Time Sculpture

This week I will be giving a couple of free to the public presentations in southern Oregon that I wanted to let people know about.

On Wednesday, March 17 from 7 to 9 PM at the Business Center located at 109 NW C Street in Grants Pass, OR I will be presenting the second part of my “Working the Light” lecture for the Grants Pass Camera Club.  The presentation is open to guests as well as members.  Part 1 of this presentation covered my approach to capturing dramatic light in the field.  In part 2 I will demonstrate some techniques that I use to process images in the digital darkroom to fully express dramatic light in the final image.  For more information you can go to the Caveman Camera Club site.

On Thursday, March 18, from 5 to 7 PM I will be at the Ashland Art Center Meet and Greet to share some of my photography and talk about my business strategies as a photographer and artist, including topics such as exhibiting, marketing, social media, building a website and making the right contacts.  This talk is open and free to the public. The Ashland Art Center is located at 357 E Main Street in Ashland, OR.  You can find more information on the Ashland Art Center at their web site.

If you have any questions about either of these presentations, feel free to contact me directly as well.

I’m looking forward to both of these presentations and sharing a bit of what I do and how I do it with southern Oregon photographers and artists.

The launch of Photo Cascadia also generated some great discussion and several questions about the future plans of the group. Group founder, Adrian Klein, has posted answers to the most common questions about the group that we have recieved to date. Perhaps they are questions that are on your mind as well. Questions include:

• There are few groups out there already that have collaborated on websites and other efforts in relation to Nature Photography.  What makes your team different and how was it started?
• Why is the Photo Cascadia team all males? Where are the female photographers?
• Does the Photo Cascadia team have Photo Cascadia specific workshops available?
• How can I buy fine art prints of images I see in the Photo Cascadia galleries?
• When will the Photo Cascadia team have additional products available for purchase such as calendars, books, cards, etc?

Read Adrian’s Q&A for answers to these questions and to submit any other questions you might have about Photo Cascadia.

This is our announcement video that is being released around the web:

Photo Cascadia Announcement Video

You can also visit the Photo Cascadia website to learn more about the group, view our photography and access the blog and workshop schedule.

So, what exactly is Photo Cascadia? Photo Cascadia is a team of six of the Northwest’s best outdoor photographers who were brought together by their mutual passion for pushing the envelope in creating powerful fine art photographs of the natural world.  Photo Cascadia forms a platform from which we can have a meeting of the minds and a way to a share our imagery, knowledge, experience and vision.  Our goals are to promote conservation, provide learning opportunities for aspiring photographers, be a valuable resource for publishers, photo buyers and photographer colleagues and to share our photographs with a large and growing audience of like minded adventurers, nature lovers, photography appreciators and art collectors.

We see great potential in the future of our collaboration. To start, Photo Cascadia will be a source of photography instruction and a place to be inspired by the beauty of the natural landscape and the need for conservation.  The blog already contains a wealth of photography information and all six of us will continue to share our knowledge and passion there.  The workshops and photo tours offered by members of Photo Cascadia provide another way for enthusiasts to improve their photography skills and visit some of the most spectacular wild and scenic locations in the Northwest and around the country. You can also connect with Photo Cascadia on Facebook and Flickr.

I’m looking forward to a great adventure as a member of this exciting group.  I hope you will find Photo Cascadia a place to access helpful information, get inspired, appreciate natural wonder or just take a break from your day to enjoy some breath taking photography.

Hand held at 1/40 second, f/9, ISO 500

ISO is the standard by which the sensitivity of film or a digital sensor is measured.  Better sensitivity, lower noise and improved in-camera noise reduction at higher ISO settings are hallmarks of the latest generation of digital SLR cameras, and high ISO performance will surely continue to improve in the near future.  I have always used Canon digital cameras by choice, but the most current high end digital SLRs from Nikon, Sony, Minolta and others all have much better high ISO performance than their predecessors.

