What is a Giclee?

Valerie — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:19:53 +0000

A Giclee (pronounced zhee-clay) is a fine art ink jet print.

Giclee prints use archival ink with exceptional color accuracy and 100 year life span in accelerated testing. The quality is comparable to traditional darkroom prints. The ink is usually pigment based, although there are some solvent based inks, as well. Giclee’s are typically created with at least 8 different inks and as many as 12. They can be printed on a variety of materials, including photographic paper and canvas.

They are a popular choice among artists, curators and publishers because they’re a relatively inexpensive way to produce high quality reproductions of art. Giclee’s have been on display at the finest galleries around the world and regularly sell for thousands of dollars at auction.

The term Giclee comes from the french word, gicleur – to spray.

The Narrows Photography

Valerie — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:33:29 +0000

The Zion Narrows is one of the most exciting hikes that I’ve ever done, anywhere. If you’ve hiked volcanoes, rain forests, deserts and snow covered mountains, like I have, you’ll want to hike the Virgin River Narrows in Utah. It was amazing, every soggy step of the way!

Everything I’d read about the Virgin River Narrows warned that it’s a very strenuous hike. Don’t let that scare you! True, you can’t see your feet or where you’re stepping but if you have the proper equipment and tread at your own pace, then the hike can be tailored to your comfort level. Be aware, however, that there are certain uncontrollable elements. If there’s a strong current, for instance, it may be best to wait to hike another day.

It also helps to be a comfortable swimmer. There are areas of the river that you will need to swim across because they are too deep to walk. Expect to be in waist deep water through most of the hike.

Tips for Photographing the Virgin Narrows

- The canyon walls are incredibly high, meaning that most of the hike is in the shade. Shade generally makes for cold toned photos.
- Shade will also mean longer exposure times. Consider using a fast lens to compensate.
- Definitely use a tripod when your shutter speeds are slower than 1/15. Slow shutter speeds will soften the river water and capture great motion blur.
- Fall colors are amazing in the canyon.
- Plan on spending all day there.
- The best light will be from 11am to 2pm. Be inside the canyon long before then to scout your compositions.

From bug bites to falling rocks, no hike is without risks. Know the risks before the hike to manage them successfully. The 3 Main Risks to manage in a Narrows hike are:

Flash Floods
Hypothermia
Broken Bones

The 4th, unofficial risk to manage is:

Keeping your camera dry

Equipment:

Hiking pole – Choose a wooden hiking pole that is about shoulder high. While you’re hiking, use the pole to feel the terrain in front of you. (Remember, you can’t see where you’re stepping.) Try to keep the pole two steps in front of you, when you can’t see, to feel for holes, large rocks, etc. There are several equipment rental places in Springdale, UT where you can get a good hiking pole.

Avoid using telescoping trekking poles. They will bend more easily than a wooden hiking pole. They don’t have the added advantage of height. Also, sand and water are likely to get inside the pole and could cause future problems. Most importantly, they are not long enough to test the river depth.

A couple of hikers floating down a particularly deep section of the Virgin River.

Quick Dry Clothes – The hike takes you in and out of the water throughout the canyon. When you’re out of the water, you’ll be a lot more comfortable if you’re in light weight, breathable, quick dry clothes.

Shoes – 5.10 Canyoneer Shoes. These are the the ugliest and most wonderful shoes ever! Buy your own or rent them in Springdale. These shoes will protect your feet and ankles from rocks and debris that you can’t see. They’re very supportive and have grippy outer soles that will make walking on rocks much easier.

Socks – Wear neoprene socks inside the rented shoes to prevent blisters. They will also help keep your feet warm. You can rent these, as well.

