Slickrock and Shadow

Tallest Grass  In the field, looking at the bland clouds and hazy grey skies, I had to decide how to make an interesting photograph of my dear little cabin.  I wasn't satisfied with my standard shots taken from 2 to 6 feet above the ground.  The ground cover wasn't interesting enough to shoot down.  The skies weren't good enough to shoot up.   So I changed perspective radically by inverting my tripod and getting very, very low to the ground . . . so low that my subject (the cabin) was mostly obscured.  It became a complimentary subject while the grass and yellow flowers became my new star.  Even so, this is a less saturated picture than most landscapes.  It feels grey/neutral in many ways and accurately represents the colors that day.

Wolf Creek extends up to snowy mountain tops of the Madison National Forest Landscape photographers go to many of the same places.  In Montana I had the opportunity to explore the Madison National Forest in the area of Wolf Creek.  This is known for bears, elk and being far off the beaten path.  Hiking up to peak, both the wind and the views were spectacular.  This is a photograph taken looking into Wolf Creek.  The mountaintops were covered with clouds and snow.  Summer in Montana can be a spectacular fleeting moment. Gordon's hike rating: Hike Difficulty:                   ★★★★ Strenuous Trail Condition:                   ★★★ Moderate Trail Hazards:                      ★★★ Moderate:  rocks, rare Grizzly sightings Trailhead:                  ...

Buachaille Etive Mor with Tall Grass Buachaille Etive Mor is a spectacular landscape, an icon for the entire country of Scotland.  This particular mountain is so unique in its triangular shape as it stands over the Glencoe Valley.  There are few things that are more Scottish than this to a photographer.  The best views are from the South and East which means sunrise is the best time.  I woke up very early in order to visit the Black rock cottage first.  Then I had enough time to go into the fields around the mountain itself, getting a lot closer to it.  Beautiful tiny white flowers are visible in my second shot.  If you click on the shot and get a larger view, these are easier to see and I think they landed nice contrast to the massive mountain in the distance. Buachaille Etive Mor Triangular Shape Black Rock Cottage with Buachaille Etive Mor in background

ISO 400, f/11, Shutter speed 1/50 second ISO 50, f/16, Shutter speed 1/4 second Among the many things out of my control, the wind probably is mentioned the least.  We tend to talk about the light more than anything else.  Clouds certainly enhance a photograph and I love the beautiful partly cloudy sky.  Wind can only be seen in the effects it has on movable objects.  In a sandstorm, it can create dramatic effect on the sand dunes.  Usually wind is a foe to good photography because it makes for blurry moving objects. Wind is almost always present on the Montana prairie.  As I made my annual trip to photograph my favorite cabin, the wind was blowing moderately.  I decided to try a couple of different photographs to capture the wind.  I wasn't sure if I would like them more or less than the perfectly still shots.  To be truthful, I wasn't sure of my still shots would work at all because of the wind. On the left I chose a very slow s...

Lupine Wildflowers and small Montana Cabin at sunset  I visit southwest Montana each year for one week.  Each years looks different depending on how much rain/snow they've had and how early/late in the summer I go.  This lonely cabin sits in a big valley and I've taken to shooting it each year.  Sometimes I try sunset, others at sunrise, others with different lenses, etc -- I want to get something NEW each year.  That's the challenge:  to get a quality shot that isn't a copy of prior years. This year the lupine wildflowers were out in force.  That's very exciting!  The last 5 minutes of direct sunlight shone on these flowers as the day ended.  I'd actually found this bunch of flowers an hour earlier as the best bunch in the area.  I'd picked a few stray grass blades out.  When I returned with a few minutes of dying light, I was so happy to find a perfect bouquet. This is the first time I've written about this 8-year projec...