NEWSLETTER Summer 2015
All images Š2015 AdamBarkerPhotography. No usage without authorized consent.
www.adambarkerphotography.com
INTRO
“Aaah, summer - that long anticipated stretch of lazy, lingering days, free of responsibility and rife with possibility. It’s a time to hunt for insects, master handstands, practice swimming strokes, conquer trees, explore nooks and crannies, and make new friends.” Thank you Darrel Hammond for hitting the nail right on the head. Yes, summer is the season where nostalgia is king, and the to-do list plays second fiddle to the bucket list. As much as I love (and need) all the seasons, were I the captain of the seasonal red rover team, summer would be my first pick. Fall, winter, spring...sorry guys. It’s not you, it’s me. ;) For me, summer is about milking every last hour of daylight (and there’s a lot of them!) in climbing that next peak, fishing that next bend, or telling one more story around the campfire. Perhaps it’s because it seems as if it’s here and gone in an instant, but summer demands our full attention, never wanting to waste one second in the pursuit of, well...summer fun. In this issue, we highlight Yosemite National Park. At nearly 750,000 acres, and just a 2 hr drive from the Fresno aiport, Yosemite, with its towering granite cliffs and rushing waterfalls welcomes upwards of four million visitors a years. For all you adventure seekers out there looking to push your photography to new limits, I’ve broken down the ins and outs of shooting a split-level underwater image (with sharks to boot!) in the how-to section. This issue’s photo essay ecompasses all that is summer in front of my lens. From jammin’ on the GEE-tar outside the vintage Airstream, to conquering that next buoy at 28 off, we’ve got it all. Finally, point-and-shoot lovers rejoice! We’ve got an in-depth review on Sony’s little big-time camera, the RX100 III. Learn why I consider it the most capable point-and-shoot I’ve used to date.
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aised amongst Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, internationally acclaimed photographer Adam Barker has a passion for photography matched only by his zest for life. Known for bold landscape and active lifestyle imagery, his love affair with exceptional imagery has translated into stirring editorial work for Fitness, Men’s Journal, Outside, Outdoor Photographer, Skiing, Ski, Powder, Flyfish Journal, USA Today, Mountain Magazine and many more publications. He has drawn praise for his teaching style at workshops both domestic and abroad, and has drawn similar accord for his instructional DVDs. Barker has produced imagery for a varied array of commercial clients including Panasonic, Manfrotto, Vestergaard Frandsen, Deutsche Grammophon, Volkswagen of America, Deer Valley Resort and many more. When not shooting, Barker can be found spending time with his wife and three sons, or “product testing” in the mountains, on the river, or wherever else nature happens to call.
ADAM BARKER
www.adambarkerphotography.com adam@adambarkerphotography.com 801.550.9141
destination spotlight
Must See One can’t visit Yosemite without enjoying sunset at the iconic Glacier Point overlook (pictured here). Offering jaw-dropping views of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and Yosemite’s high country, it is accessible by car approximately late May through October or November (this can vary each year according to weather/snowpack). Additionally, chest-pounding hikers can make the nearly five-mile trek (3,200 ft.) to Glacier Point from the Four Mile Trail trailhead near Swinging Bridge.
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Yosemite National Park, CA, USA If you haven’t yet set foot in Yosemite National Park and stared up in wonder and amazement you’re missing out on one of America’s most treasured national parks. Spanning nearly 750,000 acres and reaching across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Yosemite is best known for its spectacular granite cliffs, plentiful array of snow-fed waterfalls, crystal-clear mountain streams and giant sequoia groves. Put simply, it is a nature-lover’s playground, and one that begs to be explored by intrepid adventurers and casual tourists alike. Despite representing only one percent of the park area, Yosemite Valley is the most frequented area of the park. Whether you know it or not, you’ve likely laid eyes on iconic images of the valley at some point in your existence. Places like Tunnel View, Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Falls, Cooks Meadow, Camp 4, Swinging Bridge, Valley View (see pg. 13) and so many more contribute to the incredibly diverse offering of vistas, viewpoints, classic camping spots and must-do day hikes. Over 800 miles of trails exist throughout Yosemite, ranging from easy strolls to swallow-your-heart day hikes and even multi-day backcountry backpacking trips. The Merced River meanders gallantly through the valley, kissing each river bend with crystalline water, and a subtle gurgle that calms and quiets even the most turbulent of souls. Bike paths link the most popular destinations in Yosemite Village as well as a plethora of lodging options ranging from the swanky Ahwahnee Lodge to simple DIY campsites. It can get quite crowded during the summer--the best time to visit is typically late April to mid May when the falls reach peak flow and the crowds are still manageable. GETTING THERE: Park visitors most commonly fly in to San Franicsco or Fresno and drive the four or two hours (respectively) to Yosemite. Plan for a longer drive if you arrive anywhere near peak traffic times. http://www. nps.gov/yose/index.htm
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How To: Shoot a Split-Level Underwater Image (with sharks!!!)
Tech Specs Angler: Oliver White Location: Bair’s Lodge, Bahamas Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Housing: Aquatech Lens: Canon 8-15mm Fisheye f/4L Settings: 1/1000 sec. @ f/10 ISO 200
Necessary Equipment Obviously, shooting an underwater image requires some specialized equipment, namely a waterproof camera or an underwater housing for an existing camera. I use an Aquatech housing made for my Canon 5D MkII, with an 8” dome port. The housing offers full functionality of the camera and the dome port makes split-level shots like this much easier than the standard ports. If you don’t want to drop the cash on a full-fledged UW housing, there are other less expensive options out there as well (Google is your friend).
