Expose The Image: February 2021

On the morning of February 19, 2020, I woke up in a tent after camping near Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park. The temperature dipped into the mid 20s that night, and getting out of my sleeping bag was difficult. Amongst me were members of an illustrious group of photographers loosely known as the Stud Puffins, or maybe f/9 (I’m not really sure what name we decided on). This was the group’s third photography trip which began in Iceland in 2018, Eastern Washington in 2019, and now California in 2020. One goal of the trip was to get a good group photo, which we had failed to do on previous trips. The idea to attempt a group shot on Racetrack Playa was tossed out while packing up our campsite, and the below image was the final result. Unknown to us at the time was that the image would serve as a historical timestamp of pre-pandemic life captured in 1/800th of a second.

9 Feet High. L to R: Randy Wiberg, D. Craig Young, Jeremy Leder, Erno Gyetvai, Quinn Kirkland

This image is a group shot in more ways than just the obvious as everyone had a part in creating the composition, camera settings, and modeling. It certainly would not be honest of me to continue without saying that technically I did not even take the photo. Credit for shutter button control goes to Quinn’s wife Sandy, who was brave enough to accompany five dirty guys on a photography trip when showers were limited to the last two nights of a six day trip.

The shot is a single image taken at 16mm, f/8, 1/800 sec, ISO 500. The camera was placed low so it looked like we were jumping higher than we actually were. Once we got the settings and composition correct the rest of the execution was simply a couple dozen simultaneous jumps while Sandy held down the shutter button. Throughout the making of this shot there was not one second when any of the participants were taking things seriously, and we all thought it was completely absurd. It was perfect.

I’m not sure who came up with the image title 9 Feet High, but I know it wasn’t me. While the group is clearly jumping high into the air, it’s also true there are five dudes but only nine feet. A double-entendre sure to be shocking to the politically correct unless you actually have met Erno, which I encourage everyone to do.

After grabbing our group shot we spent a few more days shooting different locations in Death Valley and the Eastern Sierras, then I flew out of Reno back to Madison, WI. Once we all got home the full weight of the COVID pandemic hit us right in the face. The downtime of the past year has given me the opportunity to upgrade my camera gear, edit photos, and stay healthy for the next adventure of The Stud Puffins. Hopefully Glacier NP June 2021!

Expose The Image: January 2021

I recently read The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors by James Edward Mills, which chronicles the first all African-American summit attempt on Denali. The book is part history, part alpine adventure, and part social commentary on why black people are reluctant to experience nature and the outdoors. I highly suggest reading it. The book reminded me of my own time spent climbing mountains in the Pacific Northwest, and I could not stop thinking about the below image as I read the book.

I took this image on June 14, 2014, after a successful summit of Mount Hood in Oregon. My climbing group was making our descent, and I stopped to pull out my Canon T3i to grab a shot. Photography is not easy while climbing. Physical exhaustion, cold fingers, and blinding light make it hard to focus on a composition. During this period of my photography journey I was a point and shoot kinda guy. Put the camera on full auto and sort it out later. This image was so poorly exposed I did not even edit it until 2016 after finally learning how to use Photoshop. I think it works as a B&W image.

I like images that slowly reveal themselves the longer you view them, and I think this image accomplishes that. The image depicts three climbers with ice axes, crampons, and helmets descending a snowy mountain peak. The path the climbers are taking is noticeably narrow and steep on either side. Finally you notice the whole scene is happening above the clouds which adds a sense of adventure. I like how the climber in the foreground was caught in mid-stride with a gait that suggests little physical effort is being exerted. I attribute that to the fact that only minutes earlier we had summited the mountain, and were still feeling the rush of accomplishment.

This image is special to me even though it was taken before I really knew how to properly take a photo, although at the time I thought I was a brilliant photographer. It brings back good memories of my time living in Washington and my many outdoor adventures. It reminds of friends I have not seen for a long time, and the guilt of not calling them to catch up. I remember the conversation I had with another climber shortly after this photo was taken about how my wife and I were trying to have a baby. My obvious subjectivity regarding this photo is noted, which makes me feel better about it lacking the technical merits of a National Geographic cover shot. It is a photo I will keep forever and show to my son Henry right before he and I head out on an adventure.

Door County Winter Adventure

I’m getting really good at honing my winter photography routine. I’ve shot in a lot of harsh conditions like the summit of Mt. Hood, numerous high peaks in the Cascades, and in the cold winds of Iceland. However, none of those experiences compared to the 45 minutes I spent shooting at the Sturgeon Bay Lighthouse in Wisconsin’s Door County. In those brief 45 minutes of pre-sunrise light I was able to come away with an image that may fall in my top 10, but I suffered for it.

The lighthouse itself is a popular location for photographers. There is a common composition towards the end of the pier where the elevated iron walkway zig-zags across over the water to the lighthouse. The lighthouse building is painted bright red, which contrasts against the blue waters of Lake Michigan.

During my visit the temperatures were hovering around 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and the splashing waves formed thick ice over the pier. Luckily I had my Yak Tracks to keep me from slipping. I got there about an hour before sunrise expecting to stay until the sun hit the clouds high in the sky. That never happened.

As I began walking towards the lighthouse the waves were crashing up against the pier forming new soft ice layers on the surface. Each time a spray of water would cover me and freeze instantly. The layers of ice caught my eye as a unique foreground composition. As a bonus the red flashing light at the top of the lighthouse was reflecting off the waves and the shiny new ice.

Three shot focus stack. 35mm, 25 sec. exposure, f/11, ISO 100.

