It's Almost Ready

I know I've been rather silent on this blog and my other blog for the past few months, but for a good reason.  I've been rather busy working on the organization and planning of the layout for the book.  I'm happy to announce it's almost done.  I still plan a few more months of ironing out the wrinkles and making sure the quality is top notch all around, but here's sneak peak at the last chapter.  The chapter is all about being willing to travel outside of my comfort zone.  It's been an unforgettable adventure, which has left me longing for more.  

Make sure to click the image below for a larger preview. 

Adventure Time

I headed out yesterday with Jason Miney for a little adventure.  We've been trying to find exciting new places to photograph and old places that may need to be seen with fresh eyes.  After driving a little over 2 hours, we reached our destination.  Jason and I quickly surveyed the area, made a few makeshift plans and started to work.  It didn't take long for Jason to find something of interest and as I moved a little further I noticed something that I needed to create.  

Ice Crawl

I worked to wedge myself under the pier, so I could compose a frame from under looking out.  Without live view on the IR camera it was a tight squeeze, one I would later learn from Jason, was enough to make him stop working to try to figure out what the heck I was doing.  This is the photograph that started my spelunking endeavors.

We were shooting a lot of color images, as the ice was incredibly blue in hue.  I managed to make a few IR images between the color, but none so hurried as the following.  Standing on slick ice, I had to drop to my knees pull off my back pack, unpack the IR converted camera, get the settings adjusted (I shoot manual 99% of the time) and compose quickly before the sun dipped back behind the clouds.

With Flare

When I'm rushed I often forget the issue of lens flare due to the lack of a lens hood (which I finally ordered today).  I don't mind it in certain images and honestly, it was all part of the experience of making this photograph.

As we worked Jason decided to venture out a little closer to the edge.  I thought it would be a great opportunity to snag an image of his bravery.

  

The Things We Do

The ice was thick and extremely slick in the area he trekked out to get a different perspective.  We did meet a young man named Ky, who without much regard for life ventured all the way out to the lighthouse in the hope of finding a journal he said he left there.  We watched as he went slipping, sliding, crawling and at one point disappearing.  Later, as he returned, he tried to convince us the ice was not that bad, but with a few thousand dollars worth of gear, we opted for shooting another day.  

An amazing day with a lot of new work to add to the collection of infrared work I'm using to hone my skills.  I might even add one or two to the INVISIBLE book.  

A Sneak Peek

I thought I put a little sneak peak at one of the photographs from the INVISIBLE book.  This is one of Rebecca's favorites.  

Broken 

I don't want to say much about this yet, you'll just have to wait for the book.

My Birthday Wish

Today is my birthday and so far it's going just the way I wanted.  I woke up to plenty of fresh bleach white powdery snow (nearly 2 feet).  It's cold, well below freezing.  There's the promise of sunshine and a decent amount of clouds.  It all adds up to perfect conditions to get get out and make some new work.  My bag is packed, my gear and winter wear is hanging in wait and now I play the waiting game like a kid waiting for everyone else to wake Christmas morning (I had a hard time waiting as a kid, but that's another story for another day).

My goal today is head out to one of my favorite places.  

I'm not getting any younger.  I could use a good hike in the cold.  It clears my head.  I plan to do a little color photography, but for the most part, today is going to be an infrared kind of day.  So here's to turning another year older and doing something I love just one more day.

This Way Home

This Way Home II Textured Ed.

While the majority of the photographs for the INVISIBLE project are monochrome,  I am also working on color treatments and textured photographs.  All the works were made using my infrared camera, but some just call out for different treatment in the digital darkroom.

The day I stumbled on this scene, it was overcast and rather dull.  I had been wandering making some interesting frames, but as I walked closer to this tree stump, I stopped.  I started to look at it and I realized it was pointing in the direction of the entrance to the park.  I thought about it for a moment and wondered if someone bent the piece of wood as a sign of where to go if they lost their way.  I made several frames, but it wasn't until later that I realized the longing of the image.  That's why I added the textures.  To me it needed a little more story, more of a sense of losing oneself, but leaving hope for those to follow in my footsteps.   

Picking Up Where I Left Off

Falling is the easy part, it's finding the strength to get back up that's hard.

I hit a snag a few weeks ago.  I sprained my wrist, which kept me from doing any serious work on my computer for nearly 2 weeks.  Of course, as life would have it, I also lost an entire weekend to a nasty virus.  Spending 16-18 hours a day sleeping doesn't allow for much time to be productive.  Needless to say, this year started out with plenty of zing, but it also allowed a lot of little unforeseen hitches through the back door.   I could be frustrated.  I could just stop for now and pick up the project at a better time, but looking back at all that I have gone through, I realize, I owe it to myself to keep moving forward.

I thought of the day I hiked further than I'd ever gone on the Silver Lake sand dunes.  It wasn't a special day, until I pushed myself beyond my comfort zone.  I wanted to know what lay beyond the familiar horizon.  I was rewarded by a great number of opportunities that day and while this photograph didn't make it into the project, it's still a wonderful reminder for me of how far I was willing to push.

I hiked nearly 2 miles through the sand, unaware this tree would be waiting for me.  I had to wait for the sun to clear the clouds to make effective frames, but I managed to make several I was pleased with. 

I didn't give up that day, so I'm not going to let a few snags keep me from finishing the work I started.  No matter what stands in my way, I'm going to figure out a way around it.  This project is about more than some photographs I made, it's about the journey.