Scenic Aperture

It’s New Years Eve, time to look back at 2011 and take stock of some favorite images from the past year. These are my favorites, maybe not my best, but the ones that stick in my mind for one reason or another. I chose one image from each month to include in my BEST OF 2011 gallery. You will notice there are only eleven images. For reasons I have now forgotten, my camera did not leave its bag during the month of May.

So except for May, each month of 2011 included interesting photo shoots and many fond memories. So please indulge me while I reminisce for just a moment. It all adds up to a pretty good year and a lot for which to be thankful. Thanks to my friends who visit and leave comments on this blog. Your kind words are appreciated. All the best to you in the New Year.

Cheers!

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I must not be the only nature photographer whose wife needs periodic check-ins for peace of mind. I frequently find myself off the grid in places where my iPhone serves only as a mediocre flashlight or paper weight. So when I’m shooting in areas with no cell phone service where I cannot be reached, my wife imagines the worst. Throw in a later-than-expected return home and she is ready to call out the Marines as she is sure I’m freezing to death at the top of a mountain with a broken leg while being stalked by a rabid porcupine.

All kidding aside, as nature photographers we occasionally take some risks to get the shot. Just stepping off the curb is risky. Add the inherent risks of being isolated in remote wilderness areas and a relatively minor accident can quickly become serious or even life threatening. To help mitigate these risks and to help my wife’s peace of mind, I’ve just acquired a new gizmo that will provide a life line when standard technology is useless.

SPOT Connect turns your smart phone into a satellite communicator. This very cool device uses bluetooth and a smart phone app to  send messages to contacts or to emergency response personnel.

From the SPOT web site, “Simply pair your smartphone with SPOT Connect, and get connected to a global satellite network that lets you send messages and GPS coordinates from virtually anywhere on the planet. Update Twitter and Facebook. Send email and text messages. Request non-emergency help from professional service providers. And in the case of a critical emergency, send an SOS message requesting emergency assistance.”

SPOT offers three levels of messaging. Which one to use depends on your circumstances:

• SOS sends your GPS location to the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC) for emergency assistance in life threatening situations.
• HELP sends either custom Type & Send or Predefined messages to recipients in your contact list for assistance in non-life threatening situations.
• CHECK-IN/OK sends your messages and your location to friends and family for casual updates. These messages can also be simultaneously sent to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.

However, assuming this thing works as advertised – and I have no reason to doubt that it will – it seems like a pretty cheap insurance policy and essential camera accessory for the serious nature photographer. At a minimum, it will provide my wife peace of mind. Worst case (or would that be best case) it might save my life. I hope I never have to use the SOS button.

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I am always looking for new ways to display, promote, and share my photos on-line. I’ve recently discovered an on-line tool, Animoto, to do just that. Animoto automatically produces beautifully orchestrated, completely unique video pieces from your photos, video clips, and music. There are four annual subscription pricing plans including a free option (although you can only make 30 second videos unless you upgrade to a paid level). Of course to get the really cool features you have to upgrade to the Pro version which might be a little expensive for the casual user.

After creating an account, you simply upload your photos, select from several pre-made themes, choose an audio track, and then click “produce your video”. It all happens on-line, including storing your photos. It takes several minutes after you click “produce” for your video to be made. When finished, you are notified by e-mail. Your video is then hosted on Animoto’s web site from which it can be viewed, downloaded, exported to YouTube, shared to social networking sites, or embedded on your website.

It’s definitely worth a look. Check out my first Animoto. . .

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Three is a magic number. Compositions of three objects usually work better than those of two or four. Not sure why, they just do. There are lots of studies that show there is a psychological advantage to three in marketing, writing, and composition. Apparently, it is easier for the human brain to process groups of three. Somewhere I read that it all comes down to the way we humans process information. We are proficient at pattern recognition and three is the smallest number of elements required to create a pattern. Hence, the power of three.

I feel this photo works on many levels; lighting, color, and composition (get it, three!). The composition includes groups of three; clouds, mountain peaks, and reflections. It would probably also work with four mountains or two clouds, but there seems to be something to the power of three.  What do you think?

Technical – photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM  at 50mm, 1/8s f/9.0 ISO 100 with CPL and GND.

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Molas Lake, San Juan Mountains

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There is something about mountains and horses that are irresistible to me. Horses and mountains go together like peanut butter and jelly. When I’m shooting in the mountains, I am always on the look out for a scene that includes horses. You usually have a compelling composition when you find them together.

This scene presented itself near Ridgway, Colorado a couple of weeks ago. I was admiring the rugged peaks of the Sneffels Range as I rounded a curve in the gravel road. When the  horses became visible, I knew this was one of those places where I could include horses in a classic landscape.

The light was a bit of a challenge but, in the end as usual, makes the shot one of my favorites. The sun was rather high in the sky at 4:00 PM and was positioned in front of me to the upper right of the frame. The distant mountains were covered in haze and providing a contrasting background to the the back lit aspens in their autumn color.

By the way, the original True Grit movie starring John Wayne was filmed in and around Ridgway (maybe that is part of my fascination of mountains and horses). There’s even a restaurant in town called the True Grit Cafe. It is decorated in classic western decor and is a must stop for the first time visitor but, for my money, I prefer the food and service at Thai Paradise just up the street.

Technical stuff: This photo was made with the Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II at 155mm 1/40s at f/11.0 ISO 100 with CPL and GND. In the spirit of full disclosure, I must confess that in post I cloned out about 250 lbs of horse shit from the pasture; you never see horse shit in a classic John Wayne movie.

Thanks for looking.

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Near Ridgway, CO

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