Across the Southwest » National Park

Great Sand Dunes & Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

Adam Schallau — Sun, 23 May 2010 03:54:38 +0000

I finally had an opportunity to get out and shoot with the Nikon 14-24mm lens in a real world environment. This wasn’t so much a “scientific” test and evaluation as it was a hit and run visit to introduce my mother, visiting from San Antonio, to Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve.

The subject for the afternoon was spring runoff in Medano Creek. The wind was blowing (when is it not blowing?) fiercely and I really wanted to avoid lens changes to keep from getting sand in the camera. I needed to select one lens for the day and decided it was time to go to the Nikon. The flow of the creek and the patterns in the sand screams for an ultra-wide field-of-view.

While I intend to review this lens in detail sometime in the near future, I have to say that I’m very impressed by what I’m seeing in my images so far. The corners, always a weak spot for Canon ultra-wide lenses, are very sharp on the Nikon. My only concern when using the Nikon has been the large, bulbous front element. I’m very happy to report that after being pelted by sand for over an hour, the lens shows no signs of abuse, despite the fact that it’s not (currently) possible to mount a protective filter.

A Winter Morning in the Forest

Adam Schallau — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:45:07 +0000

A winter morning at Grand Canyon National Park. The canyon was completely socked-in so I took a stroll through the forest.

~Tech details~
Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens
Exposure: 1/6 second, f/16 and ISO 100
Filters: none

Notes: Processed in Adobe Lightroom

A visit to Chaco Canyon

Adam Schallau — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:52:52 +0000

A place far from the modern, civilized, world. A place of extremes with brutally frigid winters and scorching hot summers. A place that was once inhabited by the Ancestral Puebloans and was perhaps the trade and spiritual center of their world. A place called Chaco.

Located in Chaco Canyon in far northwestern New Mexico, Chaco Culture National Historical Park protects some of the largest Ancestral Puebloan ruins in the American Southwest. Among these ruins is Pueblo Bonito, the largest Great House in the park which is believed to have been inhabited between AD 828 and 1126. Covering nearly two acres of land it was once four stories tall and may have contained as many as 800 rooms.

Photographically speaking, Pueblo Bonito is an extremely exciting subject to work with. I suggest that photographers come prepared with ultra-wide angle and medium length zooms to capture the interior of the pueblo. The photo of the T-shaped door above and the photo looking up through the pueblo on the left were both created using a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L lens at the 16mm setting on a 5D Mark II camera.

The exterior of the pueblo can be captured using a a full-array of focal lengths from ultra-wide to telephoto. The photo on the right was captured with my Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS lens set at 150mm. I chose this lens to isolate the back wall of the pueblo against the canyon wall, both of which were bathed in a warm, late-evening light.

In a few days I’ll be sharing more photos from my trip to Chaco Canyon and will be discussing additional photo opportunities in the area.

Sunrise on Mount Hayden – Grand Canyon National Park

Adam Schallau — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:02:19 +0000

Sunrise on Mt. Hayden from Point Imperial ~ North Rim of the Grand Canyon

This image of first light striking Mount Hayden as viewed from Point Imperial on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and others like it are available for purchase at my website AdamSchallau.com.

~Tech details~

Camera & Lens: Canon EOS 5D Mark II and EF16-35mm f/2.8L Mark II USM lens

Exposure: 0.6 seconds, f/11 and ISO 320

Filters: Singh-Ray, Daryl Benson Reverse Graduated Neutral Density 3-stop, 4″x6″ – hand-held

Notes: This is one of the first images I have developed in Adobe Lightroom. I kept the processing simple using the “Direct Positive” and “Punch” presets.

Desert View at Twilight ~ Grand Canyon

Adam Schallau — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 04:45:18 +0000

The sun has set on another day at Grand Canyon National Park, but a bit of light remains. It is twilight and the watchtower at Desert View soaks up the remaining light as the night sky approaches. In the distance at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, the Colorado River reflects the blue sky above.

Twilight ~ Desert View Watchtower, Grand Canyon National Park

This image of the Desert View Watchtower at Grand Canyon National Park and others like it are available for purchase at my website AdamSchallau.com.

~Tech details~

Camera & Lens: Canon EOS 5D Mark II and EF17-40mm f/4L USM lens

Exposure: 6 seconds, f/8 and ISO 100

Filters: none

Storm over Pecos National Historical Park

Adam Schallau — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:37:05 +0000

A monsoon storm , common in New Mexico during the months of July and August, spreads out over the church ruins of the Spanish mission at Pecos National Historical Park. The mudding used as stucco has fallen away revealing the adobe bricks used to form the walls of the church. Near the village of Pecos, New Mexico.

Pecos National Historical Park

This image of the Pecos National Historical Park and others like it are available for purchase at my website AdamSchallau.com.

