Ever get bored and go archive diving, only to find an image that totally blows your mind? I usually don’t find much when I’m digging around in the dumpster but tonight, oh tonight, I stumbled across an intimate scene from Redwoods National Park that made me giddy. The color version didn’t appeal to me as it was essentially just various shades of green. As I studied the image I noticed that the clovers were darker than the non-clover (no idea what kind of plant it is) and my brain kicked into monochrome mode.  I thought, “What if I converted this to black and white with a lot of contrast that would make the dark clovers darker and the light plant lighter?”  So, that’s exactly what I did using Nik Software Silver Efex Pro 2.

I don’t often start my monochrome conversions with one of the presets that are included with Silver Efex Pro 2 but this time the “Push Process N+1.5″.  I made a few minor tweaks to the image at this point, the most significant of which was eliminating the grain automatically added by the preset.  I don’t mind grain in some black and white photos but in this one I didn’t want to add grain at the expense of fine detail.  I also added a little more structure to the highlights and mid-tones.

At this point the image was oh-so-close to what I’d visualized but I still wanted more contrast between the clovers and lighter plant.  I pulled the photo into Nik Software Viveza 2 and used carefully placed control points on the lighter leaves to brighten them up a bit more with consideration given to not going too far and losing highlight detail.  Then, I dropped a few more control points on the clovers and darkened them while also increasing the contrast a wee little bit.

This image is loaded with texture and I really wanted to accentuate it in the black and white version.  The easiest way I’ve found to do this is to use the Tonal Contrast filter in Nik Software Color Efex Pro 4.  As I’ve said in previous tutorials the native preset is way too much unless you’re a fan of overcooked HDR looking photography.  The Tonal Contrast filter allows you to independently control the contrast of highlights, mid-tones and shadows with the simple flick of a slider.  I increased the highlight contrast by 15 points, the mid-tone contrast by 10 points and the shadow contrast by 15 points.  There’s the texture I wanted!

I spent more time working on this image than I do on most but I think it was time well spent.  I’m slowly assembling a portfolio of monochrome images I’m exceptionally proud of and this one will be a nice addition to the collection.

CAN YOU IDENTIFY THE PLANT THAT ISN’T A CLOVER?  IF SO, PLEASE DO SO IN THE COMMENTS.  FIRST PERSON TO CORRECTLY IDENTIFY IT WINS A 5″ X 7″ PRINT IN A MUSEUM WHITE 8″ X 10″ MAT. (SORRY, SHIPPING ONLY WITHIN THE U.S. AS THE INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING COST IS PROHIBITIVE)

Something funny happens to me this time of year.  I get giddy, like a chubby kid with a sweet tooth in a candy store.  The affliction strikes the moment I see the season’s first yellow aspen leaf  and continues until the last cottonwood tree is bare, its leaves a mosaic on the desert floor.  The combination of blue sky, red rock and canary leaves is simply too much for any mortal photographer to ignore.

I drive by the mouth of Courthouse Wash every day – often several times.  It is one of my favorite hikes in the fall, not only for the riot of color found within the canyon but for the solitude.  During tourist season it is a popular destination for folks looking to escape the heat of day.  A perennial stream flows between the towering sandstone walls, gathering in deep pools that invite overheated hikers to dip a toe in the cool, muddy water.  By the time evening temperatures drop into the 30’s the tourists are mostly gone and the canyon sees more deer, rabbits and birds than people.

On my birthday last week I photographed sunrise at Dead Horse Point State Park.  Conditions looked ripe for an epic sunrise.  I envisioned cotton candy clouds filling the sky above the iconic bend in the Colorado River.  The sunrise was good, but far from epic.  No matter, as I’ll take a sunrise that wasn’t over a day in the office any time.  I returned to town and had a delicious breakfast with my wife at the best cafe in town – The Love Muffin.  The day was already good and it would only get better.

High, thin clouds diffused the sunlight just enough to prevent harsh shadows from falling across the landscape.  After breakfast I headed north to spend a few lazy hours strolling up Courthouse Wash.  I could no longer resist the brilliant cottonwoods calling to me every time I pass them on Highway 191.

