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Posts posted by www.naturesfinestimages.co
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Just talked to a friend who hiked the Subway today. It's peak right now and won't last much longer up there. The main canyon is looking really good but not quite peak yet. Everything looks to be about a week earlier than a "normal" year. I'll be out there tomorrow night and will post an update if I have internet access.
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The only website you'll need for updates on Colorado fall colors:
http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/bbs.cgi?a=vf10
Good luck!
www.naturesfinestimages.com
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Srini,
You picked the best possible time to hit these parks - crowds are gone, cheap motels, best light for some iconic shots, and if you get snow - huge bonus. I have never known them to close any trails in these parks. Two iconic shots that I'd highly recommend since the sun will be at its southern-most angle which will produce the best light are Delicate Arch at sunset and Mesa Arch at sunrise. This is also the best time of year for the Dead Horse Point shot from the rim. I have some samples on my website of these areas in winter. If you get fresh snow on the red rocks, I hope you have lots of film or memory. Best of luck to you.
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You will easily make it in a 4-Runner. In fact, this past summer, I saw a Toyota Corolla at the outhouse at the top!! I've taken a Chevy S-10 2wd up there before. There is only one bad/rough spot near the top but it's only about 10-20 feet long.
www.naturesfinestimages.com
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Has anyone been to the Teton area recently, in particular, Antelope
Flats? Just curious as to how the wildflowers are coming along?
www.naturesfinestimages.com
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Here's my fine art photo prices. Yes, I do sell a considerable amount of these. I will also be raising my prices before my first art show this year in May.
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You might take a look at the Kelty Redwing. I've seen it on sale for roughly $70-75. It has a super hip belt, curved to fit your back, fully adjustable shoulder straps, and tons of room. I used my last one for almost 14 years before I gave it to a friend to use. I bought another one. It is also extremely durable. I abuse my equipment more than most and it never failed me. I've carried an 8x10, 35mm, lenses, film holders, extra clothes, food, rain gear, tripod, etc. in it on hikes of over 20 miles in one day and never had an ache from the pack. Good luck with your search
Tony
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Andrew, if you live near a Costco, you should check them out. They will have either a Fuji Frontier or Noritsu printer. You can get up to a 12x18 print done on Fuji Crystal Archive for $ 2.98. If done properly, you won't be able to tell the differnce between these and a lightjet. The profiles for the printers can be downloaded from Drycreekphoto.com.
Good luck.
Tony
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I have been doing art shows for years and will have my own gallery
open for the Christmas season at a major mall here in Colorado. I
literally have 1000's of photos, from loose to matted to framed. I
also have numerous other items that I will be selling such as
calendars, postcards, stationery, etc. Does anyone know of any good
inventory software that can keep track of each item? I do not have
time (nor the desire) to design my own tracking setup in something
like Microsoft Access. I need something I can buy off the shelf
with a very easy learning curve. Thanks.
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Bill,
The next time you're in the Denver area, give me a call and stop over. I can show you everything you'll ever need to know to get going with art shows and how to make $ doing it. It can be VERY profitable if you do it right. BUT, I would HIGHLY recommend that someone who's been successful doing shows take a look at your portfolio FIRST before spending the necessary money to get started.
Tony
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Gordon,
You might take a look at Costco if you're near one. They currently have the Noritsu and Fuji Frontier machines that print on Fuji Crystal Archive in two finishes. They constantly calibrate their machines. Profiles can be downloaded from Drycreekphoto.com. Price for an 11x14 is $2.99 and if you stack two 8x10's on a single sheet, the 8x10's come out to $1.50 each. If you have a rush order and are friendly with the manager, you can probably have your order done in an hour.
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Gary, here's a couple of tips from someone who's been there, done that.
