Robert H Clark Photography Blog

First Light on Otter Point – Acadia National Park, Maine

Jul 172011

First Light on Otter Point, Acadia National Park, Maine. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 28mm. Image exposed at ISO 200 at f14 for 1/2 of a second. The White Balance was set to 5500K.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Well it is only a few weeks now until my North Shore on Lake Superior workshop with Alec Johnson and Travis Bechtel. We are all in the pre-trip angst deciding on equipment choices, prepping files for critiques and teaching, and all other last minute details that can consume one before a trip. The workshop is full so we re all looking forward to a great experience. If I can get my act together in time I will put together a post on my camera bag for this trip.

In the meantime please enjoy today’s image from another beautiful, rocky coastline, only this one is in Maine. This is a shot of Otter Point at first light. Otter Point is one of the more iconic landforms in Acadia National Park and has been the subject of many photographs. For this image I wanted to shoot from a point where I could get some interesting foreground elements to add more visual interest to the shot. I found this area along the coast the evening before and really liked how the foreground pillar of rocks created a negative shape that mirrored the contours of Otter Point. This group of rocks, along with the ones on the right provided a nice framing device. The next morning I climbed down along the shoreline about 40 minutes before sunrise. This area is very slippery and the lowlight conditions required a slower, and more careful approach. Once in place and the shot framed I started to shoot a few test shots as the light came up to check my histograms. A storm from the night before was just clearing and with the addition of the clouds the whole composition came together. I used a 4-stop soft edge, Singh-Ray Split Neutral Density filter to balance out the exposure. As the sun cleared the horizon and the first light hit the point I made my exposure.

Thank you as always for stopping by to visit.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

Dr. Doug No. 2, Terlingua Texas, Big Bend – Gritty Portrait Technique

Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Lightroom Workflow, Big Bend, Big Bend National Park, Gritty Technique, Lightroom, People Photography, Photography Technique, Portrait, Portrait Photography, Sony α900, Texas, Zeiss Lenses 2 Responses »

Jun 122011

Dr. Doug, Terlingua, Texas. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Images exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 1/90th of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I am in the midst of getting ready for a week in the field that will see my first trip into Canyon X in the Antelope Canyon Drainage. But before I get there I have all the usual “getting out of town” issues that seem to consume a lot of time. Getting a new blog post out was not on that list but I had started this one a few weeks ago and as it turned out it did not require too much time to finish the processing.

My frequent visitors will recognize this image as my wise old friend, Dr. Doug, of Terlinqua, Texas. Recently I was inspired by some beautiful portrait work of surfers on the North Shore of Lake Superior by my friend Alec Johnson. The gritty, hard look of these images were amazing and really brought out the character of the subjects. In today’s post I decided to explore my own version of the “gritty” portrait technique. The technique is characterized by a “hyper-sharpened”, desaturated processing technique. While I do not think it is appropriate for all portraits it is none the less an effective technique that produces an edgy look. The details in Dr. Doug’s face, from his piercing eyes, to his coarse beard, all lend themselves to applying the technique.

Dr. Doug. The processed RAW file used as the starting point for the "gritty" look.

The original shot was made in natural light in the late afternoon. I moved in close using a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. To the left is the processed RAW file developed in Adobe Lightroom. I followed my usual processing procedures for the RAW file including curve adjustments, fill and recovery, color luminosity adjustments, and sharpening. The file was exported into Adobe Photoshop for the final finishing. The work for the final image proceeded in the following steps:

Step 1: I duplicated the file and performed a little “digital gardening” on the copy to remove a few dust spots.

Step 2: I added a Levels Layer and set the White and Black Point. I routinely perform this step on all my files.

Step 3: I created a Black and White Adjustment Layer set to Soft Light Blending Mode with an opacity of 40%. This is a salt to taste setting but generally 40% is a good starting point. You will begin to see the “gritty” effect with this layer.

Step 4: I created a Selective Color Layer. From there I went into the Red Color Selection and set Cyan to +20 and Yellow to +20. This has the combined effect of removing the Red Cast.

Step 5: I created a Hue/Saturation Layer and in the Master set the overall Saturation to -35. In the Red I set the Slider to -40, and -20 in the Yellow. Steps 4 and 5 are a salt to taste adjustment. Make sure the preview button is set so you can visually see the effect of the changes.

Step 6: Make sure the top layer in your layer stack is selected then go to the Layer Menu and select Merge Visible. Hold down the Option Key when you do this so you can retain your other layers. This will put a merged file on top of your layer stack.

This is my sharpening layer. For this effect I used two sharpening passes; A Large Aperture Sharpening Routine and a Small Aperture Routine. For the Large Aperture go to the Filter Menu and select Unsharp Mask. Set the Radius to 20 and the Amount to 75. Generally the amount will work between 50 and 100 but you will need to judge the effect on each image. Once you are finished close out to apply the sharpening. Add a filter layer and fill will black. This will hide the sharpening effects. Using a Soft Brush set to 15 to 20 percent, paint white over the filter layer to reveal the sharpening effect. I concentrated on Dr. Doug’s eyes, nose and part of his beard. I do not bring out all the sharpening. Only enough to begin to see the “hyper-sharpened” effect.

