Postcards from the Creative Journey

1038 A Bit Farther, A Bit Better

Today was the first day Brooks and I were out photographing together. We started at the Ames Monument and went a bit farther down Hermosa Road (a dirt road, of course) until we felt we had seen enough high prairie today. We then went to the Vedauwoo Recreation Area to continue exploring beyond what I have done so far. Yesterday’s big rain knocked the dust down on the roads and it was a pleasant day to drive with the windows open. This morning’s clouds gave way to overcast and removed great shadows. 

Vedauwoo is a hidden gem. A beautiful place with very few people. Great for my style of photography. 

A view from Hermosa Road.

1037 A Change of Plan

My photo buddy, Brooks Jensen had some work to do on his publication that kept him from getting out to photograph. I thought that I might enjoy a round of golf at the local golf course. Yes, Laramie, Wyoming has one eighteen hole golf course, associated with the University of Wyoming. I made the arrangements for a tee time and then mentioned that I would need to rent a set of clubs. I was told that the course had no rental clubs. So much for my round of golf. 

Well, the golf plan was scrapped so I went back to Vedauwoo to photograph. While I do love photography, I would really like to see how far I could hit a driver at an altitude of 7,165 feet. 

I explored some different areas of Vedauwoo before some late afternoon thunderstorms chased me back down the hill to Laramie. 

 

1036 A Pleasant Surprise

We didn’t scout out Laramie, Wyoming too hard prior to the safari, so we’re just going to wing it and practice our tried and true, “Photography by wandering around.” The search for “things to do in Laramie, Wyoming” one of the top results was Vedauwoo Recreation Area. I put on my John B Stetson, hopped in the pick up truck and headed East on I80. After cresting the hill at a mere 8860 feet, it was not too far to the Recreation Area. Despite it being a holiday weekend, the park was not crowded.

Photographically speaking it was superb if your choice in photographic subjects runs toward the massive rocks, trees and big puffy cloud type photographs. Happy for me, that’s what I like to do and I had a pleasant afternoon photographing. I’m not sure how I am going to use these great images, but I am sure I will figure something out. 

Click on this link to see a larger panoramic image of some impressive geologic structures. 

This park, while fairly compact has a lot of interesting viewpoints and combinations of rocks and trees to photograph. There will definitely be a return trip (or two) to this place.

1035 On the Road Again…Safari XXXIX begins

Photo Safari started out with a bang. I’m at the Wyoming Territorial Prison and I get my camera out, and I head out to create some art. At the first moment of truth, I make one smooth move to flip the camera switch to “on” and effortlessly lift the camera to my eye. 

Blank. Nothing. Dark viewfinder. Then and only then do I realize there is no battery in the camera. I fumble through the bag, find a battery and install it. The camera again is raised smoothly to my eye where I see the message telling me there is no memory card in the camera.

Yeah, I’m really good at this photography thing. At least it was the first day and easy to get back in the swing of things so I can move on to making more sophisticated mistakes.

The Most celebrated prisoner in the Territorial Prison was Robert Leroy Parker also known as Butch Cassidy.

One of the things the Prison was noted for was its fine hand made straw brooms. Not a skill that had much application "outside the walls."

1034 Getting Second (or more) Chances

The "thumbprint"

One of the good things about staying in one place while on photo safari is the ability to recover from your blunders. We’re not talking mistakes, here, where talking about something so stupid and unthinkable that you can’t possibly be mad because what you’ve done is laughably bad. I’ve done this more than a couple of times, but the most recent memorable gaffe came from the 2021 fall safari in Northern Arizona. It even surpasses the Utah desert disabling the automatic focus incident.

A huge fingerprint smudge on my most used lens cost me a morning’s work. I did not find out about this great blunder until we had completed a morning’s worth of photography. Had we been on a “rootin’, tootin’, never stop shootin’, runnin’ and gunnin’ photo-graphic trophy hunt,” I would not have been able to revisit the location to correct my blunder. Staying in one place allowed me to revisit the site of the ruined images and save me from my own stupidity.

There are two good thoughts here. One is to check your camera functions before you head out to photograph. Two is to stay in one place for a while in case you forget to pay attention to good thought number one.

1033 I’m Starting To See Photographs Everywhere First Published 8/12/2012

I’m very happy about this. I noticed it a couple of weeks ago when I was playing golf. I was coming up to the third tee and I looked to the left and there it was - a nice, minimalist landscape. I was at the bottom of a small grassy knoll. The top third of a conically shaped tree was visible on the left side of the knoll and spectacular cloud filled the top two thirds and right side of my “composition.” It would have made a great photograph if I had my camera with me.

The key to the photograph would have been the cloud. I was wearing my “blue blocker” sunglasses (they are a light brown color, a Wratten 90 filter if you’re old enough to know what that means) and the clouds have a wonderfully spectacular “pop” when you look at them through those lenses. My youngest daughter just changed her sunglasses from grays to blue blockers and she noted, “The world looks happier through blue blocker sunglasses.” I agree - especially if you are looking at clouds.

I really am ready for the photo safari to begin.

