Across the Southwest » Wildflowers

Colorado Wildflowers ~ Lupines on Kebler Pass

Adam Schallau — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:51:37 +0000

Another beautiful day on Kebler Pass near Crested Butte, Colorado. Is there anything more relaxing than wildflowers and aspens in summer? Yes… wildflowers and aspens with the warm sun on your face.

This image is a blend of two exposures, but instead of the normal blend to manage dynamic range, this time two images were used to extend my depth of field from the wildflower in the foreground to the aspen trees in the background.

~Tech details~
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF16-35mm f/2.8L Mark II USM lens
Exposure: 1/15 second, f/13 and ISO 320
Filters: none

The Wonderful World of Wildflowers ~ Wild Geraniums

Adam Schallau — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:31:46 +0000

The wildflower season in Colorado and northern New Mexico is nearing the end and I’ve begun to sort through my new photos. One of the first things I noticed is that I photographed several varieties of wild Geraniums this year. The first image was captured on Kebler Pass near Crested Butte, Colorado and the second image was captured in the Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico.

Both photos and others like them are available for purchase at my website AdamSchallau.com.

~Tech details for image 1~

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

Exposure: f/2.8, 1/50 second and ISO 320

Filters: Hoya HD Circular Polarizer

Notes: I used a large collapsible diffuser to shade the flower and a 12mm extension tube to allow close focusing.

~Tech details for image 2~

Camera & Lens: Canon EOS 5D Mark II and EF50mm f/1.8 II lens

Exposure: f/2.8, 1/60 second and ISO 200

Filters: none

Notes: I used a large collapsible diffuser to shade the flower and a 12mm extension tube to allow close focusing.

New Mexico Vacation Guide – 2009

Adam Schallau — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 05:56:35 +0000

The 2009 New Mexico Vacation Guide is out and I have a couple images in it. The image shown here was captured a few years ago in the Wheeler Peak Wilderness Area near Taos, New Mexico while hiking in search of wildflowers. The other image is of Jornada Mogollon petroglyphs in the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site in southern New Mexico.

Please click on the image for an expanded view.

2009 Wildflower Calendar

Adam Schallau — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:47:19 +0000

Here it is, the first photograph I’ve had published in a calendar. I photographed this scene of lupines and a fence, a few years ago near Crested Butte, Colorado, during the peak of the wildflower season. I’m really excited to have this image published and in a wildflower calendar no less!

Here’s a link to the Barnes & Noble website where you can purchase the calendar: >>>link<<<

Please click on the image for an expanded view.

Extension Tubes and Wildflowers

Adam Schallau — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:11:38 +0000

We had a good wildflower year here in and around Taos, but more specifically, in my yard. We had poppies, cleomes, sunflowers, and of course the cacti bloomed. This year I wanted to try something a little different from my usual wildflower photography, so I picked up a 12mm extension tube to experiment with.

If you’re not familiar with extension tubes, they look similar to a tele-extender, but unlike an extender, the tubes have no optical element(s), i.e. tubes are hollow. Extension tubes work by moving the lens farther away from the film or digital sensor in the camera. Doing this allows the lens to focus closer producing greater magnification at the loss of being able to focus on infinity, in fact when using tubes you have a very narrow range of focus and depth of field to work with.

Both the first and second images shown here were photographed using a Canon 24-70mm/2.8L lens at approximately 60mm and f/6.3. The last images was captured using the Canon TS-E 45mm tilt shift lens with a 1.4x extender at f/11. All images were captured with a Canon 5D , 12mm extension tube, and a portable reflector to cast even light on the flowers.

When working with extension tubes, it’s important to be aware of how close the front element of your lens is to the subject. I had to clean pollen off of my lens several times.

Please click on any image for an expanded view.

Cactus Bloom

Adam Schallau — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 05:10:19 +0000

Late last month I was exploring along the San Juan River near the town of Mexican Hat, Utah. It was nearly 100 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, and the wind was blowing. To be honest, I was prepared to write the day off when I spotted a bit of color among the drab brush. What I found was a single cactus in bloom with a brilliant flower perched atop it’s spiny base. With my wife holding a diffuser to soften the light, I was able to create the image you see here.

Details: Canon EOS 5D, 70-200mm f/4L IS @ 200mm.

Today’s Image ~ Tulip Sunburst

Adam Schallau — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:45:36 +0000

I know it’s spring in Taos when my tulips blossom. And to think that just 1-week ago we had fresh snow on the ground.

Photographed with the Canon G9, raw, macro mode, and manual focus.