The journey to this photo started at Isolation Lake in the Upper Enchantments Core. We decided to take a jaunt up to the summit of Little Annapurna, break down camp and head down to the Perfection Lake area to set up camp. The weather had been really nice all morning through the early afternoon but as we entered the Enchantments Core the clouds started to roll in and the weather was starting to turn. Believe it or not I actually pretty stoked about it as the sun had been out in full force without a cloud in sight for two days; not the best photographic conditions for sunrise and sunset photos. After navigating some pretty ridiculous terrain we set up camp just above Perfection Lake. Our campsite was set up on a series of flat granite slabs, very exposed to the elements and to the massive amount of goats in the area.

I scouted out this prime location for what I had hoped to be an awesome sunset. I ended up waiting for a long time, a very long time for the conditions to break up enough for some nice light. I was camped out on a pretty small rock, surrounded by angry goats in the middle of this waterfall that dumps into the lake below. Okay so maybe they weren’t exactly angry but there were a couple big guys that frankly freaked me out a bit. Lucky enough for us they pretty much did their own thing. Toward the end of the sunset we finally got some really nice light which made all of the standing around, freezing our butts off well worth the wait. That night I was in my bivvy camped out on the exposed slabs when one of the most intense thunderstorms I’ve ever experienced rolled through.

Let me preface this by saying I’ve been through some pretty damn intense storms but this one genuinely freaked me out a bit. The thunder and lightning were pretty much right on top of each other and our awesome choice to set up camp was right in the middle of it. Awesome. I seriously contemplated getting out to snag some shots, but quickly realized what a horrible idea that was being that we were so exposed so I decided to hunker down. My next fear was that the stream I was next to was going to overflow and wipe me out; thankfully that didn’t happen but the amount of rain that was coming down sure as hell made me think otherwise. It was pretty epic to say the least and to this day I still don’t know how we managed to get out of it unscathed. Never a dull moment in the Enchantments.

Perfection Lake, Enchantments Core, WA

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Can you believe that 2016 has already come and gone? As the New Year approaches I decided to take some time to reflect on what 2016 has meant to me and just where I see myself heading in 2017. To say that 2016 was a big year for me would be an understatement. I got married, photographed a fairly large chunk of southern Utah, experienced shooting lava on the Big Island, spent a fair amount of time shooting locations around my home in Washington state and started working full-time for DPReview. I definitely have a lot to be grateful for this year and it’s going to be hard to top 2016, although I’m definitely going to give it a run for its money!

Photographically speaking this year was full of ups and downs. Between my career change and the wedding, I had a lot on my plate, which meant that I definitely had to make the most out of every photographic opportunity that presented itself this past year. This meant that I had to buckle down, focus and get creative. Additionally, if that wasn’t enough, I decided to try to reshape my personal image of what ‘popular’ photography is and what it means to me. 

I spent a lot of time this year reflecting on just why we create photos, why we go through the hours of driving, shooting and processing the images that we share. This year, more than ever, I realized just how important it is to shoot for yourself and to really create images that offer not only personal satisfaction, but also a sense of place, a sense of being and a story. Photography shouldn’t be about epic light and who got the best conditions in any given year, it should be about personal progression and overcoming adversity.

As photographers, we often dwell so much on what’s popular on social media or if a photo will sell that we often lose track of why we got started in the first place. I spent a lot of time soul searching this year and really asking myself why I create the images that I do and just what I hope to accomplish with them. My images may not always be ‘what’s popular’ or ‘what’s main stream’, but that’s not my end goal; my goal is to create work that inspires myself and others to try something new and to look beyond the lens.

Looking Beyond the Lens

Looking beyond the lens is something that I think that we all need to do from time to time. Put down the camera and just take it all in. This became even more apparent when I was out on the lava field shooting the ocean entry where new land was being created right before my eyes. My family has a long history in Hawai’i; we immigrated to the islands in mid to late 1800’s. To say that seeing the lava entering the sea was a spiritual experience would be an understatement. My connection with Aina, the land, my ohana and the culture made me realize just how small we are in this world and to really respect the time that we have to take it all in. Photography has opened my eyes to a lot of things this year, but that was one particular thing that has persisted and will for the remainder of my life.  

