By Ryan Montgomery

Visit me on the Web or or Facebook

I know some people crave and need titles like intermediate photographer or outdoorsman but truth be told, regardless of the level of your expertise we all have amateur moments- a term first brought to my attention by Ian Plant but thereafter perfected by yours truly through action.

On my most recent trip to Death Valley National Park I witnessed some of the most spectacular amateur moments I’ve ever seen- some committed by me and some by others. These are a short list of my classic “oops”.

Manly Beacon, Death Valley National Park at ISO 1000- Ouch!

 1.   Shooting at the wrong ISO-  We’ve all done it- admit it. If you won’t I think you are lying.  Admit it, you take some nights shots the night before and you leave the ISO at a higher setting than should be used for the following morning sunset.  Yep, that was me.  I nailed that morning sunset from Manly Beacon at a classic 1000 ISO.  Thank goodness for the NIK Software noise reduction to correct my amateur moment.

Pantamint Puddles without footprints

2.   Making an image has some of the same etiquette as golf.   BE QUIET while I am putting and don’t walk across my line on the green. Seriously, if I am shooting  during the scarse 5-10 minutes of alpenglow on the Pantamint Mountain range,  I really don’t want to stop an answer a question about what does composition mean or  where the on/off  button is on the camera and I definitely don’t want to answer that same question three and four times….what about you there T-Nip?  As for the putting green, remember as you are setting up a shot you can’t- well shouldn’t- walk in front of the person shooting.  Much like a footprints on a green, footprints really are (I know surprisingly) damaging to a shot where the foreground includes some soft mud playa- 240lbs will leave footprints in the mud.  Who knew?

Upper portion of Darwin Falls, Death Valley National Park with a lens cap somewhere

3. Secure all gear while shooting-  Here I go again!  Too entrenched in my shot of  Darwin Falls, a waterfall in the desert, I never noticed my lens cap sliding off an adjacent rock until it was headed down the chute of water under my tripod like a 4-year-old on a water slide.  At least, I didn’t notice it until I heard “there goes your lens cap”.  I came to find out quickly that those don’t float regardless of whether you shoot Nikon or Canon.  I wonder if they make a string that hangs from the lens cap to the camera body.  Guess I will never know.

Moonrise Mono Lake, California at 5 Degrees Fahrenheit

4.   Pack appropriate clothing for the shoot-  While my trip to Mono Lake was a somewhat spontaneous excursion, it doesn’t change the fact that I could have used some long johns or additional clothing.  When I pulled out of the hotel in my The Northface hiking pants it was ZERO degrees.  Lucky for me it warmed up to a balmy 5 degrees while shooting.  Three hours in that cold would wear anyone down.  Thank goodness for the  snot-sickle-mustached Greenbay Packers  and Galen Rowell fan next to me who saved me with two warm cups of Huckleberry tea.  At least I wasn’t the only one that didn’t know the weather. My amateur moment was limited to this one spontaneous morning. In the desert we experienced temperatures ranging from 50 degrees in the day to below 25 degrees at night.  I saw one other photographer that had nothing more than a long sleeve shirt and a fleece vest for that 25 degree weather. Isn’t there a weather app out there or do you have to at least have a cell phone to download that?

 5.   As days pass and the lack of sleep sets in, my amateur moments become more frequent and more frustrating.   By my last day, I swear the legs on my Really Right Stuff Versa Tripod (one of the easiest to use) had a mind of its own,  Not only would they not move where I said to go but I think they may have actually fought back a bit. Nothing says amateur moment like having a tripod kick your butt!  Guilty as charged!

Star Trails over Red Cathedral, Death Valley National Park

6.  Don’t make the mistake of thinking or saying “if you’ve seen one sunrise/sunset then you’ve seen them all”. In my opinion, each is special and unique. Contrary to some peoples’ belief, bright sunny days generally are not the best option.  Get up early and stay late. One morning my alarm range at 2:30am and was on the trail by 3:00am to get a star trails shot of Red Cathedral.  Oh, and if you are in a workshop group don’t make the

Nissan Versa is not Awesome- Awesome is Trying to be a Nissan Versa!

group wait- be on time. Punctuality is key but if you run late, make sure you have rented a souped-up Nissan Versa to get you to Zabriske Point in record time.

While I admit to some of the faux pas above, I cannot take ownership of all of them. Some of been perfected by others but I was fortunate, or misfortunate, enough to have witnessed all of them. The key to amateur moments is to try and not repeat them too often or you may never become an intermediate.

What amateur moments have you perfected or witnessed?