1/20 sec, 20mm, ISO 2000

I’m glad I captured this image because it was all down hill after this. My hands were freezing and my tripod legs were frozen in one position. I walked further up the pier to a spot where the waves were really crashing high over the side. I wanted to capture the texture of the waves so I cranked up my ISO to 2000, and dialed in a faster shutter speed around 1/20. It was pretty dark still so I had to go with a high ISO. I took 20 or 30 images before capturing the perfect wave. This wave splashed so high it doused me and my camera in cold Lake Michigan water, which almost instantly turned to a shell of ice. That was the end of my photo shoot. I could not even use the buttons on my camera, or unzip my camera bag to get out a lens wipe. I packed it in and got some coffee.

I’ll be back in the summer to catch a fiery sunrise.

Iceland!

Photographing the sea stacks on the beach in Vik.

Don’t let anyone tell you Iceland is far to overrun with tourists to still be a good landscape photography destination. Like all amazing and beautiful places on Instagram, most people shoot from the parking lot and go no further. Iceland is a tourist destination no doubt, but I found it no different than any of the other popular natural wonders I have visited. A short hike from the parking lot can put you in a setting of quiet solitude, and allow you to get a unique composition. Want proof? One of my travel companions had one leg and the soul of a Viking, and hiked further of the trail than most other photographers we breezed past.

Early this December I spend eight days in Iceland on a photography workshop through Thor Photography and Nick Page. This was my first international photo shoot, and since I don’t know a thing about Iceland I figured the workshop route was a good way to go. Thor and Nick take care of basically everything, and all I needed to worry about was taking photos.

Breakfast at the Langaholt Guesthouse.

We traveled the coast from the Snæfellsnes Peninsula down to Vestrahorn, and stopped at all the usual photo locations. The first day of the trip was some of the most intense weather I have ever experienced, let alone take photos in. Snow, wind, and freezing temperatures drove us inside for the first night. When we pulled into the parking lot at the Langaholt Guesthouse in Snæfellsbær the first night, the snow was blowing so hard we could barely find the door to get inside.

Our first day of shooting was at the Black Church and the wind had not died down like the forecast predicted. It seemed impossible that we could get any photos, but we bundled up like Kenny from South Park and jumped in the van. This basically set the stage for the rest of the trip. Wake up, eat, put on lots of warm clothes and go. We had beautiful light on several occasions, but best of all we had Aurora!

I have seen the Aurora Borealis one time in my life while living in Illinois. It was just a low pale green glow in the sky, and I thought it was amazing. What we saw in Iceland was like an electric light show from horizon to horizon. At its peak the lights were so intense and dancing so wildly the group began hooting and cheering, like we were trying to show appreciation for whoever was putting on the show. I got a few good images of the Aurora at the height of its glow, then I laid on my back and just watched…..and froze.

The Aurora Borealis above the old plane wreck near Vik. A very popular spot.

Erno grabbing some telephoto shots of a glacier.

The landscapes in Iceland are extreme. The mountains and glaciers are up close and in your face. The seas are often rough, producing awesome waves to crash against the rocks. All of these features make it obvious why so many photographers go there. I got some of the best images of my life all while experiencing a new country. I ate no less than 20 gallons of lamb stew, and had lamb sausage and ginger cake at every breakfast.

When I first planned this trip I was slightly discouraged by the elitist travel photographers who say Iceland was not worth photographing anymore. Like I said….most tourists don’t stray far from the bus. So many people treat it like a museum, take their selfie, and say they experienced it. Our group got our feet wet, stood in the rivers and oceans, froze our asses off, and made a go of it.

Thanks to Nick and Thor, Erno, Cindy, Ken, Mike, Quinn, Bob, Randy, Craig, and Ian for making the trip worth it.

Photography and Fishing

I can pin-point the exact moment I realized I needed to man up and get serious about photography. It was early 2015 and I was steelhead fishing in Oregon with my good friend Ryan. We were swinging flies on a very pretty run on one of those popular rivers in the Columbia Gorge, and Ryan was standing in a river canyon casting out into a run. The sun was streaming through the mossy trees behind him, lighting up his fly line and all the water vapor around him each time he shot out a spey loop. So like a good budding photographer I busted out my Canon T3i with kit lens attached, and captured the moment. The results were earth shattering…..or so I thought at the time. The image you see below is horrible. The lighting was awesome, the composition was good, but the camera operator sucked. I blew it and the moment was gone.

Luckily in 2018 I am a much better photographer, and Ryan is a much better spey caster. As I edited my horrible image I began to get very frustrated. I knew the only remedy was take a step back, research, learn, and practice taking images. Like many photographers these days I turned to the University of YouTube, and earned many distinguished degrees. The Northrups and Nick Page were my professors, and I literally learned the basics of photography from them……and it was free. (I recently went on a photography workshop with Nick Page in Iceland, and he is probably one of the nicest guys I have ever met).

Four camera upgrades later I’m finally at a point where I’m mildly confident enough to show my images to the world. I’m currently shooting with a Canon 5D Mk III and have all the usual L lenses. I know the 5D Mk III is like a dinosaur now, but I always admire photographers who place gear second to getting the shot (says everyone with old gear).

One of the best things about photography is that you can see your own positive growth almost every time you thumb through your portfolio. I’m not crackin out Thomas Heaton images, but I’m happy with my current status as a photographer and am ready to get better. That shit image above of Ryan fishing? Well many steelhead trips later and a couple thousand dollars worth of camera gear allowed me to capture several good images of Ryan shooting sick spey loops. I would have taken more photos of me with giant steelhead, but I suck at steelhead fishing.