Coinneach Photography

Alamosa to Denver

2011-10-17T14:10:00.004+01:00

For the last full day of our trip we had over 250 miles to cover again.

After a stop at the John Deere store to pick up a few souvenirs and gifts we took US 17 and headed North. This has got to be the longest, straight road I've ever been on. It goes on for about 48 miles without any more than a minor kink.

Although the road didn't turn, the weather certainly took a turn for the worse. We could see a weather front up ahead of us and a dust storm off to our left. Just after we hit the rain I spotted some tumbleweed blowing across the road in front of us. A short while later we were clear of the worst of the rain, and although the wind kept blowing we could see some blue sky ahead.

A lovely old fashioned coffee shop in Florissant for lunch then another hit of the wallet in Walmart before moving on.
Bust, Colorado is one of those places that if you blink you miss it. The sign proudly claims -population two. This must be the smallest place in the world to have its own massage parlour...

Our only photographic stop on the trip was at the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet's Chapel.

This gorgeous modern building can be seen for miles.

Outside on the rather grey afternoon it was lovely and on a nice day it would be absolutely fabulous. The treasure on a day like today was the interior with its wonderful stained glass giving loads of photo opportunities.

We had about an hour and a half in the place and it is another that I could have spent a full day on without any difficulty.

However, we still had quite a few miles to go before we reached Denver so it was back on the road and checked in to the hotel with time to start packing before heading out for dinner for one last meal together. I might see a few of the gang in the morning but I am leaving the motel about three hours before them to start wending my weary way home.
I'm writing this at 10:30 pm just before I head for bed.
I will be back home in Falkirk by 9:30 am on Wednesday having lost seven hours by crossing time zones.
I don't really expect to see much on Wednesday at all.
See you all soon

Kenny

Durango to Alamosa.

2011-10-16T05:45:00.010+01:00

Our first stop of the day was at a barn by the side of the road. We had passed a few, more photogenic, barns along the way but as usual there was nowhere to stop.

Next was Chimney Rock. Although the rock is quite impressive, the lighting on it wasn't fantastic so several of us concentrated on close up shots. I have missed my macro lens on this trip but it is just too big and heavy to lug all the way across the Atlantic.
I'll eventually get myself another smaller macro lens for travelling but that can get added to my wish list.

Across the state line into New Mexico and a visit to the Cumbres & Toltec Steam Railroad.

A haven for photographers but nowhere near enough time to do it justice. We had to mount up and hit the trail for Colorado once more.
I actually crossed the state line on foot, not because I had been kicked out of the car, but because I wanted to shoot some of the signs.

Another aspen stop with some braw blue skies.

and a friendly horse

Then it was on to the motel to drop our luggage and then a 45 minute drive out to the Great Dunes National Park to shoot some sand dunes,

and a couple of detail shots too.

Back in to Alamosa for dinner, a gorgeous sirloin steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, and then bed.

Montrose to Durango

2011-10-15T05:37:00.004+01:00

We left Montrose after nine this morning as I had some shopping to do.

Then we headed south before turning west to take a detour up the Dallas Divide for yet more gorgeous aspens and cottonwoods.

Unfortunately we had to leave them behind and head back down towards the town of Ouray.
We then climbed the Red Mountain Pass, to a height of 10,633 feet. Thankfully we were in the cars and not doing the climbing ourselves. This trip has confirmed one thing for me, I'm no good at altitude. I coped at the top of Stac Pollaidh but this is about four times as high.
It hasn't stopped me trying, it just takes longer to do anything, even walking along the road is an effort.

Talking of the road, this must rate as one of the twistiest, wyndiest roads I've ever seen.
It also takes us through some stunning scenery, along the side of Red Mountain.

The road is known as the Million Dollar Highway. This name came about due the amount of silver and gold taken over the road in the 1890's and on into the 20th century. The dozens of mines dotted all over the place would make some stunning images but the road is so twisty that there is nowhere to stop.

We stopped in Silverton where we shot the steam trains getting ready to head to Durango.

Six of us then decided to pay the fare and jump on board for the trip into town.

The trip lasted almost four hours, climbing up and down through some more glorious aspens and cottonwoods.

Then eventually reached the station in Durango and were picked up for the drive to the motel.

Glenwood Springs to Montrose

2011-10-14T05:25:00.002+01:00

Over 250 miles to go today as we're taking the scenic route. We got about an hours drive down the road and we hit roadworks which slowed our overall rate of progress.
A nice gentle drive through Aspen, Colorado and on towards 'The Top Of The Rockies'
Independence Pass sits at over 12,000 feet and looked gorgeous with the aspens in full colour.

Although not all the trees still had leaves

We spent that much time shooting on the way up, we ran out of time and had to turn back so we didn't clear the 12,000 foot mark.
We did however visit Maroon Lake, although the fall colours had mostly gone there were still shots to be had.

