This is the third post in a continuing series on the oft misunderstood but oh so important histogram.  In the first two posts we discussed the histogram in general.  If you missed them, click on these links.

Mastering Exposure – Histograms Part 1

Mastering Exposure – Histograms Part 2

Recap

To recap, the histogram displays a graph of the tonal values in the scene you are about to photograph.  It shows how the dynamic range of the scene matches and fits into the dynamic range of your camera’s sensor.  There are two critical pieces of information a histogram tells you:

1. If your exposure is correct
2. If you have problems capturing the dynamic range of the scene

To recap, the exposure is displayed by the position of the histogram curve within the boundaries of the graph area.  As you increase the exposure the histogram moves to the right.  As you decrease the exposure it moves to the left.  If the exposure is increased so that the histogram moves all the way up against the right side of the graph area you will have highlight clipping. Likewise, if it moves all the way to the left side you will have shadow clipping.

The dynamic range of the scene is displayed as the breadth of the histogram,  The wider the histogram the greater the dynamic range of the scene.  The narrower the histogram the lower the dynamic range.  When the histogram is so wide that it extends from one end of the graph area to the other you are facing a situation where your camera’s sensor will have a difficult time capturing the full dynamic range of the scene.  The worst case is you will have both highlight and shadow clipping.

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Yesterday was a perfect day for a hike in Whiting Ranch (our back yard).  The hills are green from the wonderful rains we’ve had this winter.  This is welcomed in a location that is basically a desert and has its share of droughts.

The start of the hike is down the street at our local park.  It starts out easy enough.

The first part of the hike is easy.  An access road drops down to the bottom of the canyon behind our house.  This morning it is especially beautiful hiking in the lush green that seems to be hanging on and on and on.  The rains this winter have come at good intervals and have nourished the hills.  They have recovered beautifully from the fires three years ago.

One of the most beautiful sections of the hike is through a lovely oak grove called “Sleepy Hollow.”  The trail meanders under a canopy of Coastal Live Oak.  And the stream is still trickling making this a special treat.

The Sleepy Hollow climbs out of the grove when it comes to a dam built during the ranching days.  Cowboys built it to catch water so they could graze cattle on the hillsides.  For many years this dam has been mostly dry with at best a small muddy puddle.  But this year there is a considerable amount of water.  There aren’t cattle in the area any more to drink the water but I’m sure the deer, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, skunks, rabbits, mountain lions and all the other critters in the area enjoy it.

Not far above Lower Cattle Pond the trail goes by Upper Cattle Pond.  It too is nearly full.  When these hills were still private land you could wander around the banks of the pond.  (Well, maybe I trespassed just a little.)  But then the county bought it and has restricted access.  So the trade off is the county controls access but we don’t have developers building their homes down here.  I’ll opt for the limited access any day.

This oak tree is amazing.  It’s standing all by itself and the ground on three sides is literally washing away.  Every rain that falls carries a bit more dirt away from its base.  If you look closely you can see it’s roots jutting out of the bank, dangling in mid air.  So far the oak is hanging on to a pretty large chunk of land but I wonder how long it can hold out.  I’ve been keeping an eye on this tree for over 20 years now and it seems to be doing just fine.  You gotta love it.

The first resting point is Four Corners.  Mountain bikers and hikers alike sit on the benches projecting from both sides of the bulletin board.  The county brought in a water fountain for people and an automatic waterer for horses.  People stop here after a good climb to catch their breath before zooming down the other side.  It’s a good place to relax and an easy place talk with some very interesting people.  But this morning I’m not ready to turn back.  There’s more in store.

I’m going to continue on up this road.  It’s aptly names the Dreaded Hill road although this isn’t the dreaded part of it.  That’s further on.  This road will take me near the summit of the highest peak in the area.

No, this isn’t the dreaded part of the road either.  It’s just a minor steep part on the way to the summit.

At the summit is the memorial to Mark Reynolds, an avid mountain biker who was attacked and killed by a mountain lion not far from here.  He was fixing a flat tire when the lion pounced on him.  He probably never saw it coming.  Later that same day the mountain lion came back and attacked another mountain biker, this time a woman.  Fortunately she was with her friend who, with the help of some other mountain bikers, were able to get the lion to release her and run off.  She recovered.

That all happened back in 2004.  Gosh, has it been that long already.

Now we get to the dreaded part of Dreaded Hill Road.  I’m doing it the easy way – I’m heading down.  Climbing this road is another matter and very few mountain bikers will even attempt it.  This is mostly a hiker’s climb.  As beautiful as these foothills are you always know that the city is not far off.