Exposure Blending to Make the Perfect Image

 By: Ryan Montgomery

I don’t use a graduated neutral density and  you shouldn’t either.  Before the age of digital, photographers carried countless filters, lenses, accessories etc. increasing the weight of your pack and increasing your cost. The only filters I carry now are a polarizing filter and a couple of different neutral density filters to help slow shots down. The graduate neutral density filter, to me, is a thing of the past.  That filter would often create unrealistic hard lines and was often times difficult to line up depnding on the angles of the shot.  Now, I do this in the processing portion of my image rendering through exposure blending. I bracket my shots and take multiple images of he same sunset.

This is the same shot image from Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park at Sunset.  I took two shots here. I exposed one properly for the sky and one properly for the foreground (the mountains).  These images are “as shot” without any processing yet.  The key to getting the perfectly exposed image in such a high contrast scene is to blend the two exposures. This will show you the easy way to do this. Open up both images in Photoshop or the like and go to window and tile so you can see both.

  Now you want to copy the darker image using the “marching ants”.  Drag the square of ants then go to Edit => Copy.

Then go into your second image (the lighter) one and go to Edit => Paste and paste this darker image on top of the lighter image.  Now the image should look just like you only have the darker one. 

  Next step go to Layer => Layer Mask => Hide All.  This puts the darker image behind the light one and creates a mask.  On the right side of the screen in the layers palette you will see the lighter and the darker image with a black background next to the darker image (#3). You will now selected the paint brush (#1), choose your diameter of the brush and make sure the brush color is white (#2)(since your mask is black). 

Simply start at the sky and pain the white over the light sky and you will start to see the properly exposed sky revealed.  I personally take this all the way down to the mountain ridge ine where and go just beyond the top of the ridge. 

Now you have a darker mountain top versus the rest of the mountains (#1) . Now go to Filter=> Blur => Gauscian Blur and use the slider to adjust the amount of blur until the hard line disappears and you have a natural looking image (#2).

Final step is to click on the three lines above the layer palette and click flatten image and voilà  you have the properly exposed sunset. 

For more information please feel free to email me at RyanMontgomeryPhoto@gmail.com or

visit my sites www.MontgomeryPhotoArt.com or www.Facebook.com/RyanMontgomeryPhotos

By Ryan Montgomery

www.MontgomeryPhotoArt.com and www.Facebook.com/RyanMontgomeryPhotos

There is a raging debate between the not yet evolved film shooters and the digital photographer shooters as to which is the better technology, which is the “truer” method and which is real photography.  While we all likely have some feelings   regard, I am going to set aside this debate and offer the opinion that you can embrace technology, whether you still shoot film or shoot digital and become a better photographer. 

Prior to any shoot, trip or planned outing, I try and do as much research as possible. Before technology it took much more time as I had to travel to the local library, bookstore or some other method to research the location.  As the internet became a much more utilized tool, access to this information became more readily ascertainable.   However, there were still limitations.  You had to have a computer and while it was close to instant access it wasn’t always.Nearly three years ago I made the decision to switch to the Apple iPhone for a host of reasons and I am not advocating that phone over others but do believe a smart phone is the way to go if you take photographs.

The smart phones not only have instant access to the internet and your email but they provide you with a host of other functions. I recently upgraded to the iPhone 4s with Siri, a voice

recognition based operating system.  Before any shoot, I think you would want to know the weather in order to plan your trip.  Siri allows me to ask that very question.  In this case, all you need is cell phone service and you have your answer.   Siri not only

Sunset Time

provides you weather but it can provide you with a host of other information such as directions, camera repair stores, restaurants and of course what time is the sunset all very relevant to planning and implementing your photography trip.

Even if you don’t have the new iPhone 4s, you still have access to very useful information that will get you to the right spot at the right time thereby leading to better photographs. 

I have two folders on my iPhone dedicated to just applications (apps) I feel are directly related to photography.  In my 2nd photography folder I store the less used applications while in the first folder are some of my favorites.

 My folder consists of some very useful tools ranging from my current elevation to not only the time the sun comes up but the precise location where the sun will rise and set.  I live in the upstate of South Carolina and when I head to the coast of South Carolina it is important for me to know the tide.  Well guess what- ”there’s an app for that”.  In this folder I have listed the following apps: Elevation Pro, Depth of Field Calculator, MoonPhase, Sun Seeker, FocalWare, TideGraph, Compass, Light Meter, The Weather Channel, Twilight Star Walk and a Bubble level Program.

Focalware provides sunset and sunrise (as well as moon rise) times and location with an easy to use interface.  You can also search ahead in time to see the sunset times coming up in the near future and you can store your favorite locations for easy access.

Tide Graph Provides you with the ability to find the tides for your current location or to input a particular locations to find out the details for today or for some other day.