Hand held at 1/100 second, f/8, ISO 320

I haven’t done quantitative tests to compare the high ISO performance of older DSLRs and current ones, but the improvements are so dramatic to be readily apparent with a simple inspection of the image files at 100%.  There are plenty of independent testers out there who have done careful scientific comparisons if you want the raw data.  My goal in this article is simply to share some images I have taken recently that either would have previously been impossible or would have required more equipment and more labor intensive techniques.  Of course, you would need to see high resolution image files to get a complete understanding of the image quality, but for the purpose of this article I think these screen size images give you the main idea.  I should also point out that in addition to improvements in ISO performance, improved noise reduction algorithms in software like Adobe Lightroom and Camera RAW, as well as improved image stabilization technology in lenses take some of the credit.

Hand held at 1/13 second, f/4.5, ISO 3200

How does better high ISO performance allow for new opportunities in photography? As the sensor becomes more sensitive to light as the ISO setting is increased, the camera is able to maintain faster shutter speeds in lower light conditions and still get a proper exposure. Essentially it means you can shoot in lower light situations or with smaller aperture settings without the need for a tripod.  However, with past cameras the increased sensitivity to light at higher ISO settings came with an unacceptable trade off; increased image noise or digital grain. Until I acquired the Canon 5D Mark II, the higher ISO settings were generally useless to me. My images need to be very clean and sharp, so I would always shoot at the lowest ISO setting (ISO 100) to ensure adequate image quality. This almost always meant the need for a tripod to get a sharp image.

Hand held at 1/15 second, f/5.6, ISO 3200

Experimenting with the ISO capabilities of the 5D Mark II during my travels in Mexico this month have left me impressed and excited about the possibilities. I still use my tripod most of the time, but I find that in situations where a tripod is impractical, time prohibitive or creatively limiting I can often raise the ISO to between 200 and 500 to allow for fast enough shutter speeds for hand held shooting with a very slight loss in overall image quality. Images at these ISO settings are certainly good enough for publishing and even fine art printing.  There are times when having the ability to photograph without a tripod is extremely freeing and allows for flexibility, mobility, spontaneity and creativity that wasn’t possible before.

Hand held at 1/20 sec, f/4, ISO 3200

What’s more, I have found that I can also hand hold my camera in minimal light situations, such as indoors or for night time city scenes, by increasing the ISO dramatically. I have increased the ISO to as much as 3200 and still been able to capture very usable images.  A slight degree of noise in these images is acceptable to me for the fact that they would have been almost impossible to get otherwise. While I still return to the tripod if image quality is essential, it is exciting to be able to photograph people and other moving objects in low light conditions and not have them be blurred. Most of my night city photography does not include people because of the blurring of objects in motion with slow shutter speeds.   Being able to hand hold the camera and get sharp images of moving subjects indoors and at night opens a whole new world of possibilities.

Hand held at 1/30 second, f/4, ISO 3200

I’m sure the technology in ISO performance will continue to improve for some time. Within a couple of years there will be cameras that allow us to photograph in almost complete darkness with fast shutter speeds and produce noise free images. Until then it is exciting to know how good the ISO performance is right now, and that photographers have the ability to take photographs that were previously impossible or impractical.

Hand held at 1/15 second, f/7.1, ISO 500

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Hand held at 1/30 second, f/4, ISO 3200

The entire city sits atop an extensive subterranean tunnel system. The tunnels were originally dug by mining operations starting in the 16^th century to divert the river and keep the town and mines from flooding.

From its beginnings in the mid 1500s the city was built to maximize useable space on the steep hillsides. Houses were stacked on top of one another with only the narrowest of alleys between them. Much of the charm of Guanajuato comes from the fact that it was never intended to accommodate cars.

