caught this unbelievable sunset. It warranted a panorama, so this image was comprised of four separate, overlapping, shots and stitched together in Panorama Maker 4. Settings: ISO 400, f4, 1/100th second, handheld. Next stop, Edmond, Oklahoma and a visit to the zoo.

Picture of the Day - 2/17/2011

Iridescent Clouds - I caught this effect occurring last Sunday morning just prior to our church service. This somewhat common, but rarely noticed, event occurs because sunlight is hitting water drops or ice crystals in the cloud formation at just the right angle. Because this is a diffraction phenomenon, it works best with a thin cloud layer, so most of the sun encounters just a single layer of water drops or ice crystals. To get the "starburst" effect due to the sun, I positioned the camera so that just a tiny part of the sun poked out from behind the roof and used a small aperture (high "f" number). This was captured with my small Canon SX130 compact. Goes to show you it doesn't require expensive camera gear to get great shots! Image straight from the camera - unprocessed.

Picture of the Day - 2/16/2011

Young Meerkats, Pueblo Zoo - Who can resist young meerkats, playing and sleeping together? Sheila and I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day at the Pueblo Zoo. While I wouldn't consider this one of the top zoos in Colorado, they do have a good variety of animals and appear to be fixing the place up gradually. The zoo was established in the 1920s and most of the buildings were constructed during the WPA in the 1930s. Many of the outdoor exhibits were shut down for the winter, but are supposed to reopen in mid-March.

Picture of the Day - 1/28/2011

Ken Flying the C130 Simulator - A little different image today - well, it's late Friday! Sheila and I have been cleaning out shoeboxes of old family prints and scanning them into digital files. I ran into this one - ahhh, taken a few years ago - of me flying a C-130 cargo aircraft simulator based at what used to be El Toro Marine Air Station in Orange County, CA. Notice the fancy "flight suit"! As an active pilot back then (mid-70s), I was used to flying any number of single engine fixed wing planes - Cesnas, Cherokee Warriors and the fast little Grumman TR-2 trainer. This was my first effort at "flying" a multi-engine military aircraft and it was surprisingly easy! It actually seemed as responsive as any Cesna I'd flown.

Anyway, I ended up flying it from El Toro MAS to Catalina Island, about 20 miles off the coast of Southern California, circling twice and flying back. The takeoff and landing went well, but this picture was taken shortly after I crashed the plane into one of the hangers during the taxi! Oh well, no harm done! Guess I'll stick to smaller planes!

Picture of the Day - 1/26/2011

Crystal Mill/Pumphouse (toned B&W) - Still experimenting with B&W conversion in preparation for the workshop I'll be taking with George DeWolfe later in May at the Santa Fe Workshops. This is a shot of the famous Crystal Mill/Pumphouse, east of Marble, Colorado, and taken during our fall color tour last year. The primary purpose of this structure was to provide fresh air to the nearby gold and silver mines. It's rather difficult to get to, either requiring a 5 mile hike along a very rocky road, or a high clearance 4WD vehicle. The scenery, though, is well worth the effort! This B&W conversion was slightly toned to give it a antique "feel". Settings: ISO 800, Shutter 1/10 second at f11 (tripod-mounted).

Picture of the Day - 1/25/2011

Aspen Grove (B&W) - Recently, I've been experimenting with B&W conversions using Adobe's Photoshop Lightroom and Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro (plug-in). This scene was shot last fall during our tour to the Aspen, Colorado, area. It was originally captured as a vertical, but there was a bunch of sky showing as bright highlights in a band about 2/3rds the way up, which I felt was distracting. So, I cropped it as a horizontal keeping the boulder as an "anchor point". Because the sun had already set, the details could still be seen in the shadow areas. While this would have made a great image in color, I wanted to feature the more graphic nature of the aspen trunks. Most of the conversion was performed in Lightroom by first clicking on B&W, then adjusting the tree trunks with exposure and then setting the Blacks and Contrast sliders to darken the shadow areas bringing more attention to the trunks and boulder. Final adjustments of the individual color channels completes the conversion. Settings: ISO 400, shutter 1/100 second at f8.

