Creative Edit, My First in Awhile

It has been awhile since I have opened up Photoshop and had a relaxing morning with my coffee and images. It almost felt like old times… Anyway, I thought I ‘d share this peacock image since it appealed to me. To create it I duplicated my image, converted the top layer to black and white then changed my blend mode, added a layer mask, and so on.

The original capture was in NYC while scouting with Scott Vincent. We had some good times back then. I haven’t seen Scott in years, but I try to keep up with him on Facebook.

To learn more about creative edits check out my eBook “The Creative Art of Photography”

Red Barns

When I first started going to the Palouse Region (located in the northwestern United States) I was immediately drawn to the red barns. Every time I found one, it was like hitting the jackpot! Each and every barn had its own style and story. Many of the old barns show the years as they have not been fully restored, as is the case with the barn above. I am not sure if this barn is still standing, I haven’t visited it in years as I had to do some wire removal. Usually I don’t mind telephone wires and try to include them as part of the image (see directly below) but the wires on the barn above were too distracting.

Palouse Region

The early morning light on the barn above made me smile wide! I remember everyone trying so hard to photograph this one without the wires. We had limited access as we did not want to trespass and because it was so early we did not want to wake anyone by asking permission so we photographed it from the road. I personally felt like the wires were a nice touch and I worked hard to line them up to walk the viewer through the scene.

Palouse Region

The above barn was photographed using a longer lens and from a good distance down the road. I loved the curved road, fence and the horses but this barn owner does not want anyone near her property (the horses get startled) so we stayed far away and only for a few moments. I am always trying to make sure that the horizon line doesn’t line up to ride the top of the barn.

Palouse Region

The 1916 barn above is a bit of a distance and I don’t always visit it. I learned the story of it from the owner last year. She told me that the barn was built by the Cunningham family and they had built a homestead across the street from the barn, the homestead burned down in 1917 and the family packed it in and moved to California.

Palouse Region

I have many different versions of the well photographed barn above but I always liked this one best. Each year the truck is in a different position or the fields look different and of course the clouds are different too. This barn reminds me of what I refer to as the Palouse Flag—red barn, blue skies and white puffy clouds.

Palouse Region

The barn above has had a recent roof replacement and that is why I chose this close-up view of the barn that I photographed several years ago. It shows the open slats and dilapidated roof that I loved so much. I was so disappointed when the owners repaired it.

Palouse Region

This red barn is one that I have wanted to photograph from a different angle for many years. There was a crew of men working on the yard and I went up and asked if I could walk down the driveway to get a better angle—they said that I was welcome to photograph the barn from the driveway and could get as close as I wanted.

Palouse Region

I photographed the above barn from the road area. I liked the curved foot path and the two posts. The barn is a beauty. The owners have since roped off the area and they do not allow visitors anymore.

Every time I visit the Palouse I uncover another hidden gem or have time to explore the many secrets of the area. Finding and photographing red barns is a fun adventure. Just be respectful of the property owners. I have never met a more welcoming group of people in my life. I am looking forward to my August trip this year.

Happy Memorial Day and to those men and women who sacrificed on our behalf-thank you.

Little House, Big Prairie

Years ago when I first visited the Palouse Region, (south eastern Washington area) I had made mention of my travels. Several of my photography friends that had been running workshops there were eager to help out and share locations. I said thank you but that I wanted to explore it on my own. I think they understood. Anyway, I asked two good friends Lynn Fulton and Cheryl Slechta to accompany me on this trip. So we headed to the Palouse region to find all the hidden barns and gems that the location had to offer.

Within our first twenty minutes of exploration, I got a ticket for speeding! Yikes, it was long lonely road and I was going too fast. A nice police officer pulled me over, ticketed me and we had a nice discussion about the area. So much for the open road…After shaking off the ticket we went scouting for barns. Lynn helped me navigate and Cheryl kept her eyes peeled.

In one of the old towns that we passed we found a bunch of old farm equipment and shacks, but I needed to go to the bathroom. Cheryl, Lynn and I went looking for a restroom. As I drove around helplessly looking, I went down a dirt road, hoping it led to something. Oh boy did it! I was so happy when I saw this abandoned old farmhouse come into view.