It took all of five minutes before the camera was out of the pack and in my hands, the shutter button getting a good workout.  As I walked I was confronted by one lovely scene after another.  In less than a mile I discovered a sandstone peak reflecting in a long, shallow pool with autumn cottonwood trees dotting the landscape.  Later on I stumbled onto a lone yellow leaf floating in a beaver pond amongst a mottled reflection of blue sky, dark branches and the colorful leaves of a wise old tree.  Walking on, I came across a complicated scene of several cottonwood trees, their leaves more orange than yellow.

Looking at my watch I realized three hours had passed and I’d only made it one and a half miles.  I was out of time and couldn’t go any farther.  Begrudgingly, I turned around and began the trek back to my truck.  There were several images on my memory card that required immediate attention but I had Dad duty, and attending to a three year old while processing images is an impossibility.  The images would have to wait because Legos, Hot Wheels and Lincoln Logs most certainly would not.

We’ve all got a few locations that have dogged us over the years.  We know they’ve got loads of potential but no matter how hard we try, we just can’t quite make a satisfactory image.  If you’re persistent, and I hope you are, you keep going back – over and over, in every season, in all kinds of conditions.  On occasion, when persistence and creativity collide while the Gods of Light are smiling down upon us, we may be rewarded for our efforts.  Such is the case with the image above of Broken Arch in Arches National Park.

I’ve visited Broken Arch in all seasons and by far, mid-summer offers the best conditions for photography.  The sun rises far enough to the north to illuminate the front side of the arch with rich, warm light.  And, in the monsoon months of July and August, the sky is often filled with dramatic clouds.  While other photographers in the park are jockeying for position at North Window or Landscape Arch, you will most likely find yourself all alone with only the occasional yip of a coyote to keep you company.

Check out my e-book, “The Essential Guide to Photographing Arches National Park” if you’d like to learn more about photographing Broken Arch and 18 of my other favorite locations for photography within the park.

Today I’m sifting through my entire collection of images as I assemble a slideshow that will play on a computer at my gallery.  I came across the image above from six years ago.  In 2005 Melissa and I moved to Georgia for a few months to help care for my ill father.  While there we made two short trips to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Both trips were made in early spring of 2006.  Having moved from the Rockies, where big views and dramatic peaks dominate the landscape, we didn’t expect to be overly impressed.  How wrong we were.

We packed in a lot of hiking during our two visits.  Though the trails are at low elevation compared to the Rockies, it seemed like every one of them went straight up for 3,000 or more vertical feet.  What we call rivers in the West are but little streams in the Smokies.  Waterfalls are everywhere and wildflowers bloom in profusion but most amazing of all, there are infinite shades of green.  I know it is blasphemy to say this but living in Moab and seeing nothing but red rock day in and day out gets a little old at times.  This photo, of a huge hillside covered in foliage bearing the vibrant early leaves of spring, was a welcome sight when I discovered it in Lightroom today.  I don’t think I’ve ever shared this image publicly before and I hope you enjoy it.

This image is available as a fine art print, canvas gallery wrap or archival plaque in sizes up to 32″ x 48″.  Please email me if you’d like to inquire about purchasing a print.

Way back in the days of old, I’d head out on a road trip to an iconic national park with a couple dozen rolls of Velvia triple bagged in Ziplocs in the cooler.  Images of Delicate Arch framing the snowcapped La Sal Mountains, wildflowers dancing in alpine meadows below Mount Rainier or the rugged Tetons reflecting in a beaver pool at  Schwabacher Landing inspired an impressionable young me.  I wanted to make my own photographs of these gorgeous locations.  For thousands of novice landscape photographers, the ritual of reproducing photos we’ve all seen a million times is a valuable learning experience.  We discover things like sweet morning light, how aperture controls depth of field and how shutter speed can turn a powerful waterfall into a delicate strand of white silk.

Flash forward a bunch of years and I continue to find myself drawn to photographing the national parks.  Moreover, I still find value in photographing the icons.  I guess some things never change, although I no longer have to stress over the possibility of dank cooler water infiltrating my precious Ziploc’d Velvia film!

How can making images at a location that has likely been photographed hundreds of thousands of times possibly be of value to an experienced landscape photographer?  Easy – challenge yourself to create a unique photograph.  Perhaps it’s a composition that strays from the common perspective, or shooting at sunrise instead of sunset or maybe venturing out in unusual weather.