 One of my new favorites is the easy to use bubble level. Normally I carry one of these with me to put in the hot shoe of my camera to make sure all horizons are level.  I cannot tell you how many of these I have lost or loaned out only to know have them returned.  I think they are in hiding with the countless socks lost in my dryer.   So long as I don’t lose my telephone, I have access to the same function of the hot shoe bubble level.  This level app allows you to level your horizons with ease regardless of whether you have a hot shoe level with you or not.  It also allows you to level your friend’s horizon and save him/her from a crooked image.   

The final folder I use is a “Networking Folder” where I store Facebook, Flikr, Twitter and all apps to instantly send out real-time information or images to those who care to follow. 

Technology is not for everyone and we all take it at our own pace.  Technology has something for everyone and even the simplest adjustment and embrace of technology can put you in the right place, at the right time, with the right tide, the right weather, the right light and straighten your horizon thereby making your photograph that much better.  Feel free to email me with any questions that you may have.  Ryan Montgomery

Facebook Pages that Pop

By Ryan Montgomery

www.MontgomeryPhotoArt.com and www.Facebook.com/RyanMontgomeryPhotos

Social media is becoming more and more prevalent from an exposure standpoint with each passing day. Take a drive through any state park or national park and almost everyone is carrying some sort of digital camera. In order to standout from others you have to differentiate your work, marketing and approach from others. One way that I have found is to have a fan page that really stands out from a normal Facebook page. The first step to making your fan page pop is to make sure you have a fan page! Mine is located at www.Facebook.com/RyanMontgomeryPhotos and will be used for the examples below.

1. Create a Fan Page- www.Facebook.com/pages/create/php. Facebook will present you with various categories from which to pick. For me, the selection was “artist”.  This is personal preference and you should select based upon your needs. This can always be changed later in the “edit page” section of your Fan Page.

2. Use a Custom Profile Photograph- Tired are the days of the headshot photograph or generic snap shots of photographers perched

behind their camera with it placed on a tripod. Yes, we know you are a photographer because we are on your site. Instead, use this opportunity to display additional work or something unique about who you are.   I decided no one wants to look at me and for those who do, I have an “about” page. I took the time to display three of my favorite nature and landscape photographs along with “Ryan Montgomery Photography”. Not only interesting but helps to market.

3.  Customize a Welcome Screen Tab-  The default landing spot for your Facebook Fan page is on your wall. Why not use the landing of a new fan to once again market and display something about you or your work.  In order to do this your first need to create a custom tab. Custom tabs are also called Facebook apps. To make a welcome page go to www.facebook.com/developers and click on “Set Up New App”.  Pick a name for the tab but for this example I am making my welcome screen so I used “Welcome” (See Example 1).

Example 1

Next you will enter the security code and be dropped at the about page.  Here you will enter in as little or as much information as you like. See Example 2.  This again is not that important and is more for your labeling purposes.  The next step is the crucial step.

Now for the next step and for an internet and developer novice the more difficult step. First I upload

Example 2

my desired image to photobucket or post on my site www.MontgomerPhotoArt.com because I will need to be able to retrieve its location to use it on my Welcome Page  From the about tab you want to click on “Facebook Integration” tab on the left hand side which can be seen in Example 2.

Example 3

Once in the integration tab you want to enter the canvas URL and the Tab URL. The canvas URL will be where the image is stored on the internet. For this example, the picture is located on photobucket so the canvas url in my example is http://i1224.photobucket.com/  (always end it with a / ) or this wont work.  The tab url is the remainder of the photo location and the specific spot on photobucket or your site. I copy and paste the entire picture location/direct link into the Canvas URL then go back and cut it from the / to the end.  I then paste that portion in the tab URL.   (See Example 3). Now save changes. You are almost done.  The final step is to click on the “Applications Profile

Welcome Example

Page”.  It will redirect you to a Facebook page for that application.  Finally on the left hand side you want to “Add to My Page” and select the page if you have more than one….voila you now have a Welcome Page- See Welcome Example.  I also like to make sure my welcome page reminds the visitor to “Click the Like Button.

For my Facebook fan page I have repeated this process and instead of adding a photograph I have inserted my webpages from m website for Facebook browsers to see without ever leaving the site. You can access the cart and buy prints without leaving Facebook.

Now if you don’t feel comfortable creating your own custom App or you maybe would rather save some time there are a host of other 3rd party free applications that can do it just for you.  One I have seen in use on the EarthShots Facebook page was designed by  www.Pagemodo.com with free designs all the way up to a monthly subscription costs.

