Where Are the Men of Vision?

I am one of a generation who was privileged to have witnessed possibly the most fantastic journey ever attempted by mankind, for I grew up during the golden age of man's conquest of space. It was an adventure filled with drama and danger, yet a journey also filled with wonder and awe. It was an effort initiated by men of vision, built by men of vision, and accomplished by men of vision, a vision where an element of significant history was created through the courage of those responsible.

From The Earth to the Moon is an HBO miniseries produced by Tom Hanks some twenty years ago now. The past two days I revisited those twelve episodes and was at once transported back to the days of my youth and was reminded again of just how amazing an adventure it truly was. Had it not been for that grand adventure, the days of my youth would have been mundane and insignificant. Because of it, they were consumed with the excited dreams and revelations of wonders fulfilled.

As the 49th anniversary of man's first landing on the moon comes and goes, most of us have probably forgotten the excitement of the first landing and the possibilities it represented. I sometimes wonder what adventures the youth of today have to cling to. Seems to me, there are few if any and the ones that are fall short of the grand nature of the Apollo Space Program.

America needs another such grand adventure to stir the imagination of the country. Such a thing would once again demand men of vision. We need to once again come together as one and work toward something that will benefit all of mankind, rekindled that sense of wonder, and open up new possibilities. Unfortunately, men of vision in this country are in short supply and often drowned under the weight of forced ideology of which there is an over abundance.

Politicians destroyed the heart of the space program way back when and it has never been the same. They did not destroy it so much thru a lack of funding, what was worse, they destroyed the very dream that elevated the concept of what it stood for through a lack of vision. They did this thru an agenda of ideological perception - where the misguided "my ideology is better than yours syndrome" prevails and serves only to stifle and if possible to destroy the other side of the political isle. Under such leadership, or lack of it more accurately, we as a nation have floundered toward mediocrity. No single leader, no single president, is the cause, but many in public office have contributed to this symptom, and we as citizens have allowed it to fester.

We as a nation need men of vision again, not more ideology. We need men ready to stand firm on truth in the face of negative opposition. We need men who want to elevate, not constantly oppose and deflate. We need our nation to quit pointing fingers to find fault, and ask again what can I do to be part of a solution and to no longer be part of the problem. We need men of courage who are not afraid to look inward to recognize and accept their own failures, then step forward ready to contribute to a grand cause. And most of all, we need a Grand Cause, something to once again employ the best this country has to offer. We need a Grand Adventure driven by men of vision.

A Telescope, A Young Boy's Imagination, Lasting Impressions

My fascination with the night sky began many years ago when I was a young lad growing up in Southeastern Oklahoma. The night skies in that area back then, and even still today, were dark and clear with low levels of light pollution interfering with your ability to clearly see the thousands of stars. I often would spend hours after dark standing out in the small field next to my grandparents home and gaze towards the sky. A highlight would be if a meteor streaked by or on occasion I could  catch a glimpse of a satellite speeding high over head appearing to be a very dim and small point of light. I knew a few of the constellations, but not many and understood that some of the points of light I saw were planets. About the only ones I could identify for sure was Venus which most often hovered low in the western sky and was very bright along with Jupiter. I must have been somewhere around 14 years old when my parents bought for me a simple and inexpensive telescope. That simple devise opened up a whole new universe and offered me a chance to capture a first glance at the wonders of the moon and a few of the planets.

A Similar Version of my telescope (Internet Photo)

The telescope was a simple reflecting model, also known as a Newtonian, the kind with a concave mirror in the bottom where light entering the top would bounce back towards another smaller mirror near the front that angled the light thru an eyepiece attached to the side. It was a low power beginners model with a small 3 inch mirror which did not have much light gathering or resolving power. Even so, it offered great views of the moon and as I was to discover interesting views of some of the planets.

At my first views of the moon, I was astonished at what I saw. Even though I had many times before seen photos of the moon in science books, for the first time I was able to see it live for myself. And those views were incredible. Craters and mountain ranges and dark Maria (seas) became at once real and immediate. Each night its appearance changed as the moon's orbit caused its terminator shadow to wax and wane. I could not get enough of it, but one evening I turned my small little telescope toward a glowing spot in the sky. Its appearance was different than the stars, a softer tone with a slight yellow color. It hovered rather high in the sky almost calling out to me to have a look.

Keith Bridgman Photo 

It took some time to eventually locate the small glowing speck and when I finally brought the light into focus I realized I was for the first time seeing the ringed planet Saturn. It floated inside my view against a solid black background like it was magically suspended on an invisible string, a small image but unmistakably a real live planet...with a tilted golden ring circling it.

Internet Photo - A slightly larger view of what I saw

 I sat outside long past when I should have retired inside, watching it quiver thru the unstable atmosphere. From that moment on, Saturn became my favorite planet and that little telescope became my favorite possession.

Eventually, I also pointed it toward what I knew to be Jupiter, the largest planet, and in spite of the poor optics I was able to see several of Jupiter's moons as pin points of light extending to either side. Most exciting though was when I first noticed the faint band of clouds that circled the planet. There was no color to any of it, just gray and white and most of the gray was barely discernible.

Internet Photo

Over time I found Mars, the red planet. and on a clear night I could just make out one of its polar ice caps as a white smudge on one end of the small reddish orb. Of course back then I didn't even think about taking photographs of what I saw, but I did at times make crude drawings. It was quite an exciting adventure for it was during that time America's manned space program was just getting off the ground and that little telescope made a young lad feel, however small it might have been, as though he were part of that grand adventure.

Mars similar to what I viewed - Internet Photo

Today, I will from time to time spend a couple hours out on a dark clear evening and point my camera skyward to capture the wonders of the Milky Way.

