McClusky Nature Photography Blogs
Runner Up: Foggy Images
I find it challenging to photograph in the fog. Fog can be great for hiding the "messiness" of some nature scenes ... when it cooperates. And perhaps that is some of the problem: the fog seems to have a mind of its own and usually isn't the right thickness, or the whisps are in the wrong place and never seem to move where I need them. I like the image below: the reflection of the trees and peninsula in the lake, with the hint of distant trees on the left. There is good symmetry here, and I like the color contrast between the pale blue fog and the orange grasses, as well as the negative space (empty parts that draw the eye) in the sky and its reflection. I took this image in the deep stillness and peace about 20 minutes before dawn and worked to edit those feelings into the final image. The next image is a definite runner up. There wasn't enough fog close up to hide the messy foreground, and while there is a hint of the trees behind on the left, they don't do as good a job balancing the granite outcrop. Also, the granite outcrop just isn't as interesting as a focal point to me. Nice try, John, but .... I confess that I'm of mixed mind on this final image. Certainly the fog hides a lot of potential messiness, and I love the way the dead trees peer through the mist like ghosts of forests pasts, telling their story. On the other hand ... it seems to me that something is missing. What do you think? Of course this is fine art photography, so like all art there are no right and wrong answers. What is your favorite?
Runner Up: Foggy Images
I find it challenging to photograph in the fog. Fog can be great for hiding the "messiness" of some nature scenes ... when it cooperates. And perhaps that is some...
Images of the Week: the Different Moods of Royal Gorge
The Royal Gorge in Colorado is a wonderful place; it's here that the Arkansas River fought it's way out of its birthplace in the Rocky Mountains. It is a rocky mixture of desert scrub, yucca, and cactus, mixed with a few pine and juniper trees. It's a fun place to photograph, especially as different weather changes the mood of the images. It can also be challenging to find a good composition: blending the foreground with the canyon to keep a sense of depth in the image - a difficult thing during clear weather with limited visual clues from haze. In this first image above I used the various patches of sunlight and shadow to differentiate between cliffs and the mountain behind, while in the second image below I used the approaching rain. Which image do you prefer?
Images of the Week: the Different Moods of Royal Gorge
The Royal Gorge in Colorado is a wonderful place; it's here that the Arkansas River fought it's way out of its birthplace in the Rocky Mountains. It is a rocky...
Runner Up: Sunset at Capitol Reef National Park
I discuss the problem with a precursor image to my shot Sunset at Capitol Reef National Park where I was too focused on the pretty clouds and missed that I was cutting off a lot of an important tree. I show a greatly improved fine art landscape print produced by adding parts of an image with the whole tree from a few minutes earlier.
Runner Up: Sunset at Capitol Reef National Park
I discuss the problem with a precursor image to my shot Sunset at Capitol Reef National Park where I was too focused on the pretty clouds and missed that I was...
Image of the Week: Cranes' Morning Flight
The story behind my fine art landscape photography print "Cranes' Morning Flight".
Image of the Week: Cranes' Morning Flight
The story behind my fine art landscape photography print "Cranes' Morning Flight".
Storm Clouds at Great Sand Dunes: Snapshot to Fine Art Landscape Print
In this blog I show starting, intermediate, and final images in developing my fine art landscape photography print Storm Clouds at Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Storm Clouds at Great Sand Dunes: Snapshot to Fine Art Landscape Print
In this blog I show starting, intermediate, and final images in developing my fine art landscape photography print Storm Clouds at Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Why I Edit my Photos: Golden Sunset at Garden of the Gods, Illinois
Did you ever notice that camera photos don’t always look like the scene you photographed? Cameras 'see' differently than our eyes, and even the fancy JPEG software can't always compensate. I use my photo from Garden of the Gods to demonstrate.
Why I Edit my Photos: Golden Sunset at Garden of the Gods, Illinois
Did you ever notice that camera photos don’t always look like the scene you photographed? Cameras 'see' differently than our eyes, and even the fancy JPEG software can't always compensate. ...