January Sunset. Silver Creek, Idaho
Nikon D3S & Nikon 50 f1.8 lens
The above image is a ten image pano that is about 50 megapixels and 150 mb's. It is meant to be viewed large. I have put it in my pano gallery if you would like to see it larger.
Another quote from Chris Orwig's tutorial: "The highest form of sophistication is simplicity." Bruce Lee
Taking In The Moment. Big Wood River, Idaho
Letting One Go... Big Wood
The temps ranged from around 11 degrees when we got started on the Wood today and by 4 PM had sky rocketed all the way to 23. It felt cold. Good stuff though, both on top and nymphing. This has certainly been one of the best Januarys I can recall.
Nikon D3S & Nikon 14-24 f2.8 lens
January. Silver Creek, Idaho
Nikon D3S & Nikon 50 f1.8 lens
The Big Wood River should be good stuff all week as we are slated to have temps near 30 degrees. The midge fishing has been about as good as it gets for January. Plenty of rising fish on many days and good nymphing too. If you want the Big Wood to yourself, now is a great time to be on the river...
Big Wood River & Storm
Winter Aspen
Nikon D3S & Nikon 35 f2 lens
It has been snowing non-stop now for over 48 hours and is finally starting to look like winter. While this storm has not been as strong as predicted, it is certainly well needed precipitation! The above images were taken today...
Cypress. Lands End, San Francisco
Nikon D3S & Nikon 24 pc-e lens
Pelican. Pillar Point Harbor
Nikon D3S & Nikon 35 f2 lens
Big Wood River Winter Rainbow
Nikon D3S & Nikon 35 f2 lens
Fishing on the Big Wood River recently has been exceptional. Lots of midges on the surface anywhere from 11:16 AM to 3:30 or so. The fish have been selective on the surface but at least they have been up and feeding. The nymphing has also been really good. Think zebra midges, girddle bugs, black anato mays, etc... But if you are thinking of heading out in the next two or three days you might want to check the forecast first. Looks like winter--albeit a little late--is about to start. Here's the forecast for 7 miles west of Stanley:
Pacific Ocean & Sunrays
Pacific, Waves, & Sunrays
Lifting The Curtain
Nikon D3S & Nikon 80-200 afs f2.8 lens
I have been getting a ton of great info out of Chris Orwig's Photoshop tutorial on Lynda.com. One aspect I really like is the fact Chris loves to use great quotes. Here's one from Edgar Allan Poe--
"They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream by night."
One more thing: Check out this local forecast from NOAA:
Pure Power. Mavericks
"Of Men & Mavericks" film and surfer and crew boat. Owned and operated by Rob Brown
Rescue Jet Ski at the end of a day. Jet Skis , or PWC's, are banned on this part of the California coast and on January 5th some ski drivers were ticketed. Those with the movie crew were given an exception. Doesn't make sense to me to ban these guys. The harm done by conventional propeller engines has to be far worse...
Foamy Wave
After riding a set wave, Kohl Christensen takes a breather...
Kenny "Skindog" Collins
Carlos Burle
Anthony Tashnick, Mavericks Close-Out, & Mike Prickett Filming For "Of Men & Mavericks"
Shifty conditions made it hard to be in the right place at the right time. This one went unridden...
Getting ready for the long paddle out while a helicopter gets video footage
Golden Gate from Lands End
Ross's Cove & Tracks
El Granada Sunrise
El Granada Sunset
Anthony Tashnick on the wave of the two day swell.
I just got back from a trip to El Granada, CA and for two of those days the big wave spot, Mavericks, was 20' plus. I had the privledge of being on the boat, Get Wet Too owned by Andrew Dorn of Coastside Adventures. When the director of the film, "Of Mavericks And Men," a film on the Jay Moriarty story currently being shot, got wind of the swell he sent up quite a production team which included over 12 stunt double surfers, over 120 Jay Moriarty guns, two boats with high-tech video cams, a waterman with video cam housing, and a helicopter for aerial footage. Rescue jet skis littered the channel which consistently stayed bumpy due to the wind conditions.
Brazilian, Carlos Burle, on a bomb.
The first day of the swell conditions got better and better as the tide dropped and the swell picked up girth.
