Image Stories

Every image has a story.  It is my hope that an image will tell its own story to each viewer.  There is also the the story of around the making of the image, and those I shall recount here.  Sometimes they involves an adventure and others may reflect on the people or living things that define a place.  All the stories are mine and are true to the best of my recollection.

 

"It’s a semi-true story, Believe it or not I made up a few things and there’s some I forgot. But the life and the tellin’ are both real to me and they all run together and turn out to be A semi-true story." 

- Jimmy Buffett, Troubadour and Prophet

“Soaring”

Those who follow my work have seen my artistic voice and style come into focus over the past few years. I feel my best work thus far can be described as minimalist, using a limited color pallet approaching monochromal, and centered on the natural world.

This does not mean that is all I create with my camera. I also have a love of aviation and I shoot aircraft and air shows for my own enjoyment. So, on a weekend in May 2023, I headed to Seymour Johnson AFB for one of my annual aviation highlights, “Wings Over Wayne Air Show”. If you live in east-central North Carolina and like planes, you need to check out this FREE air show.

My photographic goals for the day were focused on WWII era warbirds and of course the adrenaline pumping after-burner powered jet fighters. In fact, the Blue Angels were scheduled to appear. As we rolled up to the flight line, weather conditions were not great for photographing aircraft, 100% cloud cover and a ceiling around 2,000 ft, with rain in the forecast.

My years as a landscape photographer continue to teach me that being out there and enjoying the moment is what is truly important. Capturing a stunning image is a bonus. With this philosophy in mind, I tried to focus on enjoying the aircraft and atmosphere. I figured I would rattle off dozens of frames of the F-22 and the Blue Angels with hopes that I could pull something out in post processing. So, we set off down the flight line to find our spot to take in all of the action. During what I thought was a pause in the show I turned around to see a sailplane turning slow graceful loops. This could be a portfolio image! Simple clean composition, B&W (mostly white). I quickly swung my camera with the 70-210mm zoom up and began to frame and shoot Manfred Radius and his H 101 Salto glider against the overcast sky. The smoke generators on the wing tips created lovely arcs where Radius carved his way through the sky. The design of the Salto with its “V” tail makes one pause on first glance, trying to figure just what you are looking at.

I processed the image in Adobe Lightroom, converting the image to B&W and adjusting brightness and contrast as to washout any detail on the clouds in the background, while retaining definition in the smoke trails to convey a sense of motion.

Another example of you never knows when an opportunity to make an exceptional image will presents itself.

"i" is for information

This image is straight out of camera. No funny editing in Photoshop. At first glance it is a striking image of a beautiful sunset. But once presented with information, you can drawer your own conclusions as to how beautiful it really is. The red sky and crisp edges to the sunbeam were caused by smoke from the burning of a sugar cane field in central Florida. Burning the field prior to harvesting makes the harvest easier by removing all of the leaves so all that remains is the sugar packed stalks. As we drove up US-27 back in January we saw great clouds of smoke rising in the distance. When we got up to Lake Okeechobee and watched the sun set through the smoke, I found this scene both beautiful and sad. This land was once wet, the northern reaches of the Everglades. It was drained and turned in agricultural land to grow sugar cane to feed our insatiable sweet tooth. What are your thoughts on the practice of burning the chaff in a sugar cane field?

Ayram Alusìng

Do you speak Na'vi? James Cameron's movie Avatar introduced us to the planet Pandora and it's inhabitants, the Na'vi. One of the many unique features on Pandora are the Ayram Alusìng, or "Floating Mountains". Fog shrouded sea stacks may have provided Cameron the inspiration for these other worldly landscapes.

 
 

Lake Mattamuskeet Trees

Do a Google search for “Mattamuskeet trees” and your screen will fill with images of this line of cypress trees in the middle of the lake. From the moment I first saw them in person, I knew how I wanted to create an image of them. I needed a foggy day and a cooperative fog bank. Too much fog between me and the trees and I would lose detail in the trees. Too little fog and the far shoreline would clutter the image. So, while heading home from the Outer Banks one January day, I found myself driving in and out of fog. I began to think, this could be the day. This could be my moment to make the image I had visualized. I had to stop at the lake and see if the conditions would cooperate.

Well, the conditions and my timing were perfect! By slightly over-exposing the image I was able to create a minimalist, almost etching-like appearance of the trees. By the time I had packed up my gear and returned to the car and patiently waiting wife, the fog was nearly gone and that magical moment was over. As soon as I got home, I uploaded the images from my camera to see them on the large computer monitor. I was pretty sure I had captured what I needed. Given the long narrow nature of the planned image, I chose to shoot it as a panorama, taking a series of eight frame shot vertically and then stitched together on the computer. I shot a couple of sets of images at different exposures to be able to select the best one once I got them up on the computer screen. The final composite image is large enough to produce a print over five feet wide. I hope to be able to produce a large canvas print of it at some point in the future.

