Robert H Clark Photography Blog

The Nameless Canyon – Navajo Lands, Arizona

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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

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

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

Ghost Dancer – Upper Antelope Canyon, Navajo Lands, Arizona

Antelope Canyon, Arizona, Chiaroscuro Lighting, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Grand Circle, Navajo Lands, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Slot Canyon, Slot Canyon Photography, Sony α900, Upper Antelope Canyon 4 Responses »

May 142011

Ghost Dancer, Antelope Canyon, Page Arizona. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at 3.0 seconds at f13.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Well, it is now late spring when a photographers thoughts turn to chasing light beams in Antelope Canyon. Ok, I know that I might be stretching things a bit for some of you who think that spring fosters the sling of Cupid’s Arrow. I cannot speak on matters of the heart but for me, May is the time when the angle of the sun changes and brings spectacular beams of light in Upper Antelope Canyon.

This image was made in Upper Antelope Canyon, located just outside of Page, Arizona, on the Navajo Reservation. The Navajo guides are very good on the timing of the beams in the various chambers and will place you at the right time to capture them as they emerge. But it pays to be attentive to other opportunities. In this instance I was setting up for a shot more to the camera right position when I looked into the chamber beyond to see this subtle wisp of light. The beam literally shimmered and danced hence the name of this shot, “Ghost Dancer”. I see many things in this image that speak to spiritual matters. The dancing beam and the beautiful light illuminating the canyon roof are powerful archetypes. But if you look closely at the buttresses, and with imagination, you can see many faces etched in the rock. And at the top of the first buttress is an orange ellipse with pointed rays like the sun. The Navajo guides can show you many things carved into the rock by the forces of wind and water. For them the canyon is a spiritual place-a sacred place that is home to many living spirits. After many trips here I have begun to find some faces of my own. They reveal themselves slowly and only if you are ready to see. In my first trip to the canyons I really did not see. Like many first time visitors I aimed my camera at anything that glowed. But over time I have slowed down and now walk the chambers with a more “in the moment” approach. When you slow down many things are revealed to you. I can hear the wind and the subtle falling sounds of minute grains of sand. The dynamic chiaroscuro lighting envelopes you-darkness gives way to light and back to darkness. The rock itself is cool to touch and if you run your hands along the surface you can feel the lines of age cut by natural forces. Light and dark, ancestral faces and animals embedded in the rock, and dancing ghosts of light; if you do not believe this place has a spirit then you have no soul. A strong statement I suppose. But seeing and feeling is believing.

Double Light Beams, Upper Antelope Canyon. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Images exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 6 seconds.

Ghost Beam, Upper Antelope Canyon, Navajo Lands, Arizona. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 8 seconds.

The Laser, Upper Antelope Canyon. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Image exposed at f13 for 15 seconds.

With the above in mind I want to layout a few tips while shooting in the canyons. Before I even talk about equipment or shooting I would ask that you go in with an open mind and a sense of respect. For many of the Navajo guides this is their home and the home their ancestors. Take only pictures and leave only footsteps. The light beams are very popular and the canyon will be very crowded during the summer months. To get the best possible results you should book a Photographers Tour. I would suggest contacting Carol Bigthumb of Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours. Carol or her guides will place you in the right position and hold back the crowds to allow you the chance to capture some truly amazing images.

As to equipment you must go light and you must be prepared to make quick changes. I carry two bodies with matching quick release plates. One is set with my 20mm or 24mmPC lens and the other with a 24-70. The shots above were all captured with my 20mm which is my weapon of choice. The canyon is narrow and if I need to “zoom” in I just shift my position.

All my shots are done in Manual Mode. I am an old “match needle” guy and I like the control of adjusting the +/- through the Command Dial. As to exposure I will set all controls to what the camera meter believes is correct and view the histogram. Keep in mind that with such extremes of light the histogram will show clipping in the darks and the highlights. I look where the bulk of the mid-tones are located and change my exposure to move those zones to the right and more towards the middle if I can. Make sure you have the blinkies turned on. Some highlight blow-out is to be expected but you want to avoid blowing out the tones in between the mid-tones and highlights. From there take a shot and then bracket around this point.

A tripod is required, period. Exposure times are long and you cannot hand hold your camera to get these shots. Leave the flash at home. The Navajo guides will ask you not to use flash and your photographic results will be quite disappointing. And along with the tripod do not forget you electronic shutter release. Shoot in mirror lock-up mode to minimize and potential camera shake.

Shoot with low ISO. Todays cameras are quite good at controlling noise but I still prefer the shooting at ISO ranges of 100 to 200 and longer shutter speeds. A longer shutter of from 2 seconds or longer is necessary to capture the ghost like beams. The guides will toss sand into the light and longer shutter times will give you the shimmering movement.

When possible shoot from a low tripod position. When the light beams occur their contact with the ground will produce a hot, white spot. By lowering the camera position the spot becomes thinner and less pronounced. As you can see the dynamic range of light is incredible. Deep shadows to blown out highlights. Bracketing exposures for blending will help you in post processing. However I will tell you the shots above were done in a single capture so it can be done.

I do not use filters to enhance the color. The intensity of light and color is already there. I do not use the Auto WB but instead set my exposures on the K scale. Typically I set this in warmer light to 5500K. If I want to pull out more cooler tones I will set it to a tungsten setting around 3200K.

