National Parks

Storm Light over the North Rim – Grand Canyon National Park, Az.

 Arizona, Desert, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon Photography, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Photography Trips, sunrise  No Responses »
May 132012
 

Storm Light over the North Rim • Grand Canyon National Park, Az.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I am still embroiled in the day to day activities of my daughters last few weeks in high school. Time is really rolling now and the days are seemingly compressed with so much to do. To get away I returned to some recent files from a winter trip to the Grand Canyon. Time here does not roll at a frenetic pace. Or so I thought. I have long thought the canyon was the “energy” center of the earth. I feel so much power here and I tend to slow my movements and thoughts. I have never tired of the far-ranging views or the labyrinthine forms of the inner canyon. It has always been this way for me.

On this trip I was treated to several days of incredible light and atmospheric conditions. Storm clouds rolled over the canyon dropping snow on the North Rim. From the South Rim it was like watching a movie where natural forces collided. The relative stability of the buttes and rock formations seemed under assault as wind driven clouds dropped tendrils into the canyon, bent on covering the world with a foggy mist. Even the sun joined the fight seeking to break the hold of the clouds. So even here in a place of timeless evolution the pace can seem to quicken. My heart raced as I alternately watched the drama and composed the images in my camera. After hundreds of shots I just went on a sensory overload.

When I look at this image today I can still feel the natural power of that day. Standing alone on a finger of rock I was embraced by the changing opera of nature. Life goes on and we simply have to let it play out. These are hard words that I find difficult to live by right now. My child is growing up and I can no more hold on to her as to try and keep the winds at bay. Hard as it is to except, life goes on. It has always been this way.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Walk in Peace

Bob

Google+Share

Twilight over the Sinking Ship – Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

 Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon Photography, Grand Circle, High Dynamic Range, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Lightroom, National Parks, Photography Composition, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, sunset, Twilight Photography, Wide Angle Photography  1 Response »
Mar 102012
 

Twilight over the Sinking Ship • Grand Canyon National Park, AZ.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Just a short post today featuring a recent image from a February trip to the South of the Grand Canyon. I was there for some NPS work but got out for a little photography in between meetings and surveys. To say I had some incredible weather would be an understatement. I have been to the canyon many times but I have never had the sustained atmospheric conditions I witnessed on this trip. On successive days clouds rolled over the canyon creating dynamic and dramatic light. Clouds passed over the buttes and also dropped into below the rim to drift in and out of the formations. In the evening the clouds moved up allowing beautiful twilight shooting conditions.

This image was shot at one of my “secret”, favorite shooting locations along the South Rim. A short little off-trail scramble brings you to a series of rocky ledges that affords eastern and western views within the canyon. Looking east you can see the giant mass of Coronado Butte, and west affords incredible views of the Sinking Ship formation, aptly named as it appears to be an ocean liner sinking into the water. This image of the Sinking Ship was shot about 10 minutes into civil twilight. The clouds had begun to lift and some subtle re-lighting illuminated the foreground rocks and large buttress to the right. I used these elements to frame the vista to the Sinking Ship.

Technical Details: This image is a composite of two exposures, one for the sky and one for the foreground. The two files were processed in Lightroom and opened as layers in Photoshop. The two files were hand blended using a luminosity layer mask before completing the usual contrast and color layers I typically employ.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

Google+Share

Twisted Tree and Winter Light – South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park

 Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Lightroom Workflow, Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon Photography, Grand Circle, High Dynamic Range, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Lightroom, Lightroom Enfuse, Moab Masters, National Parks, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Robert H Clark Photography, sunrise, Trees, Winter  3 Responses »
Feb 242012
 

Twisted Tree and Winter Light • South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I am currently sorting through about 3000 exposures from my last trip. I have been shooting differently on my last few outings which includes more bracketing of shots for manual blending in Photoshop. I am after more dynamic range in the light and though the Photoshop work takes more effort I think the results are much better.

