Robert H Clark Photography Blog

Navajo Lands

The Nameless Canyon – Navajo Lands, Arizona

Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Lightroom Workflow, Arizona, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Navajo Lands, Photography Trips, Robert H Clark Photography, sunset 3 Responses »

Apr 092012

The Nameless Canyon • Navajo Lands, Arizona.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. It has been a little while since my last post but I have been up to my neck in various alligators. I have processed many images but just have not had time to get out a post. So to that end I will try and catch up a bit. This image was shot on a recent winter trip out to the Grand Canyon. While I was there I had the chance to connect up with Tony Kuyper for several days of shooting and exploration. This image was shot out in the Painted Desert on the Navajo Reservation. The rolling plains east of the Grand Canyon give way to a series of incredible canyons that fall steeply away into a maze of spires and hoodoos. Tony and I spent most of the early morning in another canyon before ending up here for the afternoon shoot. I can say it was not a disappointment. Not only were the canyons jaw-dropping but we were witness to a series of fast moving storms that rolled across the distant plains. As the sun set I was treated to a beautiful set of crepuscular rays, or “God Rays”, as they are sometimes called. These rays of light can appear as holes in the clouds funnel sunlight down to earth or upward, like beacons, as in this image. However the rays appear, they can add a dramatic and dynamic energy to a photograph. The effect is generally short-lived however and I found I had to scramble to frame the shot before they faded. It was one of the last images I made that day. Sometimes the best is saved until the end.

Technical: This final photograph is a composite of two images. One shot was made of the sky and another for the foreground/midground. I did not use a split neutral density. The two images were processed in Lightroom 4 and the files merged in Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Bob

Fins at Water Holes Canyon – Navajo Lands, Arizona

Arizona, Desert, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Navajo Lands, Photography Trips, Robert H Clark Photography, Slot Canyon, Slot Canyon Photography, sunset, Twilight Photography, Water Holes CAnyon, Wide Angle Photography 8 Responses »

Feb 202012

Wave Formation at Water Holes Canyon • Navajo Lands, Arizona

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I am back from my recent trip to Arizona which included photography at the Grand Canyon, Glen Canyon, and some special areas on Navajo Lands with Tony Kuyper. I have so many images to go through that it will take quite a while to go through them and make selections for processing. As a teaser today’s post is from an area on Navajo Lands just outside of Page, Arizona. The shot was made in the vicinity of Water Holes Canyon. Water Holes is a slot canyon but the surrounding area is a fascinating landscape of sculpted sandstone, many that resemble waves. This wave-like formation was shot just as the setting sun hit the horizon giving me a nice soft light to accentuate the layered edges of the sandstone.

Technical: The image was shot in two exposures, one for the sky and one for the foreground, and hand blended in Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

Blue Light Special – Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona – Creative White Balance and Exposure Blending

Antelope Canyon, Antelope Canyon Photography, Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Lightroom, Navajo Lands, Photography Composition, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Photoshop Technique, Photoshop Workflow, Robert H Clark Photography, Slot Canyon, Sony α900 4 Responses »

Oct 142011

Blue Light Special, Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona. Creative White Balance Setting and Photoshop Exposure Blending.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Fall color is just around the corner and we may see the full display by the end of next week. So while I wait for nature to take its course in the next few weeks I am bring you some intense color of a different type. Many of you who follow this blog, and my work, know that I have shot quite extensively in Antelope Canyon. I love the sinuous curving formations and how light plays off the sandstone walls. It is light that brings the canyons to life. I other posts I have talked about some of the lighting in slot canyons including bounce, or reflected light, chiaroscuro light, and blue light. All can have a dramatic impact on your shot. Today I am going to show you what happens when you apply some creative White Balance Settings in-camera during your exposures.

But first just a small bit on Color Temperature which , in photography, is often associated with White Balance. Essentially color temperature is a characteristic of the visible light that we see, or in some cases, we don’t see. Color temperature is conventionally stated in the unit of absolute temperature, K, on the Kelvin Scale. Color temperatures over 5,000K are called cool colors (blueish white), while lower color temperatures, 2,700–3,200 K, are called warm colors (yellow white to red). In photography, the daylight or normal color temperature, is deemed to be 5000K. If you set your White Balance selector on your camera to Daylight Setting you will be shooting at 5000K. But what happens when you go indoors and shoot with incandescent lights on a 5000K setting? Your image will appear very warm and red/orange. If you lower your White Balance Setting to Tungsten, somewhere around 3200K you can compensate for the warmer color and render the scene more naturally. In this case you are bringing the color down from the warmer side of the spectrum to the cooler side.