1. Don't quit your day job - yet. I would HIGHLY recommend taking your portfolio to someone who is making a good living with nature photogrpahy and have them give you an honest evaluation of your work. I've seen too many people who have had friends/relatives tell them they have great work and should be selling it only to make the mistake and actually take the plunge without "testing" the waters. Yes, there is a ton of competition out there and unless you can offer something better or more unique than the competition, you'll simply become a statistic.
2. Start small to see if your work will actually sell. Try to get into some local galleries. I started with small local art fairs and have gradually worked my way up to some of the biggest shows in the country. Art shows are super to test the waters. There is simply no better venue out there to market your work. You can literally have 300,000 or more people walk by your booth in a weekend for a fee of $200-500. The key is to have a display that gets their attention and gets them in your booth. The downside is the cost of the booth setup plus the inventory required.
3. Don't underprice your work - I've seen too many people do this also. There is a thing called "perceived value". If someone sees a low price vs. the competitions high price for the same size image, in a majority of the cases, they will assume the higher priced images are better. I can prove this fact in that I've been doing shows for 8 years now. I generally raise my prices just about every year. I've found the higher I raise them, the more I'm selling - especially my pieces that are $1700 or more.
4. Get your cost per piece as low as possible without sacrificing quality. Shop around. Ask folks that are doing what you want to do where they get frames, mats, photos printed, etc. This results in more $ in your pocket.
Email me or call me directly if you want any more advice on how to get started or where to get supplies, framing, photos, etc. Good luck in your endeavors.
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Deniz:
I also have the Tachihara 8x10 but with a single extension. I use it solely for nature photography and have absolutely no complaints. Great camera, light-weight, and inexpensive. I've had the same camera for about 7 years now. It has all the movements you'll ever need if you're shooting nature scenes. I also agree that you should buy new since they are relatively inexpensive compared to the "name brand" models which IMO are way overpriced for a light-tight box. Check out my website and you'll see some images this camera has taken. Good luck.
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Hey Jonathan,
Do you remember who the two photographers were?
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Robert, Are you aware that they have 10 "walk in" permits each day in addition to the on-line reservation permits? Go to the Paria ranger station BEFORE they open the day before you want to hike in. They have a lottery drawing for anyone that shows up. If 10 or less people show up, you're in for the next day. If more than 10 show up, it's a luck of the draw.
Also, the back way in through Poverty Flats really isn't that bad if you know how to drive in deep sand. Just keep your momentum up and you'll have no trouble (bring a shovel though just in case). I've taken numerous different vehicles back there and have never got stuck. Even took a Subaru Outback in there once. BUT, be very carefull near the end of the road heading north as it was washed out just over a year ago. There is literally a 10 foot drop off which would be very easy to miss until it's too late.
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Richard, Thanks for the glowing review! If you read my artist statement and the "about 8x10 format", you'll get an idea of what it took to get some of those shots. My website doesn't do the photos justice. You should see them blown up to 40x50 from the 8x10 camera. If you're ever out this way, get in touch and if our schedules coordinate, we'll go out shooting.
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Gary, I used to have the same problem shooting large format even with a hard split ND filter. A fellow photographer showed me that if you look at the front of your lens, you can actually see the reflection of the scene your shooting. Adjust the filter from the front of the camera by looking at the reflection in the lens and sliding the ND filter down to where you need it - it has worked for me every time.
Also, IMO - I would recommend a hard split ND filter for landscape/nature photography. I've almost never had a need for the soft split filter.
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Thanks Gene, another friend of mine also confirmed what you posted - it's physically impossible for the moon to be in the shot Fatali has. I've also seen his final print in the gallery and the moon has absolutely no blur. Another impossibility considering the shutter speed that is required. I'm also fairly certain that he used some sort of warming filter or altered it in the lab. You'll notice how the sky and the rock are darker at the top and lighten as you go down. Another impossibility since the rock is evenly lit at sunset. And yet the final impossibility, to get a full frame image of this rock from where he stood, you would need a 400mm lens on a 4x5. The moon would be MUCH larger than what he had.