In order to develop my photographic vision this year and to look beyond the lens, I spent a lot of time behind my Canon 70-3oomm F4-5.6L IS telephoto lens. Minimizing scenes with long focal lengths really forces you to think outside of the box and to look beyond the lens in order to really break a grand scene down into its parts. Many of the grand scenes that we take in are only so because of the sum of their parts. Each portion of the scene can tell a story; it’s up to the photographer to decide how to decipher the story and how to present a portion of the scene that can stand on its own.

This can be extremely challenging and it definitely takes some time and a great deal of trial and error to come up with a methodology that works. This is something that I’m planning to do a lot more in 2017 as I’m looking to expand my reach to around 600mm to really capture some unique compositions.

Setting Goals

As this year comes to a close I find that it’s a great time to not only reflect personally, but to also take in all of the work that your favorite photographers have published as well. Education in photography is a never-ending process. I find myself constantly yearning to learn new things all of the time. In the end your personal progress is only hindered by the creative walls that you put up. You have the ability to do whatever you set your mind to and in 2017 I plan to to push myself even harder in that respect. Have a very happy New Year, everyone! Best of luck to you in 2017!

The post 2016: A photographic year in review appeared first on Chris Williams Exploration Photography.

I’ve been reflecting a lot lately about how much personal style and taste has changed over the years.  I’ve found myself really refining and in some cases dialing back the way I process images.  When I first entered the field in 2012 I was absolutely blown away by the stuff I would see on 500px, Flickr and Facebook.  So much so that I would often try to imitate not only the types of shots but the editing style as well.  The problem is no one can REALLY shoot that type of scene like the person who innovated the process or refined their own personal style.

You can nearly always tell when someone has taken a skype lesson or a tutorial from an artist with their own personal flare; as it resonates with the image.  The problem is what people fail to realize is that these lessons and learned skills are just tools to your own creative process.  Too often I see folks limiting themselves to what they see on 500px or what they’ve been taught.

Something that I wish someone would have told me when I first got my start is to be inspired by others but to also develop your own unique style. Learn from the images you see, but don’t limit yourself to their constraints.  Find your own voice and let your photos speak for you.  It really comes down to is a simple question; who are you shooting for?  Are you shooting for yourself or are you shooting for likes and publicity?  What motivates you?  To find your own voice through your images you have to dig deep into your creative process.

Don’t strive to be different, but strive to be you.  I think too often we push ourselves so hard to nail the shot or to think outside the box that we miss the mark all together.  I’ve said it before, but I think it bears repeating; imitation is a form of flattery, but at what cost to your own creative process?

Personal growth is something that I think never really stops in photography.  I look back at my images from even two years ago and cringe.  I think we’ve all been there.  As much as it hurts my eyes to look back through my work it is rewarding in a lot of ways.  It’s fun to see how far you’ve come not only compositionally but also in processing as well.  We are constantly learning.  As the tools improve our skill sets will shift in an inevitable ebb and flow, but your creativity and innovation will always be your foundation.

The creative process is how we all grow individually as photographers. It’s how we develop the style that sets us apart from the masses and it’s how we breathe life into our images.  Know your shortcomings and work to improve in those areas.  Is there a particular type of scene in landscape photography that poses a weakness to you?  Shoot the hell out of it.  Learn the ins and outs of it and improve where improvement is needed, refine where refinement is needed and don’t give in to your self doubts.  No one can dictate your success.

Egos

One of the things that perplexes me the most about landscape photographers is the sheer volume of arrogance and ego that seemingly go hand in hand with success.  Folks seem to forget that at one point in time no one knew their name, their post processing probably needed work and their images lacked interest, yet those same folks stand a top their soap boxes and intimidate the hell out of anyone whom they feel is wrong or may have crossed the line.  Let’s face it.  In the digital age the lines that define fine art and true photography are blurred.  It’s a very, very messy subject and one that I don’t want to get involved with quite frankly.  Everyone has an opinion on the matter and every social media thread seems to end up in the exact same place; you do you and I’ll do me.  In some cases, yes, things need to be addressed; like when Marc drops a sky and the internet loses their collective minds for instance.