Whether we want them to or not, photographs of  landscape icons saturate our memory.  Close your eyes and think of the Maroon Bells.  Chances are your mind’s eye took you to an autumn photograph of symmetrical peaks awash in alpenglow above vibrant yellow aspens and the whole scene reflecting in the tranquil waters of an alpine lake.  Now imagine Mesa Arch.  American Basin. Half Dome.  Toroweap.  Sit back and enjoy the slideshow!  My point is, most of the images you envisioned were probably the common ones most photographers have seen over and over and over again.  They’re in calendars. On postcards. In magazines and travel brochures and posters.  We’re used to seeing them and when we visit one of these iconic locations ourselves, it’s all too easy to show up and set up in the well worn tripod holes of those who have come before us.  Honestly, I don’t have an issue with this.  These places are popular for good reason.  But if you’re willing to take a chance, you might just find an even more interesting, more dynamic image right around the corner.

What do you stand to gain?  Well, there’s the obvious – an uncommon image from a common location.  More importantly, this exercise teaches you to expand your vision.  As we approach a new scene we’re usually presented with at least one obvious composition.  If it’s obvious to you, it’s probably obvious to everybody else.  Make a mental note of it but allow yourself to continue exploring the scene.  What if you move 50′ to the left or right?  Maybe a long lens would work to isolate an interesting scene within the scene?  What would it look like in a different season, or at a different time of day?  Or, go a totally different direction, as I once did at the Maroon Bells, and find something truly unique at your feet.  The options are endless!

Every image in this post was photographed in RAW, imported to and processed in Adobe Lightroom 3 and finished using Nik Software’s Complete Collection (Viveza 2, Color Efex Pro 3, Sharpener Pro 2 and, on the black and white image, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.)  This is my standard workflow for every image I process.  If you’d like to try out the Nik plug-in’s for Lightroom please visit the Nik Software website and download the free, 15 day fully functioning trial software.  If you like it and decide to invest in Nik Software plug-in’s, use coupon code “BEDGE” for a 15% discount at checkout.  And, your purchase helps support this site.

I wrote the following short article for the 2011 Moab Guest Guide.  I thought I’d re-post it here in the event someone needs a quick and dirty primer on photographing the Moab area.  It’s certainly geared more for the casual point and shooter, but you just never know whose reading this stuff.  Enjoy!

Creating memorable photos in Moab is almost as easy as pointing your camera in any direction and pressing the shutter button.  Towering sandstone spires, massive natural arches, breathtaking canyons and even alpine splendor all compete for your attention and will quickly fill camera memory cards.  Use the following tips and you’re sure to return home with photos that will fill your family and friends with envy.

Get Up Early and Stay Out Late – The single best way to improve your photos is to shoot at sunrise and sunset.  The light is richer and the long shadows cast by a lower sun reveal details in the landscape not evident in mid-day light.

Composition, Composition, Composition – Equally important, take your time composing a dynamic scene.  Include a foreground, mid-ground and background to give your photo depth.  Don’t place your primary subject dead center in the frame.  Use the “rule of thirds”: imagine lines drawn on your image that divide it into thirds horizontally and vertically.  Place your main subject at the intersection of these lines to create a more pleasing composition.  Try different perspectives instead of shooting everything from standing height.  Get down low or seek a higher vantage point.

Blue Skies Aren’t Always Best – Bad weather doesn’t equal bad photography.  Actually, some of the best landscape photographs are made as a storm approaches or breaks up.  Ominous clouds in the sky add interest and potholes in sandstone filled with rainwater catch ephemeral reflections.  Be safe, though: Don’t enter slot canyons when thunderstorms are imminent and return to your car when lightning is present.

Tell a Story – Include people in your photos for scale.  It’s easy to get sucked into panoramic vistas, but small scenes are just as interesting.  Colorful flowers, gnarled juniper trees and striated sandstone all make wonderful subjects that nicely compliment your grand landscape photographs.

Stability is Critical – Any pro landscape photographer will tell you their single most important piece of gear is the tripod.  Without it, you can’t expect sharp photos in low light at sunrise and sunset.  Even a small, inexpensive tripod like the Gorillapod will hold your camera steadier than you can.  Remember to use the camera’s self-timer to release the shutter.

It’s Not About the Gear – Don’t discount the power of a point & shoot camera.  You don’t need expensive cameras and lenses to create stunning photos.  Use the tips above – shoot in good light, develop good compositions, go out in bad weather, tell a story and use a tripod – and you’ll return home from your vacation with a dozens of images to brag about!