You can use this information to do some creative White Balance shooting in your photography. Today’s image was shot in two separate exposures-one at 5500K, what I call my “normal” White Balance for slot canyons, and one at 2500K to bring the warm tones down to a bluer color. I can then combine the two files to create a dynamic image expressing blues in the shadows and oranges in the warmer highlights. When I looked at the “blue” image I noticed I picked up some slight magenta tones which gave me the opportunity to process a third, magenta toned, image to use in the composition. The resulting blending in Photoshop would give me an image that moves from blue to magenta to orange. So lets take a look at the files I processed to achieve the final image.

Image 1: Canyon shot at 5500K White Balance Setting.

Image 2: Canyon shot adjusted to 5800K in Lightroom.

Image 1: This is the first image shot with a White Balance setting of 5500K. I typically shoot just at a WB of 5500K for most of my work and make adjustments depending on the light conditions. You will need to check your manuals for setting a custom WB. On the Sony a900 I can set this right from the main menu screen. On the Nikon D3x I can set this from the WB controls on the back of the camera. Both cameras also give you the opportunity to adjust the color temperature further with by hinting the color towards the Green or Magenta side. Setting this to zero is fine.

Image 3: Canyon shot adjusted to 3500K in Lightroom.

Image 4: Canyon shot at 2500K White Balance Setting.

Image 2: In RAW processing of Image 1 I increased the WB to 5800K and made some adjustments to the Green/Magenta Tint using the slider in Lightroom. The intent here was to brighten up the warm tones.

Image 4: This is the second shot in my bracket set and was made with the camera WB at 2500K. This is below the Tungsten Setting of 3200K. In a situation like this, having shot so much in slots, I go for a lower K-number as I can get much cooler tones in the shadows. You can just note a hint of magenta color in the far part of the image. This led to processing out a third image to accentuate this color.

Image 3: This is the Magenta file processed from Image 4. For this I simply raised the WB in Lightroom to 3500K and adjusted the Tint Slider more towards Magenta.

You will notice that after all the adjustments the final files used for the blend all have the same relative luminosity and tonal consistency. Other than the various changes for WB and Tint the RAW processing for each file was the same. I applied the same development to the curves, noise reduction, and pre-sharpening. This must all be the same so the file set can blend together properly. When I was satisfied with each file I returned to the Library Module in Lightroom, selected the three files and then went to Photo > Open as Layers in Photoshop. All three files were processed and placed in Photoshop in a Layer Stack. The Layer stack for this image is shown below.

I ordered the files going from warm to cool in the Layer Stack. For this processing I preferred this as I wanted to paint on top of the warm file as I felt I could see the changes better visually. I added a Layer Mask filled with Black for the Magenta and Blue Layers. Using the White Reveals and Black Hides concept I went from Layer Mask to Layer Mask painting in and out the color changes until I reached a blend I liked. I used a soft brush and adjusted the size and opacity as I worked on the various layers. It is important when blending files like this to pay attention to the Blend Zones – the areas where the colors overlap. Here you must be subtle and work the masks to eliminate hard edges.

Photoshop Layers for Blue Light Special.

Each of the Layers also had a Selective Color Layer where I adjusted the color intensity. Keep in mind this is a salt to taste function. For this file I wanted more intensity in the colors so I pumped up the blue and magenta. I finished off the file by setting the White and Black Point, adding several Curve adjustments, Dodging and Burning, and Creative Sharpening. Dodging and Burning is an important Layer as painting in darker and lighter tomes adds additional detail and helps to blend in color at Blend Zones.

Technical Details: The image was shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 28mm. The image was exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1.0 seconds.

If you have any questions on this post just send me an e-mail. Thanks as always for visiting and supporting this blog.