After that we had to retrace our steps until we reached Carbondale where we stopped for lunch.
I think I've eaten more during the last two weeks than in the previous six.

The McLure Pass at 8655 ft was covered in the gorgeous yellow of aspens, each two minute stop stretched to 15 minutes. But we still had a hundred miles to go before our stop for the night in Montrose so it was time to move on, passing the full glory of the fall colours.
Thee town of Somerset has been a coal mining town since 1896. The mine workings are extensive and run along and above the road, we passed right through the middle of the site without a soul in sight. The train was gradually moving forward at a crawl, all the while being filled from the massive overhead hopper.

Several miles further down the road we passed a similar train at rest.

A few shots later it started moving.

We race ahead and got a load of shots as it passed, it went on and on and on and on.

The scenery was incredible, from the crops in the fields, to the sculpted hills, to the broken down buildings and the abandoned vehicles we could have stopped every fifty yards and got pictures at every stop.

Green River to Glenwood Spring

2011-10-13T05:03:00.000+01:00

A lovely morning met us as we left town for a long day of driving, about 300 miles today. That might mean nothing to Joe, driving at warp factor 9, but when the speed limit is 55mph it makes it a long day.

The one thing I will comment on is the size of the country. We're more than a mile above sea level but the mountains still tower above us more than the height of Ben Nevis clear of the plains we drive across, yet they look smaller than the Buchaille. They are so far off it takes hours to get close enough to give the true sense if scale.
We crossed the state line into Utah, another state I can claim to have visited, altogether we drive about 80 miles through the state.

Of course, we had to make a couple of stops to shoot the magnificent cliffs in all their colour, from reds through yellows to the greens of the plant life dotting their faces.

Half an hour down the road we stopped for some more aspens along with some bare trees and some conifers for a contrast.

An early lunch in Vernal, Utah was required as the next eatery was 70-80 miles away. In another state.

A good deal of this road passes through dinosaur country. In fact just after we passed back into Colorado we turned right in the town of Dinosaur.
The geological eras sit side by side and we passed through Jurassic followed by Cretaceous followed quickly by Jurassic again for mile after mile.

A lot of the rocks are sedimentary and you can see the bands running through them quite clearly from some distance away.

Another quick stop as we passed some cowboys, this time we didn't have time to get out of the cars so this is a grab shot through the open window, hence the legless horse

Moulton Barn & on to Green River

2011-10-12T04:49:00.000+01:00

The Mormon Barns were calling us this morning.
And boy was it worthwhile answering the call.

We were set up and ready to shoot with the full moon still in the sky.
As we waited for the sun to come up I started shooting bracketed sets as I expected to have problems in the rapidly changing light. I started a trend and soon everyone was bracketing.

The light on the Rockies was amazing and given time it reached the Moulton Barn and all was good.

After filling shooting about 12Gb we moved on up the road to another barn where we shot quite a few frames.

Over in the middle distance I spotted another, different looking barn with a boarded up house. I moved into the scrub and took a couple of shots thinking I would crop them down to make use of them.

I then decided to move closer, and closer, and closer until Paul and I were shooting from the from yard of the house.

Then we heard the car horn signalling for us to return, I looked at my watch and it was 9:07, we were meant to be back a the car for 9:00 we still had at least five minutes high speed walking to get back to the car, in fact it was 9:14 when I sat down, exhausted but happy to have got the shots.

After breakfast and loading the vehicles we headed back into that Teton National Park.
String lake was shown in a much better light this time round, although there were no marmots, squirrels or jays this time.

Further along is Jenny Lake. I took one look at the descent and chickened out. We had half an hour to get down, shoot and return to the car. It would have taken me more than that to climb back up so I took a couple of shots and headed back.

Then it was back down into Jackson for lunch before starting the 190 mile journey to Green River, Wyoming and our motel for the night.
We passed through some gorgeous countryside and some lovely light on the way but with nowhere to stop we had to be content with just looking.

A pleasant interlude was caused by a bunch of cowboys herding some cattle.

Then back on the road again and eventually we reached Green River for our overnight stop

Jackson & The Tetons

2011-10-11T04:23:00.000+01:00

We had planned an early start this morning but the weather one look at the sky told us that it wasn't worth the effort. So, after breakfast and a quick blog post it was time to load up in the pouring rain.
As we headed north we could hardly see the Tetons off to our left.
We turned right at Gros Ventre Junction looking for moose.

Before I finished typing that sentence the car stopped and two moose were spotted less than 20 yards away.

An hours shooting later, and a few shots under the belt, we headed on.

A detour took us past Shane's Cabin, from the 1953 movie, but the rain meant we didn't get out.

We're in the backwoods today. Unpaved roads through treelined valleys. We came across this colourful scene along one such road.

I also shot this road sign that some others had shot before

After Lunch at Dornan's in Moose and a visit to the gift shop we headed to the Teton visitor centre.
After a video presentation the curtains opened to reveal the grand vista of 'The Tetons', unfortunately we couldn't see past the line of trees 50 yards in front of the window.