Today’s image was made from Maricopa Overlook on the Hermits Rest Road. During the winter months the Canyon stops the buses and visitors are able to drive on the Hermits Rest Road which makes access to some of the more dramatic overlooks easy. On this morning there was a fairly heavy cloud cover and I was not to hopeful for a sunrise shot. It was also quite cold at 16 degrees. Still recovering from pneumonia I was not to eager to leave the warm car or my cup of hot tea. But a cold fog had descended on this side of the Canyon and some of the trees were painted with a coat of light hoar frost. No matter how I played with the compositions I just “wasn’t feeling it”. I found this gnarly tree on the walk back to the car just as a bit of soft sunlight began to break through the cloud bank. The yellow glow as very nice and gave a nice halo around the top of tree. So I began to work with this composition placing the top of the tree against this light. In post processing I used several Selective Color Layers to target the Reds, Yellows, Blues, and Whites and followed up with a Dodge and Burn Layer to sculpt the form of the tree. The amazing contortions in the tree truck are testimony to the harsh environment along the South Rim. Beaten by wind, snow, and cold temperatures in the winter this tree is an amazing survivor. In a funny way the tree became a metaphor for how I felt-not feeling well, but surviving.

Technical Details: This image is a blend of three exposures using Enfuse for Lightroom. It was composed for three exposure, one for mid-tones, one for highlights, and one for shadows. The resulting file is sent to Photoshop for final finishing. I like Enfuse as it prepares a very natural looking file without the artifacts that can come from HDR Software. You can get the plugin from The Photographers Toolbox.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

Google+Share

Clearing Storm on the North Rim-No. 2 • Grand Canyon National Park

 Arizona, Desert, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon Photography, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Moab Masters, National Parks, Photography Trips, Robert H Clark Photography, sunrise  No Responses »
Feb 092012
 

Clearing Storm on the North Rim-No. 2

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Today is just a quick post as I am in packing mode to head back to the Grand Canyon to finish the trip I started a few weeks ago. As most of you know I was laid to waste by pneumonia while out at the canyon and had to return home early. Though the doctors have said I could see residual effects for awhile I am nonetheless on the mend and ready to get back out. I have promised everyone (fingers crossed :-) ) that I will take it easy. But the plate is full and includes a bit of work for the park as well as several shooting side trips with Tony Kuyper and hopefully, after three attempts, a trip into Canyon X with Charlie Moore.

The image today was shot as I left the canyon a few weeks ago to head home from my shortened trip. It snowed 8″ the night before coating the North and South Rims is a blanket of white powder. Though cold and not feeling well I was still determined to get off a few shots. I don’t want to get to metaphysical here but somehow I think the canyon knew of my situation and gave me a beautiful gift of low lying clouds hanging just below the rim. I have not seen the canyon in this way before and consider this a special treat. In this shot, taken just after sunrise, you can see the clouds wrapping around Buddha Temple (left), Manu Temple (small, in the center), and Orza Butte (just to the right of Manu).

Thanks for stopping by today. I will be back in a few weeks and hope to share more images from the canyon and surrounding area.

Bob

Google+Share

Clearing Storm over the North Rim • Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

 Arizona, Desert, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon Photography, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Mountains, National Parks, Photography Trips, Robert H Clark Photography, sunrise, Twilight Photography, Winter  5 Responses »
Jan 292012
 

Clearing Storm over the North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. As most of you know who follow this blog I have been away on a combined work/photography trip to the Grand Canyon. I was anticipating a great time with my shooting pal Tony Kuyper. We had compiled a list of places I have not been and was looking forward to bringing back some new images. Alas however that was not to be. Going back nearly a month to my shooting trip to Death Valley I contracted a nagging cough that weeks later was still with me. By the time I arrived at the canyon I was feverish and in quite a fix. I spent most of Sunday in the hotel unable to move and by Monday was in the Grand Canyon Medical Center with several IV’s stuck in my hand. The diagnosis was pneumonia. Needless to say everything was cancelled and I made the flight home two days later. Just to fill in the rest of the story I am on a new antibiotic that is working and I am on the mend.

