Monthly Archives: September 2009

Corvair Discovery

Corvair with Barn - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Corvair with Barn - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

A couple weeks ago as I was driving the countryside in the Palouse looking for barns, when I noticed the barn that you see in the image at the top of this post. When I stopped to check it out, I made a discovery of several old cars and trucks on the deserted property.

Corvair Pair - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Corvair Pair - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

I love cars from the 50’s and 60’s and have owned a Corvair and a couple of Mustangs from the 60’s. As I walked around I saw two Corvairs sitting side by side in the weeds. They were pretty much in disrepair and in various stages of rust. Still they were of interest to me as I thoroughly looked them over and took pictures. This was a fun experience for me and I hope you enjoy the images.

Rusted Corvair - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Rusted Corvair - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

One thing I have found in the Palouse region as in many other farming areas is that the farmers rarely get rid of an old truck or piece of farm machinery. There is a great opportunity to see and photograph these old vehicles if you have the desire.

A couple weeks ago as I was driving the countryside in the Palouse looking for barns, when I noticed the barn that you see in the image at the top of this post. When I stopped to check it out, I made a discovery of several old cars and trucks on the deserted property.
I love cars from the 50’s and 60’s and have owned a Corvair and a couple of Mustangs from the 60’s. As I walked around I saw two Corvairs sitting side by side in the weeds. They were pretty much in disrepair and in various stages of rust. Still they were of interest to me as I thoroughly looked them over and took pictures. This was a fun experience for me and I hope you enjoy the images.
One thing I have found in the Palouse region as in many other farming areas is that the farmers rarely get rid of an old truck or piece of farm machinery. There is a great opportunity to see and photograph these old vehicles if you have the desire.

Mule Deer in the Morning

One of the reasons I love traveling the Palouse is the opportunity I have to see wildlife up close and personal. I seems many times they are as interested in observing me as I am in watching them. At times they appear fearless as if they know they own the environment and I am just an interested guest.
I came across the mule deer in these images early one morning as I was traveling just north of Dayton, WA. There was a herd of six mule deer that were grazing and just appeared to be enjoying the crisp air of the early morning. If you have the opportunity to watch the “mulies” (as they are called) run they appear to just bounce across the fields. It is quite impressive to see.
Remember as you travel the Palouse, keep your eyes open and your camera close at hand especially in the early morning or late evening hours.One of the reasons I love traveling the Palouse is the opportunity I have to see wildlife up close and personal. I seems many times they are as interested in observing me as I am in watching them. At times they appear fearless as if they know they own the environment and I am just an interested guest.
I came across the mule deer in these images early one morning as I was traveling just north of Dayton, WA. There was a herd of six mule deer that were grazing and just appeared to be enjoying the crisp air of the early morning. If you have the opportunity to watch the “mulies” (as they are called) run they appear to just bounce across the fields. It is quite impressive to see.
Remember as you travel the Palouse, keep your eyes open and your camera close at hand especially in the early morning or late evening hours.One of the reasonsOne of the reasons I love traveling the Palouse is the chance I have to see wildlife up close and personal. It seems many times they are as interested in observing me as I am i watching them. At times they appear fearless as if they know they won the environment and I am just a guest in their home.
I came across the mule deer in these images early one morning as I was traveling just  north of Dayton, WA. There was a herd of six mule deer that were grazing and just appeared to be enjoying the crisp air of the early morning. If you have the opportunity to watch the “mulies” (as they are called) run, they seen to just bounce across the fields. It is quite impressive to see.
Remember as you travel the Palouse, keep your eyes open and your camera close at hand especially in the early morning and late evening.
Mule Deer Couple - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Mule Deer Couple - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

One of the reasons I love traveling the Palouse is the chance I have to see wildlife up close and personal. It seems many times they are as interested in observing me as I am in watching them. At times they appear fearless as if they know they own the environment and I am just a guest in their home.
Mule Deer Stare-down - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Mule Deer Stare-down - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

I came across the mule deer in these images early one morning as I was traveling just  north of Dayton, WA. There was a herd of six mule deer that were grazing and just appeared to be enjoying the crisp air of the early morning. If you have the opportunity to watch the “mulies” (as they are called) run, they seen to just bounce across the fields. It is quite impressive to see.
Remember as you travel the Palouse, keep your eyes open and your camera close at hand especially in the early morning and late evening.

Utilizing Lines in your Composition

Busy at Harvest - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009- All Rights Reserved

Busy at Harvest - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009- All Rights Reserved

Lines are wonderful elements in a photograph. They draw the viewer’s eye through the image from one spot to the next, sometimes all the way around and sometimes in one direction. In the image above the line in the wheat as well as the direction of the combine leads you to the other elements in the scene.