The rain was still falling when we visited the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration.

Some lovely stained glass in the entrance and a simple rustic charm to the inside made it a worthwhile stop.

Next was Beaver country, not just to see the beavers but in hope of a fleeting glimpse of the light.
By this point of the trip, day 10, I'm feeling rather tired. I reckon I'm short of about four nights sleep with the early starts. Although we're not meeting 'till about 7am I'm normally awake at 5am, at the latest.

After taking a few shots, I had a wee doze in the car as the others went to try and find a beaver.

I did manage to wake up when we stopped for the pronghorn though.

Initially the lighting was flat, great for bringing out the detail in their hide.

But waiting around paid dividends again, we got a few shots with some light on them.

Almost back to Jackson we passed the place we had seen the Moose this morning.

The line of cars at the side of the road was a good indication that they were still about.

Better light made a big difference to the shots as I hope you can see.

West Yellowstone to Jackson

2011-10-10T03:44:00.005+01:00

The morning started off grey and overcast.

But the bison looked good in the frosty grasses.
They have no fear of people or cars. But, then again, why should they, they are hundreds of pounds of pure muscle.

We had bison walking within a few feet of us on both sides. If one of them had started something, we were mincemeat.

Fountain paintpots was next.

Although we had passed the car park on several occasions, this was our first stop.

Silex spring is a favourite in winter, when the ghost trees are covered in frost.

This time round the colour of the pool and the surrounds was the main focus for my attention.

A short stop at Keppler Cascades and then onwards across the continental divide at 8391 feet, ears popping both up and down.

West Thumb proved to be rather photogenic, my own personal favourite was Black Pool.The name is historical as the pool apparently used to be black until the water warmed in 1991, killing the thermophiles that used to colour the water.Thankfully it is now this gorgeous blue with orange and yellow deposits around the pool giving a lively contrast to the many photos we took, when we could see it through the steam.

An Aspen stop by the side of Yellowstone lake

followed by a sudden stop as we passed a line of aspens in gorgeous light.

Of course by the time we had decanted the light had gone, it reappeared briefly but not quite in the right place.

We're back in aspen country now, so there may be a few more shots to come.

One of the few animals that we've not seen yet is moose and I reckon the wolves are behind us now.
As we headed into "good" moose country we crossed our fingers, however, we drew a blank.

We did mange to spot some mule deer but I didn't get a decent shot as I was on the wrong side if the car.
That's another one off the list.

Next was String Lake. A lovely place for an early evening stroll, especially when you lose count of the chipmunks I saw.

I also saw a squirrel before heading back to the car.

When I got there the big guns were out. 500mm, 100-400mm etc.
They were photographing some grey jays.

I took a few shots before we packed up and headed for Jackson for the night.

After the sun had dipped behind the mountains we managed to spot a small dark blob about 400 yards away.
It turned out to be a moose.
Not worth raising the camera for but it's another tick on the list. We'll keep our fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Tangled Creek, Black Sands Basin & Old Faithful Terrace

2011-10-09T21:16:00.001+01:00

Sunday 9th October

An early start meant no breakfast this morning.
We were heading for Tangled Creek but the usual Madison River shot was made to try and catch the early morning light on the elk. This time though there were no elk, just some nice light, and lots of steam.

Tangled creek itself proved challenging for me, I found it difficult to narrow down my compositions. The steam was gorgeous among the old trees so it should have been easy, but not for me.

A stop at the Old Faithful grill for brunch and then on to Black Sands Basin again.
This time though the light was much better and we spent a good hour shooting.

Back to the Old Faithful complex again but down onto the North Section of the Upper Geysir Basin. This route is a decent walk round the boardwalks, at one point I collapsed onto a bench after cresting a steep incline, the altitude here makes the simplest tasks more challenging. The couple who were following me asked if I had seen the coyote that passed in the clearing not 20 feet from where I was sitting. Of course, I had been that busy catching my breath I hadn't looked round. I managed to stand up and get a shot but as usual it was too small in the frame by this time.

I then headed on to my destination of choice, Beauty Pool & Chromatic Spring. Quite a bit of shooting and viewing along the way including one very blurred shot of a chipmunk. And no shots of the red squirrel that raced off after seeing me. At least I managed to see them

Chromatic Springs lived up to expectations and so did the light.

Lamar Valley to Cooke City

2011-10-08T14:39:00.000+01:00

Saturday 8th October
The sun came out as we were passing the Madison River.
So a visit to the Elk was called for.

We turned left at Madison junction and then right towards Canyon
At Canyon, the road to Lamar was closed so we turned about and headed to Mammoth, that was 12 miles each way at 45mph. a total waste of time thanks to the lack of signage at Madison.

A few shot at orange spring mound and then down onto the lower terrace which includes Sapphire Pool.

After lunch we headed down the Lamar valley. Wolves are always in the back of your mind when heading down here but they are even rarer in summer than they are in winter.

