The Color of Film

California Lupines At Sunset

The possibilities of digital photography began to catch my interest in the late 1990s.  Unfortunately, digital imaging technology was still in its infancy.  I continued to shoot film while waiting for the quality of digital cameras to improve.

There's a certain mystery to film.  Waiting days or weeks to see the results of an exposure can be frustrating.  You can't take a peek at the LCD screen and recompose or make other adjustments.  You need to evaluate each scene carefully and commit to your most skillful prediction.  No matter how much experience you have with film, there are always surprises.

The surprises may be pleasant, even exhilarating; sometimes not so much.  I've thrown entire rolls of film into the trash bin over the years.  I've also been seen jumping for joy beside a light table upon receipt of newly developed chromes.  Unpredictability is part of the adventure.

Lupines At Sunset, California Coast

Color reversal film, commonly known as slide film, is amazing for documenting colors.  These films are sensitive to slight color casts that our internal optical processing system filters out.

Our brain filters colors possibly in an attempt to protect us from recognizable threats.  If a berry with a certain shade of red will make us sick, we don't want that berry to look differently on a sunny day than it does on a cloudy day, or at sunset versus high noon.  Unfortunately, this built-in safety mechanism reduces our ability to see colors accurately and objectively.

Film doesn't filter colors automatically, nor does it engage the automatic white balance functionality of a digital camera.  Film records any color that was present at the time of exposure including colors that humans can't see.  But here is the interesting part - when we look at a finished slide or print of the scene, we do see those missing colors and we see them accurately.

I have yet to discover a good explanation for this paradox in color perception.  How is it that colors once invisible to use become visible once they have been recorded by photographic processes?  This is yet another reason why cameras tend to yield surprising results.

Photography helps us to see and to understand our world more clearly by showing us what we were unable to see in the moment. 

Camera: Ebony SV45TE

Lens: Schneider 110mm f/5.6 Super-Symmar XL

Film: Fujichrome Velvia 100

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!


Copyright 2012 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved

The Ephemeral Landscape

Racing To Catch Up With Things That Don't Move

This isn't one of those self-indulgent tales where the photographer seeks appreciation for how much work they did or how many challenges they overcame. No one cares whether a photo required seven days of hiking in the snow or whether it was taken on a whim during a leisurely stroll.

Image quality and emotional impact are the only things that matter to the viewer.

The subject of this article is time. How is time critical to the making of a photograph, particularly an outdoor photograph that depends on fleeting elements such as weather and fading light? How must time be managed, and what planning does this require?

I wanted to capture a photo of the salt flats at Badwater Basin at sunrise. Specifically, I wanted a photo that showed the geometric salt patters highlighted by a backdrop of colorful light from the predawn sky.

This objective suggested a plan of action and defined specific temporal demands.

I would need to determine the hour of sunrise and estimate how long the color in the sky would last.

I would need to know the distance to the approximate shooting location in order to estimate how long it would take to reach that point, first by car and then later on foot.

I would need to give myself time to fine tune the composition, to focus effectively and determine the required depth of field. I would also need to work around the exposure challenges inherent in blending a brightening sky with a still dark foreground.

Daybreak At Badwater Under A Crescent Moon

Everything leading up to the "peak moment" would need to be dedicated to reaching the shooting position and preparing to take the shot. This included loading gear into the car, driving and hiking in darkness, seeking the exact shooting location and finalizing the composition.

Landscape photography doesn't seem as though it would require a race against time. Mountains don't move. Salt flats are relatively static. There were no animals in the frame to become startled and run away. Yet, I needed to cover great distances and work very quickly in order to capture this shot. As it was, I barely made it. A few minutes of delay would have caused me to miss this opportunity altogether.

Light moves and changes rapidly. Atmospheric conditions are in constant flux. If we want to capture a particular light or mood, we need to move even more quickly than the changes in these environmental factors. We need to anticipate upcoming conditions accurately and then adjust in seconds if and when things don't turn out exactly as expected.

