Jake Peterson’s Blog

With metallic wet surfaces reflections are great. Many things can be seen even better than before with a reflection. Of course if there is no subject that can be used in this case any other car, than using oneself always works.

In both images i can be seen in the silver headlight ring and is thus creating a more engaging composition. Reflections are a really great way of showing more about the surrounding that the subject is in.

Images captured with D2Hs,  17-55, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

As i said in the last post, the details can be seen much better when the paint is wet. Finding these little details is important because they can tell a very different story then what the whole car would. If there was no snow and it was a clear and sunny day then i would not have been able to find any of that detail.

The hood ornament is a testament of the car. It signifies what that car is. I have seen this ornament many times but could never find the right shot. Something about the background always seemed wrong in every image i have taken before this. To me this image still is not correct but it is better without that background detail.

I just liked the way the snow wrapped around the light in this image, making it seem like the hood is having an avalanche and all that snow is falling down the grill. The light is the only thing keeping the hood in sight afterward.

Images captured with D2Hs,  17-55, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

It never seizes to amaze me how it can be every type of weather thinkable for Montana happening in Bozeman at one time. Last week it was sunny for four days, nice and warm, and then it started to rain on Thursday and then snow on Friday. Ah but Saturday was nice and sunny again, of course then it started snowing and Sunday was dark. Well it just happens here like that. But you can’t let the weather get you down, so i made what ic ould out of it. Some of you might be recognizing the cars in these images that would be because they are from the same junkyard i photographed four months ago. Its a great junkyard.

The purpose of this trip was to incorporate snow and water into the cars. The snow creates a great natural barrier between the metalic surface and the weather giving these really cool contrasts. The snow also gives more texture to the cars so they don’t appear to be nothing but smooth. The overall appearance between the cars and the snow is this great lost and forgotten look, at least to me that’s what it is.

One of the best things about these cars is that when water is applied the colors in the sides come out, creating a greater range of values and tones. It also helps to bring out more of the cracks and lines in the paint job that has faded or chipped as time has gone on. These details can be seen better in my next post.

Images captured with D2Hs,  17-55, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Well it’s spring again and that means all those lovely little critters are coming out. One of the few critters that can be found not too far from Bozeman are these guys, the Black Tailed Prairie Dogs. It is a rather small state park right nest to the highway but it has a large number of Prairie dogs in it, which make for some fun. The trick with these guys is you have to wait to approach them. They talk to one another a lot and until they stop talking you can’t get close to them. Once they stop you can slowly move forward while watching them, if they go back to their burrows most likely cuz they saw you.

Fortunately once they stop talking, they go back to eating and being cute which is really the point in photographing them is because of those cute antics that they do, like the wave. This particular youngster was quite cooperative as i inched my way closer and closer to him.

Images captures with D2Hs, 600f4, TC-14E, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Well here i am again kicking myself because i didnt get out shooting over the weekend and thus having nothing new to blog. The end of the semester is approaching quickly and my brain has turned to mush, not to say that it was ever anything more than mush, but right now it really feels just sluggish. Right now we have a rain and possible thunderstorms here in Bozeman, and im in the worst place of them all to see them, MY ROOM! Yep thats right im stuck inside working instead of out shooting, im sure you all know how that feels. This image came from a shoot a while back on a similar night. Greaat clouds and great light combining for a great shoot. I look at at the image and wish i could be out there.

This past weekend was my first real break from school work in about a month. How did i celebrate is, well i wanted to go out and do a lot of shooting. It was a good plan. Saturday when i got up, early about 6am, i went to the window and looked out and saw that it was snowing, hard. The only logical thing to say at 6am and its snowing out is, back to bed! I slept in pretty darn late and it was goooood. Needless to say the day for shooting wasn’t gonna happen. Sunday it was then. Well yet i again, getting up early wasn’t going to happen so i went out in the afternoon. Glad i did too because the day was gorgeous. Sunny clear skies for miles in every direction and no wind. Perfect day to be out and i wasn’t the only one who thought so. For a while now i have been trying to find places to go shooting other than Yellowstone. Not that i have anything against the park, it’s just i can’t photograph sheep, elk, and bison every weekend, i’ll go crazy. Since it is Spring,  of course in Montana it means two feet of snow still, the birds are starting to make their migration north again, which is great. It still is early here and picking are a little slim. I was down by Ennis Lake, which is still half frozen, and found about a hundred coots and goldeneye all uncooperative. Two killdear proved to be entertaining though. Not really doing much except finding morsels in the mud of this field. There is ten feet between me and it and of course a lovely fence. I hate those, the good stuff is always on the other side. With the six and tele this is the best i could do, not bad not great.

On my around the lake, i was currently going from the south to the north, i ran into a couple Ringed Neck Pheasants and Gray Partridge. I couldn’t shoot them for long because they were on some persons lawn and it didn’t feel right to photograph. Anyways, down the road i went watching the blue birds and juncos go by when suddenly i looked up and there was about two hundred trumpeter swans going by. I came to a quick halt and jumped out of my truck. I had the camera in hand with the 70-300 on it. It was too much i needed the 17-55 but didn’t have the time to get it out. The shot here was taken in about ten seconds before i couldn’t see them anymore. Again not great shot but deffinetely fun to see. I drove happy, jus glad i got out of my room, and bed.

D2Hs, 600 top, 70-300Af-s Vr bottom, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

I realize that i have been inconsistent with my blogging and have not been blogging much at all for the last couple of weeks, for that i must apologize. It is not because of a lack of want or effort merely a lack of time. Currently i am enrolled in 2 art studio classes and have been rather busy with portfolio pieces. The portfolio is coming up so mind is on that. Hopefully once its over, besides being able to start graphic design studio classes, life will get calm, but i rather doubt it. The piece above is one we were given last week and will be tunred in tomorrow. This is a value still life project based on a series of live mounts brought in and setup for our drawing. One of the live mounts was this Great Grey Owl with a killer face and expression. Immediately i knew that was the one i wanted to draw. I again apologize for the not so great image, it is hard to see the details put into it. I don’t normally put anything else but my photographs on my blog, but i figured since i can’t find a Great Grey to photograph then i guess i’ll have to draw one as a substitute. Luckily everyone was given a break this weekend and i will have time to go out and shoot, i just hope i can find some subjects.