January / February 2019
Nature and Outdoor • Travel • Architecture • Photo Illustrations
solutions
Photography
e-zine
Photo Illustration Tips:
Creating “Lost At Sea”, A simple photo composite with impact.
Coal Mine Canyon A Hidden Treasure
Solutions E-Zine is a William Manning Photography online newsletter /magazine. This is written and produced to help photographers solve creative issues and to help in those moments when ones imagination needs a boost of inspiration or ideas to get those creative juices flowing once again. Travel destinations, events and other photographic subjects will be included for the photographer looking to add something different, new or for photo opportunities that may never cross your mind.
Editor’s Comments A Personal Look
This is the first edition of Photography Solutions Ezine. I welcome and thank you for opening the first page and hope you sign up as a regular subscriber, it’s free. But don’t stop here. Continue reading the articles on the following pages and in future publications. I encourage readers to write comments and ask questions. I want this publication, more than anything, to help photographers think creatively and grow as artists. Let me share a little about myself and then a few of my professional accomplishments. I grew up in Kentucky in a small town bordering the Ohio River. I was in no way a privileged kid, every now and then I would get in a little trouble like throwing snowballs at cars. I loved the outdoors and loved running. Matter-of-fact, I became one of the top high school two milers in the state. It was nothing for me to go out everyday and put in a 10 to 15 mile run. I went on to find success as a runner throughout my high school years and beyond. I am still a runner today but now my heart rate is maxed out after a few miles I remember the first photo I took that got me hooked to photography. A friend and I planned a trip to New York City the end of the summer between our junior and senior year in high school. I busted my ass that summer breaking up concrete sidewalks with sledgehammers to make enough money for our adventure. I borrowed a small point and shoot camera to document two small town boys taking on the Big Apple. I remember walking the streets of Manhatten in awe. It was the Financial District and the World Trade Center Towers I couldn’t stop photographing. My favorite photo was one where I stood under the towers and pointed my camera straight up towards the sky. It seemed
as if the towers reached well beyond the clouds. That photo was the birth of my photography career. Many people had said to me, photographers are a dime a dozen and I could never make a living as a photographer. I believed them and focused on other interests. After high school I went on to college for two years and studied graphic design. After this two year stint in college, our country went into a recession and I decided to join the Army. Four years with Uncle Sam digging ditches and filling sandbags. They called this job, combat engineer. It was a great experience but it didn’t take long before I realized I didn’t want to die with a shovel in my hand. After my 4 year obligation was up I headed back to college for 4 more years. It was after graduation I finally pursued my dream of becoming a professional photographer. The first 5 years was the toughest years of all. I didn’t make any money, my work was rejected everywhere. I couldn’t find a stock agency to represent my work and I slowly watched my dream fade into the sunset. This was the time when stock agency representation was difficult to find. One could make a nice income from stock in those days, but you had to be a productive shooter and you had to be good. After years of trying I finally got an offer from Corbis. This was my big break and I never looked back at least for a while. I became a major contributor to Corbis and enjoyed a successful career with this agency and others. I started a photography tour company called Nature’s Light. It became a successful company. I also built a successful assignment business shooting travel photography and architecture. My career was looking great, all things were good until that dreadful financial bust in 2007. I remember it well. This was the beginning of tough times for many, including photographers. Stock photography took a major hit starting in 2008 and never bounced back. We went from average photo sales of $200 and $300 to $2 and $3 sales. Not a good time for photographers.
