The Windmills of my Mind

You know you're in the South when you see one of these! This "working" windmill sits in the middle of the Brazos Bend State Park and on a windy day it pumps fresh water into a small cistern.

Yes, we do get some of the most spectacular clouds here in Texas. It comes from being close to the Gulf of Mexico and from our "normal" summer weather which includes temperatures in the mid 90 s and humidities to match. Of course, every now and again we do get some really interesting hurricanes to shoot as well.

Shot taken with a Canon 40D , 17-40mm f/4L with circular polarizer at 37mm, f/13, 1/500th at ISO 100 with an exposure bias of -0.3ev to keep the windmill in silhouette. Stored on SanDisk Digital Film.

Also taken with a Canon 40D , 17-40mm f/4L with circular polarizer at 37mm, f/13, 1/500th at IDO 100 with an exposure bias of -0.3ev to keep the windmill in silhouette. Stored on SanDisk Digital Film.

Texas Wildlife

One of the great things about wandering around a state park in Texas is the variety of wildlife you'll encounter. I shot this earlier this afternoon during another visit to the Brazos Bend State Park where I was actually looking for some alligators to photograph. Accoring to the park guide there are "more than 300 species of birds sighted; 21 species of reptiles and amphibians, including American alligator; 17 species of mammals including bobcat, white-tailed deer, raccoon, and gray fox; 39 species of dragonfly; 500 species of plants."

Now that's what I call a lot of photographic opportunities!

Shot taken with a Canon 40D , 70-200mm f/4L with a Moose Peterson warming circular polarizer at 126mm, f/4, 1/1000th at ISO 100 on SanDisk Digital Film.

(Yes, the yellow/green color background you see is no digital trick. This is what a real East-Texas bayou looks like in the summertime!)

(And yes! There are some very large gators just under the surface waiting for one of these birds to get lazy.)

Shot taken with a Canon 40D , 70-200mm f/4L with a Moose Peterson warming circular polarizer at 184mm, f/4, 1/350th at ISO 100 on SanDisk Digital Film.

This bulletproof Couchbunker comforts as well as protects you

Dubbed as the Couchbunker, it looks like a regular sofa but with quite unusual features. This custom built sofa consist of a fire rated gun safe hidden inside along with bulletproof cushions with carry straps that can act as a shield to keep you safe from bullet-shower.

Image Gallery

Using Canon’s “AI-Focus” Mode to Catch the Action

There’s nothing better for a wildlife photographer than catching a beautiful pair of birds in flight and having the camera and lens to track them through a high-speed sequence. Folks shooting with Canon’s new EOS 1D Mark IV or EOS 7D will know exactly what I mean. The “AI Servo” auto-focus mode on these two new Canon DSLRs is nothing less than spectacular, especially after years of mediocre performance from most Canon models.

Another auto-focus feature that “finally” works as advertised is the “AI Focus” mode that will switch between “One-Shot” and “AI-Servo” modes when the camera detects significant motion in the subject. I use this setting frequently with water fowl to ensure that I capture the sharpest shots when they are swimming (One-Shot) and when they take off (AI-Servo) suddenly. This feature allows me to concentrate on the birds behavior to anticipate their flight rather than spending critical seconds switching from one FA mode to another and hoping that I can pan fast enough to catch the action.

Wing Man One – Brazos Bend State Park, Texas
Copyright 2011 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 7D set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM + EF 1.4x Extender mono-pod mounted. The exposure was taken at 560mm, f/5.6 for 1/640th of a second at ISO 200. Post capture processing was done in Adobe's Lightroom 3.

Click on the image above for a larger version.

Wing Man Two – Brazos Bend State Park, Texas
Copyright 2011 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 7D set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM + EF 1.4x Extender mono-pod mounted. The exposure was taken at 560mm, f/5.6 for 1/640th of a second at ISO 200. Post capture processing was done in Adobe's Lightroom 3.

Click on the image above for a larger version.

Filed under: Photography Tagged: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3, Bird Photography, Brazos Bend State Park, Canon, Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 7D, Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM, Nature Photography, Photography, Texas, Wildlife Photography

Balanced Rock – Big Bend National Park

The image used in yesterday’s tutorial for your viewing enjoyment! Click on the image for a larger version that makes a great desktop background for your MacBook (hint, hint).

