Our adventure seemed liked it only started yesterday. However, tonight is the end of an trip that spanned thousands of miles over 12 days. The adventure began in Alaska with a visit to Denali National park and ended with a relaxing weekend in my new favorite city, Vancouver. In the middle was a cruise to celebrate my folks’ 40th wedding anniversary (Congrats team!). There are gigs worth of images and several great stories to tell over the coming months. Look for a week’s worth of posts that will tell the story of our flight to Denali and the landing on a glacier at its base. Personally, I am having a hard time waiting on that one. I can’t wait to share it with you! For now, I wanted to share an image from the beginning of the adventure, our trip into Denali National park by bus. If you ever have the chance to visit this park, take it. It is an incredible place. If you do visit, I have two tips for you. 1) Expect bad weather. That way you aren’t too bummed out when the clouds shroud Denali. Only 30 percent of the folks that visit actually see the mountain. Don’t worry, there is still an incredible amount of wildlife to experience. We saw 6 grizzlies over the course of our trip. This leads me to my second tip. 2) Bring long fast glass!

Capture Notes:

Nikon D700
Nikkor 80-200 AFD
Lexar UDMA

Processing Notes:

Capture – 1 image
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

I hadn’t been down to Denver lately so I decided to glance at the weather and schedule a solo photo-walk up. It turned out to a nice evening and quite an adventure. Right before I made this image, I grabbed a quick photo of a newly engaged couple out taking some engagement photos. I passed the photo of their photo shoot along to them, and I think they were quite happy. Remember a previous tip (rule) of mine? If you promise someone a photo, make sure you get it to them. Don’t give us photographers a bad rap!

Tip: It is subtle, but I wanted to keep the focus on the structure and blur the right side of the image. I did so by using a Nikkor 45mm PC-E lens and adjusting it so that the tilt was left to right, then I tilted the lens slightly away from the subject.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D700
Nikkor 45mm PC-E
Gitzo Traveler
Lexar UDMA

Processing Notes:

Capture – 9 images @ 1ev
Photomatix – HDR/ToneMapping
Photoshop – Global curves adjustment
Nik Color Efex Pro – Glamour Glow (25% mix)
Nik Sharpener 2.0 – Selective to structures
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

I’m pretty sure I committed an international crime by not sampling any wine while driving through the vineyards of France on our way to Bordeaux. I guess I am more of a Leffe Brune type of guy. Boy, that is a good Belgium beer!

Google suggest that our drive from La Mongie to Bordeaux was around 3hours. We decided to stay off the interstate and take the back roads, which added about 4 hours and an untold number of stories to the drive. Well worth the extra time. One of the the vineyards we passed had an old monastery on its property. As you drive through the French countryside, you get used to seeing quaint villages surrounding a cathedral rich in character. If you stopped at everyone one, it would would take you a week to drive 300km. But this one, I couldn’t pass up. I will post the abandoned monastery sometime in the future. For now, I really liked the gate that led me to it.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D700
Nikkor 45mm PC-E
Gitzo Traveler
Lexar UDMA film

Aperture f/4.2
Focal Length 45 mm
ISO Speed 200

Processing Notes:

Capture – 7 images @ 1EV
Photomatix – HDR Tonemapping
Photoshop – Global Curves Adjustment
Nik Color Efex Pro – Glamour Glow (2x)
Nik Color Efext Pro – Tonal Contrast (selective)
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

Tip: If you schedule a day to explore the countryside into your trip, use it. Don’t rush to your destination. You will get there, but take time to fill your life with what is uniquely everyday.

When I installed my sprinkler system, I wish I knew about this…it would have saved me a ton of time and a very sore back.