We did spot some bison below some trees but the land took a dip behind them and we didn't see them again. We did, however, wait for some light before heading on towards Cooke City and paid a visit to Dan and Cindy Hartman at their Wildlife along the Rockies gallery.

Then headed back down the road to West Yellowstone for dinner, and bed, it's an early start tomorrow and the forecast is looking decent.

Black Sands Basin

2011-10-07T13:12:00.001+01:00

Friday 7th October
The promised snow had fallen overnight and we awoke to a different world.
First stop was down by the Madison River as usual. While the rest of the group were shooting a bald eagle I spent the time shooting some landscapes. Why wasn't I bothering with the eagle? It was too far away to make a decent shot.

Further on this fisherman posed for us as we waited for the light.

Yet another elk shot, this time in the snowy landscape.

A detail shot from one of the geothermal pools.

Later in the day we stopped by the river to watch the bison crossing.

I an writing this on Monday morning and can't remember exactly where we went this day.
I've started taking notes so hopefully they will jog my memory for future days.

*EDIT - Thanks to my friend Ian I have GPS data for the trip and can now tell you that Black Sands Basin was the main destination for this trip although I got more shots travelling to and from than at the Basin itself

The Old Faithful Complex mad a convenient stop for lunch.

Towards The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

2011-10-06T12:55:00.000+01:00

Thursday October 6th

Each morning, in order to access the park we use the West Entrance and head to Madison Junction. This takes us in past the Madison River where there are usually a group of Elk.
This morning they were on the opposite side of the road, in amongst the trees, which gave a different look to the shots.

Our ultimate destination today was The Grand Canyon Of Yellowstone. Although not nearly as big as "The" Grand Canyon it is still a very impressive feature.
But before we reached the canyon there is lots to see along the way.
This area is known as the "Chocolate Pots" for obvious reasons.
The dark brown colour is caused by mineral oxides being built up from the water as it bubbles out if the top. The other colours are formed by bacteria and algae that love the hot water coming out of the cone at about 55 degrees C.

One of the animals that I had hoped to see on this trip was a bear. During the Winter they are holed up and are hardly ever seen. At no time of year are they common so I consider myself very lucky to have seen this black bear, even though it is walking away from me in all the shots I took.

Next stop was the Mud Volcano Area.
Although the area has some interesting features, like the dragons mouth, I found it difficult to do anything artistic with them, so I spent some time playing with the grasses.

Eventually, we reached The Grand Canyon Of Yellowstone with its impressive lower falls. At 308 feet high this is probably the second most photographed spot in the whole park, Old Faithful being first in that list.

You may think you can see in these pictures why the park was given its name, However, it wasn't these rocks but those at the far end of the river, where it meets the Missouri River that gave rise to the name.

On the way back it started to snow, this should make the park look different tomorrow.

Chicken strips & fries for dinner.

Madison to Old Faithful

2011-10-05T00:11:00.000+01:00

Wednesday 5th October
Windy and wet. Those three words describe how the day started and ended.
Fortunately for us, it wasn't like that all day as I hope to show you.
Our first port of call is a location I recognised from my winter trip in 2009.
The Madison River. I have a large canvas of this location hanging in my living room back home but it was so wet that it wasn't worth getting out of the car. Maybe tomorrow it might be worth shooting.

When we did get out, at a later stop, the best shot I got was of our two vehicles.

Up 'til now I have been in the front vehicle which takes six of our party of ten. The rear two seats are somewhat cramped so we are taking turns and rotating through the vehicles. Although today I was in the middle seat on the right hand side of the car, that seat has to be tipped up to let the people in the back out which means that although I'm often the first out of the car I am the last back in after the others fill the rear seats.
Tomorrow though, I'll be in the other one which means I get a door of my own, I might even get in the front seat.

We have had snow threatened for today but as I write this at 4:30 am nothing has yet materialised.

At Madison Junction we headed south along the US26, Grand Loop Road.
At our next stop the sky cleared magically for a short while and the sun came out to light this raven.

And this pine cone

Next on the agenda was a detour down Firehole Lake Drive to White Dome Geyser.
I took a couple of shots but the conditions weren't conducive to taking landscapes so I concentrated on some details, like this little squirt here.

Onwards to Old Faithful for lunch and then into the visitor centre to see it erupt into a dull grey sky. Not having the camera meant I could enjoy it without taking some shots that would never have seen the light of day.

Black Sands Basin. On a nice day this is an superb location but on a rainy day like today it was more detail shots.

Green Spring

Plus one wider shot of this unnamed pool.

Back to White Dome and this time we sat and waited for the geyser to go off and the light to appear.

On the way back to the motel, Paul, sitting next to me, spotted an Osprey. I jumped out and tried to grab a quick shot but of course the camera was set at two days at f22. After that the bird flew off, but fortunately it turned round and flew overhead and I managed to catch this.