Overall though, I think we owe it to ourselves as photographers to support one another, drop the cliques and help the field progress in a positive manner.  So much of what I read on social media is so toxic; people are bashing and belittling each other left and right.  Is that really what the field has come to?  Instead of spending so much time focusing on negativity how about we work to progress our art and push the field in a positive direction.  Forget your egos and pick up a camera, the field will be better for it.

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Here’s a moody black and white image of a gorgeous sunset at Ruby Beach, WA

Prior to starting this project I had worked with various monochrome techniques (producing photos with one hue of color such as blue) but I had never really, truly worked within the constraints of a true black and white framework.  I’ve always loved traditional black and white landscape photography but for personal reasons I always felt that I couldn’t fully convey the mood, the light and the overall atmosphere that I try to capture in my work.  It turns out that I was completely wrong.  I think that working within the constraints of a black and white medium really forces you to pay attention to the light, the contrast and the tonality in your RAW images.  A lot of folks tend to think that black and white photography is too old school or that you can’t apply today’s techniques to that art form or that it’s just bland. That stigma can largely be attributed to the way we view photography in social media today.  Everyone has become such a mass consumer of images, videos and other media that anything that lacks color or is subtle in nature tends to get overlooked.  I know that folks in the landscape photography community tend to pay attention to those subtle things, but as a whole I think that most folks love seeing the photos that pop and scream “Look at me!!”.

Black and white photography is not easy and it’s not for the faint of heart.  I actually think that working within the medium itself forces you to take big risks since it will only appeal to a select number of individuals outside of the landscape and fine art community.  I think the biggest reason for this is that the market has been saturated by folks that simply click a filter setting in their camera or do a quick change to black and white using Silver Efex or the built in Photoshop or Lightroom plugins that they may not have seen a true fine art black and white image.  I’m not knocking the use of these tools; in fact I think that they are a great starting place, but you definitely have to move beyond those plugins and understand that black and white images can offer just as much complexity in shadows, light, contrast and tone as their counterparts do in color.  Shifting your mindset and artistic vision is critically important to understanding the complex subtleties that black and white images implore and in doing so I hope that your eyes will be opened to the possibilities within the medium. 

An Experiment in Light

Breathless in Mono, Glacier National Park, Montana

When I first started working within the medium of black and white landscape photography one of the initial challenges that I came across was how to portray light, mood and atmosphere that I look to achieve in color images in a black and white framework.  I took many of the same techniques that I employ in my normal photos over to a monochrome framework and some worked and well some didn’t.  I think the toughest thing to accomplish is giving your monochrome images the same depth and dynamic range that you see in color images.  In order to do this I utilized luminosity masks, various high contrast layers, dodging and burning and my own version of a black and white conversion.

My process is a bit drawn out but my first steps always involve editing an image in color first to really get a feel for the light play, the shadow complexities and the overall mood and atmosphere of the image.  I then try to gain the same results within the black and white medium.  I think that first editing the photo as you would in color really allows you to breath more life into your monochrome or traditional black and white images.  Ansel Adams, Sebastian Salgado and even the painter Albert Bierstadt all utilized techniques to emphasize light and to show contrast and light play between the sources of light and darkness in the medium they were working in.  Putting emphasis on light and dark while maintaining a level of detail is really one of the best ways to give your monochrome photos a more dynamic and three dimensional feel.

What Photos Work Well in Monochrome?

Beauty Within in Mono, Mt. St. Helens, WA

This is honestly a pretty loaded question.  I think that all photos can work well in monochrome, to a certain extent, dependent upon how you process them and what your final artistic vision is for the photo. I think the ones that work the best though are photos that are dynamic in light, shadows and contrast.  Photos that achieve a great deal of depth through layering and photos that may not have that dynamic color range that you’re looking for.  Typically we are used to seeing extremely long exposure seascapes or just images that involve water in general portrayed in black and white because the soft tones and exposure settings really lend themselves to portrayal in monochrome.  That stigma has definitely begun to shift as folks like Luke Austin, Marc Adamus and Alister Benn present their fine art images within a black and white framework and I think that we may start seeing a resurgence in the treatment itself.  Many of their images depict that photos of all types can work well within the medium and that portrayal of light, mood, atmosphere and detail can be just as effective in a world without color.

I think the bottom line is don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and to try new techniques.  Personally, I find that working outside of my comfort zone forces me to become a more well rounded artist and it also forces me to change my perception on a number of things in the landscape photography field and community.

