Brian H. Powell Photography

Dec 18

Sedona

Thursday, I was in Sedona, Arizona. I went on a short two-mile hike (on an injured leg—bummer) to a large sandstone arch named Devil’s Bridge, in Coconino National Forest. Here’s a view along the way. I hope to post some HDR images of the arch later.

I also visited the nearby town of Jerome. Once a huge copper mining community, it is now known for its artists and art galleries.

Finally, I ended the day at the Sedona Airport Scenic Overlook for sunset. Thin clouds have been coming in during the late afternoons, and the sunsets haven’t been that spectacular. However, I do like the clouds in this infrared shot.

Dec 18

Biosphere 2

Wednesday was mostly a travel day—going from Tucson to Flagstaff. Before I left the Tucson area, though, I decided to visit Biosphere 2. This was a structure built in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s for conducting ecological experiments in a man-made closed system. In its first mission, which began in 1991, eight people were locked inside with the goal of living for two years in an almost completely self-sustaining environment. While there were a variety of challenges with this mission, it met its duration goal by lasting for two years and twenty minutes.

Today, Biosphere 2 is a science laboratory run by the University of Arizona. I found the tour fascinating, not only for its reflection on the original Biosphere missions, but also for its glimpse into current, ongoing research at the facility.

Dec 15

Tucson, Day 2

As a musician, I’ve been trained, in the moments leading up to a performance, to relax—to calm myself, and peacefully contemplate what I’m about to do. It puts me into the right mindset, by clearing everything else out of my head. And then when I’m ready, I can execute the way all the rehearsals taught me to perform.

And so it needs to be with photography. I know my cameras; I can handle most of the photographic situations I’ll be in. But if my mind is still back home, thinking about work or other chores, I won’t be ready to make the photographs I know I can make.

Even in nature photography, there’s a lot to think about—what’s going to happen next? When’s the sun going to set? Which way is the wind blowing? What time does this park lock its gate? What’s the hyperfocal distance for this shot?

Today, in the Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park, I had to just say, “Stop!”

I was standing next to a 30-foot-tall Saguaro, and listening.

The wind was blowing hard. I stopped to listen to the wind flowing through the needles of the Saguaro. Wow. I bet a lot of people go through life never hearing that sound. Let’s listen a little bit more, to the birds, and the squirrels…

A whole lot of nature photography is being patient. It’s waiting for the right light. It’s waiting for a shadow to move. Or a cloud.

And sometimes, the right light doesn’t happen. Sometimes, the cloud doesn’t show up in the right spot. That’s part of nature photography.

But if my mind is open, I will still enjoy what I’m doing. I can listen for the wind. I can watch and listen for the animals around me.

Okay, I’m ready again. Ready to take another photograph. My mind is clear again.

Dec 14

Saguaro National Park

I’m in Arizona this week.

In the days leading up to this trip, I was stressing about projects left undone at work and at home. I wasn’t sure how easily I would shift my focus to photography.

I visited the Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park this afternoon. I just did a quick drive-through around sunset, to get a better idea of what I want to try tomorrow.

Once I got out into the desert, watching the sunset, I knew I was mentally prepared for the photography. The challenges back home are well taken care of (for which I am grateful!), allowing me to settle into the nature around me.

Here’s one of my infrared shots from today.

Look for more over the next week.

Oct 22

Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah

I spent some time in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia, yesterday. It’s one of the newer cemeteries in Savannah, meaning that it’s less than 150 years old.

The cemetery is known for its ornate statuary on the graves.

I had infrared photography in mind even before I went. Here’s one of my favorite shots.

Sep 26

1 Comment

Photos at Watson Studio Gallery

I have three photos in the IR Dreaming exhibit at Watson Studio Gallery in Johnson City. The exhibit features 53 infrared images from 34 different artists. It runs September 26th through October 24th, 2009. I hope you can drop by the gallery. Here I am with Carol Watson, Gallery Director. We’re standing next to my photo of clouds and tufas from Mono Lake, California, which won honorable mention!

Sep 21

Fall Color in Colorado

Click Images to Enlarge

I’ve just returned from a week in Colorado.

I enjoyed…

visiting great friends,
great weather,
the peak of fall color of the aspens.

