On The Road
"A Look Back at 2007"

 Image #1. Lightpainting in Ouray ... This grand adventure was the kickoff for the new year and was a project that I had been thinking about for quite some time. It would include daytime strobe work with Nikon SB800 Speedlights for small objects and life size subjects and would also make use of portable Elinchrom Ranger packs and strobe heads capable of 1100 watt/seconds of power for illuminating larger than life "icescapes" with climbers. But my main goal was to Lightpaint these athletes during the night hours and make images of ice climbing that had not been made before. I believe I accomplished that goal and posted images and text in the February 2007 On The Road article. This image is a Lightpainting of Chris Alstrin ice climbing at 10:00 pm in Ouray, Colorado. Nikon D2Xs, ISO100, 30 second exposure at f5.6, Nikon 17-55mm Lens, WB 4000K, Gitzo Carbon Fiber Tripod with SLIK Super Ball Head, Pocket Wizard Multi Max Transceivers to trigger the camera remotely from my Lightpainting location about 200 feet to the right and across the ice gorge, Two Brinkmann Q Beam portable spot lights each with 2 million candles of power ... one Brinkmann with a blue gel and one Brinkman with a yellow gel, Lexar 4G Flash Card, ....and my favorite pair of spiked crampons.

Image #4. The Kentucky Derby ... The June edition of On The Road featured my favorite sporting event of the year, the Kentucky Derby. I was in my usual mode of documenting everything I saw that interested me. Rainy conditions gave images plenty of mood and the opportunity to use slow shutter speeds for beautiful pans. Nikon D2Xs, ISO250, 1/3 of a second at f4, Nikon 12-24mm Lens, WB 4000K, Lexar 8G Flash Card.

Image #5. Arlington ... In the July edition of On The Road I showcased a project that I consider the most memorable of my career. It was my honor to be part of a team of six featured photographers who were hired to photograph Arlington National Cemetery for both Arlington and the National Geographic. The assignment was photographed in 2006 but the National Geographic magazine article and the book, Where Valor Rests, made it's debut in May of 2007. My specific task was to Lightpaint various locations in Arlington National Cemetery during three consecutive nights. My years of practicing and honing my Lightpainting skills all came together to produce what I would consider my most treasured body of work. More important is the idea that I wanted very much for those who have loved ones buried at Arlington to see how peaceful and beautiful the grounds are after dark. It was my hope to bring illumination to Arlington with Lightpainting. Nikon D2Xs, ISO100, 30 seconds at f8, Nikon 12-24mm Lens, WB 7100K, Gitzo Carbon Fiber Tripod with Gitzo Ball Head and Kirk "L" Bracket, Two Brinkmann Q Beam portable spot lights, Lexar 8G Flash Card.

Image #7A. Transit Mix ... This picture is from my Transit Mix archive, an on going body of work that I do while literally being on the road, in the air, or whatever mode of transportation I might be partaking in at the time. Often times when I fly, drive, ride in a bus, boat, taxi or train I photograph what looks interesting (see March 2007 edition of On The Road.) This image of a ranch on the high plains east of the Rocky Mountains illustrates another feature of the new Nikon D3, incredible Dynamic Range. The smooth gradient transition of color and light from the brilliant sunset on the horizon to the deeper tones of pastel in the sky is an important feature that the D3 excels in. Also make note that the Picture Control menu is a function well worth investigating. It gives the photographer the option to render and enhance images at the time of capture and includes a beautiful Sepia tone and Monochromatic (Black and White mode) with optional color filters. Nikon D3, ISO200, 1/500 at f7.1, Nikon 70-300 G VR Zoom Lens, WB 10,000K, Picture Control settings of Vivid with Sharpening +3, Saturation +1 and Hue -3, Lexar 8G Flash Card. This picture was photographed while I was sitting in my truck on HWY 83 south of Franktown, Colorado.

Image #7B. Transit Mix (close up cropped detail) ...I have cropped the image for a closer study. While the Nikon D3 specs state 12.1 megapixels the image quality and detail look more like a camera boasting 17 megapixels. The 24 X 36 print made from this D3 file looks stunning.

SPECIAL NOTE: