Amanda Smith Wyoming Photographer on Photographing Winter

Photography in winter can be, lets be honest... COLD... especially in Wyoming.  The winds blow on a regular basis, and that means the snow moves, a lot.  This isn't really a bad thing for photography, save for the brown spots that are quickly uncovered when the snow is moved around.  Having said that, there are still beautiful moments that can and should be captured on "film."  I happened upon these Wyoming Snow caps while assisting my husband with moving our cattle.  I always try to bring my camera along, even though circumstances that arrive with moving cattle, might not allow me to take it out and shoot.  The cattle were moving so beautifully in a fabulous straight line that morning, that I decided to scout out a draw that we were near.  That's when I saw these magnificent snow caps!

So as my husband rode on up ahead, ensuring that the cows all stayed together, I stole a few precious moments and dropped down into the draw, so that I could photograph the snow caps from down below, at an upward angle.  They were amazing, and the winds were blowing wisps of snow at the tippy tops of each snow cap in such a fashion, that it was absolutely mesmerizing!

I hope you enjoy these photographs as much as I enjoyed creating them! They are also available in my newest calendar for 2016 titled Winter in Wyoming, by Amanda Smith Wyoming Photographer.

www.AmandaSmithWesternArt.com

Snow Cap in Black and White by Amanda Smith Wyoming Photographer

 

 

Snow Cap Mid-Drift in Color by Amanda Smith Wyoming Photographer

Fine art with Amanda Smith Wyoming Photographer

So I love photographing the west, anything, and everything that has anything to do with the American West.  Striving for capturing moments as they are happening, I love being in the midst of a branding, cattle drive, rodeo event, you name it. Cowboys and cowgirls on the working ranch inspire me, so much so that I can feel a shot as I'm depressing the shutter button on my camera.  Taking that shot to another level, I add an element of "Fine Art" to each of my images, making them not just a real, honest to goodness, authentic capture, but turning my photographs into art that even the most eclectic art collectors would love.

I travel as much as possible, across the western and southwestern states to capture the west as we all know and love it.   The romantic part of it, per seh. I love walking into a restaurant and hearing someone yell my name out of familiarity from a previous visit, "Amanda! Welcome back!" And then to be shown a wall with a new art piece on it, screaming the west with an artistic flair. It makes me feel accomplished, and it makes me happy that someone out there loves my art. 

I guess I'm writing this so that any of you who might think that they can't make it to a level of hanging art on walls of clients, you can.  Take your art seriously, do it for YOU, the way you like it, the way you feel it. Don't do it for anybody else,create what's in your heart. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there, and don't forget to learn from your past, live beyond your mistakes, but learn from them. Ignore those who wish to destroy you, and last but not least embrace the Almighty Father, and have a keen understanding that He gave you this skill. Don't chase your dreams, if God gave the skill....capture them and turn them into works of art.

Good luck and God Bless, 

Amanda Smith Wyoming Photographer 

www.AmandaSmithWesternArt.com

Facebook.com/AmandaSmithPhotographs

That's Real. Amanda Smith Wyoming Photographer and Photographic Arist
Www.AmandaSmithWesternArt.com
Www.AmandaSmithPhotography.com

Amanda Smith Wyoming Calendars

It's been an incredible year in the Cowboy State, in fact is been a picture perfect year, to be exact. I can't recall the last time we had actual seasons that lasted more than a few days. From the lush green grass of the spring prairies, to the golden hue of the fall in Wyoming. I've loved every minute of it. I thought I'd post a few of my favorite shots from 2015.

God Bless!

Amanda Smith, Wyoming.
Photographer and Photographic Artist of the American West.

www.amandasmithphotography.com

Amanda Smith Wyoming on the Wild Horse

Amanda Smith Wyoming on Photographing wild horses can be intense. It takes a lot of patience and ingenuity to capture such animals on "film."

When I say ingenuity, it's because you don't simply happen upon an award winning capture, you must plan ahead, and be at the ready to capture that one in a million shot, no matter the weather, dust, sirt, mud, snow, rain or any of the above.

It's a total rush to be out there on the plains with them, especially if they are feeling particularly inquisitive. Amanda Smith Wyoming, Photographer.

Whimsical Stallions copyright Amanda Smith Wyoming

www.amandasmithphotography.com

Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse by Wyoming Based Photographer Amanda Smith

http://amandasmithwyoming.com/



Specializing in Photography in Wyoming and Western Photographic Art, Amanda Smith of Wyoming also teaches photography classes in and around Wyoming including Douglas and Glenrock.

It has been one year since she retired her newspaper on April 23rd, 2013, The Bird Central Wyoming News, formerly The Glenrock Bird. Prior to that Amanda Smith started Shooting Stars Photography which is now Amanda Smith Photography.

Currently Amanda Smith Wyoming is working on Sky and Space photography projects in and around the great Cowboy State, and just recently photographed the April 15, 2014 Lunar Eclipse and the Blood Red Moon.  