Despite my condition, on the way out of the canyon to get to the airport at Flagstaff, I still managed to capture a few images. Well let’s just say I was bound and determined to shoot something despite how I felt. Over Monday night it snowed 8″ on the South Rim turning the canyon into a magical sight. Across the way on the North Rim it looked like nature had dropped white sugar sprinkles over the spires and buttes. A layer of clouds had dropped below the rim and was drifting among the canyons formations. As the sun rose and kissed the buttes with light the composition was complete. In this shot you can see the Cheops Pyramid (right), and the Isis Temple (left). Overhead the early morning light turned the clouds a subtle magenta. This was a special sight to see and though I really did not feel well I was bolstered, even if only for a brief period, by the experience. Nature has powerful healing forces. At least it does for me. This image will forever be linked to one of the worst trips I have had. But every time I see this image I will remember it fondly.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

Google+Share

Liquid Light • Salt Creek, Death Valley National Park, California

 Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Lightroom Workflow, Badwater, Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, Death Valley Photography, Desert, High Dynamic Range, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Lightroom, National Parks, Photography Composition, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Robert H Clark Photography, Salt Flats, sunset, Twilight Photography  4 Responses »
Jan 202012
 

Liquid Light • Salt Creek, Death Valley National Park, Ca.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. This will be my last post for about a week or so. I am heading out to the Grand Canyon for a combination work and shooting trip. I will be at the South Rim for a few days and then heading up to Page for a trip into Canyon X and some photo exploration with Tony Kuyper. The 10-day weather forecast looks promising to finally get into Canyon X. I was thwarted on my last attempt when a large front moved over the Page area killing off all the light. Tony and I are planning a little exploration of the Painted Desert and a jaunt through Cathedral Wash down to the Colorado River.

Today’s image is affectionately named “Liquid Light”. This was shot on my recent trip to Death Valley with my pals Alec Johnson and Travis Bechtel. As you may have noticed from recent posts we were blessed with incredible shooting conditions, amazing light, and clouds. Epic clouds to be more exact. This image, shot at Salt Creek, was made in the late afternoon as the sun was setting over the Panamint Range, just behind my camera position. The sky event was happening on both sides and it was difficult to choose where to shoot. There were just so many options. The three of us must have looked like ants after a picnic basket as we scurried about framing compositions. The clouds sent long tendrils over the salt flats. Driven by upper level winds the clouds resembled a liquid spill in the sky. As the sun moved lower reflected light illuminated the clouds and carried their reflection in the water below. Sky and earth seemed to meld into one. We continued to shoot well into Civil Twilight just enjoying the light show.

Technical Details: This image is a blend of two bracketed exposures. One for the foreground and one for the sky. Each image was processed in Adobe Lightroom and opened as layers in Photoshop for final work. I created a Channel Mask to seamlessly blend the two exposures before applying my final curves and color adjustments.

Thanks for stopping by. I’ll see you back here soon.

Bob

Google+Share

Sunset at Badwater – Death Valley National Park, California

 California, Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, Desert, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Photography Trips, Robert H Clark Photography, Salt Flats, Twilight Photography, Wide Angle Photography  2 Responses »
Jan 032012
 

Sunset at Badwater, Death Valley National Park, California

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I am just back, this very morning at 3:00 am to be exact, from a shooting trip to Death Valley with Alec Johnson and Travis Bechtel. To say we shot up the place would be an understatement. We spent nearly every waking hour out in the landscape shooting from early morning to late in the evening. It was what a photography trip with best friends is all about-photography, friendship, and camaraderie. The jokes and shenanigans were non-stop. And of course there was a little photography along the way. In nearly three and a half days and 10 separate shooting sessions I managed to exhaust 10 compact flash cards and log over 100 gigs in files. The weather was amazing and we had beautiful clouds for many of our shoots.