Now for the Small Aperture Routine. Using the same image layer go to the Filter Menu and select Unsharp Mask. Set the Radius to 5.0 and the amount to 225. This will tweak out finer detail but it will be mitigated but the Layer Mask. Using the Soft Brush at an Opacity of 20% to 25% I painted White over the eyes and the beard to bring out these areas. In a portrait the “eyes” are the key. This is where the soul resides.

Step 7: I made a Curves Layer and lightened Dr. Doug’s eyes to increase the intensity and bring out the lighter colors in the whites and the iris.

Step 8: I also created a Dodge and Burn Layer to Lighten and Darken a few areas in the portrait. This is a key component for all my work whether it is a portrait or a landscape. The pushing and pulling of light and dark is a painterly process that helps create the sense of depth I like in a photograph. To make a D and B layer add a new Layer on top of the Layer Stack. Change the Blending Mode to Overlay and the Opacity to 66%. Fill this layer with 50% Black. Using a Soft Brush set to a low opacity of 5% to 10% I paint in with White to lighten areas and Black to darken. This is a subtle building of tones. There is some intensive work on Doug’s eyes to create a 3-D quality.

And that is the technique. The combinations and applications of color adjustment, saturation, dodging and burning, and sharpening are all on a per image basis. The settings used above are a starting point. I also had a good, solid starting image to make the adjustments. The differences in my mind are not subtle. The starting image is soft and on its own would make a fine file under a normal workflow. But I like the intensity created by this technique. Dr. Doug appears more intense and worldly. The gritty look deepens the story for me.

Give this technique a try on your next portrait. I will be back in a week or so from my Grand Canyon/Canyon X trip. You can follow me through my Twitter and Facebook Feeds.

Thanks for stopping by today.

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

Enveloping Storm – Grand Canyon National Park

Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Colorado River, Desert, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Photography Trips, River, Sony α900, Zeiss Lenses 4 Responses »

May 292011

Enveloping Storm, South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 40mm. Image exposed at ISP 100 at f16 for 1/2 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. This image was shot at Moran Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I woke on this day to a canyon enveloped in storm clouds and while I did not hold out much hope for any photography this morning I still drove out to the rim to check on the conditions. When I arrived a stiff wind was blowing and the clouds began to lift and roll out from the canyon floor. At sunrise the clouds lifted towards the east to reveal the sinuous curves of the Colorado River. Ever so subtle, the rising sun lit up the river, and brought shape to the canyon beyond. Within minutes however, the eastward blowing storm soon enveloped my position and pelted me with ice and rain. I had a dickens of a time keeping the lens clear of water droplets. I was able to get 6 shots off before the vista became cloud bound again. By this time the rain was falling in earnest and I had to pack up.

In all honesty when I got up that morning it was all I could do to force myself out into storm. I was thinking a little more sleep and breakfast at the El Tovar Hotel sounded like a much better idea. But I had never seen the canyon like this before so I just willed myself to move. Six shots. That is all I got. Six photographs captured on a CF card. But it is not all that I got. I will tell you that watching the storm roll through nearly brought me to tears. The sheer power and majesty of being in that moment is still with me today. I can still see the swirling clouds rolling up from the canyon floor. The North Rim horizon was completely socked in. Scale and distance was lost in the clouds, swept away to the east on a brisk wind. I can still feel the stinging touch of ice and hear its pinging notes as it struck my camera. Nature put on a show for me that morning and I felt small and humbled by this gift. Six shots. That is all I got. That and a lifetime of memories. Oh, and I did get breakfast at the El Tovar.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

Journey – White Sands National Monument

Desert, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, New Mexico, Photography Trips, Reflections, Sony α900, sunrise, White Sands National Monument, Zeiss Lenses No Responses »

May 192011

Journey, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for 1/2 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. For the next few days I will be in Charleston at my daughters state track meet. She will be competing in the pole vault. I will confess that she is quite good at her event. But this year, her junior year, has been tough on her. She has faced the pressure of grades, competing, and some for the first time being under the microscope of expectations. She has cracked a bit under this pressure but has done an incredible job of working through the issues. Today’s world is so different compared to my day. It is just so much harder and our kids seem to face so many pressures that for many of us “old timers” were not around in our youth.

On a daily basis I remind my daughter that her life is a journey and will be made up of many events, some that will inform what she becomes, and others that are just minor blips along the path. Though this year was tough it will get better. Though she did not pole vault well this season it will get better. It can all change in the snap of a finger. I also remind her to try to be in the moment. The path of life is long with many twists and it is simply impossible to see around every curve. Many influences, both good and bad, will pull at you during your journey. Many things will happen that just do not seem fair. But a lot of good happens if you let it. If you let go of what holds you back and choose not to live in fear then amazing things will happen. This is tough for a 17 year old. And as I jot these thoughts down I realize it is tough for me as well.