Balanced Rock – Big Bend National Park, Texas
Copyright 2011 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 65mm, f/14 for 1/30th of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer filter. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3.
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Filed under: Photography Tagged: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3, Big Bend National Park, Canon, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Texas, Texas Landscapes, West Texas

Combining Work and Pleasure

It’s not often you get to combine work and pleasure, even for a photographer that loves his work. This is especially true for most landscape photographers that would much rather be hiking and photographing in Big Bend National Park or Palo Duro Canyon State Park rather than shooting commercial assignments on location or in a studio. Sometimes however, you get the chance to photograph the great outdoors without having to drive 500 miles to find a suitable location. Yes, even a blind squirrel occasionally finds an acorn!

Sugar Creek Country Club Jones #1 – Sugar Land, Texas
Copyright 2011 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 50mm, f/16 for 1/15th of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer filter. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3.
Click on the image above for a larger version.

Sugar Creek Country Club Jones #3 – Sugar Land, Texas
Copyright 2011 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 28mm, f/16 for 1/13th of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer filter. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3.
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Filed under: Photography Tagged: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3, Canon, Canon 40D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Sugar Creek Country Club, Texas, Texas Landscapes, Texas Towns

Inclement Weather

It finally rains in Southeast Texas. After months and months of extreme drought, the Houston area finally had its first full day of inclement weather. YeaHa! We picked up a bit less than 2 inches of rainfall in Sugar Land this weekend and the trees, grass and wildlife are beginning to come alive again. And the best news we’ve had is that all of East Texas is due for rain this coming week.

We thank thee Oh Lord for the gift of life, of light and of much needed rain. Amen!

Inclement Weather – Sugar Land, Texas
Copyright 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 28mm, f/11 for 1/125th of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer filter and 2-stop graduated neutral density filter. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3.
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Filed under: Photography Tagged: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3, Canon, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Texas, Texas Landscapes, Texas Towns

Sotol Vista at Big Bend National Park

What a view!

Sotol Vista – Big Bend National Park, Texas
Copyright 2011 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 21mm, f/16 for 1/15th of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer filter and 2-stop, soft, graduated neutral density filter. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3.
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Filed under: Photography Tagged: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3, Big Bend National Park, Canon, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Sotol Vista, Texas, Texas Landscapes, West Texas

Madera Canyon – Big Bend Ranch State Park, Texas

Nothing beats photographing a desert storm approaching the mountains of Northern Mexico. Enjoy!

Madera Canyon – Big Bend Ranch State Park, Texas
Copyright 2011 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 28mm, f/14 for 1/80th of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer filter. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 and Nik’s Silver Efex Pro.
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Filed under: Photography Tagged: Adobe Photoshop CS5, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3, Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, Canon, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Texas, Texas Landscapes, West Texas

Develop Your Photographic Diversity

When times are good and the economy is rolling along, it’s all too easy to become a niche photographer and specialize in work that you are most familiar and comfortable with. I know several local photographers that do only event photography like weddings and bar mitzvahs and others that do only high school senior portraits. Many landscape and nature photographers that I know wouldn’t think of shooting a wedding or sweet-sixteen party, let alone a corporate head-shot. When times are good . . .

Well, right now times aren’t so good and many photographers find themselves scratching to make a living, lowering prices and accepting client terms they would have laughed at several years ago. It doesn’t look like the economy is going to recover anytime soon and even if it does, the market for commercial photography may never be what it once was. Corporate and personal frugality may become the norm rather than the exception.

But some photographers are thriving despite their circumstances. These folks seem to understand that “specialization is for insects, not people” (Yes, you’ve heard me say this before). They know that there is incredible strength in photographic diversity.

It’s a lesson that every photographer should heed, myself included. Mix things up a little and photograph subjects that stretch your current skills. If you shoot predominately landscapes and nature, go out and shoot some portraits. Dig a little deeper and reach a little further. If you shoot wedding and events, get up early one morning and shoot the sunrise. Get out of your photographic comfort zone and take creative some risk.