If all else fails if you’re not happy with how a photo is turning out in color, try editing it in monochrome; you might be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

The post An Experiment in Black and White Landscape Photography appeared first on Chris Williams Exploration Photography.

Although I’ve touched upon the topic of social media and its impact on landscape photography before in a previous post: LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL MEDIA: A BLESSING AND A CURSE; I felt that it was important enough to add a bit more discussion and depth to the topic.

Mass Media and Consumption

Smoldering Embers – Mt St Helens – This is a perfect example of shot that I just had to get. I honestly love this area so I did this for a number of personal reasons as well.

The world of Landscape Photography is getting more and more crowded by the second.  Facebook, Instagram and several mass upload photography sites have inundated the fine art photography world with mountains and mountains of well for lack of a better word; crap.  Getting noticed and gaining relevance in this day and age is extremely difficult given the current environment we find ourselves in.  With that said the question that really stands to be asked is; why bother? Why bother pursuing a career in a field that has ultimately been consumed by copycat photographers who post the same compositions that have been shot hundreds of thousands of times over?  Patagonia, Norway, Iceland you name it are all being inundated by photographers chasing that one epic shot that everyone else has.  So, why struggle? Why fight? Why take photos at all?

I’ll be the first to say that I’ve been there; I see a photo online and I go ‘I NEED to get to that location, that’s completely insane!’.  I’ve done that more times than I can count.  With that said however how do you separate yourself from the thousands that came before you once you get to THAT location?  Why would you want to add to the never ending flow of comp stomps and stigmas that come with landscape photography?  I think the answer to all of these questions is simple and it boils down to one word; innovation.

Innovation is Key

For me innovation is key; it separates you from the masses and allows your photos to rise to the top.  For many of us photography is our escape. our passion and our way to reconnect with ourselves but I admit that it can be quite frustrating at times as well.  As artists we can all hit mental blocks in our creative process and photographic highs and lows.  Something as simple as changing your lens can open up a huge variety of possibilities. Thinking outside the box in regard to shooting, processing and marketing are all key to forming and maintaining a successful business and keeping the creative juices flowing.  With that said it all boils down to one thing; the photos.  They have to resonate with people; you need to make an emotional impact from the first time a potential client sees your work.  Most of all they have to resonate with YOU and make YOU happy.  The minute that photography becomes ‘work’ is the minute that you need to take a step back and really re-evaluate why you started down this journey in the first place.

Winter’s Embrace- Snoqualmie Pass, WA

The field is crowded and it’s only going to get worse as technology improves and more more people purchase their first DSLR.  I don’t look at this as a bad thing necessarily; I look at it as more of a challenge.  I actually enjoy going to overshot locations in hopes of finding some new way to present a well photographed scene.  Take your camera off of the tripod and play with different compositions; move around! Get excited about the scene!  That’s what photography is all about; feeling the energy of the moment and just having fun.  If you’re not passionate about your work it will show in your photos.  Not every photo is going to resonate with everyone but the key is that you pushed yourself outside of your comfort zone and tried something new.

History and Trends

Although many of us complain about the sheer volume of photos available today and how dilute the market has become we have to realize that this has ALWAYS happened in art throughout history.  Think about the various art movements in landscape work throughout history.  In the 1800’s artists like Brandt, Vedel, Monet and Millet all carved their niche in a very popular field of naturalism which eventually gave way to impressionism and artists like VanGogh.  Tens of thousands of paintings flooded the market during that time in an attempt to imitate the style that was sweeping the globe.  The only difference is that they weren’t nearly as visible as they are today thanks to social media and the internet.  Imitation really is a form of flattery; but directly knocking off someone else’s work is really detrimental not only to the photographer but also the field as a whole.

I’ve learned an absolute ton from photographers like my good friend Ryan Dyar.  He carved his niche in the industry by giving his photos a distinct look and feel in his post processing work along with very strong and unique compositions.  Take one look at the crowded field of landscape photography today and you can see just how much his work still resonates with photographers all over the world.  Ryan first introduced me to several different painters who’s work he really learned a great deal from.  One of those painters was Albert Bierstadt from the Hudson River School (along with other artists like Frederic Church).

