Traveling the Journey of Light | Photoblog Thoughts, feelings, and techniques behind the photography of Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston

Twilight FlightPosted by drfl on July 31st, 2009

On the same evening as “Dimming Light From a Northern Sun”, these geese flew through the scene on their way to the next pond.  As I was setup with my 5d Mark II for a landscape shot, I grabbed my 50d and started snapping away.  About 10 seconds into this, I tried to get a landscape with my 5d Mark II with the geese, but it was too late, they were already too far through the frame.  Upon review of the shots, this one appeals to me with the strong sunset clouds behind them that almost mirror the slope of the line of geese.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/7.1, 1/500 sec.
Jack Sinn Wildlife Management Area, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/photo.asp?pictureid=TwilightFlight&xmlfile=/journey06/xml/color/wildlife.xml&x=0

Dimming Light From a Northern SunPosted by drfl on July 30th, 2009

On a cool July evening, upon Jack Sinn WMA in eastern Nebraska, the evening was quiet except for the frogs and insects and the occasional honking of geese overhead.  This was one of those times that the light was exceptional and I managed to get several “keepers”.  I also got 3 ticks, but I decided not to keep them.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/18, 1/8 sec. 3-stop Singh-Ray Hard Grad
Jack Sinn Wildlife Management Area, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/photo.asp?pictureid=DimmingLightofaNorthernSun&xmlfile=/journey06/xml/color/midwest.xml&x=18

People Pictures!Posted by drfl on July 29th, 2009

A couple of evenings ago I had the opportunity to photograph a couple of “little” subjects. No, these aren’t snails, or birds, or wild creatures of any sort - well they may be a bit wild.

We had a photo shoot with McCoy and Tommy - 2 little stars. They loved the camera, in fact they were extremely cooperative with most things we tried. Not my normal fare, but fun none-the-less. I told my wife last night that photographing these two was pretty cool and maybe I should become a “scenic-landscape-nature-wildlife-urban-baby” photographer. Her response? “Maybe you should just be a photographer”. Well said. Anyway, I know I was lucky with the lighting and the great demeanor of these two. I always have had the image in my head of the photographer trying to get a great baby shot with a camera in one hand and a toy in the other shaking it with desperation.  Now how do I get my 2 year old to sit still and look at the camera?

Technical Details:
All photos were taken with a Canon 5d (classic) and 70-200 f/4l lens.  Various apertures (usually f/4, f/4.5, f/5) and shutter speeds.

Governor’s Residence ExhibitionPosted by drfl on July 29th, 2009

Next summer I will be exhibiting some of my Nebraska photographic work at the Governor’s residence in Lincoln, Nebraska. Below is the press release that is going out regarding the schedule of artists that will appear through next year. I encourage everyone to check out the work by all the artists.

NEBRASKA ARTS COUNCIL, 1004 Farnam St., Plaza Level, Omaha, NE 68102

For Immediate Release

MEDIA CONTACT:  J.D. Hutton, NAC Artist Services and Communications Manager; 800.341.4067 / 402.595.2142 (office) / 402.651.5277 (cell) (Omaha); jayne.hutton@nebraska.gov

GOVERNOR’S RESIDENCE EXHIBITION PROGRAM

2009/10 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

Inna Kulagina, Painting (Omaha):
September 02, 2009 - October 02, 2009

Trish Place, Photography (Omaha):
October 07, 2009 - November 06, 2009

Gregory Walter, Painting (Blair):
November 11, 2009 - December 11, 2009

David McLeod, Painting (Omaha):
December 16, 2009 - January 15, 2010

Karen Krull Robart, Textile (Shelton):
January 20, 2010 - February 19, 2010

Jorn Olsen, Photography (Hastings):
February 24, 2010 - March 26, 2010

Anne W. Nye, Mixed Media (Omaha):
March 31, 2010 - April 30, 2010

Laura Jensen, Mixed Media (Kearney):
May 05, 2010 - June 04, 2010

Julie Larm, Painting (Omaha):
June 09, 2010 - July 09, 2010

Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston, Photography (Omaha):
July 14, 2010 - August 13, 2010

Watie White, Painting/Drawing (Omaha):
August 18, 2010 - September 17, 2010

Linda Stephen, Origami Collage (Lincoln):
September 22, 2010 - October 22, 2010

The Nebraska Governor’s Residence is located at 1425 “H” Street, in Lincoln. The residence is open for public tours on Thursdays from 1 to 4 pm. Groups visiting Nebraska’s capital city may enjoy a guided tour of the home featuring historical information and memorabilia collected by Nebraska’s first families.

Reservations are required for groups of 10 or more. Please call the residence at (402) 471-3466 for more information or to make an appointment.

