• Self-portraits,  sunsets

    The Solution Is

    October 19, 2012
    Sunset on the Cache la Poudre River

    The solution of the problem of life is life itself.
    Life is not attained by reason and analysis but first of all by living.

    Thomas Merton

    Over the past few years my idea of “living life” has changed. I have been working at spending more time in nature, respecting nature and all life forms, spending time with family and friends, laughing at myself and others, taking more risks, walking my own paths, worrying less, learning to accept others views, traveling, photography, maintaining my health, being grateful and, of course, watching sunsets.

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  • Self-portraits

    A Bit of a Smirk

    September 28, 2012

    Okay, it’s Friday and here’s another self-portrait. I don’t know if you can call this a project but as a photographer I’m kinda getting into the swing of it. From the smirk on the models face you can tell he’s getting into it also. I really am not working on any specific projects even though I have a list. So maybe self-portraits could be one. They do offer a challenge to come up with new ideas, poses, compositions and post processing stuff. I took this last night while a slight drizzle was falling on both me and the camera. After I came inside the rain came down hard so what I had was going to be what I post. They even had some mud and rock slides up the Poudre Canyon as the two fires wiped out most of the vegetation to hold the soil in place.

    I like the expression on my face with this image as there is a bit of smirk on the handsome dudes face. I head back out today for another 4-day trip. I hope everyone has a good Friday and a great weekend.

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  • Bench,  quotes,  Self-portraits

    Watching the Sunset

    September 14, 2012

    It is not only the tool that makes a good photograph. It is the person behind it.

    Norman J. Piluke

    I have invested good money into my tools for photography and I hope to spend the rest of my life investing in the person behind those tools and every once in a while in front of those tools. Anyway, it’s Friday and another week has quickly come and gone. I’ve gotta quit blinking so much these weeks are blazing by.

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  • Self-portraits

    From Above

    August 11, 2012
    Me From Above

    As Willy Nelson’s lyrics go, “I’m on the road in the air again.” Started a 4-day trip yesterday flying all over the place. I am working with a young lady I haven’t seen in a couple of years so it will be a good trip. Anyway, here is another self-portrait with a twist in both perspective and post processing. This is one of the presets in LR4. Gotta try different things to see how they turn out and also another example of listening to the muse.

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  • rants,  Self-portraits

    Just Me

    July 27, 2012
    Just Me

    In case you don’t know my name is Monte. I do reside or occupy a home but my name is still Monte. It is not resident or occupant. So I do not want my mailbox filled with junk mail that does not have my name on it. Any mail that says occupant or resident does not make it past the trash bin. Yes, you can call it a pet-peeve, a sore spot, a waste of paper, whatever but it causes the hair on my neck to stand up. This idea of flooding our mailboxes with advertisements makes me feel hounded. I wish there was a way to stop it. Anyway, here’s my Friday self-portrait.

     

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  • quotes,  Self-portraits,  sunrises

    Watching and Waiting

    July 13, 2012
    Overlooking Fort Collins at Dawn

    Morning light,
    Soft light,
    It’s colored light
    But isn’t bright.,
    I wait and watch,
    Then slowly I let my film soak up this light.

    Steve Coleman

    I prefer to be early, get setup and watch and wait for the morning sunrise rather than being in a hurry. Relaxed, I sat on a small boulder and nibbled on some grapes. Soon the sky began to lighten, the horizon began to appear, the sky and clouds took on a different hue, the birds sang a morning song, a rooster crowed on the farm just below me and dragonflies zipped past me. I think it’s worth getting up early. I’m standing near one of the three dams on the Horsetooth Reservoir and looking out over the sleeping city of Fort Collins. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

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  • Self-portraits

    Watching the Sunset

    May 4, 2012
    Watching the Sunset

    Every once in a while we will read a post about someone struggling with posting or shooting, in a slump or busy with other things.And, I suspect we all can relate. For me this period has been longer than any from the past. I don’t carry my DSLR as much but prefer the smaller and lighter G12 in my small backpack with my journal and Kindle 2. Even my mood is in a funk. I found myself getting upset easier and sometimes at inanimate objects. Can you relate?

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  • People/Portraits,  Self-portraits

    Here It Is

    January 6, 2012
    Taking Notes

    All I can do in my writing is to stimulate a certain amount of thought, clarify some technical facts and date my work. But when I preach sharpness, brilliancy, scale, etc., I am just mouthing words, because no words can really describe those terms and qualities it takes the actual print to say, “here it is.”

    Ansel Adams

    I wanted to create a self portrait for my Friday post so I setup a scene and worked at it for a good hour. Nothing. I’d had a long day and was tired. Just as I was ready to give up I envisioned an image that would work and was different. I quickly set it up but for some reason the camera would not fire. Now this is the used camera I just purchased so I was a little concerned. But, after taking a deep breath, pausing when agitated, I realized I’d not put my memory card back in the camera. I told you I was tired. Anyway, here it is.

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