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Greetings,
Since our last episode, we've experienced record cold here in the Pacific Northwest, snow, snow, more snow, rain, snow and rain. The snow's gone, for now.
And you'll all be thrilled to read that I'm in the midst (near the end, really) of another remodel project. This time we only replaced the French doors in our bedroom that lead to the back deck, along with a window next to the door, and a side window next to our front door.
The bedroom project required a bit of re-framing (no, I don't do that, we hired the same guy that remodeled our kitchen) and was interrupted by all the cold and snow and a Covid scare (it wasn't Covid). What that meant was that we had a big gaping hole in our bedroom for several days. Not to worry, it was closed off with some plywood and I tacked up an old sleeping bag and other items that insulate. That kept us warm throughout the ordeal.
Anyway, all the new things are installed, though I'm still working on the trim. That, I can do.
So on with the rest of the stuff for this month...
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Bosque del Apache Workshop Report
In early December, Cliff Zenor and I conducted a workshop at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. It was my first trip there but Cliff had visited before. We had a small group of folks, all eager to witness and photograph the birds of Bosque.
One thing we kept hearing from frequent visitors is that the water levels were very low this year and that there weren’t as many birds. If that’s the case, then when things are normal it must just be stupendous, because I thought it was simply amazing.
With all the opportunities presented and the number of pictures one can take, it’s hard to not come away with at least a few great images. And from what we saw during critiques, many great images were made.
To see some images and learn more, read the Bosque workshop report on my blog
Cliff and I are planning to go back to Bosque. If you're interested in photographing the spectacle that is Bosque, be sure to drop me a line and I'll add you to the list.
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White Sands Workshop Report
I wasn’t really sure what to expect from White Sands. I’ve seen the pictures, so I knew the possibilities. My co-leader Cliff Zenor had been there before though, so I wasn’t going in blind.
I’d seen plenty of pictures of white dunes, Yucca, pink skies. And I saw all of these. What I didn’t expect was how easy it was walking on the sand; Death Valley is a much greater challenge. What I also didn’t expect was the relatively small area of the park that’s immediately accessible. The one road into the park isn’t all that long.
Cliff and I arrived a couple of days before the workshop began to do some scouting and to confirm our permit with ranger Kathy. Kathy gave us a few suggestions of where we might easily find some un-tracked areas so we set out to see what we could find. It didn’t take us long to find a nearly pristine area that we dubbed our “Yucca Garden." We came back the next morning to scout and photograph the sunrise. That cemented our first impression of this spot being a photographic gold mine.
Turns out our group agreed. So much so that they wanted to visit it for three out of our four sunrise shoots. Each morning presented different light: brilliant sunrise colors in the clouds one morning, dark and moody clouds the next, clear blue skies on the last. And each visit gave us the opportunity for new images and different takes on previously photographed subjects. The images just got better and better.
Revisiting a location multiple times always pays off. Usually that means returning to a location over an extended period of time; it rarely happens in the few days of a workshop. This experience dramatically demonstrated why you go back to locations again and again.
To see images and learn more, read the White Sands workshop report on my blog.
And if you're interested in a White Sands workshop with me and Cliff, drop me a line and I'll add you to the notify list.
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Olympic National Park in May
May is prime time in Olympic for photographing the rain forests, waterfalls, and streams. Which is why I like to run a workshop during May. During the workshop we'll also spend time on the coast and in the Lake Crescent area. We’ll be based out of Forks for most of the workshop and move to Port Angeles for the last night to visit Hurricane Ridge for a sunset and sunrise. You can read all the details on my Olympics in May page.
 This workshop is limited to just six participants. Small groups mean you get more help, small groups don’t tend to walk into each other’s shots, and you’re not “competing” for the best spot in a small group. Another big plus of a small group is the camaraderie and synergy that develops.
I’ve extended and increased the early bird discount offer for my Olympic National Park workshop this May 17-21. For my newsletter readers, the discount it $200. I’ll also extend that to friends of newsletter readers!
Just respond to this email and let me know you want to take advantage. I’ll send you a link to a page where you can sign up.
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Dave Kelly's Image Editing Videos
Do you enjoy editing your images in Photoshop and Lightroom? I sure do. But sometimes it’s frustrating when you either don’t know where to start or can’t figure out how to isolate the area you want to edit, let alone knowing the best tool to use.
Lately I’ve been watching videos by Dave Kelly. His YouTube channel is called “The Joy of Editing” and it’s a fantastic resource. He goes through what he wants to change in an image (and why) and then he uses the tools needed to get the job done.
One thing I really like about his videos is that he very effectively uses repetition to demonstrate a technique. For example, he’ll make changes to different areas of an image using the same technique over and over again. So much so that you soon find yourself anticipating what he’ll do. And when that happens, for me at least, it means I understand the concept and the usage. Now I just need to use it on my own to solidify the technique.
Dave’s videos are well organized and well done.
He also provides download links to many of the images he uses for his demos so you can follow along.
Many of Dave’s videos involve using the TK8 Photoshop plugin by Tony Kuyper. He also covers Topaz tools among others.
If you haven’t done so already, give Dave’s YouTube channel a visit.
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Workshop openings
There are still openings in almost all of my workshops and tours for 2022.The exception is Olympic National Park in July with John Barclay,
That means there is still space available in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park workshop and the Palouse workshop, both with Cliff Zenor.
As mentioned above, there's space in my May Olympic workshop as well.
And there are still a few spaces left in the Yellowknife Aurora tours I'm leading with John Barclay in late September and early October. The auroras really are a spectacle you have to experience; words and pictures can't do them justice. And the aurora/sun cycle is back on the upswing!
Our tours are September 20-27 and September 27 - October 4. Visit my Auroras of the Northwest Territories page for more.
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Conversations about a dog
Yes, it's happening again. The conversation about getting a new dog has begun. There is no timeline, it being such a life altering decision and all. But by wife Tracy and I have started talking about getting another dog.
We will always miss our little Bailey, but we're feeling that urge to become parents again. When it does happen, be prepared for an annoying avalanche of dog pictures.
That's it for now. Everybody stay safe.
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