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. 

It's All Coming Together Now

As the months roll by, I'm happy to say, I'm right on with my original schedule.  Putting together a book requires a lot of time.  So far, I've organized, written stories, bought a new design program to put it all together, I've been learning to use said program, scrapped a bunch of work and the list goes on and on.  This journey has been intense and ever so rewarding.  Seeing the first few pages laid out, putting together the stories with the photographs and realizing daily this is going to happen, makes me elated beyond words.  

I'm ready to share a few of the pages I've put together.  While these are only the JPEG versions (sized for the web), you can click on them and see them near print size.  I left a few mistakes in the text to keep it from being exactly as it will be published later.  

Take a look and let me know what you think.  The road to completion is growing shorter by the day... and nights, as the majority of the work is happening while most normal people sleep.

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.