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

The Photographer’s LuckPosted by drfl on January 19th, 2010

“Wow, you must have been lucky to see that!”, “That was lucky you had your camera ready at that exact time!”, or “Did you feel lucky when you saw that?!” are all sentiments I’ve heard voiced at shows and exhibitions to myself and other photographers. Are photographers really “lucky”? While I am happy to have witnessed some of the beauty offered by this earth, this word is perhaps used too freely amongst some of these individuals.

Andrew Fleming, a Scottish researcher, leaving for vacation, left some petri dishes out in his lab containing strains of the staph bacteria. Upon his return he noticed that in one dish one of the staph strains had died near where a mold had taken over. Recognizing the benefit of being able to create a substance to combat bacteria, he worked for years exploring this discovery. The mold he discovered was later termed “Penicillin” and the the modern antibiotic age was born. Of course, many might say he got “lucky”, but in fact he had the knowledge and experience to recognize the implications of what he found. It took years of hard work and dedication, but his serendipitous discovery could have been lost on a less inclined mind.

Seneca, a Roman philsopher is quoted, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”  Pratice, patience, planning, education, all go into building an artist’s preparation for when opportunities arise and these opportunities do not come readily. For example, a photographer who wants to capture the morning sun on a particular mountain peak must research sunrise times, angles, weather conditions, and ascent routes. Once all this information is compiled and processed the artist can then prepare equipment, dress appropriately and ascend the slope to gain the opportunity for a beautiful alpenglow shot. Upon arriving, more preparedness is then required compose the shot, utilize the appropriate filters, and later process the shot to its fullest extent.

Creating art forces artists to observe to the world in a more detailed manner. With more observeration comes a greater the apprecation of the gifts of the this world. An artist’s main goal is to share the beauty that comes from the heart and imagination and this requires dedication and preparation. The thrill of capturing beauty could be perceived as luck, but the end result is a greater realization of the gifts we have. As for the gifts I have?  I agree, I am lucky.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 25mm, f/8, 1/13 sec.
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

Photo Friday: Twilight BluePosted by drfl on January 15th, 2010

Taken at twilight from the tower at Platte River State Park in Nebraska after a fresh snow.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 200mm, f/8, 1/60 sec.
Platte River State Park, Nebraska

Growing an Artist-treePosted by drfl on January 14th, 2010

The tree is symbolic of an life of artist. The trunk is the base, the basics, knowledge and experience of the craft. The branches symbolize our various creative endeavours within that craft. Some of those branches are older and stronger and support many smaller branches, some are new and budding, while others are dying. Sometimes we must trim away those dead sticks so that we can encourage new growth. As the years pass, we may try to guide the path of these branches, but often there is a randomness that we cannot predict.

Our inspiration waters and feeds the artist-tree. Sometimes it rains and beautiful buds burst into being. Sometimes its winter and the tree waits quietly for the spring thaw. If we do not tend to the tree, it withers and the branches become brittle, but hopefully we can return and resume the care to save its precious nature.

Nurture and love your artist-tree. Let inspiration wash over it and allow the creative branches to reach to the sky. And remember: visit it often.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/6.3, 1/160 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

5 of the Most Ridiculous Excuses to Buy More Camera HardwarePosted by drfl on January 11th, 2010

#5 But honey, I need to be able to photograph our vacation!

#4 But honey, I need to take better photographs of the children!

#3 If I could just get a little wider/longer I would have been able to get that shot!

#2 This will make my photographs better than Adams/Rowell/etc.!

#1 I’ll finally be able to sell my photographs!

Technical Details:
Canon G10
Platte River State Park, Nebraska

5 of the Most Ridiculous Arguments in Nature PhotographyPosted by drfl on January 7th, 2010

#5 Film vs. Digital

Finally, it seems that this argument has lost much of its momentum.  For a while individuals dedicated to film believed that the quality of digital would never match that of film.  It seems that enough film hard cores have come to the realization that the day has finally arrived.  Many digital people have also realized that there is still viable images and techniques that only film can produce.  Digital photographers using film and film photographers using digital, I guess we can all be photographers once again!

#4 PC vs. Mac

The computer is a tool, simple as that.  Some people like one brand, other’s like another.  Mac people, get over yourselves, you are no better than the PC people.  PC people, acknowledge that Macs are here to stay and will not be going anywhere.

#3 Photoshop vs. PhotoPaint (vs. PaintShopPro, etc.)

The program is a tool, simple as that.  Photoshop has its pros and its cons as do the other programs.  If someone is adamant about how great a program is, perhaps the initial image needs to be stronger. 

#2 Nikon vs. Canon (vs. Pentax, Sony, Digital Backs, etc.)

The camera is a tool, simple as that.  Nikon has some great gear and Canon has some great gear.  They both get the job done beautifully (as do the others, as well).

