Landscape
Making Our Mark
This photo was taken for the project "Feet." Our legs and feet carry us from point A to point B. The feet is what keeps us connected to Earth. It is how we leave our impression behind while we progress forward. "Mama always said there's an awful lot you can tell about a person by they shoes: Where they're going, where they been."
About The Photo: It is to symbolize how prominent our footprints can be. How much of human activity and presence is marked by footprints: moon landing. The person (me) who seems distant has moved on but what is left behind is his footprint as he progresses forward.
The Process: I knew I wanted a lot depth within the photo. So I went for a very low angle shot close to the ground. I shot wide open at f/1.8 1/4000th at 35mm to isolate the footprint and make it the subject of main focus. Editing in post, I turned it black and white because colors were horrible, too much clipping of the highlights which you can still kind of see. I also added a very heavy vignette to again, center the footprints
A Shadow In The Chateau
This photo was taken for the project "Shadows." As a wise man once told me, "A shadow is only the outline of a person. It shows little of whom he/she is and much of their shape so you'll recognize them shall you cross paths again." This photo looks quite cute or romantic becaue the two trees are standing together and their branches cross in the shadows as if they were holding hands. Just two trees...together...alone
About The Photo: The shadow of the saplings do not show any intricate detail of the trees. Just merely a silhouette or outline. The texture and details are hidden within the bark like it's fingerprint and identity. I love how the shadows as a leading line to the twees. The color, the lighting, the composition is just sweetly put together.
The Process: I was walking along the crest of a hill as I looked over to the sun to feel a little like a mountaineer, I saw the nice shadows and how nicely aligned the trees were, almost like street lamps. The way the shadow casted on the snow and how it intersected with the vertical trees looked very abstract, almost Salvador Dali.
The Mountainside
This photo was taken for the project "Analogous Colors." I don't what to say for this photo. I really enjoyed the hour.5 drive and the view upon arriving at the lake was something out of google images: simply ecstatic.
About The Photo: I must've waited an hour or dos for the right light to the take the photo. I had the composition set and just sat on the little stone bench waiting for the sun to go down just enough to shower the clouds in magenta. The blue clouds mesh nicely with the pink/magenta highlights and a touch of green to garnish the mixture of bliss. Shot at f/9, 30s, ISO 100, 28mm.
The Process: The look I wanted was for the clouds to sweep right over the peak of mountain with some really nice golden light. However though, I feel the photo would've come out much better if it was during sunrise rather than sunset. That way, the mountain would be back illuminated and cast a silhoutte of the mountain and draped with the luminous clouds. Something like that.
It's Apart of Us
This photo was taken for the project "Portrait." See, I'm a simple man. I don't like taking pictures of people because people are uninteresting. People don't change, even though they say they will. The landscape, on the other hand, is constantly changing. The tectonic plates shift beneath our feet, the clouds never look the same from day to day. The sun always sets with a different shade of blue everyday, while people are caught up in a repetitive continuum that hasn't changed for hundreds of years; to get rich and let intangible thoughts control our behavior (money...politics).
About The Photo: For me portrait, I like to blend things that go together like a strawberry and bananer smoothie. In this case, the mountains and I. A double exposure was the photo I had in mind when the project was assigned, just with a different scenery. Unfortunately, weather and tide didn't work with me so I had to revert to plan be, a mountain shot instead!
The Process: I had taken the portrait of me during that really cold day, you can see me bundled up in a down jacket and hat which signifies I'm a mountain man. And then the trees in the background in me face which links the two together.
Light Across The Sky
This photo was taken for the project "Landscape." Oh you are in for a treat I tell ya what there, well I was actually. Again, another wonderful photo that I can't possibly wrap my head around. I've driven past this place at handful of times and never cared to see what it actually had. To my surprise, I clearly have never ventured enough.
About The Photo: This isn't landscape entirely but includes a bit of scenery with the trees and beautiful sky, it's more like a seascape. I don't know, seascapes tend to draw me in more because well, I live next to some and the mountains are a bit far away.
The Process: So here's the problem, I was too distracted by the auroral lightshow happening. and forgot to change the picture profile back to neutral. The raw file ended up very desaturated and uncontrasted. I was churned up as soon as I saw the preview. But after some post-processing magic, I was able to restore everything! Shoot in RAW, kids. RAW shooters are here: ¯ and jpeg shooters are here: _ Shot at f/9, 223s, ISO 100, 35mm.
Alone In The Chill Place
This photo was taken for the project "Photographic Intentions." Okee, so here we go. This assignment, I had to find something (sounds like James Bond action), something that triggers emotions, something that says, "this place is desolate and quiet." It was quite fun if you ask me, I had the joy of exploring a new place, a Chill Place, if you will.
About The Photo: You asked for a barren and lonely scenery, I delivered. You see, it was very overcast and that makes for a very, I mean VeRy, moody atmosphere. Also, overcast days are often called "natures softbox" because the light is...soft. Overcast days are generally good for portraits because there are no harsh shadows but this day, the clouds were grayed out and this makes it nice and moody. Cool eh?
The Process: My ideer was to make it as dramatic as possible. Because I knew there wasn't going to be any interesting sunsets or particularly colorful scenery, I was aiming for contrast. In a B+W photo, contrast is good, contrast is key. So, here you go, a dramatic long exposure black & white photo. Shot at f/9, 20s, ISO 100, 18mm.