Once again it's not the greatest shot but it's my first osprey in flight shot.

A final stop to see the elk by the river and then homeward bound.

Pizza and "Hard Lemonade" for dinner and then an early bed.

Lander To West Yellowstone.

2011-10-04T14:58:00.000+01:00

Tuesday 4th October
Another 7am start for breakfast, breaking us in gently.
With only about 200 miles to cover today the pace was much more leisurely with several stops along the way.
First was these gorgeous aspens. We spent a bit of time here watching and waiting for the light. At one point there was a solid block of grey cloud over everything and I used my iPhone to find out where the sun was. There seemed to be a slight gap forming but the wind was heading in the wrong direction to prove useful to us. How wrong was I? This image is the result of waiting a wee while longer.

A short hop in the car took us to our next stop, and some more marvellous colours.
Once again we spent a bit of time exploring the possibilities and watching the ever changing pattern of the clouds play light and shade across the landscape. This shot gives no indication that the massive Tetons are just behind the line of trees.
A bit further on and yet more aspens and lovely landscape to go with them.

We headed up the hill, with some of the party heading to a special copse. The lighting wasn't helping much so I spent some time playing around with a lovely coloured leaf, wishing I had my macro lens with me.

We then moved on and finally entered Yellowstone National Park.
This was a day for reaching our destination so we made only one stop of note, when we spotted a load of cars abandoned at the side of the road. They had all stopped to watch a few female elk (does or cows) in some lovely light by the side of the road. By the time we stopped the light had changed but as we got out of the cars they crossed the road into a more scenic location and were followed shortly afterwards by the bull.

We waited around shooting and hoping for the light to change and eventually we were rewarded.

Some of my friends could do with a lesson like this, we tend to move on, trying to find the light whereas a bit of patience makes all the difference in the world.

We could never have captured this rainbow if we weren't waiting for the light.

While all this was going on, the bull elk was calling and so was another creature. It was a bird song I didn't recognise so I asked Roger, our leader, and he told me it was an osprey. he showed me a shot on the back of his camera and I grunted something like 'not bad' to be honest I thought he was pulling my leg. but then as the other canon shooters started queueing up for a shot of his 500mm lens I started to believe him. I took a quick "I was there" shot because with the full frame sensor the bird was a dot, even with the 500mm lens. This is a cropped version with an equivalent of 2000mm lens. Not the sharpest photo of the day but it is my first osprey shot.

Then the rest of the drive was spent passing through some of the scenery we are going to explore over the next five days

Reaching the Lazy G Motel I unpacked and got organised before heading for diner. A hot meat sandwich, served with mashed potatoes and gravy, delicious.

I managed to get an extra hour of sleep last night and didn't wake 'til 3:30.
The wind got up at 5:30 and is still blowing hard as I type this.
Anyway, off to breakfast and the start of our first real day in the park.

More to come.

Fort Collins to Lander

2011-10-04T12:06:00.012+01:00

***** Disclaimer*****
The images you see here are quick previews specifically for this blog so that my friends and family can see how I'm getting on.
They have been batch processed to give an acceptable image,but they are not a final product.
**********

Monday morning.
After an uneasy night's sleep, I kept waking every hour or so until 4:30 when I gave in and started processing some images I'd taken before I left home.
A 7:00 meet for breakfast meant we could get on the road reasonably early for our longish drive (about 300 miles)to Lander.

The first shot of the trip was two Bighorn Sheep next to the road.
We stopped and got as close to them as we could which with a 70-200 lens still wasn't particularly close.

Next came two Pronghorn. This time the 2X convertor didn't make any difference.

So I cropped it in Photoshop and came up with this. Effectively a 1600mm lens.

I hope to improve on both these shots over the coming days.

A quick stop at the hotel, to leave our luggage and give us a bit more room in the cars, and we were in photo mode. First on the list was the quaking aspens. As usual, when we arrived the sun was out, backlighting the leaves, but by the time se had decanted and got the tripods out and set up a cloud had obscured the sun.
We were there for quite a while and the sun did peek out occasionally, usually when I was in the wrong position.

Moving on we headed towards South Pass City, billed as "Wyoming's City of Gold"

Before we reached the 'city' we spotted a lone tree on the side of a cliff face that was worth a quick shot.

Next was "The Carisa Mine". This has recently been purchased by South Pass City and looked like an amazing location. My brain was thinking *portraits* I'm sure Joe McNally would have a ball here.

South Pass City is
"one of the most authentically restored historic sites in the West. The place where America's true frontier heritage comes alive."
Unfortunately for photographic purposes it is too well restored. A lot of the charm of these places is the air of decay. This town looked as though it had been shifted through a time warp and placed in 2011.

We managed to make some pictures but it wasn't what I had hoped for.

Although the ancient cart provided an interesting diversion.

Back in to Lander for a "Swiss Piggy" and root beer for dinner and then off to bed early. That might explain why I woke at 2:30 and started processing images and writing this blog post.
it is now 5:55 and we're meeting for breakfast at 7:00

Next stop, Yellowstone National Park.

