Advanced Photoshop

Well, reading about Photoshop and other ideas for turning photographs into impressions had me thinking--and that got me looking.  This weekend, when I was at home, I discovered Advanced Photoshop magazine.  Most of the images in the magazine, while truly spectacular, had little to do with nature photography.  Nonetheless, the potential is limitless on what could actually be created with the software.  Photoshop is a much more powerful tool than the novice photographer probably realizes, and I picked up a copy of the magazine to better acquaint myself with the kinds of things I can do.

From the Advanced Photoshop online galleries, above.


Photoshop gives more control to the photographer, and creates more opportunities.  Since I saw this picture, I found some inspiration for a project I would like to do.  I would like to capture the stillness of the marshes of the Chesapeake by my home, possibly with some birds flying low over the grasses, and blend it in to the cityscape of George Washington's Alexandria, just down the river from me.  I think the marshes are at their finest during autumn, and I'd like to capture some pictures when I go back home in a month for Thanksgiving and start giving it a whirl.

I'm not sure if this project will feature any practical application for the class, but that's the funny thing with art and me.  I see it and my desire to emulate is particularly strong.

Thanks to tools like Photoshop, photography as a medium is rapidly changing.  Perhaps it could be said that the whole field is going through its Renaissance since entering the digital age?

Finally, before signing off, I could help but give a shout out to West Potomac High School, who won their homecoming game over Lee High, 14-7.  My beloved Wolverines came from behind, scoring two touchdowns and a safety with four minutes to play in the fourth quarter.  It was a freezing monsoon on Friday, but as always, the whole community came out to support the team and suffered through some of the worst weather I've ever seen in October in Bay Country Virginia.

The conditions were horrible, but 7,500 Wolverine fans--including certain ex-players--showed up at Dietze Stadium for this one.  The conditions were horrendous, but we love our Wolverines through any weather!

Things looked bleak for most of the game.  When I played at WPHS, we were (and had been for years) a force in the Virginia high school football scene.  Two-time state champs and with a list of alumni that included many famous NFL and college players.  This year?  We were 1-5 and losing for most of the game to lowly Lee High School, an impoverished school with virtually zero support from their own community.  We hadn't lost to them in fifteen years and it was a shocker to everyone when they took a 7-0 lead and held it for most of the game.

As you can see, even the parents of Lee's players didn't show up to the game.  They had maybe fifty fans.  Even despite conditions that canceled games throughout the region, this is pretty embarrassing in Virginia to have a visiting crowd this small.

The Wolverines driving late in the 4th.  The wide receiver split out to the left, #5, is the little brother of one of my close friends and ex-teammates.

The whole place went nuts when they pulled it out!  Players went diving head first into the quagmire that was the field after the final whistle sounded.  It may have been years since I got to do this, but a little nostalgia was certainly felt by the photographer.  Perhaps Photoshop can serve a useful function in editing some of these shots--the weather was so horrid and the images match.  Nonetheless, the pizza at Primo's was still five dollars (all you can eat!) after the game to celebrate the win, and it made for an exciting evening of shooting.  I just wish I had been able to get a shot of me on the field at halftime in that vintage WP letter jacket!

Photographs as Impressions

Reading my Nature Photography textbook, I've come across the Photographs as Impressions section.  This is where things get good and where I could use some more help.  There are lots of useful suggestions for things to do with the camera, but what fascinates me most is what can be done with Photoshop.  As the text says, most of the effects that can be achieved with clever shooting can be done--with even more control--via Photoshop.  This is something I'd like to play around with a little during the rest of the semester.

I'm very much into photography being the exact art of capturing the world as it actually appears, but I have recently been introduced to the world of Photoshop effects, and I have to admit, some stunning images can be created.

Perhaps with a little more practice, I'll be able to find myself doing more and more with the software and creating some more "artistic" images.  As I said, it wasn't something that previously interested me, but seeing good art has a way of inspiring you...

Faroe Islands, here we come!

www.faroephoto.com

Ok, perhaps not literally, but our intense planning in Digital Nature Photography has led us to crave this trip like nothing else.  In preparation for our "shoot," I found Faroese professional photographer Olavur Fredriksen's wonderful website, where he shares some of his better natural and aerial shots of this mythical land of seabirds, soaring cliffs, sublime national culture, and stunning turf-roofed houses.

And yes, by turf-roofed, I mean turf-roofed.  When I was privileged enough to visit this fairy tale group of 17 islands back in 2005, I literally saw people mowing their roofs.  An interesting local method of cheap and effective winter insulation.  Makes for an interesting combination of natural and architectural photography.

With more puffins in a small area than any place on earth, you better believe we'll be photographing plenty of these guys on Mykines Island.  It doesn't matter how many photographers race to see the puffins--they're so endearing to the armchair nature enthusiasts of the western world that there will always be a market for good Atlantic Puffin shots.

The islands are well-known to the world because of their rich bird life and also because as a nation--and despite having under 50,000 people--they are eligible to participate in international sporting events.  This includes sending out a national football team to compete against the likes of France, England, Germany, etc.  How's this for a shocker?  Sometimes they WIN!  For World Cup 2010 qualification, they have already tied Austria and beaten a strong Lithuania team.  Some of these countries have stadiums that hold more people than the islands' entire population.  Also an interesting chance to shoot some unique photos that would appeal to a large audience in the world, perhaps?

And finally, as the islands prepare for their full independence from Denmark, there is a huge coming market for images related to the Faroe Islands' unique national culture and traditions.  While we will miss the Olavsokan national celebration on our trip, there are numerous opportunities to capture these modern-day Viking descendants as they keep their traditions alive.

Any good nature photographer should have heard of the Faroe Islands, but as a one-time visitor, I maintain that there's no place like this on earth.  The "Land of Maybe" isn't just a bird-lover's paradise.  It's a soul-changing transformation chamber that will leave you longing for your return.

Ice Photography

Ice Photography Tips

Well, it's official.  Along with two members of my photography class, I'll be off to Europe's northern latitudes to shoot some stunning panorama and wildlife shots!

Well, maybe not quite.  Nonetheless, preparation for our faux trip is essential at the moment, and that means we should probably know a little something about how to deal with ice and photography.

Apart from the usual considerations of battery temperature (they will drain quicker and seem to be out of power once they get particularly cold), we're going to have to start becoming adept with a polarizing filter.  The dramatic look of the ice that so many good nature photographers are able to achieve can only be done this way.  This is the only way to achieve the colors that we want to bring out and to avoid the pictures being nothing but a massive glare of sunlight. 

More than likely, we're going to have to do a fair amount of image adjustment with photo editing software.  Brightness and contrast settings are of particular concern, as well as saturation.  Perhaps we should start slow and get some pictures in a place like Glacier National Park to experiment with these settings.  Once we hit the Arctic Circle, the time for play is over and we're on the clock.