Keith Bridgman photo

When I do, I am often taken back to those early years and that simple little telescope that helped to open up the imagination of a young boy. There were few things my parents ever purchased for me that generated a lasting impact; one was that simple astronomical devise. A lifetime of memories were generated as I viewed the heavens, the kind of memories that only can be imprinted into a young boy's imagination and dreams.

It's Not What You Look At - It's What You See That is Important

Great photographers are the ones who know how to see photographically. They have an uncanny ability to observe well past the ordinary outward appearance of a subject to visualize the potential of what is there. They do not look at just the physical elements, they see what others fail to notice and then they apply their technical skill to capture that vision.

Many beginning and novice picture takers rely primarily on the ability of their camera to create a technically good photograph. They often will mistakenly equate creating a technically good photograph with being a good photographer. Sometimes they get it right, but most times they do not always understand what it takes to separate themselves from being an ordinary picture taker of things.

You see an ordinary picture taker takes pictures of what they are looking at, and that is where it usually ends. A photographer who has mastered the art of seeing, will look beyond the physical nature of a subject and visualize how that subject can be captured in an artistic way. In short, they understand how to use light to bring out the hidden qualities of what is presented to them. They rarely take photos, they make and create expressions of art.

They will look into the future to grasp the potential of what can be captured. They sense how a change of seasons, time of day, weather, angles of light, lens selection, exposure values, perspective all come into play when taking a photograph that stands apart from the ordinary. A picture taker will look at something, think it looks good, take a quick snap shot, then walk away probably never to return to that moment or location again. The Cell phone phenomena cameras contribute to this photo ideology as much as anything else. I see it all the time; a quick raise of the hand, flip of the thumb, another selfie, another snap shot of whatever with no or little consideration of composition, light, or quality of moment. It's just a fun picture that will most likely be deleted before too long. Cell phone technology has progressed a great deal in recent years and the potential to create amazing images does exist, but it takes more than technology, it requires a visual commitment.

Someone who places a greater importance on how to see photographically, will observe and remember. They recognize what is possible and return sometimes multiple times until they capture what they have visualized in the best possible light using quality equipment to it's fullest.

This approach is as much a feeling as it is a visual sense. What they photograph becomes a part of who they are. Their images tell the story of how they see the world, of how the world impacts them. They are constantly seeking new opportunities and they lock onto moments like radar locks onto and tracks a moving object.

Looking at the world simply identifies interesting subjects. Being able to see beyond what you are looking at requires the use of emotion to identify what is truly important to us as photographers.

Vanishing Point - Add Depth and Perspective to Your Images

A good number of years ago I had an art teacher who taught the class about an artistic technique called Vanishing Point. Simply stated Vanishing Point (VP) is a way to create a 3-dimensional look on a flat plane. It is accomplished by having all of the 'Lines' pointing to a distant point in such a way to make them appear to converge at that point.

In photography applying this technique is an effective way to provide added depth and perspective to your images. The nature of a photograph already uses VP to a degree simply because you already capture a 3-D scene onto a flat plane. What I am referring to is to purposefully use light and angles to generate a greater sense of perspective and depth to our images. There are a great number of ways to do this, but we are going to look at a few specific examples to illustrate the concept.

Take the image of the canola field above. As a panoramic it offers a good example of how to use VP to good effect. The image was created using 4 or 5 images stitched together. The clouds are streaming inline and appear to be converging to a single point in the distance. The road on the left provides a classic example of a converging point. The overall look of the image provides a tremendous sense of perspective. It would be difficult to obtain this look with a single image except possibly by using a very wide angle lens.

On the right we have another image of a Kentucky back road. It offers a classic look of converging lines and VP along with a sense of mystery and nostalgia. Sometimes by changing the angle of the camera you can enhance the appearance of converging lines like this one did. As a portrait frame is works quite well, however if shot as a landscape, the VP effect would have been reduced in this situation. It is the long straight line of the road that provides the VP and when coupled with the rows of trees on either side, it provides a nice sense of depth.

Vanishing Point does not always need to be demonstrated using straight lines. Sometimes, curved lines are effective. The image of the back road provides a small sense of how that works, but the next image is a better example.

Here is another Kentucky back road that effectively uses the curve of the road and fence row to provided a great deal of depth. The VP is easily detected as your eye is drawn deep into the image by the use of those curved lines. Fences are especially good at providing a depth perspective. The key is have it anchored near the front of the image and then allow it to extend across and into the scene without actually exiting the landscape.

A great way create VP is to use artificial lights like speedlights. Two things make the next image of an F-4 Phantom effective: use of color, and use of Vanishing Point. The placement of the lights generated a forward movement of the shadows. The placement of the camera positioned the aircraft in such a way as to point the hardware attached to the wings toward a vanishing point behind the aircraft. Also by centering the nose of the aircraft near the central point of the image, everything else by default moves behind it and follows the VP lines. The Vanishing Point of the lines generated by the wing hardware converges almost exactly where the nose point is if you extend the lines backward. In this case, the alignment was a happy accident, but one that helped make the image as powerful as it turned out. The aircraft provides a powerful appearance of moving toward you.

Using Vanishing Point to provide a sense of depth and perspective to your images is an effective way to generate unique and exciting photographs. It also connects you as an artists to the master artists of old who discovered how to use Vanishing Point to create realistic looking works of art.

The Symphony of Flowing Waters - Exactly What I Need

Inside most of us, including myself, there resides a restless nature, a feeling or desire to describe it more accurately, but a need none the less to step away from our everyday existence and reconnect with what is natural. Few are the outlets we realistically have that will allow us to do such a thing, but the desire to do so never fully subsides from its normal dormant status. One of the best and most relaxing of those outlets is to simply sit beside a flowing stream and listen to its musical waters.