This is all part of capturing the magic moment, and it's what makes the image worthwhile. It's not about how much work we did but about what we were about to create as a result of the effort and planning that went into the shot.

When the viewer sees the image printed or displayed on their computer screen, when they feel a sense of wonder and imagine themselves transported momentarily to the location, that's when the photograph communicates. They don't care how hard your had to work to make it happen. If they are moved by what they see, nothing else matters.


Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Lens: Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South

www.dansouthphoto.com

All Rights Reserved

Death Valley Impostor

The Rock That Wasn't There

Welcome to the Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park, that magical anomaly where rocks move mysteriously across a clay-like surface and cut trails to mark the path or their travel.

At least, that's what we think happens. Rain softens the playa and the surface becomes slippery. Wind currents channeled through the mountains are strong enough to move the rocks and cut trails through the soft clay. It's impossible to verify the theory because except for the smallest of pebbles, no one has ever seen the rocks move.

Yet, move they do and trails they leave, and in so doing they capture our imagination. The entire phenomenon is like something from a science fiction story.

There is, unfortunately, a dark side to our story, and that dark side is the hand of man. There are individuals who lack respect for the fragile wonder of places like the Racetrack Playa.

Here is case in point, a subject that I call 'The Impostor Rock'.

Impostor Rock - Death Valley

We see a long, well-defined trail in the playa, distant mountains, a clear sky, and a rock right in the middle of the action.

The problem is that this rock did not cut the trail, except perhaps for the last few inches. The rock that did cut the trail had a different shape. It would have been a bit wider, and it had a ridge that cut a groove to the left of the main trail.

This rock is an impostor.

Someone took the original rock as a souvenir, probably leaving the trail empty.(There are many empty trails on the playa.) I'm guessing that some well-meaning person put this rock in its place. Hopefully, the didn't snatch it from one of the other trails.


The Racetrack Playa is remote and not well-patrolled. Even if there were rangers on site, the playa is more than two miles wide. It's not possible to watch the entire surface at all times. Inconsiderate people take liberties.

There are signs posted: Don't move or take the rocks. Clearly, this one has been broken a few times. Don't walk on the playa when it's wet, or you'll damage the surface and leave footprints. I saw lots of this type of damage at the southern end of the playa. Don't let your dog run on the playa. While I was there I met a man who told me how much his dog loves to run on the playa, and then he let the dog loose.

The world is full of inconsiderate people, and there's not a whole lot that we can do about it. Let's hope that they don't destroy everything.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Lens: Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South

www.dansouthphoto.com

All Rights Reserved

My Time In California

Learning On The Go

I knew very little about cameras when I began to pursue photography seriously and I knew even less about creating good photographs.  I realized that I would need to invest time into practicing my new craft.

Shoot.  Evaluate.  Identify the mistakes and the lucky breaks.  Revise the approach, then go out and shoot again.  And again.

I spent a lot of time with my camera.  I got an 'A' for effort even though the results lingered in the 'C' range for quite a while.  A lot of film ended up in the trash, but lessons were learned with every roll.

Eventually, I had a small epiphany - there's value in visiting a location repeatedly.  One can observe the impact of weather, season, and time of day on the available light.  It's also possible to refine technique using information gathered from previous attempts.

I began to develop a list of 'favorite places' that I would visit with some frequency.  Most of these places were within a couple of hours of home, but I added a more distant destination to the list.  Coastal California.

Hurricane Point at First Light

I had visited California in the years B.E.C. (before expensive cameras).  It's a land of breathtaking scenery, and I wanted to capture its magic on film.

McWay Waterfall at Sunset

My earliest attempts at shooting the coast didn't yield remarkable results, but I learned a great deal about the location and local weather conditions in the process.  I also learned that there's a lot more to capturing a good photograph than just pointing a camera toward something interesting and making a 'correct' exposure.