Dry Suit or Dry Pants – Wear a full dry suit from about Dec to March when the water temp may be as cold as 40 degrees. From Oct – Nov and April – May, the water is a little warmer and dry pants may be sufficient. (Rent-able)

Dry Bag for camera – There are a number of different manufacturer’s of SLR Dry Bags. Make sure that your camera is easily removable so that you’re not struggling every time you want to take a photo. Test the waterproofing before your trip. **Put a dry towel inside the empty dry bag, seal it and then submerge it in a bathtub. Dry the outside of the bag before you open it to remove the towel. If the towel’s wet, the bag is not waterproof.** Remember, that equipment can fail; consider putting your camera into a plastic bag, within the dry camera bag for your hike. I wear my SLR Dry Bag slung around my neck like I regulary wear my SLR camera for easy access. It’s also convenient to grab it and hold it over my head when the water gets deep. (Also rent-able. Be aware that rental gear gets abused and the outfitter will offer no guarantee.)

Dry Bag for other essentials – Usual accessories such as sunblock, sunglasses, hat, first aid kit, drinking water, lunch, etc can go into a separate dry bag that you won’t need to access as frequently as your camera bag. Also, I keep my spare memory cards and batteries in a plastic zip-lock bag, within my second dry bag. This way, if one bag fails, I won’t loose all of my work because half my CF cards are in another bag. Also, I’m constantly pulling my camera out of the dry bag and I don’t want to worry about loosing other items.

Backpack – You need to keep your hands free for the walking stick, your balance and photo ops. Bring a backpack that you can get wet and put your dry bag inside it. Or, get a dry bag that you can wear like a backpack.

Always check in at the Ranger’s Station before you start the Narrow’s Hike to check the:
Weather Forecast
The Flash Flood Potential
Virgin River Stream Flow Rate

Trailhead – There are two ways to hike the Narrows.

If you enter from the south, you do not need a permit. This is a great place for anyone to start, especially if you’re with kids (4 feet tall and higher), have limited time or are unsure of your ability. You can turn around at any time. Once you get through the first quarter mile the number of hikers decreases dramatically. There will continue to be less people the further you go.

Mystery Falls

To get to the trailhead, walk 1-mile down Riverside Walk from the Temple of Sinawava. It’s a paved sidewalk that meanders along the Virgin River, past hanging gardens and bold squirrels. (If you like photographing animals, spend some time with the squirrels. They love to pose.)

The first big point of interest is Mystery Falls, about .5 mile upstream.

It’s about another 1.5 mile upstream hike to Wall Street, which is where the narrowest section of the canyon starts.

Around the bend from Wall Street.

Just outside of Wall Street is a side canyon called Orderville Canyon. It’s well worth the detour if you have the time.

Finally, 2 miles further is Big Springs, the furthest you are permitted to hike from this direction.

Virgin River

If you have more time, would like a leisurely hike or want to camp, consider getting a permit to enter from the north. This is a 16 mile one-way that starts at Chamberlain’s Ranch. You’re hiking down stream the entire time but you’ll be carrying extra gear for your overnight. Figure on two 8-hour hiking days.

Less than 10 Calendars Left

Valerie — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:59:03 +0000

There are less than 10 calendar’s left! Buy yours now! This 12 month calendar is filled with photographs from Nevada, Utah and California. They make great gifts!

Salton Sea, California

February 2012: Salton Sea, California

March 2012: Valley of Fire, Nevada

April 2012: Valley of Fire

May 2012: The Narrows, Utah

June 2012: The Narrows, Utah

July 2012: Wall Street, Utah

August 2012: Valley of Fire

September 2012: The Narrows, Utah

October 2012: Thor's Hammer

November 2012: Queen's Garden Trail

December 2012: Devil's Rock Garden

How Many Megapixels Do I Need? (Digital Photography Terms, Part 3)

Valerie — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:43:34 +0000

How Many Megapixels Do I Need?

In the first two parts of this series, we talked about bits, pixels, megapixels and image sensors. We learned that there’s more to a good quality image than megapixels – there’s also the quality of the sensor. That’s all very important information, but none of it answers the basic question of How Many Megapixels Do I Need?

Quick Review: (For more information read Part 1 of Digital Photography Terms.)
Megapixels: 1 million pixels. A camera with a resolution of 2 megapixels can take a photo with 2 million pixels. To find out how many megapixels there are in an image, multiply the height by the width: 1200px x 1600px = 1,920,000px is a 2 megapixel image.

