Sunday, June 24, 2012

Phoenix Dream Center



Dozens of design firms were asked to remodel one room each in a 60 room converted Embassy Suites to provide shelter for trafficked women rescued from the street. This facility is known as the Phoenix Dream Center. Honored to have four of my images from White Sands on the walls of the room designed by Ownby Design.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Update Lightroom 3 presets from Lightroom 3 to Lightroom 4


If you’ve upgraded to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 from previous versions of Lightroom, you may have noticed that some of your Develop Presets might create a different look in LR4 than you saw in LR3.  We revamped our image processing algorithm in Lightroom 4.  In particular, presets that include adjustments to any of the following attributes will likely give you different results in LR4:
  • Exposure
  • Brightness
  • Contrast
  • Fill Light
  • Highlight Recovery
  • Black Clipping
  • Clarity
  • Tone Curve
Before you begin, we recommend making a back-up of your existing Develop Presets.  The easiest way to do so is by going to Preferences > Presets > Location and clicking the “Show Lightroom Presets Folder.”  Make a copy of this folder in Windows Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) and save it someplace safe.
For user-created PRE-Lr4 Develop Presets that contain settings for any of the attributes listed above, the easiest way to insure that the look and intent of the Develop Preset is maintained is by saving them with their Process Version included.
  1. Select an image and go to the Develop Module in Lightroom 4.
  2. Set the Process Version to 2010.  This is in the Camera Calibration panel on the lower right hand side.
  3. Select the appropriate Develop Preset created in Lightroom 3 or earlier
  4. Select the “+” button in the Preset Panel.  This allows you to save the current settings as a new Preset.  Make sure that the “Process Version” checkbox is checked.
  5. Hit the Save button.  We recommend creating a specific folder for Lightroom 3 presets that you update in this fashion.
  6. Now your LR3 preset will create the same results in Lightroom 4.
You can also recreate your Develop Presets in order to take full advantage of PV2012, the revamped image processing algorithm in Lightroom 4.  You can do this by:
  1. Select an image and go into the Develop Module in Lightroom 4
  2. Select the appropriate Develop Preset created in Lightroom 3 or earlier.
  3. Set the Process Version to 2012. This is in the Camera Calibration panel on the lower right hand
  4. Review the image and make adjustments until the image meets your visual expectation for the Preset.  Please note that some images might require significant tweaking at this step.
  5. Save the Preset with a new name.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Shoot the Moon

As is usually the case when I chase the moon, a few clouds obscured the moon as it began to rise. Abandoning plan A, I chased across the desert to frame the moon behind a huge Saguaro - I'm happy.


Plan A was to get the moon as it appeared just above the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale.  One or Two days before a full moon is the ideal time to shoot it. There is enough ambient light in the sky as the sun has not completely set on these days.  This enables you to properly expose for the moon without blowing it out.  Checking altitude and azimuth data on Photographers Ephemeris allows me to plan where I will be and when. No matter how much data I have, mother nature loves to play games with me, I'm convinced she especially loves to mess with photographers.  I welcome the challenge.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Lightroom 4 Update and Canon 5D Mark 111 fix

http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/lightroom4-1.html


Here you go - Just released today

The following new cameras are now supported.
New Camera Support
  • Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Fixed Issues

The following issues have been fixed in the Lightroom 4.1 release candidate:
  • Lightroom 4 did not properly open external applications when using the “Edit In” functionality.
  • Point Curve adjustments made in Lightroom 3 have been restored.
  • Addressed performance issues in Lightroom 4, particularly when loading GPS track logs, using a secondary monitor, and the controls within the Develop module.
  • Ability to update DNG previews and metadata for more than 100 photos has been restored.
  • This update allows for improved viewing of subfolders and stacks in folders with a large number of photos.
  • It was possible that a layout of a saved book could be lost after quitting Lightroom 4.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Lightroom Fix for Canon 5D Mark 111 Raw files

Neither Lightroom or Photoshop have updated the software yet to read the new 5D Mark 111 files


If you try to import into LR you will get an error message

Here is a work around for you




Download the DNG converter

Make a file on your desktop and copy the files from your memory card into it

Open the DNG convertor and follow instructions

This will convert your canon raw files to DNG

Then Import these DNG files into Lightroom


Lightroom and Photoshop will have their software update shortly but this will work in the meantime

Thursday, March 15, 2012

April edition of Outdoor Photographer

Thrilled to have my piece about photographing White Sands New Mexico in Aprils edition of Outdoor Photographer.
Some more of my White Sands images can be seen here


http://www.pbase.com/azicit/whitesands08
and

Definitely one of my Favorite Places


LOCATION
White Sands National Monument is located about 15 miles west of Alamogordo, New Mexico. Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin it is one of the world’s great natural wonders. For thousands of years the prevailing westerly winds have deposited gypsum powder eroded from the nearby San Andres Mountains and washed down by rainwater creating the worlds largest gypsum dunefield covering over 275 square miles. About half of the sands are within the boundaries of the White Sands National Monument, one of the most unusual and magical places in the Southwest. The brilliant white dunes are constantly changing.  They grow and crest and are forever on the move creating sinuous and sensual curves and ripples that reflect every ray of light .