But when you look in the opposite direction from the city you are rewarded with inspiring views of Santiago Peak, the tallest summit in our very own Santa Ana Mountains.  I never tire of looking at the range. I’ve hiked all over them from the time I was a Boy Scout until now.

It’s difficult to capture just how steep Dreaded Hill really is.  I describe it this way, “Dreaded Hill is a killer at the bottom and a killer at the top and murder in between.”  If you look at this picture carefully you can see the road way down there as it enters the trees just to the right of center.  Maybe you can get a feel for how far down that is.

And this is what greets you where the Dreaded Hill road enters the grove.  Beautiful, isn’t it.  Just up a few more steps the road meets the Serrano Creek trail where I do an about face and head back towards the start.

Serrano Creek gets its name from the Spanish Ranchero that this land was a part of.  The creek doesn’t flow all year, only a few weeks in the spring and that’s not a for sure thing.  Hey, this is Southern California.  You get used to it.  But I love this little stream, especially in spring.  It feels so good to walk in the cool air under the spreading oaks.  Even in summer this little canyon remains cool and inviting.

Here’s another vignette of the creek that I just have to share with you.  This is such a glorious place.  I’m so fortunate to have this literally in my back yard.

This is a good place to end this account.  In just a few more steps the oak grove comes to an end and gives way to the open hillsides so typical of these foothills.  From that point on it’s an anticlimactic climb back up the hill to the park.

If you would like to join me on one of my adventures in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, let me know.  I’d love to share it with you and would enjoy your company.

The 2011 photography workshop year is off to a great start.  Death Valley was a roaring success and we have more extraordinary workshops scheduled for the remainder of the year.

Death Valley Photography Workshop

The 2011 Death Valley photography workshop was full.  We all had a great time, laughed a lot and made some good friends.

I love Death Valley in February because the weather and conditions can be truly unique.  And this year was no exception.

You don’t often expect to see standing water in the hottest, driest place in all of North America, much less lakes that stretch for literally miles.  But for the third year in a row that is what we encountered.  We had an absolutely astounding sunrise at Badwater with beautiful pink clouds overhead reflected in the seemingly unending expanse of water.  And the fortunate thing is the day after the workshop ended high winds blew all the water away so that by the next weekend it was all gone.  We continue to be very lucky that way.

Click here to see what I’m talking about – Badwater Dawn 2011

We’ll be back in Death Valley next year the same time – February 11-14, 2012.  You won’t want to miss it.

Eastern Sierra Workshop

We are returning to the Eastern Sierra from June 4th to the 9th.  I always get excited returning to the mountains where I spent so much time in my youth.  And while we won’t be sleeping under the starts near a lake at 10,000, the thrill is still there just being in the company of these majestic peaks.

Besides such towering peaks as Mt Whitney, Mt Williamson, Mt Tom and on and on, we will explore roaring cascades, the placid and beautiful Owen’s River, sparkling lakes, the always amazing ancient bristlecone pine, the mysterious tufa of Mono Lake and the best preserved ghost town in the country – Bodie.  Last year we were even able to get into the high country of Yosemite National Park for a truly amazing experience.

If you love the mountains as I do and want to see them in their spring glory, this is a workshop that is not to be missed.  We still have spaces available but hurry.  This has proven to be a popular workshop in the past.

For more information on the Eastern Sierra workshop, click here.

Big Sur Workshop

This is a new workshop this year and already proving to be very popular.  We will explore the dramatic California coast from Cambria and San Simeon to the south to Carmel and Monterey to the north.  The 70 miles in between hold some of the most exciting coastline you will find anywhere as the Santa Lucia mountains plunge into the blue Pacific.

Besides the surf crashing on rocky cliffs, this coastline is home to the southernmost groves of coastal redwoods, beautiful waterfalls and a few scattered sandy beaches.  In many places the Cabrillo Highway (also known as Highway 1) clings to the side of the steep slopes with many picturesque bridges spanning the larger streams.  The most famous of these is Bixby bridge.

We will be exploring the many gems over a four day period from August 8th to the 11th.  The grand finale will be photographing sunset at Point Lobos, Edward Weston’s old haunt.

This workshop is nearly full so if you’re interested I would encourage you to not delay.

For more information on the Big Sur workshop, click here.

Southwest Utah – Zion and Bryce Workshops

You don’t want to miss Zion and Bryce in October.  The weather is ideal and the colors of autumn are just starting to appear.  And in Bryce, it’s possible an early storm can blow through and leave a dusting of fresh white show on the orange hoodoos.

