Archives For Colorado

Twin Lake Storm

Jay Patel —  April 17, 2013

Twin Lakes, Colorado (CO), USA

While driving to our destination in Aspen Colorado, we took the scenic route through the Twin Lakes region. As we stood there photographing this little spot, clouds started to move in – within 10 minutes, the blue skies were all but covered up by dark clouds.

This is a manually blended image created from 3 bracketed shots using out iHDR workflow. The dynamic range of this photo was extreme, and the horizon was not level – so a graduated neutral density filter was out of the question. I chose to place complementary colors close together to make those brilliant trees stand out. I used a 4-stop neutral density filter and a circular polarizer to slow down the shutter speed.

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The Road Less Traveled

Jay Patel —  March 18, 2013

Marble, Colorado (CO), USA

We went wandering on roads less traveled on our last trip to Colorado – and found ourselves in this beautiful place. We saw only a couple of cars during the two or three hours we spent wandering. The fall colors were spectacular in this area.

This is a pretty simple exposure on a day with overcast skies. We had partly overcast skies, so I waited for the sun to go behind the clouds before I took the shot. I chose this composition to avoid the sky and other uninteresting elements. I used the road as a leading line to lead the viewers through the image.

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Twin Lakes, Colorado (CO), USA

The Storm at Twin Lakes

Jay Patel —  January 25, 2013

I love going to Colorado in the Fall. This time, we ran head on into a nice, big storm. This system created alternating periods of rain and calm, and provided us with an opportunity to capture fall colors under some great weather conditions. The aspens in this shot glowed gold from the soft light coming from behind me as the dark heavy rain clouds gathered in the distance.

I filled the frame with complementary colors: blue and yellow. In order to do this, I tried to avoid distracting objects in my frame. Because the horizon was uneven, I could not effectively use a GND filter, so I bracketed the shots and combined them using manual blending (iHDR workflow) in Photoshop.

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The Coming Storm

A Complicated Blend: The Coming Storm

Varina Patel —  January 3, 2013

Sometimes, I can finish post-production work in just a few minutes… and sometimes, it takes a lot longer. This shot from Snowmass Wilderness in Colorado was a real challenge. Let me see if I can give you an idea of what made it difficult, and how I handled the processing. First, taking this shot was an amazing experience. We watched this storm coming toward us for a short time, and then grabbed our cameras and headed out to get a few shots. The first thing that caught my eye were the colors. The brilliant golden leaves were a perfect compliment to the deep blue tones in the approaching storm. I wanted to capture that juxtaposition – and also capture the chaos in the sky. I chose a simple composition – ignoring the lake behind the trees and choosing a single peak to minimize distractions. I took several shots, waiting for a moment when the skies were full of textures.

Because the leaves were moving in the high winds, I knew I would need to capture the entire dynamic range with a single exposure. If I couldn’t do that, I would end up with a “ghosting” effect as I worked on a blend. If I could process a single image twice – once for the leaves in the foreground and once for the background – I would get a much cleaner blend. Because the skies were heavily overcast, I was able to get the shot I needed.

As the storm blew closer, I could hear the rain falling on the water of the lake – getting closer and closer. As the first drops fell on my camera, I packed up and headed back to the car – just in time. We both love storms, so we watched the rain for a while, and then continued on our way.

The first step in post, was to process the image for the leaves in the foreground and then again for the background. You can see those two images below.

I processed the image once for the leaves…

…and once again for the background.

Then, I created a mask using the color selection tool to isolate the yellow leaves on the lighter layer. The blend sounds simple enough… but moving leaves can be difficult to deal with – even when you are processing a single image twice for a blend. The problem is that some leaves are moving more than others. So, some are slightly blurred, some are completely blurred, and others are sharp. When I make a color selection, I feather it slightly for a smoother blend. The problem is that the selection needs more feathering in areas that are more blurred, and less feathering in sharper areas. That’s a tough problem when you are dealing with thousands of leaves.

I blended the images in Photoshop using our manual iHDR techniques.

Of course, there are lots of different ways I could have solved the problem in Photoshop – some easier than others. But there was no quick fix this time. I tried several different methods for refining my mask – from isolating and subtracting the blue channel to creating a soft light layer and using a targeted luminosity mask to capture those edges. I even converted the image to the ProPhoto color space so I could create a smoother luminosity mask for a cleaner transition in high contrast areas. The problem was worst where the branches reached above the horizon into the sky, so I used a mask to target that area on another layer.

Here are the layers I used for blending. Notice that I also used curves layers to bring out some contrast in the background layer, and to bring back the blue tones I remembered from being on location.

Still, I wasn’t satisfied. In the end, I decided to work on a pixel-by-pixel basis. I zoomed in close, and used the Precision Mode option on my Wacom Intuos 5 tablet to work on those tiny details. I made very slight adjustments to the mask for the foreground trees layer – painting on the mask itself. I went back and forth between my black and white brushes, changing the size of the brushes with the touch ring as I went.

Leaves at 100% – before mask refinement. Can you see the dark lines around some of the leaves?

