It was late afternoon as we drove through mid Utah, storms were brewing over these rolling mountains to the east. I exited 15 South into a tiny town of who’s name I’m unsure, pulled over in the outskirts and I made this frame on my tripod from the roof of our Ford. I felt a bit like Ansel standing up there, though I did go for a color. I rather like the mood of the clouds with the bold curvy lines of the hills. The scene seems to speak of coming storms, but is broken by the twinkle of blue from behind.
This is the Dave Johnston Power Plant – A coal plant in Wyoming. I feel it had it’s own beauty, spires of cement intermingling with the flow of nature. This company allows people to walk in and use the land around the plant for hunting, hiking etc, leaving the beauty that surrounds this plant unmarred. It’s a great example of industry mixed with nature. I come from hydro eclectic county where our massive power output is used around the nation and I find the engineering behind such essentials industry to have a beauty all it’s own.
For Photographers. How it was made / Color Chrome process…
You can find this spot at coordinates: 37.267000, -113.176000 (view on map)
I am in awe. Tonight’s campsite is high on the Smith Mesa area overlooking Zion National Park. I believe this is the most amazing view I’ve seen in my life. You have to be here to feel the scope of it. We’re camped just a few yards from this bluff right now. No one else around, a silent expanse of dessert fading far below under watching stars.
This is just a iPhone reference photo I took as we set up camp, not a final. It was followed by a stunning sunset and I’ve made various compositions as the light changed. Is there any way to present this and fully show it’s beauty? I think probably not. With a place this amazing it’s hard to show it’s full beauty. Hoping I can nail this one… Gav
by Gavin Seim – I know I’m a bit behind getting out the next Pro Photo Show. Don’t worry though because I’m still here. We (me, my wife and two kids) have been on the road for about 30 days now, exploring and teaching. I’ve photographed from the hills on Montana to the water of the Mississippi and all over in between. It’s been amazing and I’ve been learning a lot. I plan to make it home in the next week or so and when I do getting out another PPS episode will be high priority.
So where I’ve been. From WA, through Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and into Minnesota for workshops. Back westward again down into South Dakota, Wyoming and yesterday into Utah. We’re pretty much going where we feel like but heading in the general direction of home. I have a Verizon MiFi so I’ve been able to stay amazingly connected.
For this interested in what I’m photographing and studying during all this, I’ve been posting to f164, my new travelogue and deep study journal. I’m posting images I’ve made talking techniques I’m trying and just taking it easy while talking shop.
So I just wanted to give everyone a shutout. Hope you’ll join me on f164 as I experiment and learn more about light during these travels. There so many interesting things about our craft and I plan to do these type of travels more in the future. Catch you soon… Gav
We spent the last three nights camping in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I was up with the sun yesterday lurking in the shadows of morning and waiting for the light to turn magical. I drove a remote fire lookout I had noted on the Forest Service map. When I arrived I was a disappointed to find the the view less then spectacular.
I loaded up and started back down the mountain, but stopped when I saw these broken, burned trees. The light was coming over the horizon behind me, with the moon still in the sky over the tree tops. The way they stood, broken yet proud, immediately caught my eye. I stopped and spent some minutes planning this single composition.
It’s hard to show the beauty of a scene like this is so small a space. It needs to be in a large print. Since this is not a large print I’ve added a close detail crop below to give a better feel for the intricacy in this scene.