As with many photographers, I found myself scrambling to rebuild my business and learning to be a better business owner in a new environment. Architectural photography saved my career. It was this genre of work that kept me afloat during those lean years. I went on and built a reputation and a successful business, working with large coorporations and architectural firms. I’ve had the opportunity to travel the country working with many talented people photographing skyscrapers, educational institutions, hospitals, entertainment, and many others. As with most photographers, I had to diversify my business. This allowed me to continue to pursue my love of leading and teaching photography tours and workshops in the beautiful outdoors. I am now approaching 25 years in this tough but rewarding career. A Few Highlights of my professional career in a nutshell: • Owner and operator of Natures Light Photography Tours. Lead photo tours across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. • Assignment photographer for travel industry. Published many travel related products and magazines. • Assignment photographer for architectural industry. Worked with high end projects across the United States. Won many design awards across the Architectural industry. • Stock Photographer: Corbis, Getty, Alamy, others • Books: The Photographers Travel Guide Fodors Ohio Travel Guide Portrait of Cincinnati Cincinnati Travel Guide Louisville: A Photographic Portrait William Manning www.williammanning.com email: william@williammanning.com
Lost At Sea
A Simple Photo Composite with Visual Impact Text and Photography by William Manning Š www.williammanning.com
Defining creativity is complicated, people have been trying to define this term for many years. I believe creativity is limited only by our imagination. It occurs when someone creates something that has an impact on how people feel, think and maybe how they might live their life. I know this is a simplification of the term but this is how I approach my work. I set out and try and create something that I hope evokes a response.
Thinking Ahead
Lost at Sea was concieved in the field well before the creative process began. I was conducting a photography workshop in Acadia National Park
when I came upon several clean, attractive wooden boats near one of several fishing villages within the park. I tried to find a composition that included these boats, but nothing interested me other than the boats themselves. I evenually passed on the opportunity and moved on to photograph elsewhere along the dock. As I combed the docks I kept coming back to the boats, but each time nothing inspired me other than one particular boat. The lack of opportunities or creative block allowed my imagination to kick in. I was bound and determined to use this boat some how and it came in the form of a composite or as I like to call, a photo illustration.
The Boat
The boat was the foundation of this illustration. My idea was really quite simple, I wanted to create a situation much the same as I found the boat, sitting on calm waters in a peaceful setting. The first thing needed was to isolate the boat. For the composite I had in mind this meant cutting the boat out of the photo. To do this I used the pen tool. If you have never used the pen tool in Adobe Photoshop, I suggest you practice, practice and practice with this tool. It can be a good friend for creating paths and cutting or isolating subjects such as this boat. Step 1. Select Pen Tool from Adobe PhotoshopTool Box. Carefully trace over the boat until you close the path. Under the Paths drop down menu select Make Selection. A box will appear giving you the opportunity to input a feathering radius.
skies. My collection includes stormy skies, plain blue skies, skies with white puffy clouds, you name it I have it. (I highly recommend building your own collection of skies, you never know when you might need to replace a sky). I combed through my files and played with several until I decided on this soft pastel colored sky with warm colored clouds mixed in with soft grey clouds. You can almost feel a clearing storm which was exactly the conditions I wanted.
Placing Boat in Sky
It’s now time to place my boat into the sky. This is a simple process but it required more than just placement. The boat needed to be resized and reshaped.
On hard edged subjects such as this boat I use 1 pixel. This will vary depending on the subject you’re cutting out. Click OK and your subject will appear with marching ants. Then under the Edit Menu select Copy then again under the Edit Menu select Paste (short cut: Command C and Command V). In the Layers Palette you will see a new layer you just created. This is the cutout of your subject.
Background
Finding the appropriate background was important. I have a large file of several hundred photos of
Step 2. Open file that has your boat cutout. Place your curser on the layer with the cutout and drag onto the sky photo which will be background layer. The boat was to large, therefore I selected the Transform tool found under the Edit menu and selected Scale. This allowed me to resize the boat. Step 3. The next step was to reshape the boat. As you can see from the orginal photo the perspective of the boat is a bit different than the boat in the finished illustration. With the transform tool still selected I went back to the Edit drop down menu and selected Distort under the Transform tool. This allowed me to work the boat into my desired shape.