Picture of the Day - 1/24/2011

Winter Sunset - This fantastic sunset was taken as I was on the country road home a few days ago with my compact Canon SX130. The clouds were formed into bands of intense blues and reds. The camera exposure compensation was adjusted to -1 EV in order to bring out the colors best. This is also a good setting for capturing rainbows. Settings: ISO 400, 1/100 second at f5. Cropped slightly top and bottom with Lightroom.

Picture of the Day - 1/21/2011

Aspens in Snow - During the last big storm a three weeks ago, I took off in the Explorer to go find some pictures. It was bitterly cold with a stiff breeze, which quickly froze my unprotected fingers. Fortunately, I was able to work from the warmer vehicle. Near our house in Woodland Park, are several groves of aspens that make great subjects. This was originally captured as a vertical (you generally shoot vertical subjects vertically), however, once on the computer and looking carefully, I realized the whole top half was cluttered with distracting elements. So, I decided to crop the image to a square format, lopping off the distracting top, and leaving the composition seen here. Three of anything is generally a pleasing arrangement and I really like the resulting simplicity. The grasses add a nice background of texture, which balances the boldness of the trunks. This is what originally caught my eye, so the right thing to do was to get rid of everything else that failed to add to the composition. This may make a good B&W conversion as well! Settings: +1 EV exposure compensation, ISO 200, 1/250 second at f11.

Picture of the Day - 1/20/2011

Old Wagon, Ashcroft Ghost Town, Colorado - This old broken-down wagon sits alone in a vast field near the old ghost town of Ashcroft, near Aspen, Colorado. This was one of our stops during the fall color tour last year and we really worked it for all it was worth! I liked this particular view and have played around with a black & white version as well. Settings: ISO 200, 1/60th second at f5.6.

Picture of the Day - 1/19/2011

Un-named Peak near Ashcroft, Colorado - Enough winter scenery for a while! This peak with the first light of dawn was taken during our photo tour around the Aspen, Colorado, area. It's an example why we get up and out to the field shooting well before sunrise! The only adjustment was to lighten the foreground a bit, otherwise, the color on the peak is just as we saw it. Settings: 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm, -1EV exposure compensation to bring out the color best, ISO 800, 1/250th second at f8.

Picture of the Day - 1/18/2011

Frozen Cascades - Sheila took this shot while we were exploring Eleven Mile Canyon, near Lake George, CO. The water has a light aqua coloring, which I particularly liked. The ice formations frame the subject nicely. As there was no sun this day, we didn't get the bright orange reflections, but you learn to work with what you're given on any day. She captured this at ISO 100, shutter 1/4 second and aperture f25 on the Canon Rebel T2i.

Picture of the Day - 1/17/2011

Bald Eagle Pair, Eleven Mile Canyon, CO - This nesting pair of bald eagles was captured last Saturday in Eleven Mile Canyon near Lake George, CO. While fairly skittish, they posed for quite  while on this branch - at least long enough for me to deploy the 600 mm lens with 1.4X teleconverter on my Canon 1D Mk2 (for a total equivalent 1092 mm focal length). This image was cleaned up and cropped slightly for composition. Normally, I'd place the birds more to the right side, so they were "looking in" to the frame. However, I liked the symmetry of the branch, so centered them. Here's a situation where you want to avoid using "matrix" or "evaluative" metering, as the eagles heads will likely overexpose, due to the dominant dark background. Best to use manual exposure in this case. Spot-metering their heads may also help prevent overexposure. Settings, ISO 800, Shutter 1/1600th second, aperture open all the way at f5.6.

Picture of the Day - 1/14/2011

Ice Crystals - Many nature photographers strive to capture the widest landscape scenes they can, but very often, a better technique is to extract a more "intimate landscape" from the "whole". In this case, I noticed a crunching sound as I walked along the bank of the South Platte River. Looking down, I saw a myriad of ice crystals. Steadying the camera, I captured a few of these in the viewfinder. Settings: ISO 200, 1/320th second at f4. Adjusted in Lightroom with slight adjustments in contrast and structure using Nik Software's Vivesa 2.

