Posted by: Jim Willis in Scenery on
Dec 22, 2011
The image in this blog entry was captured in Walla Walla's Pioneer Park. The snow laden trees lie on the east shore of the park's south pond. Pioneer Park is one of my favorite sites because of the great variety of landscapes, structures and sculptures within the park. It is a great spot for artistic shots and people shots. A good number of senior portraits and wedding announcement pictures are taken there.
In general snow scenes, white sand dunes and birch trees against a dark forest can result in just amazing images. I wish I could pass along a hard fast rule for capturing such images. However, I can only pass along some suggestions because each scene can be so different to your camera's eye - light meter and internal software.
In situations such as these the camera's light meter is typically overwhelmed. As a result the camera sets the exposure to bring all that bright white to a nice neutral grey. The camera shuts down the f-stop to limit the light reaching the image capture plane. Thus, often the highlights become grey and what our eye sees as grey becomes black. So what we do in these situations is to open up the f-stop to allow in more light so that the detail is not lost. However, because a bright sunny day and a snow sky day require different corrections there is no hard and fast rule as to how far to open up the f-stop.
Posted by: Jim Willis in Scenery on
Nov 07, 2011
Walla Walla Valley barns provide a rich source of picturesque scenes. It is difficult to travel down one of our country roads and not encounter enchanting barns. The challenge with taking pictures of barns is to avoid the "mug" shot. The solution is to employ classical composition. Think of your visits to museums and of the landscape painting you viewed. Note that in almost all cases the accent, such as a barn, was off center in the painting. So move the barn off center, say to the lower left third portion of the image.
I love this particular barn for its dramatic color and classic design. The red with the white trim just pops. It appears to have been built as a dairy milking barn. On the first level would be the milking stations. The high arched roof provides for loft storage of winter hay and feed. The small birdhouse looking structures at the peak of the roof provide venting by giving the summer heat a path to follow, rise and escape. The condition of the barn is exceptional. Currently the nation is losing about 50,000 historic barns per year. So when you see an enchanting barn shoot away because it may not be there next year and your grandchildren may never have the opportunity to see one like it.
Posted by: Jim Willis in Art on
Oct 07, 2011
If you appreciate sculptures, Walla Walla is an ideal destination. Between Downtown Walla Walla, Whitman College, Walla Walla University, Walla Walla Community College and Walla Walla public parks there are over 50 commissioned sculptures in public view. The area also boasts two fine art foundries: Walla Walla Foundry in Walla Walla and the Old School Bronze Fine Art Foundry just south of Walla Walla in Umapine, Oregon. In addition to sculptures and foundries there are the artistic decorations of the historic buildings, classic Victorian homes, picturesque churches and historic schools.
There is a tremendous variety in the public sculptures. Some are of the historic icon variety. Then there are the abstract pieces. However, my favorites are the whimsical. You will have to take them as they come because they are not segregated - examples of the whimsical, historic and abstract may be within sight of one another. If you are into taking a serious sculpture tour, including a fine art foundry or two, plan on spending more than part of a day.
To check out the public sculpture scene:
Posted by: Jim Willis in Scenery on
Aug 22, 2011
Around each bend of the road, over each crest of a hill potentially lies a scene that begs to be painted, drawn, photographed or just enjoyed. The country roads surrounding Walla Walla that extend into the Walla Walla Valley of Southeastern Washington and Northeastern Oregon hold so many visual treasures. Vistas plead to be enjoyed. Classic barns and farmsteads remind us of our rural roots. The secret is to not to jump out of the car, snap a quick picture and jump back into the car. The secret is to stop and take in the details, inhale the fresh air and soak up the ambiance. Often, there are wild flowers at your feet and a careful scanning of the vista may reveal a deer, fox, coyote or colorful songbird. Be still for a few minutes and you may hear the songbirds. Also, harvest, cultivation or planting may be in process. Outstanding agricultural practices in The Valley result in complex crop patterns. Even at time of harvest, such as is pictured here, these patterns weave sweeping patterns across the landscape. Take a box lunch and find a place to enjoy a respite from your busy pace.
This scene was captured about ten miles north east of Walla Walla. To capture these patterns it is suggested you employ a digital camera with a wide angle lens. This can be a simple point and shoot, or a complex professional camera. I use both. Also, for such scenes a polarizing filter is very useful to bring out the details in a dramatic sky and take the reflected glare off a tin roof. This scene was captured with an 18 to 200 zoom lens set at the 18 setting. The polarizing filter brought out the sky. I used a medium f-stop of 16 in order to get good depth of field. On a point and shoot camera use the scenic mode setting to gain the depth of field. I tend to use a tri-pod, but good results can be had hand holding.
Jim Willis
