Cathedral – Silverton, Texas
Copyright © 2010 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 32mm, f/16 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 and Photoshop CS5.
Click on the image above for a larger version.
The Road Home – Claude, Texas
Copyright © 2010 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 26mm, f/16 for 1.3 seconds 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.
How time flies. The spring Texas Landscape Safari starts in just one week on Monday, April 25th at 4:00 PM in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Express in Lampasas, Texas. Here are just a few reminders along with the current schedule for our shoots. As with all landscape and nature photography outings in Texas, plans may change as we know more about the weather conditions we’ll be facing. Right now the weather pattern looks almost perfect with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the 70’s & 80’s. A few clouds would be nice in the evenings, so if you know any rain dances, have at it.
STATE PARK LINKS
Colorado Bend State Park
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
Pedernales Falls State Park
Guadalupe River State Park
Monday 04/25/2011
3:00 PM — Check-In at the Holiday Inn – Lampasas, Texas
4:00 PM — Meet & Greet / Pizza / Classroom Work
10:30 PM — Dead Asleep
Tuesday 04/26/2011
5:30 AM — Drive to Colorado Bend SP & Hike to Gorman Falls for Morning Shoot
12:00 PM — Drive to Llano for Lunch (Crab Cakes) / Play Tourist / Wildflower Hunting
3:00 PM — Check-In at Best Western – Llano, Tx
4:00 PM — Drive to Enchanted Rock SP for Sunset Shoot
11:00 PM — Dead Asleep
Wednesday 04/27/2011
6:00 AM — Drive to Enchanted Rock SP for Sunrise Shoot
11:30 AM — Drive to Willow City Loop for Wildflower Hunt
1:00 PM — Drive to Fredricksburg for Lunch / Play Tourist
3:00 PM — Check-In at Best Western – Johnson City
5:00 PM — Drive to Pedernales Falls SP for Sunset Shoot
11:00 PM — Dead Asleep
Thursday 04/28/2011
5:30 AM — Drive to Guadalupe River SP for Morning Shoot
2:00 PM — Workshop Ends
STATE PARK PASS
I strongly recommend buying a Texas State Parks Annual Pass before the workshop. It will make getting to our locations much easier first thing in the mornings.
FOOD & WATER
Landscape photography is generally done during the early morning and late evening hours. The hotels we are staying at offer a continental breakfast but we’ll generally be on the road well before 7:00 AM each morning. I recommend bringing something to eat for breakfast each morning. I usually bring a cooler with lots of water, granola, apples, peanut butter and crackers and you may want to do the same. Food is NOT a high priority on this workshop but we will stop for lunch somewhere each day (since noon is a terrible time to shoot landscape images) to refuel and discuss the day’s shoots.
BRING PLENTY OF WATER!
I can’t stress this enough. You’ll need at least 2 liters of water for each hike unless the weather is below 85F and then 1 liter will suffice. Water may seem like a lot of weight to carry in addition to your photo gear but dehydration is the surest way to waste your photographic opportunities during the workshop. I will always have an emergency supply of water back in my vehicle and you should too. It doesn’t have to be cold. It just has to be wet.
BRING SOME TRAIL SNACKS!
We’ll be hiking to each shoot and walking around to find the best angles, lighting, etc. You’d be surprised just how fast you get hungry and start thinking about lunch rather than photography. I generally bring some trail mix with nuts, granola, dried fruit and M&Ms. You can buy this mix at almost any grocery store.
SUNSCREEN & HAT
Please, please, PLEASE bring sunscreen and a hat for our hikes. This is Texas folks and the sun can be fierce. Sunburn is very real threat and can ruin your plans.
COMMUNICATIONS
Each photographer will be issued a two-way radio for communications while driving and hiking. DON’T LOSE YOUR RADIO, it could save your life. If you become lost while driving, CALL. If you become lost while hiking, CALL.
FIRST AID KIT & SAFETY
I’ll have an emergency first aid kit in my backpack and in my vehicle but I am NOT a trained paramedic. If you have medical conditions that limits your outdoor activity please let me know as soon as possible. Please be extremely careful when hiking or climbing to reach a good spot to shoot from. YOU are responsible for your own safety during the Texas Landscape Safari. The rocky areas we’ll be visiting can be steep and slippery so be mindful of your surroundings at all times.
IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE AT ANY TIME, ASK FOR IT.
BRING A FLASHLIGHT
We will be doing some very late night shoots and hikes back to our vehicles so bring a flashlight and carry it with you on each hike.