Picture of the Day - 1/13/2011

Sunrise near Woodland Park, CO - I'm usually an early riser and when I looked out the window to check the weather conditions, I could tell that the sunrise could be spectacular this morning. Leaving a bit early for a monthly business meeting, I grabbed my camera and captured images all the way into Woodland Park, where I live. This view is looking west a few miles from town. One of my neighbors can be seen enjoying an early morning bike ride in the brisk air - the clouds playing before him; a masterpiece painting by our heavenly Father.

Settings: Cloudy white balance, ISO 200, 1/50th second at f5. Exposure, sharpening and noise reduction was adjusted with Lightroom.

Picture of the Day - 1/12/2011

Blue and Gold with Boulders - Since there were no bald eagles to be found last Saturday (very odd!), we continued to turn our lenses to the river and all the great reflections. If you wish to accentuate the reflections, as well as impart "movement" to the water, try slowing the shutter down to 1/10th to 1/2 second. This image was taken at ISO 200, f18 and 1/6th second exposure. I love the subtle blue and gold striations in the main flow of water over the boulders. You can just hear the crashing of the water!

Picture of the Day - 1/11/2011

South Platte Glow - This image was taken along the South Platte River near Lake George, Colorado. Being winter here, there was a lot of ice, but the first thing I noticed was the sun reflecting a golden glow along parts of the surface. This image was captured with my 80-200 mm lens and then the top and bottom was cropped to highlight the rapids and colorful water swirling along. I set the shutter for 1/6th second exposure to blend the water.

Picture of the Day - 12/31/2010

Total Lunar Eclipse, December 20-21, 2010 - We'll close out 2010 with a composite image of the total lunar eclipse on the evening of the 20th and 21st. Images were taken with a 300 mm lens with 1.4X teleconverter and with the Canon T2i body, for an equivalent 672 mm. I used Live View to focus and assembled the collage with Photoshop CS2. Manual exposure was used.

Picture of the Day - 12/30/2010

Sunset, Ft. Collins, CO - I seldom miss a chance to shoot a sunrise or sunset. This was taken during a visit to Chris and Alex's place earlier this month. Shot with the little Canon SX130 compact camera.

Picture of the Day - 12/29/2010

Sunrise, Teller County, CO - I often rise before the sun - especially this time of year when the days are short. I really liked the muted and subtle pastels earlier this month filtering through the three aspen trees. Taken with the Canon SX130 compact. Taken handheld with settings of 1/80th second at f4.5 and ISO 400.

Picture of the Day - 12/28/2010

Abstract Tree, Denver Zoo - During our Zoo Lights trip through the Denver Zoo, I was on the lookout for any unusual lighting. This tree, lit reflecting nearby blue lights Looked like a possible subject - especially, with the contrasting red-lit leaves in the upper-left.  Since this was designed to be an abstract, anything is fair game! I enhanced the image slightly using Nik Software's Vivesa 2 by increasing the contrast and darkening the sky a bit. Since I wished to avoid carrying a tripod, I supported the camera on a nearby trash receptacle. The exposure was 5 seconds and f5.6 at ISO 1600.

Picture of the Day - 12/27/2010

"Zoo Lights" at the Denver Zoo - While the Denver Zoo also has an annual "holiday light safari", I couldn't help but try out some abstract photography this evening. There are many ways to create interesting abstracts and most cameras (even the small compacts) can be set up to do this. While "zoom blurs" may only be done with lenses that can be manually zoomed during the shot, the "jiggle" or (horizontal or vertical) "pan" blurs may be done with any camera. Remembering that the actual image ends up on the imager upside down, to achieve the "swirl" blur as pictured (a series of "smiles"), you need to swirl up and down in a circular fashion. For the best effect, it helps to look for a multitude of multi-colored and closely-spaces lights. Trial and error is the order of the day for these and it usually takes several tries before I like the result. Camera settings: ISO 1600, aperture 5.6, shutter 1/6 second. Be sure to pre-focus first.

