Watching the sun set out on the dunes was incredible. The air was super still (thankfully!), and the nighttime temps were quite balmy.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Boulder County needs more burned down derelict buildings so that I can have more locations for photo entertainment!

Also remember, there is nothing more entertaining than an afro. OK, maybe a mullet.

I did my first two rides in the high country this weekend! The trails are running sweet in Ned, with the exception of the higher stuff which is still clogged with snow.  I got turned around on School Bus by snow drifts.  But I did ride the new Re-Root section of Root Canal.  It’s pretty sweet and even has a couple rock features.

I was riding solo so I don’t have any action pics.  Just a couple tilt shift still life portraits of the Bianchi SS.

It took me a while to get the angle of the focus plane just right.  I like the line of focus from one corner to the other.  This is with the tilt shift rotated at around 45 degrees.  I’m getting better at it, but it takes a while to figure it all out.

I was invited by my friends from Something Underground to hang out backstage and shoot some photos for Peace and Love on the Rocks. There were a bajilliion musicians there rotating in and out, covering favorite songs from the famous music festival of old. It like rocked and stuff.  You can see more photos from the event at the Facebook Gallery HERE.

So, as you probably can see, I like taking nature photos when I’m wandering around in the local woods around Boulder. It can be challenging to come up with creative ways to take new photos every time, when the surroundings appear to be the same. In the foothills of Boulder, we really don’t have too many big scenery shots other than the standard Foothills landscape. Our local pine woods are generally quite scrubby looking, with lots of visual chaos. I find that the tilt shift can really help in providing alternate perspective, as any ‘Perspective Control’ lens should! As you can tell I’ve really been getting into those lenses lately; they are the ones I go to when I want to just mess around. Too much fun!

I actually went on a hike the other day. Probably the first one this year! It was a quick little one, leaving from Settler’s Park, up the Red Rocks Trail, and then out and back on the Anemone Trail. It’s a pretty steep hike and you quickly gain elevation over the canyon floor.

After the ride we Ned-itated in the woods and drank some post-ride refreshments and played with my new 85mm PC Tilt Shift lens.  Don’t even think about stealing Bobby’s beer.  He’ll give you the stink eye.

One of the good things about mountain biking alone is that I have plenty of time to stop and smell the flowers! And the wildflowers were out in full force last weekend up in Keystone. I love my Nikon Perspective Control lens because it is also a macro, allowing me to shoot landscapes and closeups, with some unusual compositions.

I’m in the middle of my first big push of weddings for this year. I shot 5 in 4 weeks plus 2 engagement portrait sessions plus a family portrait session. So I’m going to have lots of updates on my wedding blog, but not so many on this site in the near future.

I’m still working with that new tilt shift lens. Here is a recent shot where I’m using the lens ‘correctly’; aligning the focus plane with the items of interest. This photo would not be possible with a normal lens. The taps are receding away from me, and are all in focus. But the area behind the taps, the bar, is completely out of focus. This shot was taken at f2.8, 1/50, ISO1600.

And at the request of a request in the comments section, this image was taken at Delaney’s down in Denver.  I was shooting images at this month’s Integrated Alliances Socialnet event!

I’m sorry that experimentation and exploration pisses you off. I wish I could help you in some way. Maybe I’ll fix up an image with a TS lens, and add texture, and fine art borders. I’ll throw in some sun flare just for kicks. That should really freak you out.

That comment stimulated my creativity and that’s when the funny stuff happens . . . so I introduce . . . GOLDMEMBER!

Here is my response that I posted on the forum along with the photo:

Thanks for the inspiration! I have been moved by this thread to push the boundaries of my creativity and technical skills. I believe I have produced the finest image in my  photography career. I have been trying to determine exactly what my style, my niche, is going to be, and I think I’ve found it!

Since I believe in sharing the wealth in my newest discovered pot of GOLD, here are all the juicy details.

Technical:

Canon 5D + TS-E 45mm full tilt
f5.6 1/320 ISO50 with NDx4 filter (I cheated the synch speed which is why his foot is dark on right)
Nikon SB-26 fired with Pocket Wizards 1/64 power camera left
Sun providing flare + rim light

Creatively, I feel that the tilt shift allowed me to visually tie together the strong compositional cues in the image such as Goldmember’s face and key box, while drawing attention away from unsightly details like his enormous codpiece which could be considered boorish by some. I used a blend of Boutwell’s Grunge Rock, Grainstorm, and EZ Burn + high pass sharpening + a paisley texture to emotionally tie the viewer to the Austin Powers’ late 60′s style upon which the movie series was based. By selectively coloring his gold outfit I feel I have tastefully paid tribute to a one dimensional character. I completed the image by using my standard wedding blog sloppy border and watermark.

Overall I feel that this image is a heartwarming triumph of the human spirit.

I will remove my tongue from my cheek now.

I sure hope it makes some people laugh, because I sure crack myself up!