Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Impatience, NOT A Good Trait
I just got a roll of film back that included a shot intended to be the first image on my current On A Roll shoot. I had suspected the shot might be blurry, and decided to start over again with a fresh roll. Seeing this film now proves my instincts were right. The initial shot was indeed blurry and overexposed. I'm glad I started over.
Below is an excerpt from my December 19th blog (read entire entry there.)
I was preparing to head out myself when an nice eight-point buck walked out and headed for the spot then stopped to smell. When he lifted his head, click. I got it.
But from the moment I pushed the shutter release, I worried about the shot not turning out well because of the shutter speed being too slow, causing the image to be blurry from lens movement. It was, after all, the very first shot of what would be a long, challenging photo assignment. Yesterday, when I saw the evening clouds building, I decided to pull the roll and start over. It turned out to be a good idea. While loading the new roll, I noticed I had adjusted the exposure compensation to give another stop of light. I had done this on one of my last shots in California a couple of weeks ago and had forgotten to go back and reset it. The deer would not only have been blurry, but it would have also been overexposed. This was all caused by two weeks of trying to get an opening shot for On A Roll for which I had become very impatient, NOT a good trait for a wildlife/nature photographer, especially shooting film.
Below is an excerpt from my December 19th blog (read entire entry there.)
I was preparing to head out myself when an nice eight-point buck walked out and headed for the spot then stopped to smell. When he lifted his head, click. I got it.
But from the moment I pushed the shutter release, I worried about the shot not turning out well because of the shutter speed being too slow, causing the image to be blurry from lens movement. It was, after all, the very first shot of what would be a long, challenging photo assignment. Yesterday, when I saw the evening clouds building, I decided to pull the roll and start over. It turned out to be a good idea. While loading the new roll, I noticed I had adjusted the exposure compensation to give another stop of light. I had done this on one of my last shots in California a couple of weeks ago and had forgotten to go back and reset it. The deer would not only have been blurry, but it would have also been overexposed. This was all caused by two weeks of trying to get an opening shot for On A Roll for which I had become very impatient, NOT a good trait for a wildlife/nature photographer, especially shooting film.
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| Close-up view (blurry and overexposed) |
1) White-tailed Deer Buck - (H)
Madison County, MS
December 14, 2011 - 4:55 pm
Partly Cloudy, 66 degrees
500mm, 1/6@f4, Tripod
(original entry before I started over)
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Two Days, 3 Minutes
Later this month, we'll release a promotional video for Muddy Water Camo on our website www.muddywatercamo.com. The footage was shot last Monday and Tuesday near Stuttgart, AR. Following are a few "behind the scenes" shots that you might enjoy. It's hard to imagine how much goes into a three-minute video.
Day 1: Scouting the location, setting up a jib in a swamp, and prepping the site for the next day's shoot.
Day 1: Scouting the location, setting up a jib in a swamp, and prepping the site for the next day's shoot.
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| "McGyvering" the jib base (which consisted of some cinderblocks and plywood) in the swamp |
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| Setting out decoys |
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| The Muddy Water Crew |
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| Not your average production studio |
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| In keeping with the company name... |
Day 2: Setting up electronics and cameras, rehearsing lines in the swamp, and shooting scenes
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| The talent arrives on set |
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| Director Joel Strickland checks the camera placement |
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| Testing the camera, monitor, and jib swing arm |
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| Positioning the talent, aka Steve Maloney |
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| "Have you rehearsed your lines?" - Producer Marlo Kirkpatrick |
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| Co-star Jazzy waiting for her cue |
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| Getting into final position |
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| Rehearsing and blocking Steve Maloney's opening line: "Water. Hellooo, Waaaater!" |
(all photos taken with Nikon P7000 camera)
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Moments In Time
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Ansel Adams |
"Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter.” - Ansel Adams -
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| The Tetons and the Snake River (1942) by Ansel Adams |
A photograph or series of photographs tells a story. It could be a short story, caption, novel, mystery, poetry, news feature, memoir – the list goes on. But the image lives as a moment in time, a record of life on earth as it passes before our eyes. Capturing that moment with a camera is the challenge.
There are many elements that contribute to photographic success, but timing is the single most important one. Capturing the perfect moment in the perfect light is easier said than done. It may take much preparation, traveling many miles, or waiting hours, days, weeks, or even years, but when the time is right there is no arguing the result. Great moments are more “time" important than “subject" important, and a great subject can be ruined or exalted by timing. In photography, the old cliche holds true - timing is everything.
Below are several examples of perfect timing, from a split second to a year.
There are many elements that contribute to photographic success, but timing is the single most important one. Capturing the perfect moment in the perfect light is easier said than done. It may take much preparation, traveling many miles, or waiting hours, days, weeks, or even years, but when the time is right there is no arguing the result. Great moments are more “time" important than “subject" important, and a great subject can be ruined or exalted by timing. In photography, the old cliche holds true - timing is everything.
Below are several examples of perfect timing, from a split second to a year.
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| Wood Duck Taking Off 1/500 sec. |
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| Downey Woodpecker 1/15 sec. |
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| Mallard Hen Taking Off 1 sec. |
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Tuesday, March 6, 2012
It Is What I Do
A friend sent me this post that he found on the web. Thought it funny that someone "borrowed" my photo and used it here. I can honestly say what my friends think I do is what I do.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Silver Spring
It's been awhile since I shot anything On A Roll, 37 days to be exact. It's not that I haven't been searching, it's just that I haven't found anything that "moved" me. I've also been very busy with the launch of Muddy Water Camo, my first business venture outside of wildlife photography. All that to say, it felt good to be back On a Roll this week.
The photo below was taken with a digital point and shoot so the telephoto quality is not very good, but the final image on film should be wonderful. The seeding tree (I haven't identified it yet) was glistening in the sunlight as the fine, tiny hairs on the seed caps reflected the light. Loved it.
The photo below was taken with a digital point and shoot so the telephoto quality is not very good, but the final image on film should be wonderful. The seeding tree (I haven't identified it yet) was glistening in the sunlight as the fine, tiny hairs on the seed caps reflected the light. Loved it.
6) Tree Seeding - (V)
Madison County, MS
February 26, 2012 - 3:13 pm
Clear, 66 degrees
500mm, 1/500@f8, Tripod
(photo taken with Nikon P7000)
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