Picture of the Day - 12/26/2010

Electric Safari, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (Colorado Springs, CO) - After a delightful BBQ rib dinner, cooked by Chris & Alex, we all headed off to the local zoo for some night time photography of the lights. Here's a shot near the entrance showing some of the lighted animals and walkway. The zoo is unique in that it is (likely) one of the highest in altitude at 6800 feet and its built onto the side of Cheyenne Mountain, which requires a certain amount of exercise to experience all the exhibits. The Electric Safari is an annual event held right around Christmas time and it attracts quite a crowd!

Picture of the Day - 12/25/2010

Merry Christmas! - For all those who celebrate it, Foxie wishes you all a very Merry Christmas from our house to yours! Best wishes & God's blessings for the New Year!

Ken, Sheila and Foxie

Picture of the Day - 12/24/2010

Stare At This - I'm sure this image has been floating around for a while now, but I thought it appropriate for this Christmas Eve. Stare at the four dots for 20 to 30 seconds, close your eyes and tilt your head back a little. What do you see?

Picture of the Day - 12/23/2010

East Face of Mt. Whitney - I took this photo last February on my way to the NANPA (www.nanpa.org) photo conference in Reno. I was just entering the town of Lone Pine from my stay the day before in Death Valley. Whitney is the highest peak in the continental U.S. at 14,495 feet. While I've climbed it twice via the main trail, I've yet been unsuccessful in climbing the east face. Coming upon this scene this year reminded me of my attempt to climb it while in college. My climbing partner and I made it about 3/4 of the way up, before being chased back down by a lightning storm. It's hard to tell the scale, but it took us over 20 rappels to get back down and out of danger. Photographed with a Canon 1D Mk2 with 100-400 mm lens at 310 mm. ISO 200, f8 and 1/800 second. I did the B&W conversion in Lightroom.

Picture of the Day - 12/22/2010

Lunar Eclipse with Tower of Babel - Here's one more take on Monday night's lunar eclipse at the Garden of the Gods Park - this time with the moon fully shadowed by the earth. If magnified, the moon would look rather orange. Focus was achieved by switching to Live View mode and adjusting the moon for best sharpness. Taken with a 16 - 35 mm wide-angle zoom set to 16 mm on a Canon Rebel T2i body. ISO was 800 with shutter at 30 seconds and f5.6. The rocks were lightened slightly and the sky cleaned up in Lightroom. The rocks were lit only by ambient light from a nearby building.

Picture of the Day - 12/21/2010

Lunar Eclipse, Garden of the Gods Park - Sheila and I spent the better part of the night last night (and this morning!) photographing the total lunar eclipse. It was fascinating to watch the full moon with its bright light casting shadows around us, with near full visibility...to near total darkness, in a matter of several minutes. I had set up two cameras - one with a 300 mm / f2.8 (and 1.4X teleconverter) on my Canon T2i body, in order to obtain close-ups of the moon itself. The other one was set up in a fixed location near the Tower of Babel rock formation, hooked up to an intervelometer shutter release, set to fire every 8.5 minutes. The primary purpose of this one was to capture a sequence of moon shots, which would later be combined into a single frame showing the moon at different stages of eclipse. The 8.5 minutes was calculated such that none of the moon images would overlap. The tripod was located such that the sequence would have arced directly over the rocks.

This is one frame from that sequence, showing the moon as its just coming out of umbral stage. The slight sliver of crescent moon is causing a "starburst" effect, which I thought was unique. This was photographed using my Canon 5D with 24 to 70 mm /f2.8 lens (adjusted to 30 mm) and  set to ISO 800, 30 second exposure at f5.6. It was slightly adjusted with Lightroom to bring up the shadow detail in the rocks. I also applied sharpening and noise reduction to clean up the sky. Because of the 30 second exposure, if one were to magnify this image, you'd be able to see slight arcs in the stars, due to the earth's rotation. The light on the rocks is from the natural ambient light from the nearby building in the main parking lot where we were located.