As a photographer, I am constantly seeking out natural beauty. From time to time I will often lay my camera aside and allow the simple beauty of nature to soothe what ills rust inside of me. There are times I leave my camera at home and venture out simply because I need to get away, often replacing the camera with a fishing rod. There is a hypnotic aura that accompanies the sound of the fishing line as it whirls off the spool and when the small spinner lands with a soft splash a few yards away. I relish the familiar clink of the bail, the soft purr of the gears as you turn the handle to retrieve the lure, then the anticipated strike along with the fight of a noble fish, which in my case, I always return to freedom after admiring its fighting spirit.

After a short while, I will often place the rod to one side and pause to simply listen to the wind as it searches for the tops of the trees and to hear the rushing of water as it tumbles over and through a spit of rocks. It is sounds, music, such as these, this symphony of flowing water and searching wind, that quiets the soul. Sometimes, most times, it is exactly what I need.

A Time Alone to Listen

By the time I hiked the quarter mile or so to the rocky outcropping the bottom half of my pant legs were soaked from the morning dew. I was panting heavier than the short hike should have induced, but the footing was uneven and the prairie grasses grabbed at and hindered my progress making the task of hiking much more difficult than one might expect. The familiar outcropping jutted from the earth along the edge of a rise that fell away toward a distant arroyo and somewhere down there was heard the morning yelps and howls of a coyote family returning from their evening hunt.

The ever present Oklahoma breeze was once again starting to stir the landscape, a landscape magnificent in its own way, a place where what once was, yet still remains, a place almost lost, yet now protected held now in reserve as one of the last token, large scale examples of Tallgrass Prairie. Along the horizon the morning glow cast the pale tint of pre-dawn where the slumbering cool of the day lingered as long as it could before being driven away by the heat of the sun.

I removed my camera backpack, gently laying it next to one of the larger stone emplacements, then I sat on the smoothest place I could find and let the fog of sleepiness lift from my eyes. As the morning progressed, prairie birds blended their songs into an orchestrated performance that somehow seemed to play out in a perfect rhythm and the prairie became alive once again.

With the rising sun, the veil of pale darkness that hovered over the land filled with color. Around me, in all directions, no sign of human presence appeared. It was as though I stepped through a window to travel to an earlier time where the only sounds were of the prairie, the only scene were from the prairie, and the only purpose was to find space where one could spend a quality life moment...time alone.

If the prairie could speak it would say, "Come...listen to my song...a song written just for you." Haunted I am, at times, by the song of the prairie, a song seeking a place to reside inside my soul hoping to discover a new outlet of expression. I must again someday, return and rediscover A Time Alone to Listen.

Not Your Ordinary Camera Bag

When I purchased my Tamrac Cyber Pack probably close to ten years ago now, at the time I thought it was way to large for what I really needed to carry my meager selection of camera gear. The other day I was searching for an adapter and started digging through the Pack when I began to realize just how fully stuffed it was. Today, it actually is a bit too small for my needs as it is filled to capacity. In fact, I don't even have all the ' camera stuff ' I own stuffed inside of it. Much of it sits inside other smaller bags, or on a shelf. I do however realize just how useful and versatile this bag has been for me.

Photo shoots for me tend to be situational where each situation demands specific equipment. As a result I am constantly playing this ' what do I need this time ' game and end up sorting through the gear to determine what I really and/or might need vs what is just extra weight. Over the years I've managed to refine the process into an art form and can pretty well get the selections right for most any situation, but I still tend to carry more gear than I need to. Of all the gear inside the bag, only one piece is carried for every outing...the camera, my Sony A65 which has performed very well for me since I first acquired it some years ago now. Everything else is optional.

Take for instance when I manage to shoot Oklahoma's Tallgrass Prairie. I really do not need to carry five speedlights or a bunch of gels, nor do I need the electronic triggers for those lights, so they tend to be left behind. The slots they use are better filled with a few extra water bottles as I will be hiking across rough terrain on what at times can be very warm days. When hiking across this landscape I will often find myself some distance from my vehicle, so I need to be prepared for just about any kind of weather. Rain gear is a must and so is a rain cover for the camera and bag along with a light weight cotton scarf which is useful for many things. Shooting the Prairie requires multiple approaches, so I will carry my 18mm to 50mm f/2.8 lens along with my 50mm to 500mm zoom lens. This combination gives me a great range of shooting options. I will also make sure I have with me a graduated neutral density filter to help with balancing the exposures between the sky and landscape.

When I am on a location shoot with a model or for a concept photo shoot the contents of the bag changes. Speedlights become essential equipment so I will carry all of them along with triggering devices and mounting attachments. In addition to these, I will carry again the 18 to 50 lens along with the 50 to 500 lens. Although I tend to settle in using one lens, I carry both just so I will have them if I need to switch. This also requires stands for the lights and a softbox or two along with sandbags to anchor the stands against the wind. These of course are carried external of the camera bag, but are essential accessories for these kinds of shoots.

Shooting at night requires a different setup depending on what you are doing. A concept shoot at night uses much the same equipment as I would during a day shoot with more emphasis placed on the lighting equipment. The same applies to a night model shoot. Shooting the night sky requires very little equipment. A tripod and camera, remote release, and a wide angle lens is all you need so I rarely even carry my camera bag when making this kind of shoot. Most of the time I simply transfer the few extras to a smaller hand carried bag and keep it simple.

The camera pack also has a variety of zippered compartments where I carry things like cleaning cloths and solutions, extra batteries, a few bandaid's, writing material for notes, remote releases, and various cables and connectors along with other obscure and rarely used accessories. There is also a place for a laptop, but I rarely ever carry one.

