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People versus Landscapes

 (Elisa Sherman)Hello world! It’s been a minute, or two, or three 😜. There have been several frames that haven’t quite made it here, though should be in the ARCHIVE and/or my photo fave social media Instagram {{shrug}}…

So what has inspired the latent, oh so new post?  Well, I did get a new camera, or two, this year… A Fujifilm X-T5 digital mirrorless (an upgrade from my X-T20) as well as a Yashica D TLR film (new to me) classic 120 manual camera…

 (Elisa Sherman) Both of which, along with my trusty iPhone made it’s way ~8000 odd miles across the Pacific, down under the equator, to the land of Kiwi’s, also known as New Zealand🇳🇿 . It was an adventure, for sure!

Now, to be more specific, back in 2023, hubs and I decided we wanted to join the Stuck In Customs Photography Adventure Workshop with Trey Ratcliff, a photographer we have both admired and followed for several years.

After a mellower vacation for my 50th, Maui in 2023, an “adventure” based one seemed just the ticket for 2024, photography focused, perfection. (Elisa Sherman) The workshop took place on the South Island centered in Queenstown.  There were about 10 of us, including Wade(aka hubs 🥰) and myself, photography enthusiasts from all over that trekked down there to come together for some photo focused goodness.  Like minds, varied focus, creative variations and all.  It was spectacular: for the views AND the company.

Which brings me to the “point” of this fresh new post…the photo workshop along with the rest of our New Zealand vacation, was particularly centered in Landscape photography…capturing in frame the perfection of the glorious landscapes provided by these spectacular islands in the South Pacific. (Elisa Sherman)

So, landscapes, I do admit, are beautiful, and I do take several gigabytes of frames whilst I am vacationing…it’s our thing for sure.  That said, I think my true love, and perhaps most natural inclination is to capture joie de vivre, or people in their element.  It’s why I loved shooting live music, and Pride parades, etc etc… Life in motion if you will.  (Elisa Sherman)

Now, all of this is to say, the mostly landscape backlog of digital masses is deep, approximately a terabyte…and on film, 9 rolls of 12. Lot’s of frames, many to be discarded. Yet amongst all the landscape goodness, and there is much of that…I couldn’t help myself, but to shift, and point a camera lens at those of whom were there to capture it, during our workshop.   (Elisa Sherman) I can only imagine the inner eye rolls my fellow workshoppers likely had, as myself, I prefer to be on the back side of the camera, taking the shots. But they were all great sports, and I so enjoyed meeting each and every one of them, not least of which, our host Trey and his son Ethan that hosted us.  We all learned quite a bit from each other, and it was so zen being amongst others who for all appearances also seemed to be chasing their bliss through the lens.

So, whilst culling the masses of image frames on my hard drive, I ended up drawn to these frames, capturing my fellow enthusiasts in action, both with candid glance, and from afar… There is something that just draws me most to these images and they floated to the top of my editing pile far faster than their clean landscaped counterparts.  I think the magic, whether a quick close up glance, a far away peek, or even a sweeping panorama of backs and mountains…it takes me back to this time, with far greater speed than anything else. (Elisa Sherman)

Perhaps it’s the added connection I feel, perhaps, it’s just easier than waiting for the stacked HDR’s to process…or perhaps it’s just personal preference…I find these frames so much more compelling and magical than their relatively equally  (or more) beautiful counterparts.  And I mean, I have certainly used the AI tools to remove a photo bomber or two across some of my landscape shots… In contrast, for these frames I focused, intentionally on the people…  Maybe it’s why, most recently, when asked to come out and capture a colleagues band playing, I did so enthusiastically.  It was like riding a bicycle…I think people (even if I am a bit anti-social or perhaps because I am), are perfection in frame.  Whether from behind and far away, or smiling close up in frame…I suppose it’s where my bliss and lens leads me.

 (Elisa Sherman)But alas, I should finish the proper landscapes…NZ deserves the homage.  Working on them, perhaps a post soonish will follow this…

That said, I have finished this one part of the New Zealand masses, and that is a full culling and final gallery featuring the people within the landscapes from our workshop.  People who were lovely, intelligent, friendly, talented, and so interesting. Doing their thing, and not letting me see any eye rolls.  And I have to admit, I am pretty interested to see what landscape beauty they captured, in pixels, on the other side of their lenses… to see how different things come out, when people shooting more or less the same exact things, click the shutter…because we all see so differently…we all behold different perspective, and we all like and prefer different things.

To the photographers and to New Zealand I give thanks…you are all beautiful, xoxo.