Made it

2011-10-03T05:13:00.000+01:00

after some 22 hours in transit i'm finally here.
no pictures today and too tired to write more than a few words

Clyde Buoy

2011-10-01T06:42:00.001+01:00

Clyde Buoy, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

This image is a test.
I am heading back to Yellowstone tomorrow and wanted to make sure I can post to my blog. :-)

Keep your eyes on this blog for daily updates

My New Car

2011-01-03T21:51:00.001Z

My New Car, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I treated myself to a new car recently.
Not "New" but new to me.

I went out for a drive on Xmas Day with the intention of taking pics.

I know it's small in the frame but that's to hide the dirt ;-)

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T21:04:00.001Z

Merry Christmas, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Merry Christmas to all my blog readers.

I hope Santa was good to you

Orrabest

Kenny

Good Enough To Eat?

2010-12-10T12:30:00.001Z

Good Enough To Eat?, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

The answer is yes.

Strobist Info:
430EX firing into the wall
580EXII aimed at the glass through a homemade black straw grid from camera left.
this gives a nice vignette to the background

I tried cropping the image but prefer it with the vignette

RGB

2010-11-22T23:38:00.001Z

RGB, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Another proof of concept shot.

Strobist Info.

580EXII about three feet above and 18inches to the left and behind the subject.
Glass Table.
Magnolia wall has darkened to show how 'unwhite' it really is.

Three of a Kind

2010-11-21T22:12:00.001Z

Three of a Kind, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

This shot is a proof of concept shot.

That's my excuse and it's nothing to do with my laziness:)

I stopped using these glasses ages ago because they are so difficult to clean, as you can no doubt see.

I took the lazy route and used the same setup as yesterday and fired one single shot.

I've said before that I'm re-learning how to work in a studio so I'm not worrying too much about the cleanliness of the stuff at the moment.

Once I'm in the mood to do some 'proper' shots I hope you see a marked increase in attention to detail.

Strobist Info:
430EX on the floor firing in to the rear wall and bouncing everywhere.
Black Acrylic as a background

Glassberries

2010-11-20T23:36:00.001Z

Glassberries, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I bought some Raspberries yesterday with the idea of shooting them before I ate them :)

Here's the result.

One light only in this shot.
420EX on the floor shooting in to the wall and everything else is bounce.
Nice soft light source to go with the nice soft berries.

Black Acrylic as a background again.

I've got plans to cut down the "hot" area at the bottom of the glass.
These shots are me experimenting. I just hope I can remember the lessons I've learned :-)

Water Resistant

2010-11-19T22:36:00.001Z

Water Resistant, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Another test today and there will be lots more tests to come ;-)

I hit a fairly major snag with tonight's shoot..........batteries.

I use rechargeable batteries 2800 or 2900 mAh and they're great.......when they are charged.

I set up this shot quickly and managed a couple of test fires and the batteries died.
Then tried every set of rechargeables in the house and they were all in the same state.

I eventually had to resort to some cheap alkaline cells I keep as backup.

So, instead of spending time finessing the shot, tweaking the lighting etc I got kinda fed up so this will have to do.

for the technically minded among you here's how it was shot.

Black acrylic as a background, sprayed with glycerine/water mix.
Watch then placed on keeping it dry.
580EXII fired through home made grid onto back wall, lined up to give a halo around the watch.
420EX through a shorter grid aimed at the watch itself, powered down slightly so as not to overpower the nice reflections on the acrylic.

hope you like it.

Coca-Cola

2010-11-19T03:39:00.001Z

Coca-Cola, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

An alternative shot from my session tonight.

Crystal on Black

2010-11-19T03:38:00.001Z

Crystal on Black, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Day two of my new studio and this is one of the results.
It shows promise but is still a long way from what I want to do.
This time shot on a Black acrylic background.

New Studio #2

2010-11-17T22:49:00.001Z

New Studio #2, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I decided to set up a semi-permanent still life studio.
I cleared a space and then went to Ikea and bought a frosted Glass table.
I've been looking at these for about ten years or so with the idea of doing this kind of shot.
This is frame number two and is another test :-)
I hope to make good use of this studio over the winter months and might actually get round to shooting some of the pictures that have been in my mind for a few years.

New Studio #1

2010-11-17T22:48:00.001Z

New Studio #1, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I decided to set up a semi-permanent still life studio.
I cleared a space and then went to Ikea and bought a frosted Glass table.
I've been looking at these for about ten years or so with the idea of doing this kind of shot.
This is the first frame out of the camera and, although it's not fantastic It proves the theory.
I hope to make good use of this studio over the winter months and might actually get round to shooting some of the pictures that have been in my mind for a few years.