I approached this image from several different angles, but once I raised my tripod up, and pointed my lens down on the top of the claw, I knew that is what I wanted. However, because I was shooting a very wide lens, the legs of my tripod were in the frame. It required some finagling and patience, but I was finally able to achieve the result I wanted.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D300
Tokina ATX Pro 11-16
Gitzo Traveler

Processing Notes:

Capture – 7 Images @ 1ev
Photomatix – HDR/Tonemapping
Photoshop – Curves (set grey point)
Photoshop – Basic midtones luminosity mask curves adjustment (luminosity blending)
Photoshop – Vibrancy boost
Sized for wed
Nik Sharpener – Display 35% selective to claw

Tip: A wide really wide angle (16ish mm on FX, 10ish mm on DX) lens isa great tool to achieve images like this, where you can get very close to a compositional element, and still have the rest of the subject in the frame. It also a fun tool to add an interesting perspective to portraits. For this image I used the very nice Tokina ATX Pro 11-16

If this isn’t the definition of living strong, I’m not sure what is. Another image from the New York City Criterium in 2002. It was rare site to see a Tour de France champion racing what was essentially a domestic industrial park crit, but Lance was there, mixing it up with the best of them. I wouldn’t say he was out of his element either. His element is aerobic competition in whatever form he can find it. I’m looking forward to a possible run at an Ironman from him. 2 days left until the tour!

Tip: Before you attempt a high speed panning shot of one of your heros, get to the race early and practice your rhythm and technique before it is game time.

Following Lance Armstrong’s tweet today, announcing that this will be his final Tour de France, I decided to pay tribute to him by dedicating the entire week leading up to the tour to the man, the myth, the legend. This image is from the New York Criterium in 2002. The race itself took place on Wall Street. I will never forget seeing the streets of NY shut down, only to see a cycling legend take the stage. It was a spectacle that those who were in attendance will never forget. Our country was still recovering, and Lance did what he could to answer the call. Over the next week I will share more stories, images, and Tour predictions. Until then, Lance, good luck in the Tour. We are all pulling for you!

Capture Notes:

Nikon D1X
Nikkor 80-200 AFD
Nikon SB-80 DX

Processing Notes:

Capture – 1 Image
Adobe Camera Raw
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

Tip: A technique I commonly used to isolate my subject when shooting sports events was to set my flash to +1EV, and my camera to -1EV. That way your background would be a bit darker than the subject in the foreground. It worked to give your image a little extra pop.

After a day of wrestling with a tool that a blacksmith might use to forge a Terminator, I’d be dammed if I wasn’t going to make some images when I returned it. If you ever need to remove tree stakes from your yard, rent the tool, it will save you 2 months of failed re-enactments of ’sword in the stone’. Leave that up to King Arthur.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D300
Tokina 11-16 ATX Pro
Gitzo Traveler

Processing Notes:

Capture – 7 images @ 1ev
Photomatix 3.2 – HDR/Tonemapping
Nik Define 2.0- Noise reduction
Nik Color Efex Pro – ProContrast
Nik Color Efex Pro – Glamour glow (slight desat)
Nik Color Efex Pro – Tonal Contrast (re-gain some contrast and definition)
Sized for web
Nik Sharpener – Display 40%
LightAsMagic.com

Here is a quick behind the scenes look at the kit in action.

Another addition to my on going Spaceship Suburbia project. I thought I would try and capture a “Cloud City Scape” by shooting a busy scene full of the non-traditional. This was a sunrise shoot on the outskirts of Denver. When I pulled the camera to my eye, I was sucked into the depth and variety of the shapes and shadows. I thought it would make a good addition to the project.

Answering The Call! A big Thank You is in order to all those that took the time to help me with my dilemma. I am truly thankful for the amount of time those that answered my Canon/Nikon SOS put into their responses. I am also humbled by the quality of photographers that visit LightAsMagic.com. I made my way to all your websites and photostreams, and I am inspired by your work. It is obvious by your responses that Canon is indeed a great company. But there is also something said about familiarity. There is a lot to digest, and I will take some time tomorrow to revisit all the comments and post a reply to everyone. Thanks again! Heck, even my wife and mother-in-law chimed in. If you go back and read the comments I am sure you will find the wonderful humorous perspective my wife added to the discussion. Let it be know my mother-in-law voted in favor of Nikon. Her vote counts double. I will keep you posted on my final decision and the reasoning behind it.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D300
Nikkor 80-200 AFD
Gitzo Traveler

