Compositions in nature grab my attention with the way they make me feel. My art is the translation of that emotion. I use my big film cameras because they enable me, more than any other media I've tried, to do justice to how a place makes me feel. This image is not the result of capturing 1,000 images and choosing which one works. This is THE composition and exposure that I was moved enough to create. These experiences change my life. They keep me going. The final images I produce are my attempt to share that with you. That is "The Fine Art of Nature".
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The final image, Christmas Valley Blizzard Panorama, was taken in January 2017, just up the pass from my house (literally a 3 minute drive from home). I had visited this grouping of trees several times and knew I wanted to compose a soft image of them, using the the far side of the canyon to add depth. I waited for a heavy snow, which was easy given our record winter (200% of normal snowfall), and headed out the door. As the sun dropped behind the mountains, I was able to get a nice even light with minimal contrast for the mood I had envisioned. I chose the panoramic format to eliminate sky, further minimize contrast, and simplify the focus on the trees. Given the low light, slow speed film and small aperture required for focus, I ended up with a 2 minute long exposure. This eliminated the ability to see falling snowflakes, and added a bit of detail to the trees, but maintained that soft "foggy" look of the background, as a lot of snow was falling.
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