Author Archives: Michael

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque

I returned from the Southwest on Tuesday after nearly two solid days of driving in the rain. Ever since, I’ve been trying to keep my head above water. Not from the rains, but from the mounds of work that accumulated while I was away. Some things I can keep up with while I’m on the road. Others have to pile up and wait for my return.

This is a shot from Sunday in Albuquerque. I had hoped to catch the last day of the balloon festival but high winds forced the cancellation of Sunday morning’s launch. You win some, you lose some. I’ll have to make a trip back some Fall when I can spend the whole week catching the night illuminations, etc. That’s the way to do it anyway.

Monday saw a brief tour of Santa Fe before the long drive back. That half-full CF card is still in the Nikon — I haven’t even had the time to download it yet. Very unlike me. Anyway, some fun stuff is on the way. Stay tuned…

Shiprock

shiprock

I’ll admit it. I shot this out of a moving car window. Sometimes you do what you gotta do.

High, high winds — supposedly a system pushed inland by hurricane Norbert — were blowing in the Four Corners area when my group of journalists were taken to Shiprock for a picnic lunch. Along the way, Shiprock would come and go through clouds of blowing dust and I decided to shoot a series of shots through the window just to see what I could get. I bumped up the ISO to 200 and shot at around 1/1500 of a second to eliminate the bouncing motion of the van. This is one of those shots. I crunched the contrast to make up for what was lost to the dust in the air. In other shots, I’m having trouble seeing the rock at all.

When we made our stop for lunch, I hopped out of the van and grabbed a few “real” shots. Gusts of wind around 65 mph made it difficult to stand, let alone keep a scene framed with a telephoto lens. I’m happy with several of those images but I think I prefer this shot with the rock in cloud shadow for its mood.

Train chasing

Durango Silverton train

Last year I rode the Durango & Silverton train with my Photodude’s buddies. It was a great trip and we got lots of shots from the open-air cars of the front of the train as it snaked around bends in the Animas River canyon. Yesterday, I got to shoot the train again but not as a rider.

I met the train at the station as the locomotive was being positioned. It was a cool morning and the steam was belching into the sky backlit by the early morning sun. I shot until the train pulled out and then hopped in the car to race ahead to a spot I had remembered from last year’s ride where the train would pass a lake surrounded by pastures of horses. Mapquest was a huge help in finding places where the roads and tracks would intersect. I don’t think I would have ever found the spot without it.

It was fun to get another chance to photograph this great train. I understand they have some special excursions for photographers where they will actually stop the train and allow you to photograph it as it steams past, then it comes back to pick you up again. Maybe I’ll get a chance to do that some day.

Headin’ west

Mesa Verde

I’ll be trekking through Colorado and New Mexico for the next few days. As usual, I’ll post photos when possible. It will be a driving trip this time which feels good. I’m ready for a break from airports, baggage weight restrictions, and cramped seating. Gas around here has even dropped below $3 so it’s all good. I love driving, too. Seeing the gradual changes in landscape and having a real feeling of distance is much preferable in my mind to being plopped down in a new place with no bearings or feeling of relationship between where you came from and where you find yourself. No, a long drive can be a very good thing.

Oh, and this shot is from a trip I made to the Four Corners area last year with my Photodudes buddies. Guys — we need to hit the road again together soon!

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Eureka Springs, AR

Since getting back from Texas earlier this week, I’ve been trying to get caught up from my backlog of post-processing. I usually try to be no more than one trip behind (finish processing one trip before leaving on another) but with the move this summer, I’ve fallen uncomfortably behind. Thus I have just finished going through my Arkansas shoot from May, including this shot from Eureka Springs. If you’ve never been, this is a crazy neat little town. I’ll be happily revisiting it in November so you can expect to see moreHopefully I’ll have that trip — and all my 2008 travels — processed before New Years. It’s good to have goals.

Architecture

sky

door

bottle tunnel

I spent yesterday morning exploring the Trois Estate near Fredericksburg, TX. I’m not even sure what to call the place. Part private home, part B&B, part restaurant, part museum — it’s truly amazing. The architecture utilizes everything from weathered doors salvaged from around the world to wine bottles to create a surreal Spanish-esque village. I hope to get a chance to see this place again when it’s completed. I can’t even imagine what surprises are still in store.

Texas

bottles

I’m back from Michigan and, after just over 24 hours at home, I’m now in Fredericksburg, Texas for the rest of the week.

The bottles above were set in mortar above the door to a log bed & breakfast guest cabin making an informal stained glass transom. These Texans are an inventive bunch. More to come…

Stremelling technique

birdbaths

Stremel (streh’ mull) – To “Stremel”, it’s been “Stremelled”, I’ve been “Stremelling”.

Definition – the act of making an image largely through the use of luck. Term coined in reference to one Doug Stremel – the luckiest shooter on earth (although one Bruce Snell has also been instrumental in the development of the technique).

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These blown-glass bird baths were on display outside of a garden shop. I went wide with my 17-35mm Nikkor and blindly held the camera underneath them pointing up to the overcast sky. It was all luck from there — no careful framing or focus point selection — just hoping for the best.

I’ve seen both my brother, Bruce, and Doug using this technique and I have to say that they look a little odd doing it. Or maybe they just look a little odd. I don’t know. Anyway, I’ve found myself following their lead on several occasions lately — recklessly abandoning the use of the viewfinder — and it’s almost always worked out well. Go figure.