CRACKED by jojo butingan on Capture Kern County

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CRACKED

The clouds suddenly dropped below the horizon from a very promising formation in the early going and it becomes more difficult to adjust getting the intended composition. It is usually when long exposure becomes very much at play. A very tricky weather pattern today in town but not going out could be painful for a landscape photographer if the situation gets better. I always like to take my chances being out where it could happen than staying home.

David Clendenen
commented 7 months ago

Great shot Jojo! Unusual combination of colors and textures that work beautifully as a whole.
jojo butingan
commented 7 months ago

What I'm saying really is that condition will dictate my creative ability I don't get distracted by people around me because I know that they also have their own work to do.I noticed that people will do their own business when the show is on but we always talk about settings, gears, shooting locations before the real show. Always like to be with a group of people when I go out and being always in L.A. and Orange County you cannot be all by yourself I always call my nephew and some of his friends to go somewhere.
jojo butingan
commented 7 months ago

Wayne, I don't have any problem with a group shoot out I'm always around with some photographers whenever I go out of town. My problem is if the condition is not right my creative inspiration goes down and it is very hard for me to really work if I don't have what it takes to create the shots that I like to do. Good condition is very important for me and creating something out of nothing really is not a good way for me to work.

I get very creative when everything is coming along well and I always on top of all the composition that I was thinking especially when the show is on and I love it when I'm moving quick to get all the shots that I composed in the early going and then I will just start working on the added shots that is usually when I will start doing longer exposures.

When you start to create a canvas it is always the inspiration that needs to hit you first to get the piece and I approach the same with photography. The same with designing a structure you need that to widen your creativity. I guess I'm really a landscape photographer more than anything and always needing that good kick of adrenaline to inspire me. Like when I went out with Steve my inspiration was very high until I hurt myself for being stupid and running around slippery surface. But that's me danger becomes irrelevant when I'm in a zone, crazy but it is true.
Wayne Wong
commented 7 months ago

JoJo, maybe we should have a try at Lake Ming...to shoot in a focused manner and still have others around is a good skill to have...and one I am in need of particularly. We all have our ways, and if we can't adjust when we need to, we will lose out. That is where others can help. It would be a good investment in time to develop that skill. You can't shoot by yourself forever.... Each person has their own way of sensing a shot that is coming. Having others around easily distracts. One day you find you cannot go places by yourself anymore the same way, and then you have no shots at all. It is a skill that takes practice, not unlike team sports. Sometimes we get an assist, other times we take the shot and maybe miss, maybe get it, maybe bounce it off the rim. Maybe get fouled but miss the free throws. Just a thought.....
Wayne Wong
commented 7 months ago

There is the reality that as we get older, we need others around for safety. I thought I had my flashlight in my backpack when we left the car, but I couldn't find it when the sun started to set. If I were alone shooting, that could have been a very serous error.
Wayne Wong
commented 7 months ago

JoJo, Steve, and Richard....I just have to LOL! I think you guys are all great at what you do...I was coming along really to learn...I haven't had much serious experience with seascapes...family trips, etc.

I was hoping to focus on a few things and try improving my technique. The day was cloudless, but it was still four hours of shooting....it was there to shoot, and I just had to zone into the possibilities...

The sea cave turned out better than I thought, though I need much more practice at it to be consistent. The long exposure shots were so-so, but I think I could have done better at the end....perhaps if I had relocated to a spot closer to the trail head I would have been able to set up a tripod more securely and get better shots in the waning light.

The shot of the birds Richard is referring to was simply having the right lens and the right place. Too bad I didn't have the right shutter speed//ISO combination. Yet it still look passable.

We all want great IQ etc., but the combination of timing, equipment, and location are always challenging.

I sure want to go again...I love being around others, but, I also feel the same way about concentrating. I am not as mobile as you guys, so I have to be careful where I choose to shoot. I think I was being too cautious where I was located....know what I know now I should have had a better plan.
Richard Newland
commented 7 months ago

I know the feeling Jojo~The Thrill of Victory, And the Agony of defeat :) :( But pratice,and expierance are helpful !
jojo butingan
commented 7 months ago

Been there, done that. I have more misses than a hit shooting seascape but it doesn't discourage me to keep coming back. Kinda like golf every time I had a terrible day is when I'm looking forward on my next round (not that I seldom play bad, I guess that's why I always come back). ;-)
Richard Newland
commented 7 months ago

I agree Jojo~Without clouds most landscape shots will be kinda boring,I watch the sky and dont bother to go anyplace unless I see a potential for good cloud's ~Even then it can turn out bad somtimes~Making plans to go to the coast to do seascapes one month in advance ,Is a probably fun,but no way to predict cloud potential. Wayne got some good shots that I liked with birds,and the breaking waves. Getting a mid range zoom might be a good investment~ I like my 70-200 2.8 VR on the D-600 You could probably pick up a prime lens around 85MM on e-bay~ Tokina made a ATX 2.8 28-70 They sell for 2 or 3 hundred used
jojo butingan
commented 7 months ago

Richard, The biggest issue that day was the lack of clouds and I guess Steve and I was set up to do scenes of what we are accustomed of doing around the ocean. Seascape really could be very difficult to compose without the element of a dramatic sky to cover the light it is so open.

I always get uninspired doing it when conditions are not favoring me I'd rather have a stormy condition than a flat open sky. Even my alternative of doing long exposures were a non factor the 10 stop ND couldn't do the job. Seascape photography could really be a missed and hit and always to me was a tough subject but very rewarding with the right shots.

Wayne did a pretty good job and some of us. That day really could be good if you have a longer lens to shoot specific subjects, wide lens was a not very ideal in fact I used 24mm all day I wish I had a 24-70 at least and didn't do much of the long exposure shooting.