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And so Photo Safari XXXIX begins today. Watch this spot over the next few weeks for real time Postcards from the Creative Journey.

1032 Cropping for Effect

This image is just too good.

In completing a project, I needed to make a panoramic image. I went out early in the morning to make the necessary image. I created a wonderful panoramic image. When I got home and processed the image, I discovered the image was way too perfect for my need.

What?

In setting up the foreground to make sure it fit the criteria for the project, I failed to notice wonderful cloud formation brilliantly (and colorfully) lit by the morning sunrise. With a heavy heart I wound up cropping out most of the sky because it would have been too distracting from the central element of the final image.

Cropped version.

This image will be part of an upcoming exhibition, After the Memories, contrasting the current and past landscape of Cary, North Carolina.

1031 Now Just Why Are You Doing This? First Published 10/18/2020

In the many years I have hovered around the edges of commercial and art photography, the question of “making your photography pay for itself” has been a topic of discussion. The quest seems particularly important to those that deem themselves artists and do not wish to sully their artwork with crass commercial influence. After spending decades worrying about “can I make my photography pay for itself?” I decided to assume it was not a question worth worrying about and conceded that I will never make my photography pay for itself. Stress removed.

I concluded that deriving income from photography makes you the owner of a small business whose sole asset is your photographic skill. If you know any small business owners, you know they spend a very large part of their time on self-promotion and sales with a very small part of their time creating art. With the limited time I had available for photography, I chose to spend that time creating art, not promoting myself.

I did not want to take a pleasurable activity and turn it into a job.

Thus, sharing my photographs with the world became the primary goal for my photography. To that end I have centered my photographic output around my web site and my blogs. I rarely make photographic prints anymore. When I do make a print, it is usually motivated by entry into a juried competition, or a gallery show. Success in that endeavor is having my photograph accepted for exhibition. If I earn an award or someone purchases a print, I consider that a bonus.

1030 Hardware or Software?

Are you more excited about the announcement of a new camera or being notified about the automatic upgrade of your photo editing software? I am non-plussed with the introduction of new cameras, lenses, or other hardware. New gear does not excite me because I know that a new camera will be, (1) more expensive than I want, (2) require a major investment in time to learn how to operate and (3) will probably not have features that are a quantum leap beyond my current gear.

Software upgrades excite me because (1) upgrades are included as part of my annual license fee, (2) the learning curve may be non-existent because improvements are often buried in the code we don’t see and (3) improvements can be a quantum leap better than the latest version of the software.

Here is why I like new software more than hardware. With new hardware, the technology is available for all future images. With new software, technology is available for ALL images; past, present, and future. This is obviously more powerful and useful to the photographer than a new camera.

Software improvements win, hands down.

1029 Filling the Inside Straight First Published 2/26/2017

If the subject matter is close at hand, can you ever be really finished with a project? Would you go back and try to “fill the inside straight” by making new photographs that can be inserted in the current project? Or should you try to figure out how to expand the completed project with an additional chapter? That would be calling your initial project “complete” and then creating the next chapter in your story.

I recently came up with this question because I was asked to photograph a mural that will probably disappear as part of a building renovation. I saw a nice composition across the street at the Ivey Ellington House so I walked over a bit and made the photograph on today’s blog. It wasn’t a summer morning or a winter day, but I saw an opportunity and made an image.

Now, what to do with it after posting it on the blog? Is it the start of the next chapter of the Academy Street Project or does it elbow its way into the Southern Gothic project?

1028 Of Course, You Should Go Back

Here’s the long and short of it; The more you photograph one place the better your images will be.

This should be one of the shortest blog posts I’ve ever done, but it does require some elaboration on what I think is obvious. The more time you spend with a subject he better your photographs will be. If you go somewhere once, the outcome is a huge crapshoot based on the luck of the weather, time of day, how you are feeling and maybe even the tide level.

If you go back to the same spot repeatedly, your universe of situations is greatly expanded. Think of Adams in Yosemite, Weston at Point Lobos, Brassai in Paris, or yours truly on Academy Street. While we all may not photograph in stunningly beautiful surroundings, there is something to be said for learning an area and continuing to develop a deep photographic relationship with your surroundings. No one else knows your world as well as you. Take advantage of that photographic knowledge to make great photographs.

Last year we stopped at Cape Cove Beach. I really liked the beach because it was quite different from the other Oregon Beaches we visited on that Safari. My photographs from the first session were terrible. We went back a few days later and everything “clicked’ and I made some very good images.

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Here is a link to The Lipka Journal with the images from Cape Cove Beach.

1027 Too Much To Do, First Published 5/15/2016

Sometimes I will flounder around for a while and not do too much photographically, usually the result of having way too many ideas, dreams and random thoughts. It’s like the old saying, “I have so much to do I can’t get started.” Once I prioritize three or four of these photographic dreams, then I will start to focus on what it takes to get it done. Having a manageable list of things to do is my way of getting motivated to produce some photographs.

A catalytic event is usually something concrete with a deadline, like submitting images in response to a call for work. Nothing motivates like a deadline.