Valley of Fire SOC - Straight Out Of Camera

I've been to several inspiring landscape galleries this week.  What an amazing experience to walk through a gallery and stand in silence, full of emotion, and actually experience each photo in an photographer's gallery.  I'm inspired, I'm grateful, and I want to open my own gallery!  Soon!

My favorite was Peter Lik, in Las Vegas.  If I ever have the opportunity to meet that man, I will cry when I shake his hand.  The power in his photos...  I cannot find words to describe it.

This week has also brought up some thoughts, and some questions.  Many reputable photographers show composite photos in their galleries.  This means two or more photos are taken, then combined in post-processing ("photoshopped").  There is a lot of skill involved in combining photos, or any editing, and it defines much of a photographer's style.  My clients know it takes an average of 3-4 hours at the computer for every 1 hour shooting.  And I don't often show the unfinished product - I take pride in my work and want the photo to be complete before delivered.  But today I'm going to make an exception and here's why:

  I believe the world is a beautiful place.  As a photographer, I get to prove that.  Life in this world is beautiful and we get to celebrate it - in its light and darkness, its joy and pain, in its changing seasons, night and day, large rock formations or small butterflies on a flower.  I can use photography to let other people see through my eyes, my lens, and what an amazing thing that is.  I hope that if someone feels inspired by something a photo, they also open their eyes to see it in the beauty of every day - or every night.

Now, if you are ever left wondering if these photos are beautiful because they are "photoshopped" then I have failed.

Photoshop does not create beauty in these photos - yes, it is important and it refines what is already there.  But the colors, the sky, the stars, the light, the textures, the crispness, that's all SOC - Straight Out of Camera.   So, today, here is an example of an unedited photos.  I imported this Vallery of Fire photo (from Valley of Fire State Park) to my computer and didn't do any editing before taking the screen capture.  This is a single shot, not a composite photo.  And it's all real.  None of it is photoshopped in, it's just the beautiful world we live in!

I look forward to sharing the rest of my Valley of Fire State Park photos next week.  I'm headed down to Moab today :)

On the Road Again - More National and State Parks

A couple weeks ago, I committed to visit and photograph all 47 National Parks in the 48 contiguous states in America by 2020.  I also have several state parks and such on my "to visit" list.  This week, I'm on the road again - in Vegas!

I am so excited for the photoshoot here.  Valley of Fire!  My brother in law Ryan sent me a link to photos of Valley of Fire a couple months ago and I've been dying to get down there to take more night photography shots.  This trip, I'm lucky to have Kristen, one of my interns from back in 2011, go with me.  Looking forward to catching up, and lots of photos of stars, rocks, and light painting.

A Beautiful World

  I just got off the phone with a client, feeling inspired and excited.  It's funny, because I found myself saying phrases that may sound cliche, but words that ring true for me.  Why I keep doing this.  Why I love my job.  Why I love my life.  I enjoy that chance to discover myself - to hear words come out of my mouth and realize just how true they are.

Just before saying goodbye, I said "Yes! It's a beautiful world out there, and I have the chance to PROVE it."

So there we go!  I found another motto.  I am celebrating beauty - and proving it!

One of my favorites (click on the photo to see it on istock):

This photo was a few months ago, sunrise at Red Rocks Conservation Area - just outside Las Vegas.  I am happy to say I'll be returning to Nevada a few times between now and October.  Next time, I'll be photographing the Valley Of Fire State Park, it's been on my bucket list for a long time!  I will also have time for a few portrait sessions, send me an email if you're around Vegas and would like to set up a photoshoot while I'm there.  whitneylewisphotography@gmail.com

The World of National Parks

  Each day I wake up I have the opportunity to discover beauty newly.  It's not enough to simply remember what I discovered yesterday, I get to actually open my eyes and experience it.  Today.  Now.  In this world I live.

I live in Utah and when I truly open my eyes and see - not just look at, but SEE - the mountains and the nature around me, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.  Many drives through canyons and I want to yell out the window "I GET TO LIVE HERE!!"  A photographer's paradise.  So much to see, so nearby.

A couple days ago, I took an impromptu trip to Vernal, UT to visit a great friend, Mark, on his birthday.  We found a decent restaurant to eat (one of half a dozen restaurants in Vernal!), had a bon fire, and then went to Dinosaur Land National Monument for night photography.  It was cold, dark, scary, I whined way too much about the temperature, but still... it was absolutely beautiful.

This photo below is a 30 second shutter speed, flashlights to light up the background and a speedlight to light me on the rock.  We had a lot of fun "painting with light."

One of the most inspiring aspects of photography for me is the beauty of nature at night.  The way the stars light up the sky, I find such a sense of wonder and peace.  It is awesome - in the truest sense of the word.  Awe-inspiring.  While at DinoLand, I made a commitment: This summer, I am committed to visiting at least one National or State Park each month!  I am beyond excited to take this adventure on.