Create the Water
It’s now time to create the water. There’s a company called Flaming Pear that offers a really cool Photoshop Plugin called Flood. This is the plug-in I used to create the water in my illustration. Step 4. Flatten the boat layer with the (sky) background layer. After flattening layers, I always create a duplicate background layer before adding effects. This will allow me to delete the duplicate layer and start over if I don’t like the results. Open duplicate background layer in Flaming Pear Flood Filter. This filter will have to be run twice. Take the horizon line up to the midway point of boat. Make desired settings to your water. Click OK and photo opens back up in Photoshop. Create a mask and select black brush. Begin removing water from the boat until you have a realistic feel of the boat floating on the water. Flatten the two layers, then make another duplicate layer. Open a second time in Flaming Pear Flood filter. This time run the horizon beyond
the boat into the desired distance. Adjust water settings exactly the same as first. Click OK and open in Photoshop. Create a mask and select black brush. Remove water on and around boat. Continue to remove water from second filter pass and blend carefully until you have a realistic look. The photo below is where we are at this point.
Adding Atmosphere
Finishing touches to any photo are important. It is critical not to over work but equally critical not to under work. Step 5. Atmosphere for this illustration needs to be subtle but effective. I chose to use the Graduated Fog filter in Nik Color Efex. I used a light fog as not to over do it. I then created a small lightening strike in the grey area of the clouds. I used Alien Skin Eye Candy to create the lightening strike. The final touch was to create a light beam. I used Auto FX Mystical Suite software.
Software used to create this Illustration: Adobe Photoshop, Flaming Pear Flood, Nik Color Efex, Alien Skin Eye Candy and Auto FX Mystical Suite.
Springtime In the American West Photography Workshops 2019 Death Valley, Land of Extremes March 27-31, 2019
Death Valley is truly a land of extremes. This national park sits in a basin 282 feet below sea level and rises to over 11,043 feet at Telescope Peak. The beauty is equally impressive with ever-changing sand dunes, multi-colored hills, jagged mountain peaks and a desert floor covered in patterns ...
American Southwest: Off the Beaten Path April 10-14, 2019
Photographers favor the American Southwest for good reason. It’s a vast wilderness where one can still escape the crowds. From a creative stand point, there’s countless locations with diverse land features and ...
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Coal Mine Canyon, Text and Photography by William Manning Š www.williammanning.com
Arizona Coal Mine Canyon sits in the harsh desert environment of the Navajo and Hopi Reservations. This is a land of unmistakable beauty and solitude. The Grand Canyon reaps the publicity in the region and for good reason, but Coal Mine Canyon offers its own reasons for the adventurous to visit and explore. Passing endless miles of flat desert highways leaves one to believe there is little reason to stop other than for a fill-up. The locals, Navajo and Hopi, appreciate the opportunity of selling their arts and crafts along the road but one would be hard pressed to find an open invitation to stay and explore the lesser known wonders within the boundaries of their reservation. I understand and not complaining. The neighboring Grand Canyon is example enough of what a breathtaking landscape and popularity can do to an otherwise peaceful place. Being lesser known and somewhat low key doesn’t mean the public isn’t invited. Bold colors, jagged rock, stripped formations and not another human in sight is reason enough for me to open myself to a world of limitless opportunities behind my camera. Coal Mine Canyon is just this place, where photo opportunities end only when you tire or your imagination needs a break.
Which Way
Finding Coal Mine Canyon is no easy task. Simply driving roads looking for obvious signs for directions is nearly non-existant. Asking directions can often be misleading. I’ll share mile marker and
grid coordinates to get started but it will also take a little effort on your part to find the photos that inspire you.
Don’t Forget Permits
The best place to start your journey is pick up a backcountry permit at the Navaho Parks and Recreation office in Cameron. The address is Highway 89 N & Highway 64, Cameron, AZ 86020. I highly recommend doing everything legally when entering into Navajo lands. This will protect you from their law enforcement and it also helps build a strong relationship with locals. The photography community doesn’t need any bad press or bad relationships with locals.