Over the years the Tamrac Cyber Pack bag has become an essential part of my photographic efforts and I have put it to hard use. It's wide shoulder straps allow for cross country treks. A single, well designed handle across the top makes for easy transport from and to a vehicle. The myriad of adjustable pockets and zippered pouches allow for just about anything to be carried inside. The large solidly built zipper has held up well with constant opening and closing. A series of straps allows for things like a tripod to be attached. It's rugged construction has held up to aggressive use for close to a decade now. It has contributed as much to the success of my photography efforts as any piece of equipment I possess. Certainly, it is not your ordinary camera bag.

Taking a Break

Taking a break from Blogging for now...here are the links to a look into the past...please enjoy.

Every year about this time a melancholy cloud begins to hover around my thoughts. It was this same time of year a good many years ago when I made my first exploratory visit to Oklahoma's Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. From that first visit a passionate desire to return to that amazing landscape took seed and through the years it has blossomed into a obsession which at times overwhelms my need to return. Circumstances often will circumvent me from making the 700 mile trek west to catch another glimpse, take another photo, to experience again the soul calming qualities of the prairie.

 I'll be taking some time off from my blog posting duties for the next few weeks. In its place I will re-post a series of articles I wrote several years ago about the Tallgrass Prairie. The series is called "On Coneflower Hill", a four part attempt to capture not only in imagery, but in word just how important this rare and almost lost landscape has become to my slice of the world. 

Also, I will be working on a new Adventure Photography Series video about photographing the Tallgrass Prairie. So, please enjoy once again, part three and four of "On Coneflower Hill".

http://beyondthecampfirebykeith.blogspot.com/2012/11/on-coneflower-hillpart-1.html

http://beyondthecampfirebykeith.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-tgp-part-ii-prairies-song.html

http://beyondthecampfirebykeith.blogspot.com/…/tallgrass-pr…

http://beyondthecampfirebykeith.blogspot.com/…/the-tgp-part…

The First Cameras - A Comforting Appeal in Black and White

Somewhere slightly over 50 years ago one summer I took my first photographs using an old Kodak No. 1 Brownie Camera my grandparents used way back well before I was even a thought. Even when I used it, it was ancient and wafted of a stuffy antique aroma off its worn and tattered covering. I found it stuffed in the back of an old drawer covered up by a collection of almost equally ancient women's Sunday hats. Oddly enough you could still buy film for that old camera...I don't remember which kind, something like 117 black and white I suppose.

They bought me a roll of film for maybe 50 cents and I went around taking pictures of this and that being careful not to waste the film as you could only take a dozen or so from that roll. When I was finished they let me run it over to Mr. Judy's Drug store to get them developed for a dollar or two. When they were ready I ran over to Judy's and absorbed the black and white images with a child-like fascination. Some of them were fuzzy and blurred but most were at least in focus. Made no difference, I was hooked.

I was imprinted you might say on those black and white photos and over the years even during the era I was shooting 35mm color slides, black and white always held a comforting appeal. A few years after taking that first roll of film I graduated to using a somewhat newer Kodak Brownie Hawk Eye camera, one of those marvelous art deco designed see down, shoot through late 1950's era cameras.

With that camera I began to explore developing my own black and white pictures. I was maybe 13 or 14 years old and my 2 dollar a week allowance didn't go very far. I did manage to convince my parents to buy me a basic development kit with 3 trays, some chemicals, and a film developing canister. They also allowed me to clean out a small closet in the back utility room and turn it into a darkroom.

I started simply making contact prints using the large negatives but soon wanted to elevate the technology by using an enlarger. My parents drew the line on that one and said no...good grief they cost almost $30.00 for a basic one back then, but that was a lot of money, way more than I or them could muster. So...I did what most enterprising kids would do back then...I made one out of spare parts I found around the house. For the lens I extracted the front objective lens from an old BB gun scope. For the body I used several oatmeal boxes joined together with electricians tape. For a light I used an ordinary light bulb inserted into the back and for a condenser I hollowed out a large light bulb and filled it with water. This condenser sat between the light source and the negative holder and served to spread out the light evenly and to reduce the possibility of overheating the negative. The whole contraption sat horizontally and projected the image onto a homemade easel connected to the wall. Oddly enough it worked like a charm and I was able to create good quality images upwards to 5x7 in size.

Through the years black and white has remained a solid concept for my photographs. I will often shoot with black and white in mind, then convert the images once they are downloaded. (Isn't Photoshop a marvelous invention). Black and white removes the distraction of color and provides instead a format focusing on shape, form, and contrast. Story is critical in black and white because it is told through the use of that shape, form, and contrast. There is also a comfort to revisit those days and every time I create a black and white image there is a nostalgic satisfaction inherent with doing so.

Had I not explored the contents of that old cluttered drawer way back then, odds are I may never have developed a passion for photography. There is a comforting appeal in black and white, one with roots traveling back through time to my earliest days of taking pictures.

Jessie The Welder: Johnson's Welding Shop - A 1940's Vintage Look

Great places to shoot can be discovered anywhere. Seems like you search and search for weeks and nothing jumps out at you. Then, unexpected, you stumble onto a location so iconic, so classic in its ambiance, it becomes a gold mine mixture of atmosphere and light.

Took my Jeep down to have some minor preventative maintenance welding done and discovered such a place the other day. It turned out to be a fantastic piece of luck for within an obscure little welders shop I discovered a rustic, chaotically skewed, tumble down assortment of tools, junk, and old equipment, a genuine alive and breathing example of Americana, the heart and soul of the working class American.

"Jessie's the name...what can I do for ya?"