Nebraska resident artists are eligible for this program, which has an annual deadline for application on May 31. To learn more about this exhibition opportunity, visit our website at the link below, or contact J.D. Hutton for information (see contact information at top of this release).

About the NAC

The Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency, provides numerous grants, services and special initiatives that help sustain and promote the arts throughout Nebraska. The NAC is supported by the Nebraska Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

For more information on the Nebraska Arts Council’s Governor’s Residence program, visit the NAC website at: www.nebraskaartscouncil.org.

Pastel FieldsPosted by drfl on July 28th, 2009

On a quiet evening on Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, these purple flowers stand silently.  A pinkish sky is the last sign of the sun before the last light vanishes leaving the fields in darkness. 

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 19mm, f/9, 1/25 sec., Singh-Ray 3-Stop Hard grad
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/photo.asp?pictureid=PastelFields&xmlfile=/journey06/xml/color/midwest.xml&x=45

Print it Big!Posted by drfl on July 27th, 2009

The other night I was returning from a dinner with my family when I passed this billboard.  It sports a Platte River photograph of mine (with a little change) that I captured a couple of years ago (see below).  When I licensed the photograph a couple of months ago the marketing company wanted something that was very visible in Nebraska - the Platte River is something that most natives would recognize instantly.  It turned out good - the marketing company apparently decided to flip the sky which may have worked better with the text.  It’s always good to see your work printed big, and this is about as big as it gets and with tens of thousands of viewers per day!

This billboard can be seen off Interstate-80 in Omaha between the 60th street and 72nd street exits while traveling west. It’s on the left hand side.

Original Photograph:

Technical Details:
Canon 20d, 10-22 ef-s lens @ 13mm, f/11, 1/40 sec.
Mahoney State Park, Nebraska

This photograph (not the billboard) can be viewed on my website at: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/photo.asp?pictureid=TowerPlatteH&xmlfile=/journey06/xml/color/midwest.xml&x=90

Small WorldPosted by drfl on July 24th, 2009

While hiking around Schramm State Recreation Area, I came across a little orange mushroom growing from the forest floor.  When I setup to capture the mushroom, a little snail came by and he just had to be in the shot.  I would like to thank little snail for being such a good subject!  This is one of those images that I had never really imagined taking, but is turning out to be one of my favorites.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM lens, f/7.1, 1/10 sec.
Schramm State Recreation Area, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/photo.asp?pictureid=SmallWorld&xmlfile=/journey06/xml/color/midwest.xml&x=18

The Imperfect ImagePosted by drfl on July 23rd, 2009

I have always imagined capturing an image of a leaf under the ice.  In my imagination the leaf was preserved in pristine condition with a nice thin layer of ice covering it to add texture and depth.  Last winter at the OPPD Arboretum I went on a particularly cold day to capture some ice pattern abstracts and leaves trapped in the frozen pond.  I found a fallen fellow that was close to what I wanted, but when I returned to my computer I immediately dismissed the image as not “perfect” enough. 

7 months have gone by and I have reviewed the image again and this time I made a realization:  It is the imperfections which help give this image character and make it more “real”.  99% of the leaves I have seen trapped under the ice are somehow “misshapen”, but this is nature at work - decomposing and renewing for the following year.  In this image the bubbles and the notch out of the side of the leaf give it added interest that would not have been there otherwise.  Sometimes imperfection in our work shows a different glimpse of the beauty of nature.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM lens, f/10, 1/125 sec.
OPPD Arboretum, Omaha, Nebraska

This image can be viewed on my website at: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/photo.asp?pictureid=FrozenInTime&xmlfile=/journey06/xml/color/midwest.xml&x=27

Cracked EarthPosted by drfl on July 22nd, 2009

The recent rain that Nebraska has been receiving has been really great for some interesting intimate photography.  While hiking at Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge last week I found this patch of earth that had dried and then been wet again and then started to dry again causing the mud to peal up creating some interesting textures and patterns.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM lens, f/6.3, 1/50 sec.
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

This image can be viewed on my website at: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/photo.asp?pictureid=CrackedEarth&xmlfile=/journey06/xml/color/midwest.xml&x=54

Dreams Go OnPosted by drfl on July 20th, 2009

The last in the unofficial “Missing the Mountains” series.  This image was captured atop a hill in Banff National Park right off the Glacier Lake trail.  It as a quiet evening as the clouds rolled through, turning all colors of pink and purple during sunset before fading into night.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 33mm, f/14, 1.4 sec.
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

This image can be viewed on my website at: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/photo.asp?pictureid=DreamsGoOn&xmlfile=/journey06/xml/color/northwest.xml&x=9