But cars were inevitable. In a huge engineering project in the 1960’s, as car traffic in the narrow streets became more of a problem, the river was diverted yet again and the tunnels were converted into an underground system of roads. New tunnels have since been added, creating an ever expanding underground even Batman would be envious of. Drivers who know and understand the complex catacombs can quickly get from one part of the city to another. There are many entry and exit points making it possible to dive underground in one neighborhood and surface in another the next valley over.

Most of the tunnels are deep underground, dark and full of car exhaust, but in places they break out to the surface where they are lined with buildings, bridges and arches.

The subterranean channels and tunnels create an entirely different and mysterious dimension to a town that already has so much interesting character. It is a little hard to locate the best parts of the subterranean tunnels at first, and it can also be very disorienting trying to navigate through the tunnels. Often I’ll emerge in a part of town that I have never been in before.

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With a rumored two thousand callejons in the city, all lined with buildings, there is no lack of doors and windows. Every door is different. Some are pristine, with carved and crafted hardwood and hand forged metal parts. Others are weathered and full of character. Some are precariously set in crumbling stone and brick and covered with graffiti. Each one tells its own story.

As a photographer, I love the way light is reflected at different times of day in Guanajuato. The alleys are narrow enough that they transmit light in a way similar to a desert slot canyon. Direct sun striking the upper reaches of a deep alley can bounce back and forth off of the buildings, projecting a soft, radiant light deep into the shadows. A fully lit alley wall can also reflect a very strong glow onto the adjacent wall or around corners.

The light is constantly changing, so part of my challenge is to find doors and windows that have special character and then return to photograph them when they are illuminated by particularly intriguing lighting conditions.

These are just a few of the door and window photos I have taken on this visit so far.  I also took a bunch last time I was here and I’ll probably photograph some more before I leave.  I’m not sure what I’m going to do with all the door photos.  Photographing them is mostly a compulsion.  I suppose I’ll publish some of the best ones on greeting cards.  I have also had requests for a “Doors of Guanajuato” poster, which I think is a pretty good idea.

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Pink House on Calle Tecalote

As my condition improved through the week I went out to take photos as I was able.  The weather has remained mostly cloudy and a bit drab, but there have been moments of the brilliant light that that Guanajuato is known for.

The unusually cold and wet conditions reminded me of some tips for making the best of urban photography at times when the weather is less than ideal.  First, since cities provide their own light, twilight and night photography are opportunities for great light even when the weather is poor.  There are two periods each day, around sunrise and sunset, when  cities come alive  with their own light, even on overcast days.  During twilight a dull gray sky will appear blue while city lights glow in a variety of colors.  A second tip is to be prepared to move quickly during weather breaks.  I was able to quickly jump into action a couple of times when sun broke through the clouds for brief periods.  The photo ops didn’t last long, but the light was particularly dramatic.

Brief Sunbreak at Sunset

The images in this post are of city vistas and of some of the notable landmarks around Gunajuato.  I took them either in twilight or night time lighting conditions, or during a few breaks in the cloudy weather.  I hope  you enjoy.

Templo San Diego

Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato

Teatro Juárez

Iglesia de San Francisco

Stormy Sunrise

Plaza de la Paz, Guanajuato

Normally I get a little  bummed when I get up early for photo shoot to find it raining.  But on our second day in Guanajuato I was perfectly happy with the light drizzle.  Night cityscape photography is just about the only time I like to shoot in the rain.  The mix of colorfully painted buildings  and well lit callejones (alleys) in Guanajuato make night photography here particularly beautiful anyway.  But one thing that can enhance that beauty is if the cobbles are wet, causing them to shimmer, reflecting the color and light.

Calle Tecalote in the Rain

It wasn’t raining hard, but I still got thoroughly soaked as I wandered around the streets in the dark.  Keeping the camera lens dry was also a challenge, especially for the 20-30 second exposures that were required while using a circular polarizer and an aperture of  f/16 in low light.  In the northwest US, rain is common enough that there are usually awnings or covered entries to hide under when shooting cityscapes in the rain.  Not only are awnings rare in this arid part of the world, but most buildings don’t even have any sort of eaves to hide under.  I was only able to take a few images before my gear and I were wet enough to call it a morning.  Still, I’m excited about the images I did get and hope to have another chance to photograph in the rain while I’m here.  On the other hand, I might give up that chance if it meant I could get some warm, sunny weather.  I’m layered up and freezing at the moment since the houses don’t have insulation, double pane windows or weather stripping.

