NEOWISE over North Georgia

NEOWISE over North Georgia.

 

I’m not positive when the conversation started with a friend yesterday, but we discussed going out at 5 this morning to photograph the Comet NEOWISE. Well as we talked it went from 5 this morning to 4 this morning to 9:30 last night. That decision was finalized around 7 last night. I grabbed the gear I thought I would need and did the roughly hour and a half drive to the parking area of Brasstown Bald. Then Mark and I hiked up, leisurely since I was babying the knees, to the observation area on top. You could feel the humidity still in the air and when we arrived we found 3 or 4 other photographers there. Apparently one of them is in the business claiming the title best boiled peanuts in Georgia. I’ll go back for the peanuts during daylight sometime. Using some basic guidance from a friend as to locating the Comet, and after the “Peanut guy” (sorry I didn’t get your name), we located it. You could see a low hanging line of haze from the humidity and it was about 20 minutes before the Comet dropped behind the haze. It was barely visible to the naked eye, but the camera brought it out nicely. Because of the haze we had to use a higher ISO and longer shutter speed than I had hoped for, but it worked none the less. Thank you Mark for making the journey up the mountain and some great conversation.

 

Tamron 100-400mm Di VC USD lens on a Nikon Z7 at 145mm, Manual Exposure mode, f5.6, ISO 3200, shutter speed of 10 seconds, Sirui AM 284 US tripod, Acratech GXP ballhead, processed in Lightroom Classic CC. #WithMyTamron, #Tamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronLensesUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #tamron100400, #neowise, #brasstownbald, #scenicgeorgia, #sirui, #Acratech, #BearWoodsPhotography

Ride with a view

Ride with a view.

 

This was one of the images that I did for the Triangle X Ranch a couple of weeks ago. If someone wanted to ride a horse with a view, I know the perfect place! These folks were great sports getting up super early for a couple of mornings to help achieve this image. I can’t wait to return to the Ranch! Thank you Matthew M. George for all of your help on the shoots.

 

Tamron 28-200mm f2.8-5.6 Di III RXD lens on a Sony a7Riii, Manual Exposure mode, f8, ISO 200, shutter speed of 1/125th of a second, handheld utilizing the in body stabilization, processed in Lightroom Classic CC. #WithMyTamron, #Tamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronLensesUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #tamron28200, #tamronnewfelens, #trianglex, #trianglexranch, #BearWoodsPhotography

Always searching

Always searching.

 

When I visit a location I will shoot that “iconic” view of a scene, but then I look for other compositions to capture. In this case I wanted to include one of the horses from Triangle X Ranch. I was there to record images that say “visit the Ranch”, and the classic view of the Tetons is from the Lodge or from the front porch of your cabin, but as I walked around the horses I decided to take a lower perspective. The horses were actually moving from left to right so I had to sort of set up a few feet ahead of the horse and simply wait until it moved to a point where it framed the mountains. There were 2 really hard parts to getting the shot, first not get stepped on, second don’t kneel down in a horse patty.

 

Tamron 28-200mm f2.8-5.6 Di III RXD lens on a Sony a7iii, Manual Exposure mode, f9, ISO 500, shutter speed of 1/60th of a second, handheld utilizing the in body stabilization, processed in Lightroom Classic CC. #WithMyTamron, #Tamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronLensesUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #tamron28200, #tamronnewfelens, #trianglex, #trianglexranch, #BearWoodsPhotography

Cinnamon and Black Bears

Cinnamon and Black Bears.

 

Last week I posted an image of the Cinnamon Black Bear and her one cub, but I mentioned that she also had a cub that was actually black in color as well, so I wanted to post an image of the whole family. Cinnamon Black Bears are simply a morph of the regular Black Bear and it is common they have cubs of different colors.

 

Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD G2 lens on a Nikon D-500, Manual Exposure mode, f8, ISO 1600, shutter speed of 1/500th of a second, handheld, processed in Lightroom Classic CC. #tamron, #withmytamron, #tamronlensesusa, #tamronimagemaster, #tamronusa, #bearwoodsphotography, #tamron150600g2, #cinnamonbear, #grandtetonnp

Inviting

Inviting.

 

My goal in Wyoming was to capture images that would “invite” people to want to stay at the Triangle X Ranch. When they asked me to come out there to do the work, I immediately started thinking of things that would make me want to plan a trip. The scenery is one of the biggest things that attract people to the ranch. The horseback riding, float trips and hiking in that scenery is the icing on the cake. I thought back on an image that a friend made while he worked there as a Wrangler which showed the Teton Range over the back of a horse. I wanted to do something similar but incorporate a saddle. One morning the lighting was perfect and a horse was lined up perfectly for the image, so I had to do it! I will say this, all the things that attract you to the Ranch are nothing compared to the reason you will return year after year…the people that are on the Ranch. More on that in another post on another day.

 

Tamron 28-200mm f2.8-5.6 Di III RXD lens on a Sony a7iii, Manual Exposure mode, f19, ISO 400, shutter speed of 1/125th of a second, handheld, processed in Lightroom Classic CC. #WithMyTamron, #Tamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronLensesUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #tamronnewfelens, #tamron28200, #trianglexranch, #BearWoodsPhotography

19 Years of sharing beauty

19 years of sharing beauty.

 

I know that has to confuse everyone, so let me explain. There is so much beauty around us, and last week our trip to the Tetons was no exception. I probably captured some of my favorite images of all time last week. One thing that made it even better was spending the week with Evelyn and her doing what she loves to do, ride horses. I find photography is not only my work, but my relaxation as well, for her riding and doing yoga on the front porch of the cabin was her relaxation. This day 19 years ago, we were preparing to go to the Courthouse in Apalachicola, FL sign some papers, then go to Lafayette Park to say “I do”. Then we spent the next few hours enjoying a great lunch with some family at the Owl Cafe. I’ve seen some beautiful things in my life, and everyone of the best were shared with Evelyn during these 19 years. We may enjoy things differently but we always enjoy them together. To the next 19 years and more of sharing beauty together…Happy Anniversary.

 

Tamron 28-200mm f2.8-5.6 Di III RXD lens on a Sony a7Riii, Manual Exposure mode, f11, ISO 200, shutter speed of 1/15th of a second, Sirui AM 284 US tripod, Acratech GXP ballhead, Shimoda Action X70 backpack, processed in Lightroom Classic CC. #WithMyTamron, #Tamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronLensesUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #tamronnewfelens, #tamron28200, #TriangleXRanch, #Wyoming, #BearWoodsPhotography

No trip to the Tetons could be complete without a trip to Schwabacher’s Landing

No trip to the Tetons could be complete without a visit to Schwabacher’s Landing.

 

I fell in love with the Tetons 44 years ago and honestly feel that the single greatest view in the World is from Schwabacher’s Landing. The problem has been that apparently a lot, and I mean a lot, of other people feel the same as I do. I remember hiking the 1/4 mile path, not even a trail at one point, out to the iconic viewpoint and being by myself so many times. I would find time during the solitude to reflect and rejuvenate myself. I remember coming face to face with a huge bison that made me retreat into the small wooded area until it passed by. I remember watching moose walk out into the beaver pond begging to be photographed. I do remember as the years passed having to arrive earlier and earlier to get “the spot” to photograph the mountains because of the crowds that were forming. I can remember being there at sunrise with 150 or so of my new closest friends. For just a brief moment though I returned to the Schwabacher’s of old on Sunday when we drove up around 10:30 a.m. to find a handful of cars in the parking lot. We hiked out thinking “the spot” would be crowded, but when I walked up, for just a few brief minutes, we were alone. My feelings of solitude and serenity returned and I sighed a great sigh of relief. Once again for just a few brief moments, I was in my happy place.

 

Tamron 28-200mm f2.8-5.6 Di III RXD lens on a Sony a7Riii, Manual Exposure mode, f11, ISO 50, shutter speed of 1/80th of a second, handheld, processed in Lightroom Classic CC. #WithMyTamron, #Tamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronLensesUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #tamronnewfelens, #tamron28200, #schwabacherslanding, #grandtetonnp, #BearWoodsPhotography

Color or Black and White?

Color or Black and White?

 

One major decision each and every photographer makes when they finish their image is how to complete their vision. When I release the shutter I am thinking ahead as to how I want the final image to appear. For landscape work I think about contrast and color saturation often, but with a portrait I think you also have to consider how to compliment the person in your image as well. The ladies that posed for us are some hard working folks, but watching them work with people, especially the kids they worked with, I felt it important to make sure that “softness” was present in the image. Choosing a more pastel color version I felt showed the strength but also showed the softer side of the person. Black and White did somewhat the same, but had a more classic feel. Which do you prefer? Thanks Shannon Burger for being such a great model and so kind during our visit. Its folks like you and all the staff that make Triangle X Ranch such an awesome place. Hopefully we will see you in the winter!

 

Tamron 28-200mm f2.8-5.6 Di III RXD lens on a Sony a7iii, Manual Exposure mode, f8, ISO 200, shutter speed of 1/8th of a second, handheld, processed in Lightroom Classic CC. #WithMyTamron, #Tamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronLensesUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #tamronnewfelens, #tamron28200, #TriangleXRanch, #BearWoodsPhotography

An incredible week

An incredible week.

 

I’m back in Bear Woods after an incredible week in Wyoming. I was hired to do promotional photography for the Triangle X Ranch in Moose. It is no secret the Ranch is Heaven on Earth for Evelyn and I, and the Turners feel like family to us. I was honored they would ask me to come out to do the work. We love the place so much we do an annual winter workshop there each January. I easily shot over 5,000 frames, although many of those were for time lapse videos.

 

This image may be one of favorites so far. We had an “incident” on Saturday morning as we were preparing for a sunrise shoot with some riders where a horse decided he wanted to go for a walkabout and removed the chain from the gate at the corral. He escaped along with three other horses, but were quickly retrieved without incident of course. I think I may have earned my honorary Junior Wrangler badge in the process, but as I was heading down to meet the riders I had a few minutes to spare. I stopped at the pasture where the large herd of horses spend the evening before being wrangled in for the day. The light was pure magic on the mountains and I was happy to record beautiful horses and incredible light. I made so many new friends this week and look forward to returning to the Ranch soon.

 

Tamron 28-200mm f2.8-5.6 Di III RXD lens on a Sony a7Riii, Manual Exposure mode, f11, ISO 100, shutter speed of 1/6th of a second, Sirui AM 284 US tripod, Acratech GXP ballhead, Shimoda Action X70 backpack, processed in Lightroom Classic CC. #WithMyTamron, #Tamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronLensesUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #tamronnewfelens, #TriangleXRanch, #Wyoming, #BearWoodsPhotography

Cinnamon Black Bears

Cinnamon Black Bears.

 

I had a few hours break from my work yesterday in Wyoming so I took a drive to see if I could find Bear #399. I didn’t but I found this Black Bear and her 2 cubs. The one cub is cinnamon colored as well, the other is normal black colored, I will post an image of the 3 of them together soon, but with questionable internet, just another short post today. I’m glad I threw the Tamron SP 150-600mm G2 into the bag and a D-500! #tamron, #withmytamron, #tamronlensesusa, #tamronimagemaster, #tamronusa, #bearwoodsphotography, #tamron150600g2