Bob

Sandstone Flow – Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Glen Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Navajo Lands, Nikon D3x, Photography Trips, Split Neutral Density Filters No Responses »

Aug 032011

Sandstone Flow, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikkor 24mm PC lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for 1/2 of a second. The white balance was set to 5500K.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Only a few days now before the Lake Superior Workshop. The usual last minute details from work and family commitments, in addition packing, are consuming my time. It is interesting how everything becomes an issue or at the very least appears in the flow of energy while you are trying to get away. The trick I think is to prioritize them on a list and take care of the important ones first. Some of the issues, like a squeaky, spinning wheel, are loudest but will have no impact and therefore should be tabled until your return. I have given up on perfect, calm, trip preparation. I have tried it all. Pack late in a rush, pack early to get a jump on it, but in the end all the “monkeys are trying to jump on my back” to get attention. Oh well, it is what it is. And it is the price we pay for pursuing our passions. I do pack early. Often a week to two ahead. This is simple preparation of cameras and equipment which I manage off of a checklist. Then clothes. I keep outdoor gear in separate bins so it is easy to pull out and select based on the predicted weather conditions. I just try to stay in a defined flow as I get ready not trying to have too many ups and downs along the way. I am the type that likes to have all the ducks in a row so to speak. It just gives me a little peace of mind when I am away. So stay in the flow. I highly recommend this approach.

Today’s image is all about flow. The flow of time and energy. I marvel when I see these formations formed by the forces of water and wind. Sculptures created by the slow processes of nature in the flow of time. Nature is a patient artist. It is a good thing though for we need a counter balance to human impatience. We are constantly on the move to the next thing often unaware that we just missed something really important. Personally I am the master of this behavior and I need to listen to my own advice. When I am in the field I do finally stop. The noises in my head and the constant pressures of the “monkeys” nipping at my heals are released and I am, for a brief moment, free to contemplate something as sublime as this sculpted stone. So much color, light and shadow, and connection from earth to sky with ripples that gave way to lines, that rolled into waves, that carried me away. For a brief moment in time all that defines me in “the real world” is washed away in the stone waves and I am left to simply contemplate its complexity. The real world will come back soon enough. But on this day nature asked me to stop and stay awhile. On this day I was caught up in a different flow and time stood still.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

Jul 312011

Portal Beyond, Lower Antelope Canyon, Navajo Lands, Arizona. Shot with a Nikkor 24mm PC lens. Image shot at f13 in five bracketed exposures then combined in Photomatix Pro.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I thought I would slip in a quick post today that I prepared for practice for next weeks workshop at Lake Superior. We will be teaching some HDR techniques using Photomatix Pro and I worked up this image shot in Lower Antelope Canyon in the spring. The image was shot in five bracketed exposures, each 1-stop apart, using the bracket controls on the Nikon D3x. After import into Adobe Lightroom the 5 exposures were selected and exported to Photomatix using the LR Plug-In. I processed the file using the Photomatix Fusion controls which gives you a more realistic rendering. Finishing was done in Adobe Photoshop and included a series of steps to bring out details in the shot. This included a Multiply Blend Layer to add tone and contrast to the highlights, a Midtone Contrast Mask, and some extensive dodging and burning on an Overlay Layer set to 66% and filled with 50% Black.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

Mountain Sheep Canyon – Navajo Lands, Arizona

Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Mountain Sheep Canyon, Navajo Lands, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Slot Canyon, Slot Canyon Photography, Sony α900, Zeiss Lenses 4 Responses »

Jul 232011

Fracture, Mountain Sheep Canyon, Navajo Lands, Arizona. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 24mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for 1/2 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. One of the interesting aspects of writing a blog is finding out what posts are the most popular. WordPress offers a nice statistics section in their content management system that tells you the number of visitors, search criteria used to find your site, and a counter to the most visited pages. Interestingly, in my mind at least, there have been quite a few searches and visits to many of my Mountain Sheep Canyon images. Mountain Sheep is small, hidden jewel, located outside of Page, Arizona on Navajo Lands. The canyon is only accessible through a photographers trip offered by Carol Bigthumb of Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours.

Unlike Upper and Lower Antelope, Mountain Sheep Canyon is what I refer to as an open top slot. It has a straight in entry and only requires a little bit of scrambling. It takes some effort to get out to the canyon through sandy washes but the canyon receives few visitors making it a special place to photograph. Because of the wide open top light can be intense and often many of the formations are blown out. The better photographs come by looking for the reflected light on the canyon walls and creating compositions that focus on the lower parts of the canyon. The light changes rapidly and you should look for compositions during the trip in and out.

