JACK LARSON PHOTOGRAPHY
My Buddy
Posted by john4jack (Corvallis, Oregon, United States) on 4 November 2009 in People & Portrait and Portfolio.
This is my photography buddy, Phil. The alcove, which is like an amphitheater, is high up on the fossil beds cliffs.
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DECISION TIME - Having spent a ton of time in Photoshop learning things that I have never used, nor even really wanted to use, I have decided to work on learning only what relates to my needs and goals. Whew! that's a relief. In a similar way, I have decided to not invest in equipment that doesn't relate to what interests me in photography. I almost never want a lens with a focal length that is wider than what I have. I own a fairly decent (decent but not great) lens that goes wider, but I never use it; so I just saved $ 1900. (My wife really likes this kind of thinking.)
@Yvonne Simons: Oui. It is a step back in geological time.
Linerberry from Sumner, Christchurch, New Zealand
What an incredible sight!!! Great shot...nicely captured. I hope MrsAmberis following this series...being a geologist she would love it!
4 Nov 2009 7:37am
@Linerberry: Thanks, Caroline. Now I know why Kate seemed so interested in this part of the Sumpter series.
Dulcie from Danville, CA, United States
Good to have Phil in the photo to show the scale and magnificence of that amphitheater.
A wonderful shot !!!
4 Nov 2009 7:39am
@Dulcie: Thanks, Dulcie.
@JamesC: Thank, James.
Toni from Eastern Washington, United States
Fantastic shot, Jack. Great setting and an interesting place.
4 Nov 2009 7:57am
@Toni: Thank, Toni.
@Anina: Thanks, Anina.
Kiwisa from North Shore, New Zealand
Gee doesn't the sheer size of that rockface make you feel so small. Good composition
4 Nov 2009 8:31am
@Kiwisa: Both the immensity and the geology puts us in our place.
@Sarito: Thanks.
@Foto-aksent: Oui.
MrsAmber from West Wickham, United Kingdom
Oh I'm following these avidly, Liners! Even the thumbnail of this was awesome..a great shot of an interesting Geological feature!
4 Nov 2009 10:00am
@MrsAmber: Yep, Caroline gave you away, Kate. Now I understand about your fascination with Yellowstone and this area. The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument has at least five units scattered around Central Oregon. At their main visitor center, you can see the geologists at work in a room behind a glass barrier. You might want to Google the National Monument.
Nicholas from Shah Alam, Malaysia
I bet that must be an awesome place for photos! :)
4 Nov 2009 10:34am
@Nicholas: Awesome for certain!
Betty from Phillipsburg, United States
Wow, Phil standing there really shows the scale of this rock face! Fantastic shot.
4 Nov 2009 11:17am
@Betty: Thanks, Betty.
Judy from Brooksville, Florida, United States
I'm happy you have your friend in the shot for scale ... this is a phenomenal rock formation!
4 Nov 2009 11:40am
@Judy: We could have spent the entire trip in the various units of the National Monument.
@Irene: Merci, Irene.
MJ from Delaware, United States
great shot of the size of the rocks.... nice scene
4 Nov 2009 12:42pm
@MJ: Thanks, MJ.
daniela scharnowski from Berlin, Germany
a funny formation in this alcove - like big squeezed bubbles that were long gone ;)
4 Nov 2009 1:07pm
@daniela scharnowski: Yep.
MARIANA from Waterloo, Canada
Super shot !!! Without Phil would be great, with Phil is super :)) ha ha It is always cool to have human in a pictures like this one to have a right sense of scale ! Love it !!!
4 Nov 2009 1:10pm
@MARIANA: Thanks, Mariana.
Lyl and Roll from Besançon, France
A good shot that gives us the notion of the size of the place.
4 Nov 2009 1:37pm
@Lyl and Roll: Merci.
@Luca Bobbiesi: Thank you.
dj.tigersprout from New York City, United States
it must also have great sound? does it amplify voices? a beautiful locale!
4 Nov 2009 4:05pm
@dj.tigersprout: We didn't test the sound; it was like being in a cathedral, a holy place.
don from spokane, United States
This special place in the rocky face is very interesting. I wish I knew more about geology and would be interested in how this developed. A fine shot. Your photographic decision seems right on to me. I've bought way too many things over the years that I seldom use.