Generally speaking, to print photo quality, the resolution should be 300 ppi (pixels per inch). By that guideline, there’s just a simple equation to find out the largest photo quality size print you can make from a file.

# of pixels in height / 300 ppi = print height in inches
# of pixels in width / 300 ppi = print width in inches

Experienced photo finishers can make excellent prints from less resolution than that, however. The chart below is guideline that I created based on my experience.

Suppose we have an 8 MP image. Our image dimensions are probably (I say probably because exact dimensions will vary depending on the sensor size/type.) 3264 x 2448. (3264 x 2448 = 7,990,272)
Quality	Height	Width	Print Size
Photo Quality:	3264 / 300 = 10.88 inches	2448 / 300 = 8.16 inches	8 x 10
Excellent:	3264 / 250 = 13.056	2448 / 250 = 9.792	9 x 13
Very Good:	3264 / 200 = 16.32	2448 / 200 = 12.24	12 x 16
Good:	3264 / 150 = 21.76	2448 / 150 = 16.32	16 x 21

The chart below offers a guideline for determining what megapixel camera will best fit your needs. I used standard print sizes to keep things familiar, but remember that size ratios vary depending on the sensor.

Key:
Photo Quality – Looks as good as a traditional print from film.
Excellent – At normal viewing distace, you may not know that it’s not a real photo.
Very Good – At normal viewing distace, you’ll know that it’s not a real photo.
Good – Good enough for the family album, but don’t try to submit it to an Art Gallery.
Passable – It won’t be sharp; there will be noticable noise in the image. But, if you really wanted a print then you’ll deal with it.
Poor – Pixel squares will be obvious in the print. It’ll hurt too much to view / don’t waste the ink.

Resolution	4″ x 6″	5″ x 7″	8″ x 10″	11″ x 14″	16″ x 20″	20″ x 30″
1 Megapixel 1152 x 864	Very Good	Good	Poor	Poor	Poor	Poor
2 Megapixel 1632 x 1224	Photo Quality	Excellent	Good	Passable	Poor	Poor
3 Megapixel 2048 x 1536	Photo Quality	Photo Quality	Very Good	Good	Passable	Poor
4 Megapixel 2464 x 1632	Photo Quality	Photo Quality	Excellent	Good	Passable	Poor
5 Megapixel 2584 x 1936	Photo Quality	Photo Quality	Excellent	Very Good	Passable	Passable
6 Megapixel 3008 x 2000	Photo Quality	Photo Quality	Photo Quality	Very Good	Good	Passable
7 Megapixel 3072 x 2304	Photo Quality	Photo Quality	Photo Quality	Very Good	Good	Passable
8 Megapixel 3264 x 2448	Photo Quality	Photo Quality	Photo Quality	Excellent	Good	Passable
10 Megapixel 3872 x 2592	Photo Quality	Photo Quality	Photo Quality	Excellent	Very Good	Good

Digital Photography Terms, part 2

Valerie — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:26:32 +0000

Image Sensors

An image sensor is a flat piece of silicone with photosites (light sensitive diodes) that capture light in the form of photons. Those photons are converted to the binary 1’s and 0’s discussed in Part 1 of Digital Photography Terms.

Types of Image Sensors

CCD – Charge-coupled Device
This sensor converts photons to 1’s and 0’s, one row at a time, by transferring them to a separate amplifier device.

CMOS – Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
CMOS sensors have an amplifier device built in. Also, these are a lot less expensive to manufacture because they can be use in a wide array of electronic devices.

Image Sensor Size

Image sensors come in a wide variety of sizes. Generally speaking, point and shoot cameras have smaller sensors than DSLR’s. Larger image sensors capture more light with their larger photosites, thus reducing noise. So, a 6 megapixel camera with a larger sensor may take better photographs than an 8 megapixel camera with a smaller sensor. This goes back to last weeks post, when I said that Megapixels are important, but they aren’t the only thing that affects image quality.

(For more on noise, read the Noise Reduction post.)

Here are just a few examples of different sensor sizes. This is really just the tip of the iceberg.