Techniques & Settings:

Nikon D750 w/ Tamron 70-210mm f4 lens (210mm)
ISO 100  1/50 sec @ f8 – no filters
This image is a composite panorama composed of 8 separate images stitched together using Adobe Lightroom Classic.  By creating a composite panorama, I was able to capture a great deal of detail in the trees that would not have been possible with a single image cropped to a panorama. 

Jennette's Pier After the Storm

Jennette’s Pier is one of the best-known landmarks of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  As I drove out to the Banks from Raleigh one fall day, I was chasing a storm front that was moving to the north east. As I drove, I envisioned what the pier might look like just after the storm.  I made a beeline for the pier and was able to capture this image of dark clouds behind the pier as the sun began to break through.   This black and white panorama captures the mood and energy surrounding the pier following the storm.  Dark clouds loom to the north as the wind-whipped sea lashes at the pier.

Techniques & Settings:

Nikon D750 w/ Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 lens (30mm)
ISO 100  1/200 sec @ f8 – no filters
Black & white conversion and processing in Adobe Lightroom Classic

 
 

Derelict in Reflection

I discovered this derelict boat while driving the back roads of Hyde County on my way home from Lake Mattamuskeet. This once proud sailboat now lies on its side in Scranton Creek, Hyde County, NC. This high-key image captures the half-sunken boat and a near perfect reflection, giving the illusion of seeing the full deck with a large pine rising above taking the place of its mast. I chose to capture and process this image as a high-key and selectively colored image because the overcast sky offered a very flat light and the green of the trees and other bright colors distracted from the subject of the image.  By desaturating all colors save the orange rust marks and dried reeds, the image takes on a somewhat ethereal quality that clearly focuses the viewer’s attention on the boat and its reflection.

Techniques & Settings:

Nikon D750 w/ Tamron 70-210mm f4 lens (95mm)
ISO 800  1/80 sec @ f8 – no filters
Image processed with Adobe Lightroom Classic

Sunset Over Roanoke Sound

Most visitors to the Outer Banks have seen the dunes of Jockey’s Ridge State Park as they drive along US 158 at mile post 12.5.  But few venture to the west side of the park where the dunes roll down to Roanoke Sound.  Follow W. Soundside Rd at the south end of the park west until the road begins to curve and you find the JRSP sound side access parking.  There, you will find nature trails that lead back into the dunes and a lovely beach, ideal for taking in a wonderful OBX sunset.  This is the setting for this image of a dead tree that has been uprooted and now lies on its side, framing the sun setting over the sound.

 

Settings:

Nikon D750 w/ Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 lens (24mm)
ISO 100  1/60 sec @ f8 – no filters

Dawn on Rocky River

Although I started shooting as a hobby as far back as junior high (many decades ago), it was the project that led to creation of this image that marked my transition from someone who took some nice pictures from time to time to a landscape photographer able to conceive, plan, capture and process an image into a finished work.  It was 2012 and the  Chatham Conservation Partnership (CCP) ran a series of photography workshops led by David Blevins with the finished prints of all participants forming a traveling exhibit called, "Through Their Lens: Chatham County".  The goal of the exhibit was to draw attention to the natural beauty of Chatham County, North Carolina and the threatened habitats, resources, and species in the county.  At the conclusion of the exhibit tour, the prints were given to Triangle Land Conservancy where they were auctioned off to raise funds for land conservation efforts.  This image was taken at TLC's White Pines Nature Preserve.

Settings
Nikon D40 w/ Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 DX (17mm)
0.4 sec @ f22 with polarizer filter

Tybee Island Pier

Tybee Island, GA has become a favorite shooting location for me over the past few years.  It is located just off the coast near Savannah and offers a variety of coastal habitats and wonderful water views.  The Tybee Island Pier is landmark known locals and tourists alike. This image was captured early New Years morning 2017.  The sun was struggling to poke thorough low thick layer of clouds.  I used a neutral density filter to reduce the light entering the camera to allow for a long shutter speed, which softened and smoothed the water.

Settings
Nikon D7100 w/ AF-S Nikkor 18-140mm (18mm)
10 sec @ f22 with 3-stop ND filter

Lake Wenatchee, the Fallen

A business trip unrelated to photography took me to Washington State, first to Seattle and then to a small town in central Washington.  Well since I was going to be driving up and over the Cascades, I figured I drag my photography kit along and take the scenic route (US Rt 2), rather than I-90, up to Wenatchee National Forest and Lake Wenatchee.

I didn't have much time as the light was fading fast and I had an evening appointment to keep.  After trying several different compositions, I felt this was the best.  The fallen tree leads the eye from left to right and then the rocky shore, island, and distant mountains bring the eye back to the left as you go into the frame.  The root ball of this tree is the subject of "Roots".  The drive from the Seattle waterfront to central Washington takes you through a series of very different ecosystems shaped and defined by the ocean and mountains.  Beginning at a coastal shoreline and quickly moving into foothills and temperate rain-forest, and as you head down the east side of the Cascade Mountains the habitat and landscape change very quickly again to that of high dessert and then into wide open plains.  I will have to make another trip to the area just to photograph.  The subjects and compositions seemed endless as I drove.