Guanajuato Streets in the Rain

Guanajuato Sunrise

So, why this particular region of Mexico?  Several reasons actually.  Guanajuato, the city that I will be based out of, is the  sister city to my home town, Ashland, Oregon.  The two towns  share geographic and cultural similarities.  Both are located in valleys in the mountains, both are university towns and both have theater festivals and strong art culture.  Since the two towns became “sisters” there has been a continuous exchange of students, teachers, musicians, artists and city leaders.  My wife has been coming here for several years to attend Spanish language school.  This year our sons are old enough to begin taking Spanish lessons, so we decided to move the entire family down for a month of language immersion.  I made a short trip to Guanajuato about three years ago and fell in love with the photographic potential of the architecture, character and beauty of the town.  During this more extended stay I hope to do the kind of in depth photography that comes with familiarity with a place and also travel to some of  the other towns and environs in the region.

Early colonists came to the mountains of central Mexico to mine for metals and minerals.  The towns are often built on steep hillsides in narrow valleys.  In Guanajuato, most of the roads are in tunnels beneath the city and the town is accessed via pedestrian streets and very narrow and steep alleys.  The colorful houses are stacked upon each other like a big game of tetris and the alleys can be almost as narrow, deep and winding as slot canyons in Utah.  Needless to say, Guanajuato and the other mining towns in the region are popular with photographers.

Calle Potrero, Guanajuato, Mexico

My focus this month is to continue the photography that I started on my previous visit and try to create the most beautiful, dramatic and expressive images of the area that have ever been taken.  I have a virtual office set up here so I can continue to work and do business via the Internet.  Processing images on my laptop is difficult.  The lesser contrast, resolution and  speed mean that the images I post during the trip will be as good as I can get them, but will be in rough draft form.  All of them will need to be remastered when I get home, but hopefully they will give you an idea of what I’m going for.

For those of you who think I’m in Mexico to relax in the sun, not quite.  Guanajuato sits almost 7,000 feet above sea level and the average temperature is 62 degrees F.  January is the coldest month and temperatures at night can drop into the 30s.  Today it is cold and rainy.  So, this isn’t a Mexican beach vacation I’m on here.  While I like to sit on the beach and surf as much as anyone, the culture, scenery and history of this place will make it a very rich experience of living, learning, spending time with my family and doing my work.

On the Best of the Northwest Workshop calendar I will be co-instructing the following two workshops.

South-central Oregon Coast

February 26 – March 1, 2010

Based in Coos Bay/North Bend we’ll be photographing dramatic cliffs, waterfalls, sand dunes, crashing waves, and also tidepools.

Redwood National Park & Northern California Coast

June 11-14, 2010
We’ll be photographing the spectacular giant Redwoods during the wild rhododendron bloom. We’ll also be visiting the beautiful northern California coastline.

Best of the Northwest Workshop leader David M. Cobb is a nature and wildlife photographer who has hiked and photographed throughout the world. A member of NANPA & the GWA, he is a regular contributor to a variety of gardening, lifestyle, nature, and travel publications as well as calendars, cards, books, brochures, and other printed materials.  David is a genuine human encyclopedia of the best photography locations and how to photograph them.  In addition to the two workshops David will be doing with me, he will also be leading a variety of other workshops in 2010 with co-instructor Jonathan Ley to locations such as Victoria, the Palouse, Crater Lake, Yellowstone and the Tetons.

Workshop space is limited and they fill quickly, so contact Best of the Northwest Photo Workshops to reserve your spot.

Contact info: