Hayden Peak in Spring
June 18, 2010 by Cody · Leave a Comment
Hayden Peak is in the Uinta Mountains in northern Utah. The Uintas are one of the only east-to-west mountain ranges in the Western Hemisphere and is one of the largest primitive wilderness areas within the United States. We are lucky to have such beautiful country so close to home. We took a family trip up there today and schedules permitted me to hang around Hayden Peak for sunset. This is a shot I’ve had on my “to photograph” list for some time so I was happy for the chance. My first couple of compositions were not too pleasing but I settled with my third composition. All framed the peak with the pines as you see here but I tried different angles, finally settling on this one. I wish there had been more dramatic skies but you work with what you have, I guess. I do like the frozen lake toward the bottom of the frame, though. The blue water coming through the ice is pretty neat. Oh, and I had to break out the trusty hyperfocal distance table to get the focus just right.
Christmas Meadows at Night
February 1, 2010 by Cody · Leave a Comment
This was an experimental shot that I ended up liking. While at Christmas Meadows in the Uinta Mountains of Utah, I decided that the moonlit night was looking pretty good for an attempt at some night photography. I haven’t done much night photography (I keep telling myself that I should make it more of a focus but I’ve yet to actually do so) and figured the shot would be fun to attempt, despite my reluctance to leave the comfort of my chair by the campfire. The shot was about a seven minute exposure utilizing my wired remote to keep the shutter open. You’d be surprised how long seven minutes can seem while standing in the cold and periodically checking one’s watch. Anyway, I had taken several previous shots in order to get the exposure right, eventually winding up with the seven minute exposure you see here. One of the challenges associated with long exposures like this is hot pixels as the digital sensor gets warm. Balancing the need for a long exposure with the potential of hot pixels is, I found, an important consideration for night photography and I have a new found respect for photographers taking excellent night shots. It’s tough to take mediocre [...]
Christmas Meadows Sunrise
January 3, 2010 by Cody · Leave a Comment
Prior to this shot I had been looking for a spot in Utah where I could capture a meandering, still river with snow capped mountains in the distance. I finally came across Christmas Meadows in the Uinta Mountains of Utah and spent a few days camping up there. When I took this shot I was battling against a cloudy eastern sky that was often obstructing the sun and fish jumping in the river. I finally was able to time it right when the sun was peaking through the clouds and the fish weren’t biting, allowing for nice, calm water. You may notice the red flowers on the opposite bank of the river and to the right of the frame. I searched all over the place for a spot where those flowers would be on my side of the river, just before a bend, so I could place them in the frame’s foreground, but I was unable to find anything and had to settle on placing them where they are in this photograph.
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