The Central Cascades, Snoqualmie, WA

The way Albert portrayed light, atmosphere and mood in his paintings directly influences a lot of what I do today in my work and I think that his work indirectly influences a lot of the great photographers in the field today.  His paintings almost had a cinematic quality to them; like something you would see out of the films adapted from Tolkien’s books.  His style (as well as the style of other painters from the Hudson River School) is still very relevant today and whether photographers realize it or not, still has a huge impact on the field.  There are many imitators out there but only you can take the steps necessary to break away from the trends in photography.

Separating yourself from the crowd in post processing and understanding the fundamentals of photography is key.  I’ve discussed this quite a bit in some of my other posts about abstract photography and intimate scenes but it is very, very important.  Developing your own unique style of presenting, editing, and shooting your images is extremely important to personal satisfaction and overall success in the field.

I think all too often we succumb to trends and patterns that we are exposed to on a daily basis thanks to sites like 500px  but it’s our job as photographers to keep things fresh and to keep the creative juices flowing.

Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains by Albert Bierstadt. You can definitely see his influence of light, mood and atmosphere on modern day landscape photography today.

Avoiding the Pitfalls

Into the Unknown- I definitely channeled Marc Adamus’ For Eternity image in the processing of this one. This was taken at sunset and it’s a single shot at 300mm taken from Snoqualmie Ridge. There’s an airfield near by and I was lucky enough to catch one of the planes taking off into the sunset.

The competition that social media can lead to can stunt the personal growth of a photographer in a big way.  I personally don’t look at other photographers as challengers or as the field as a whole as a competition. I think we tend to get so blinded and frustrated by the success of others that we lose focus of our own creative process.  I think that it’s important to let other photographers inspire you! Inspiration is the key to innovation; you absolutely have to let go of jealousy, animosity or anything else that might be harmful to your own personal growth as a photographer.  I think it’s also important for folks that are just entering the field to realize that sometimes criticism and critiques can be a good thing! I’ve been there.  I’ve had my photos torn apart by Marc Adamus who is practically a God among landscape photographers.  It made me feel sick to my stomach at the time but  I can honestly say that it made me a better photographer.  It forced me to grow out of my comfort zone and to develop my own style and presentation of my work.  Don’t let yourself fall into the trends and styles of shooting that have been made popular by mass media.  Develop your own style and you will succeed.  Nothing is easy; I’m still learning and developing as photographer on a daily basis but I think the key is to stay humble and to keep yourself motivated.  Sometimes my shots turn out and sometimes I’m absolutely kicking myself for not going about them in a different way.  It’s part of the creative process and it’s all part of the journey to becoming that photographer that you’ve always aspired to be.

The post Art, Social Media and the Impact on Modern Landscape Photography appeared first on Chris Williams Exploration Photography.

This is a collection of my favorite images landscape photography images from 2015.  The images you see here were taken in Washington, Oregon and Montana.  It was a great year and I can’t wait to see what next year will bring!

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Landscape photography has morphed its way into more of a popularity contest than an art form.  There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t see an in your face, ‘look at me!’ style of photograph gracing the front page of 500px or any of your favorite social media websites.  For me, my perception of landscape photography has changed a great deal.  Sure, don’t get me wrong I LOVE dramatic skies, epic vistas and jaw dropping presentations of the beautiful world in which we call home, but seeing the same areas, presented in the same ways over and over again drives me absolutely crazy.  I don’t think I’m the only one with that mindset. I think that social media has really been responsible for the demise of subtly.  Mass media photo sharing sites push those colorful square crops to the top in no time because as humans, well we love color.  Our eyes are naturally drawn more to colorful scenes; gorgeous sunsets, fields of flowers and starry night skies. We have a tendency to overlook the little things; nature’s footnotes if you will.

Personally I think that we as photographers can easily shift that ideal and find some middle ground by simply not limiting ones self to what’s popular.  That idea seems simple enough in practice, but developing an eye for subtle scenes and natural abstracts is no easy feet.