I do not know what the next few days will hold for her. But I pray she finds the moment and the courage to face down the demons that are holding her. I pray that she steps on to the path of light and lives in the incredible moment of “now”. And I hope I can do the same.

This image was shot on a beautiful morning on the dunes at White Sands. As the sun rose golden light illuminated this beautiful ribbon that traversed the ridge between light and dark. To all my friends-walk the path. Life has much to offer if you let it. Let each waking minute be the your best. Let each waking hour be your best. Let each waking day be your best.

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

Abstracts, Adobe Lightroom, Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Mountain Sheep Canyon, Navajo Lands, Slot Canyon, Slot Canyon Photography, Sony α900, Zeiss Lenses No Responses »

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

Rio Grande Palisades – Big Bend National Park

Badlands, Big Bend, Big Bend National Park, Desert, Helicon Focus, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Photography Composition, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, River, Singh-Ray Filters, Sony α900, Split Neutral Density Filters, Texas, Zeiss Lenses 3 Responses »

Apr 042011

Rio Grand Palisades, Big Bend National Park, Texas. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 55mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for 1/20 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. This is another shot from my recent trip to Big Bend National. This image was taken from the Rio Grande Overlook and is a view looking south into Mexico. This is not the classic view from this point and I resisted the urge to shoot that shot. I choose instead to move away from my group in search of other vistas. When I found this composition I was struck by the sweeping curves in the river as it flowed past the rocky palisades. From my lofty perch I could see far and away into Mexico. I find edges very interesting both compositionally and intrinsically. Here we have the edges of two countries separated only by a thin ribbon of river. So close and yet so far away. At the time it was a landscape I could only gaze upon as I was not allowed to cross the river.

There are several interesting and powerful compositional concepts found in this image. The first and most prominent is the leading line formed by the river. It is far and away the most powerful element. The rivers shape and form leads the eye into the frame and moves it deeper into the landscape. It is also the lightest element in tone and contrast and is framed on each side by the darker land forms. The eye will always be drawn to the light in a photograph and this occurs in the upper one-third of the shot.

There are also repeating shapes within the the image. The foreground rocks, the palisades at the turn of the river, the far cliffs, and even the light colored tones in the background are repeating elements in the shot that add visual interest. They also form a secondary leading line that runs diagonally in contrast to the sinuous curve of the river. The combination of these two singular lines makes for a dynamic image full of visual interest.

The image was shot in split-light. Split-light is where there is a defined edge between light and shadow. Split-light is easy to recognize but can be hard to handle with exposure. this is especially true since I shot this image in three focus brackets to combine in Helicon Focus. To this end I could not shoot exposure brackets to combine or blend. To handle the exposure I used a Singh-Ray 3-stop, hard edge, Split Neutral Density Filter to compensate for the dynamic range of light in the image. The focus brackets were made of the foreground. mid-ground, and background and then combined in Helicon Focus to create one image. This was taken into Photoshop for final finishing and conversion to Black and White.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

Giant Agave and Moonrise – Big Bend National Park

Adobe Lightroom, Big Bend, Big Bend National Park, Desert, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Singh-Ray Filters, Sony α900, Split Neutral Density Filters, sunset, Texas, Twilight Photography, Uncategorized 6 Responses »

Mar 312011

Giant Agave and Moonrise, Big Bend National Park. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 24mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f14 for 3 seconds.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Today in beautiful West Virginia it is cold and rainy. It seems that spring is just around the corner. It has been that way though for the entire month of March. North of us they are getting snow and the folks living there probably feel the same way I do. A dose of warm weather filled with vitamin enriched sunshine would go a long way towards lifting winters stranglehold.

Today’s image is from a place where the weather seemed to be near perfect all the time. I know Big Bend can have some severe weather but for one perfect week I was able to bask in the park’s beautiful landscape and balmy temperatures. This is a twilight shot of a giant agave set against the rugged Chisos Mountains. At nearly four and a half feet tall this is one of the biggest agave plants I have ever seen. It was just huge. The interesting part about this image is that somehow I managed to pre-compose the shot in my mind. I knew we would be shooting with the Chisos range as a backdrop and I just imagined finding an agave that I could frame against the mountains. We already knew we would have a full moon rise and the trick would be to bring all the elements together in the final shot. I started with a series of much tighter shots but moved back to include more of the landscape. The moon rose on cue and a wonderful cloud drifted by as I tripped the shutter.

In order to gain some exposure latitude I used a Singh-Ray 3-stop soft Split Neutral Density filter to hold back the sky. In addition when I shoot in twilight I like to drop the white balance down to around 4700 to 4800K to accentuate the cooler blue tones in the sky. The RAW image was processed in Lightroom and finished in Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

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