Slots are formed by the erosive forces of water that flow during flash floods through the sandstone drainages. Rocks, sand, tree limbs and other debris contribute to the carving of the canyon walls and are often deposited along the floor after a flood. The fast moving water scours the walls revealing intricate and colorful layers of stone. In many cases the water is caught in whirlpool like eddies that over time carve out chambers and alcoves in the rock. Ultimately this is how rooms in slot canyons are formed. The image above shows the beginnings of a small alcove where the swirling water has begun to carve a semi circular space in the stone. The group of rocks in the alcove are transient visitors and may move on during the next flood.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

South Rim Sunset, Lipan Point – Grand Canyon National Park

Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Colorado River, Desert, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Navajo Lands, Nikon D3x, Photography Composition, Photography Trips, sunset No Responses »

Jul 092011

South Rim Sunset, Lipan Point, Grand Canyon National Park. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikon 70-200mm lens at 85mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for one second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I am finally home after being away for the last ten days to participate in my daughters pole vaulting camp. Not too much in the way of landscape shooting but a lot fun photographing the vaulters. Now that I am back I can concentrate on some of my latest landscape shots from my last trip to the Grand Canyon.

Today’s image was made from Lipan Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. If I had to make a choice of favorite shooting locations on the South Rim, Lipan Point would get the nod. The vista looking towards the East Rim Palisades is truly remarkable. In my humble opinion when I think about the grand landscape my mind invariably goes to this view. It is an arguable point and some of you may choose other locations from Yellowstone, Glacier, or even Yosemite. But my heart lies here. On a recent trip to the National Gallery of Art I found myself pondering some Albert Bierstadt paintings. In many of his paintings the foreground was rendered in detail which gave way to a vastness of suffused light and detail. His paintings often used atmospheric effects such as dramatic lighting, fog, clouds, and mist to complement his work. Though I am not comparing my image to the work of Bierstadt, his paintings were on my mind as I shot this day. The late afternoon light was beautiful. A gusty wind whipped up dust in the inner canyon and the Painted Desert beyond. The wind, in fact, was brisk and I had to find a sheltered shooting position on a point out from the overlook. Shooting with a large lens like the 70-200mm can present problems with camera shake in the wind. To help I shot from a lower position with my tripod legs spread wide to provide more stability. Focusing was done manually through live view and I used a small weighted beanbag on top of the lens to dampen some of the wind movement. I also set the camera to shoot with Mirror Lock-Up. In most cases, not always though, wind comes in cycles of high intensity to near stillness. When confronted with wind pay attention to the cycles and wait for the calm cycle to trip the shutter.

At this time of the day, and year, it pays to understand how the sun will illuminate the canyons features. As the afternoon sun moves lower in the sky, light will begin to soften in the inner canyon to the point where certain landforms are lit while others are not. In this image the sun is strongly illuminating Escalante Butte, to the left, and Cardenas Butte, to the right. The inner canyon light is softer and there is only a hint of light along the upper rim of the East Palisades. The effect is truly beautiful and dramatic. The image has a strong foreground with detail that gives way to an atmospheric condition brought on by wind blown dust particulates. The paintings of Bierstadt were indeed on my mind this day. To understand how the light changes and is affected by other environmental conditions compare this shot with the June 23, 2011 post which was shot on a different day.

The image was processed to emphasize the leading lines that draw your eye into the image. The line of “light” running up Escalante Butte on the left gives way to the darkened ridge line that frames Cardenas Butte. From there I increased the contrast and detail in the Colorado River to lead the eye towards the lighted rim of the East Palisades and the mass of Temple Butte in the Upper left. This image remains one of my favorite shots I have taken from this location.