Get Started
Finding the entry into Coal Mine Canyon isn’t an easy task if you have no guideance on where to start or what to look for. The land throughout the reservation looks barren. Mile markers can be
your best friend when looking for turnoffs. I have photographed here on several occasions and have marked the land with mileage and GPS coordinates. Tuba City is the place to begin your search. Hwy 160 is the boundary line that divides the Hopi and Navajo Reservation. There is also a time difference from one side of the highway and the other. There are a two hotels in Tuba City that provide a good place to rest your body after long days exploring the canyons, Moenkopi Legacy Inn and Suites and Quality Inn Navajo Nation. The Quality Inn also offers both RV and tent camping. They have shower facilities for campers.
Coal Mine Canyon
The best place to start your drive to Coal Mine Canyon is at the intersection of Hwy 160 and SR 264. Drive east on SR 264 for approximately 14.8
miles. There are many pulloffs as the road continues for several miles beyond the first pulloff. GPS Grid Coordinate for this turnoff is N35 59.160’ W111 00. 057’.
Blue Canyon
If you want to explore these canyons farther and drive down into the canyon you will need a Hopi guide and permit. This is a large canyon and one can get lost on their own. Again, don’t enter illegally, it hurts everyone. This Canyon area is called miles to mile marker 337. On the left side of the road you will see a set of cattle guards followed by a dirt road. You will also see a modern looking home off in the distance and an old windmill. Follow the dirt road towards the windmill and not the house. Continue about a 1/4 mile past the windmill and you will come upon Coal Mine Canyon as it appears out of nowhere. If for any reason you pass the first set of cattle guards there is another entrance beyond the one mentioned. There will be a second entrance about 1/4 mile farther down SR 264. If you are using a GPS and prefer grid coordinates then input N36 00.322’ W111 02.927’ into your GPS device. These grid coordinates are to the second set of cattle guards.
Ha Ho No Geh Canyon
After leaving this portion of Coal Mine Canyon there is another wonderful location to explore farther down SR 264. Follow dirt road back out to SR 264 and turn left. Follow SR 264 east for another 2.9 miles to mile marker 340. Find a set of cattle guards on the left side of the road. This portion of the Canyon, called Ha Ho No Geh canyon, will require driving farther off the hard pavement of SR 264, therefore I would not recommend driving this road in wet conditions without a 4x4 vehicle. The drive to the first pulloff is approximately 2
Blue Canyon. I understand there are two ways to enter into Blue Canyon, one from Hwy 160 in Tonalea, which I don’t know, and the other is from SR 264. From the Ha Ho No Geh cattle guards drive 15.3 miles on SR 264 to cattle guards entering into Blue Canyon. The grid coordinates. GPS Grid Coordinates N35 58.262’ W110 49.792 which is located on SR 264.
Priorties
Once you get to the rim of each of these locations there are endless possibilties for photography. But, before any photography takes place get your priorties straight. First priorty, before entering into these areas get a permit. I can’t stress this enough. Photographers have overstayed there welcome in many areas across the US because of trespassing and not obeying the rules in parks, etc... Palouse is a good example of this issue. Safety is second priorty, watch where you walk and stay away from soft edges. Don’t travel alone if you plan to venture far from your vehicle, let others know where you are. This can be a dangerous place and one where it would be very easy to get lost. Be prepared. Explore Coal Mine Canyon and have a great photo shoot.
