Sunday Photography Excursion

Darren and Mike, near Teton, Idaho, June 25, 2006

Inconvenient Truth

I saw an amazing movie this evening. I encourage you all to go see it. "An Inconvenient Truth", a film about Global Warming. I feel very strongly about this. I will even put up an offer to any of my blog readers that are not inclined to watch the movie. I will buy your movie ticket.

Go see the movie and send me your movie stub. I'll send you cash. I'm serious.

Why is it that Americans listen to politicians before they listen to scientists?

Listening to Bush is like listening to the tobacco companies telling people smoking is good for you. Even tobacco companies found doctors (to pay) to debunk the connection of lung cancer to smoking.

Go see the movie.

Oh, by the way. Santa Claus can't very well live at the north pole if all that is there is water. See the following BBC article.

The North Pole under water

Macro Lesson

A friend got a new macro lens so I was helping her out with it a little.

Here is a shot I made with her camera and her new lens. Question for you, is it 'my' photograph if I was using all her equipment and just giving her a lesson?

Quote of the day

I was looking over a photo bulletin board this morning and found an interesting quote from a photographer. He/she who wrote the following.

"I personally do not have much regard for amateur nature shooters who manipulate their subjects."

Ah, the old manipulation arguement. I wonder what film this guy was using. Velvia? I bet he doesn't think of that as a manipulation. After all, all the pros use it. What about black and white? Or better yet, what lens does he use? Does he only use a 50mm since it has the least ammount of distortion?

Or . . . . I could go on.

< Rolling my eyes with a sigh.>

A rose is a rose.

Western Tanager

A while back Darren and I went out to Camas and Market Lake. He was looking for birds and I was tagging along with my new camera. (Remember the owl shot a few posts back? Same trip.)

Well I thought that I got some cool photos of a Western Tanager and I am just now editing them. To double check the spelling on the bird, I googled it and looked at the images results. Oh, lots of people have cool photos of Western Tanagers and they are a lot cooler then what I have.

Regardless, enjoy.

Images uncropped/full frame.

Death Canyon

Death Canyon, Grand Teton National Park.


Death Canyon, Grand Teton National Park.

Copy Cat II

So Darren and I photograph together quite often. I guess it is natural we come home with similar images.

Tonight's first image is a direct ripoff of Darren. He was setting up his shot and I said to myself "Self, wow! Darren is creating a beautifuly composed artistic rendition of a regional icon of my homeland. How could I not also be so artistic in my endeavours and create a similar artistic work of art." So I set up the tripod not less then 5 feet from him to take the exact same shot and clicked the shutter. Well, I guess it really wasn't a click since the exposure was 1700 seconds long.

See his version here. (Hey, I don't think he is telling us the whole story (he cropped his image - ; ).

Here are my two versions somewhat more manipulated for color. Also, upon browsing it on my camera I realized I liked it cropped in tighter. The mottling in the sky is the Milky Way.





Which do you like better?

Here is the second keeper of the night. Darren was looking one way and I was looking the other way. So I guess he sort of ripped me off on this one since he later took the shot I did. :) Of course I say this jokingly. I don't care the least bit. We always joke about we should just share tripods and each of us have our own quick release plate since we seem to be taking the same shots often. Even then, we usually come home with completely different results.



This is all about getting out and having fun. So who cares who's idea it was on which photo. I don't. I hope Darren doesn't. So regardless, I'm going to just keep on ripping him off and I am sure he may steal a few ideas from me now and then.

I am just patiently waiting for the day when Darren signs his prints Darren C. and Jon L. (for the non-photographers out there, refer to Robert & Shana ParkeHarrison.

Save the Oneida Narrows

Some of my readers may not know this little fact about yours truly. I am a board member of Idaho Rivers United. This last weekend IRU sponsored a river trip down the Oneida Narrows section of Bear River located in southeast Idaho.

This section of river has a proposed dam project. Many locals are fighting it as the river and canyon are very beautiful and many in the area recreate in the canyon.

It is very nice to see that one of the strongest advocates for the river, fighting against the dam project, is a local farmer. Not often do farmers and environmentalists join forces. This proposed project has brought together a community to protect a natural resource they love. It is great, as a state wide environmental group, to help support a grass roots fight to save a river.

Here are a few photos from the day's float.







Keep an eye on the local newspapers for coverage about the issue. On the float were two young ladies working for the Herald Journal out of Logan, Utah. I guess it is receiving more interest across state lines. Shame on the rest of the state. Utah cares more about Idaho rivers then we do?

To view more images from the float, click here.

Copy Cat I

I have decided to just totally rip off Darren in ALL his photo endeavours.

I have really liked his macro work and so last weekend he and I set up shop in his garage and photographed a few still lifes. I like his better. But hey, he has had a few more shooting sessions then I have. View his here.

Hail - hope my truck is ok.

We had quite the storm move through this morning.

I hope my truck survived. Tom said he saw a car with dents in it out on the street.

More night photography

For those of you who read both Darren's and my blog (click here), you most likely realize we are each really getting into night photography.

Last night a friend from work invited me to come over for dinner and then watch the moon rise over the creek in her back yard. She is just learning photography so I think she really was hoping I could just help her out with her camera so she could capture the moment. I think a fair trade for a very nice dinner of salmon, vegetables and shrimp (Thanks Victoria - it was delish).

I think my favorite images were towards the end of the evening. I only have a few to browse as I am downloading the others from my card.

As for tonight I will post one image. More images later (probably tomorrow).


Moon reflection on Fish Creek, Wilson, Wyoming
Focal length: 90mm, Shutter: 170.9 seconds, f/stop: f/6.3, ISO: 100
12:06am June 12th, 2006

Night Photography while on a nice walk in the middle of the desert around midnight . . .

I'll leave it to Darren to tell the story. (Click here for the whole story). As he said, we got left without car keys and we walked a few miles before we had cell service. Along the way I took some photographs.

Here you go Darren, per your request.

The following 2 photographs are untouched photos taken straight from my digital camera. No contrast, no color, not nothing adjustment. I don't really care that much about that. Most images I do enhance. I just thought it would be interesting for my fellow photographers to see what my camera produces with no photoshop.


Specs: 236 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200
(What does that all mean? It was dark - very dark)


Specs: 206 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400

Why did I change ISO down to 200 on the second image(I took the top image second and the bottom image first)? To avoid noise in such a dark image. I actually took the top image very last. The bottom image I took right before the top. These were my last two frames for the night. And I think my most succesful.

I am very excited to try shooting more similar photographs. Of course I could really use a cable release. Bulb setting and my finger on the shutter for over 3 minutes isn't too fun. If I only had a rubber band and a button (Thanks Chris Walker for the idea).

Oh, so while I am on a role, here are a few more.



To see what Darren was photographing, click here.



Again, to see what Darren was photographing, click here.

This seems like a good image to end on for the night.

New Camera Images

Well, here is my first weekend of photographing with my camera. I love the camera.