I noticed that the sky was turning grey and it looked like a storm was approaching. The clouds were moving faster and faster and I had envisioned them over top of the old farmhouse at any moment. I started to run up a nearby slope to try to position the storm clouds above the house. The lighting was incredible. As soon as things lined up I took several shots. Within minutes the clouds had dissipated and the scene was finished.

The name Little House on the Prairie comes to me every time I see this shot. It brings back fond memories of when my daughter was six years old and we use to watch the TV series Little House on the Prairie which was based on the Laura Ingalls Wilder's series of "Little House" books. My daughter would sometimes cry when she watched the bullying or sad scenes-she was and still is very sensitive, so we would snuggle up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket to watch the show. Those sure were some good times!

Thanks to Joe Subolefsky for asking me to talk about this shot in a recent comment.

Catching Up Again

Since the virus interrupted my happy life <smile> I have been working really hard to reorganize my trips and flights and everything else that goes into booking and organizing the workshops that I had planned.

I have also read over twenty five books on a variety of subjects including: the Wild West and the many Indian tribes and their culture, firsthand accounts of slavery in the Deep South during the 1800’s, mountain survival books and so many more…

While reading these books I feel extremely fortunate in my life. I have read some of the most deplorable things. My heart has broken so many times as I have turned the pages. The suffering of human life and the ignorance of the times is overwhelming. But still, I need to read these; I can’t explain in any great depth why I am so drawn to these writings.

I don’t watch much television. I do watch a few DIY shows and they have motivated me to spruce up my house by selling junk and reorganizing things. I sanded, sealed and painted my front door-finally. I’m not 100% happy with the color but it is heads above the peeling, chipping look that I had before. I’ve been going room by room and trying not to take on too big of projects as I don’t need any more stress in my life.

Last night I decided to watch something on TV for a change. I turned on a show called Songland; never hearing about it before, I was intrigued. I googled this to share with you so you have an idea what it is about “Follow the journey of undiscovered songwriters as they pitch their original creations to superstar recording artists and a panel of chart-topping music producers in the hopes of creating a music collaboration of a lifetime”. Anyway, it kept my interest and I loved the one artist’s song so much I can’t get it out of my head. Here is the original performance of Second Guessing by songwriter Griffen Palmer and then here is the song after the Florida Georgia Line did their adjustments. I personally like both versions. I think the original needed a touch of polishing but I liked the rawness of it.

I have also started walking again. I use to walk every night without fail but my routine changed when I started travelling. I sure hope I start travelling again…The walks have kept me busy and have helped to keep my mind off of things. The time seems to fly and before I know it my 4 miles is up.

Today I am dusting off my bicycle and going for my first bike ride of the season. Our parks and bike paths have opened up and I think a good ride will do me good-wish me luck!

Black Backgrounds

Sometimes I like to photograph flowers against a black background to create a dramatic effect. If I can find a situation where the background is shaded naturally like in the tulip image above then I don’t need to use an artificial background—but if I don’t come across a flower in a good situation, I create one (see Calla Lily image below).

I usually use a foam board with a high quality black matte print adhered to it. I don’t like reflective backgrounds for this type of work so I avoid glossy finishes whether they are printed or painted. I place my black print directly behind and very close to the flower.  I always use a tripod in these situations so that I have a hand free for the reflector that I use to illuminate my subject from the front. I use a 12” reflector when working with a single flower as I don’t want too much light directed onto the black background.  Next I set my camera to spot metering and adjust the exposure as needed for the tonality of the subject since I want to keep the background dark.

In Photoshop I use a Curves or an Exposure adjustment layer to darken the background. If you choose the latter you will see 3 sliders: Exposure, Offset, and Gamma Correction. If you move the Gamma Correction slider to the right it will darken your background and the subject. I usually move this slider only a little and use a Layer Mask to paint away the effect on the subject. You can make an Offset slider adjustment to darken only the dark tones. There are 0.0048 increments on this slider.  This adjustment is often too much. To lessen the effect you need to type in a smaller value; I often go with -0.0024 units. Either way various images will be affected differently; making small adjustments is always best.

*This is an excerpt from my eBook Bloomin’ Ideas.

A hint of Glamour Glow from Nik Color Efex was applied to this Calla Lily.