It's summer again. The air is laden with the faint scent of smoke from distant wildfires, and temperatures in the Salt Lake Valley routinely excede 100°F. Monsoon thunderstorms blow in the afternoon, replete with ominous clouds, downpours of rain and hail, lightning and thunder. And the mountains... the mountains are sublime!

For me this season is marked by more time spent at high elevation on long wilderness hikes, scrambling precipitous slopes, or getting intimate with slabs of 5th class granite, though (ironically) it also means having fewer images to show for it.

As I tread the mountain trails en route to lofty peaks and alpine lakes on these long summer days, my energy is often focused more on the journey, the effort, and just plain being there rather than fumbling with a camera. Rest assured though - the verdant alpine meadows and their fleeting displays of wildflowers will not let this soul rest until I have captured something to remember them by.

(Image by David Fantle)

Workshop Update

Time is running out for anyone considering joining our October 7-8 "Introduction to Large Format" workshop in California's scenic Alabama Hills, at the feet of the mighty Sierra Nevada mountains. Only a couple of slots remain. If you're up for a fun weekend of photographic bliss with two friendly camera bums - claim your spot now!

Whether you are currently a Large Format photographer or not - we're confident you'll enjoy the experience and pick up some useful skills.

Published Work

For anyone interested, several publications have picked up my work over the past few months. My Large Format photography was featured in the British Digital Photographer magazine and a number of its European affiliates, another portfolio and Artist's Statement appeared in the fine Canadian magazine PhotoLife, and yet another portfolio was published by Unique Image in Taiwan. Most recently the August edition of Outdoor Photographer features my article on Black-and-White photography.

Your comments and feedback on these and any of my other work are always welcome and appreciated!

New Web Site Section - Personal Projects

Other than new images and articles (some of which recently appeared on Nature Photographers Online Magazine), I would like to draw yoru attention to a new segment on the Scenic Wild web site. In the process of making images I often find myself attempting to express concepts and meanings beyond what a single image can convey. These can be momentary interests or ongoing obsessions. To this end I added the Personal Projects page.

Some (perhaps all) are really works in progress and I would be curious to hear any thoughts or comments you may have.

Pointing and Shooting

How often have you walked by something you thought "had potential," but felt too tired or hurried or unmotivated to break out the camera? How many times have you wanted to document a silly moment on the trail, to capture a "been there, done that" record of your escapades, to sneak a candid shot of friends, pets, or relatives or just respond quickly to changing light when your high-end camera is just out of reach or too cumbersome to set up? These are the times to re-learn what everybody else knows and what "serious" photographers have apparently forgotten: Point-and-Shoot (P&S) cameras are fun, convenient, and useful.

Moreover, the recent crop of these tiny miracle devices sport some very impressive features and image quality that might give your SLR a run for its money, all in a tiny package that can fit in a small pouch or shirt pocket.

I originally got my little P&S for technical canyoneering and climbing trips where the risk of damaging a more expensive camera made it a safer bet. On these endeavors light weight and the ability to operate a camera with one hand are often quite useful, too.

On other occasions, I found myself throwing the light and compact P&S pouch around my neck, for the occasional snapshot. While initially hesitant to use it for "serious" work, I found myself reaching for it at times when capturing an image otherwise was impossible and yes, when fatigue or sheer laziness held me back from setting up a tripod.

I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised when I imported some of these handheld grab shots into Photoshop for the first time. Resolution was impressive, dynamic range exceded that of slide film, and the short focal length allowed for extreme depth-of-field.

Note the image below - it is a single hand-held exposure retaining a full range of tones from deep shadows to bright highlights with an impressive amount of detail.

Canyonlands Scene

Near Detail

Far Detail

Rage (against the dying of the light)

Pollenscape (logs and pollen floating in lake)

So, like... what's going on?

As anticipated many friends and no small amount of concerned photo-citizens have cautiously tried to ascertain whether I have "gone digital" and whether I still use film. Well, yes... and yes. I now have the freedom and privilege of working in multiple mediums and formats and each has its place. I have embraced the convenience and creative options of digital tools, but you can bet there will also be some new 4x5 transparencies in my collection before the year is out.

As I have preached long before ever picking up a digital camera: use the right tool for the right job, and more importantly, use whatever tool best helps express your vision. Sometimes it's the beauty of an inverted image on a large ground glass screen, and sometimes it's the versatility of an SLR. Sometimes it's even a light little P&S.