Note that focussing any lens at night (especially during a total eclipse) is troublesome. If your camera body has a "live view" mode (or equivalent), where you can see the actual image via the LCD screen, it's possible to set focus on bright objects, such as the moon or stars. You'll want to switch to Manual focus, so that successive shots don't end up defocussing the lens. For camera bodies without "live view", it's tougher. It's generally best to prefocus the lens during the day or early evening, switch to Manual focus and tape the adjusting ring down with gaffers tape. This assumes there will be no drastic temperature changes, as this can affect the focus point (mainly on large telephotos). For these lunar shots, I set the exposure to Manual and diddle around until I get proper exposure for the moon. To see stars well, you'll want to set the aperture for around f4 to f5.6 and the ISO to a setting where they start to show well in the LCD screen. The shutter speed should be 15 to 30 seconds for good detail. If you're fortunate enough to have some foreground, it can be light-painted with a strong flashlight during the exposure.

Picture of the Day - 12/16/2010

Merry Christmas 2010 - This photo was taken earlier this year during a winter weekend. We were staying with good friends Larry and Terrie at the Mt. Elbert Lodge, near Twin Lakes, Colorado. The sky was pretty clear and I stayed up late to capture this scene overlooking some of the other cabins - along with a starry sky. You can see Orion just right of center. For a situation like this, I tripod-mounted the camera and set the exposure to manual (using f8 and adjusting the shutter by trial & error). To emphasize the sky, I used a wide angle (16-35 mm) lens. Adjusted slightly using Lightroom 3 with text added in Photoshop.

Inspirational Prints Added

In time for this special Christmas season, I just added several new inspirational prints in the Gallery section of the Web site. These would make ideal gifts for your loved ones. If ordered by the 17th, I should be able to deliver by Christmas.

Mobile Connectivity on the Road

Those of you who travel a lot - especially into remote areas and who need internet connectivity for email or conducting business on the road - this may be your solution! My job takes me on the road quite often and I need regular access to email and the internet. There are many providers of "mobile connectivity" for areas not blessed with free Wi-Fi, but most force you into buying an expensive 2-year contract along with their plug-in USB "dongle". Virgin Mobile, on the other hand, offers a no-contract, month by month plan, which is ideal for the occasional traveler. I purchased their MiFi 2200 credit card-sized solution ($150), which works off the Sprint (or roams to Verizon's) network - the combination of which is one of the most extensive coverages in the U.S. This can be ordered off their web site (http://www.virginmobileusa.com/) or purchased through Best Buy and others.


This small card allows wireless connection of up to five devices. So, once its turned on, both Sheila and I have access simultaneously! I can be answering client emails while Sheila surfs the Web or goes through her email. The speed varies, but both Spring and Verizon have fairly fast networks (up to 150k bps rates). While not the speediest, it gets the job done! Best of all, you're not locked into a long-term contract. I just pay $40/month or $10 for 10 days - just for the time I need!

Cradock fotoSoftware Holiday 30% Off Sale!

Cradoc fotoSoftware is having a holiday 30% off sale! This applies to new customers and existing customers who upgrade. fotoQuote Pro 6 is the pricing tool I most recommend during my Business of Photography seminars. Click here for more...

Picture of the Day - 12/6/2010

Snowy Ridge, Rocky Mountain N.P. - The day after Thanksgiving, we drove Chris & Alex to Estes Park and took a loop through Rocky Mountain N.P. While there, we were able to photograph bighorn sheep, elk, and lots of icy reflections in the creeks and streams. On the way back to Estes, we noticed the snow blowing off the ridge of the craggy mountain range. Glad we were in a warm car, as it looked pretty cold up there!

Picture of the Day - 12/4/2010

Grasses in Snow - The morning following our first decent snowfall a few days ago, I peeked out the front door into the chill air to capture this image of grasses poking up through the fresh blanket of snow. A single ray from the sunrise lit up the row; the effect lasting for a brief moment, and then was gone.