It really irks me that Fatali is selling his work claiming absolutely no alteration or filters were used and people are actually buying them. He also claims no digital. I've got the inside scoop on where and how he has done his printing in the past. I've actually argued this point with his wife until I mentioned two simple words - The name of the lab he used. You could have heard a pin drop. I also have proof in the form of a photo box that was addressed from the lab to Fatali and back a couple of times.
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Okay all of you moon experts, here's the scoop. This shot was taken looking N48E (this is without magnetic declination calculated in). It was taken at sunset in March or very early April. I'm no moon expert so please post if this moon is possible or not. Check out my website in the near future and I'll post some shots of what it really looks like at sunset. May even post a sunrise shot of it. Definetely not the red that Fatali has.
naturesfinestimages.com
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Christian, The shot you are looking for is at the very end of the road about 30-40 yards from the parking lot. Go to the very end of the road and do not take the left into the campground. You will come to a small circular parking lot. Walk about 30-40 yards to the edge of the cliff and the shot you are looking for is just to your left. If you walk to the right, this scene makes a decent sunset shot with the small tree in the foreground - you'll see which one I'm talking about. The best time of year for the shot you're mentioning is when the sun is at its southern-most angle - December. The shot on my site with the hiker was taken in March and was extremely difficult to eliminate lens flare if you want depth of field. If you go during the summer, you will be looking almost directly into the sun. For this shot you will need a 2-stop split ND filter for the rock because the canyon will be in the shade. Let me know if you need any other info and good luck.
Tony Litschewski - naturesfinestimages.com
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John,
In a normal year, the first to second week in June is when they usually peak. The shot with the pond and lupine that you'll see on postcards that I believe Quang-Tuan Luong is talking about is actually a sewage disposal pond with a pumping station. It may or may not be there. The flowers in the antelope flats area usually peak mid to late June. Good luck with your shooting.
Tony Litschewski -
Naturesfinestimages.com
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If you're going with a 4x5 and only picking two lenses, I would recommend a 75mm and a 150mm. I think you'll be very disappointed if you go with the 90mm for a wide angle for landscapes as you will need the extra coverage for more shots than you might think. You can always crop after you get the shot with the 75mm. If you go with the 90mm, you will not be able to get a lot of shots you may desire.
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Hello Ryan,
As for film, I would recommend slide film such as Velvia. Very fine grain with great color saturation for the fall colors. If you're looking for the typical sunrise shot of the Bells, you'll also need a 2 or 3 stop split neutral density filter.
As for print size, I'm afraid the biggest print you'll get, if you want it razor sharp, is 11x14 if your shooting 35mm. You might get a 16x20 but you will start to see the grain.
As for a lab in Denver, I've used almost all of them, and without a doubt, I would only recommend Reed Photography at 9th and Federal. They are not the cheapest but I can guarantee you that they are the best. They do a lot of work for some of the biggest names in the country.
You may be a week early for peak color at the Bells. I am tentatively planning on going up there the weekend of the 20th for a couple of mornings. I have an extra 4x5, lenses, split ND filters, and tripod that you could borrow if you would like to meet me up there. I will be teaching a very small class on how to get those "power" shots. There is no fee. I can also show you how to get the correct exposure so you don't have to "bracket like mad" and waste a lot of film. Email me directly from my website if you're interested and can make it. Thanks.
Sincerely,
Tony Litschewski
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Greg,
Here's something to try concerning your question #2. This has saved me dozens of trips and tons of film. If you're only bracketing 1/2 to 1/3 stop with 4x5 or 8x10, take two of the identical exposures. When you go to the lab, only develop one of them. After looking at your results from the first exposure, you can push or pull the second one in the lab to nail the exposure dead on. One thing I should mention from trial and error is to be absolutely sure to label your film holders immediately after you take the shot in the field! Good luck with your LF!
Zion canyon fall color this year?
in Nature
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