Options
Beauteous Maximus! (Shootout '07)
schmoo
Registered Users Posts: 8,468 Major grins
The shootout was great. I'm sure everyone can see that from the threads popping up right and left. Although I took many gigs of photos and haven't had much time to go through them I thought I'd just go ahead and start posting the ones I've processed (on layovers, waiting in airports, waiting for internet, etc).
The first day (Wednesday) I made it in time for the sunrise. I am not overly impressed with my shots from that morning but I blame it on not being able to focus. How can you when you're thrown into a wonderful group of talented photographers who you've been waiting months to see?
And it's really dark and really cold so everyone looks the same bundled up in their winter coats? So I'll skip ahead.
It was the day of waterfalls. We had a nice-sized group hike out to St Mary's Falls. This was not the time to regret having only one 3-stop ND filter between two people who share equipment. :rolleyes
Scott_Quier considering his composition:
I call this one We Must Not Be Beholden for the Loan of an 8-stop ND Filter because Marc convinced me to use his (c'mon, the first one's free!) but I didn't see him to give it back to him until late the next day. And yes, that's a Laura Ingalls reference.
There were 4 different waterfalls along this trail but all of them were swarming with this weird cult of photographers in red baseball caps! Where did all those nutjobs come from? :lol3
So to get a clean shot I looked in the other direction to admire the mountain peaks through the evergreen trees.
Turn the Other Cheek
And anyway, the details in the forest floor were just as lovely (if not more so) than the waterfalls. This branch of yellow leaves spanned a moss-covered crevice and it reminded me of a photo by Vincent Versace. Just as he depicts in his shot, a beam of sunlight broke through the clouds just as I was setting up my camera. I'll take that as a sign to hit the shutter:
Later that evening we drove out to Many Glacier to catch some sweet light. The clouds were variable, however. We made Nikolai pull over so we could climb down to the lake and take some shots. I was incredibly lucky to catch some god beams over the water:
After dinner we did some moonscapes since it was a full moon. I kind of felt like I was wasting my time because they looked the same as the evening shots, and I could have saved my frozen fingers by just shooting sunlight. :lol3 However I regret that now because so many other people got great vistas and this is all I got:
Chasing the Stars
Zweiblumen wouldn't let me walk down to this area alone because he was afraid I'd get mauled by a bear. :scratch
The following morning we were all back at Many Glacier to shoot the sunrise. I had trouble deciding where to be and ended up moving around so much I missed most of the good light. Ah, well. Live and learn. I found that indecision was the greatest impediment of the shootout -- too many people I wanted to be with, too many things I wanted to shoot.
This one looks like it was light painted but I swear Nikolai had nothing to do with it
This day (Thursday) was the day of The Hike. Although Andy told us it was a serious hike I didn't really believe it until we were climbing uphill for hours and still nowhere near Grinnell Glacier. I've never felt the impact of high altitude so seriously before. It would have been more exhilarating if I had been sure I'd make it back to the lodge in one piece.
Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Feelin' Edgey
I enjoyed climbing down here, practically on a dare! If not for dares would we really push the limits to where we'd go? Nah.
Bone Dry
Finally at midafternoon we decided that it was turn back now or never see our friends or family again. It was a long painful climb down. Ow. But the three lakes below us in the area were clear, cold, and beautiful.
The forests were a rich combination of greens and golds, light and shadow, life and death:
Dark-Adapted
That's all I have for now. I'll put up the rest once I get through them in this thread to keep things neat.
Edited to add my link to snapshots. Neatness FTW!
The first day (Wednesday) I made it in time for the sunrise. I am not overly impressed with my shots from that morning but I blame it on not being able to focus. How can you when you're thrown into a wonderful group of talented photographers who you've been waiting months to see?
And it's really dark and really cold so everyone looks the same bundled up in their winter coats? So I'll skip ahead.It was the day of waterfalls. We had a nice-sized group hike out to St Mary's Falls. This was not the time to regret having only one 3-stop ND filter between two people who share equipment. :rolleyes
Scott_Quier considering his composition:
I call this one We Must Not Be Beholden for the Loan of an 8-stop ND Filter because Marc convinced me to use his (c'mon, the first one's free!) but I didn't see him to give it back to him until late the next day. And yes, that's a Laura Ingalls reference.
There were 4 different waterfalls along this trail but all of them were swarming with this weird cult of photographers in red baseball caps! Where did all those nutjobs come from? :lol3
So to get a clean shot I looked in the other direction to admire the mountain peaks through the evergreen trees.
