Utah Is Redeemed! [Archive]

peter_mary

13th October 2006, 01:21 PM

miss taken

13th October 2006, 01:43 PM

:cool: Would you exceed bandwidth if you posted more. I am in heaven looking at those photos.

Mary

Jeff_Ricks

13th October 2006, 01:47 PM

:cool: Would you exceed bandwidth if you posted more. I am in heaven looking at those photos.

MaryYes! Please please post more!

peter_mary

13th October 2006, 02:54 PM

Yes! Please please post more!
Sigh...If I must! :D It's so HARD to have people stroke my ego like this...:o

Here's one from Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah (taken the same day).
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6ce32b3127cce8dfb22ba6c1800000015108AbuHDJs2at4

dogzilla

13th October 2006, 03:08 PM

Rainbow Story: Once upon a time, when I was but a humble young magazine editor in Ft. Lauderdale, I and my art director drove to Miami one day to proof the final bluelines for an issue we were working on. (Bluelines are printers' proof sheets.) On the way back to the office, a typical South Florida thunderstorm blew up on one side of I-95 but the sun was still shining on the other. (This is a typical weather pattern for SoFL.) This created a huge rainbow that we drove through in order to get back to the office. The end of the rainbow terminated very near our office, from our perspective in the car. It was a beautiful sight and a surreal experience.

When we arrived, my coworker was immediately called into the boss's office and fired for not applying for her own job. The Boss had advertised our positions to see if we'd apply for them as a test of our loyalty. Boss had already fired our other coworker while we were gone. I was not fired because I had run out of stamps on the day I was going to send in my resume. All three of us were devastated. (None of us were older than 25, IIRC.) To this day, rainbows give me the creeps. I used to love 'em until that day.

Anyway.... nice canyons, P_M!

(DISCLAIMER: The above was a literary example of a canyon... or demonstrative of the chasm between what rainbows mean to some people vs. what they can mean to others.)

peter_mary

13th October 2006, 03:12 PM

To this day, rainbows give me the creeps. I used to love 'em until that day.

Just that much more proof that Dogzilla is straight...:duck:

Jeff_Ricks

13th October 2006, 03:32 PM

When we arrived, my coworker was immediately called into the boss's office and fired for not applying for her own job. The Boss had advertised our positions to see if we'd apply for them as a test of our loyalty. Boss had already fired our other coworker while we were gone. I was not fired because I had run out of stamps on the day I was going to send in my resume. All three of us were devastated. (None of us were older than 25, IIRC.) To this day, rainbows give me the creeps. I used to love 'em until that day.What a paranoid boss!

Several years I was in Florida, travelling from West Palm Beach where I'd spent a few days and was heading to the northern end of the state. Somewhere around Cape Kennedy (of whatever they call it these days) I ran into the most awesome lightning storm I'd ever seen before and since. It was better then the best fireworks I'd ever seen. About every second was a lightning strike. bam...bam...bam... and this went on for over an hour! It was around 10 PM too so very dark, making it that much better. I'm guessing that is wasn't a normal storm because when I stopped off the freeway for gas there were people sitting out in front of the store, in the rain, so they could watch.

Incredible!

helemon

13th October 2006, 05:14 PM

Sigh...If I must! :D It's so HARD to have people stroke my ego like this...

Here's one from Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah (taken the same day).
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6ce32b3127cce8dfb22ba6c1800000015108AbuHDJs2at4

That one is the best of the set so far. Nice color contrast with the blue-gray sky and faded red rocks, as well as the tactile contrast of the warm dry desert stone with the cool wet rain in the distance. Nice contrast between the negative space of the sky and the complex structure of the bush and stones. Nice off balance feel with half the bush being green and the other half barren. And the purple of the canyon in the background is a very nice boundary region. That one should be on a postcard. Hey, wait a minute, do you have a scanner?:slap: :D

Jeff_Ricks

13th October 2006, 05:26 PM

Sigh...If I must! :D It's so HARD to have people stroke my ego like this...:o

Here's one from Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah (taken the same day).
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6ce32b3127cce8dfb22ba6c1800000015108AbuHDJs2at4
Oh my god!! I LOVE the complimentary colors and rich contrast in this one. The other two have a wonderful airy quality to them that I also love, but the rich earthy, solid feel of this one really does something to me. Wow!

helemon

13th October 2006, 07:33 PM

Oh my god!! I LOVE the complimentary colors and rich contrast in this one. The other two have a wonderful airy quality to them that I also love, but the rich earthy, solid feel of this one really does something to me. Wow!