Thank you as always for stopping by to visit.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

Lipan Point Sunset – Grand Canyon National Park

Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Navajo Lands, Nikon D3x, Photography Trips, sunset, Uncategorized No Responses »

Jun 232011

Lipan Point Sunset, Grand Canyon National Park. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikon 70-200mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for 0.8 seconds.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. As I promised I am beginning to post some of my recent images from my shoot at the Grand Canyon. The shooting conditions were difficult due to the high winds and I found that I had to wait through intensive cycles of strong gusts or seek out secluded perches where the wind was blocked. Some of the gusts reached 40 mph and at this intensity I had to hold on to the camera to keep it from going over the edge. To help me I shot from lower camera positions with the tripod legs spread wide. This also helped me create a more stable base and I could use my body as a wind block. Though difficult, I had to be patient and time my exposures as the wind cycled to a low point. I was using a long lens which can be a problem in windy conditions but the end results were pleasing due to the beautiful, late afternoon light on Cardenas Butte and the East Rim Palisades. The muted sky is due to the smoke and particulates from some of the Arizona fires. All in all it was not a bad way to start the trip. Stay tuned for more images from this trip.

Thank you as always for stopping by to visit.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

Sandstone Portal – Lower Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon, Arizona, Desert, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Lower Antelope Canyon, Navajo Lands, Photography Trips, Slot Canyon, Slot Canyon Photography, Sony α900, Zeiss Lenses 4 Responses »

Jun 042011

Sandstone Portal, Lower Antelope Canyon, Navajo Lands, Arizona. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 24mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1 second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I had just a bit of time between my trips to post this image. I will be heading back out tomorrow for work in Washington, DC and then out to the Grand Canyon and Page, Arizona the following week. Today’s image of this beautiful sandstone arch was shot in Lower Antelope Canyon. I continue to be amazed by the geological diversity found in a slot canyon. Here, at a turn in the canyon, subtle striations give way to an arching fin of stone carved by the forces of water. A sculpture revealed ever so slowly over time by the subtle removal of material. I wonder just how long it took. And how much longer will it take for water to carve away until it separates completely and is washed away. Eons I should think.

One of the techniques I use when shooting in slots is to shoot from a low camera position. I do this to help emphasize vertical height and to bring in foreground elements to aid in composition. Here I am working with some implied motion created by the layers in the stone. By shooting low and including the mass of rock in the foreground I can create dynamic leading lines that take your eye up the fin. The light is also working for me in the composition as the fin is beautifully lit and subsequently framed by the darker walls beyond. The original RAW file and the final Photoshop Master File was processed to accentuate the leading lines and the play of light.

I’ll be back in a few weeks with shots from the Grand Canyon and some new slot canyon images from Canyon X.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

Sandstone Fins – Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Glen Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Navajo Lands, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Sony α900, sunset, Twilight Photography 2 Responses »

May 312011

Sandstone Fins, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1/2 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Over the next few weeks I will be pretty busy with work related items including some travel time. To this end I may not be able to get up another post before I return towards the middle of June. I will tell you that the back end of my travels will take me once again to the Grand Canyon and up to Page for a little slot canyon photography. I will be shooting in Canyon X, Secret Canyon, and out at the Fins at Waterholes Canyon, all on the Navajo Reservation. I have wanted to shoot both of these canyons for quite some time and I am quite excited to see them. The Fins are a collection of striated stacks of sandstone similar to todays image. If I have a chance to post another image before I get away I will. But if not I will see you again in a few weeks.

Today’s image was shot at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. On the road leading out of Page, towards the Glen Canyon Dam, there is a turn off to the right that will take you to a parking area. From there it is an easy hike in multiple directions out into the sandstone play land along the lakes edge. You do not have to travel far to find interesting sandstone formations and patterns. There are quite a lot of these sharped edged, stacked sandstone fins, that really glow in the early morning or late evening light. This image was shot in the late evening when I had just arrived in Page. I came down just after checking into the hotel just to unwind from the trip. It was an evening of beautiful light and a great way to start off another shooting adventure.

If I have the time I often like to begin a shooting trip in this manner. This was not my intended destination but it served to get my mind in the right frame and helped me to unwind and get ready for the next day. All too often we arrive with very little time to prepare and have to jump straight into our main subject. The results can be discouraging and I can think of many occasions where I have lost a days worth of shooting by simply not having my head in the right frame of mind. Learning to ease in, such as in this case, has helped me calm down and experience the light and feeling of a place. In many cases by letting go in such a way your “wind down” excursions can produce some very nice images. Afterwards a nice dinner and then checking your equipment sets a relaxed tone for the next day. Give this a try on your next trip.

I will see you again in a few weeks, and hopefully, with a lot of new images from a spectacular slot canyon.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

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