Category Archives: Commentary

Commentary, Technique

Some Thoughts on Black and White Conversion in Photoshop

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Every so often you run across an article that offers some unfortunate advice on an important subject – perhaps it offers outdated advice or suggests a less effective technique. I saw such an article today on methods for converting color digital images to black and white in Photoshop. Sometimes seeing such an article encourages me to write something about the same topic as a counterpoint – and that is what led to this post.

I cannot claim to be the master of this conversion process, and I recognize that there are several ways to do it that are both effective and different that what I’ll describe. In addition, this will be more or less an overview rather than a detailed tuturial. IN any case, I want to offer some ideas that might be a bit more contemporary, flexible, and powerful than those I read about in that article. Continue reading Some Thoughts on Black and White Conversion in Photoshop →

Commentary

Dust Storm Near Tucki Mountain

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Dust Storm, Death Valley

Dust Storm Near Tucki Mountain. Death Valley National Park, California. April 3, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A few people asked me if I got any photographs of the dust storm I experienced on the final day of my spring Death Valley trip. Yes, I did get a few – though photography in a raging dust storm is no easy thing. (I did not make any photographs once I was inside the actual storm – I just wanted to get the heck out of there!) Here the photograph shows the last bit of clear sky as I was about to enter the cloud across Death Valley from Tucki Mountain, which rises above Stovepipe Wells.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: photo, photography, dust, storm, tucki, mountain, death valley, national park, meteorological, landscape, weather, california, use, stovepipe wells, wind, ominous, dark, cloud, sky

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Dust Storm…

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I can report with some authority that doing photography in Death Valley in the middle of a dust storm (of the sort that almost turns day to night) is not easy. :-)

I’ve been in Death Valley since Tuesday, shooting a variety of subjects – some iconic and some not. I had contemplated staying through until Saturday morning, but I decided late Thursday that I’d go ahead and leave after shooting on Friday morning. My initial plan was to get up at my usual 5:00 a.m. time and head out somewhere to shoot a dawn subject, after which I would return to the Stovepipe Wells campground to break camp and head out. I got up quickly and decided I might have time to quickly break camp before doing photography, so I quickly knocked the tent down and loaded everything into my car.

After shooting at Zabriskie Point (can’t get much more “iconic” than that!) I started back toward the Towne Pass exit – and spotted a huge ugly dust cloud forming up near Tucki Mountain, which rises right above Stovepipe Wells near the Mesquite Dunes (a.k.a “Death Valley Dunes). As I got closer the already strong wind became even more violent and I soon entered the fringe of the dust storm. By the time I turned across the Valley toward the Dunes and Stovepipe the cloud had turned into a malevolent beast, with wind whippped sand streaming across the roadway and the sun completely blotted out.

The scene was very nasty as I drove past Stovepipe Wells… and I was extremely glad that I had made that early morning decision to pack up at 5:15!

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Trailside Ferns, Spring

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Trailside Ferns, Spring

Trailside Ferns, Spring. Quicksilver Hills, California. March 28, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

New spring ferns grow on an embankment along a trail in the Almaden Quicksilver Hills, California.

I photographed these ferns on the shortest hike I know, on the trail closest to my home. But this trail holds a small valley that contains an incredible number of wildflowers and lush growth every spring. Today the wildflowers seemed to just be getting started, but everything was in that brief California spring phase when the earth is still wet and plants are growing like crazy – it only lasts a short time, and a few weeks from now everything will be dry once again. I spotted these small ferns growing in a rocky embankment right next to the trail, and right at the spot where I had to stop and turn around. (The other thing that spring brings is yard work, and I had an afternoon date with the yard. ;-)

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: almaden, quicksilver, county, park, san jose, santa clara, california, usa, spring, hike, trail, bank, fern green, leaf, foliage, new, sun, light, embankment, hills, valley, shade, new, scenic, stock