Definitely his best work so far.

helemon

13th October 2006, 07:40 PM

Sigh...If I must! :D It's so HARD to have people stroke my ego like this...:o

Here's one from Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah (taken the same day).
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6ce32b3127cce8dfb22ba6c1800000015108AbuHDJs2at4

Can you put the higher res version up somewhere? This one doesn't look as good when it is stretched out and enlarged for a desktop image.

peter_mary

13th October 2006, 08:12 PM

Can you put the higher res version up somewhere? This one doesn't look as good when it is stretched out and enlarged for a desktop image.
...but I don't know where to put it. Unless you want me to replace the one on this thread with a big ole' file. I can do that, but I was just trying to keep it from loading too slow for folks with dial up.

Other options?

helemon

13th October 2006, 09:05 PM

...but I don't know where to put it. Unless you want me to replace the one on this thread with a big ole' file. I can do that, but I was just trying to keep it from loading too slow for folks with dial up.

Other options?
I think there is a file size limit. You could just email it to me. Or perhaps we need a photo album section on PoMo! It could have a warning about slow loading images. I am serious that you see if there is any interest from UT BLM or national parks to use that image. It would make a nice brochure cover or as part of their website. Not sure who you would contact though. Maybe some GA would want it for a book about the tame and wild olive story in Jacob. Who cares if that is a juniper bush. Hey Jeff that picture would look great in some of your companies brochures!

Do you have any nice pictures of those big gorgeous tits in wyoming? Pardon the translated french. ;) Ok, I have been trying teton in the french translation programs and it isn't working. When I type in breast or nipple or tit I do not get teton.
http://www.rasiel.com/lutefisk/1024/Tetons.jpg

Okay, Wikipedia says it is a French slang term for breasts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Teton_National_Park
Probably meaning big teet.

peter_mary

13th October 2006, 10:20 PM

I think there is a file size limit. You could just email it to me. Or perhaps we need a photo album section on PoMo! It could have a warning about slow loading images. I am serious that you see if there is any interest from UT BLM or national parks to use that image. It would make a nice brochure cover or as part of their website. Not sure who you would contact though. Maybe some GA would want it for a book about the tame and wild olive story in Jacob. Who cares if that is a juniper bush. Hey Jeff that picture would look great in some of your companies brochures!

Do you have any nice pictures of those big gorgeous tits in wyoming? Pardon the translated french. ;) Ok, I have been trying teton in the french translation programs and it isn't working. When I type in breast or nipple or tit I do not get teton.
http://www.rasiel.com/lutefisk/1024/Tetons.jpg

Okay, Wikipedia says it is a French slang term for breasts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Teton_National_Park
Probably meaning big teet.
I probably have about 30GB worth of Teton photos...They're in my back yard! (Well, the MOUNTAINS are in my back yard...the photos are on my hardrive...) I love those mountains...

Oh, and try typing all those key words into Google...I bet you get all kinds of interesting images...but none with my photo credit. ;)

noodle

13th October 2006, 11:51 PM

elder_nomo

14th October 2006, 08:50 AM

Peter_Mary, these are stunning!
I also very much appreciate how you explained the composition of the 3rd one:
...
Nice color contrast with the blue-gray sky and faded red rocks, as well as the tactile contrast of the warm dry desert stone with the cool wet rain in the distance. Nice contrast between the negative space of the sky and the complex structure of the bush and stones. Nice off balance feel with half the bush being green and the other half barren. And the purple of the canyon in the background is a very nice boundary region.
...

In another recent thread, Helemon mentioned how sometimes we [erroneously] assume that "the less we know about a topic the less artistic or poetic it becomes." I think this really proves the point.
I know nothing about photography and without that explanation, I wouldn't have known half of what to look for and I would have missed much of the beauty of that photo.

Thanks P_M, these are wonderful.
[edit to correct the quote]

peter_mary

14th October 2006, 10:30 AM

Shazam p_m! Those are absolutely incredible. We were down there last May. I love it down there. So...since you are selling books now, have you also considered selling photographs? ;) I'm serious.

mamajama
I'm moving in that direction, but to tell the truth, I don't even know how to begin. Nate and I have chatted a little about that (which was very helpful), I do show some pieces at a little coffee shop here in town, and I've sold a handful of framed images.

