Form and Shapes

I have been going through some of my many images that I made in Death Valley a few years ago.  It is always fun to find what I like to call "sleeper images" that I overlooked in my initial review of a new batch of images.  Death Valley offers an endless opportunity to explore geometric shapes of the contrasting sunlit dunes and the deep shadows that the low angle sun provides at sunrise or sunset.  Photography is a two dimensional art of line and form.   The line provides the contour of the form, while the contrast values define the boundaries of the form.  The use of negative space in an image is an important part of a two dimensional composition.  Form and shapes can be thought of as positive and negative space.  In this image the dunes are considered the positive space while the dark contrasting shadow and sky is the negative space.  Not all subject matter provide a strong negative space such as this image, but the use of negative space should always be part of the photographers thought process when composing an image.

Mexican farmer

When I travel to other countries I always find myself traveling the back roads in search of small towns and local county folk.  My path usually takes me on dirt roads that lead into areas that rarely ever see a tourist.  I enjoy seeing the everyday life of these rural areas and meeting the friendly people that live there.  I am always amused that as soon as I enter a town and begin looking around, people start coming out to see this strangers that has wandered into their town.  The children usually run around in the street laughing at me, while the older people peak their heads of doorways and windows with a suspicious eye.  I usually find a small family run outdoor cafe to get something to eat and sit among the towns people.  It seems that I am always rewarded by meeting nice people, and being able to witness a lifestyle of a simple purpose with a great importance.  

Evening Sky

I have made numerous images on Blue Cypress Lake of the cypress trees that grow in the lake.  It seems that each time I am out on the lake in my kayak I come across a new and interesting shape of a tree.  This past week I decided to take my kayak out at sunset and explore an area of the lake I haven't been to.  I have equipped my small kayak with an electric trolling motor so I can reduce the amount of paddling I need to do.  I was about five miles from where I launched my boat when I made this image.  After the sun had set I started making my way back knowing I had just enough time to get back before it was totally dark.  After about a mile my battery went dead for my electric motor and I ended up paddling my way back in the dark.  When I am on the lake I always see plenty of alligators swimming around me as I am taking photographs.  I must admit that it was a little spooky paddling in the dark knowing that the alligators are the most active at night.  This lake is uninhibited except for a small bait shop with a boat slip.  As I paddled along I kept searching for that one small light at the launch that would tell me where I need to cut back through the swamp to get back to where my truck was parked.  This lake is my favorite place to go.  It is full of wildlife and absent of people.  I enjoy the peaceful times when I am out there floating among the trees in my kayak.

Palm Hammock

I have been out this week exploring some new wilderness areas near me in Florida.  I visited the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve that is located in the middle of the state in central Florida.  I have been thinking of doing some night sky photography and this perserve is currently the only certified "dark sky" park in the state.  The park is large with nearly 54,000 acres, over a hundred miles of trails, and offers camping with hookup facilities.  It is a quiet park and primarily attracts those interested in nature and outdoor activities.  In the few hours I spent there I hiked on a few of the trails to get an idea of the lay of the land.  It is mostly open prairie with pockets of dense woodlots.  The above image was made in a palm hammock that was recently burned off in a control burn.  It was a sunny and breezy day and I was only able to make this image when a cloud blocked out the sun.  It was a surreal landscape of charred palm trees and brilliant greens from the new growth sprouting up.  I hung around for awhile hoping the clouds might increase to provide some soft light to do more photography, but it didn't work out.  I am glad I made the trip out to this preserve for a look around. I am certain I will return and experiment with some night sky photography in the future.

http://darksky.org/kissimmee-prairie-preserve-state-park-named-floridas-first-dark-sky-place/

The Manatee

Cypress Trees

The bald cypress tree has to one on my most favorite trees.  They have such a mysterious quality to them.  They sit in swamps and rivers with their limbs full of hanging moss and numerous cypress knees protruding out of the water.  They provide a superior nesting platform for many birds, especially the osprey.  As I glide around these magnificent trees in my kayak I get to see the wildlife that depend on these trees with the refuge they provide.  Most all of the large cypress trees were logged off at the turn of the twentieth century in the state of Florida.  I sometimes try to imagine what these swamps and wilderness areas must have looked like before then.  The trees are now protected, and in time a new generation will see them as they once were.  I am always searching to locate a new strand of cypress trees to explore.  To be able to glide in my kayak under their canopy of moss and hear the osprey's cry overhead is an experience I will never tire of.

Jekyll Island

I enjoy photographing near the ocean.  The combination of water, sand, and sky offer numerous opportunities of various compositions because of the constant changing conditions.   There are always places to discover where major storms have impacted the land and have left their scars.  I was at Jekyll Island a few months ago and hiked around the North end of the island.  There is a portion of beach that has several large uprooted trees laying on the shore.  I timed my hike to be in the early evening near sunset to photograph these trees in soft light.  Often times midday along the ocean has extremely harsh light with strong shadows making the scene too contrasty.  There is always a certain amount of planning that goes into visiting a new location.  I check google earth and look along the coast for possible sites of interest.  I then locate points where I can access the location.  I consider the direction of the sun and plan my time of day to visit the location.  With all landscape photography it can take considerable time and effort to achieve a few successful images.  With this image I drove a few of hours, hiked a couple of miles, and made only a few exposures before the light was gone.  Sometimes I am rewarded for my efforts and other times not.  It is all part of the process of being a landscape photographer.