Slainte Mhath

The Fighter

2010-09-10T09:27:00.001+01:00

The Fighter, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

There were two guys giving a punching demonstration and had gathered a few people around.
I got a series of pics that shows how they did it without hurting each other.
I like this pic though because of the expressions on the girls faces.
They've already seen the fake punch and are bracing themselves for another. You'd think it was them about to get punched in the face

Still as a Statue

2010-09-10T09:26:00.003+01:00

Still as a Statue, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Another performer on the Royal Mile

Who are you looking at?

2010-09-10T09:26:00.001+01:00

Who are you looking at?, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I saw this young man (being carried on his dad's shoulders) out of the corner of my eye.
I managed to snap him lined up with the headless figure.

Festival Fireworks

2010-09-06T20:14:00.001+01:00

Festival Fireworks, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I was in Edinburgh last night trying to capture some fireworks.

This is with some (not so) minor photoshop work.

Festival Fireworks (Before)

2010-09-06T20:13:00.001+01:00

Festival Fireworks, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I was in Edinburgh last night trying to capture some fireworks.

This is with some minor photoshop work.

Window Lights

2010-08-03T16:19:00.001+01:00

Window Lights, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Tufted Duck Family

2010-08-03T16:18:00.001+01:00

Mystery Duck, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Heron Watch

2010-07-23T20:36:00.002+01:00

Heron Watch, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I'm currently in possession of a 600mm lens that I've hired for a week
This is one of the first results

Swan Touchdown

2010-07-23T20:32:00.003+01:00

Swan Touchdown, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Exposure - Crouching Man

2010-05-21T08:35:00.001+01:00

Exposure - Crouching Man, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I got a chance to visit the Had Fab yard last night where they have completed construction of Antony Gormley's "Exposure" aka the Crouching Man.

The work is a masterpiece of engineering with many of the parts being fabricated by hand. it is a wonder to behold and I could have spent hours shooting the details.

I made sure I got there early enough to keep some colour in the sky and then had to wait for the 'right' time to shoot.
I was granted special access in order to shoot this, Thanks D.

Buchaille Reflections

2010-05-21T08:30:00.001+01:00

Buchaille Reflections, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I was out shooting with my friend L last week and managed to capture this.

After

2010-04-15T10:50:00.001+01:00

After, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I've been playing with some new HDR software.
This is the after version.
I don't normally like HDR when it's over the top but for some reason I like this one :-)

Before

2010-04-15T10:49:00.001+01:00

Before, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I've been playing with some new HDR software.
Here is the before version

The Snow Fence 2010

2010-02-28T21:22:00.001Z

The Snow Fence 2010, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I was up in Glencoe yesterday (27-02-10) and shot quite a few frames.
This is one that I liked.
As Joe McNally says, more tk

Grebe Reflections

2010-02-18T18:10:00.001Z

Grebe Reflections, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I went out this afternoon to try and head into Glasgow for some sundown shots.I got stuck in traffic on the way and turned back for home.
Broadwood Loch is a regular haunt for me but I wanted something different this time...

Snow Monkey 2

2010-02-14T22:48:00.001Z

Snow Monkey 2, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Another from last week at Kincraig

IMG_7515

2010-02-12T23:00:00.001Z

IMG_7515, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I know this might seem a wee bit overcooked to some people, but I like it like this :-)

Loch an Eilein

2010-02-11T16:33:00.001Z

Loch an Eilein, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Icy Curve

2010-02-08T08:13:00.001Z

Icy Curve, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I was out for a wee trip round the Campsies last week.
I spotted this strange feature near the edge of a reservoir

Snow Monkey

2010-02-07T21:32:00.001Z

Snow Monkey, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Paid another visit to the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig today.
Here's one of the results

Loch Lubhair

2010-01-02T12:02:00.001Z

Loch Lubhair, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Black Mount 2009

2010-01-01T23:41:00.001Z

Black Mount 2009, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

A new start for the new year.
Here's a shot from the last day of the old one.

Enjoy

Red Panda

2009-11-05T12:21:00.001Z

Red Panda, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Red & Rusty

2009-10-27T08:57:00.001Z

Red & Rusty, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Upper class graffiti

2009-10-24T22:00:00.001+01:00

Upper class graffiti, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Golden River

2009-10-22T00:20:00.001+01:00

Golden River, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Fungi

2009-10-20T08:28:00.001+01:00

Fungi, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Autumn by the Falls

2009-10-19T08:56:00.001+01:00

Autumn by the Falls, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

A friend of mine organised a photowalk on Saturday (17th October)
Eight of us met at The Hermitage in Dunkeld and spent a couple of hours enjoying the autumn colours. A great day was had by all. Thanks Ally.