As I explored the amazing Coastal California, I developed a understanding of light, its color, its quality, and its direction.  I developed a methodology for refining compositions from an initial idea to a finished image.  I experimented with techniques for focusing and stabilizing my cameras.

Point Sur Under Textured Clouds

Eventually, I learned how to predict the occurrence of certain camera-friendly conditions.

When would the light make its first morning appearance over a particular mountain?

Where do you need to park your car to get a particular vantage point?

It's helpful to know these things, and if you pay attention to your surroundings and take good notes, you can return to the scene at a later date to capture something spectacular.  It pays to know what's going to happen before it actually takes place.

Golden Gate Bridge At Dusk

Each excursion to my favorite places - near or far - was time well spent.  Even when the photos didn't turn out well, I was gaining insights that would transform my entire approach to photography. 

Camera:

            Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Lenses:

            Canon TS-E24 f/3.5L II

            Canon 24-105 f/4L IS

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2012 Daniel R. South

www.dansouthphoto.com

All Rights Reserved

Zabriskie Point

Panoramic Badlands

Death Valley is a vast and diverse wilderness.  Each section of the park has its own 'look' and unique characteristics.

One of the park's most iconic views is also one of the most accessible.  Zabriskie Point is a short walk from a large paved parking area located about a ten minutes from the popular Furnace Creek resorts.

Face west from Zabriskie Point, you'll look out over Manley's Beacon and a variety of rolling, textured badlands. Beyond the badlands lie the valley floor and the jagged Panamint Mountain Range.

Red Glow on the Panamint Mountains from Zabriskie Point at Daybreak

Zabriskie is very popular, particularly at sunrise.  If you arrive early in the morning, you'll see cameras of all shapes and sizes lined up on the ridge above the badlands.

Don't be shy!  Line up right beside the others.  Take your own shots of these iconic views and then scout around for different perspectives.

Daybreak Strikes Manley's Beacon and the Badlands

Light and weather are never exactly the same from one day to the next.  These changing conditions will help give a unique look to your shots.

Eroded Formations - Zabriskie Point

Zabriskie Point is much more than a single-shot destination.  The badlands wrap around the developed viewing area for at least 270 degrees, and you can hike down into the badlands on established trails if you want to try a different viewpoint. 

Geometric Badlands - Zabriskie Point

There's also the possibility of encountering unique conditions and circumstances.  On this day a couple of vans full of children pulled into the parking area.  Some of the boys ran down into the badlands despite the protests of their chaperones.  I had put my camera away and was heading back to the car, but I managed to grab this quick, handheld shot as the children ran back up to the viewing area.

Boys In The Badlands

An elderly lady walked over to me and asked, "Did those boys ruin your picture?"

I smiled and said, "No, Ma'am.  It's fine."

As she walked away, I thought to myself: "I think they just made my day."

Weather can change the look and mood of any destination.  I took the shot below on a cloudy morning when the badlands themselves looked dull due to a lack of direct sunlight.  It's an interesting contrast to the typical shots taken at this site.

Cloudy Morning at Zabriskie Point

Finally, it pays to look for unexpected possibilities.  Zabriskie Point is widely known as a sunrise destination, but under the right circumstances, it's possible to capture amazing sunsets here as well.  Here's one of my favorites.

Zabriskie Point Sunset - Death Valley National Park

Camera:

            Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Lenses:

            Canon 16-35 f/2.8L II

            Canon TS-E24 f/3.5L II

            Canon 24-105 f/4L IS

            Canon 70-200 f/4L IS

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2012 Daniel R. South

www.dansouthphoto.com

All Rights Reserved

Death Valley National Park

An Unimaginable Wilderness

A name like 'Death Valley' suggests a harsh and forbidding wasteland, a barren cavern of dust and sand that one would be better off avoiding. The moniker is not entirely unjustified. The valley floor maintains the highest consistent summer temperatures of any location on the Earth's surface - air temperatures top out in the low 130's (Fahrenheit), and the ground temperature can exceed 200 degrees.

