King of the Valley – Utah.

Posted on 04/29/2012 by Gavin Seim
King of the Valley Valley of the gods utah seim King of the Valley Utah.

King of the Valley - Valley of the gods Utah, Spring 2012

We drove out of Colorado and into Utah, planning to see Monument Valley. And we did, but what was better than that was Valley of the gods Utah. A place created in the same magnificent beauty as Monument, but open and spacious. Where you camp below giant spires of red rock and stay up late into the silent night looking at the stars streaking overhead.

Sometimes I think God used more colorful paint in Utah. We stayed three days here in the valley on this little used public land. Exploring the area and enjoying the sweeping colorful views. The sunset brought some of those great early spring clouds and that radiant color of light that only Utah seems to have. It was a memorable place in our 2012 trip and a colorful image for my collection.

Release details: Print release pending.

 

For Photographers. How it was made… trans King of the Valley Utah.trans King of the Valley Utah.trans King of the Valley Utah.trans King of the Valley Utah.trans King of the Valley Utah.

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The Night Watcher – New Mexico

Posted on 04/23/2012 by Gavin Seim
New Mexico The Night Watcher by Gavin Seim r2 The Night Watcher New Mexico

The Night Watcher by Gavin Seim - Near White Sands New Mexico, March 2012

An open New Mexico sky and a gentle foreground glow from the lights of a distant military base. This tree stands alone on a dusty patch of earth. In the daytime you might not think much of him. But as he watches over the trailing stars of night his delicate majesty is revealed in full.

I made this just outside the camper in the same spot near White Sands where I made Sliver Moon Blues. A seemingly barren patch of earth, that in three days offered me two new images. But I had to work for it and I was up until the middle of the night making it happen. It took well over an hour for each exposure and that adds up fast. It was worth the effort however and the Night Watcher is the result.

Release details: Prints Coming Soon.

For Photographers. How it was made… trans The Night Watcher New Mexicotrans The Night Watcher New Mexicotrans The Night Watcher New Mexicotrans The Night Watcher New Mexico Continue reading →

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Blue Suede Dunes – White Sands NM

Posted on 04/10/2012 by Gavin Seim
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Blue Suede Dunes - Sunset at White Sands New Mexico, 2012

Just after sunset these rolling dunes take on a subtle cast. Like an ocean of sand dancing in with a tides. Subtle shadows and perfectly arcing curves sweeping in waves across the landscape for miles into the distance.

White Sands is a rather remarkable place. Not only for it’s giant dunes that seem by themselves in the desert, but for the way it plays with light, the way you can take the kids and sled down it’s swooping slopes, the way it’s like standing in summer snow in the heat of the day.

It was a memorable visit all around and I’m thankful I was able to make a memorable image. It should be stunning on canvas.

Release details: Prints Coming Summer 2012.

 

For Photographers. How it was made… trans Blue Suede Dunes White Sands NMtrans Blue Suede Dunes White Sands NMtrans Blue Suede Dunes White Sands NMtrans Blue Suede Dunes White Sands NMtrans Blue Suede Dunes White Sands NM Continue reading →

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The Night How Bright – A Night Exposure Study Image.

Posted on 04/06/2012 by Gavin Seim
1 hour expoure new mexico test1 The Night How Bright A Night Exposure Study Image.

A study image only. Canon 5D MK2, 50mm 1.4 @f5.6, 1 hour, ISO160. Bright rock light from the moonlight

An image study for photographers.


Star trails, turning night to day, midnight landscapes. There is amazing image potential for the photographer willing to do their homework and pre-plan setups to take those grand steps into the dark of night.

This photo is lacking. What it shows me is not. I was in the New Mexico highlands. The sun has long set and the light is only from moon and stars in this one hour long exposure. This image is not fully up to my standards and hence may never make it into my Signature Collection. That said there’s something to be learned from it.

I’m trying to develop some baselines and ideas for working what I call ULE’s (Ultra Long Exposures) and I wanted to share some of those here. This image represents the first time I used “only” past experience to determine exposure time, running a single one hour exposure at 5.6, ISO160.

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Sliver Moon Blues – New Mexico.

Posted on 03/25/2012 by Gavin Seim
sliver moon blues seim new mexico Sliver Moon Blues New Mexico.

Sliver Moon Blues - Near White Sands NM, 2012.

It was just awhile after sunset and I was not expecting an amazing view. We setup camp on the barren landscape of a tiny lake in the New Mexico desert, near White Sands. We ran the usual paces, unloading kids from the truck, planning dinner, getting settled. This is an image from an unlikely place that’s reminded me to never overlook potential.

I noticed what that moon was doing. A sliver moon, but with it’s shadowed area beautifully visible (there’s probably a name for that). I realized it was setting fast and that I had to do something, so I setup just a few yards from camp and started to work. It was not an easy image due to the rapidly setting moon and the low light, but I made this before it set fully and I’m thankful for a good night and an unexpected image.

Release details: Prints Coming Soon.

 

For Photographers. How it was made… trans Sliver Moon Blues New Mexico.trans Sliver Moon Blues New Mexico.trans Sliver Moon Blues New Mexico.trans Sliver Moon Blues New Mexico.trans Sliver Moon Blues New Mexico. Continue reading →

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