Waterfall

2009-10-18T09:40:00.001+01:00

Waterfall, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Birch Trunk

2009-10-17T21:33:00.004+01:00

Birch Trunk, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Canis lupus

2009-10-12T22:08:00.001+01:00

Canis lupus, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Red Deer

2009-10-11T09:04:00.003+01:00

Red Deer, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Autumn in the Glen

2009-10-11T09:04:00.001+01:00

Autumn in the Glen, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Snow Monkey

2009-10-11T09:03:00.003+01:00

Snow Monkey, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

On Guard

2009-10-11T09:03:00.001+01:00

On Guard, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Loch Insh

2009-10-10T19:33:00.001+01:00

Loch Insh, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I've been playing with "The Best Camera" iPhone App by Chase Jarvis and came up with this.

Monarch of the glen

2009-10-10T19:32:00.001+01:00

Monarch of the glen, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

This is my branch!

2009-10-10T19:31:00.001+01:00

This is my branch!, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I know this needs a bit of work but I'm on holiday so can't spend the time on it. I thought you'd like to see it anyway

In Formation

2009-09-19T07:28:00.001+01:00

In Formation, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Spitfire & Red Arrows

2009-09-18T18:18:00.001+01:00

Spitfire & Red Arrows, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Smoke & Tailplanes

2009-09-17T09:04:00.001+01:00

Smoke & Tailplanes, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Falcons to the Moon

2009-09-16T08:01:00.001+01:00

Falcons to the Moon, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

No. 15

2009-09-15T17:32:00.001+01:00

No. 15, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Diamond Nine

2009-09-15T16:28:00.001+01:00

Diamond Nine, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I know I haven't been posting for a while but my health has been causing issues lately.
I hope to be back blogging more regularly from now on.

I was at Leuchars on Saturday (12th Sept) with my mate Joe.
This is the first of the results of that day

Inspecting the Troops

2009-08-16T09:17:00.001+01:00

Inspecting the Troops, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

All the world's a stage

2009-08-14T19:45:00.001+01:00

All the world's a stage, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

And all the men and women merely players;

to quote the bard of Avon

Red White & Blue Harley

2009-08-13T08:59:00.001+01:00

Red White & Blue Harley, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

In Control

2009-08-11T12:55:00.001+01:00

In Control, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I was through at the Edinburgh Festival with Wee John on Sunday (9th August) and we had a great time.
This is the first shot from the day, I'm sure there'll be more to come.

Marker

2009-08-04T11:27:00.001+01:00

Marker, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Castle Post

2009-08-02T09:20:00.001+01:00

Castle Post, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Sir Neil Campbell

2009-08-01T20:00:00.001+01:00

Sir Neil Campbell, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Cowane & Lamp-post

2009-07-30T20:22:00.001+01:00

Cowane & Lamp-post, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Unlit

2009-07-29T07:35:00.001+01:00

Unlit, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Double Yellow

2009-07-28T05:45:00.001+01:00

Double Yellow, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Drainpipe

2009-07-27T08:05:00.001+01:00

Drainpipe, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

The Tolbooth

2009-07-26T11:24:00.001+01:00

The Tolbooth, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Odd one out

2009-07-25T07:58:00.001+01:00

Odd one out, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Handles

2009-07-23T08:12:00.001+01:00

Handles, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Wet Pavement

2009-07-22T05:23:00.001+01:00

Wet Pavement, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Stained Glass

2009-07-21T07:11:00.001+01:00

Stained Glass, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

In the Church of the Holy Rude in Stirling.
Another shot from 'Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk' last Saturday

Hopscotch

2009-07-20T04:12:00.001+01:00

Hopscotch, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Sword, Shield & Helmet

2009-07-19T09:15:00.001+01:00

Sword, Shield & Helmet, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I took part in Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk yesterday.
My mate Alastair was organising it and had a surprise guest lined up for us.
Sir Neil Campbell, a soldier from the time of Bannockburn etc.
While everyone else was taking shots of him in his full regalia I was playing with some of his other gear.

Frosted Statue

2009-07-16T08:14:00.001+01:00

Frosted Statue, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

A shot from winter to remind you of the cold

Sand, Dunes & Sky

2009-07-05T09:20:00.001+01:00

Sand, Dunes & Sky, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Two Stones

2009-07-04T19:34:00.001+01:00

Two Stones, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Ringed Plover

2009-07-03T08:02:00.001+01:00

Ringed Plover, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

The Stone

2009-07-02T07:35:00.001+01:00

The Stone, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Long Shadow

2009-07-01T09:01:00.001+01:00

Long Shadow, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Sand Patterns

2009-06-30T10:09:00.001+01:00

Sand Patterns, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Achnahaird Mono

2009-06-29T23:04:00.001+01:00

Achnahaird Mono, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

I felt this one crying out to be a contrasty black and white.

Extreme D.O.F

2009-06-29T00:25:00.001+01:00

Extreme D.O.F, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

Another shot from Achnahaird.
This one taken with my 5DmarkII and 28-70mm lens at a gorgeous f2.8

My Mate Joe

2009-06-28T09:14:00.002+01:00

My Mate Joe, originally uploaded by kenny.mclean.

A wee candid shot of Joe
Taken down in Gourock on Tuesday 23rd June