These extreme conditions present significant dangers for any human activity. Simply driving an automobile on paved roads can be hazardous as tires are likely to blow out under the strain. Of course, if your car does fail, stay with it. Walking for help in these conditions will almost certainly result in disaster.

Fortunately, the valley enjoys milder temperatures in the late autumn, through the winter months, and into early spring. This cooler season provides the opportunity to explore the park's many wonders.

Death Valley is more than sand dunes and salt flats. The diverse landscape changes significantly every few miles. There are new glimpses of a complex and unexpected beauty at every twist in the road.


Zabriskie Point

Death Valley contains extensive areas of 'badlands'. Badlands are areas of exposed clay that are impermeable to water. Since no water can penetrate the surface, no vegetation grows anywhere in the area.

Zabriskie Point offers a 270-degree view of the badlands. It's easily accessible - a short walk up ramp just off of one of the park's main roads.

I made a number of stops at Zabriskie Point while visiting the park - I kept finding new viewpoints and compositional ideas. This shot is a very popular view, but I timed it as the rising sun lit the distant Panamint Mountain range. This adds a significant dimension of color and shadow that's not visible at any other time of day.

Zabriskie Point at First Light - Death Valley National Park

Badwater

Badwater Basin contains the lowest surface elevation in North America at 272 feet below sea level. Visiting the extensive salt flats at Badwater is a uniquely memorable experience, but be sure to bring sunglasses to deal with the glare of the sun reflecting off of the white salt, and as always, an abundant supply of water.

Here is a shot taken from the Badwater salt flats at dawn. Note the crescent moon at the top of the frame.

Sunrise and Crescent Moon, Badwater Basin, Death Valley

Mesquite Dunes

No portfolio of Death Valley would be complete without sand dunes. Death Valley's sand dunes have appeared in many movies including the original Star Wars. Here's a shot of the Mesquite Dunes near Stovepipe Wells.

Mesquite Dunes and Distant Mountains, Death Valley, NP

The Devil's Golf Course

One of the strangest and most forbidding landscapes that you'll ever see, the Devil's Golf Course is a large field of beach ball-sized lumps of clay covered with jagged crystals. Looking out over the 'Golf Course' is like looking into the mouths a hundred thousand sharks. It's unnerving to say the least.

I took this shot from the parking area as dusk fell on an overcast day. The cold light emphasized the forbidding bleakness of this unique feature.

The Devil's Golf Course - Death Valley National Park

Ghost Towns

Numerous ghost towns exist in and around Death Valley National Park. The towns are typically remnants of mining or gold prospecting operations gone bust.

The most impressive ghost town in the area is Rhyolite, Nevada just a few miles beyond the park's northeastern border.  

General Store, Rhyolite Ghost Town, Nevada

Racetrack Playa

Death Valley National Park is home to one of the world's great mysteries: Racetrack Playa, where rocks appear to blow in the wind and leave trails in the surface. No one has ever seen the rocks move, but everything from tiny pebbles to rocks the size of a large loaf of bread leave have trails behind them.

The prevailing theory is that the surface becomes slick when rain falls. The rocks are then pushed by brisk winds channeled through a narrow mountain valley.

However this phenomenon may occur, it was a thrill to visit the spot where the magic happens.

Moving Rock, Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park

I hope that you have enjoyed these images of Death Valley. If you have visited the park before, I hope that you recognize some familiar places. If you haven't visited yet, I hope that these images have provided insight into a beautiful landscape with a mysterious name.

Over the coming months I'll be sharing more photos of Death Valley and more stories of my adventures in the park. Thank you for visiting today, and please stop back soon!

Camera:

            Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Lenses:

            Canon 16-35 f/2.8L II

            Canon TS-E24 f/3.5L II

            Canon 24-105 f/4L IS

            Canon 70-200 f/4L IS

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2012 Daniel R. South

www.dansouthphoto.com

All Rights Reserved