Recapitulation

The night before I left on my "Canyonlands" adventure, my son asked if I was excited. "Yes," I replied. He, after all, had watched all day as I rushed around, packing my bag, making last minute arrangements, etc.... There was no denying the fact.

Then I paused for a moment, considering the deeper implications of my answer (lest he should get the wrong idea) and added, "Unfortunately, it will all evaporate too soon... it's hard to get overly excited about such things anymore." (How's that for a wise-ass, old-fart answer?)

Now, just over one week later, the adventure is over and the realities of my day to day life are, once again, about to come back into focus. Off to work, dealing with projects, both unfinished and unstarted, caring for ailing loved ones (myself included) and everything else that makes life so grand. Little is left of my Canyonlands journey but a pocketful of shared experiences, a few personal insights, and a 7 gigabytes worth of flash memory.

Now, about that flash memory. I took around 1200 photos, in all, between my pocket camera (which I used far more than anticipated) and my aging DLSR. The pocket cam captured the JPEGs, and the DSLR the RAW. It will take weeks to get through the processing of the RAW images, as so many will also require HDR conversions. A tedious chore, to be sure, but also a labor of love. Even though I can see already that not many of them will be that good.

And really, what else do I have left?

To be honest, I'm not yet sure. Some things just take longer to digest than others. A trip such as this could take months, or even years to fully develop. The memories and insights, like the unprocessed RAW files, are not yet realized. They're in there, just like all the ingredients in that spaghetti sauce, but they have yet to be printed, framed, and mounted.

The image presented here was taken at Labyrinth camp B along the White Rim 4wd trail. A hot, dry, and windy place where the ground is so hard that rocks must be used to anchor ones tents. It is a truly desert environment where shade from the mid-day sun is a premium commodity. This is an HDR image, one of the first I saw fit to muck with. As usual, I have attempted to keep the HDR tom-foolery to a minimum in order to present a more natural looking image.

Of logs and blogs

Today's image is an oldie. I took the shot some several years ago while visiting my aunt and uncles cabin.

There a week left yet before I embark upon my "great adventure." Some may see it as a trip to the desert filled with little more than lizards, rocks, and canyons, but for me it stands out as one of those "adventures-of-a-lifetime". A phrase whose very meaning has become suspect of late.

Now, I've had my fair share of adventures by some folks standards. I've floated rivers, hiked and climbed in high mountain places, probed the depths of many of Arkansas' wild cave systems, and a few other things along these lines. Nothing too outrageous, though. And I'm sure many, if not most, other adventurers would view the things I have done as being completely pedestrian. I'd have to agree.

My point is, though, that the most recent of these trips was some 15 years in the past. And like it or not, years make a difference.

I keep telling myself I'm not too old for this kind of crap. Not yet. I can do it. And it's all about the desire. After all, if you want a thing badly enough, you can get it... despite the condition you may be in.

Heck, it's even been awhile since I so much as curled up in a tarp under the stars without a tent for protection. 20 years, perhaps? I can't recall the date. Fortunately, though, it wasn't so long ago that I forget what it's like.

I hope I never do.

PS. Almost forgot. I plan to blog out my trip a few posts at a time once I return. Should be fun.

Another Macro

OK, I admit it. I have a fascination with getting up close to things. Macro (or micro if you're using Nikkor) is one of my favorite areas of photography.

Perhaps it's because of the way macro photography allows you cut the clutter of the rest of the world, allowing you get more intimate with your subject. Or something like that.

Or, maybe it has more to do with the way the close-up image can render the world. Sometimes things are in focus, sometimes out of focus, it's all possible... depending on the effect you're after.

Todays image is rather flat. I've tried to tease a little depth into it--for all the good it did. Still, I'm pretty happy with it. The colors are relaxing and the composition, though rather standard, is engaging enough for me to decide it's worth sharing.

Now, about that up-and-coming trip to the Canyonlands. Details are finally finalized. Getting all the backcountry reservations we wanted (well, most of them anyway) proved to be a ongoing lesson in why you should reserve sites really early if you want to do things right!

We wound up only getting one night along the White Rim road, a 4wd track that makes a 100 mile loop around the Islands in the Sky section of the park. If we had managed a site closer to the middle of the track it would not be as big a deal, but we got one of the only ones available and it happens to be a scant 25 miles in. Even the Rangers I have spoken with did not care to speculate on how many hours it might take to traverse the 75 miles of road we'll be obliged to travel in one day. Evidently there are just too many variables to estimate the time with any degree of accuracy. I translate this to mean, "Get up early and drive--see how far you get by noon--drive faster if you must."