I think Dewitt Jones sums it up nicely. “Celebrate What’s Right With the World”.

What have you got to lose?

Race Gun – Sugar Land, Texas
Copyright 2011 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 35mm, f/9 for 1/400th of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer filter. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5.
Click on the image above for a larger version.

Simple Beauty – Austin, Texas
Copyright 2010 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on manual (M) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens hand-held. Lit with a Profoto strobe and shoot-through umbrella for fill flash. The exposure was taken at 102mm, f/7.1 for 1/200th of a second at ISO 100. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5.
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Wet – Brazos Bend State Park, Texas
Copyright 2011 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 7D set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM + EF 1.4x Extender hand-held. The exposure was taken at 560mm, f/7.1 for 1/200th of a second at ISO 100. Post capture processing was done in Adobe's Lightroom 3.
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Filed under: Photography Tagged: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3, Bird Photography, Canon, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Portrait Photography, Product Photography, Texas, Texas Hill Country, Wildlife Photography

The Lodge at Big Bend National Park, Texas

A wonderful place to eat after a long day of hiking and a great place to stay when visiting the park.

High Desert – Big Bend National Park, Texas
Copyright 2011 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture (Av) priority using an TS-E 24mm f/4L USM lens tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 24mm, f/16 for 1/30th of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer filter and 2-stop graduated neutral density filter. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3.
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Filed under: Photography Tagged: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3, Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, Canon, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II, Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Texas, Texas Landscapes, West Texas

Basin Ridge – Big Bend National Park, Texas

Sorry I’ve been so quiet lately but we had a family emergency earlier this week and it’s rattled my cage a bit. One of my daughters ended up in the ER this week with acute abdominal pain and for a father, nothing hurts as much as seeing your child in pain, and you not being able to do one darn thing about it! She’s home now resting but it scared the daylights out of her mother and I as well as her three sisters. I certainly hope the rest of February is less eventful…

Basin Ridge – Big Bend National Park, Texas
Copyright 2011 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 24mm, f/14 for 1/10th of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer filter and 2-stop graduated neutral density filter. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3.
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Filed under: Photography Tagged: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3, Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, Canon, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Texas, Texas Landscapes, West Texas

Pump Up Your Landscape Photography Using Singh-Ray’s Vari-ND Filter

I love flowing water. Images of flowing water speak to me more than any other landscape photograph except perhaps for sunsets. There is something both dynamic and serene about water flowing gently down a stream or the surf crashing against the rocks. Water just speaks to me.

To get that smooth flowing look when photographing running water, I’ve found that a shutter speed of about 1 second is usually required.

Singh-Ray’s Vari-ND (or Vari-ND-Duo) neutral density filter allows me to control the amount of light which passes through my lens from 2 to 8 stops of exposure.

With the filter mounted on my lens and set to its lowest setting (minimum density) I can frame my subject (the rocks and flowing water) and use my camera’s auto focus system without any trouble. When I’m ready to shoot, all I need to do is turn the outer ring to increase the density until my long shutter speed provides the effect I’m looking for in the running water. I could achieve the same effect using a conventional neutral density filter but it’s a much more time consuming process.

Guadalupe Falls – Hunt, Texas
Copyright 2012 Jeff Lynch Photography

Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III with GP-E2 unit attached, set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens and tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 47mm, f/16 for 2.4 seconds of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray Vari-ND-Duo filter. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 4.

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Filed under: Photography Tagged: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4, Canon, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Guadalupe River, Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Texas, Texas Hill Country, Texas Landscape Safari, Texas Landscapes, Travel Photography

The Big Valley

The Big Valley – Vanderpool, Texas
Copyright 2012 Jeff Lynch Photography

Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III with GP-E2 unit attached, set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens and tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 60mm, f/14 for 1/20th of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer filter. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 4.

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Filed under: Photography Tagged: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4, Canon, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Landscape Photography, Lost Maples State Natural Area, Nature Photography, Photography, Texas, Texas Hill Country, Texas Landscape Safari, Texas Landscapes, Travel Photography