This is actually two workshops that run back to back but most people sign up for both (at a discounted price).  We explore Zion beginning Saturday, October 15th and then move on to Bryce Tuesday, October 18th.  The workshop wraps up on Friday, October 21st.  It’s

Zion holds a special place in my heart.  Zion means ‘place of refuge,’ and that is how I feel about it.  It’s grandeur has a special renewing quality about it.  And Bryce is always exciting as it is the home to some of the best sunrises on earth.  There’s nothing more glorious than watching the sun come up over Thor’s Hammer.

Click here for more information on the Zion workshop.

And here’s the link to the Bryce workshop.

Central California Coast and Napa Valley Workshop

In November we are returning to the Central California Coast, this time above and below San Francisco.   We will spend five exciting days working our way from Half Moon Bay south of San Francisco, up the coast to Point Reyes and then inland to Napa Valley. 

This workshop includes dramatic shorelines, some of the beautiful locations within San Francisco, the Golden Gate bridge, Point Bonita and Point Reyes, and out of the way gems within Napa Valley.

November is the perfect time of the year to be in this area and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Here’s the link to the Central California Coast and Napa Valley workshop.

So that’s the roundup for the rest of 2011.  As you can tell we are holding photography workshops in some very exciting places.

My Photography Workshop Philosophy

I believe photography workshops need to be more than just taking you to beautiful places.  So I have developed a three-point philosophy that I see as my obligation to you or anyone who attends one of our workshops.

1. First, I am obligated to get you to the right place at the right time.  That is, we will visit locations with exciting photographic potential in the best light.
2. Second, I want to make sure you return home with technically sound images.  So I’ll work closely with you to make sure your images are well composed and you use the best techniques to produce the highest quality captures.
3. Third, I will challenge you to expand your vision.  We all grow as photographers and artists when we expand the way  we see the world.  So each of the locations we photograph will have special challenges to help you see them in fresh and exciting new ways.

I also believe our workshops provide a great value – a personal touch at a reasonable price.  I invite you to compare what we offer with other workshops and I think you’ll agree.

So check us out and come join the fun. 

Here’s a list of all the 2011 photography workshops.

To see more of my photographs click here.

I use a device called Spot while in the field.  It keeps track of where I am and transmits my location to a communications satellite.  I can check in whenever I want (and call for help if I need it).  This all gets captured on a map.  It shows many of the locations where we were shooting during the workshop.  I added pictures from flickr and presto, changeo, we have an account of the workshop. 

Click on the title above the map to see it in interactive mode.  Enjoy.

Death Valley Workshop 2011

Share your Adventures with SpotAdventures

The 2011 Death Valley photography workshop is ‘in the can.’  While it’s still fresh in my mind I’d like to share some of the highlights and photographs with you.

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We had 4 3/4 inches of rain since Friday and the big storm is still on the way. Heavy rains are forecast through Thursday. I can’t wait for Death Valley. I may have to slip out there in January before the February photography workshop.

We have a great storm passing through California and it’s raining in Death Valley.  Why would I care?  Because rain in Death Valley now makes for a fantastic photography workshop in February.  So far we’ve been having a wet winter in California.  That bodes well for more precipitation in Death Valley.  And winter precipitation in the Valley bodes well for some pretty fantastic conditions.  The  past two years we’ve had major flooding in the playas which means very unusual reflection shots in the hottest, driest place in North America.

Why not join us.  The workshop is February 12-15, 2011.  Click here for more information on the Death Valley Photography Workshop.

Join me on an upcoming workshop.  Click here for more details.

To see more of my photographs click here.

Our photography workshop prices are going up next year.  But you can lock in 2010 prices and additional discounts if you register before December 31, 2010.  So if you’re considering attending a workshop in 2011 check out our offering of six extraordinary workshop opportunities.  But hurry.  With this offer, they’re already starting to fill up.

Click here for the 2011 Ralph Nordstrom Photography Workshop Schedule

Please not that the prices quoted on the website are for 2011.  Subtract $50 for 2010 prices.  And, by registering early you qualify for an additional 10% early bird discount.

To see more of my photographs click here.

Every year I lead a photography workshop in Death Valley.  We offer personalized instruction and photograph some of the many exciting locations there.  Click here for more information.

Now, the only time you want to be in Death Valley is late fall through early spring.  Otherwise it’s just too darn hot.  Personally, I like February.  It’s kind of a quite time and we’ve had some mighty good luck the last couple of years with major rainfall in the weeks leading up to the workshop.  What this has meant for us is some of the playas were flooded.  When that happens you have lakes six inched deep that spread for miles in every direction.  It doesn’t take a lot of rain to flood the playas either.  Generally an inch will do.

There are some locations in Death Valley that I really love and I’d like to share them with you.

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Last night we photographed sunset on the Sacramento river delta. It was do-so.

Today we’re hooking up with Robert Hitchman of photograph America to explore napa valley. Should be a really fun day.