Turn the Other Cheek
And anyway, the details in the forest floor were just as lovely (if not more so) than the waterfalls. This branch of yellow leaves spanned a moss-covered crevice and it reminded me of a photo by Vincent Versace. Just as he depicts in his shot, a beam of sunlight broke through the clouds just as I was setting up my camera. I'll take that as a sign to hit the shutter:
Later that evening we drove out to Many Glacier to catch some sweet light. The clouds were variable, however. We made Nikolai pull over so we could climb down to the lake and take some shots. I was incredibly lucky to catch some god beams over the water:
After dinner we did some moonscapes since it was a full moon. I kind of felt like I was wasting my time because they looked the same as the evening shots, and I could have saved my frozen fingers by just shooting sunlight. :lol3 However I regret that now because so many other people got great vistas and this is all I got:
Chasing the Stars
Zweiblumen wouldn't let me walk down to this area alone because he was afraid I'd get mauled by a bear. :scratch
The following morning we were all back at Many Glacier to shoot the sunrise. I had trouble deciding where to be and ended up moving around so much I missed most of the good light. Ah, well. Live and learn. I found that indecision was the greatest impediment of the shootout -- too many people I wanted to be with, too many things I wanted to shoot.
This one looks like it was light painted but I swear Nikolai had nothing to do with it
This day (Thursday) was the day of The Hike. Although Andy told us it was a serious hike I didn't really believe it until we were climbing uphill for hours and still nowhere near Grinnell Glacier. I've never felt the impact of high altitude so seriously before. It would have been more exhilarating if I had been sure I'd make it back to the lodge in one piece.
Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Feelin' Edgey
I enjoyed climbing down here, practically on a dare! If not for dares would we really push the limits to where we'd go? Nah.
Bone Dry
Finally at midafternoon we decided that it was turn back now or never see our friends or family again. It was a long painful climb down. Ow. But the three lakes below us in the area were clear, cold, and beautiful.
The forests were a rich combination of greens and golds, light and shadow, life and death:
Dark-Adapted
That's all I have for now. I'll put up the rest once I get through them in this thread to keep things neat.
Edited to add my link to snapshots. Neatness FTW!
0
Comments
I can see that I need to get to the east side of the park a lot more.
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
SmugMug Technical Account Manager
Travel = good. Woo, shooting!
nickwphoto
Honestly, it's been a blast to watch you grow so much as a photographer in just the past several months.
I'm richer for knowing you, too.
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
You set the bar pretty darn high, Schmoo!
Kathy and I enjoyed seeing you again and meeting Travis as well.
Great set of images. Great!
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
www.morffed.com
gubbs.smugmug.com
I particularly enjoy We Must Not Be Beholden for the Loan of an 8-stop ND Filter, Chasing the Stars, and Bone Dry.
I feel a little redundent telling you how great your work is over and over but, dang it, Schmoo, it's the truth.
But your storytelling is an art form. God I wish I could do that.
I mean you can take some stuff we all see each day, photograph it, put it in context, and it is amazing. It is quite a gift.
In amazement and keep it up,
Mike
Mike Mattix
Tulsa, OK
"There are always three sides to every story. Yours, mine, and the truth" - Unknown
Canon 5D Mk.2/Grip || Canon 7D Backup
17-40 f/4L || 70-200 f/2.8L IS || 100mm f/2.8L Macro || 24-70mm f/2.8L
Wedding Photographer
www.cwphotos.net
And here's to many future chances to shoot with Dgrinners old and new.
Nick I wish I could have seen the lake up close. The hike up the mountain was nice but yeah, there was just too much to see. And those weird clicking grasshoppers were really getting to me. I'd wondered where you guys had gone because our group kept getting smaller and smaller the higher the path went.
(And now I think I used up my emoticon quota for 2008.)
Photos that don't suck / 365 / Film & Lomography
This means so much to me because it's what Marc tries his best to teach! And sometimes when hiking around the harsh wilderness when the weather isn't cooperating it's really easy to get a bit downtrodden.
I confess that more than few times out in the field I was near tears because I was so frustrated...
Photos that don't suck / 365 / Film & Lomography
Canon 5D Mk.2/Grip || Canon 7D Backup
17-40 f/4L || 70-200 f/2.8L IS || 100mm f/2.8L Macro || 24-70mm f/2.8L
Wedding Photographer
www.cwphotos.net
www.adambarkerphotography.com
I'm feeling like I really missed out by not joining you all on the second hike. For the 2008 trip, I think I'll have to make a few clones of myself so that I can be everywhere at once.
initialphotography.smugmug.com
"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera" - Dorothea Lange
Thanks Adam! A big fan of your landscapes, this means a lot to me.
Andrew you stole my idea exactly! I left my clone at home because I was only allowed two carry-ons.
I'm already counting down the days to Moab. It's going to kill me to have to step away from shooting photos long enough to try climbing (sorta).
Photos that don't suck / 365 / Film & Lomography
Looks like you guys had a blast.
http://photosbyfred.smugmug.com/
And what really surprises me is how quiet you were during the shootout, and yet how elegantly you speak here!
ann
My Galleries My Photography BLOG
Ramblings About Me
The size of the shootout was a scary prospect for me: I wasn't sure I would be willing to go because it would be too many strange new people. But as usual I didn't regret the experience. Next year it may be a little harder because its half again as many shooters... but at least I am familiar with you all now.