Finished leaves at 100% – shadows on the leaves, and similar tones in the background made masking difficult. I used Precision Mode on my Wacom tablet to clean up my mask for a clean finish.

Of course, I didn’t make adjustments to every single leaf. I targeted those that seemed distracting and took a few extra minutes in those areas. Post-production for this shot took more than an hour – though some of that time was spent experimenting with techniques that didn’t work. You can see the finished image at the top of this post. What do you think?

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Maroon Bells, Snowmass Wilderness, Colorado (CO), USA

Outdoor Photography – Being Flexible

Jay Patel —  December 17, 2012

We plan our landscape photography outings so that we maximize our chances of getting the best weather patterns and the right seasons. But things don’t always go according to the plan. Experience has taught us to be flexible and open to new ideas.

I first visited Maroon Bells in 2007. I used an interesting root structure beneath the surface of the lake as a foreground object in the photo above. Five years later, in 2012, we returned to the lake again. This time, we discovered that the lake had shrunk dramatically because of a long summer drought. It no longer reached the grassy shores we remembered from our previous trip. Instead, the lake was surrounded by mud and rotting wood. The brilliantly colored moss that was growing under water in 2007  had died off. Here’s a shot of the same roots I photographed five years ago. The difference is stark.

Though the banks of the lake were uninspiring, I still felt that there was incredibly beauty to be captured in this place. I focused my attention on the creek and the mountains behind me. I waited until the clouds were lit up by the evening light and captured the photo below less than 50 yards from the roots in the first two shots.

I was able to come away with a photo that I like because I was willing to be flexible and look for alternative shots. So next time you are faced with unexpected conditions, don’t give up.

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Individuality

Do you Think Before you Shoot?

Varina Patel —  December 6, 2012


I love aspens. Who doesn’t? But if you’ve tried to photograph trees, maybe you know that getting a shot you really like isn’t as easy as you think it’s going to be. You pull out your camera in front of all that golden glory, and the resulting image just doesn’t do the scene justice. So, how do you go about getting the shot you want?

Start by thinking about the most important element in your image. What are you trying to show? Is it the sweeping landscape? The beautiful mountainside? Or is the most important element of the image the colors themselves? In this case, I really wanted to show off the details on the trunks of the trees – but I also wanted to make sure that the colors were an important part of the photo. And I am almost always looking for a minimalist composition – so of course, that was part of my planning as well.

The first step was to find the right aspen glen. :) I know – that seems kind of obvious… but the thing is, it isn’t that easy. Notice that there’s no bright sunlight coming through those leaves. And notice that you can’t see the base of the trees, the ground, or any canopy or sky. Those are important details. The elements you don’t include in a photo are just as important in the planning process as the things you do include.

I needed a high vantage point with trees growing below me. Standing on the forest floor would put me too low – I’d end up with ground in the photo if I pointed my camera downward or even straight ahead. And I’d end up with sky in the photo – and distortion – if I angled the lens upward. No good. When we drove past this glen, I knew we were in the right place. The road was high enough, and the bases of the trees were low enough. And behind my scene was a vast mountain that blocked the brightness of the sky. Perfect.

The next step was to find the right tree for my “point of interest“. I walked up and down the road searching for the best one – but each time, there was something distracting behind. A trunk that tilted at an odd angle – calling attention to itself. A broken branch. Too much white trunk behind and not enough golden color. And often, trees that were too close to let just one stand out on its own. This tree was just right – but only if I stood in just the right place. There’s actually a dead trunk just behind this one, but I chose an angle that hides it. No distracting elements allowed. :)

We were in this spot for about 20 minutes, and I have just one image to show for it. But it’s the photo I wanted.

When I finally found my composition, I took a few shots to decide how much depth of field I wanted. I chose an aperture (f/4) that would allow me to smooth the details in the background as much as possible – while keeping the tree in the foreground nice and sharp.

The most important step in post-processing was getting the color balance just right. A slight color cast would be enough to leave the whole image feeling dull. A bit of contrast, some targeted sharpening and a little more brightness just for the tree trunk… and that’s about it.

So, there you go. These are the kinds of things I’m thinking about when I’m taking a photograph.

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Independence Pass

Stay Warm and Dry this Winter!

Varina Patel —  December 4, 2012

 

Independence Pass 3,687 m (12,095 ft) – Colorado, USA

How do you stay warm and dry when you are shooting in cold weather?

Shooting in cold weather can be challenging – but there’s nothing quite like the beauty of snow. It changes the look of the landscape profoundly. When we are getting ready to shoot in cold weather, we make sure we’re ready for it. We carry chemical heat packs in our pockets to keep our hands warm – but for another reason as well. In between shots, we’ll tuck our cameras inside our jackets to keep the battery warm… which helps increase battery life. We know from experience that cold batteries drain quickly, so the longer we can keep them warm, the more time we can spend shooting. Some people like to tuck warmers into their boots as well – though I find that they don’t work as well in such cramped spaces. Make sure your boots will keep your feet warm and dry, and keep moving to stay warm.