Seeing the Trees Through the Forest

I know this typically isn’t the way that this idiom is written, but it is quite intentional.  Often times we get so overwhelmed by the vast landscapes in front of us that we over look the subtleties and intimate details that make the landscapes themselves so unique and breathtaking.  The sum of the parts make the whole.  Sometimes it’s worth looking at just what those parts are comprised of and focusing in on the small details that most of us would otherwise overlook.  Finding the trees through the forest can be problematic from time to time; especially when weather comes into play.  I always try to look for patterns in nature.  If a pattern exists; it’s meant to be seen.  I personally look for objects or lines that really catch my eye and lead me through a scene.  From there I really try to focus on those lines, textures, patterns or objects of interest. Sometimes you have to let the weather and the conditions do the framing for you.

Fog, mist and low clouds can not only add some serious mood and atmosphere to an image but they can also help to frame and add depth to an image as well.  Let the clouds and fog help to guide your decision.  Look for breaks in the fog to emphasize a particular feature that you’re drawn to.  It could be a layered ridge line, a small stand of trees or even a mountain peak.  I think too often we get discouraged by crappy weather and low visibility when we should be looking at it as not only an opportunity but a challenge as well.  I love shooting in questionable conditions.  Some of my most memorable shots and experiences have come from shooting in some really challenging and for me evocative situations.  Don’t ever let less than ideal weather conditions discourage you from breaking out your camera.

Limitation is the Demise of Art

Limiting yourself to a certain style or preferred composition can seriously hinder personal development as a photographer.  I struggled a great deal with this early on.  I remember the first time a stumbled upon 500px and I was blown away by the gorgeous mountains surrounded by in your face wildflowers loaded with color and detail.  Don’t get me wrong.  I LOVE shots like that.  I have several in my portfolio, but sometimes it is nice to take step back from them to look for inspiration in other places.  Compositions don’t always have to blow the viewer away by the sheer ‘wow’ factor.  Subtle is good.  

Corn Lilies are an excellent example of this; there are intricate patterns and beautiful compositions to be found if you take your eyes off of the mountains and look to the slopes below.  Pay attention to the curves and turns in the leaves.  How can you best exemplify them?  When I put this image together I looked for symmetrical features that would make the central lily stand out from the rest of them.

I found several lilies that I really enjoyed but framing them appropriately just didn’t feel right until I stumbled upon the one that you see featured here in this image.  The light was perfect, the symmetry was there and the framing helped to exemplify what I was trying to convey.

Water can be an excellent source of inspiration if you know where to look.  Take a waterfall or a turbulent aqua blue glacier fed river.   Your initial inclination might be to find a way to represent the entire scene in a manner that evokes emotion or captures your eye in a unique way.  I find myself drawn to that mindset as well from time to time but I challenge you to look further into the scene and dissect it.  What section of that river do you find most attractive?  Is there a rock formation that catches your eye?  Does a certain tier in a massive waterfall lead your eye through the scene?  Instead of finding a way to work those features into a vast landscape let them take center stage.  Let those features speak for themselves.  After all there is a reason that your eye found them; they’re unique to the area and really epitomize the beauty of the sum of those parts.

The next challenge that you face is how to best represent the intimate scene you wish to capture.  What settings and shutter speed should you use?  Landscape or portrait?  What crop?  These are all questions that circulate in my mind while I’m out shooting in the field.  For waterfalls and any moving body of water in general I find myself drawn toward methods that enhance water texture and lines.  I look for patterns in the flow of the water; the ying and yang of the currents, the balance of the flow around rocks and the light play on the water itself.  I try to evoke a feeling of being there from that small sampling of that vast gorgeous landscape.

I think capturing a variety of textures in a single exposure can be a very powerful thing.  Smooth lines combined with circulating pools and turbulent rapids frozen in time can add a great deal of depth and layering to an image.  It can really make a photograph come to life.  The shot to the right could have been taken on the coast, in a river, near a glacier etc.  That’s the beauty of abstracts; they can really captivate one’s imagination.

Capturing abstracts of waterfalls can be fairly tricky; especially when the water flow is extremely high.  Looking for features in the rocks surrounding the falls, the vegetation in the area or the various tiers in the falls themselves can offer up a variety of different composition.  Focusing on the falls themselves can be another method to capturing an intimate and more unique scene.  Water texture and framing are the big keys to shooting something of that nature successfully.  How much texture do you want?  Do you want to focus on the water itself, or frame it with a bit of the surrounding terrain?

