What a day this was. A soggy, moist day.

After driving all the way from Nanaimo, BC, I finally made it to the road of doom to the Crystal Mill in Colorado.

It only took me three days.

Despite having good AWD and winter tires, I chickened out about two miles in to what was optimistically named a 'road'.
I decided to ditch the Rolls Royce and hiked the rest of the way in.

None too wise to be hiking through a lightening storm carrying 3 tripods. I would require some further motivation.

After a lengthy chocolate break and several moments of self doubt, I got back on trail and finally made it to the Crystal Mill.

What a sight to behold!

This is the kind of thing I live for. Doom laden skies, vibrant fall colours with a derelict mill next to a waterfall. What more can the landscape photography ask for?

My photographers high lasted for hours until I realized it was time to hike back along the road of calamity. Luckily a family of Vietnamese tourists took pity on me as I must have resembled a drowned rat. They gave me a ride back to my abandoned vehicle which was able to crawl back out and my photographers high was fully restored.

Literally going the extra mile and pushing yourself out of every possible comfort zone can sometimes deliver amazing results and at least provide a story or two.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VvFis4r4D8

Thanks for looking
Gavin Hardcastle - Fototripper

Tags:   waterfall autumn fall colorado crystal mill storm stormy moody dark aspens aspen river Fototripper gavin hardcastle

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I thought I'd post this to make a point.

It's completely impossible to create a shot like this without compositing two or more images that were shot at completely different times and locations.

I've noticed a lot of 'top photographers' are using this technique to produce 'fakes'. I don't have a problem with that.

What I have a problem with is the photographers who pass off their fakes as the real deal. Sometimes they'll even provide bogus stories that explain how they got the shot.

It's complete claptrap.

I can take one look at a photo like this and I can see where the seams are.

Like I said, I have no issue with compositing multiple images to create a beautiful piece or art, but don't pretend it's real by providing a nonsense backstory.

If anyone want's to straight out ask me if any one of my images was made by compositing I'll gladly divulge.

I'd also be happy to put together a video tutorial explaining how I processed this image to make the composite if I get a lot of requests. And I mean a lot.

Enjoy and please share.
Gavin Hardcastle
www.fototripper.com

Tags:   rialto beach olympic national park milky way astrophotography compositing waves pacific stars galaxy sea stacks seascape nightscape reflections gavin hardcastle Fototripper bhm

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Deep in the haunted forests of Western Scotland lurk these slowly moving green giants. This eerie yet fascinating forest is full of mystery and ancient stories of intrigue and witches.

It's such a joy to spend time in a forest so imbued of character and atmosphere. It's like reading a good book that you just know will become part of the fabric of your being.

Studying ancient natural sculptures like these is time well spent. Solving the puzzle of how to harness their beauty in the frame of a camera is challenging but infinitely rewarding.

I often hear other photographers lament over the difficulty of forest and woodland photography.

The best advice I can offer is this.

Don't expect to solve that puzzle on your first attempt. It may take many repeated visits under a variety of conditions before you solve that puzzle.

Embrace the challenge. Commit to a long game that forces you to test your mind while out in the elements, often in peaceful solitude.

It's a worthwhile pursuit that will inevitably result in happiness regardless of what you capture with your camera.

Thanks for looking
Gavin Hardcastle - Fototripper

Tags:   forest trees green woods leaves haunted Landscape branches moss lichen gavin hardcastle Fototripper

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While I'm more drawn to the natural world, I'm not above enjoying a well manicured stage of nature that's been shaped by humans.

The forms and colours of The Butchart Gardens almost look artificial in their vibrancy but I can assure you that every leaf and blade of grass is real.

Back in the days when tripods were allowed, I had a heyday with the delightful Japanese garden section one sunny October day.

The contrast of the light was so extreme that I had to bracket three exposures to capture all of the detail I needed for the highlights and shadows.

Using a circular polarizer also helped remove the glare from the leaves, giving them deeply rich colours.

I did feel a bit like a big kid at an amusement park. Instead of dashing from rollercoaster to rollercoaster I was just as gleeful wandering from ornate tree to flower bed.

God I'm old.


Thanks for looking
Gavin Hardcastle - Fototripper

Tags:   butchart gardens autumn fall Photography vancouver island bc colours maple trees reflections

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I just got back from teaching a workshop in the Canadian Rockies and this was one of my favourite shots.

I wanted to catch the fall colours and waited days for the winds to die down so that I could capture these reflections.

Enjoy and please share.

If you'd like to join my winter workshop in Banff please visit this page www.fototripper.com/product/banff-photography-workshop-wi...

Tags:   banff canadian rockies lake minnewanka autumn fall larch trees reflections mountains morning Fototripper gavin hardcastle

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