Pro Tip - Submitting Images to Photo Editors

I've been writing for various hobby and professional magazines for 25 years now and after speaking with many editors over the years, as well as attending several writing and photography workshops on this subject, I've got it down pretty well. I go over much more detail in the Business of Photography seminar, but I did want to mention an easy way to get sample images (or "comps", as they're called) to photo editors and buyers.

First, you need to establish a relationship with the editor(s). Avoid contacting the "editor in chief" as they're usually more a management role, than "worker bee". Don't be afraid to drop the photo editor or assistant editor a short email or letter describing yourself along with a few sample images. Don't overwhelm them - they're under constant pressure to "get out the next issue" and they may take a while to get back to you. Generally, they prefer not to take phone calls. One thing I do 2 to 4 times a year is send them a "promo sheet" with a few of your BEST recent representative images. Need I mention, images that reflects the needs of the specific magazine? Make sure it's printed on classy paper and include your contact info. You want it beautiful enough they'll want to pin it up on their wall!

Second, you need to know what images they need. Don't just send a bunch of unsolicited pictures - especially via email. Many magazines publish writers and photographers guidelines on their Web site. You also want to locate the "editorial calendar", oftentimes located in the "Advertisers" section. Be sure to read through these, as often they will mention how they'd prefer to receive pictures (email, CD, light table on Web site). If you can, request to get on their "want list" email distribution. This is an emailed listing of specific images they're looking for in the months ahead. Remember, magazines have a three to six-month lead time. Right now, they're working on the spring through summer 2011 issues.

Next is the actual delivery of comps (sample low-res images they can use for the initial pasteup drafts). Most editors won't want you to attach them to an email, unless they're in a hurry to get them. This is where you really need to listen to how they wish them delivered. Lately, I use Photoshop Lightroom to adjust the images and then I use the included plug-in that uploads the selected images directly to my PhotoShelter account. Once the upload is complete, I create a "light table" section for just the editor to see. PhotoShelter automatically creates the email notification and includes a series of thumbnail images with your pictures. There is an included link within the email they can click on to see the larger images and to download comps for layout purposes. The whole delivery process takes just a few minutes.

Should one, or more, of your images get accepted, the editor will want the originals (high-res) converted to TIFF and delivered "yesterday", so you'll want to have already loaded in some ftp software in order to upload the images directly to one of their ftp servers. I use CuteFTP, which works well. The editor will provide the ftp address and password to get access to their server. That's it!

Photo Tip - The Thought Process of Photography

After several years of photographing nature, I've developed a consistent sequence or process of thought prior to actually photographing a subject. I run through this sequence for every situation and because it's sort of a "check list", I rarely miss a step. I thought I'd pass this along to you, as I'm frequently asked questions about the technical aspects of my images along the lines of lens types, shutter speeds, and so forth. If you learn a consistent process (and it may be different for you), after a while it will become second-nature.

Depending on the subject I intend to photograph, I'll run through the equipment I'll likely require before leaving home. Will I need special lenses or lighting? How about spare batteries and memory cards if it will be an extended shoot? Scenics or wildlife or both? If it's a commercial shoot, will it be a portrait session or product photography? Will I need to bring studio gear?

Once I answer these general questions, I'll pre-visualize the shots I intend to take. Of course, if it's a commercial shoot, I'd probably have developed a "shot list" in advance. Let's say this example will be a nature shoot. Here's the thought process I go through once I arrive at the location and start scouting for good spots.

1. Is the lighting bright or dim and can I use a tripod or must I hand hold? For handheld, I'll ensure the image stabilization is "on" and I may increase the ISO to an appropriate speed. If tripod-mounted, image stabilization should be switched "off". I also make sure my exposure compensation is "zero" (or, for my Canon bodies, I find setting it to -0.3 is best for the initial exposure).