I recently challenged myself to shoot an abstract of one of the most photographed waterfalls in Washington State.  Snoqualmie Falls. Compositionally speaking the falls are extremely limited.  There are really only three terraces to successfully capture the falls from (including the base) and although conditions can change upon every visit; the composition remains the same.

For this trip I put down the wide angle lens and broke out the telephoto.  This shot is one example of the several that I attempted that evening.

I decided to frame the falls by centering the bottom portion in front of the large cavern that sits directly behind them.  I played with a variety of different shutter speeds but ultimately settled upon the one that provided enough water texture and overall movement to lead the eye through the frame.

Abstract or Abstract?

Intimate scenes like the ones described above can be extremely challenging to shoot.  With that said; what happens when you go into the digital darkroom and discover shear disappointment in your efforts?  Fear not! Not all is lost.  There are creative ways to recover disappointing or lack luster shots to some extent.  Motion blur either in camera or in the digital dark room can be extremely rewarding if done correctly.  It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it can add a lot of creativity to what might be a bland original shot or it can take an amazing shot in a completely different direction.   The panoramic stand of trees that you see here was shot during one of the better years of fall color that we had up here in Washington.

The shot itself lacked a lot of interest so I decided to take a more artistic approach in presenting it.  I utilized motion blur in Photoshop to achieve this effect.  You can achieve this in camera as well by shooting a long exposure shot while slowly tilting your camera up or down to blur the image (hints the title; MOTION blur).  Like I said this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but it can be a fun creative exercise and it’s not a bad tool to have in your back pocket when your artistically stalled or just want to get the creative juices flowing a bit.

As I mentioned before ‘limitation is the demise of art’.  Don’t limit yourself to the conventional techniques.  Think outside of the box and don’t be afraid to try new techniques with different compositions that will set you apart from the field.

The post Nature’s Footnotes: The Abstract Side of Landscape Photography appeared first on Chris Williams Exploration Photography.

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I decided to revisit this image using some new techniques I’ve picked up over the past few years and a came across a piece of writing that I published with it some time ago. A lot has changed since I first wrote this excerpt so I’ve decided to amend it a bit to reflect my current thoughts:

Everyone has heard the phrase a picture can be worth a 1,000 words, but what does it really mean? The vary convention that any of sum of words can surmount to a real life experience captured by one exposure is an interesting thought. Witnessing the event, feeling the hard emotion flowing through your veins, being there, not here, but there, being part of something raw, something organic, and something new. That’s the type of emotion a single exposure can evoke out of one’s soul. That feeling that you are part of something bigger than you, all trapped within the matting and encased within the glass and framework that is our limitations. A picture is a powerful thing and as a photographer the ultimate goal is to bring life, to evoke emotion, be it negative or positive and to initiate a spark; a spark that can flourish even in the darkest of times. Each and every exposure has meaning, be it symbolic, raw or natural. Be it taken from an iPhone, a point and shoot or a full frame DSLR; each image taken has a certain resonance, a unique tone, a frequency that can really, truly, only be heard by the photographer and left to interpretation by the masses. We risk everything for that one shot, the shot that can not only quench our thirst for perfection, but the shot that can make waves, a shot who’s frequency can be heard by millions and can resonate for many years to come.

Photographers are in a constant ebb and flow; in a search for that one tone; the frequency that drives them, but when it’s all said and done what are they really remembered for? Is it the images they leave behind? The stories they told? Maybe it’s the sheer impact they made by simply existing; by doing the things that others wouldn’t or just couldn’t do. I don’t think that there is any one single answer to a question such as this. The topic is complex and rich; just as the photographs we produce. Perfection isn’t easily attained. We drive hundreds of miles for that perfect moment, the one that gives us goosebumps and sends our hearts racing and leaves us struggling to grasp reality. For me perfection is not in the photo itself, but the journey you took to achieve it. Blood, sweat, tears, aches, and pains; all physical limitations that are exacerbated by one’s own mental inability to grasp reality. We push our bodies to climb, to climb faster, and to climb higher. We climb toward a purpose; maybe it’s to get over that self-perpetuated wall, or maybe it’s to reach the summit. Each and every adversity we face builds character and adds depth and richness to the moments we capture from behind the lens.

(c) Chris Williams Exploration Photography 2014

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