ANY FINAL QUESTIONS?
I look forward to meeting each one of you next Monday afternoon. Drive safe!
Storm on the Plains – Just South of Claude, Texas
Copyright © 2010 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 26mm, f/16 for 1/2 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.
Not all of Texas is desert and canyons and in fact, much of East Texas is filled with tall pine forests such as the Angelina National Forest, the Davy Crockett National Forest, the Sabine National Forest and the Sam Houston National Forest. These four national forests cover over 500,000 acres spread over ten different Texas counties and include some of the beautiful hiking trails you can imagine.
My favorite is the Angelina National Forest near Jasper, Texas which includes the beautiful Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
Angelina National Forest Lakeshore – Jasper, Texas
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 40D set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 28mm, f/9 for 1/60th of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray LB warming polarizing filter. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5.
Click on the image above for a larger version.
Angelina National Forest Lakeshore – Jasper, Texas
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 40D set on aperture (Av) priority using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 32mm, f/20 for 6 seconds at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray Vari-ND-Duo filter. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5.
Click on the image above for a larger version.
The Spring 2011 Texas Landscape Safari is just two weeks away and it’s time to think about those final preparations that can make the difference between having a good workshop or enjoying a great experience.
Shoot What You Love
The Texas Hill Country boasts some of the most beautiful landscape settings in this great state of ours and it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the magnitude of your surroundings. Take the time to shoot the things you love and want to remember from this workshop and safari. Sometimes it’s the smaller settings and tighter shots that contain the most meaning.
Hope for the Best but Plan for the Worst
The weather here in central Texas can change in the blink of an eye. It can go from hot and humid to rainy and cold in less time than most folks can imagine. Mornings may be cool and damp but the afternoons could be hot and dry. Folks that plan their wardrobe accordingly, dress in layers and wear comfortable hiking boots tend to get the best shots since they spend less time acclimating to the changing weather and more time behind the camera.
Water, Water, Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Drink
Water is vital to a successful safari, whether in the wilds of Kenya or the outback of central Texas. Dehydration is a very real danger and I’ve had more than one attendee drop out after a day of hiking without sufficient water. I usually carry three liters or more of water on each hike and ALWAYS have a backup gallon in my vehicle. You should too!
Ask Questions. Really.
This year’s outing is going to be a large group of amateur photographers with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Josh, Glenn and I are there to answer any questions we can, so don’t be shy. This isn’t an episode of Survivor or Top Shot. We are all here to enjoy the beauty of central Texas and to come away with some great images to share and some wonderful memories to cherish. Make friends. Ask Questions. Enjoy yourself. Life is too short to do anything less.
Here are a few of the sights from the Texas Landscape Safari in years past. Enjoy!
Texas Hill Country Video
Copyright © 2010 Jeff Lynch Photography
Video created in Adobe Lightroom 3. Best shown in full-screen HD.
The Bioluminescence of the Night
Copyright © 2009 Atlantic Recording Corporation.
One of things I try to teach in my workshops is how to add drama to your landscape images. Much of this centers on “in-camera” exposure, composition and lighting but sometimes it’s just easier to do something different in your “post processing” such as turning a nicely saturated image to black & white in Lightroom 3.
Now I’ll be the first to admit that I prefer using Nik’s Silver Efex Pro to create my black & white images but not everyone can afford all the latest & greatest plug-ins and Lightroom 3 does a superb job itself (with a little help from you of course). The secret is to play around with the contrast and clarity settings as well as the color sliders until you achieve the look you want. The key to a well balanced black & white image is to have some bright whites and dark blacks as well as many different shades of gray.
Canyon Vista – Palo Duro Canyon near Claude, Texas
Copyright © 2010 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 30mm, f/16 for 1/50th 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.
Click on the image above for a larger version.
There are few places in Texas with more formidable terrain to hike than Palo Duro Canyon. Looking across this vast canyon it seems amazing to me that explorers, settlers and Native Americans once roamed this region with little more than leather boots and a few mules. We hiked this canyon for only a week last fall and the red dust and dirt took months to come clean from my skin, clothes and boots! I imagine that after spending a few months here my skin would pick up a permanent red tinge adding to my already well known redneck image (LOL).
Canyon Vista – Palo Duro Canyon near Claude, Texas
Copyright © 2010 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture (Av) priority using a TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II lens tripod mounted. The exposure was taken at 24mm, f/16 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 and Photoshop CS5.
Click on the image above for a larger version.
Texas Landscape Photography 