Luckily, though, the second leg of our trip in the Needles section of the park is looking far more laid back. We have the same site reserved for two nights in a row, and the only pressures we should have are what to cook for supper and where to hike.

Should be a lot of fun. I hope to get a few nice pics. Something other than macros.

A Nasty Habit

Yep, today's photo is nasty. No doubt about it.

But (no pun intended) the thing is... I like this photograph. A lot. To me it's just one of those images that, despite the subject matter, contains all the elements of good photo.

So, for my own sake, I'm gonna try to break it down and see why it works.

1. Decent Composition

For some time now I have been convinced that this single elusive quality is the ultimate deal breaker (or maker) when it comes to presenting a good photograph. Some folks can find the best compositions with their eyes closed... I can't. So it's a big deal for me when I stumble across one that I feel really works.

Now, I'm not gonna try to dissect leading lines, discuss the rule of thirds, or any of that other stuff, although these things can certainly be elements of a strong composition. Of far more interest to me is the raw appeal. The evocative, visceral, emotional impact (or repulsion) that some images can convey.

This one makes me feel dirty, lonely, lost, and discarded. Like a failure. Pretty strong stuff. Due in part, no doubt, to the fact that I was a reformed smoker that has now relapsed. Now I get to give them up again.

On the other hand, it also gives me a sense of community, connectedness, and hope. And I find it fascinating that this image can pull me in so many different directions at once. That's cool.

2. A Clear Subject

Sometimes the subjects can get lost in a composition, and this usually not a good thing. Except maybe where abstracts are concerned and the subject becomes the abstraction itself. For most images, though, it's usually best to find some way to point out the subject and leave little or no room for misinterpretation.

3. A Sense of Space

By this I mean that there is some sense of depth to the image. A clearly defined foreground, subject, and background. This is not necessary for every image, of course, but when it comes to defining images that appeal to me the most, it's usually there.

So, what has this little exercise taught me? I'm not sure. I knew these things already. But it might interest you to know that the egg is one of nature's most perfect foods. And I knew that already too. Maybe sometimes you just need to be reminded.

I've been remiss...

In most everything I do I have been remiss, of late. Except for work. This is the one area that has been getting the lion's share of my attentions.

Oh well. And so it goes.

Today's pic is another oldie. I have some pics of limited merit on my camera, but I'm not excited enough about them to copy them to the PC just yet. So for now I hope you enjoy this image of a friends cat. I forget his name, but he is a loveable piece of work. Always willing to pose for the camera.

One good thing to report is that I will taking some time off of work soon. Planning a trip in September to the Canyonlands. I won't be there for as long as I would like (such as, months) but it should be a blast nonetheless. Details later.

Morroccan Carvings

Well, so far as I know theyr'e really Morroccan. I snapped this last summer at Epcot in the Morroccan village. It's one of many pics from that vacation taken with the Canon s30. I didn't want to carry a DSLR... and frankly I was glad I didn't. Theme parks and loads of camera just don't mix well, imo.

It was my second time at Epcot, I first visited back in the mid ninety's, and I must say the experience was a lot more enjoyable the first time around. Last years visit was ok but it was plagued by crowds. Lots and lots of people. So many, in fact, that it made moving around the park a full-contact physical chore.

We had a much better time at Busch Gardens. It was busy, but nothing like Epcot. My brother and I took a chance and payed and additional fee to join this guided roller coaster tour for the day, rather than take our chances with the lines... what a deal that turned out to be. It was well worth the cost. Our group wound up being downsized due to a family of "no shows" so was even smaller than normal, and our guide proceeded to put us at the front of the line for every roller coaster there... and they have a bunch of them.

I suppose I'm reminiscing on last years trip because there won't be one this year. (boo-hoo) Besides, I'm overdue for a post again and the month is getting on.

The Odd and the Satisfying

When I posted to my blog last night I was quite torn over what image to post. I have about a dozen I want to include at some point, but they are all from days gone by. So, while a part of me wants to keep my postings current, it really doesn't matter... does it?

My satisfaction with this image comes from scarcely remembering what it is. I recall that, around christmas time, I had the camera out one evening for something and snapped this scene that had been setup on our end table. It was an odd collection of tiny christmas balls and tall wisemen figurines with this bit of oriental flavor thrown in. I have no idea what its supposed to represent, and the chances are that my Wife, or my Daughter, whichever one of them is responsible for putting it there, won't recall either.

But I like this image. It's kind of dark and mysterious and oddly satisfying.