But if YOU'RE shopping, baby, just let me know!

peter_mary

14th October 2006, 10:36 AM

Peter_Mary, these are stunning!
I also very much appreciate how you explained the composition of the 3rd one:

In another recent thread, Helemon mentioned how sometimes we [erroneously] assume that "the less we know about a topic the less artistic or poetic it becomes." I think this really proves the point.
I know nothing about photography and without that explanation, I wouldn't have known half of what to look for and I would have missed much of the beauty of that photo.

Thanks P_M, these are wonderful.
I wish I could take credit for the description, but that was our man Helemon who gave that description (ironic that you would mention him...). I can only take credit for the image. And I wish I could say I was thinking about all that stuff when I framed the image, but really, here's how it works for me: "Oooh! Lookit that sky! Lookit that rock! Where's something for the foreground...this tree 'll do! Set up quick and shoot!!! I hope like hell I get something..." Okay, there's a little more to it than that, but when you are dependent on the dynamics of light in "iffy" weather like I had that day, you don't have time to think about all that important stuff. You have time to look for a place to set up your tripod, and depend on your instincts to frame the right image.

Sometimes I win, more often I lose!

But thank you all for your kind words...Mostly I just wanted to say that Utah, despite it's quirks, remains a gorgeous part of the universe, even if it has such a great concentration of temples...:)

elder_nomo

14th October 2006, 11:17 AM

I wish I could take credit for the description, but that was our man Helemon who gave that description (ironic that you would mention him...). I can only take credit for the image. And I wish I could say I was thinking about all that stuff when I framed the image, but really, here's how it works for me: "Oooh! Lookit that sky! Lookit that rock! Where's something for the foreground...this tree 'll do! Set up quick and shoot!!! I hope like hell I get something..." Okay, there's a little more to it than that, but when you are dependent on the dynamics of light in "iffy" weather like I had that day, you don't have time to think about all that important stuff. You have time to look for a place to set up your tripod, and depend on your instincts to frame the right image.

Sometimes I win, more often I lose!

But thank you all for your kind words...Mostly I just wanted to say that Utah, despite it's quirks, remains a gorgeous part of the universe, even if it has such a great concentration of temples...:)
Oops! That's what I get for cutting and pasting quotes. :duh
Well, then, thanks to BOTH of you!
I think these photos show the *real* temples of Utah.

helemon

14th October 2006, 12:55 PM

Sometimes I win, more often I lose!

That's why cameras have those rapid fire exposure settings and why photographers take so many pictures at photo shoots. The odds are higher that one will turn out fabulous! I am sure professional photographers have tossed way more pictures than they publish.

helemon

20th October 2006, 12:35 AM

peter_mary

20th October 2006, 08:39 AM

I have the dead horse point image as the background on my desktop and a coworker saw it and also commented on how much he liked the picture and the color contrasts. So there is another unbiased opinion. This one is definitely a keeper!
I'm printing an 8x10 today, and if I like how it prints up, then this image will be officially for sale! Unfortunately, I'm not as savvy as Nate, and don't have a clue how to set up a website yet, but someday, my friends...some day... :)

Jeff_Ricks

20th October 2006, 10:12 AM

I spent Columbus Day at Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands National Park in Southern Utah. If ever there was any doubt that Utah has any redeeming qualities, lay those to rest...and go see for yourself.

I took some pictures, most of which I won't bore you with, but here's a sample.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6ce32b3127cce8dfb9066edad00000027108AbuHDJs2at4

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6ce32b3127cce8dfb9f5a2c3e00000017108AbuHDJs2at4

What more can I say?I took another look at these two photos today and it occurred to me how hard it is to capture such high contrast scenes without the light areas looking washed out or the dark areas looking too black. Would you mind explaining how you do that? Every time I've tried to capture scenes where part of is bathed in light and part in shadow or overcast light, I've never been even close to happy with the results. I've even tried taking two photos at different exposures, one that's optimized for the light areas and one for the darker areas, then combine them in Photoshop. Yuck. Still didn't work. If how you do it is a trade secret no problem. I understand. :)

Jeff

helemon

20th October 2006, 10:41 AM

I'm printing an 8x10 today, and if I like how it prints up, then this image will be officially for sale! Unfortunately, I'm not as savvy as Nate, and don't have a clue how to set up a website yet, but someday, my friends...some day... :)
I think Corbis buys stock photos but I don't think you would get much for it. Another alternative if you had a few really spectacular images would be to contract with some of the tourist shops around Yellowstone and sell larger prints of the images. Maybe you could open up your own little gallery.