Settings
Nikon D7100 w/ AF-S Nikkor 18-140mm (18mm)
1/125 sec @ f8 - converted to b&w in Adobe Lightroom

“Into the Mist”

“Into the Mist”

Settings
Nikon D7100 w/ AF-S Nikkor 18-140mm (18mm)
1/125 sec @ f8 - converted to b&w in Adobe Lightroom

“Mirror in the Mist”

“Mirror in the Mist”

Settings
Nikon D7100 w/ AF-S Nikkor 18-140mm (26mm)
1/13 sec @ f8 - converted to b&w in Adobe Lightroom

Be Ready to Go Shoot:
You Never Know When Opportunity Will Arise

It started like any other Tuesday morning.  Up at 6:00am, a shower followed by a quick breakfast. The goal was to roll out the door between 6:30am and 6:45am to take my son to school. As I walked into the kitchen to start coffee and make breakfast, I looked out the window to discover the woods behind the house had disappeared in dense fog.

I had to act quickly. With the coffee brewing, I dashed up to my office to grab my camera bag. Thankfully, I had recently charged my batteries and had empty SD cards loaded in the camera.  In short, my camera was ready to go.  I hurried downstairs and informed my son we would be leaving as soon as possible because I wanted to stop at Lake Johnson Park near his school after dropping him to take some pictures.

We were in the car and on the road before 6:30am.  Driving was a little nerve racking, given the dense fog, but I knew what lay ahead, if I could drop my son at school, loop around to the park, and find a suitable subject before the fog cleared. My luck held! I made it to the park and was on the trail before sunrise (just barely).

One of the unique features of this park is a boardwalk that crosses the lake connecting the main parking lot and office with a smaller remote parking lot.  The boardwalk also links the lake loop trail on either side, thereby enabling you a choice of trail length. The addition of the boardwalk provides three distance options: 1.5-mile loop of the west end of the lake, 2.8-mile loop of the east end, or circumnavigate the whole lake at just over 4 miles.  I have been wanting to shoot the boardwalk for some time because I love the leading lines it provides.  Unfortunately, on a typical day there is just some much around the lake that there simply isn’t an uncluttered composition to be had.  Today would be different.  The thick fog and dawn light meant you could not see the far side of the lake.  The boardwalk simply disappeared into the fog. I situated myself at the edge of the lake near the beginning of the boardwalk.  I framed up the shot so to capture the walkway and its mirror reflection in the still lake.  You could just make out a faint outline of the far shore. It was still pretty dark which meant a slow shutter speed, making a tripod a must.  As I often do, I bracketed my exposures to assure that I have a well-exposed image once I get back to my computer. The final image I selected was shot at 1/6 of a second at  f8. Given the scene had very little color I chose to convert to it B&W.

With one successful image in the camera, I was free to explore and seek out additional subjects. I chose the short loop trail around the west end of the lake.  It was eerily quiet as I walked alone through the fog in the pre-dawn light. Evidently, the fog had dissuaded many of the morning walkers and runners that favor this trail.  Initially I thought I would look for a lone beech tree within the pine forest, using the fog to help isolate it and remove the clutter of a busy woodland.  No suitable beeches presented themselves. On to plan B. I worked my way down to the edge of the lake in hopes of finding a subject there.  It wasn’t long before I came across a small fallen branch lying in the water just a few feet from shore.  The still morning air meant the lake was a glass smooth mirror and the dense fog obscured anything more than a dozen yards away.  I had my subject.  A simple minimalist image of a stick reflected in the water.

The fog was showing no signs of lifting any time soon, so I took my time.  I setup my tripod only about three feet above the water and began to work the composition.  I only wanted to the stick in frame, so I tried several different positions, moving left and right, and then moving back from the edge and using a longer focal length, but I just couldn’t get a small sapling growing on the marge of the lake out of the frame.

As a member photographer of Nature First, I will not remove or harm any living thing in the pursuit of an image.  As such, I needed to find a way to gently pull the sapling out of frame or attempt to clone it out in Photoshop back at my computer.  Without getting too wet, I found a position where I could stand out of frame and gently lift the sapling out of the way.  So I set a 10 second timer, pressed the shutter button, stepped to side and lifted the young tree to provide my camera an unobstructed view of the reflected stick. I repeated this process several times to capture my usual three different exposures.  After the first couple shots I noticed it was getting brighter as the sun rose above the fog, causing me to readjust my exposure settings.  The image I selected was shot at  f8 and 1/13 of a second. I knew I had a solid exposure by checking the histogram.  I made sure that I had not blown any of the highlights. 

I had now been out shooting for well over an hour and the fog was still quite thick. I knew I had two solid images and possibly more.  It had been a successful outing.  By the time I got home I had just enough time to grab another cup of coffee and head up to my office for my first conference call of the day.  It wasn’t until that evening that I was able to upload the images to my computer and begin processing them.  I quickly realized that the reflected stick image, “Mirror in the Mist” was something special.  The smooth color gradient from the blue of the water to the white of the fog provided the perfect backdrop to the simple form of the stick and its reflection.