Tag: Afternoon Sun

Mount Ord’s Pine-Covered Heights Picture of the Week - Rye, Arizona

Mount Ord from the west side, showing its majestic peaks and pine-covered heights.
Mount Ord’s Pine-Covered Heights – Behold the awe-inspiring Mount Ord as it stands tall, adorned with lush pine-covered peaks. The afternoon sun casts its warm glow, revealing the rugged beauty of this majestic mountain.

Welcome back to the final episode of our Mazatzal Mountains tour. This week, our magic bus has made it over the last mountain pass, and we’ve stopped in Rye, the quaint community nestled at the bottom of the final grade leading to Payson. Here, the Beeline Highway exits the Mazatzals, bidding farewell to the majestic mountains that have enchanted us throughout our journey.

This week’s featured photograph, Mount Ord’s Pine-Covered Heights, captures the awe-inspiring grandeur of this majestic peak. Standing tall at 7,128 feet, its proud summit is crowned by a lush and verdant pine forest, gazing serenely at the world below. Mount Ord’s presence commands the landscape like a sentinel guarding the horizon. While it may not claim the title of the tallest peak in the Mazatzal Range (that honor goes to the 7,903-foot Mazatzal Mountain hidden behind the camera), being the highest point in Gila County is no small feat—perhaps deserving a participation trophy for its natural splendor.

Near the mountain top, the dark green foliage is an honest-to-goodness pine forest. It’s a sight to behold, and, unfortunately, a locked gate restricts access to this cool, refreshing forest on the unpaved service road leading to the summit. However, the image allows us to appreciate the beauty of this hidden gem from a distance.

Another fascinating feature in the photograph is a rugged and dramatic limestone layer emerging from the Earth’s embrace, seemingly carved by the hands of ancient giants. These yellowish rocks bear the story of a primordial ocean, etched into their very essence through eons of geological transformations. This layer of limestone formed millions of years ago in the sea and was later thrust into its current location during the continental crash that shaped the Rocky Mountains. This geological history makes the Mazatzals a part of the fender dent of that ancient collision.

Close-up of an exposed limestone ridge, showcasing its jagged and fractured formations.
Jagged Elegance: The Thrust of Limestone – Intricate and sharp, the exposed limestone ridge reflects the Earth’s geologic history. Bathed in the warm glow of the backlit sun, this natural sculpture reveals the forces of nature at work.

The second image we’ve posted this week is a closer look at the limestone layer on the west side of the highway. One particular jagged piece looks like a shard of glass ready to be used in a bar fight. I’ve also captured a beautiful Claret Cactus in full bloom for those seeking variety beyond the rocks.

Close-up of a claret cactus with its vibrant, sunlit flowers in full bloom.
A Burst of Color: Vivid Claret Cactus Flowers – Midst the desert landscape, the claret cactus graces us with its vivid flowers, glowing like radiant gems in the sunlight.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our magic bus excursion through the Mazatzals and that you’ll appreciate the beauty of these mountains, even more the next time you drive up to Payson. As always, I invite you to view larger versions of “Mount Ord’s Pine-Covered Heights” on my website by following this link [Jim’s Website] or on Fine Art America using this link [FAA Page].

Next week, prepare to venture off the beaten path as we leave the comfort of our magic bus behind. In embracing cooler climes and untouched wilderness, we’ll embark on an invigorating hiking adventure to uncover the hidden gems of nature’s gallery.

Till next time,
jw

Techniques: Mastering Back Lighting

In photography, an outdated rule advises shooting your subject with the light behind and to the side of the camera. While this approach works well in about 80% of cases, there’s still the other 20%—those tricky backlit situations. Today, I’ll share how I tackle such challenging conditions during the shoot, and next week, we’ll delve into post-processing in PhotoShop to perfect these images.

A common concern in modern digital photography is preserving the highlighted details in a scene. Overexposing the highlights can lead to blown-out areas and loss of detail and information. Fortunately, many cameras, including mine, have a helpful tool to address this—the zebra stripes.

Zebra Stripes - The stripes are an exposure tool that warn you when the light is too bright for the camera sensor to capture.
Zebra Stripes – These are an exposure tool that warns you when the light is too bright for the camera sensor to capture.

Zebra stripes are diagonal lines that appear in your viewfinder, indicating areas where the light is too bright to be captured by the sensor. You can control when and where these stripes appear by setting the zebra threshold in your camera’s menu. For my workflow, I put the value to 100% to ensure a clear indication of potential overexposure.

Zebra stripes might appear in the sky or other bright areas when shooting in backlit conditions or during early morning or sunset. To tackle this, I slowly point my camera toward the bright area the stripes indicate until they disappear. This process helps me find the minimum exposure adjustment needed to avoid blowing out the highlights. Once the lines vanish, I half-press the shutter button to lock in the focus and exposure.

While holding the shutter button half-pressed, I recomposed the scene to my desired composition before fully pressing the shutter to take the shot. Finding the right half-press point takes practice, but with digital photography, you can afford to experiment and learn from your results.