Photos that don't suck / 365 / Film & Lomography
But I have to tell you, I was really glad to see this comment about the size of the shootout being a scary prospect for you - because I just signed up for next year's shootout, and large group gatherings are really not my thing. It just seems like a great opportunity to learn from good photographers. So I'm going to try to keep my fear in check over the next 12 months.
--- Denise
Musings & ramblings at https://denisegoldberg.blogspot.com
Maybe because you didn't see the links I've been posting here?
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
And this, too!
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
:jawdrop
I am so totally jealous...you have an amazing eye.
SmugMug API Developer
My Photos
I totally agree with Dev
I think you enlightened my 8 stop ND to somewhere around 4 stops
Muench Workshops
MW on Facebook
Great stuff, girl!
My photos
"The future is an illusion, but a damned handy one." - David Allen
I hear you and I think it's great you'll be coming out. I don't like crowds bigger than 5 or so people but at the very least we all have a common passion. It could be a lot worse than that, right?
Photos that don't suck / 365 / Film & Lomography
But today I finally had a block of time to plow through some more shots, so here they are:
First, here is a pano from Wednesday morning. I don't think I posted this one anywhere yet, from Wild Good Island. The kind of sweet light you wait and wait and freeze your fingers off for doesn't always happen, of course. We were lucky that it did appear then, but the clouds were still a bit annoying and the light was limited
And picking up from Friday morning, here is another 24mm TS vertical pano from before the sun came up. I love getting up at 5 AM to share experinces like these:
Friday was one of the best days I've ever had, period. Good company, wonderful cool weather, lovely leaves, no work obligations (though I'm paying dearly for that now, heh). What else could you possibly ask for? After the sunrise and before breakfast, Zweiblumen and I took a quick detour on my request down to St Mary's River, near the lodge. The bridge crosses over the water here but I wanted to see what it was like down there. It was OK. The setting moon was a lot more impressive in real life.
Yet another TS pano (with barely controllable chromatic aberrations)
But after breakfast we followed the pros up to Waterton, Canada.
Marc knows all the great spots. I'm convinced he's got some sort of Great Shot Detector that tells him when to pull over and explore for an unbeatable view. (When I try this on my own at home I just get lost in ugly neighborhoods...) The first truly memorable spot was a small two-track dirt path through some aspen trees, barely a driveway and full of mud. It was so rough that some of the cars in our caravan couldn't even make it through and the poor photographers had to walk.
At the end of the muddy-brick road, however, was a picture-perfect reflecting pool that cast back the image of Chief Mountain.
(Note that there is no reflection of the actual mountain in my shot. :giggle )
Um, but I don't have many photos of this view. Cuz right on the other side of the water were the remains of an abandoned logging camp and like a moth to a flame I had to go!
For a while I was alone there. All week up until this point I had a rising wave of panic inside me because I was so displeased with my performance and my shots. At first I laughed it off because the shootout was a social opportunity and a vacation, I wasn't really there to work. But I was really lying to myself. I was just rushed; rushed, stressed, and asking too much of myself when dropped suddenly into a strange beautiful land with too many things to see and do at once.
Fixed in the Montana silence, faced with things that (while a bit different) are broken pieces of civilization that are familiar to me, I finally reached my Zone. I approach these types of subjects in a methodical way and up until this point I had never really realized this. But in the 20 minutes that everyone else was distracted with the reflecting pool and the aspen logs I had a piece of home to myself and I was able to finally be grounded. After I took a few of my "traditional" abandonment shots I was relaxed and confident again. I hadn't realized how unbalanced I had been feeling until I had it back.
Dust to Dust
These may not be my best shots, but they were very meaningful to me.
Twist
Look up (Hang nail)
Montana rainbow
There were a few other lookout spots where we got out to shoot on the way to Canada. Then there was the border crossing, which was fun because I had brought my passport but left it in my suitcase. Justiceiro (Ryan) had described to us the night before the kind of hike that was involved in Waterton - something about 900 feet of elevation in one mile. I wasn't exactly looking forward to it but knew that the exercise would be welcome.
Once we got to the town of Waterton we spotted a place that looked good for lunch, so we ate there. At this point I was still thinking we were stalling for time making that hike, so I was happy. But after lunch it was getting late and I was SO relieved to find out that there was no grueling hike planned. Instead it was coffee time.
These deer were made famous by all the Dgrinners who visited Waterton. They just sit there chewing their grass, as pretty as can be until you actually try to touch them or put stickers on their butts. Then they get kinda snippy.
On the way out of Waterton the clouds were a little more dramatic and the light marginally better. It was also getting quite cold with the wind chill so the sojourns outside of the car were relatively brief. The scenery on the Canadian side is impressive and I'm sorry I didn't get any sweeping panoramas but it is rolling, wild, and empty.
Driftwood beach, the place where the park sign tells you that it's a good place for nature photos. Well, I wasn't gonna argue with the government...
More later. And if anyone has any feedback as to how I could make these better, feel free to lay in on me, please! I love me some CC.
Photos that don't suck / 365 / Film & Lomography