Cell Phone Camera:	Orange	3.2mm x 2.4mm	iPhone 4
Point and Shoot:	Green	6.16mm x 4.62mm	Nikon CoolPix S9100
Consumer and Pro SLRs:	Red	22.3 x 14.9 mm	Canon T1i, Canon 7D
Professional SLRs:	Yellow	36mm x 24mm (same as 35mm film)	Canon 5D Mark II, Nikon D3X

Digital Photography Terms, part 1

Valerie — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:22:34 +0000

Bit: A bit is a binary element and the smallest piece of data. It can be either of two values: 1 or 0. It’s represented like this: 2 ¹. A bit has 2 color values.

2 bits (2 ²) have 4 color values … and so on …

Byte: 8 bits equal 1 byte. One byte is represented like this: 2 ⁸ A byte has 256 color values (2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 256).

Pixel: The term pixel comes from the combination of the words picture and element. Pixels are made up of bits. Many pixels make up an image. The shape of a pixel can vary depending on the medium or device, although square pixels are the most common shapes on computer monitors and DSLRs.

Bits Per Pixel (bpp). Bits give the pixels color. The combinations of 0’s and 1’s creates the colors of the image. More 0’s and 1’s mean more colors and more accurate color.

Bits Per Channel (bpc): There are three color channels in an RGB (color) image: Red, Green and Blue. There’s only 1 color channel in grayscale and bitmap images. Now, here’s where it starts getting complicated …

A grayscale image has only 1 channel. So, an 8 bit image has 8 bpp (2 ⁸ or 256 color values per pixel) and 8 bpc (2 ^8*1 or 256 color values per channel).

An RGB image has 3 channels: 2 ^8*3 (256 Red x 256 Green x 256 Blue) equaling 16,777,216 color values (also called true color). This is a 24 bits per pixel image, as every pixel has three 8-bit color channels (8 x 3).

Megapixels: 1 million pixels. A camera with a resolution of 2 megapixels can take a photo with 2 million pixels. To find out how many megapixels there are in an image, multiply the height by the width: 1200px x 1600px = 1,920,000px is a 2 megapixel image.

How important are megapixels? They’re important. But, they’re not the only factor that affects quality. Let’s first look at one image, sized to three different megapixels. The only differences between the images below are the megapixel count.

Uncropped image, 12 in x 18 in, for frame of reference. I'm going to reduce the megapixels, but not the print size for this illustration.

21 Megapixel image

2 Megapixel image

1 Megapixel image

There’s a considerable loss of sharpness in the 2 and 1 megapixel versions, at this picture size. I would not want to print a 1 or 2 megapixel image to 12 in x 18 in. However, if I wanted smaller prints or web use, 21 megapixel would be unnecessary:

4 in x 2.6 in, 1 megapixel image. Good for web use

4 in x 6 in, 2 megapixel. Good for a print.

Here, we’ve isolated the effect of megapixels on the quality of an image. In the next post, we’ll look at another factor that effects image quality: Image Sensors.

2012 Landscape Photography Calendars

Valerie — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:20:09 +0000

2012 Landscape Calendars go on sale Nov 1st! There’s only one calendar design this year, and these will go fast! Don’t wait to place your order.

Salton Sea, California

February 2012: Salton Sea, California

March 2012: Valley of Fire, Nevada

April 2012: Valley of Fire

May 2012: The Narrows, Utah

June 2012: The Narrows, Utah

July 2012: Wall Street, Utah

August 2012: Valley of Fire

September 2012: The Narrows, Utah

October 2012: Thor's Hammer

November 2012: Queen's Garden Trail

December 2012: Devil's Rock Garden

Quick Tips to Better Landscape Photography

Valerie — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:24:17 +0000

Consider these 6 simple photography tips when you’re shooting landscape photographs.

1
Select your equipment carefully. If you’re hiking, you may want to minimize the equipment you’ll carry. To shoot grand vistas, choose a wide angle lens. It will capture more of the scenery, as well as provide the opportunity to create depth by incorporating elements into your foreground.