Remember that when you review your shots taken using this method, the sky, and clouds might look perfect, but the ground could appear too dark with limited details. Don’t worry; next week, we’ll explore post-processing techniques in PhotoShop to enhance these images and achieve the perfect balance.

Until then, practice your zebra dance and keep saving those highlights!

Slope Serenade: A Symphony of Shadows and Light Picture of the Week - Cambria, California

A captivating landscape photo of Adelaida winery's orchard on a hill, with rolling grassy hills in the foreground, under a clear blue sky in San Luis Obispo.
Slope Serenade: A Symphony of Shadows and Light: This scene captures the heart of San Luis Obispo – Adelaida winery’s neatly arranged orchard rises towards a clear blue sky, contrasted with rolling grassy swells and randomly placed dormant trees in the foreground. The late afternoon light casts deep shadows, enriching the colors and depth of the scene.

It was that transition period between when the dream ended, and my brain realized that none of it made sense. Even though my eyes were still closed, I could tell it was getting light outside. The sparrows that live outside our window were bragging to the world that they had survived the night with their monotonous and repetitive one-note song. Their cheerfulness was annoying, and I wanted to get up and prove them wrong. My eyes opened, and I was startled to see a pair of terrifyingly familiar green eyes inches from my face piercing into my soul. “Where are you taking me for our anniversary this year?” she declared.

And so it began—our yearly Where-We-Going debate. It always starts with me suggesting picturesque destinations where I’d love to capture photos. In response, Anne dismisses each of my ideas with a wave of her hand and a flimsy excuse for why it won’t work. Eventually, the routine is settled when her eyes turn to her computer screen, scanning her travel-deal website. She comes to me with deals she’s found online, and we pick the best-sounding offers. But, when one of the Cambria hotels flashes a special offer, the debate ends abruptly, and we always seem to put it above all the others. I sometimes wonder why we even contemplate other locations. Cambria has our hearts, and with each visit, our love for it grows.

San Luis Obispo County holds a special place in our hearts, like a second home we never owned but always felt belonged to us. Each visit brings a sense of familiarity, a comforting assurance as if I’m retracing steps I’ve walked in another life. You see, there’s something about the central coast that’s magnetic. Its diverse landscapes, from the untamed coastlines where waves crash like thunderous applause against the rugged cliffs to the vineyards cascading over the rolling hills like emerald tapestries, invite us to immerse ourselves in a masterpiece of nature’s artistry.

Among the many charming towns in San Luis Obispo County, our favorite home base is Cambria. Nestled where the majestic pines meet the sea, Cambria embodies a unique enchantment. It’s coastal charm and small-town atmosphere create a perfect backdrop for our adventures. From strolling along Moonstone Beach, where the waves gently caress the shore, to exploring the quaint shops and art galleries in the historic East Village, Cambria feels like our personal sanctuary.

Honestly, the natural allure of the trip is the wine tasting—that’s a given. But if I negotiate an additional free day, the photographic opportunities in San Luis Obispo County are boundless. Nestled between the valleys of the inland and the majestic Coastal Range, San Luis Obispo County unfolds like a treasure trove of visual poetry, offering a kaleidoscope of subjects for my lenses to capture, each frame a brushstroke on the canvas of memories.

Securing that additional day, it’s a win-win for both of us. We get to explore fresh corners of the county, indulge in yet another incredible evening of indulgence, and gather a trove of memories to share with you; in the end, everyone’s content. And as they say—a happy wife means a husband that gets to live another day. We always leave with smiles and anticipation for the next visit.

And it’s not just the visual and culinary delights that captivate us. The welcoming spirit of the people we encounter during our visits adds an extra layer of warmth to the experience. From the passionate winemakers eager to share their stories to the locals who greet us with open hearts, their genuine hospitality further enriches our journey.

Thank you for taking the time to join us on this journey and being part of our story. This week’s photograph captures a piece of the enchantment that San Luis Obispo County holds for us. The orderly orchard, the wild grass, the deep shadows under the trees… It’s a tale of balance and contrast, where the ordered and the wild coexist. You can check out Slope Serenade’s web version here (https://www.jimwitkowski.com/newWork/orchird.html).

Next week, we’ll delve deeper into our adventures in San Luis Obispo County, sharing more stories and photos from this beautiful part of the world. Until then, keep exploring, keep dreaming, and remember every journey starts with a single step.

Till next time
Jw

Technique: Learning to See Light and Shapes

This week’s photograph shows how paying attention to light can make your pictures more interesting. The photo was taken in the late afternoon when the sun was starting to set. This type of light is often called “golden hour” and casts long, deep shadows under the orchard trees. Those shadows add depth, making the trees look more three-dimensional and the scene more dramatic.

When taking a photo, it’s essential to consider how the light interacts with your scene. In this picture, the golden hour light highlights the rich green color of the orchard, which stands out against the more natural, brownish color of the wild grass in the foreground. That contrast helps to separate the two areas and draw attention to the orchard.