Insta links to all the photographers, I’d like to to now consider friends:
📷@lynnsnow3
📷@imogen.nelson
📷@lightseeking
📷@intersabs
📷@lostinmybucketlist
📷@rajeevjayaraman
📷@worldinasnap
📷@flowcused
📷@treyratcliff
📷@wadehasphotos

Full Gallery below (alt archive link)


Archives

Alaska 2.0 #WEinAlaska2018


This was my 2nd Alaskan Cruise of the Inside Passage – so some of this may look familiar. One technical difference, beyond the company, was that this was shot with my Fuji X-T20 versus previously with my Canon 5d2. And since it was 6yrs later(2012 for reference here), though the same time of year, the days and light were really different, and am sure there was a few(more than) different frames. This year, there was a Skagway photo tour, a Juneau whale watching cruise, and a tour of Butchart Gardens when we stopped in Victoria BC. Although, with the Juneau stop, since I was only 2wks post op and sore post Skagway photo tour, I had to defer all long lens shooting to the hubs(@wadehas on flickr) with the reliable 70-200, who then managed to catch some spectacular bubble netting by some humpback whales. I sure was bummed to miss getting up personal with that, but alas, that is how it is. Still lots of photos of pretty mountains, lakes, ocean, an orca, some seals and sealions, and an eagle amongst all the massiveness of the gorgeous glaciers. In an upcoming follow up blog to this, I will write about post vacay project I did with select images from everyone in our group, but I’ll leave that for the next bit of words. Also, reminisce with instasnaps here #WEinAlaska2018.

For now, Happy Christmas Eve world…I present – Alaska 2.0, enjoy!


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Slideshow Fullset:



Archives

Happy Earth day, Power to Science and finally, Beautiful Tulips!

 (ELISA SHERMAN)Greetings earthlings! Yesterday was Earth Day – so we went out in it. Many marched for Science – and I am so thankful. Science has allowed me to heal, and I am forever grateful to everyone who practices it everyday, everyone who discovers and all who push to the next frontier. Good science means good Earth. Yesterday, I finally felt well enough to go out amongst the tulips sprouting up from the damp earth, shooting some new electronics.

Today was the first day, clicking the new shutter of the Fuji X-T20 out in the world (& instantly instagramming!) – beyond our cat Thelma(lol). I wasn’t able to trounce through all the fields yet, but we did make it to the 2 main gardens up in the Skagit Valley – Roozengaarde and Tulip Town. I have 2 lenses so far – the kit 16-50mm and the Lensbaby Trio 28, the latter capturing most of the images(all the blurry and swirly backgrounds).

The Fuji is a huge change for me equipment wise – it’s mirrorless and a crop 1.6x sensor. I really wanted to shrink my kit size, and was looking at the mirrorless. They are all advanced now, and some great photographers are using them. I had focused the full frame Sony’s at first, but between the size, cost, and current tech, I just couldn’t pull the trigger. For mirrorless, one of the best was the Fuji line – but it was crop. So I researched, and found, that the performance, image quality, and body/lens styles all fit what I was looking for, so I took the leap. I am awaiting a fish eye to add to the kit for my travels to Europe next month. I imagine I will eventually replace the kit lens with a 16-55 2.8, and ultimately add a fast prime like the 50 2.0, and a longer fast zoom like the 50-140 2.8. Oh, and I still have access to the big 5d2 as it stays in the family;)

So anywho, let’s get to it – Tulips! For looks back – 2008, 2011, 2013.

Earth Day 2017 was a bit overcast and damp at intervals, however, the Tulips shown through!


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Full slideshow ~




Archives

Lava, Luau, Loco Moco & Love…Big Island Hawaii 2016

 (Elisa Sherman)So, where to start…

I decided last spring that I wanted to spend my next birthday in Hawaii…because, well, sun, beaches, sunsets and paradise;) It’s good for the soul, and glorious for the camera sensor.

It really is peaceful excitement when you first set foot in paradise, and this trip proved why in many ways.

Let’s get the big excitement out the way first, #engagement…it was perfect and photographic all at once. We were walking around the Japanese garden in Hilo. I was like, why aren’t you taking more pictures…?! LOL.

Then he gave me a gorgeous book of all the pictures and fun we have had together over the last 2+ years, a birthday present I thought…and wrapped it up with a perfect proposal. There is much more backstory to the what led up to that, but for now, we’ll just say it was a perfection in paradise.

 (Elisa Sherman)

In photographs, the vacation bookends the perfect engagement setting with bountiful beautiful gazing sights. Just don’t forget the mosquito repellant!(serious Dengue Fever has the island in a current state of Emergency)…

From lazing on the beach, glowing crater, sea arch, and this apparent island specialty – Loco Moco, it just got better and better.


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Oh, and there was a luau, a sunset or two, a sunrise with steam rising, palm trees and waves…and even the southern most point in the whole U.S. of A…not necessesarily in any of that order…


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And maybe, some turtles, Banyan trees and oh yeah, that one Japanese garden…

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So much gorgeousness…it’s endless ~ enjoy the slideshow – xoxo…


Archives

Gates of the Mountains bursting in the Sun

…and through you go. So pretty, up from Holter Lake & dam up through the Gates of the Mountains and to Upper Holter Lake…all part of the Missouri River…on a bright 100 degree day…at 30 mph, it was quite nice:)

Bright, bursting sun in the sky, that ball of light…not to mention some thirsty mountain sheep (slideshow),that kind of look like deer or goats, but no, they’re sheep 😉 .