I should have guessed he'd have a perfect name like Jessie.

"Got a bunch of work wait'n on me rat now. Can ya bring 'er back in a cup'l weeks?" Jessie said after we discussed what I needed to have done to the old Jeep. He was the perfect nostalgic welder type. Sort of scruffy with a week long stubble growing across his textured and weathered face. His callused hands displayed a life of hard work with their deeply textured and toughened casings. His eyes, barely discernible behind the partially closed eyelids, cast a look of tired experience. Dressed in dungaree blue jeans and a chambray shirt, he just looked the part.

"Sure can," I said half paying attention as my eyes surveyed the cluttered insides of his old tin and wooden welders shop. "Jessie, I was wondering...I sometimes pretend to be a photographer and the inside of your shop has really intrigued me. You mind if I come back sometime and take some pictures."

"Ya mean of this ole junkie place?"

"Yeah, it really has a lot of character. I can see some really good shots coming out of here."

"Oh..I'd guess it'd be okay."

That conversation set me on the path for a new Adventure Photography photo shoot. The next morning found me arriving with camera gear in tow. Jessie was working on a trailer ramp adding a beefed up gate to the back of it. With the characteristic hum and crackle, a Christmas tree of sparks flew around him and the inside of the shop was set aglow by the bluish welding light being cast across the clutter. A faint white smoke floated in the air carrying with it a familiar yet foreign burnt aroma so common to the welders ark. He stopped just long enough to raise his helmet and nod his approval of seeing me again so soon.

"Mind if I take a few pictures?"

He simply nodded his approval, jerked his head forward to drop the welders helmet into place and started welding again.

The first few minutes were spent just walking around and looking for the right angles from which to shoot. I took a few natural light shots just to see what kind of ambient light existed. It wasn't bad, but I already knew what I needed to do as far as lighting. The ambient light came from two partially opened sliding garage-type doors, only bigger, one on each end and several narrow windows along the top half of the south wall. Even though there was a lot of light pouring in from the opened sliding doors, combined with the windows it provided just enough light to illuminate the edges. The shops was mostly filled with dark corners and shadowed ridges. My job then was to light the structure of the cluttered tables and equipment and provide not only adequate light, but a direction to the light as well. Also, I wanted to add some color, just enough to accent the flavor of the place, to rekindle a 1940's vintage look.

For the first shot I used four speed lights on stands stationed almost in a straight row. Each light was covered with an warming gel, just enough to cast a late afternoon style of evening light across the scene. The dark nature of the place seemed to swallow the light and it took a bit of power output to cast enough light into the corners to illuminate the place. After adjusting the power setting for each light I took several tests shots, then readjusted the lights until I got the look I wanted. The color images looked great, but in the back of my mind a sepia toned black and white image lived for each of these images.

For a couple of the shots I asked Jessie to stand in and give me his classic welders look. He seemed a bit awkward being asked to do such a thing, but all he had to do was be himself and the look took care of itself. I used a snooted light to focus the beam on him so I could purposely darken the background and have him stand out. For his second shot I had him sit in an old ratty chair and take on that I'm taking a break look. Two lights were used for this one, one pointing toward his back and one with a snoot pointing at him from an angle to cast a bit of light on his face. I wanted to recreate a late afternoon lighting effect.

All in all, the hour or so I spent inside that old welders shop was one of the most enjoyable hours I have had in a while. My new friend Jessie was a delight, filled with a nostalgic character, and the old shop blessed my camera with its rustic clutter. Jessie was about to hoist an old motorboat off its trailer as I started to walk out for the last time.

"You the only welder down here?" I asked him.

"Yeah...for now. Just me'un the boss. We used to lay pipe for the gas company long time ago. He started doing that 50 year ago. I've only been h're for 48 year."

I laughed, "You don't say...just 48 years."

He cast a giant friendly smile toward me as I walked out of the darkened shop and into the bright sunlight.

"See ya in a couple weeks." I said...and he nodded his approval again and went back to work.

Shooting on Location: A Process of Evaluation

Shooting on Location has its rewards and drawbacks. The drawbacks tend to multiply themselves when things do not go right. The rewards, however, far outweigh the drawbacks and are worth every headache you might encounter along the way. Location shoots offer opportunities not easily duplicated in a studio and the fun part of shooting on location is being able to build the shot to fit your concept. Throw in a portrait opportunity and the requirements change even more. But, building the shot requires a great deal more evaluation and effort than simply showing up and shooting at random with whatever light is available.

Shooting on location requires an element of evaluation; to do so effectively you must identify what is important, what to leave out or avoid, the direction and quality of the light, where the shadows are, where the hot spots are, what is in the background, and most importantly, what to accomplish here. Many novice photographers see the big picture and snap away without seriously contemplating what the potential of the location offers. Instead, take some time to think through the photographic problem and evaluate what the potential is.

I will often just sit and enjoy the moment if I am alone in a new outdoor location. Often this will slow down time and potential things to photograph begin to reveal themselves. Remember too, evaluation of a location means to think beyond what you are currently seeing and think in terms of what might be if you return to this same spot later in the day, or early before sunrise, or even a different season.

Some locations are simply filled with clutter often making it difficult to weed through and line up your shot(s) in such a way as to avoid including things that detract from your image story. When working in a cluttered location try to narrow the scope of your shot by focusing in on a smaller portion. Many times, this condensed portion will tell the larger story from a smaller perspective, and that in most cases is all you need to do. Oddly enough, the clutter itself can become your story, so keep an open mind about what you are shooting.