By now you’re all aware that the iPhone has landed at Verizon.  Finally, iPhone devotees can choose between two carriers!  Choices are always a good thing, right?

I’ve received several emails from folks asking if my iPhone app, iFotoGuide, will work on the new Verizon iPhones.  The answer: oh yeah they will!  So, those of you who have been monitoring the rumors for years and waiting patiently to pick up an iPhone can now do so and will have full access to iFotoGuide: Arches NP, iFotoGuide: Grand Canyon NP and iFotoGuide: Yosemite NP.  All are currently available for download in the Apple iTunes App Store for only $4.99 each.

If you’re not already familiar with it, iFotoGuide is the first and only guide to photographing the national parks currently available on the iTunes App Store.  Each app contains everything you’ll need to plan a successful photo trip to the national park of your choice.  You’ll learn what to photograph, when to be there for the best light, what lens and filters to use and concise directions to each spectacular location.  Search for locations in three unique ways and find inspiration in galleries filled with stunning photography.  iFotoGuide delivers fresh and accurate content that fits easily in your pocket.  iFotoGuide – it’s all you need.

Melissa and Jackson Hiking in Glacier NP, Montana

Last Friday’s post was a bit heavy so I thought I’d lighten up today with a cute photo and it’s sweet backstory.  Melissa and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary in Glacier National Park in July, 2010.  We hiked to Virginia Falls with Jackson comfortably seated in a backpack carrier for most of the trail.  Toward the end he began to fuss, which is usually our cue that he’s done hitching a ride and is ready to strike out on his own.  We freed him from the pack and he immediately started running down the trail between the tall, vibrant green foliage.  Melissa caught up and as she sidled up next to him, he reached up with his little hand and grabbed her hand.

I already had my camera out as I wanted to photograph Jackson exploring  the trail on his own.  This sweet moment lasted but a few seconds.  Fortunately, I was able to fire off a few properly exposed frames before he let go and took off at top speed, excited to be experiencing the wilderness under his own power, not from the plush seat of his carrier.  Melissa and I are both great lovers of wilderness and we’re hopeful that by taking Jackson out to the mountains and deserts early and often, he’ll share our passion for the outdoors.  If the pure joy he exhibits now every time we go for a hike is any indication of what’s to come, I believe he’s well on his way to being a big-time nature lover.

I hope this photograph brings a smile to your face.  It always does and always will for me.

One of my favorite things about twitter is that it has opened my eyes to so many amazing photographers and products that I may never have discovered on my own.  A few days ago I followed a link someone posted that led to an account for G. Dan Mitchell.  I clicked the “follow” button and have seen a few of his tweets pop up from time to time.  Tonight I finally clicked on a couple links Dan posted to new images from Yosemite National Park.  From there I clicked over to his website, where I discovered some of the best Yosemite photographs I’ve laid eyes on.  Much of his work focuses on nature’s intimate details.  For those who know me, you know that I’m a sucker for a great intimate landscape.  If you don’t know me, well…now you know one of my weaknesses.

So, do yourself a favor and check out Dan’s website.  And if you’re in need of some immediate inspiration, here are links to three of Dan’s recent images that I found exceptionally awesome.  Enjoy the journey!

Forest and Evening Fog

Sabrina Basin, Autumn Color and Rain

Bare Aspen Trunks and Fallen Leaves

Dan and I were fortunate to partner with former Artist-in-Residence at the Grand Canyon, Adam Schallau, to create our latest iFotoGuide app for the iPhone/iPod Touch.  Adam’s intimate knowledge of the many locations and moods the Grand Canyon has to offer, both on the North and South Rim, virtually guarantees that your next photo trip to the park will be the most productive one yet.

iFotoGuide: Grand Canyon is filled with useful content and inspirational images.  The app is designed to help you plan your entire trip, from selecting lodging, renting a car and finding a good place to eat all the way to the really good stuff – where to set up your tripod, when to be there and what equipment you’ll need to create dynamic images.  As with all iFotoGuide apps, it is fully interactive and allows you to access critical information in several ways.  We’ve even stuffed a full park map into the app with zoom and pan capabilities!

Visit the Apple iTunes App Store to download iFotoGuide: Grand Canyon for your iPhone or iPod Touch today.  At only $4.99, it’s significantly less expensive than your average guidebook!