Category Archives: Commentary

Commentary, Ideas, Technique

Good advice for shooting ‘sunsets’

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In a post at Focus on Singh-Ray Filters, Steve Kossack writes:

“I have learned not to walk away from a Sierra sunset until well after the light has faded to almost complete darkness.”

I strongly share this point of view. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been surprised by the most compelling evening light long after many other photographers have packed up their gear and left. While the warm “golden hour” light is indeed wonderful, all kinds of astonishing stuff can happen after the sun drops below the horizon. Sometimes the light shines upwards and suddenly illuminates high clouds; sometimes it takes on color casts are almost beyond belief; the colors often intensify and deepen; clouds and mist change form as the temperature drops; and on certain lucky occasions you may even begin to see some stars or planets in the sky.

Commentary, Ideas

A ‘revealing’ thought about photographic goals

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While reading this morning I came across a bit of writing by a photographer who prefers not to engage in any post-shutter-click “manipulation” of the photograph because his goal is to “record” what is there.

Thinking about this a bit I realize that “recording” is not very interesting to me. Instead I prefer to try to reveal what is there.

Commentary, Locations

Best time to visit Death Valley AND Yosemite?

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I just saw and replied to a forum post asking about the best time to try to visit Death Valley, the eastern Sierra, Tioga Pass/Tuolumne Meadows and Yosemite Valley in one trip that starts in Las Vegas and ends in Sacramento. I’m reposting my reply here since I’ve heard others ask similar questions elsewhere. Note that despite the lengthy post, this doesn’t by any means completely answer this question. So, with minor edits, here is what I posted:

When to do a trip that includes Death Valley and Yosemite Valley and everything in between? This is a very tough question.

The “best” time to visit Death Valley is generally thought to be in the November to early April time frame – but that coincides with closure of the Tioga Pass entrance into  Yosemite National Park, typically lasting from possibly (but not always) late October or mid-November until (usually) sometime in May.

So, I think it becomes a question of which end of the trip you want to compromise. Do you want to deal with Death Valley during the very hottest time or do you want to deal with the potential for a very long drive around the southern part of the Sierra (and missing the “east side”) in order to get to The Valley after the pass closes?

I travel and photograph throughout this area a lot, so let me offer some ideas. Continue reading Best time to visit Death Valley AND Yosemite? →

Commentary, Technique

How to photograph… baseball?

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OK, I know that seems like a very odd post title for this blog! (Though I do photograph certain sports from time to time and I always carry my camera when I go to Giants games – come to think of it, sometimes the photography is more interesting than the game. But I digress…)

I mention all of this because I just read through a very informative post at the Digital Photography School blog. The post (“How to Photography Baseball”) by Darren Rouse contains almost more information than I can absorb – well worth bookmarking if you think you’ll be doing this sort of thing.