Some locations are just very bland in nature not presenting much in the way of an interesting story. When faced with this kind of dilemma you may need to shake up your composition by changing the angle from which you are shooting. Get down low, all the way if necessary, and include something small as part of your foreground. Also, c limb higher if you can, maybe even stand on top of your vehicle, a fence or wall, or simply raise your tripod as high as it will go, anything to change the perspective of your shot. This will often shift your view enough to allow the bland nature of the location to take on an entirely new and exciting look.

One location I have always enjoyed shooting when I can make it over that way is the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve located in north central Oklahoma. I've been there enough times to have identified several locations that potentially offer great photo opportunities. Even so, with each visit, the conditions have been so different they required a new and often changing evaluation of the situation.

The prairie possesses many changing moods and because of that when I am there I am constantly adjusting what I am doing. Early morning light on the prairie is fantastic with the rolling hills and shallow canyons often laced with mist or fog. By mid morning the light becomes much more harsh and direct which carries over well into the late afternoon. As the sun rolls closer to sundown, the angle of the light changes again casting shadows and creating shapes only seen during this magical hour. Factor in clouds and everything changes again. For each of those situations, a new evaluation of the conditions is required. Mid-day shooting means you have to focus in on details or capture the essence of a location through the use of contrast, color, and composition. Late afternoon means you need to find a different angle to shoot the same subjects you shot during the morning light. Near sundown, a large vista is required where you can capture one of those legendary prairie sunsets. In short, anticipate the potential of any given location and plan your shot accordingly, but leave yourself an opening to adapt to the changing conditions.

Location shooting requires a constant adjustment of what is required to capture the moment. Constantly looking for opportunities also requires you to see and look beyond the obvious and recognize how the dynamics of a location might change with a change in light. Effectively evaluate your situation and odds are you will capture some amazing photographs.

Being Seasick - It's True What They Say

It has been said there are two kinds of seasickness; one where you are so sick you are afraid you are going to die, and one where you are so sick, you are afraid you won't die. I've had both kinds and can attest to the validity and veracity of those statements.

I will never forget the first time I ever got seasick. It was one of the worst experiences of my life and was so bad, my fears about the meaning of the second statement rapidly threatened to end what few remaining minutes I was sure I had to live. It was November, 1973. Straight out of the Coast Guard boot camp I was assigned to one of the best duty stations then available in the Old Guard, The Umpqua River Lifeboat Station at Winchester Bay, Oregon. I was pretty green and inexperienced but filled with enthusiasm about the prospects of being a member of one of the elite units in the U.S. Coast Guard. So, when the opportunity came for me to make my first ride on one of the fabulous 44 foot motor lifeboats, the legendary CG44303, I jumped at the opportunity.

The Umpqua River Bar is considered one of the most treacherous crossings on the west coast. At it's worse, there could be multiple layers of 25 to 30 foot breakers booming across that narrow stretch of opening between the south and north jetties. When it was like that, nothing came in or went out. Our 44's were the only vessel capable of navigating through surf conditions like that, and we would only do so in an emergency. Luckily, for us on that day, the conditions were not so dramatic, but they were developing into a potential nasty situation with 10 to 12 foot breakers randomly breaking across the bar like rows of soldiers marching in rhythm to a musical beat. Several trawlers were wanting to come across before the bar closed up and were jumpy about coming across without a 44 on station.

Myron Dale our first class bos'nmate waved at me to come over.

"You ready for your first bar patrol?"

"You bet I am...let's do it", I said rather naively.

"Okay, then it could get nasty out there", he said warning me about what we might run into, " We could be out there for a while."

"I'm ready."

On our way out to ready the CG44303, because we would be on station through lunch, our cook made us some baloney sandwiches and handed us a thermos of coffee. Within a few minutes we had the 303 fired up and idled out of the boathouse.

Myron lifted the radio microphone and contacted the station, "Station Umpqua River...CG44303 underway." Red Oneil was our engineer on this run and his fire engine red hair poofed out from under his hat in a rather non-regulation manner. "Hey Sport...first time out huh." He said with his characteristic sandy-faced grin

"Yeah I guess so."

"Should be a piece of cake...we do this all the time. If anything happens, I'll tell you what to do...don't worry about anything."

I nodded again with my naive confidence.

The powerful twin Cummins diesels vibrated below deck and filled the air with their deep report even at idle speed. As we turned into the main channel, Myron shoved the throttles full forward and those engines roared like two lions after a kill. You could feel the power they possessed as they shoved the hull through the water. It was thrilling to say the least. I am finally here, I thought, actually getting involved in the action.

It took a few minutes to reach the bar area where we stopped just inside where the main channel crossed through. About five trawlers were lined up outside the bar waiting for it to lay down enough for them to come across. Breakers on the bar always occur in a series which varies somewhat, four or five, maybe as many as six or seven breakers before it will lay down just long enough to allow a boat to come through, then it starts all over again.

One by one they started coming across, The Midnight Sun, The Harmony....It took several minutes between each pass and slowly they crossed over without incident. Where we were sitting was pretty rough as we caught all the residual swells and chop coming off the bar and as well designed as those 44's were, they rode like an old bathtub rolling and rocking and kicking up and down, back and forth. Before long I began to feel the effects of all that random movement. My head started spinning, I burped several times and passed a few other assorted gasses, downwind. My insides started to feel woozy in ways I have never felt before. I moved around hoping by standing in another spot might alleviate the symptoms. It didn't work. The fumes from the diesel engines wafted like toxic, poisonous gases all around us exacerbating my situation. Red took notice of my situation.

"You're look'n a might peeked there Sport, a bit green around the gills. You gonna make it?"

"I ain't feeling so well..." I replied in a rather weak and pathetic voice.

"Well, Sport, what you need is to eat something...here, try one of these baloney and mayonnaise sandwiches. That'l fix ya right up."