Truck Fills the Landscape - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Truck Fills the Landscape - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Lines can put emphasis on distance or illustrate a relationship between foreground and background elements. The truck in the image above acts as a leading line as well as gives some perspective to the combine hard at work in the background.

Riding the Slope - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Riding the Slope - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Curved lines or S curves suggest sensuality, elegance and a serene sense of balance.  S curves don’t necessarily need to be S-shaped; any form of a winding line can be used.


Combine at Work - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Combine at Work - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Using lines can definitely add impact to your compositions but remember to keep the lines simple and don’t let them take attention away from the intended subject. Have fun shooting in the Palouse and look for the opportunity to use the natural lines that are abundant in this region.

Develop Your Artist’s Statement

Union Barn in Early Light - Copyright by Gary Hamburgh 2009- All Rights Reserved

Union Barn in Early Light - Copyright by Gary Hamburgh 2009- All Rights Reserved

It is important to develop an artist’s statement so that you can share your vision with other’s who may be interested in your work. My mentor Scott Bourne has written an excellent article discussing this topic. I have included that article which is titled “Do You Have An Artist’s Statement?”

I hope you take the time to develop an artist’s statement so that you may convey to your audience your vision for your work.

Dry Falls Overlook – experience exceptional beauty

Evening at Dry Falls Overlook - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009- All Rights Reserved

Evening at Dry Falls Overlook - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009- All Rights Reserved

On the 4th of July 2009, I went to the fireworks show at Grand Coulee Dam in central Washington. This region gives a different look of the Palouse with its many cliffs, plateaus and rock formations. About 20 miles west of Grand Coulee Dam, I stopped at a scenic view area called the Dry Falls Overlook. I was there in the middle of the day with very harsh light so I made a note to return for a sunset shoot at some time in the future.

Two days ago I was returning home from a trip to Walla Walla and Pendleton. I decided to head for a northern route and see if I could get some good weather and light to shoot sunset at the overlook. I had been planning to take images and then use Photomatix Pro to process the images because of the high contrast composition with the cliffs, water and sky. This software has become a very useful tool for me because it allows for processing multiple images in a simple and effective manner.

As I arrived at the Dry Falls Overlook, the view was as breathtaking as I had remembered. I got there an hour or so before sundown so I had plenty of time to prepare myself for the approaching sunset. I was excited to see a few clouds on the horizon opposite the direction of the setting sun as they gave me the hope that I would have an interesting sky to include in my images.

Sun Bathes the Cliffs - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Sun Bathes the Cliffs - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Each of the images in this post was five exposures between -2 and +2 with a one stop interval between shots. I imported them into Aperture, made a few adjustments. then combined them into a single image and applied tonal mapping with Photomatix Pro. It was nice to have the full moon in the final image even though it appears very small above the clouds.

Moon at Dry Falls Overlook - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Moon at Dry Falls Overlook - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

It was fun to capture the images in this beautiful and often overlooked area of the Palouse. Hopefully you will add this trip to your agenda as you plan your visit  east of the Cascades in Washington.

Transporting the wheat to market

The last few weeks I have been photographing the wheat harvest and sharing aspects of that process.

Waiting to Load - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Waiting to Load - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Yesterday as I was leaving Colfax on my way to Walla Walla I decided to stop at Central Ferry and watch another part of getting the wheat to market.

It is a colorful process watching the tugboats and barges as they wait to be filled and then start on the long journey downriver to market. Central Ferry is located on the Snake River and it is interesting to watch the large trucks unload and then eventually the grain is transferred from the elevators to the waiting barges.

Getting Underway - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009-All Rights Reserved

Getting Underway - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009-All Rights Reserved

Take the opportunity to visit Central Ferry and you will get some great images as well as be able to see still another step in the wheat harvest.

Headed Downriver to Market - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Headed Downriver to Market - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Create images that share your experiences

Combines at Harvest - Copyright Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

Combines at Harvest - Copyright Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

I have stated many times that “I hope to share the beauty that i see with others.” That is my goal as a photographer to share the actual experience that I am having with others.  I love to see vibrant exciting scenes that depict what is actually happening  at the time. I attempt to put myself in a position and frame of mind so I can feel like I am part of the environment and then capture that so others can enjoy that experience later.

I have shown the entire scene as I saw it in the photo at the top. In the second photo i was riding in the combine with the driver to show the details that he sees as he is cutting the wheat. I must admit that it is an awesome experience riding in the combine especially as the terrain steepens.

View from a Combine - Copyright Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

View from a Combine - Copyright Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

As you create and share your images with others consider the idea of helping to give them the same sense of time and place that you experienced. I believe this will help you to be more creative and give more impact to your images.