With so many images it was hard to know where to begin. So the easiest place I think is from the beginning. This image was shot on our first evening in the park. On the way in to the park we stopped and photographed some interesting mountains and clouds but the main goal was to get down into the flats for twilight. The Badwater Salt Flats are one of the lowest places on earth. Summer temperatures can reach better than 115 degrees and the heat leaches all the moisture out of the ground. In the harsh light of midday the flats are unremarkable. But at twilight they become soft and other-worldly. Here the white salt glows with the reflected color of the sky and clouds. Undefined ridges catch the highlights and reveal the intricate patterns embedded in the flats. Out here the lack of noise is deafening. It is so quiet you can here a pin drop. This valley extends for many miles up the spine of Death Valley and includes many incredible geologic formations. This was a fitting place to start our adventures.

Stay tuned for more images from this trip. And check out Alec Johnson’s and Travis Bechtel’s websites for their images.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

Google+Share

Sunset on the Flats – Death Valley National Park

 California, Death Valley, Desert, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Photography Trips, Robert H Clark Photography, Singh-Ray Filters, Split Neutral Density Filters, sunset, Twilight Photography, Wide Angle Photography  4 Responses »
Dec 192011
 

Sunset on the Flats, Death Valley National Park, California.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. My apologies for my apparent lack of attention to the blog but the last month has been quite busy. I have also been spending a good bit of time on my site over on Google Plus which has been very exciting. I have made quite a few new connections with the photography community resulting in new friendships and shooting opportunities. And speaking of shooting opportunities today’s post is a teaser. This image was shot nearly 10 years ago on my first trip to Death Valley. It also marked the first time that I shot with my 4 x 5 camera and Fuji Velvia film. Photography has really advanced since those early days with the large format camera. Today digital photography affords the opportunity to shoot more often, the freedom to experiment, and the ability to capture a broader dynamic range in my images. But my 4 x 5 work set the ground work for how I shoot today. Even with my digital cameras I use many of the compositional concepts that I learned with large format cameras.

Next week I will return to Death Valley with my tow buds, Alec Johnson and Travis Bechtel. Next week I will return to the scene where the landscape photography “light” was turned on. The weather forecast looks great and I will be with two good friends. How much better can it get. In my mind this is what photography is really all about. Oh to be sure, I do like to be in these beautiful places. There will be no argument there. But to be out and sharing the experience with good friends is the driving force. Photography has brought me many joys. But it is this connection to the community at large that has been the biggest draw. It took years for me to understand this concept. And over on G+ it just gets better and better. But don’t worry I will still bring new images here, to this forum.

As the holidays approach I wish each and everyone of you good cheer. I appreciate in so many ways each and every visitor to this site. I started this blog two years ago to help promote my website. Along the way however I found out that I actually have a voice. The blog has helped my with that discovery and was the first step in connecting to the larger community as a whole. I thank all of you for visiting and supporting this site.

Technical Details: This image was shot with a Canham 4 x 5 Field Camera fitted with a Schneider 90mm XL Lens. The image was shot with Fuji Velvia 50 film at f22 for 8 seconds. I used a Singh-Ray 3-Stop, Soft Edge Split Neutral Density Filter in the sky to balance out the exposure.

I’ll see you back here in the new year.

Bob

Google+Share

King of the Hill – Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

 Abstracts, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Lightroom Workflow, Arizona, Black and White, Desert, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Circle, Hoodoo, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Nikon D3x, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Photoshop Technique  2 Responses »
Dec 092011
 

King of the Hill, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. This is an image I have affectionately named “King of the Hill”. It is a rather large pedestal of Navajo Sandstone perched on top of layer upon layer of serrated and swirling stone. To be honest this was a disappointing day. I was scheduled to make a trip into Canyon X but a massive front several states away brought clouds and flat, contrasty light. Not exactly the kind of conditions suitable for slot canyon photography. So with the Canyon X trip cancelled, and determined to shoot something, I wondered out into some slick rock areas near Glen Canyon. I do not like to shoot in desperation as it usually leads to uninspiring images and frustration. But here I was anyway. At the very least this would be a scouting trip for a future trip. I wandered for hours up, down, and through an amazing landscape of sharp-edged stone. They were like giant red layer cakes rising upward through a series of dimensional swirls culminating in a large rock “cupcake” with a cookie on top. But the light was just horrible – flat, contrasty, and featureless. Light brings form, shape, and definition. With it we can separate the elements of an image and bring it to life.