Carlos Burle getting ready for the second day AM session.
Helicopter getting aerial footage near the end of the first day.
Sun Rays From Sea
Sometimes looking behind your subject can offer a little gem. For about 10 minutes on the second day the sun poked through some clouds to the south ...
Nikon D3S & Nikon 80-200 afs f2.8 lens
Camera: iPhone 4
Glider & School Ground
School Playground
Silver Creek Foot Bridge & Portrait
Schoolyard & Scale
Nikon D3s & Nikon 24 pc-e lens
Every once in awhile I come across a real gem in the photography world. I recently discovered the work and instruction of the photographer & Brook's Institute teacher, Chris Orwig. Here's a link to a video session showcasing Chris on You Tube called [Framed] Chris has such an enthusiastic attitude coupled with the rare ability to articulate his passion that he generates this wave of inspiration that's really infectious. While I am a Photoshop CS5 user and am moderately comfortable utilizing some of the seemingly infinite features, I have found Chris's Photoshop tutorial on Lynda.com to be above and beyond. There's a monthly membership fee but if you want to learn Photoshop CS5 in greater depth or from scratch this is the place.
Julie Spence. Big Lost River, Idaho
A new priority for me will be taking fly fishing portraits. Both on and off the river... The river or proximity to water is one of the most fundamentally calming places for people and the calmness more often than not translates into fantstic expression and it is precisely that expression I am after.
Happy New Year!
Driftwood Fort
Nikon D3s & Nikon 24 pc-e lens
Trees & Sun
Camera: iPhone 4
I want to mention a really wonderful new book on photography, The Passionate Photographer, by Steve Simon. While the emphasis of the book is mainly on the journalist approach to photography, it speaks volumes to any photographer. It's filled with images of Steve's and some of his favorites. He also has many quotes from prominent photographers:
"I can have aspirations or ambitions or ideas or goals for my work, but in a sense, the only purpose those goals serve is to get me to take the pictures and only through the taking of the pictures will I find out who I am or what my pictures look like. In the end, oftentimes the pictures that I think I'm going to take aren't the pictures I take and the direction I'm headed isn't the direction I think I'm headed."
--George Heisler
The Passionate Photographer is the first book on photography I have come across that articulates the emotions of the photographer--much like a writer can feel the gamut of emotions in the midst of working on a novel so too can a photographer. Perservere, and shoot and shoot and shoot and after 10,000 images or maybe even after 100,000 images the photographer will have a substantial base knowledge, a knowledge that cannot have been gained any other way.
Overexposed Burn Area. Sun Valley, Idaho
Nikon D3s & Nikon 24 pc-e lens
This image was actually an accident. I hiked through this burn area recently and dramatically overexposed a few images by mistake and after uploading them felt I could be on to something. Generally I am on the side of slightly underexposed but I will certainly be playing around with dramatic overexposure...
Osprey Holding On To A Rainbow. Silver Creek, Idaho
Nikon D200 & Nikon 80-200 afs 2.8 lens
Thinking of hitting the river near Sun Valley? As it is we have an extremely low snow pack and relatively warm daytime highs making for really good winter fishing conditions. The Big Wood is seeing some surface midge activity and good nymphing using stone flies and midge pupa patterns. It's good stuff right now with virtually nobody on the river. There is essentially no snow on the valley floor and there is nothing substantial forecast through at least the 26th of December. Keep in mind Silver Creek below the HGWY 20 bridge stays open through February and can offer pretty good streamer fishing this time of year. Avoid days down there when we have an inversion. The easiest method I have found is to check the Sun Valley skiing report and look at the temps on the bottom and on the summit. If it's warmer on top the temps on Silver Creek located down valley could be extremley cold. Also, if you are up for the drive, the Lower Big Lost River can fish really well. The current flow on the Lower Lost is 132 cfs making for easy wading and spring creek like conditions.
Miniature Sage
Nikon D3s & Nikon 24 pc-e lense
Home made hot air balloon and the joy of flight...
Nikon D3s & Nikon 14-24 f2.8 lens
Silver Creek & Star Trails
Nikon D3S & Nikon 14-24 f2.8 lens
Aspen
Nikon D3s & Nikon 24 pce lens