Photographers interested in a private tour or wanting to organize a group tour in the region can contact William Manning via email william@williammanning.com
Romania
A Photographic Journey into the Past August 8-20, 2019 If you enjoy travel photography and love to photograph traditional cultures, medieval villages and historic architecture, Romania is your place. Join us on this incredible photographic journey and step back in time. We’ll walk the cobblestoned paths inside medieval villages, explore castles that once protected Romanian rulers, photograph special festivals that celebrate the rich and colorful past, witness traditional customs that are still practiced and hopefully photograph a traditional Romanian wedding as the celebration takes to the streets. Join William and our local expert Daniel on this rewarding journey. William will share his expertise in capturing the cultural and historic past of this rich and diverse country on camera and Daniel will share his love of his home country and their customs and traditions. This is a true travel photographers journey. To learn more about this incredible journey visit https://williammanning.com/travelprograms/romaniaphototour/
The Balkans: Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia Photography Tour
August 31- September 14, 2019 The Balkans is a geographic region in southeastern Europe made up of 12 countries, often referred to as the Balkan States. These countries are made up of mountains surrounded by the Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean and Black Seas. Beauty, history, traditions, and culture are a few words that might describe this region but many more could certainly be used. Our Balkan Photography tour has been in the making for a couple of years. This tour is made up of three countries, Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia. It would be impossible to visit all the incredible locations within these countries in a two week period but after working with our local guide we believe we have designed an extraordinary photographic journey that will be rewarding and memorable. You are invited to join us on this incredible journey as William Manning, Adam Jones and our local guide make sure you see and experience many incredible photography opportunities on your visit to the Balkans. To learn more about this incredible journey visit: https://williammanning.com/travelprograms/balkansphotographytour/
Processing the Photo The Digital Photo Lab
Camera: Canon 5D Mark IV Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM Focal Length, f-stop, ISO: 16mm, f/11, 200 Filter: None I edit all my photos in Photo Mechanic because its a quick and easy media browser. It allows me to organize, manage and export photos fast. I’m not a huge fan of most HDR software but recently Skylum introduced their new version of Aurora HDR 2019. I have to say this is the best on the market at the moment, (in my opinion). I’ll talk more about HDR in a future Solutions ezine. The first 4 exposures at bottom were imported directly from Photo Mechanic into Aurora 2019. I processed them with only a couple adjustments, contrast and shadows. I then opened the HDR photo in Adobe Photoshop. In Photoshop I used TK Actions, selected light tones and made adjustments in levels and then the same with mid to dark tones. After adjustments with levels, I then used TK Actions and made saturation adjustments for different colors. When I was happy with my color adjustments I flattened the photo. I normally step back from a photo for a few minutes after I think it is finished. After stepping away from my work, I then decide to save it or improve on it (5th photo on right is straight out of Aurora HDR 2019). This photo still needed something, a focal point. I created a minor vignette with Nik Color Efex Pro, liked the results, called it finished.
Text and Photography by William Manning Š www.williammanning.com
Shipka Memorial Church, also know as the Russian Church in Shipka, Bulgaria.
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Great Smoky Mountains for Beginners April 25-28, 2019
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California Redwoods and Oregon Coast May 20-25, 2019
California’s Redwood Forests are a inspiring site to behold and photograph. Northern California’s Redwood National and State Parks are home to the tallest trees on earth. Standing beneath these ...
Photo Processing Workshop
Take your photography from Raw Capture to Wow
Cincinnati, Ohio June 7-9, 2019
Processing shouldn’t be a burden. It should be as much fun as creating the photo itself. Of course, the computer can’t replace standing behind the camera in a beautiful setting but it can bring back that magical setting with those creative juices flowing as you explore new tools and techniques that bring that photo to life.
Arches and Canyonlands Photography Tour November 9-15, 2019
The iconic landmarks of Arches and Canyonlands National Park are known throughout the world and have been the subject of photographers for many years. This red rock landscape sits ....
The Last Frame
Early morning light on eroded sandstone in Coal Mine Canyon. This Canyon was once known as Honoo Ji, a Navajo word meaning Saw Toothed or Jagged erosion.
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I welcome feedback from readers, please send me comments. I hope to add a photo critique page in the future. If you have a photo you would like to send for a critique, please use contact info below. Photography Solutions / William Manning Photography https://williammanning.com email: william@williammanning.com for comments please write comment in the subject line for critique please write critique in the subject line. Send photo at 2000 pixels on the long side and provide your name, email, telephone. Please provide information about the photo. All photography and written material in this publication is copyright protected.