Pre-Focus Whenever shooting underwater shots, I will always pre-focus on the area and/or subject I’d like to be in focus. In this case, I chose to focus on the angler. I strongly recommend utilizing one of the thumb buttons (near the shutter button) for auto focus on your DSLR, and in turn disabling the AF function when depressing the shutter button. In some cases, it’s an issue of conevenience and utility. With underwater shooting of this nature, it’s an issue of necessity as the camera would try and refocus every time you depressed the shutter button to shoot the image, resulting in most often times, missing the shot.
Shoot in Mid-day Light What?! Doesn’t this go against everything I’ve learned as an outdoor photographer? Forget those early morning and late evening sunset shoots--underwater shooting is best done in the middle of the day, where direct sunlight illuminates the water and gives contrast and texture to everything below the surface. I most prefer shooting in side light or backlight. Shooting in direct light also makes it much easier to expose the image, as light levels above and below the surface balance much better.
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PHOTOESSAY: Sum-Sum-Summatime
If summer is YOUR season, then you’ve come to the right place. Jammin’ to good-time tunes, watching the sunrise from the saddle of your mountain bike, getting a proper pull behind the ski boat or frolicking through a mountain meadow exploding with wildflowers--these are just some of the things that spell out s-u-m-m-e-r- for me. Take a virtual journey and feast your eyes on the places, people and activities that make my summers unforgettable. Is there something missing here??? Shoot an email to adam@adambarkerphotography.com and let me know what you’d like to see in next year’s summer photo essay!
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featured image
ABP MVP:
Sony RX100 III
“ If you’re looking for a small, no-nonsense point & shoot that delivers huge on quality, this is it”
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recently returned from the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. Despite living just a few hours away, I’d never visited the area and I was ecstatic to be headed down to a new spot with good friends. f course, no photographer can go anywhere without first hemming and hawing over what gear to take. You see, cameras are very much like skis these days—there’s one for every application, every condition, every pet portrait session, every uncle’s brother’s wedding, blah blah blah. You get the point.
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took my full DSLR kit to have on hand for the car camping portion of the trip, but elected to take just my little Sony RX100 III for the hiking and backpacking portion through several slot canyons and Coyote Gulch. In this review, I’ll share my experience on how the camera performed in the hands of an experienced professional accustomed to hauling (and shooting) a big heavy DSLR (that churns out exceptional imagery mind you). t’s worth noting that this trip was a trip with buddies. It was not a trip predicated upon photography. I knew my shooting style would need to be very run n’ gun. I knew
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that I wouldn’t have much time to switch lenses, ask my buddies to “do it again” or even throw my pack down and dive in for additional gear.
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t’s also worth noting that this wasn’t a particularly tough trip in terms of mileage and/or elevation, so while the weight and space savings was a huge bonus, I certainly could have dealt with the extra load of my usual setup, but this would serve as a good test run for those times when weight and space savings really are crucial. I was most intrigued at the thought of JUST having this little point and shoot to work with. I viewed it as a challenge of sorts, yet there really wasn’t much of a challenge at all as I was blessed with exceptional conditions for a good portion of the trip, and the camera proved itself very capable. inally, it’s also worth noting that a good portion of the shooting I was doing would be largely documentary. We would be hiking (and I would be shooting) in less than ideal light, but I still wanted to be able to freely document the trip and location. bring this up because I think it’s important to understand the variables that come into play for me when deciding which
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camera to use at any given time or scenario. Additionally, you may or may not identify with many of these variables, which are super important to consider when deciding which camera is the right camera for you to purchase for yourself. y kit consisted of the Sony RX100III (24 – 70mm lens, 20 MP full frame sensor), several P-size Singh Ray Grad ND Filters, a Singh Ray LB Warming Polarizer (paired to the camera with the help of a lensmate adaptor), my trusty Gitzo GT1551T tripod and a Joby gorilla tripod. All in all, the entire kit weighed in at a bit less than 7 lbs. Read: holy moly I feel like I’m walking on air. verall, the camera performed like a champ. Especially being paired with the right tools, and my usual cadre of filters, I can honestly say that there were very few times where I felt handicapped at all (keep
M O Plus • • • • • • • •
Exceptionally light and small Vibrant, articulating LCD Screen Digital Level Execllent Image Quality Intuitive Manual Control and Manual Focus Functional Viewfinder WiFi Enabled Intelligent Auto Mode
in mind I’m comparing this experience to my typical shooting experience with a Canon 1DX). Occasionally, I hoped for a bit wider angle lens (as I knew I would), but 24mm is no slouch. My biggest oversight in using this camera was battery life. I am accustomed to a big, beefy battery. I hadn’t even considered the need for a second battery until…it died. Oh well, it died doing what it loved, right??? I got about 800 shots out of it, and then I was relegated to (gasp) the iPhone for the remainder of the hike out. The batteries are teeny, and I would have gladly packed an extra two or three. Oh well—live and learn. n the interest of not making this newsletter a billion pages long, you’ll have to visit the link below for the full review. I have listed some quick pros and cons of the camera below! (also worth noting that at the time of this writing, Sony just announced the RX100 IV) FULL REVIEW HERE
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Minus • • • • • •
Summer 2015
Battery Life Lens Range Does not excel in low-light shooting No hotshoe for larger flashes Limited Panoramic Mode Expensive when compared to other point & shoots
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Upcoming Workshop
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