Modeling

One of the greatest accomplishment in my life is and always will be to use my professional expertise and talent (if I have any) for my own family!
This is the case in one of my latest photo sessions, when my own daughters modeled for me and my cameras, wearing my mother's crochet creations for her online Catalog and Portfolio, which, by the way, my sister, Danella, is creating after taking the time to study professional web site creation; she being helped somehow by my oldest brother, Oscar, who is a master web developer and online software engineer.
These are the photographs I took the other day.

Comments as much as you would like! :)

PHOTOGRAPHY TIP # 1

#1 - Photography TIP of the DAY:
            Today I want to mention the importance to KNOW YOUR CAMERA!. It's said "if you want to keep a secret from people to know, write it down in the Owner's Manual".
            Most of today's lack of quality in the photography industry is because people DO NOT KNOW HOW TO USE THEIR CAMERA! and the worst part is THEY ARE ALREADY CHARGING for their services!
            But, I am not here to criticize the wrong doings of other people, but to teach you what to do: READ your manual and LEARN how to use your camera.
            To make it more fun, get some ice cream if you want, and while you indulge in some sweets, get your camera an it's manual and start to Study it!! Most basic camera tricks and basics operations are in there.
            I know many would be thinking: THIS TIP IS LAME!! But I bet, more than 90% who say that, have NOT read their camera's manual. If you are one of the few that have read your camera's manual, you will agree with me on HOW IMPORTANT THIS TIP IS.
            About 4 weeks ago I was taking some customer's photographs, she calling herself a 'photographer' (she is still in the phase of learning about this beautiful craft), and she mentioned she has a customer already... When I asked her about her camera settings, she answered: I put the camera in the "green set" (Fully Programmed mode) and I take my photographs like that. I was almost ready to cut my own veins, ready to jump from a bridge down in front to a moving train!!... Hahaha... not truly, but I was some how frustrated. I went ahead and told her that she must know her camera first and then take photographs...
            I hope you don't find this TIP tedious, boring or lack of content.
            I encourage you to READ YOUR MANUAL, LEARN TO USE YOUR CAMERA, and PRACTICE LIKE CRAZY!!!!... THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO START WITH THE RIGHT FOOT.

ESPAÑOL (version corta)
           Hoy dia estoy estresando la importancia de CONOCER tu camara fotografica antes de salir a "trabajar" con ella.
           Dentro del MANUAL de INSTRUCCIONES, se encuentran MUCHAS de las tecnicas que los profesionales utilizamos dia a dia.
           LEE TU MANUAL, CONOCE LAS FUNCIONES DE TU CAMARA, y PRACTICA COMO LOCO!!!!... NO HAY OTRA FORMA DE EMPEZAR FOTOGRAFIA CORRECTAMENTE!!!

Mountain Goats

Mountain Goats hunting season has started and many people with rifles and other weapons show their masculinity and strategies by going up to the mountain and search for their preys... My story tells a different way of hunting. A way that allows the prey to be alive, with his family, enjoy life and see their babies grow. My way of hunting is by searching them and trying to capture this precious animals as close as I can.
Yesterday, I left home about 5 am. and drove for about 2 hours straight to a specific location. From there, I hiked for another 4 hours, carrying my cameras, batteries, tripods, etc... everything needed except my vital and needing tools: FOOD and WATER!

By 2 pm. in the afternoon, and after climbing two mountain peaks (still going towards the place I know this particular white king of the mountains rest), I found my first group of 5 goats eating and trying to fat their bodies for the cold and snowy approaching winter. I stuck myself to this particular "clan" of goats. I hide behind trees while I was taking my cameras and preparing my equipment... Sadly, I will not explain my approach to this beautiful animal, because some of my friends, who love hunting, might use this techniques to eventually kill them. But, my approach allows me to be a few yards from them and don't disturb them. (This particular technique IS NOT wearing any custom, by the way).