If you are planning a trip to Antelope Canyon I hope this small bit of information will help you take some great images.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

Apr 262011

Last Light on the East Palisades, Desert View, Grand Canyon National Park. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Sony SAL 70-300mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 2 seconds.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. This image was shot near Desert View on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. This view, looking east, is one of the most spectacular on the South Rim. Here you get a real sense of the expanse of the canyon as it turns northward. Down below the Colorado River rolls through the inner canyon on its way to Lake Mead. I do not have a story about this shot. For me it just seems to speak for itself. I don’t want to suggest that it is a timeless image or that I have created some masterpiece. It is just that, for me, it captures the sheer, rugged expanse of the landscape. From my lofty position, save for a gentle wind, I heard only silence, and felt only peace. As the sun set lower to the horizon the light moved up the canyon walls till it just lit the upper precipice. The rock seemed to rise up to capture the light, to hold on to its warm embrace before night set in.

To balance out the exposure I used a Singh-Ray, 3-stop, soft edge, split neutral density filter. The soft edge of the filter has a smooth gradation and I could drop it in to compensate for the brighter sky and just hold on to the light on the canyon walls. The RAW capture was more saturated than I wanted so I dropped out some color to tone this down. I also took out some blue saturation in the inner canyon walls. The RAW image was processed in Lightroom with final finishing in Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

Mountain Sheep Canyon – Navajo Lands

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Apr 122011

Mountain Sheep Canyon, Navajo Lands, Arizona. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 50mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f11 for 1/2 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Today’s image is from Mountain Sheep Canyon located on Navajo Lands just outside of Page, Arizona. Mountain Sheep is what I refer to as an open top slot canyon. The top portions of the canyon are wider and more open than a more traditional slot canyon like Upper or Lower Antelope. Open top slots allow more light to enter the canyon which can make shooting more difficult because of the extreme contrasts of light. It is generally best to shoot in open top slots early in the morning or late in the afternoon to take advantage of lower sun angles which will allow you to shoot glowing walls illuminated by bounced and reflected light. When you find yourself in an open top slot at the wrong time, with higher sun angles, you can still find great shots by concentrating more on the details and patterns contained within the sandstone.

This image is a case in point. I ended up in Mountain Sheep in the early afternoon and was greeted with less than ideal conditions due to the amount of sunlight flooding the canyon. I decided to use this as a challenge and see if I could focus more on vignettes within the canyon. So I looked for patterns and interesting formations within the walls and curves of the canyon. In this image I was struck by the curving striations and contortions that gave way to smoother walls. I was also fascinated by the petrified sand caked on the canyon walls. This material was left by flood waters and over time was baked and hardened by the sun. The sand is literally fused to the wall and would require a hammer and chisel to break it away. There is a subtle glow on the surfaces created by reflected light bouncing off the canyon walls behind my camera position. This light helped illuminate the beautiful lines and striations in the sandstone.

The RAW file was processed in Adobe Lightroom and finished in Photoshop. Mountain Sheep Canyon is located on the Navajo Reservation and is only accessible with a Navajo Guide. I first visited the canyon in 2009 and have been back on four other occasions. If you would like to visit the canyon please contact Carol Bigthumb at Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

Vortex – Upper Antelope Canyon

Abstracts, Arizona, Black and White, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Navajo Lands, Photography Trips, Sony α900, Upper Antelope Canyon, Zeiss Lenses 4 Responses »

Feb 122011

Vortex, Upper Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 24mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f11 for 30 seconds.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. This image was shot on a recent trip to Upper Antelope Canyon just outside of Page, Arizona. It is one of those images that if I look long enough I can see many things. Carol Bigthumb told me once that the rocks hold many stories and if you look long enough they are revealed to you. When I look at this shot I immediately think of Jonah and the whale. Swallowed by the mighty whale, I am looking through the teeth of the great beast at the light beyond. As I peer from the darkness the light gives me hope that all is not lost. I also see waves on a rolling sea; the solidity of rock transformed into a symphony of continuous movement. I see stellar storms and gaseous nebulas in the far reaches of space. The stories are limited only by our imaginations.

To give you some perspective this image was made looking straight up through a slot in the canyon. The great shadowed forms of sandstone, and the waves beyond, become a metaphor to their very creation. During flash floods water rolls through these slots; violent, swirling waves carving stone into stories and images. Reduced to the simple tonality of black and white the image becomes a negative. The rock is carved by water and when the water recedes it leaves behind a picture of its formation. Water revealed in solid forms. Solid forms that evoke continuous motion. Yin and Yang.

What do you see?

Thanks for stopping by today. Hozógo nasádo. (From the Navajo, “Walk in Beauty”) Thanks to my friend Tom for leaving me that message.

Bob

Older Entries

Robert H Clark Photography Blog

The Nameless Canyon – Navajo Lands, Arizona

Fins at Water Holes Canyon – Navajo Lands, Arizona

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

Lower Antelope Canyon – Portal Beyond

Lipan Point Sunset – Grand Canyon National Park

Sandstone Portal – Lower Antelope Canyon

Ghost Dancer – Upper Antelope Canyon, Navajo Lands, Arizona

Last Light on the East Palisades – South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park

Mountain Sheep Canyon – Navajo Lands

Vortex – Upper Antelope Canyon