4 Nov 2009 4:10pm
@don: I verbalize these kinds of decisions to reinforce holding myself accountable.
rokhsana from tehran, Iran
wow.amazing rocks.your shot reflects the glory of the real scene.
4 Nov 2009 4:57pm
@rokhsana: Thank you very much.
bekkah from Pennsylvania, United States
a great shot! having your friend there helps to give an idea of scale :)
sounds like you've made some good decisions!
4 Nov 2009 5:37pm
@bekkah: Thanks, Bekkah. The trick is to keep the decisions.
Michael from Shell village, United Kingdom
Fantastic geological features and a really great image, is your buddy an geo-expert ?
4 Nov 2009 5:48pm
@Michael: Thanks. My buddy is a retired physicist.
@Mhélène: Merci.
k@ from Paris, France
Protected like in the giant stupendous womb of Mother Nature ! Admirative clap-clap, Jack*
4 Nov 2009 6:03pm
@k@: Merci.
Macrobaby from Vancouver, Canada
What a spot...I really must go to Oregon. We really sense the grand scale with your friend in the picture.
4 Nov 2009 6:11pm
@Macrobaby: Thanks. It's just a hop, skip and a jump down here; it would be well worth the visit.
Marion from Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Another great picture. The colors are wonderful. I like your decision. I have a wide angle lens which mostly sits in my camera bag. Good for some things, but seldom used. You're right, I could have saved my money.
4 Nov 2009 6:35pm
@Marion: Thanks, Marion. Fortunately I have 3 sons who are Nikon users; that way I can pass off stuff.
@Michael: Thanks, Michael.
jamesy from christchurch, New Zealand
great shot I bet your wife is thrilled with your decision
4 Nov 2009 8:03pm
@jamesy: Thanks. Thrilled, but, you know, "Yadda, yadda, yadda; please just do it, Jack!!"
Steven from Chicagoland, United States
Interesting semi-circular formation of rock that you have captured here. Great detail in texture and color that you captured in the rocks.
4 Nov 2009 8:37pm
@PATRICK: Merci.
marc battault from clermont ferrand, France
it looks huge! the color of the rocks is beautiful!
friendships!
4 Nov 2009 9:07pm
@marc battault: Merci, Marc.
Marieastro from France
Very surprising photograph ! That's not dangerous ?
Great shot !
4 Nov 2009 9:08pm
@Marieastro: Merci. It was probably more dangerous than we realized at the time. (Wish that you were on Am3.)
Steve Rice from Olympia, United States
A big alcove or a little friend. :-) That is a very cool shot. Nice colors and bands of erosion.
4 Nov 2009 9:45pm
@Steve Rice: Many thanks.
Alivia from Saint-Etienne, France
In this round vault, the prehistoric man is just a step backwards and it is in the early hours of the world, fabulous layers and colors and as you have done well to keep your focal lengths without excessive expenditure. Your work is always excellent, so why ask for more.
4 Nov 2009 11:15pm
@Alivia: You're right, Dane; why ask for more? Merci.
Susan from Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
Yeah for saving money, and yeah for deciding to "lighten your load" as far as future learning....I know how you can get really caught up in wanting to learn "everything"......and it just gets more and more frustrating deciding what to do first, etc....Hope you stick to your guns!! And by the way,,,, wonderful shot here today...your buddy really shows the scale of what he's in the midst of.....
4 Nov 2009 11:43pm
@Susan: Hold me to it, Susan!! Thanks for your kind words.
@Mirza Ahmad: Thank you.
@LauraS: Thanks, Laura.
Ajay from Pune, India
You are your buddy really go places to take the best out of nature.
5 Nov 2009 12:02am
@Ajay: Thanks, Ajay.
Bill Brown from California, United States
Beautiful scenic capture! Your buddy gives the viewer the proper sense of scale.
5 Nov 2009 2:09am
@Bill Brown: Thanks, Bill.
bluechameleon from Vancouver, Canada
So small in the vastness of nature. This is a great composition and point of view, Jack.
5 Nov 2009 2:49am
@bluechameleon: Thanks, Sharon.
Pavan Kaul from Mumbai, India
Awesome color, texture and sense of scale in this superb composition jack!!
5 Nov 2009 3:42am
@Pavan Kaul: Thank you.