helemon

20th October 2006, 10:45 AM

I took another look at these two photos today and it occurred to me how hard it is to capture such high contrast scenes without the light areas looking washed out or the dark areas looking too black. Would you mind explaining how you do that? Every time I've tried to capture scenes where part of is bathed in light and part in shadow or overcast light, I've never been even close to happy with the results. I've even tried taking two photos at different exposures, one that's optimized for the light areas and one for the darker areas, then combine them in Photoshop. Yuck. Still didn't work. If how you do it is a trade secret no problem. I understand. :)

Jeff

I think you need to practice with Photoshop a bit more. They have built in filters and dodging tool that would let you lighten up and increase the contrast of certain areas of the image without needing to do a composite. I took a little Photoshop class where we started off with a very muddy dull image of the Golden Gate bridge but when we were through it was considerably brighter and much better color contrasts. But don't use their automatic tool for this. It is much better to use the histogram tool for adjusting those properties.

peter_mary

20th October 2006, 11:16 AM

I took another look at these two photos today and it occurred to me how hard it is to capture such high contrast scenes without the light areas looking washed out or the dark areas looking too black. Would you mind explaining how you do that? Every time I've tried to capture scenes where part of is bathed in light and part in shadow or overcast light, I've never been even close to happy with the results. I've even tried taking two photos at different exposures, one that's optimized for the light areas and one for the darker areas, then combine them in Photoshop. Yuck. Still didn't work. If how you do it is a trade secret no problem. I understand. :)

Jeff
The "secret" is a little tool called a "Graduated Neutral Density Filter". I just started using the Cokin Filter System, which gives me a lot more flexibility with the Graduated ND than my original, round glass filter. This particular filter is split, with a dark, Neutral Density gray on one half (that reduces the light by about 2 stops), with a transition in the middle of the filter to a clear other half. That way, I can adjust the dark filter such that the transition is roughly at the horizon of my shot, and I can bring the "stop gap" much closer together, helping me to keep from burning out the highlights, or darkening to black the shadows.

And then, I can USUALLY help it along in Photoshop, but I don't know about the "burning and dodging" tools that Helemon is talking about. I NEED to learn that!

Jeff_Ricks

20th October 2006, 11:34 AM

The "secret" is a little tool called a "Graduated Neutral Density Filter".Aha! I knew there must be a tricky inside secret to pulling it off! Did you have to learn any secret handshakes find that out? :D

peter_mary

20th October 2006, 01:44 PM

Aha! I knew there must be a tricky inside secret to pulling it off! Did you have to learn any secret handshakes find that out? :D
Nope, but my filter case looks suspiciously like a Masonic apron...:D

helemon

21st October 2006, 09:07 PM

I'm printing an 8x10 today, and if I like how it prints up, then this image will be officially for sale! Unfortunately, I'm not as savvy as Nate, and don't have a clue how to set up a website yet, but someday, my friends...some day... :)

I was at a little specialty food shop today and at the check out counter they had a display of nature pictures from around the state printed on nice cardstock. I think they were like greeting cards. The woman who took the pictures was charging something like $2.90 per card.

That could be one route you could go. Go through your large collection of Teton pics and pull out the best to make into greeting cards or small postcards that people could buy at the various tourist shops around Yellowstone. You might even have enough for a book.

noodle

22nd October 2006, 09:05 AM

I was at a little specialty food shop today and at the check out counter they had a display of nature pictures from around the state printed on nice cardstock. I think they were like greeting cards. The woman who took the pictures was charging something like $2.90 per card.

That could be one route you could go. Go through your large collection of Teton pics and pull out the best to make into greeting cards or small postcards that people could buy at the various tourist shops around Yellowstone. You might even have enough for a book.

P_M, if my memory serves me correctly, there was a nice little ranger station and gift shop in Canyonlands (first one we came to) that sold some pretty cool stuff - nice books, topo maps, etc. I like Helemon's suggestion of putting the images on cards. I'd buy them. You know, boxed sets of blank cards are nice for all occasions, right? :D Sometimes there are 3 each of 4 images, or something like that. I wonder if the National Park Service contracts with certain photographers or vendors...
There's also that big (and new) gift shop/ranger station right when you get into Arches that sells lots of this sort of thing.

mamajama

helemon

22nd October 2006, 09:34 AM

The "secret" is a little tool called a "Graduated Neutral Density Filter".