But even without the light I knew there was a shot here in this garden of stone. In conditions like this black and white can save the day. To begin to see the possibilities I set my cameras display setting to black and white. Immediately the possibilities began to surface. The flat red color and grey sky became more cohesive and interesting in black and white. And with a little Lightroom and Photoshop work I knew I could bring out the drama and detail in the stone. I also had to be a little patient with my subject. At time during the day a hint of form would appear in the featureless grey sky. For this shot I waited almost 45 minutes for a band of clouds to form over this formation. Waiting for just the right moment I was able to not only capture some interest in the sky but to also use this to frame around the sandstone pedestal. All day I played this “cat and mouse” game with vary degrees of success. With this image everything fell in to place and I was able to bring home a winner.

Technical Details: This image was shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikkor 17-35mm lens at 24mm. The image was exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for 30 seconds. Even though I had my screen display set to Black and White the RAW captured all the color data. I experimented with the RAW processing to bring out as much color detail so I could make the B+W conversion in Photoshop. For the final however I made the conversion in Lightroom using the Color Mode Sliders. I have found I have a great deal of control with these sliders and can produce an excellent file for final work in Photoshop.

My workflow in Photoshop followed my typical pattern with one exception. I began, as usual, with “digital gardening” on a filter layer to clean up a few dust spots and applying my Smart Sharpen layer to bring up the micro-contrast of the file. The RAW file brought from Lightroom, though solid, still needed some punch. To do this I “Merged Visible” to create a new Image Layer. Note that here that I could also have flattened the file but I almost never do this as I might want to make some adjustment to the Sharpening and I need the Layer Stacks intact for this. With the new Image Layer active I changed the Blending Mode to Soft Light. You could also use Multiply Mode but this usually requires reducing the opacity of the effect. With Soft Light I find I get a nice punch to the file by increasing the density of the pixels. It is a great technique in certain circumstances to add depth to the file. From here it followed my usual Layers including White and Black Point, several Contrast/Curve Adjustments through Luminosity Masks and extensive dodging and burning. Dodging and burning is where I paint with light and manipulate the highlights and shadows to add visual dimension to the file. Using a combination of the Brush Tool and D+B Tools I work light and dark values at low opacities along edges and flat areas to separate tones and emphasize light and shadow.

Thank you for stopping by today!

Bob

 

Google+Share

Potoma Waterfall – Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia

 Harpers Ferry, Heliopan Filters, National Parks, Nikon D3x, Potomac River, River, Robert H Clark Photography, Shenandoah River, Twilight Photography, Water, Waterfalls, West Virginia  No Responses »
Nov 032011
 

Potoma Waterfall, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, WV.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. As most of you know I have been on a self imposed exploration of my regional backyard. I have cut back some of my trans-continental travel and taken the opportunity to visit some incredible local locations with one of my shooting pals Mark Muse. Today’s post is a real jewel and is located a mere 10 minutes from my office. Just downriver from where the Shenandoah and the Potomac join a small stream that drains from the mountains around Loudon Heights empties into the Potomac. But before it does the stream drops over a knife edge of stone and splinters into multiple cascades. On this day the falls were swollen with water from rains and snowmelt. The flow of water twists and turns through an obstacle course of large boulders before finally joining the Potomac River. Sometimes it just pays to stay at home.

Technical Details: I shot the falls in the early evening. The sun was already dropping low in the sky and the dense canopy of trees obscured most of the sunlight and gave me a beautiful even light for shooting. At this time even an ISO of 100 I could get 1/4 to 1/2 of second exposures which was plenty to give the water a frozen look. But I wanted a little more “flow” to the water and cut out some small specular highlights on the wet rocks so I used a Heliopan Warming Circular Polarizer which gave me an additional 3 stops. So my exposure data was ISO 100 at f11 for 4 seconds. Nikon D3x with a Nikkor 17-35 at 20mm.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

Google+Share
 Older Entries

Bad Behavior has blocked 160 access attempts in the last 7 days.