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Fuji Sunirse
Stories & Articles
Please pardon the mess!
I'm importing all posts from another server, a long and tedious process. All posts are imported: however, many don't yet have photos.
Completed blogs will have a photo by their link. I'm figuring out format as I go along.
Photography Articles
Introduction to Photography • "Photography according to me" I boiled down what I believe is the essence of basic photography into a 25-minute presentation
The Nature Of Light • “Amateurs worry about equipment, professionals worry about money, masters worry about light” - Vernon Trent
Post Processing Hell • Yep, we’ve all been there “Post Processing Hell”. We get home from a great day of photography, never has trip into the field ever been so good. A banner day, a week, or fortnight, a shooting spree is good for the soul, the fresh air, the nature, the camaraderie of like minded souls traipsing across the landscape, and then it’s over. You have filled every card in your bag and the excess onto your laptop, and then you realize,
Living a Richer life without any money• The purchase of my first camera was the beginning of an inadvertent money abatement program, but I believe that I am ahead of the game in the tradeoff.
Quick Start Guide for Manual Photography • Shooting on the manual mode setting isn’t as hard as most people think because they haven’t given it any thought. Today’s DSLRs have opened the door to shortcuts, I love shortcuts!
Photographic Composition• One of the things that differentiate a great photograph from an ordinary one is composition. You don't take a great photograph you make it.
Eighteen Below Zero, a photographers delight • Ahh, finally eighteen below zero and beautiful. I have been waiting for a day like this for months. Sadly, too often winter temperatures hover between 20 and 35 degrees, much to warm for the magic of the arctic cold.
The Vagaries of Seeing ~ Photographically • It is amazing to me how even now I ignore what is right out my window in my beautiful Idaho mountain valley because something better is 100 miles down the road where the grass is always greener. The beautiful ubiquity around me shamefully I rarely see as a potential photograph.
• Rationalization vs. Justification, an artist's argument for making purchases beyond the budget
A dozen favorites of 2019 • I didn’t post my dozen favorites in 2018 because of my cancer fight; it is good to be back and photographing my ass off and making up for lost time. Nothing like getting a little sand kicked in your face for perspective. We have a largely beautiful world and I’m fortunate to still be out there capturing it’s glory.
To many, “walking in beauty” is a metaphorical journey creating an intimate relationship with the goodness of all creation. To walk in harmony with all living things,.........
Yellowstone Wildlife • Yellowstone's abundant and diverse wildlife are as famous as its geysers. After the reintroduction of the wolf all of the wildlife species that inhabited the park when it was first explored over 100 years ago survive today qualifying Yellowstone as the only intact eco-system in the lower 48 states.
Africa Photo Safari • I have always wanted to go to Africa, but it is a long way away, and it is expensive to get there, I had to figure out a way.
A Protective Firewall for Yellowstone Grizzlies • The delisting of the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear is imminent and this we should celebrate (‘’’’dancing’’’’). Now that our happy dance is complete, we must insure the grizzlies’recovery is permanent. To insure “continuity of achievement,” the grizzlies need a firewall to protect the success of this achievement from human foible.
Bear Spray Really Works • .....Unfortunately, they were about two hundred yards away, too far for good grizzly pictures so I decided to close the gap a bit. I carefully approached to about one hundred yards,
Wolf Chase • About three quarters around my loop I stopped to photograph a six point bull looking for the ladies and while photographing him a black wolf walked into the frame, stopped, posed then moved out of the frame. How fortuitous,
A trophy buck - through the years • In October and November, it isn’t difficult to find nice bucks to photograph and even a big four point makes a nice photograph and now and then I find a big one. In 2010 I had the opportunity to photograph an impressive buck and was quite happy with myself upon making his acquaintance.
Locking Horns - Bison Demonstrating Metaphors • "Locking Horns - Bison Demonstrating Metaphors" I look at this picture and I see a metaphor, a metaphor that is emblematic of my life. I have been locking horns with people ever since my age of reason. Not to say my reasoning is any good but it’s mine.
Hungry Wolves• I headed up the dirt road where I had been hoping to find the grizzly sow and cubs, but I now was more interested in finding wolves. I poked along in first gear so I could scrutinize the surroundings closely because often all you see is the movement of some bushes or hint of movement in the shadows that may give away the location of wildlife in the woods.
Autumn in Glacier National Park • Glacier were a perfect golden yellow and it made some beautiful juxtapositions with the wintery landscape. Many stunning landscapes met my eye;
The Grand Tetons • It is inarguable that the first sight of the Grand Tetons from any of its approaches it truly breathe taking. Entering Jackson Hole from Yellowstone you are treated to the northern Tetons where they tower above beautiful Jackson Lake. Coming from the west you are treated to the Idaho view of Grand Tetons that tower above Teton Valley Idaho. From Togwotee Pass you are treat to the full length of the Teton Range as soon as they come into view.
Photographing Yellowstone • Yellowstone National Park has been a photography destination ever since Henry Jackson took the first photos of Yellowstone in 1871, Yellowstone's plethora of nature demands documentation from all who visit this world treasure.
Italy in a round about way #1 in series • Roundabouts have come to the USA and they confuse us, it hasn’t been our way. A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic flows almost continuously in one direction around a central island. The modern form was standardized in the United Kingdom. Well me, I’m accustomed to running around in circles. I also got to Italy in a roundabout way.
