Mini-Shootout: Carrizo Plain--The Photos

DavidTO · April 3, 2011

A few of us went in search of wildflowers at Carrizo Plain National Monument. This thread is for our images.

Alex shooting sunrise

Morning Fiddlenecks

Travis. This one cracks me up, since I had my extension tube on for shooting the flowers, not exactly a portrait setup, I just snapped it on impulse.

I missed the moment on this one, Zach was too quick for me.

Morning, post-sunrise.

Trav, Zach and Alex

Yellow Coreopsis

DavidTO · April 3, 2011

I think I missed on this one. It looked better in my mind.

Andy · April 3, 2011

WTF no Schmoopics?

DavidTO · April 3, 2011

There's this one, and don't forget, I've got to get the film stuff processed, scanned, processed...ya know.

DavidTO · April 3, 2011

And this one:

DavidTO · April 3, 2011

16 image 180° pano. Not sure it was really worth it in the long run, but there you go.

ian408 · April 3, 2011

DavidTO wrote: »

16 image 180° pano. Not sure it was really worth it in the long run, but there you go.

I think you got some cool stuff. The sunrise looked good. I bet this next week will be nice--the wildflowers are just coming out in the Hollister Area.

DsrtVW · April 3, 2011

Good stuff so far. DId anyone detour through the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve was wondering about conditions there. Whether it would be worth a detour on the way to Vegas.

DavidTO · April 3, 2011

DsrtVW wrote: »

Good stuff so far. DId anyone detour through the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve was wondering about conditions there. Whether it would be worth a detour on the way to Vegas.

That's one hell of a detour! At least for us. No, no one did.

I assume you know about these, but here you go:

http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/ca.html

http://www.theodorepayne.org/hotline.html

DavidTO · April 3, 2011

ian408 wrote: »

I think you got some cool stuff. The sunrise looked good. I bet this next week will be nice--the wildflowers are just coming out in the Hollister Area.

Thanks, Ian! I have no doubt that Carrizo will get better. But I seriously doubt it will be a banner year for flowers.

schmoo · April 3, 2011

Dude, you guys have been busy! I slept for like 12 hours after I got back and I only started whipping through photos this afternoon.

It was really great to see everyone. The 4 hour drive seemed like nothing! Definitely think that Carrizo is a place worth hitting up again in the future.

Everyone's photos are jaw-droppingly gorgeous. I don't know where I was while you were shooting those. That one of Zach makes me crack up.

A few from me:

So fun. Thanks everyone, and esp to TO.

schmoo · April 3, 2011

anonymouscuban wrote: »

Just glad I brought my beef jerky... nothing else but rabbit food in bags.

Alex I seriously thought that if you were going to eat balut, you'd eat curried chicken salad. :cry

DavidTO · April 3, 2011

Looks great, Schmoo!

You inspired me:

Also, I got my first color film processed ($2.19 at CVS!) and "scanned" it on my slide copier. Color is so much harder than b/w.

This one was the one that went off by mistake while I was fiddling with my bulb remote. Light flare, for some reason.

At the visitor center:

The rest of my pano and Zorki shots are still in camera. Boo!

anonymouscuban · April 3, 2011

Very cool shots guys. Uploading mine now so just waiting for them to get on my Smug to post. That sky is awesome Schmoo. Also really like the one of Dave and I trekking through the flowers.

Oh man Dave.. I hope that's your camera giving me that gut!!! That's not cool at all. Well, that shot just convinced me it's time to stop bulking and time to start leaning up.

anonymouscuban · April 3, 2011

Here are few more of mine.

1. Dave and Schmoo in the thick of things.

2. My sunrise shots came out like crap... was messing around with the GND filters instead of shooting. I did manage to get this shot shortly after sunrise. Like the sky here:

3. Yellow Haze

schmoo · April 3, 2011

I love how the Horizon shots came out in color. And yeah, OK I am going to get my own scanner at this point because you just can't beat the price of develop only.