~Tech details~

Camera & Lens: Canon EOS 5D Mark II and EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens

Exposure: f/11, 1/80 second and ISO 100

Filters: Hoya HD circular polarizer

Kiva ~ Pecos National Historical Park

Adam Schallau — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 02:33:06 +0000

A beam of light from the mid-day sun illuminates the interior of a kiva at Pecos National Historical Park just east of Santa Fe, New Mexico. A kiva is a subterranean ceremonial chamber built by pueblo indians. I love photographing kivas, especially in the summer because they are considerably cooler than the outside air temperature.

This image of a kiva at Pecos National Historical Park and others like it are available for purchase at my website AdamSchallau.com.

~Tech details~

Camera & Lens: Canon EOS 5D Mark II and EF16-35mm f/2.8 II USM lens

Exposure: f/16, 10 seconds and ISO 100

Filters: none

Notes: I used a large collapsible diffuser over the entrance to the kiva to soften the light that was entering the chamber.

Featured Picture at FrameDestination.com

Adam Schallau — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:39:51 +0000

The Frame Destination (FrameDestination.com) is featuring one of my photos created during my time as Artist-in-Residence at Grand Canyon National Park. This image was captured after backpacking to the bottom of the canyon. It represents the confluence of Bright Angel Creek and the Colorado River near Phantom Ranch. If you look closely you can see the “Silver Bridge” over the Colorado River.

I have been using FrameDestination.com for the past two years for my framing and presentation needs including clear bags, mount board, mats and frames. My work that is currently on display at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve was assembled using materials from Frame Destination. I would like to thank Mark and the rest of the team at Frame Destination for their excellent service, great products, and for selecting my image as the Featured Picture. Thank you!

Grand Canyon Presentations ~ A recap and thanks

Adam Schallau — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:24:14 +0000

Those of you that know me, you know that I like to talk. I like to talk about photography with other photographers whether they are beginners or a seasoned pro. I also enjoy speaking to groups, and although I’m not exactly great at it (I get very nervous in-front of a crowd), I appreciate the feedback I receive and the interaction that takes place.

Participants in a presentation

During my time as Artist-in-Residence at Grand Canyon National Park, I had several opportunities to chat with other photographers and those that are interested in photography. Some of my best experiences came from the presentations I gave at the Verkamps’ Visitor Center and at the Grand Canyon School. I gave two separate presentations to park visitors at Verkamps that also included time spent working one-on-one sharing photography tips and ideas.

Working with the students at the Grand Canyon School was an extra special treat. It was incredibly rewarding to be surrounded by their enthusiasm and to watch them work because they see the world in a very different way than adults. Their creative process has not yet been influenced by the rules or defined styles of the art and as a result they will often create images that most adults would never consider or visualize.

Tristin working on his photos

The students were given a photographic “assignment” that had to be completed within a limited time frame. Thanks to the contributions of several other photographers and the readers of this site, each student had a camera to use and was able to participate without having to share cameras. Final images were presented to me for review and constructive feedback was provided. Their photography, to say the least, was impressive. One student did standout amongst his peers and that was Tristin. Tristin’s photos were excellent, but most importantly his passion for photography was obvious and it left me with a great feeling to know that there are still young people that are excited by art.

I’d like to thank everyone that made these opportunities available to me including the Grand Canyon National Park staff including Judy Bryan, Chief of Interpretation, who was my primary point-of-contact at the park. Amy McBroom, Art Instructor at the Grand Canyon School. Amy’s enthusiasm is intoxicating and I’m sure is huge reason why the student at the school are so fired-up over art. FYI, Amy was the 2008 teacher of the year in Arizona and she is a founding member of a committee that created Arts for our Park, a juried art show for students in the Grand Canyon Unified School District. Amy is very humble and a dedicated teacher who would never brag about herself, so I’ll do it for her.

Presenting a Slingshot 200AW to Tristin

I would also like to thank Lowepro who has supported me and my photographic endeavours through sponsorship. When I informed the team at Lowepro that I was to be the Artist-in-Residence, they graciously donated several Slingshot 200AW camera bags for me to award to one lucky participant in each of my presentations. The criteria for deciding who would get the bag included the questions they asked and who traveled the farthest to reach the Grand Canyon. I also presented a Slingshot 200AW to one deserving student, and that student was Tristin.

Thanks again to Judy, Amy and Lowepro!

I’m back from the Grand Canyon

Adam Schallau — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:37:01 +0000

I’ve actually been back since late Saturday night. It will take me a few days to get settled in, but once I do, I will start to post new images.

I appreicate the overwhelming response I have received from friends, family and all my new friends that I met at Grand Canyon. I look forward to sharing my images with you!