Of course I naively took his advise and I never got past the first chew of the first bite. Over the side I leaned and the entire contents of my insides spilled like some vile poison onto the surface of the foam covered waters. Within seconds the seagulls swarmed all over that mess and fought over the larger chunks and my insides continued to empty themselves. Over and over, the retching continued unabated for several minutes to the point the only thing coming out was a thin line of yellow slime. My gut ached like nothing I have ever experienced. I literally thought I was dying.

All the while this was happening Red and Myron were laughing out loud at my plight. Not sure which made me madder, the seagulls or them laughing...I think it was the seagulls. After a few minutes I finally settled down and started to feel better. Red stopped his laughing long enough to comment on my situation. "See, told ya that would fix you up...got all that stuff out of ya and you feel better now don't ya."

I had to admit he was right, but good gosh all mighty that was the worst sick I've ever endured and I continued to retch a few more times until we headed in. Red gave me some advise afterwards. "Next time have ole cooky give you a bag of plain peanuts still in the hull and eat them while you are out there. Gives you something to do and keeps your mind off what's going on."

You know he was right and even though I still suffered from time to time with being seasick, I never again suffered quite as bad as that first time. By the time I finished my tour at the Umpqua River Station a few years later, I was a full fledged salty dog able to withstand even the nastiest of conditions...well...most of the time that is, as long as I had my bag of peanuts...:)

Add a Spark to Your Lighting With Gels

Natural and or existing light can be and is often very dramatic. However, the problem with natural light is you can't control it very well. Using shade, or a reflector, or some kind of diffuser gives you some limited ability to alter the light, but over all you are pretty well stuck with what nature gives you. Speedlites provide an alternative and versatile source of light, but even those have limitations. I do enjoy using speedlites and in recent years have turned to them more and more as a way to shape the light around my subject. What is exciting about speedlites is their ability to add color to your images thru the use of Gels.

Gels are simply thin transparent plastic sheets that fit over the head of the speedlight. They come in all colors but generally they are used to add warm or cool light to your image. Although they are relatively inexpensive to purchase, you can make your own quite easily. I have used colored, clear plastic document protectors cut to fit my lights. They work great, however the ones you purchase probably do have a more precise color cast to them.

One drawback to using gels is they will often reduce the power output of your lights. Depending on which ones you use and how many are stacked together, you can lose as much as a full stop of light output. This is easily overcome with some simple exposure compensation.

The best use of gels is to use them in such a way you do not realize they are there. A subtle cast of warm light or a gentle cooling effect is often all you need. Most of the time it is best to use them to enhance colors that already exist. The image above is a good example of this. Taken at the Corvette Cafe, we discovered lots of natural occurring bright colors as part of the 1950's diner experience. To create the image I used four speedlights and one 20x30 softbox. One of the lights was placed in the right hand corner of the cafe and used a pale blue gel which helped to enhance the chrome along the diner counter and provided a gentle rim light around our model. It also matched her dress. A pale blue light like this can often liven up dark corners and add a sense of cheeriness to the atmosphere. In the corner directly behind our model a light with red gel was used to fill in another dark space and to provide a matching contrast to the various red splashes found in the cafe. The gelled lights were set to a low power output to prevent overwhelming the image yet they added to the flavor of the scene. They looked like they belonged there and offered a subtle, pleasing effect.

There are times you might want to go for broke and use a strong color to add drama to your image. Bold colored gels can often transform an ordinary look into an image with a great deal of drama. The image below of the classic T-33 / F-80 Shooting Star is a good example. Taken just after dusk, I basically killed all the ambient light with the exposure settings and then built a bubble of light around the aircraft bouncing it off the tarmac so the airplane would define itself within that bubble. The bold nature of the light created a powerful look and transformed this wonderful static display into an image that jumps off the page.

Using Gels can be an exciting way to spice up your images. Used creatively you can turn what might be an ordinary picture into an image with a spark of excitement, one that generates an emotional response. The trick is to make it look like it belongs there.

Why Combining Two Images to Make One is Sometimes Better Than Simply Shooting One Image

Sometimes I over-think things. I tend to get caught up in details of how and why something is the way it is. I've even been told, subtly mind you, that I over-complicate things and sometimes create a cluttered view of what I am talking about as a result. I know this to be true and do take it to heart, no really I do, but I just can't help myself when it comes to something where there is a revelation of sorts that seems to jump out at me. Take for instance the subject of this article. Based on the title you might be thinking, well, there he goes again. You'd probably be right, but hear me out, because I do believe this actually makes sense.

So, why is combining two images to make one, sometimes better than simply shooting one image to start with? Well, let me explain. First of all, this idea does not always apply to every situation.  In most cases a single, well-lit photo of a subject is more than adequate to create an appealing image. However there are circumstances where capturing two or more images, then combining them into one will create a more powerful looking image.

Let's take the picture above of an F-4 Phantom aircraft as an example. In recent weeks I have been concentrating on this particular shoot for several reasons and have included commentary in several blog posts about it. The more I began to study the outcome of this image, the more I began to realize  the final result could not have been made without the combining of two separate images. Had I used lets say six or seven flash units all at once, I potentially could have captured this image in a single shot. However, it would never have looked the same and might have even been inferior to the final image created using four speedlights and two combined images.

The reason is this. Had I used six or seven flash units at the same time, they would have been working against each other. Part of the appeal of this image is the dramatic use of light (red light in this case) bounced off the tarmac and then reflected back into the underside of the aircraft. Two other lights were used to illuminate the outside edges. This combination created the first image. Take notice how the light and shadows along with the reflections created a strong dramatic appearance.