We also wear waterproof and windproof gloves – and we prefer the ones with a mitten flap. We fold the flap back so that we can use our fingers to adjust the controls on our cameras. I recommend wearing a thinner pair of “glove liners” underneath. And try tucking an extra chemical warmer into the mitten flap so your fingers stay warm.

I almost feel silly suggesting that you wear a warm hat, since I think it’s obvious… but on the other hand, I see people out there all the time without one. They are the ones shivering in the wind, complaining about the cold despite their heavy parka. Put a hat on! Sheesh! :) I like to have a hood as well, since it keeps the back of my neck warm and gives me an extra layer of protection if I need it.

The trick to staying warm is to keep your core temperature up. If your center (and your head) are warm, your extremities will stay warm longer. Use a waterproof outer layer to keep dry if the conditions are wet.

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Crystal Creek, Colorado (CO), USA

Can a “Photoshopped” image match reality?

Jay Patel —  November 26, 2012

What is a SOOC photo? SOOC stands for “Straight Out Of the Camera”. And those who use the term are generally looking for a pat on the back. Their photography is clearly superior because they “got it right” in the camera. No “manipulation”. No post-processing. Just a true representation of the scene in all its glory. When a photographer talks about their SOOC photos, they are often not-very-subtly implying that those who use processing software are cheating and that their photos are fakes. And that’s all well and good for them. I think I’ll stick to my post-processing, thank you very much. ;)

While I enjoy the challenge of “getting it right in the camera”, the fact is that even the most advanced cameras can’t always handle the broad dynamic range of light in nature. With the help of Photoshop, I am often able to create a photo that is much closer to reality than SOOC photos.

Consider the above image. I took this photograph of Lizard Lake in Colorado on a partly cloudy day. There’s no bright glaring sunlight here. The range of light isn’t very extreme. At first glance, the lighting, the colors, and the exposure look pretty well balanced. You might think that under such conditions, the photograph could be easily captured with a point-n-shoot or even a mobile phone camera in automatic mode. And a nice DSLR should be able to handle that range of light easily, right?

Well. No. This is not an SOOC image. In fact, I created this photo by blending three separate exposures using our iHDR workflow to maintain a natural look.

Here are the three bracketed exposures – SOOC using default settings. Notice that none of the individual exposures looks better than the processed image. And none of these SOOC shots represent reality as closely as the manually blended image. It is true that photographers can get pretty artistic with Photoshop and HDR technology – but in many cases, processing software also lets us bring our photographs much closer to reality than those SOOC photos.

There are – of course – LOTS of other good reasons to take the time to process your photos. This is just one of them!

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Aspen Leaf on Marble

Aspen Leaf on Marble

Varina Patel —  November 6, 2012

Marble, Colorado is a tiny town that boasts a pretty darn impressive marble quarry, a lot of awfully nice people, and some absolutely beautiful scenery. As the leaves start to change color, photographers descend upon the town. The locals call us “The Leafers”. It’s a name I embrace. I am, most definitely, a Leafer at this time of year… seeking out colorful autumn foliage like a junkie. ;)

I used a 70-200mm lens for this shot. A macro lens would have worked just as well, but I didn’t need to focus too close… and Jay had absconded with the Macro lens anyway. :) Getting the exposure right was easy – the range of light is very narrow, as you can see. Actually, the hardest part was just finding the right leaf. I wanted one with a variety of colors. Most of the aspen leaves are a brilliant golden color – and they are lovely – but I wanted one with a little more character because I knew my background would be very subtle. Once I’d found my leaf, I carried it very carefully up the road toward the huge marble blocks that lined the roadside… I didn’t want to disturb the water droplets. Then, I scanned the surface of the stone –  looking for the right vein in the marble. It took just a moment to find the one I wanted… this jagged grey line that defines my marble background. I placed my leaf, set up my camera straight overhead – on a tripod. And took a shot. Not quite right. I bent down, pushed the stem just slightly so that it curved a bit, and took another shot. I zoomed in to check the image on the back of my camera – it was perfectly sharp. Done.

In post processing, I was very careful about color balance. I didn’t want the marble to appear at all yellow – or the leaf to have any tint of blue. Slight color casts in a shot like this would really dull the photograph. I removed a few tiny specks of dirt from the rock and the leaf, and brightened up the water droplets just a tiny bit.

This is, hands down, my favorite shot from the trip. I love the contrast between the colorful foreground and the subtle background. Heck – this one just makes me smile. What do you think?

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Submerged

Submerged

Jay Patel —  September 28, 2012


Here is an example of why it is not always a good idea to follow the crowd. When I took this shot, there were about 100 photographers lined up on the opposite shore of Maroon Lake trying to photograph the “classic shot” of the Maroon Bells. But I was drawn to the this submerged log just below the water on the opposite side of the lake. The skies over the mountains weren’t doing much – but facing in the opposite direction, I was able to capture these beautiful clouds over the still waters of the lake.

I did not use a circular polarizer to capture this image. Why? Because I wanted to show the colors of the clouds reflected in the water. I stepped into the cold water of the Maroon Lake and positioned my camera so that the reflected light was not over the submerged log. I waited until the water was perfectly still before taking three bracketed shots. This is a manually blended image using our manual iHDR workflow.

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