4.  Feature Your Current Promotions  Look at any of the big time marketers and companies on Facebook like Starbucks, McDonald’s, etc. and you are sure to see their feature products and possible coupons.  On my Facebook fan page at www.Facebook.com/RyanMontgomeryPhotos I took the opportunity to feature my current promotions and discount codes.  I labeled that tab “promos” and designed it the same way designed custom apps above.  See my current promo page down below.

5. BE CREATIVE and EXPERIMENT-  The options are endless and you can play with them. Feel free to email me with any questions you may have RyanMontgomeryPhoto@gmail.com

Promo Page

 I must admit that one of my many shortcomings in photography is often a lack of patience when photographing wildlife.   In my everyday life, I am a Type A personality and I require efficieny, expedient work and a support staff that will do as I say quickly.  Mother nature does not always listen to me nor is she very efficient at times.  For me, I must alter my state of mind when I am in the field and develop a sense of patience that does not often come easily to me.  That being said, I wanted to shoot black bear of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park so I planned an overnight trip to the Cades Cove area the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to see if I could track down the black bear of the Great Smoky Mountains.  As I planned I found that all aspects required patience so I followed the following guidelines:

1. Research.  You wouldn’t plan a family vacation without researching the hotels, flights, and destinations.  Well the same goes for photography. Bears and especially sows with cubs seem to stake out particular areas so to increase the likelihood of seeing  a bear you must do your research. Aside from the obvious National Park website, I find that the Social Media sites, Facebook and Twitter, have more up to date information from people who are actually in the park. 

Black Bear Cub sizes up the photographer, me, taking his picture

The Great Smoky Mountain Association’s Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/GreatSmokyMountainsAssociation)  has a wealth of information and its followers have a love the park they are willing to share. There you will find up to date photographs of bears and other images from the park. I saw one shot in particular and emailed, through Facebook, the poster of that photograph who told me the general location of photograph. I planned my first stop to be in that general vicinity.  Next, I sent a tweet via Twitter to the Park Information Twitter account  @gsmnp asking about general weather conditions and potential locations.  I now had my location planned.

2.  Don’t Be Late for Work. Wildlife seems to be most active in the early morning and the late evening.  Sleeping in 30 minutes may be the difference of seeing an animal and missing out. Cades Cove is closed to motor vehicles before 7am and some mornings before 10am. Because I wanted to be the first on site and beat the rush so to speak, I parked at the Cades Cove parking area and hiked into the area.  After about two miles into the Cades Cove Loop I spotted a dark spot across the way sitting up high on her haunches.  I stared at her and she stared at me.  Quietly I set up my gear from a safe distance and allowed the sow to be comfortable with me.   As she became comfortable she decided to look for her breakfast and when she stood up she reveled a cub trailing behind her every move.

3. Patience.  If you are lucky enough to get into shooting range of an animal such as the bear then it is crucial to be patient and wait for the animal to do something of interest. If you have ever photographed a black bear in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, then it is  likely you have the infamous “bear-butt” shot from when the bear starts to walk away from you.  I kneeled down in the field and simply waited….and waited….and waited some more. During the wait the cub began to play, the mother began

A mother black bear wrestles with her young cub in Cades Cove

to eat and the cub, which I am convinced was half monkey, climbed the various deciduous trees of the Cades Cove area. I don’t want the animal snap shot. I want the shot of the animal doing something to which we can relate: eating, sleeping, playing, caring for their young, etc.

4.  Be safe.  Most importantly, be safe in your shooting of animals.  They are called “wild”life for a reason and are often unpredictable. By the time I had finished shooting or actually, by the time the sow had enough of being photographed, there were at least 50 onlookers, one park volunteer and me.  It is important to be safe and not approach the animals for your safety but for their safety as well. Some people may not be as considerate as you and will approach animals closerthen they should holding their cell phone in hand trying to get a head shot of the bear.  I shoot with a long lens to allow me to keep at a safe distance for my safety but so as not to disturb the animal. If you are approaching the animal and it starts to move away from your approach then you are likely in its space. Remember the Great Smoky Mountain Park Ranger Rule is keep back at least 50 yards. 

For additional Information on this or other photography topics, please feel free to follow me on Facebook or Twitter. 

Today, I am leaving for one of my favorite places in the country, The Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Not sure what is in store for me but the general plan, weather permitting, is to check out sunset from Clingman’s Dome or Morton’s Overlook.  If it is a clear night I may even do some night photography. Tomorrow it is all about the bears!  I am going on a bear hunt…well not literally but I am putting away the wide angle lens in favor of a long telephoto lens to see if I can get some shots of the new cubs in the park.  It is an all or nothing venture but I will keep you posted!

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