A Puddle in the Right Light

It’s probably time to talk about the photography… When I took the photo above it was at the end of a ten mile hike and all we wanted to do was get back to the RV. It was just a dirty puddle, some dry leaves, and the wind distorted reflections of some aspens. I took a shot and kept hiking, forgetting all about it until I downloaded the images.  Imagine my surprise when that dirty puddle turned out to be the shot above, one of my favorites this year.

I was initially a rather reluctant participant in the blog. I am a bit of a Luddite and have long eschewed an online presence, but Lisa wanted a writing outlet and I figured it would probably be easier than emailing friends individually. Funny thing is, it’s actually made me a better photographer, so I’m glad we’ve done it. It made me aware of my ruts, like my fondness for funny shaped rocks and bright blue skies, and pushed me to try loads of new things. Many of those new things turned out to be some of my best shots.

I’ve loved taking pictures since I was a kid, and it was even a big part of my job in the various laboratories I worked in back in my science days, albeit on a microscopic scale. The challenge for me is that I have terrible vision and can’t manually focus a camera. However, I adore colour and see the world in pictures, so I am drawn to capture what I see. 

Disclosure 1: I don’t have a fancy camera. Several years back we got ourselves a good quality point and shoot Canon G16. It was supposed to be our camera, but it actually rarely leaves my hands. It has a decent amount of manual control, excellent auto focus and shoots fabulous colour (a must in my world). There have definitely been occasions and places where my 5x lens isn’t quite enough, but I persist and can usually get at least a few interesting shots. Plus, it’s pretty funny to stand with other photographers whose lenses are the size of my arm—they don’t always take me seriously, but that doesn’t stop me. 

Disclosure 2: Editing software is fine, I just don’t use it. Occasionally I’ll need to crop an image, but I try to make all my exposure adjustments in the field with my camera. For me, it’s important to capture what I see in a place in the moment rather than an idealized ‘perfect’ image. 

Disclosure 3: I probably take about ten shots for every one I keep. It’s worth it, though, when I find that one shot that is just magic. 

Disclosure 4: Lisa is the most patient wife EVER. Whenever I ask, she willingly gets up before dawn and drives me to locations and stands in the freezing cold while I take pictures of the sunrise. When she gets too chilly she heads to the Minnie and makes me a cup of coffee. Plus she is always more than happy to stop and wait on a trail when I get distracted by the light on the rocks or an interesting insect.

Suggestions from eleven months of daily photography:

1. Know where your light is—blue skies turn out best with the sun at your back; rocks can look as if they are glowing when you are shooting into the sun. 
2. Think outside the so-called ‘golden hours’ of sunset and sunrise. Most of my shots are actually taken midday (usually mid-hike). I like sunrise and sunset but often dinner or our desire to get a few extra winks gets in the way!
3. Light always changes so even though it is tempting to write off a cloudy day or flat hazy light (I used to do it all the time) you just never know what will happen. In fact, most of the time when I am patient, I’ll get at least a few interesting pics.
4. Take the time to read your camera manual and learn how to use all of the settings; even the ones you hate initially may be of use someday. 
5. Take your camera for walks. It’s fun, a good way to try out new techniques, and get a bit of exercise! Even if you know the area well, it will help you notice different things.
6. Have fun and shoot what you love. If you don’t love what you are shooting it will show. For instance, I don’t love trees, so it’s very rare I get a good picture of a tree. 

It’s been a wonderful year of growth for me as a photographer. The gift of this time has allowed me to spend more time playing with my camera than I could have ever imagined. Studying the shots I have taken, paring down to the handful I like, and talking over my ideas with Lisa has allowed me to push myself in new and unexpected ways. I appreciate the thoughtful and kind feedback I have received from so many of our readers—your joy and amazement is inspirational! 

Two part blog—now it is my turn to talk about the photos and the photographer! Lisa chiming in here to share my thoughts on Alanna’s work. Yes, we bought the camera together at Sammy’s Camera in San Francisco. We recommend this shop as they were incredibly helpful and patient with Alanna’s questions. She’s been documenting our trips for a couple of years and with ease and grace, I relinquished my rights to the camera a few years ago. I just can’t take anything that compares and while Alanna is a patient teacher, I actually get a ton of joy watching her do her thing. I appreciate the shout out above in disclosure #4. I agree! 

It has been wonderful to watch her grow as a photographer this year—to question herself, to puzzle through a challenge, to wonder why something did not turn out, to humbly take in the praise. I love when she surprises herself with a picture that she falls in love with even though she had no idea it would turn out that way when she hit the proverbial trigger. 

Our time away has given Alanna time to reflect on what’s next for her and her art, and given us time to discuss from both the theoretical and practical side of life, what makes the most sense. In addition to photography, Alanna is also a modern quilter. Long hikes and drives and time have led her, and us, to the conclusion that it is time to follow her art, which also means following her heart. So, she’s going to make a go of sharing (and selling) her photos and her quilts with a much wider audience. 

As you may have already realized, many of Alanna’s photos are already available for sale via Fine Art America. Yes, this is where I am going to proudly support and promote Alanna’s business! She spent a good deal of time researching various outlets and liked FAA the best. A number of folks have ordered prints as well as notecards and given us excellent feedback on the quality. I actually ordered some notecards and love them! 

Note that Alanna is not putting every pic published on the blog on the FAA site—we don’t have the data for that, and she’s trying to be selective. If you an image from the blog that you want her to put up on FAA, just send us an email and Alanna will take care of it as soon as we have internet service. By the way, Alanna is somewhat mortified that I am writing all of this, plugging her business, but I told her that if we don’t share the information, how will they know? Thanks for supporting her throughout this trip and as she transitions into her next career!

P.S. Always take pictures from the car, while someone else is driving of course. Both of the shots above are from the window of the Minnie. Sure it's nearly impossible to hold the camera still and you'll delete more than you keep, but sometimes you get something amazing!