I follow them and was with them for over 3 hours,  While this time, I took many hundreds of photographs and videotaped them for almost the entire time, me being as close as 10 feet away from them. In fact, there was a mother with a little goat and 3 other goats... for sure at least 2 males; the third adult might of been another young female or male. I walked with them going down cliffs, and up hills, they ate and rest, they played and ... later on, got scared when two hunters passed close by them. The hunters once they saw me, they kept on going without disturbing them, because I was with this group of goats.
When it was night I started to head towards my car... 4 hours far away hiking up and down and up again, where my car was parked. It was 9:10 pm when I reached my water bottles and the food I brought (inside the car).

Even though I was super hungry and EXTREMELY thirsty, I preferred staying with this animals admiring and contemplating their magnificence, their calmness and sobriety. It's beautiful to see them interact with each other, and enjoy the amazing sights they live on.

I had a great time, and once again, I, most likely, will find myself next week among this animals.

I am posting some of the photographs for you to enjoy here.

Feel free to comment as much as you want. :)

Mountain Hike

Friday afternoon, as one of my outdoor activities, I planned for a small hike up in the mountains by North Ogden area. Small I knew how long the hike would really take!

I left my car locked and on my way I went by the little dirt trail uphill. I knew that I wanted to get some photographs done and hopefully I was going to get some nice video footage as well, so I took my camera backpack, tripod, a water bottle and a couple of cracker packs.

Starting at 2 pm. I thought to be back by 4:30 or even 5 pm.

Well, the "problem" was that my wishes came true!! I got to a place were I found a mother and a father Moose taking care of a little baby moose!! It was nice, though the time I had for film them was less than a minute... so I couldn't get much of them.

Having my enthusiasm boosted up by this family of moose's, instead of turning around to go back down, to my car, I thought to keep into my hike still up hill (it was 4:30 pm already, and I was still climbing up hill). By 5 pm. my energy was vanishing quite fast, so I paused my hike and sat down on the rocky ground for a quick snack and re-hydration using the final drops in my water bottle; after which I kept on walking... My legs were a bit soaring by now, but I was intrigued by this mountain; I wanted to see another group of animals if possible.

By 6:30 pm. my hopes were vanishing as quick as my energy to keep pushing uphill (yes... there was more mountain to hike!!), so I decided to start my descend towards the parking lot. And by the way, I was already hiking up hill 1 hour and a half without any water, in a beautiful sunny day, in a mountain so high, that there were no creeks, rivers, puddles or lakes to filter some water.

While I stopped to take some of the sunset photographs (which one of them made it for this blog) and contemplating the serenity and beauty of the location I was in, I realized some movement in a nearby cliff, so I left one of my cameras creating the photography for me, and took my other camera with me to "investigate".

Right there, at 6:45 pm, so close to the sunset and the final rays of day light, I found a herd of approximately 30 mountain goats, rumbling and playing in the rocks, eating and fattening for the winter, enjoying themselves the last part of the warm weather days.

I took dozens of photographs and several minutes of video for my up coming video project (which still is in process, for which I can't say anything yet). It took me all the rest of the afternoon; I was working my photography until the light of the day and the warmth of the sun abandoned me for good.

It was interesting to see these goats so close to me... I don't know if they treat every hiker like they did to me, but they seemed not to be bothered by my presence. They grazed and play almost around me and they allowed me to photograph them, to talk to them (I don't think they understood a word I said... because they didn't posed as I asked them to).

I followed them as they were moving up the mountain as far as I could go with the light of the day, until it was dark... I mean dark!

I still had 4 hours of going down hill and it was already close to be 8 pm. The air became chilly and I had no jacket!! I had no more water nor food... but I knew all I had to do was "just" going downhill... no more photographs, video or stops.

I packed back all my equipment (using a little head lamp that I had at hand as part of my hiking/photo gear) and stride my step the best I could.

I managed to be in the parking lot by 10 pm. exhausted and thirsty as few times in my life, super tired and with my knees soaring and my back and shoulders aching, but wit a BIG smile in my face, knowing that I've got great photographs and a beautiful experience.

I am posting 4 photographs of the animals I found and the scenery.

I hope you enjoy them.

Feel free to post comments at anytime.