WEATHER

The climate for this region is dry and hot. This is a high desert area, averaging 4,000 in elevation, and is subject to harsh, sometimes rapidly changing conditions. Summers are hot, with high temperatures averaging 95°F in July and August. Fortunately unlike dunes made of quartz-based sand crystals, the gypsum does not readily convert the sun’s energy into heat and can be walked upon safely with bare feet, even in the hottest summer months. The Gypsum does not reflect the heat but it does reflect the suns glare so protect your eyes! Winters are relatively mild, but night time temperatures often go below freezing. Snowfall is rare but does happen occasionally and the sight of white snow on the gypsum is an unusual and magical sight to see if you are lucky enough to catch it.  Wind is the dominant force here especially February through May. Wind storms can last for days in the spring. Of course, these winds are what make the dunes so beautiful. Timing your trip here just after a major storm can reveal some amazing clouds, reflecting pools and intense skies.

PHOTO EXPERIENCE

Walking through the dunes is an unforgettable experience; often there are no other footprints ahead, no people no plants, no nothing just wind-created ripples and occasional Oryx tracks. The gypsum is easy to walk on every crest and dip in the dunes presents another amazing photo op. It is so peaceful and isolated here that you just want to keep seeing what’s over the next rise.  It’s easy to wander off and totally loose your bearings.  You can turn around and realize you have no idea where you are.  Every dune looks the same and there are no landmarks, trail markers or anything to find your way back to your car. I make a conscious effort to keep my bearings by lining up notches in the mountains to the east and to the west. This is an ideal place for a GPS unit.
I spend a lot of time here with a wide angle lens as close to the dunes as possible (chin in the sand) to extenuate the lines and curves and to create and greater depth of field.  This is a perfect place to play with focal plane shifting ability of the Tilt Shift lenses too. I travel mostly with my Canon Mark 111 1Ds, a Gitzo Carbon Fiber Tripod, Canon 24-105, Canon 70-200mm, the super wide Canon 17mm and a 24mm Tilt Shift Lens.
I use the 70-200mm lens for compressing the elements of the composition and capturing the details of the moon and distant terrain.
In my bag I also have a  Lee 2 or 3 stop Neutral Density filter  to control some the more contrasty exposures and to assure I get all the details. I carry a B&W circular polarizer although I am very miserly with its use especially with a wide angle lens as it can produce some unrealistic gradients in the skies. I will take an image with the polarizer at medium strength then take another and back it off considerably. 

BEST TIMES

The ideal times to shoot here are of course, sunrise and sunset and if you can plan your trip for a couple of days prior to a full moon you will have the opportunity to photograph the moonrise which is a truly magical experience in this other worldly place.  The park gates open at sunrise but if you call a day ahead you can make arrangements for the Park Rangers to open the gates for you and hour early for a $50 fee.  Well worth it to get in early and get situated for the glorious sunrise. Another option is to camp in the one of the 10, first come first serve primitive walk in sites inside the park.
When daylight begins to fade, the shadows and lines in the dunes become more pronounced and the whole area takes on a mystical glow. The dunes reflect the colors of the sky and as earths shadow appears the sands take on a reddish-pink hue.
Shooting at White Sands is just like shooting in snow. This means that between 1 and 2 stops of plus exposure compensation is needed to avoid the sand coming out gray. 
My favorite times to shoot here are a day or two before a full moon as the sun is setting in the west, the moon rises to the East early enough to still have ambient light from the sun to get great exposure and detail in the moon and the dunes are bathed in magical light.
The monsoon season in the Southwest during July and August creates perfect conditions for amazing cloud formations and sunsets.  And the chill of Fall brings with it the changing colors of the cottonwoods which a scattered amongst the dunes.  The orange red colors are a stark and surprising contrast against the stark white dunes.
If you are lucky enough to be here in the winter after a snow, the sand is damp and pale tan, contrasting with patches of pure white snow. It is absolutely silent, and the feeling of immense open space is overwhelming.




Friday, March 9, 2012

Arizona Highways March Edition - My image of a reflected rainbow taken in Flagstaff while driving the Schultz Pass Road.  While I was busy composing shots of the rainbow and weather coming over Mt Humphries my eye caught the reflection in a small pond.  Its amazing what you can see when you LOOK!

Revival

Its time to revive the blog.  A lot has happened and there's lots more to come