Creative Juices: Giveaway

It seems I have inadvertently taken a leave of absence from this blog. The past few weeks have been pretty busy; most of my after-work-time has been towards training for a sprint triathlon and catching up on everyday life. My creative juices have been sucked into the wonderful/dangerous world of the iPhone camera and my Canon 5D Mark II camera has taken a backseat. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing; using different "mediums" can be both refreshing and eye opening. It's incredible to have such an impressive camera on something you carry 24-7. I'll still wish for my camera when I've left it at home for one reason or another, but now I at least have a semi-decent camera that gives me a brand new way to create. I know, welcome to 2012 Lindsay, but this is the first time I've had a phone capable of creating images I can actually be proud of. Speaking of creating images on iPhones, I am now on instagram (lindsaydanielsphotography) and also twitter (lindsaydaniels3) so check out my profiles and follow me on my photo adventures!

With the days getting shorter and daylight after work getting tighter and tighter it's been harder to get somewhere and shoot before the sun goes down. This next weekend with daylight savings time ending is going to make getting any kind of daytime/sunset shots nigh impossible on weekdays. I've made a plan to keep things local, to make the most out of the little window of daylight between work and sunset I'll have during the next few months. Weekends will still flourish with plenty of photographic opportunities, but with the holidays coming up, those too will be eaten up by family and holiday traditions. I have several goals for the coming months to keep the inspiration coming and motivation high. I figured I'd share them on the world wide web to entice me to keep my word.

1. Keep this blog full of interesting and engaging content. I've got some ideas I want to implement including interviews of other photographers, guest writers (let me know if you're interested), equipment reviews, travel tips and more. Tell me what YOU want to see on the blog. I'd love to get your feedback and please my readers!

2. I've already got a few "long" travel plans for the winter, but I need to plan some short local plans as well. I've had Lucin and the sun tunnels on the brain lately, but I'd also like to plan a winter camping trip in the good old Wasatch Mountains. Anybody else have some exciting winter plans?

3. Create workshop videos and offer workshops to photographers wanting to improve their craft.

4. Create. Build. Produce.


That's it for now. I'm sure I'll come up with more, and when I do I'll be sure to let you know. I am eternally grateful to those who read this blog. I hope you have enjoyed reading and viewing it as much as I have had creating it. I'd like to show my gratitude by giving away a 4x6 print on 8x10 photo rag paper, for archival quality and room for framing. Just leave a comment below and I'll pick the winner at random. Tell your friends and leave a comment today!

I will announce the winner Wednesday, November 7, 2012, so get commenting!

*I'll contact the lucky winner for mailing info on the announcement date. Good luck!

Canada: First Impressions

Self Portrait overlooking Johnson Lake in Banff National Park

My expectations of Canada have been met and exceeded on my first day. It is abundantly beautiful. I seem to have a difficult time deciding where to point my camera! I spent most of yesterday hanging around Johnson Lake in Banff National Park and was able to get some diverse imagery within a rather small area. It's amazing what you can find meandering through the different pathways in the dense forests around here. I found several locations I had scouted for sunset and in the last two hours I was running between all of them, chasing the light. I've been reading the recent article in Outdoor Photographer on Galen Rowell, and I find our philosophies to be fairly similar. I enjoy mastering the technicalities of a photograph and being able to conquer difficult lighting with my photographic knowledge, but there is something to Galen's most famous quote: "f/8 and be there." No photographic genius will ever be a "great" photographer if they don't get out and explore this world we live in. So much of photography is about the content in front of the lens. We can change our composition or settings a hundred times, but if the content is boring, it will most likely turn out to be a boring image. Personally, I got into photography because it seemed to go hand in hand with my philosophy on life. I want to be a part of it. Whatever it is. I enjoy documenting the adventure or event and telling the side of the story only I can tell. The key is to be there. It doesn't matter where. If you want to be a great photographer put yourself in the right place at the right time. Some people confuse this with luck. But there is so much more to it. Besides the planning and the watching and the research, the experience is what's going to set you apart. Being there is so much more than just being present. Being there is about experiencing it and living the adventure. If you live on the edge, your photographs will reflect that lifestyle. I am continually trying to better my photography, but I think this is one of the most important concepts to hold on to.
Johnson Lake had become my lake by the end of the night. Everyone had left to go have dinner in town just before the sky exploded with color. I felt so blessed to be able to witness such beauty and I continue to feel that everyday I am able to be in nature. It was an amazing night and I can't wait to continue my journey in Banff. Luckily, I found a quaint little cafe in town named McDonald's that provided wi-fi. I will hopefully be able to get a few more posts up while I'm on the road. In the mean time I hope you enjoy these teaser images of my first day in Banff National Park.

Johnson Lake in beautiful Banff National Park

Mushroom on the forest floor in Banff National Park

Johnson Lake Panorama

Alpenglow on the mountains near Johnson Lake in Banff National Park

Canada: Trip Planning

I’m getting ready for an amazing trip up north to the Canadian Rockies! I’ll be gone for a total of 11 days, spending most of it exploring Banff and Jasper National Parks. I’ll be driving the whole way, most of it with a friend, until I say goodbye and she continues on to meet up with family. We will hopefully be able to squeeze in a bit of Glacier National Park on the way back, but we’ll have to play it by ear. I have always been enthralled by the Canadian Wilderness and now I will actually be able to see and photograph its grand beauty.

I love planning and preparing for a trip, but this one has just about done me in. I think I've been so concerned about making it absolutely perfect that I've forgotten about letting things happen as they will. That’s all part of the adventure after all. It’s always good to have a plan and be prepared, but leave a little leeway for exploration, the unexpected or, heaven forbid, when things go wrong. Like Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia Clothing Company, said, “It’s not an adventure until something goes wrong.” I may not necessarily want things to go wrong, but there is something to that. There must be room to wiggle, to make last minute rash decisions. Planning is great. Don’t get me wrong. You can get more out of an “adventure” by wise planning, but there is something about living in the moment. Don’t be so stuck on an idea or plan that you forget where you are and experiencing it first hand. Sometimes I don’t recognize the beauty around me when I've had my mind set on a “picture” or an idea. Like my grandma and mom always say, “Don’t wish your life away” or in this case, don’t plan your life away. Soak in the goodness, keep an open mind and leave some room for when the adventure really begins.

I’m hoping to get one more post of my packing list in before I take off. We’ll see if I decide to bring the computer along...I might just be able to post along the way (pending wi-fi availability) and bring you along for the ride!