A roundabout in Corina Italy
Amalfi Harbor Sunrise
The Amalfi Coast ~ Italy in a round about way #2 Awesome looking buildings into the cliffs and Michelangelo or some other renaissance genius suggested to everyone to paint them pink, red, and powder blue, creating a photographer’s dreamscape, part landscape, part cityscape.
Naples & Capri ~ italy in a round about way #3 • A new plan quickly came together; I would leave the base at 5AM for Naples harbor 45 minutes away to catch the first possible ferry for Capri. The guy at the hotel desk hearing my plans offered to rent me a GPS since Naples has 3.5 million people. Considering some of my previous challenges, I said yes. All coffeed up courtesy of an American style hotel with a coffee maker in the room I was out the door,
Olde Range, Val di Funne
Olde Range, Val di Funne
The Dolomites - Italy in a round about way #4 • The Dolomites Mountains or Dolomiti as they are known locally is one of Europe's top destinations in both the summer and winter! They rise up like a cathedral of rock, full of rugged crags and breathtaking pinnacles. My jaunt though this amazing place.
Cinque Terre - Italy in a round about way #5 • Another leisurely German style breakfast was spoiling me while I enjoyed the view of the Bozen Valley below from high above on a Dolomite peak. I felt as though I were slipping into the leisurely European traveling style, it was time for a double espresso with a café Americano chaser and get back in the groove of my hyperactive American angst. Hmmm, first though, another freshly baked Bavarian roll smothered with locally made jam.
Photographing Japan's Izu Peninsula • Japan hadn’t been on my bucket list ever since I became too old to cross country ski. When younger I wanted to ski inn to inn through the Japanese Alps as they have connecting trails where you can ski from one village to another. I wish I hadn’t wasted so much of my youth on frivolity, and so little on substantive travel.
Driving in Japan • My speaking contractor urged me not to drive in Japan; I guess he was worried whether I’d live to make it to my speaking engagement. As a matter of fact “everyone” urged me not to drive
The Bidit Explained • In Europe and Japan, many hotels have bidets (fancy toilets), pronounced bih-DAY. Those I saw in Italy were porcelain and usually had a regular western toilet right next to them. In Europe, given the choice, I opted with familiarity, and left the bidet unexplored. The ones I found in Japan looked as though they had a bit more engineering in them, and there wasn’t a western toilet option.
Colorful Procida • Procida a heavenly little piece of rock in the Tyrrhenian Sea
A Skeptic's Venice * Everything there is to say about Venice has already been said; well maybe I can dig deep for something to contribute, as all that has been said, hasn’t been said by me.
Cortina d'Ampezzo - shootinng the dolomites, take two • Life is good; I again had the opportunity to return the Dolomite Alps, a mountain landscape that blew me away on my first visit. My first trip to the Dolomite Mountains in 2014 I had a marvelous time exploring the mountains of South Tyrol and Trento, not time for the Cortina region
Age and pursuit • I am at that awkward stage of aging where I sometimes forget about it, usually while in pursuit of an elusive photo with a rapid expiration date.
Catch and Release - Food for the Soul • First a dimple like a tiny drop fell from a leaf onto the almost still but moving water. The gurgle below reminds me I am in the water. Just above my knees..........
Snow Birds • As winter settles in on the Greater Yellowstone Region, the snowbirds fly south either by wing or by motor coach. Those of us that are more grounded either by work, finances, perverse adrenalin addictions, or a slavish dedication to the four seasons.........
Greater Yellowstone's Western Heritage • We drove the herd from Texas to the section where Butte Montana is now located. We started with 1,200 head and had the usual sore foot trouble with critters that had to be dropped, had occasional stampedes that caused more or less loss, but with the usual percentage of losses deducted, we still arrived with a herd of 2,400 critters.
Welfare Anecdotally • My mom told us not to tell anyone we were on welfare. I didn’t see any reason to be embarrassed because she had a good reason to be on it.
Teeland's General Store • Old general stores had things like lamp chimneys; plumbing parts for those who had plumbing with such an array of stuff you would wonder where they kept it all. Of course the buyer couldn't find it, the proprietor would usually say: “I think I have one of those, let me see if I can find it.
My Free Horse • One day my neighbor Cheryl asked whether I’d like a free horse a friend of hers was trying to unload. I asked the appropriate questions of why the horse was free.
An Indian Buffalo Hunt for Yellowstone • Eagerly anticipating a great day of wildlife photography, upon cresting the hill at Golden Gate just past Rustic Falls, to my surprise I saw three tepees pitched east of the road along Glen Creek.
Racist Really? • As a boy of five years old, for a time, my family lived with my grandfather. An often-heard refrain from my Grandfather was; “All African-Americans should be sent back to Africa with a Mexican under each arm”. (Not his wording). I have always been inquisitive soul, and at five years old I met an African-American boy my age at the Independence Day celebration at
Christmas
Present• Growing up as a child in America, as all children, I loved the Christmas season,
the Christmas tree, lights, lawn decorations, candy, mistletoe, cookies,
Santa Claus, elves, reindeer and most of all presents, it was a magical time
of year. Then later ............ rest of the story
More than a generation has elapsed since our country has experienced any “real” hard times. I believe this disassociation with adversity is allowing the priorities of, some of us, and our progeny to get out of whack. Adversity provides a variety of lessons as it facilitates perspective that culminates in............
A Cheechako's Alaska • Wanderlust has always been an integral part of my soul. So during the course of my sojourn following my lust 1975 found me in Alaska chasing my fortune hoping to find a job on the Alaska pipeline. A day late and a dollar short, as usual, I found myself washing dishes in at a truck stop in Glenn Allen Alaska.