Alex, I love the clarity of all of those shots. I forgot to use your Secret Processing Tip when I did my set, oops!

(I'm going to start taking advantage of the SmugTrainer from here on out, that's for sure)

DavidTO · April 3, 2011

Nice, Alex.

That yellow on the Coreopsis is hard for me to manage. Either looks over or undersaturated. There's a very, very fine line where it looks right. You avoided the whole issue by embracing it. Nice.

And I thought I did well by your "gut"! Anyway, if you're really worried about THAT non-problem, you can just cut back to 3 steaks at a time, right?

DavidTO · April 3, 2011

OK, one more pano, then I'm signing off for the night. I've not stepped out of my office for hours and hours.

schmoo · April 3, 2011

So that's what the lake looked like! Nice perspective - it looks totally surreal and I love the balance of blue in the sky and the yellow flowers.

It's really awesome to see you shooting again

DsrtVW · April 4, 2011

I am known in family for my epic detours. Yes I have seen those sites I have not checked them tonight. It seems like all areas are doing the same back to back years are uncommon. I know here up in my area we have had plenty of moisture early and late in the year but have not had the nice warm spring weather to bring them out. I feel it will still be good but just later this year.
thanks Dave
Heading down through Tehachipi on the way to Vegas was thinking it might be worth going further south to take in the Poppies.
But then we also have Death Valley and the eastern slope of the Sierras on the return trip.

DavidTO wrote: »

That's one hell of a detour! At least for us. No, no one did.

I assume you know about these, but here you go:

http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/ca.html

http://www.theodorepayne.org/hotline.html

anonymouscuban · April 4, 2011

Here's a pano of the lake. Not exactly happy with it but not bad, I guess:

And here are a couple of some purple flowers among the coreopsis...

And Dave... I totally know what you mean with the yellow. It was tough getting it exposed correctly. After a few trial and errors, I ended up underexposing a bit, figuring I can pull it up in post, which is what I did.

Doug Solis · April 4, 2011

some great shot ya'll! It's feeling more like Spring...

schmoo · April 4, 2011

Of course I have more. Doubt this could rival the others posted here:

Excuse the light leaks. I'm currently shopping for (another) camera.

And I have not yet even downloaded my IR shots!

anonymouscuban · April 4, 2011

Love that second shot!!! Pretty awesome. Also love the shot of Zack and me smooching!!

Here are a few more of mine:

1: Zack modeling for me

2

3

4 Almost same as 3. Not sure which I like more?

anonymouscuban · April 4, 2011

Another Pano:

schmoo · April 4, 2011

If I hadn't been there myself, I would have thought it was a banner year for flowers with those panos. It looks like you did a great job with those yellows. I thought sensors had problems just with the reds. Who knew?

Were these taken with your brand-spanking new ND filters?

DavidTO · April 4, 2011

anonymouscuban wrote: »

This one, for me.

anonymouscuban · April 4, 2011

schmoo wrote: »

If I hadn't been there myself, I would have thought it was a banner year for flowers with those panos. It looks like you did a great job with those yellows. I thought sensors had problems just with the reds. Who knew?

Were these taken with your brand-spanking new ND filters?

Yes. I think I used the ND filters on every shot.... whether or not I really needed to.

I'm really digging them. The cool thing about them is that I really only had to worry about exposing the foreground, which was difficult enough with the yellows. Then I just played around with the filters until I found the right one or combination that got the BG and sky how I wanted.

schmoo · April 4, 2011

A couple of IR shots, too. Not much of the day really was meant for that kind of light:

.... and I'm spent.

anonymouscuban · April 4, 2011

DavidTO wrote: »

This one, for me.

Yeah... I think that is one of my favorites of the day. I took it when I hiked up the hill while your were trying to get your pano film camera working.

anonymouscuban · April 4, 2011

Love, love, love that second IR. Very cool Scmoozers!

BTW, I have a few more!

Mini-Shootout: Carrizo Plain--The Photos

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