After re-positioning the lights, a second image was created by pointing two lights toward the canopy and filling the front, top, and underside of the aircraft with ordinary white light. This flood of white light bouncing off the tarmac is what would create the problem if they were used at the same time as the wing positioned red lights.

In the final results, the second image was layered on top of the first image. The dramatic red light was then revealed by erasing portions of the top layer and leaving the  top half of the layer alone. Had I used six flash units at the same time, the additional two units pointing toward the canopy would have diluted and washed out the red light and shadows coming from behind the wings. The dramatic red light would no longer have been there, at least not at the same intensity levels. Also, most if not all of the Vanishing Point depth and dimension created by the shadows would have been lost.

By combining two separate exposures, the lighting effects of each individual exposure were fully realized without interfering with each other.

The image above is a sample of a similar aircraft that was captured in a single shot using seven flash units at the same time. Notice how the white lights seem to have washed out the power and strength of the red gelled lights. It's a nice photo, but without the drama that could have been, had we used two separate shots. Not every situation lends itself well to this technique, but, sometimes thinking through a problem and observing the results, however unexpected, can often reveal an exciting outcome.

So...maybe I do over-think problems a bit too much. I suppose it is a bi-product of 30 years of mainframe computer programming where that is what you do...everyday. Building a final image from multiple shots is not a new idea, but combining multiple images with creative lighting just might offer a way to experience the power and versatility of speedlights in a unique way. It sort of occurred to me just how much merit this concept really does warrant.

Shaping Light to Fit Your Subject

Dusk was upon me before I was ready and the bright display lights at the Aviation Heritage Park in Bowling Green kicked on as the daylight faded. The lights were much brighter than I remembered and I was concerned they would interfere with my planned shooting for that evening. Turned out my apprehension was premature because in fact they actually helped out because they provided enough illumination so the camera could easily focus, but not so much to drown out the lighting I was planning to use. About the only issue with them was they created a florescent glow the camera wanted to interpret as a greenish cast. A simple tweak of the White Balance eliminated the threat, and I was confident the speedlights would provide enough horsepower to overcome any adverse affect they might have.

As part of the Adventure Photography series, my project for the previous two weeks was to capture the historical aircraft on display at the park. There were five beautifully restored ones all having a connection to Bowling Green and Kentucky. Capturing vintage aircraft such as these in such a way as to avoid reproducing the standard cliche images requires a bit of thought. I had to ask, then answer one question; How do I shape my light to fit my subject?

I could have taken the normal approach and simply pointed my lights at the aircraft and flooded them with light. I knew this would never fulfill my creative desire to capture them in a unique way. I also ran into the problem of having only four speedlights to work with when I actually needed six or even eight to do the job effectively. As I walked around the F-4 Phantom, a huge aircraft even though it was an air superiority fighter, I realized there was no way I was going to capture this magnificent piece of history without taking a multiple image approach, then combining two images into a new single image. The idea was to first illuminate the underside of the aircraft, then photograph the topside. These two images then would be combined to create the final photograph.

My first decision was to decide from which angle to shoot. The F-4 carries itself well from most all angles, but the most striking appeared to be from straight on. Using this angle allowed for a dramatic use of what is known in the art world as a Vanishing Point, where all straight lines tend to point toward a single converging point thus creating an illusion of three dimensions. This also created a sense of movement and speed.

The next problem to solve was how to light this enormous aircraft using just four speedlights. It was much too large to capture in a single photograph. Dramatic lighting was a requirement and to create this drama I was going to use a set of homemade red gels to cover two of the lights. The gels were made from a document protector cut to fit the dimensions of the flash units. Two other units would remain uncovered and provide a basic white light. The idea then was to indirectly light the underside of the aircraft by bouncing the light off the tarmac. Two lights each were clamped to the back edges of both wings with the lights pointing down with a slight angle forward. This lighting setup effectively illuminated the underside of the F-4, but the top part of the airframe remained relatively dark. The lights of course were fired remotely from the camera.

I placed the camera on a tripod and aligned the composition. After some test shots I settled in on an exposure of f/5.6 at 28 mm with a shutter of 1/15 and an ISO of 800, using a remote cable release. Part of the problem was to also eliminate or kill off most if not all of the ambient light spilling over from the background. Once that was confirmed as the best exposure to accomplish this, I locked the camera in place on the tripod and left it alone. The first image was captured.

I now had to capture the second image. With the underside of the airframe captured, I needed to position the lights in such a way as to throw some light across the front and top portion. To do this I used two tall light stands one each positioned just outside the wingtips and somewhat in front of the airframe angled toward the canopy. Leaving the camera setting alone effectively prevented any movement of the camera that could throw off the critical alignment of the two images when blending the final two shots into one.

Again it required several test shots and power setting adjustments to get the desired results, but once I had that accomplished, I was pretty well done for the night. All that was required from that point on was to blend the two images into a single new image and do some tweaking in Photoshop to clean up the image.

The idea of this entire exercise was to avoid simply using light to illuminate the F-4 but to use light to shape the subject. The tarmac in essence became part of the main sources of light. Drama was demanded for this aircraft, to do justice to its classic lines, its history, and to its legacy. Using speedlights to shape light so it fits the subject requires not only an understanding of composition, but of the versatility of using off camera flash. It also required stepping away from the ordinary and looking at the problem in an extraordinary way.

When the normal way of doing something falls short of your expectations, don't be afraid to shake up your approach, try something new, something unique, because only then will you be able to truly gain a comprehensive command of the photographic process. Always doing the same ole thing the same ole way can result in ordinary pictures of things. To create the extraordinary, to capture drama, requires a  unique and extraordinary approach. Shaping light to fit your subject, how better way to use the power and versatility of speedlights.