2
Compose a foreground, middle and background. Remember to add a secondary subject in your image. This will add depth, interest, movement and a frame of reference.

3
Maximize your Depth of Field. Choose your f-stop carefully. Consider shooting at f/22 for a crisp image from foreground all the way through to the background.

4
Compose Carefully You took the time to hike to a gorgeous location, don’t just point and shoot, now! Consider the Rule of Thirds when you’re composing the shot, remembering not to automatically center your subject.

5
Find your Leading Lines Include Leading Lines and other design elements in your composition to create depth, interest and movement.

6
Shoot during sweet light to avoid harsh shadows and high contrast light. The best times of day for landscape photography are early morning and late in the afternoon. The side light will accentuate depth and texture in your image. The Golden Hour is the first hour following sunrise, and the last hour preceding sunset. This is the warmest and softest light of the day.

The photograph above was taken during the Golden Hour, with the sun behind me, shining on the mustard colored earth. It accentuated the great texture of the hills, as well as made the mustard color pop with additional warmth.

Most importantly, think about what you’re photographing before you click the shutter. Hold the camera to your eye and move around. Crouch low, climb high, stand between branches of a tree … consider your options before clicking the shutter.

Add Depth to Your Photography

Valerie — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:31:21 +0000

In landscape photography, we often look off into the distance to find subject matter. However, it’s just as important to remember our foregrounds!

Incorporating a secondary subject into the foreground of a photograph will add depth, interest and movement. Overall, it will create a more dynamic shot and add dimension to an otherwise flat image.

The boulders in the foreground of this photograph add depth, texture and dimension to the scene.

Also, notice that my horizon line is higher in the first image. Giving the foreground more space in the frame will add depth and more space for a secondary subject.

This photograph feels very flat and boring. There's nothing to make your eyes move throughout the scene.

Consider using a small aperture to maximize Depth of Field for a sharp image from foreground all the way through to the background.

Tripod Tips

Valerie — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:54:42 +0000

1.Use a Level.
Most tripods come with a small bubble level that is perfect for ensuring that the camera isn’t crooked. If your tripod doesn’t have one, then pick up an inexpensive level from the hardware store, or a specialty tripod level from the photo store. Otherwise, you may end up cropping your great composition to fix your crooked photo.

2.Cover your eyepiece.
Light can enter your eye piece, just as it does your lens. If you’re not shooting manually, then light through the viewfinder will affect your exposure. This is not usually a concern when hand holding the camera, as your face is blocking the viewfinder from light. When using a tripod, however, if you’re not looking through the viewfinder when you click the shutter, then make sure you’re covering the viewfinder some other way. Many DSLRs come with a cover (attached to the manufacturer’s neck strap) for this occasion. If you don’t have one, try using your hand, being careful not to cause movement. Or, set your exposure manually.

Note the difference in tones in the two photographs above. The eye piece was left uncovered in one of the photos. Both pictures were shot with the exposure mode set to Aperture Priority. The change in aperture was slight, but it was enough to drastically change the yellows in the image. Nothing was done in post processing, yet the yellows look too saturated to be real and there’s a slight loss of detail in that area. Under high contrast lighting situations, the change to exposure can be much greater.

3.Weigh It Down.
If you’re shooting in a windy situation, or in rough water, the tripod can move or shake. Many tripods have a hook in the center for hanging weight from it to keep it steady in these situations. If you don’t have a sand bag to hang from the hook, then hang your camera bag. Or, keep an empty bag on hand to fill with whatever you can find on location (rocks, sand, water, etc)

4.Extend the legs before extending the center column.
Extend the neck (or center column) of the tripod as a last resort. It’s the least stable part of the tripod and leaves your camera more vulnerable to motion. Additionally, Use the lowest height necessary to get the shot. The taller your tripod is extended, the less stability it offers. Use the least amount of leg extensions needed. Generally, the more leg sections a tripod has (whether they’re extended or not), the less stable it is.

5.Extend the legs to their widest (not to be confused with tallest) setting.
For the most support, spread the tripod legs fully. Keeping them tucked closer will not offer much support.