Bill from Pacific Northwest, United States
Great shot, Jack--for all the reasons expressed by others above. I applaud your declaration in your "Decision Time" comments. One of the things I lament about moving away from the traditional darkroom is losing the sense that learning the craft side of photography was a manageable undertaking. When I got into photography ten years ago, digital was just beginning to blossom. I decided to go the film route and benefited from all those people who were unloading their film and darkroom equipment for pennies on the dollar. Now that I have left the film world and I'm completely immersed in the digital world, it seems I perpetually sufferer from ADDD--Attention Digital Deficit Disorder. I feel like Sisyphus pushing pixels up a never-ending learning curve--by the time I learn one facet of the digital craft, ten more appealing facets appear. (I marvel at your grasp of the technical side of PS, LR and digital capture, but I don't have the energy or the intellect to acquire the knowledge you have.) Then there is the equipment! (By the way, do you know how to make a small fortune in digital photography? You start out with a LARGE fortune and then you start buying equipment--cameras, lenses, computers, printers, software, accessories, etc, etc. I didn't want to get into this "arms" race, but I succumbed to the temptation nonetheless. Having said all this, I wouldn't go back to film--for all the reasons you know so well. The trick is to know when and how to put limits on things. So, again, I applaud your decision. P.S. I love my new D300s! Is there hope for me?
6 Nov 2009 12:35am
@Bill: Wow! What a thoughtful comment. I think that the first step is to have clarity as to ones goals in photography. Some people have a shotgun approach. They want to do everything. I certainly can appreciate playing around but this can lead one into what I see as a deep abyss. It can draw one into the quagmire of what is available in the world of digital hardware and software. This can be both very expensive and unbelievably overwhelming. I have come terribly close to being sucked into that abyss. I personally would choose the rifle approach, an approach that is much more narrow and has more intense focus. Being on Am3 for almost a year has exposed me to tremendous breadth in the world of photography. And it has made me much more aware of what I want and what I don't want for myself. For myself, and I am speaking only of myself (no criticism of any form whatsoever is implied), I want to do most of my creative work in the shooting phase. I find myself no longer tempted by the incredible creative possibilities of Photoshop and other software. HDR is solely for the purpose of dealing with a dynamic range of light that the camera cannot capture. For subject matter, my primary arena is the natural world. And it is a somewhat intimate and small connection with the natural world. Sweeping landscapes are not my forte. I love macro work, and especially macro work of flowers. Within these boundaries, I seek to grow. I have two primary cameras, a Nikon D300, which I use for telephoto work and sometimes for macro work; my real workhorse is a Nikon D700, a full frame camera that allows me to use available light for almost everything. The one thing that would be tempting in a higher (20 mp) resolution camera would be being able to crop more, but to be honest, it hasn't been an issue. I use three primary lenses (although I have others) - a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8, a Nikon 70-300mm, and a Nikon 105mm f/2.8 macro; these really are adequate to my needs. My software workhorse is Lightroom, and I love LR 3 beta. For plug-ins, I use Nik's Denoise, Color Efex, Viveza, Silver Efex and Sharpener, onOne's FocalPoint and PhotoFrame (although I have the full Suite), and on occasion Topaz Adjust. Photoshop is helpful for cleanup work (Spot Healing, Cloning), masking, adjusting opacity, blending modes and sometimes, Adjustment Panels, but to be honest Photoshop plays a minor role in my workflow these days. I pretty much know everything that I need to know to do what I want to do. My HP B9180 does a fine job of meeting my printing needs. All that being said, my cutting edge is in the area of vision and the execution of that vision.
ordinaryimages from Kentucky Bluegrass, United States
Photoshop is the interface to a black hole...less that we get sucked into it. best...jerry
6 Nov 2009 3:59pm
@ordinaryimages: The things for which I use PS, it does very well, but there are very few of them. Those who have entered the world of digital in the era of LR have no idea of the trauma they have missed!!
@Francesc B.: Merci.
starCosmosBleu from bedford.Qc, Canada
Wonderful tones and rocks forms......its true that you can do many things with photoshop, for creativity its interesting ..but i always come back to photography with just a bit of clean up,saturation,sharpness,noise......works for me...
9 Nov 2009 9:37am
@starCosmosBleu: Agreed.
Nikon D700
1/100 second
F/6.3
ISO 200
85 mm (35mm equiv.)