I have officially logged a ton more miles trekked in The Great Sand Dunes National Park. I just can’t get enough of it. I had to go back after having so much success the first time around. Well after a few more trips out there, I think I have seen most of the weather it has to offer (except winter). I had a few great days, a few rainy days, a few windy days, and a few stormy days. Its tough to judge what weather is going to hit, all I know is it’s a bad place to be when that weather does come rolling through. I had lightning come through one afternoon, and we were the only thing around with metal and we had to rush out of there. One afternoon I had one of the most crazy experiences with weather my whole life. I have been in way worse danger with weather, but one afternoon we had something happen that was unlike anything else. We could see a storm rolling in, no doubt, and it was approaching fast, and about an hour before that storm hit, the wind slammed us. It was unbelievable how powerful that wind was, well I have been in way bigger winds (shot in 70MPH winds before) but this wind may have been only around 45MPH but the sand that blew with that wind was blinding. Serious, blinding. At one point both the talent and I had to stop working because neither one of us could open our eyes. Not only did I have my eyes closed, I had to put my hands in front of my eyes, and I could still feel the sand between my eye balls and my eye lids. Very strange feeling, one I had never felt before.
A Rock Climber in the Upper Slot Canyon Page, Arizona
This dramatic shot was done for stock photography, and will be submitted to Corbis Images.
(corbisimages)
It shows a young women hanging from the dramatic canyon walls. The Light beam shines down through the canyon at high noon but only last for a few minutes. She is partially lit and her body curves mimic the canyon walls. This shot was a creation of my imagination. I have never seen a rock climbing image from the slots, not to say that it has never been done, but I have never seen one. I wish I had a big client to shoot these sorts of images for, but I am on a limited budget so I had to cheat a bit. It is a composite of two images. One from the Upper Slot canyons at high noon, showing the beam of light and the canyon walls. The second shot is of a climber hanging on to a cliff. I used photoshop CS4 to combine the two images and get the final creation I had in my head. It’s one of the best parts of knowing photoshop and being a photographer. Coming up with a scene of something that I would like to create and going out and getting the shots I need. The most fun part to me is, combining images to creat a scene that never existed other that my mind.
Anyway I hope you enjoy the shot as much as I do ; )
Shot details: f/9.0;1/640 sec;ISO 100;3679×5518 Pixels
Focal Length 17mm; EF 17-40 mm f/4 L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
*Composite
Winter Reflections-Snowboarding
Winter Reflections shows a portrait of a girl snowboarder hanging out near the half pipe at Copper Mountain, Colorado. She watches as USA Snowboarder Andy Finch pulls a huge air in the half pipe during the USSA Snowboarding Grand Prix at Copper Mountain in Colorado.
****Composite
Basketball Player Dunking from the Rim's Point of View
This court is right across the street from one of the greatest beaches in the world. Huntington Beach, California. I lived one a few hundred yards from this court and it looked as though it has been there a long time. The rim was rusted red and had cracks through the metal. The net was hanging on by a thread, and the court even had grass growing on it. A photographers dream come true. Also Branden being the model helped as well. He is a talented athlete who can dunk with great accuracy. Its a good thing because for this shots I was balanced on a latter just under the basket. The basketball player would jump and come flying toward the camera almost killing me on every shot. Thankfully I never fell and we got a great shot from it.
Basketball Player Dunking from the Rim’s Point of View
***First Place Image***
Shot details: f/13; 1/250 sec; ISO 100
Focal Length 17mm; EF17-40mm f/4L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
Running on Water
This shot was taken in the Hawaiian Islands. It show a woman running along the Kanappali Beach in Maui. The shot was taken from the water and shows both above water and below, showing the coral reefs that surround the islands. From the angle of the shot it looks as though the women is running on the water.
-More info coming soon-
Shot details: f/4.5;1/2500 sec;ISO 200;2336×3504 Pixels
Focal Length 15mm;EF 15 mm fish eye f/2.8
Camera Details: Canon EOS 20D
*Composite
A Diving Football Catch Through a Face Mask
Football player making a diving catch looking through a face mask
This image was taken for stock photography. I wanted to create an image that shows the view point from a players perspective. I chose to shoot through a face mask to really give the feeling of looking through a helmet. The player is diving making a catch that was just in reach.
Branden is one hell of a sports model. Nothing is impossible and a real pleasure to work with. I rarely say anything, but he had to have been one of the greatest people I have ever worked with.
Here is a link to Branden’s website: www.brandennicholson.com
Runners Dream
Runners Dream by Joe Morahan
Shot details: f/22; 1/250 sec; ISO 100; 3504×2336 Pixels
Focal Length 73mm; EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1D Mark II
Shot in the Dry Lake Bed outside of Las Vegas-
Mooney Falls Yoga
So I am gonna totally skimp on info for now, but I will update this info soon, but i have been very busy. This shot shows a young woman doing yoga at Mooney Falls. Mooney Falls is 12 miles from the nearest road and is quite a trek to get to. I packed mules and donkeys to carry in the gear for me and I am very glad i choose to do that. The 12 mile hike was a bit harder than i was expecting, but everything went fine. We camped near Havasu Falls and walked to Mooney Falls first thing in the morning to get this shot. It was down a 200 foot cliff, no ropes, gear, just don’t slip. There are pieces of re-bar stuck in the rock for grip and things to hold on to. It was insane and I would never do that again knowing how crazy it gets toward the bottom. Oh also did I mention that all the rock was soaked from the massive waterfalls mist, making the surface wet, slippery and all the more dangerous. Anyway I got the shots I needed to creat this image.
Shot details: f/22; 1/8 sec; ISO 100
Focal Length 17mm; EF 17-40 mm f/4 L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
*Composite
Running the Dunes
Running up the Sand Dunes in Sossusvlei, Namibia at Sunset.
A Perfect Bike Kick- Soccer
A Perfect Bike Kick- Soccer
This is still one of my favorite images I have put together. Its a composite image with mutipule pieces and images. Its a self portrait of me playing my favorite team sport, Soccer, or football in any other country. I loved playing soccer growing up and I wanted to create an image showing the peaceful feeling I get when I step onto a soccer field. I forget about everything in life, and just want to score and win the game. I love it, and this is my feeling when I play.