Across the Southwest » Weather

Monsoon thunderstorm over Shiprock

Adam Schallau — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 02:40:10 +0000

Monsoon Thunderstorm ~ Shiprock, New Mexico

The summer “monsoon” took a bit of a break this month but was in full-force again this past weekend. I always seem to miss good, dynamic weather when attempting to photograph Shiprock Peak in northwestern New Mexico. But this past Monday on the drive home from the Grand Canyon the sky was full of great clouds.

This image of a thunderstorm over Shiprock Peak and another like it but in color, are available for purchase at my website AdamSchallau.com.

~Tech details~

Camera & Lens: Canon EOS 5D Mark II and EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens

Exposure: 0.5 seconds, f/22 and ISO 50

Filters: Hoya HD Circular Polarizer

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

Rio Grande Gorge with the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Adam Schallau — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 05:25:29 +0000

When it comes to getting new toys, there’s nothing better than getting a new lens. Sure, a new camera body can be great but it doesn’t necessarily change the way you see the world like a new lens does.

I recently purchased a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II ultra-wide angle zoom lens to replace my EF 17-40mm f/4L lens. You might ask yourself, what’s the difference? Let me start by saying that the 17-40/4L is a great lens and is definitely the better deal of the two in terms of the cost-to-performance ratio. The 17-40/4L is half the price, takes a slightly smaller filter, and is both lighter and shorter than the 16-35/2.8L II. Wait, now I’m having second thoughts about selling my 17-40/4L and getting the 16-35/2.8L II. Should I have done it?

After one day out shooting with the 16-35/2.8L, I can say “yes”, it was the right move for me. The advantages of the 16-35/.8L II are a brighter viewfinder thanks to the f/2.8 maximum aperture which helps with manual focusing in low light and allows for faster shutter speeds when trying to stop motion. This lens is also capable of producing stunning sunstars which I hope to have sample to share soon.

On to the photo. One of the first places I usually visit to test a new lens is the Rio Grande gorge just west of Taos, New Mexico. For the shot shown above, I shot from the bridge with camera on a tripod and the lens set to its widest setting to include as much of the gorge as possible while not cutting-off the top of the clouds. One of the biggest problems with shooting from the bridge is the vibrations that rattle across it everytime a vehicle crosses the bridge. You have to hope that there will be very little traffic and you have to time your shot between the vehicles. I got lucky and was able to capture a few frames when there was absolutely no vibration from passing cars.

A Leaf Trapped in the Ice

Adam Schallau — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:37:18 +0000

The rush to photograph autumn color is over and now I’m impatiently waiting for winter. If it’s going to be cold and windy, well then, I want it to snow. Truth be told, the weather has been incredibly beautiful lately, with clear blue skies and pleasant daytime temperatures, but I still can’t wait for snow (and ice).

Please click on the image for an expanded view.

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Taos Panoramics

Adam Schallau — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:59:57 +0000

Here is a pair of panoramic photos I shot yesterday at sunset from the west rim of the Rio Grande River Gorge near Taos, New Mexico. This was our first storm of the season as it lifted off the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and cleared out of the area.

Both images were created using a Canon 5D full-frame camera and a 45mm tilt shift lens. Each scene required capturing three exposures as I shifted the lens from left to right, with the final image being assembled with Photoshop. I also used a Singh-Ray 3-stop, hard-step, graduated neutral density filter, hand-held in front of the lens to control the range of contrast represented in both scenes.

If you are interested in ordering a print of either image, please give me a call or contact me using the contact button at the top of this page.

Please click on any image for an expanded view.

Grand Canyon Rainbow

Adam Schallau — Fri, 30 May 2008 04:41:20 +0000

It has been 8-years since my last visit to the Grand Canyon and on my first day there Mother Nature treated us to a wonderful rainbow. Unfortunately the storm was a sign of things to come. During our 5-days, 4-nights (camping) we experienced everything from sunshine to snow, with more bad weather than good. The storm system that parked itself over the Four Corners provided excellent conditions for dramatic photography of Grand Canyon and I can’t wait to share more images with you.

Brocken Spectre & Glory

Adam Schallau — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:20:13 +0000

Brocken spectre & glory

A fast moving late May storm brought low clouds and snow showers to the south rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. As the storm cleared I was treated to this Brocken spectre and glory that lasted for only a few seconds.

A Brocken spectre is an optical phenomenon where the sun casts a long shadow into the mist and fog below, and a glory is the rainbow halo that appears around the head of the person’s shadow and is caused by light refracting of water droplets in the atmosphere.

Please click on the image for an expanded view.