The photo above is no lights, the photo below is the result of walking around and using several speedlights from different angles (same location).

  Then, just today (a few days after my trip), on a dusty bookshelf, I found an old book I'd forgotten about called "America Wide - Panographs by Ken Duncan".  It's a book of photos of National Parks and other iconic views across the country.  A close high school friend, Matt, gave it to me as a present for my 17th birthday.  This was long before I had an SLR, before I had even CONSIDERED photography as a job or even a passion.  I was focused on music at the time, but have always had an appreciation for nature.  In the front of the book was a letter, and what an amazing thing to read through it and see where life has taken me from then to now.  Here's an excerpt I'd like to share:

"I want to present this book to you as a gift of encouragement not only for your 17th year, but also for life beyond. We all have trials and tribulations of life set aside for us to overcome and defeat, but if I can get you to remember one thing; about this archetypal battle, it's that you can't ever shut your eyes to the world around you, even in the midst of utter despair. Once you do that, you close the gate to a rejuvenating source of beauty.  Take this book... look at it... comment on it... then set it down for a long while. Force your eyes wide open to the picturesque beauty in your own world, and be amazed at the seemingly therapeutic results. Don't forget to open your eyes before the scenery whips by."

Thank you, Matt, for the example and encouragement of living an awesome life, full of awe for the world around.

 

Dan and Whitney's Excellent Adventure - Day 4 (Arches National Park)

Soo... Something strange happened when we left Lake Las Vegas and tried to go to the Grand Canyon.  Siri didn't know how to get there.  Really.  I had no information about the Grand Canyon and it was the middle of the night.  The internet wasn't helping much with direction either!  We twiddled our thumbs for a bit, then I said "I've never been to Arches, want to try that?"  And Dan, being the perfect travel companion, said "Yes.  Let's!"  A midnight stop at Walmart to try and find camping gear failed... and we got on the road anyway.  7 hours later, we showed up at the park.  We drove the loop, hiked around a bit, tried to sleep in the car without much luck, I took a nap in this arch:

Drove into Moab when I realized 30 minutes asleep in the arch was picturesque, but not particularly restful and I got a hotel to nap through the afternoon.  A 6 o' clock wake up call (pm... 6pm wakeup!),  I threw on both lightweight jackets and whatever I could scrounge up for a hike, then headed back into Arches for the beautiful evening light and (once again!) night shots.

The destination: Delicate Arch.

The discovery of an Arches virgin:  Here's the deal.  I thought for photo purposes, we would want the lower or the upper view.  We walked to the lower view, then hiked to the upper view, and soon realized there wasn't much possibility for variety from either perspective.  Which trail to hike?  Yes, apparently a photographer must actually hike TO the arch to get a view worth shooting.

The Challenge: 20 minutes to make it to the top by sunset.  (We had wasted some time doing lower and upper views and the sun was on its way down!)  I had a shoulder bag, bad shoes, a tripod, two lightweight jackets, a couple handwarmers.  I was completely ill-equipped for hiking to Delicate Arch.   Most people were already up there, but I was going to try it.

Now, apparently Moab in March is, uh, well, cold.  At least much colder than Vegas and California (for which our wardrobes were catered...).  While Dan wrapped himself up in a huge blanket and looked like a homeless guy walking up, I was determined to get there by sunset!  Aaaaand, I discovered just how out of shape I was.  My thighs started spasming, I almost threw up... And (here's the best reason to carry a camera when you hike) sometimes I would stop and pretend to take a photo just so people wouldn't judge me for having to stop.  But I was found out.  A little 7 year old girl stopped me and said "you're going to want to take a lot of pictures at the top.  It's really pretty up there."  A 4 year old boy saw me having a tough time and threw out a "you're almost there!"  I'm still not sure if it was encouraging or humiliating, but either way, I MADE IT.  Yes, I made it to the top... about 5 minutes after the sun went down.  I finally turned the corner and saw this:

I found a spot on the rock next to a few other photographers and I almost cried (commitment to self: I am working out enough and will be in shape enough to make any photography hike I want this summer even with all the gear!)  But a few breathtaking photos and everything was worth it.

 

(yes, Dan made it to the top too!)

One of the most interesting parts of Delicate Arch was the culture of photographers hanging out and practicing techniques together.  If one person uses lights, it will affect everyone else there, so we work together.  This photo was painting with light - a huge flashlight!

This is with no lights (just the glow of the moon on one side):

  Then everyone cleared out except one other photographer and we took turned playing with speedlights Strobist style.  Here's the winner of the night:

Yup.  Arches is a 5 star photography resort in Whitney's book.  I will DEFINITELY be back this summer.

We grabbed breakfast at a delightful diner and drove back in the morning!  An inspiring trip, I'm excited for all the photography adventures coming up in the next couple months.  We live in a beautiful world, don't we?

See the other blog posts from this Road Trip:

Day 1: Las Vegas

Day 2: Red Rock Conservation Area

Day 3: Lake Las Vegas