Processing Notes:

Capture 1 Image
Adobe camera raw
Photoshop Contrast/Sat boost
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

Tip: When I am trying to create a silhouette in an image, I will switch my camera’s meter to spot meter mode and meter an area that is pretty bright, but not the source of the light. In this scene this happened to be the area of the sky close to the horizon. After I have meter that area I will the lock the exposure, or make a note of it and reset it when I recompose. At that point, I will be shoot a couple of frames and review the images. You can rides you exposure compensation to quickly choke or expand the shadow areas.

To recognize Bike to Work Day, here is a story unrelated to the image.

I was hammering home today on my bike. I mean I was really suffering coming up a local hill here in town. I felt lean, my legs felt great, and I was chasing a Tour title in my head. Suddenly, my dream was interrupted by the sound of a bicycle behind me. I thought to myself, ‘no way…no one could catch me at this speed’. Sure enough, this guy was gaining. To quote the Princess Bride, “Inconceivable”. I began to make excuses. He probably isn’t carrying a pack home from work, or maybe it is a local pro? Just as he catches me, I look over my shoulder, positive I was going to see George Hincapie, decked out in a National Champion jersey. Nope, no Hincapie! I see a guy in jeans and flip-flops. He even has enough breath to tell me I am riding really fast. What the heck was this? I know I’m no pro, but common, I can’t be that slow. Thankfully, upon closer inspection, he was riding an electric bike. My tour dreams are still intact! Anyways, I hope everyone here has the opportunity to participate in their local bike to work days. Once you do it, you will be hooked.

Craft & Vision: If you have ever wanted to start experimenting with the video capabilities of your DSLR (I know I have!) Trevor Meier just published a great new eBook titled Vision in Motion about the issues of motion storytelling. It is full of useful tips regarding composition, capture, and gear.

Craft & Vision Coupon Codes (expire June 27th):

• MOTION4 to receive the eBook for a mere $4.00.
• MOTION20 to receive 20(percent) off of the purchase of 5 or more eBooks.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D300
Nikkor 17-35 AFS
Gitzo Traveler

Exposure:0.001 sec (1/1000)
Aperture:f/4.0
Focal Length:17 mm
ISO Speed:200

Processing Notes:

Capture – 1 image
Photomatix – HDR/Tonemapping
NIK Silver Efex Pro – BnW conversion (Red filter for day to night trick)
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

Tip: What my man Rick calls the ‘Ole day to night trick’ is applying a red filter (either in post, or at the time of capture) to your image which will basically render a blue sky black. I use this technique when I have a big, uninteresting, blue sky. If you have a white or lightish foreground element, it seems to work pretty well.

p.s. This image of a booming metropolis was from the little town of Cisco, UT.

Lance Armstrong showed some impressive form this weekend by placing 2nd in the Tour of Switzerland. Because the Tour is less than a month away, and I have thousands of bike racing photos in my archive, I decided I would start posting them to celebrate the world’s greatest bike race.

This image is from the 2003 US Pro Championships in Philadelphia, PA. I wanted to get a large group shot. As a bike racer, I knew the peloton would break up in just a few laps, so I identified a location that would work early in the race. I set up on a median in the middle of the course, and shot with a long lens to exaggerate the close proximity of the riders. I got lucky when Victor Rapinski decided to stand up to stretch his legs.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D1x
Nikkor 300 AFS F4
Bogen Monopod

Exposure:0.001 sec (1/1000)
Aperture:f/4.0
Focal Length:300 mm
Exposure Bias:0 EV

Processing Notes:

Photoshop – Curves adjustment
Photoshop – Slight vibrancy boost
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

Tip: Cycling photography is a very unique and demanding enterprise. Ensure that you are familiar with the course. If you can, make sure to drive or walk it and plan your shot locations. The race will be fast and furious and you won’t have time to improvise.