A mountainside of beautiful fall color is a wonderful thing, but my “traditional portraits” of the aspens just weren’t exciting me.

So my friend Micaela and I walked into the forest a few yards. I aimed the camera up. And down. I slowed the shutter speed. I overexposed. I underexposed. I twisted the camera during the exposures.

I was having fun with my camera. And I finally felt creative. Let me know what you think.

Jul 28

1 Comment

Summer Trip Epilogue

I’ve been back for a couple of weeks now from my trip to the Pacific Northwest. The return to my “normal” life was slow and arduous. I was so ready to turn around and escape again.

Don’t get me wrong; there’s a lot I like about my “normal” life. But there’s a lot I like about traveling and experiencing new places.

As I look back on the experience, the most meaningful parts of the trip were the beginning and end. I started my trip visiting my college friend Claire and her family. I ended my trip visiting my friend Tricia and her collection of Hood River friends.

Yosemite, the Eastern Sierra, and the Cascade Range are fabulous. But they don’t hold as much meaning to me as renewing and growing old friendships. So thank you, Claire and Trish, for being the bookends of a wonderful trip. I can’t wait to see you again.

I was inspired by the long hikes.

I was inspired by blue skies and mild temperatures.

I was inspired by the beauty of the nature around me.

I was inspired by the people I met along the journey.

I was inspired by the photos that came out of my cameras at the end of each day.

I was inspired by my friends around the world who followed me on this blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter. I wish you could have come along.

Photographically, there were a few themes that really stand out about the trip…

With each use, I grow more and more excited about the images coming out of my infrared camera. (I had my Nikon D200 converted to infrared by Life Pixel.) I’m pleased to announced that I’ve started making prints for sale directly from my Zenfolio Landscapes Gallery, and the first three images are all infrared photos from this trip. I’ll be expanding this gallery in the coming weeks and months.
I had a blast photographing the windsurfers on the Columbia River. It requires a lot of the same skills as bird photography. I flipped a few familiar settings on the camera, and I was ready to follow the action.
I enjoyed learning about night photography from Michael Frye, Mike Osborne, and my fellow Ansel Adams Gallery workshop participants.

For those who care about equipment…

Nikon D200, converted to infrared by Life Pixel
Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens
Nikon D700
Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 lens
Nikkor 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5 lens
Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 lens
Canon Vixia HF S100 High-Definition Camcorder
Sandisk Extreme III and Lexar Professional CompactFlash cards, Delkin SDHC cards
Domke F-1X Camera Bag, my favorite camera bag ever
REI Lookout 40 Daypack
Gitzo G1027 Mark II Mountaineer Carbon Fiber tripod
Bogen/Manfrotto 3221W tripod
Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ballhead

And for those who care about numbers…

688 photos with the D700
516 infrared photos with the D200
15 still photos with the Canon Vixia, and about 45 minutes of video

Yes, that’s right, I really took two tripods, three camera bodies, and four lenses with me. They all got used. (One tripod is lightweight and small for hiking. The other is sturdy and great for night photography and windsurfing photography.)

Thanks for reading this blog. I can’t wait to take you along again. More to come soon.

Jul 13

Summer Trip Day Fifteen, Saying Goodbye

I left Portland today, returning to Austin.

I said goodbye to a lot today…

My dear friend Trish
Cool temperatures and a little bit of rain
Days of exploring and not having a schedule to keep

It was hard saying goodbye.

But I’m also looking forward to returning home to family and friends and a fun job. They make this trip possible.

Jul 12

Summer Trip Day Fourteen, Goldendale and White Salmon

I almost didn’t take any photos today.

I went for a hike at a state park near Goldendale. (It was raining in the mountains, and Goldendale is far enough west that it’s in the rain shadow of Mount Hood. Lots of sunny days.)

I didn’t see anything that inspired me, so I left the cameras in the backpack.

It was a nice walk in the woods, which let me do some thinking and clear my head.

When I came back to White Salmon, I remembered that I wanted to try some infrared shots of the old buildings on my friend Trish’s property. So yes, I did take some photos today.

outbuildings (Click to enlarge.)

Tomorrow I head home. In the next few days, I’ll have another blog post summarizing my thoughts about this trip.

Brian H. Powell Photography

Conservation Photography and Other Photo Adventures