#1 Digital Manipulators vs. Documentarians

This particular argument is perhaps the most hypertensive, knockdown, drag-out fight that has been fought in the nature photography communities.  Countless soapbox speeches, different experiences, and various viewpoints have been espoused.  I remember at one art show at which I exhibited there was a gal who looked at my photograph, “Someday We’ll Find It…” and commented cynically, “I’ve never seen a rainbow look like THAT before.”  There is the old cliche that photographers must learn to “see” and it’s been my experience that many people just don’t “look”.  For example, there have been 3 spectacular occurrences of sundogs this month.  Of those, I have asked various people if they saw them, to which they universally replied they had not, even though I know that they were driving or otherwise outside.  I met up with three individuals during one of these beautiful sundogs, pointed up to the sky and said, “What do you think?”  All three replied, “Wow, I hadn’t realized that was happening!” even after they had been driving for a good 20 minutes during the show.  My point here is that many people get caught up in their day to day lives and never realize the beauty that surrounds them.  In a world of increased digital manipulation one can be forgiven if they do not realize what is real and what is not. 

This leads me to my next point, what digital manipulation is “right”?  In the article, “Photoshop and Nature Photography, how far is too far?”  Darwin Wiggett takes Michael Freeman’s view that the visual arts, including photography, is a representation of real life and therefore is a manipulation by its very definition.    Jim Goldstein concludes in his most recent post “Embracing the Imperfect Image” that perhaps we are over manipulated and an “imperfect image” should be embraced.  Indeed, my post from July “The Imperfect Image” discusses my discovery of the beauty that lies within an image with “flaws”.  Ultimately, after listening to one side and then the other, my view is that only an individual can decide for themselves what constitutes taking an image “too far” to become “perfect”.  Which side is right? It’s up to you decide, just don’t clog the communities with the banter, it takes away from the real goal: creating great art.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l @ 200mm, f/18mm, 1/15 sec.
Long’s Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Tips for Cold Weather PhotographyPosted by drfl on January 6th, 2010

Cold weather photography brings purifying white snow, ice kissing the grasses and trees, and of course the crisp, cool (or cold!) air.  Additionally, it usually drives away the crowds and makes for some great one on one time with nature.  Of course, in order to enjoy this there are a few items to keep in mind to keep you comfortable and safe!  I’ve placed the items of personal safety above the photography items.  Remember, if you’re not safe then it’s not a good idea to be out shooting!

1. Wear clothing that wicks away or repels moisture.  Leave those blue jeans and cotton socks at home!  Nothing is more miserable than trudging through snow and having it melt into cold water as soon as it warms up.  Additionally, wearing shirts that absorb sweat only cause your temperature to drop, which could be dangerous.  Ideal fabrics would be wool, Under Armour, fleece, and Gore-Tex.  When I’m out in the frigid weather, I pull on an Under Armour top and pants, fleece pants, wool socks, and then some Gore-Tex pants on top of that. 

2. Wear appropriate shoe wear.  Get some waterproof, breathable snow boots.  Cold, wet feet make for a shivering time, and could increase your chance of getting frostbite.  Is getting the shot worth losing your toes?

3. Wear a hat.  Seems basic enough, most of the heat of our bodies escapes through our heads so use your head!

4. Wear gloves.  In some conditions frostbite can set it very quickly.  Without fingers capturing photographs can be difficult!  One of the basic problems of photography is that gloves make it hard to change the controls on your camera.  This is something that plagued me for years.  I used to wear thin gloves that would allow better finger mobility, but this caused them to get cold too soon and once your hands get cold, its difficult to rewarm them in thin gloves.  I then got a another pair of gloves to put over those gloves so I could take off the top pair only when needed.  While this worked ok, I really found that finding gloves that grip well were my best bet.  I got a pair of Thinsulate gloves with some nice grip that allows me to work every aspect of my camera without removal, of course this took some trial and error.  If you must have the thin gloves to have better control, get the two pair of gloves as I have mentioned, but use a hand warmer between the two layers.

5. A good time for any occasion, bring a complete extra pair of clothes in your vehicle.  You never know what may happen that may force you to change your wear.  There have been times I couldn’t tell the end of a stream or shore under the snow and happened to step through the ice and drench my feet.  The extra pair of boots and socks came in handy!

6. Another good anytime tip, prepare your equipment prior to exiting your vehicle.  Minimize the snow and moisture that gets into your bag by knowing where to quickly reach what lenses, filters, etc. you need. 

7. Have a travel umbrella.  Good for rain or snow, this keeps droplets off your lens.  If those stray flakes and drops hit, keep a cloth lens cleaner handy.

8. Bring Ziploc bags.  Besides being able to be used to protect your gear in the cold when conditions arise, if you exit and enter your vehicle often, condensation on your equipment can occur.  By placing your camera in a bag prior to entering your car, you can keep that condensation off your lens and prevent fogging.

9. Cover the legs of your metal tripod with insulation.  This prevents loss of heat from your hands when you are carrying or otherwise moving your tripod.

10.  Buy a spare battery and keep it in a pocket close your body.  Cold weather drains a battery about 2-3 times faster than mild temperatures.  Most good winter coats have pockets on the inside which work fabulously for this purpose.  Additionally, keep a spare memory card in those pockets. 

11.  If metering evaluative, expose 1.5-2 stops above the recorded scene to properly capture snow.

12.  Drink something warm before enjoying the cold weather!

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM, f/11, 1/80 sec.
Platte River State Park, Nebraska