Week 47, November 24, 2013
When preparation meets opportunity -
They say luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Well, phase two of my Idaho tour shooting portraits of the Idaho State Police troopers and civilian staff wrapped up this past week with a trip to eastern Idaho visiting Idaho Falls, Pocatello, and Twin Falls. The portrait photography went well enough, but I'd hoped to find some opportunities for some personal photography too while on the road. I had the preparation as my photo skills are pretty good I think. The trouble was, I didn't have a lot of extra time, the weather was rather gray with a drizzle of rain, and the light rather flat.
So, I made the most of the opportunities I did have. On the way down, I passed through American Falls and was struck by the dozens of wind turbines I saw on the ridgetops there. I guess these are somewhat controversial as some view them as ruining the landscape and have other reasons for opposition. Personally, I found them fascinating, interesting as a kind of "environmental sculpture," and with the frequent winds that blow through the area, it would seem to me a great way to generate "green" power. Though the towers are huge, almost 300-feet tall and the blades as big as jetliner wings, standing close to one there is only a barely perceptible hum. Given the alternatives, (coal plants, dams, nuclear power), I have to think tapping wind power is a preferable option.
They also make for great photo ops. I have to confess to a little creative license though. The day I shot these was very gray and foggy with a little rain. The shot below captures the weather, but I kind of liked the effect I was able to get with a pseudo-sunset look courtesy of some work with Adobe Lightroom.
They say luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Well, phase two of my Idaho tour shooting portraits of the Idaho State Police troopers and civilian staff wrapped up this past week with a trip to eastern Idaho visiting Idaho Falls, Pocatello, and Twin Falls. The portrait photography went well enough, but I'd hoped to find some opportunities for some personal photography too while on the road. I had the preparation as my photo skills are pretty good I think. The trouble was, I didn't have a lot of extra time, the weather was rather gray with a drizzle of rain, and the light rather flat.
So, I made the most of the opportunities I did have. On the way down, I passed through American Falls and was struck by the dozens of wind turbines I saw on the ridgetops there. I guess these are somewhat controversial as some view them as ruining the landscape and have other reasons for opposition. Personally, I found them fascinating, interesting as a kind of "environmental sculpture," and with the frequent winds that blow through the area, it would seem to me a great way to generate "green" power. Though the towers are huge, almost 300-feet tall and the blades as big as jetliner wings, standing close to one there is only a barely perceptible hum. Given the alternatives, (coal plants, dams, nuclear power), I have to think tapping wind power is a preferable option.
They also make for great photo ops. I have to confess to a little creative license though. The day I shot these was very gray and foggy with a little rain. The shot below captures the weather, but I kind of liked the effect I was able to get with a pseudo-sunset look courtesy of some work with Adobe Lightroom.
(Click the images below to see the larger version with caption information)
Right place, wrong time.
I've lived in Idaho over 30 years now and though Shoshone Falls is only about 2-hours away, I'd never been there, so when I had a couple of hours on my way back through Twin Falls, I decided to stop. A great photo op, but... It was a gray day, the sun had already set, and the light was very flat. Then there was the falls, a small trickle compared to what they are in peak season when spring runoff and the lack of irrigation and power generation needs has them running strong. Not so the time I was there. No matter... you make the most of what you have.
The close-up of the falls below is a single shot, but the other two are composites, the first made up of six separate shots, the wide panorama made up of 20 shots. Microsoft ICE a free photo-stitching program) was used to assemble them. (The original finished panorama shot is 19,048 x 5258 pixels (Almost 100 megapixels!) It had to be downsized considerably to present here. I was really pleased with the result and only wish I could have been there in good light at peak season! Oh well...good preparation for when I can combine it with the right opportunity.
I've lived in Idaho over 30 years now and though Shoshone Falls is only about 2-hours away, I'd never been there, so when I had a couple of hours on my way back through Twin Falls, I decided to stop. A great photo op, but... It was a gray day, the sun had already set, and the light was very flat. Then there was the falls, a small trickle compared to what they are in peak season when spring runoff and the lack of irrigation and power generation needs has them running strong. Not so the time I was there. No matter... you make the most of what you have.
The close-up of the falls below is a single shot, but the other two are composites, the first made up of six separate shots, the wide panorama made up of 20 shots. Microsoft ICE a free photo-stitching program) was used to assemble them. (The original finished panorama shot is 19,048 x 5258 pixels (Almost 100 megapixels!) It had to be downsized considerably to present here. I was really pleased with the result and only wish I could have been there in good light at peak season! Oh well...good preparation for when I can combine it with the right opportunity.