Running Next Door

The Adventure:
It was late evening as I was working in my office, reviewing images from a recent trip to Colorado. I leaned back in my chair, looked out the window facing west and saw the bright red sun, sinking like a fireball into the horizon. Three minutes and 28 seconds later I was standing in a field of grasses and scrub oak high above the valley floor. There have been some recent fires across the west, which fills our valley with smoke. This smoke causes the sun to go blood red in the evenings. I was only able to get a few shots before the sun dipped below the horizon, but the rewards for quick action were worth it.

The Photo Lesson:
You rarely need to be in some exotic location to get great photography. Often times, original images are found right next-door, literally. There is a small park close to my home and is always a great spot to go when the light gets interesting. This shot is one of the many original views that have come from simply running next-door. So pick out a few locations very close to home that you can run too when the light begins to dance.

Timpanogos Winds

The Adventure:
It is 3:30 a.m. as I shoulder my loaded pack; too heavy this early in the morning. It has been raining all night and the air is cold and very humid. The dark trail ascends upwards some 3000 vertical feet before me, and is illuminated only by the glow of my headlamp. Although the march above 10,000 feet is a little strenuous on the shoulders and feet, I know it will be well worth this temporary discomfort. There are only a few days in August where the mountain wildflowers really bloom in the high alpine setting of the Wasatch Mountains, and today is one of those days!
I climb the final steep rocky ridge and top out into the vast meadow nestled below Mount Timpanogos. It is twilight, and the sun will rise very soon. I survey a nice spot in the meadow and set up for the morning show. The sun begins to rise amidst the fading storm clouds, revealing the spectacular beauty of these mountains, the wind howls across the meadow filling my lungs with fresh mountain air!

The Photo Lesson:
Yeah, that’s right the wind was howling! This scenario usually spells disaster for photographing meadows of wildflowers in low light. Now the light was perfect, no direct sunlight, so the colors are great, but how to keep those flowers from moving! I spotted a small rise in the meadow and positioned myself on the downside of it. This helped eliminate the force of the wind, but did not solve the problem. This is where digital photography equipment jumps way beyond the realm of traditional film. By cranking up the ISO rating I was able to take advantage of a fast shutter speed while maintaining a proper depth of field, all the while maintaining the rich colors with little grain (noise). Remember the ISO rating can be changed from shot to shot, and is a very powerful tool not to be overlooked.