Aha! I wondered how you turned the red rock canyon into a violet canyon.
And then, I can USUALLY help it along in Photoshop, but I don't know about the "burning and dodging" tools that Helemon is talking about. I NEED to learn that!

The dodging tool is the one that looks like a lolipop. If you know anything about photography, and it sounds like you do, this is just like dodging when exposing a photograph. Set the dodge rate farely low to start until you get the hang of it. The areas you mouse the dodge tool over will become lighter or "less exposed." Just keep moving it over the area you want to lighten up until the desired effect is achieved. The histogram tool is fairly straightforward as well. If you look at the histogram of the image and see large flat areas to either side of the histogram plot you want to use the handles below the histogram to adjust the bounds so that those are removed and the histogram has bars from end to end. There is a feature that will automatically adjust the histogram but you will probably get better results futzing with it by hand. My explanaition is probably not that clear so do a search in help for histogram.

peter_mary

22nd October 2006, 11:56 AM

P_M, if my memory serves me correctly, there was a nice little ranger station and gift shop in Canyonlands (first one we came to) that sold some pretty cool stuff - nice books, topo maps, etc. I like Helemon's suggestion of putting the images on cards. I'd buy them. You know, boxed sets of blank cards are nice for all occasions, right? :D Sometimes there are 3 each of 4 images, or something like that. I wonder if the National Park Service contracts with certain photographers or vendors...
There's also that big (and new) gift shop/ranger station right when you get into Arches that sells lots of this sort of thing.

mamajama
(For the record, mamajama has, as of this morning, become the single most prolific collector of Peter_Mary photographs on the face of the earth. I LOVE her!)

Actually, the National Parks are a TOUGH sell. As you can imagine, they are exceedingly popular places for photographers (since we have THANKFULLY protected some of our most beautiful places), and subsequently, the market for good photos of those places is EXTREMELY competative. Frankly, I don't yet have the quality of equipment necessary to capture the clarity that other, real photographers have. I think in order to get selected to display books, posters, cards, that sort of thing, you have to have an agent working pretty hard for you to market your stuff to a very finicky set of buyers. They can afford to be finicky...there's SO much to choose from!!!

And regarding cards, I actually do have a cool way to make cards, and I have some for sale at the local coffee shop here in town that shows my stuff. They're cool because you use an actual 4x6 print, and then you fold it up into this cardstock frame thingy that seals the photo in nice and snug, and then you write on the back the name of the picture, and sign it. The result is a nice, original photo card signed by the photographer. Currently, I sell them for $4.50 appiece...

But I have to tell you all...I SO very much appreciate your enthusiasm and encouragement! That's exactly the kind of energy I need to really keep me moving forward! You all mean the world to me...I mean that.

:)

helemon

22nd October 2006, 04:40 PM

Currently, I sell them for $4.50 appiece...

How are sales at the coffee shop? Have you tried selling any of them on ebay? It wouldn't be too hard to make a basic website for your pictures. Just buy Dreamweaver. It comes preloaded with a lot of templates and tutorials. If you want to get really technical there are plenty of online courses. I think some of the domain name registery companies will even help you put together a website with shopping cart and secure purchase forms and scripts. But the easiest route would be to use ebay to market your stuff to a larger audience. You could offer a wider variety of prints as well. Large posters, cards, framed pictures etc.

peter_mary

23rd October 2006, 08:48 AM

How are sales at the coffee shop?
Pretty dismal, to date. But it's a new little place, and it's in a location that has the potential for explosive growth, but right now, they're kind of "the first ones in". We'll see what the holidays bring...
Have you tried selling any of them on ebay?
I've thought about that...and wondered about that. I actually looked last week to see what kind of photography people were selling on e-bay, and for the most part, it's collector stuff...you know, celebrity photos mostly, with signatures.
It wouldn't be too hard to make a basic website for your pictures.
Yeah, this is where I think I need to go. I doubt I would garner much traffic, but at least I'd have a place to send people who inquire. I just truly don't know the first thing about registering a domain name, setting up with an IP, that sort of thing. I'm sure I can figure it all out...but right now, all my spare time is going into figuring out how to be a PHOTOGRAPHER! Anyone want to practice making a website? ;)