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Holter Lake & Gates of the Mountains, July 2015 – Images by Elisa Sherman

Archives

NYC – Welcome to the Jungle

…the concrete jungle that is. So much of what hit my sensors (iPhone, big camera) screamed big city, big apple, classic, kitchy, reverent, New York City.

Last time, in 2014, it was a speedy spin through the city (link).

This time, bang bang – heat, humidity, tall sky scrapers, taxis abound, lights endless, building(s) everywhere.

New York City. One like no other. This trip, not unlike last years, was prompted by a show – this time a couple big name home town favorites, together in sold out landmark performances at Radio City Music Hall – the forever young – Tony Bennett, and the extraordinarily excessive Lady Gaga.

 (Elisa Sherman)

It was fantastic. Check my instagram for more on the show.

Show aside, the city is rich with imagery, classic to kitch. Big and well bigger.

Until next time.


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~slideshow~
New York, June 2015 – Images by Elisa Sherman

Archives

Great Falls, Big Sky…Montana

 (Elisa Sherman)If there is one thing most folks associate with the great state of Montana…it’s the Big Sky…Big Sky Country as it’s referred. It’s beautiful, vast, bits of fluffy clouds, winding rivers, great big falls, and prairie for days.

I haven’t been for ages, and had never been this far past the Rockies, as Great Falls… Beauty abounds. Mostly, when you visit new places, you are removed from the taken for granted beauty of your local surroundings; even as they are common to the folks that live there. This struck me as we were visiting my boyfriends home town. He took me around to all of the just down the street magnificence. It made me think, all this beauty just in your back yard? So common, yet so easily overlooked. Alas, as a visitor, it was easy for me to gaze upon it, and and want to capture it click after click…in between visiting the fave Taco (Treat) and Pizza joints, oh and the Mermaid bar…yep, you heard me;) Yes, Big Sky Country, and Great Falls in particular, has said mermaid, Black Swans, and perhaps a Buffalo-fish…
My phone was not shy in aiding in the captures, check the instagrams


Instagram snaps aside, the vastness that Lewis & Clark once passed through, of the prairie and river is grand…and beckoned the full frame…
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Great Falls, Montana ~ June 2014 – Images by Elisa Sherman

Archives

Neutral Density Hiking…

So, it’s late Spring, and time to get out and about. I need to get into shape, and what better way than to hike out to see some pretty things?

Like creeks and waterfalls…what does this mean for image making nerds? I means you take your tripod, stop way down, and let the shutter open for a bit. What get’s it all creamy and pretty versus just overexposed? A lovely neutral density filter. Of which I did not have a few weeks ago when shooting up by Humpback Creek…glowy white blown out exposure batman;) But there was still some pretty, nonetheless, and pretty mountains and a damp eerie tunnel.

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For last weeks jaunt, I picked up a neutral density filter so I could better control exposure(when needed) – and voila, much nicer;)

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Altogether, definitely going to get out more…there are many images to be had…summer? Are you there? lol…

 (Elisa Sherman)~full set slideshow (click for mobile view)~

Hiking 6/1/2014 & 6/8/2014 – Images by Elisa Sherman

Archives

Yosemite Redux

Visited Yosemite again…last(and first) visit was in 2009. This time more water, and a little more time stopping to take some photos.

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The light is always gorgeous up in the valley…this time was no exception. And the gradeur of the the glacier cut valley, even from the main road is breathtaking. And there was still water…where the falls just wept in August of 2009…they flowed freely this May. I want to go again and see some of the stuff that is slightly further than what you might catch on a day trip;) As is, we caught Bridalveil, Ribbon and Yosemite Falls; and of course Half Dome. All lovely.

Here’s a few of my faves along with a slide show of the full set…until next time…

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Yosemite 5/9/2014 – Images by Elisa Sherman

Archives

Beach time…yes, we have Beaches…

Yes, it’s Seattle, West Seattle to be specific…where we have this little beachy part of town we call Alki…it’s where all the hipster yuppies who wear flip flops(and have too much money) live. There is sand, and yes, even palm trees…to go with the jagged mountain back drop. And before you round the bend heading to Alki point, you look back and see the gorgeous Seattle skyline(that would be downtown, from across Elliot Bay). It is beautiful here, and days like this, remind us why we all live here in the pacific northwest…and why the rest of the world can only dream of our emerald city:) Some of my faves from this gorgeous walk to the beach last weekend…

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West Seattle, Alki Beach 4-27-2013 – Images by Elisa Sherman
Perhaps fresh Yosemite images in about a week or so?! :)