2. Since I normally shoot in raw, the white balance is really immaterial, but to save a step in post-processing, I may pre-adjust the white balance to the appropriate lighting source. If it's critical to get the white balance correct (mixed lighting, for example), I'll go through a custom white balance. If shooting snow, especially if including shadow areas, or sunsets/sunrises I'll automatically place the white balance in "Cloudy" to warm up the image. If you're shooting JPEG, then you'll definitely want to pre-set your white balance!

3. Is the subject wildlife or scenic? If wildlife, I'll use the appropriate telephoto and support the camera. If scenic, either the normal zoom (24-70mm) or wide angle (16-35mm) if I need the foreground to dominate. It's best to use a tripod for either case.

4. Narrow or wide depth of field (DOF)? Scenics generally use a wide DOF, while flower or wildlife portraits use a narrow DOF. Set the mode to Aperture Priority and adjust the aperture accordingly. Set the focus to the hyperfocal distance (usually 1/3 up from framed image in the viewfinder).

5. Do I wish to show motion (stream or waterfalls) or create abstracts (zoom or "jiggle" blurs)? Set the mode to Shutter Priority and the shutter to an appropriate setting. I generally use 1/10th to 1/4 second for moving water. Any more and the water starts to lose detail and overexpose. (If shooting sports, set the shutter to 1/500th second, or faster.)

6. Is the subject neutral-toned or lighter/darker? Preset the exposure compensation in advance and check the histogram after the first shot. Strive to "expose to the right", but avoid extreme overexposures. If photographing sunsets, sunrises or red rock formations (Southwest or Garden of the Gods, etc.) watch that the red channel doesn't oversaturate.

Usually, I'm pre-adjusting the camera as I'm approaching the subject. By using this thought process enough times, it will become second-nature.

Picture of the Day - 12/1/2010

Succulent in Sandstone - on the way to dropping off some prints to a show in Colorado Springs, I stopped for a while in Garden of the Gods Park and spent a few contemplative minutes photographing along Ridge Rd. Not the typical plant found in the park, this succulent, growing from a crack in the sandstone caught my eye. Often, the simplest composition is the most powerful visually. Photographed with the new Canon Rebel T2i. 

Picture of the Day - 11/25/2010

Sandstone Outcrop with Piñon Pine - I was looking for a snowy picture this morning to celebrate the start of our winter here in Colorado. This image was captured earlier in the year on my trip to Reno and the NANPA (www.nanpa.org) conference in February. I was just entering Zion N.P. via the "back" way (from the east) and came across this scene just before entering the valley. With bright white dominating the scene, we have a classic case where spot metering off the rock (which is close to neutral-toned) is best for achieving proper exposure. The lone tree growing in such an inhospitable spot, reminds me of a similar image I have in my "Inspirational" collection, "With God, all things are possible" (Matt 19:26).

Sheila and I would also like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! While we've had both happy and sad times this year, we continue to count the many blessings God has provided and thank Him for the many places He leads us to capture His wondrous beauty!

Best wishes to all! Ken & Sheila

Picture of the Day - 10/22/2010

Backlit Forest in Fresh Snow - Overnight, we received a fresh layer of snow, and this morning, I was up for the sunrise to capture this backlit scene looking out into our backyard. I like the areas of golden backlighting along with the graphic nature of the composition. Taken at 1/15th second at f11 (ISO 800) with the new Canon Rebel T2i. Touched up slightly in Lightroom.

New eBook on Travel Tips

One subject I've been teaching for several years now is Travel Photography - a seminar I'll be teaching this coming Friday! As such, I'm always on the lookout for new reference materials that will augment the class. Yesterday, I ran into a brand new eBook on travel photography by Christopher Grey, "Travel Photography Tips - Part 1". This covers properly exposing for different lighting conditions, use of architecture for framing, use of different perspectives, panning, several useful compositional techniques, photographing the locals and much more. The cost is just $10.00 and you'll be able to download immediately. Published by ProPhotoPublishing.com.

Click here to visit ProPhotoPublishing.com. Then click on "Travel Photography Tips 1" in the right-hand sidebar.