Category: Photo

Photo – Watson Lake at the Granite Dells

Published / by adminjc

Hi Everyone,

I love shooting at the Granite Dells in Prescott, Arizona. The choice of subjects is amazing. You can see herons, egrets, ravens, various kinds of ducks, turtles sunning themselves on logs, pronghorn and, of course, the amazing rocks.

Watson Lake in the Granite Dells of Prescott, Arizona
Canon Rebel XSi / Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS at 70mm / 1/125 / f/11 / ISO 100 / Tripod used

There are several entrances to the Dells, and this shot was taken near the furthest picnic area, which is about a three minute drive from the main entrance to Watson Lake Park. The last time I was there, the entry fee was $3. It’s well worth the cost to have access to the Granite Dells, Watson Lake, hiking trails, picnic areas, restrooms and more.

I just made some basic adjusts to the image for contrast, vibrance and saturation.

You can see several videos taken at the Dells on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcd8nqgH0CiaveaIlKbE1mA

Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

And check out ON1 Photo RAW.

Have Fun,
Jeff

Photo – View To The Past

Published / by adminjc

Hi Everyone,

I took this photo in 2010 at the Gold King Mine and Ghost Town, next to Jerome, Arizona. As you can see, the window is very dirty and created a hazy and washed-out view of the outside.

Canon Rebel XSi / Canon EF-S 55-250mm kit lens at 55mm / 1/200 / f/11 / ISO 200 / Tripod used

I really liked the photo and wanted to make it look its best. But back then Photoshop and other software didn’t have Artificial Intelligence (AI) to do a lot of the work for you, including creating masks.

With my pen table I created a mask that would allow viewers to see clearly through the glass. It was a lot of fun, and I even wrote an article about the process. You can read this article, which was published in two magazines and a website, here www.jeffcolburn.com/articles/make-a-complex-photo-mask-with-a-pen-tablet

While AI is amazing, I still enjoy using my pen tablet to tweak masks.  

And check out ON1 Photo RAW.

Have Fun,
Jeff

Photo – Tree At The Grand Canyon

Published / by adminjc

Hi Everyone,

I created this photograph at the Grand Canyon. A couple of hours before sunset I scouted the area and found three places I wanted to shoot at sunset. Because I would only have about 15 minutes of shoot time, they had to be close together.

Canon Rebel XSi / Canon EF-S 18-55mm kit lens at 42mm / 1/50 / f/11 / ISO 400 / Tripod used

The tree was the last of the three places I wanted to shoot. I shot the first location, then grabbed my tripod and ran to the second location, then the last one.

To get to the proper vantage point was a little tricky as there was only a narrow dirt path that led to it. This path was covered in tiny rocks, which made it slippery, and it sloped toward the Canyon. Slip on the rocks, or get too close to the edge, and you would fall hundreds of feet into the Canyon. Oh, the crazy things photographers do to get a picture.

But I got the shot, and it’s been a popular photo in the gallery.

If you are faced with a dangerous situation when taking photos, always err on the side of caution. No photo is worth your life, or getting seriously injured.

And check out ON1 Photo RAW.

Have Fun,
Jeff

Photo – Wukoki Ruins

Published / by adminjc

Hi Everyone,

This shot of the Wukoki Pueblo was taken at Wupatki National Monument. The main ruins are interesting, but I prefer these ruins, as its isolation gives me a better feeling of what it was like to live there.

Wukoki Ruins
Canon Rebel XSi / Canon EF-S 18-55mm kit lens at 18mm / 1/80 / f 7.1 / ISO 200 / Tripod used

I set up my tripod as low as possible to get this shot. The photo was taken close to sunset. While you can get great shots at any time of day, at sunset the red sandstone almost glows.

I could spend all day shooting here. The ruins offer great distant shots, like this, but there are also great detail shots of the rocks and ruins that are amazing.

Wukoki Pueblo reminds me of a lone ship at sea, but the sea is made up of sand and rock. You can walk around, and in, this ruin.

And check out ON1 Photo RAW.

Have Fun,
Jeff

Lots Of Changes

Published / by adminjc

Hi Everyone,

There are a lot of changes going on with my three websites. I’m hoping these changes will make things easier for you, and me. I have moved my ebooks at CreativeCauldron.com and my blog at TheCreativesCorner.com to JeffColburn.com

This way, you can go to one site and see everything. If you have signed up for my monthly newsletter, you will continue to receive it on the 7th of each month. The email for March will be larger than normal, it’s just how the system works since I have the blog set up at a new website. After that, it will only show posts added since the last newsletter.

Barren aspens

I have also renamed the newsletter Jeff Colburn’s Photography Newsletter, which will be the new heading of your email. If you have any problems with your newsletter, please let me know at info@JeffColburn.com

Finally, I will be closing down CreativeCauldron.com and TheCreativesCorner.com. In a day or two those sites will autoforward to JeffColburn.com, and in a few months be gone.

Have Fun,
Jeff