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

Ramblings for a Tuesday AfternoonPosted by drfl on February 9th, 2010

• Define yourself by volumes, not by a single word
• Never compromise your values
• Listen to other’s wisdom, even if they offer it too freely
• Allow reinvention, but do not allow replication
• Read, learn, explore, for the day you think you know everything is the day you know nothing
• You will be discouraged, but remember, the sun always shines, even on a cloudy day
• Accept credit when it is due, accept blame when it is necessary
• Seek the company of friends and family when you can, seek solitude when able.
• Time is the one asset in which no one knows the total amount, but everybody pays back at the same rate
• Creativity cannot be forced, it can only be encouraged
• Sing as though no one is listening
• Do not seek acceptance if it forces you to change yourself
• Live as much as you can
• Dream as often as possible
• Love to your heart’s fullest extent

10 Personalities and Their Thoughts When Viewing a PhotographPosted by drfl on February 8th, 2010

Me
I wonder what people will think of my photograph…

The “Casual Viewer”
That’s a pretty picture!

The “Amateur”
I wish I could have taken that!

The “Enthusiast”
I could have taken that!

The “Professional”
What a hack!

The “Deep Thinker”
What is the meaning behind this image?

The “Documentarian”
That’s been Photoshopped!

The “Brand Champion”
What brand of camera did he use?

The “Technologist”
What’s the resolution of the camera that he used?

The “Professor”
What photographic rules did he break?

Photo Friday: Ice TreesPosted by drfl on February 5th, 2010

After skipping the last two Photo Fridays I have returned with an image I captured a couple of weeks ago at Boyer Chute near Ft. Calhoun, Nebraska.  I hiked into the refuge and found a grove of cottonwoods tipped with hoarfrost.  I spent some time photographing the patterns and contrasts through the trees.  This image was taken about 20 minutes before sunrise when the cool blue of twilight dominated the prairie.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 200mm, f/8, 1/15 sec.
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

Just Announced Photo ContestsPosted by drfl on February 4th, 2010

I’ve just received word on two recently announced photo contests.  Enter Away! (I know I won’t be entering a Coyote capture anytime soon!)

National Wildlife Federation Photo Contest

Widland Rice Smith Photography Contest

A Lamentation to the Unprepared (Namely Me)Posted by admin on February 3rd, 2010

Coyote, why must you vex me so?  How did you know that my 1.6 crop camera, and large lens were in my car across the large frozen lake?  Why must you continue to walk towards me?  Is it a sign of defiance, knowing that I cannot capture you as large as life?  Why? Oh why?  No, don’t disappear into the woods, stay and play on the solid water while I go and get my gear… 

As much as I hate to say it, I was utterly unprepared for this coyote encounter.  For years I had a trusty green photo backup that managed all my gear.  In it I would carry my full frame camera, a crop camera, and an assortment of lenses, including my 300 f/4l and 1.4 tc combo.  About 3 months ago, my photo backup zipper broke and I have been using an awesome shoulder case that I mainly use for brief excursions, but it only carries my full frame camera and shorter lenses.  Normally, I had been carrying my 50D + 300 f/4l + 1/4tc (672mm effective) combo by hand, but as I was to cross a frozen lake I didn’t want to chance falling and dropping it.  Sure, I’ve got my eye on a new backpack, but like many of us, I have decided to cut back on “unnecessary” expenses.  Besides, it’s been a nice treat on my back and knees paring back a bit and carrying less, so all I had was a 5D Mark II and a 70-200 f/4l lens (100% Crop Above).  A lesson to all that read, heed the Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared”.  And Still…

Coyote, why must you vex me so?

Interesting Links - February 2010Posted by admin on February 2nd, 2010

Why do you photograph?

A compelling introspective by Seung Kye Lee that looks at the deeper question of Why?

Unattainable Beauty

A Newsweek article on some of the most obvious recent Photoshop retouching issues that have caught the public eye.

Toot your Own Horn, Without Looking Like an Ass

An article by Lindsay Adler that encourages artists to “toot your own horn, no one else will”. 

Social Media for Photographers Kit

A 55 page document that offers advice for photographers struggling to navigate the currents of social networking.  While the advice is generally good, it is somewhat contradictory to other sources on the Internet.  For instance, the document encourages building a community around your “brand” (See the 5 Cs and the rule that 10% of your social networking should be self-promotion).  Many photographers have done this successfully bringing together many artists into great forums.  Some indicate that one should write according to the intended audience, generally not other artists.  In the end, I suppose it is really SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that allows one to rise up the ranks of the Google ladder.  In any event, remaining still is not an option, but there doesn’t seem to be a true north in the world of social networking.