Amanda Smith Wyoming based Photographer and Photography Instructor photographed these images from the April 15, 2014 Lunar Eclipse and Blood Red Moon, in Converse County, Wyoming outside of Douglas and Glenrock.  She compiled all of her images of the first phase of the Lunar Eclipse into this time lapse interpretation.  Copyright Amanda Smith April 15, 2014

Capturing fall in Wyoming Amanda Smith

"There is something to be said about 'capturing fall in Wyoming' and Wyoming Photographer Amanda Smith, seems to be able to do just that"  - pretty cool comment from published Author, Susan R. Stoltz.

I like to think that creating a piece of photographic art in the fall, comes with a feeling of calmness combined with cool "sweater wearing" evenings, a good pair of cowboy boots, a jug of lip burning coffee and a crispness to the air that only Autumn can bring.  So I'll start off my post today about "capturing fall in Wyoming" with a quick side-note that you don't "have" to wear cowboy boots when shooting in the fall, and you don't "have" to carry lip burning coffee, but I do.  :)

A Lazy Sunday evening drive through the hills of Boxelder Canyon in Converse County, Wyoming, provided for me quite the ambience in the setting of the September sun. There it was up ahead, a giant of a tree that I was determined to photograph in fall, even if I did burn my lips off while gulping down slurps of coffee on these winding Wyoming roads.

Wiping my mouth off on my sleeve, I pulled over to the shoulder of the road and crept my old dodge ram pick up over the cattle guard, pulling off onto the golden prairie I put the truck in  park and climbed out of the cab.  Stretching my tired back I grabbed my camera, twisting the strap around my wrist and quietly walked across the sage brush clumped ground to a spot where I could study what stood before me.  This giant of a tree, with her branches stretching out east and west and north and south, mesmerized me in her new coat of amber colored leaves.  I sat down on the cooling ground, and waited patiently for the sun to sink behind this majestic wonder.  Sometimes the key to a great photograph that you've already created in your mind, is patience.  Soon the rays of the autumn sun began to play across the branches of this old tree and as I brought my camera up to my eye, my breath quickening at the adrenalin that almost always races through my body when I know I am shooting from the heart, I began shooting.  And there it was, that old familiar and beautiful feeling right smack dab in the middle of my chest, depressing the shutter at the insistence of the beating of my heart, I knew I captured a golden moment.  A moment that completely captured what "Fall" is in my mind.  Leaves painted a hue of liquid gold that only God and Mother Nature can create. Continuing to shoot, because I wanted to be sure I'd actually created the shot I came for, the sun sank behind the tree and I could no longer see the beautiful rays shining through the leaves.

I made a conscious effort not to check my LCD screen, and turning my camera off, I pulled myself up off the now cold ground, worked out the kinks in my body, steadied myself and began the walk back to my truck. Happy and satisfied that I was sure to love the photo I'd just created.

And I did.

I call her "Boxelder's Autumn Tree" because that's exactly what it is.  There is no need for intriguing titles that may or may not move those that view this masterpiece. The title "Boxelder's Autumn Tree" says it all.

Have an incredible and very BLESSED day!

Amanda Smith

Western Photographic Artist

Professional Photographer, Wyoming

Editor and Publisher of The Glenrock Bird Central Wyoming News, an Associated Press Newspaper.

Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/AmandaSmithPhotographs">www.facebook.com/AmandaSmithPhotographs</a>

You can also view more of Amanda Smith's articles at www.zuarticles.com<a href="http://www.zuarticles.com">zuarticles</a>

Amanda Smith on Photographing Wyoming's Blue Moon on August 20, 2013

Photographing Wyoming's Blue Moon tonight, August 20, 2013, by Photographer Amanda Smith, Editor of The Glenrock Bird newspaper, Owner of Amanda Smith Photography (formerly Shooting Stars Photography.)

I have to say that photographing this "Blue Moon" was a little more difficult than I thought it would be.  This was not your ordinary bulb setting or long exposure situation. Those ways simply won't work with the moon.

I started out by setting my Nikon D700 on my tripod, and attached an f2.8 200 zoom.   I then set my camera up on a tripod at around 10pm when the blue moon was extremely bright, realizing quickly that it was too bright to photograph on a bulb setting, a well known way to shoot night skies.

I initially set my camera at f8 with the lowest ISO setting my Nikon camera would allow and set the timing of my light at 1/80 of a second.  This actually allowed too much light in because of the brightness of the blue moon, although the exposure was for correct exposure for the clouds, this exceptionally bright moon was completely blown out. In other words, the clouds and sky looked amazing, but the moon was completely blown out, there was no sharpness to the moon, at all.

I changed my settings to f22 for a sharper image, hoping to capture the unique markings of the moon, and set my timing of light to 1/160 of a second, and the moon looked great and the clouds, though a bit darker, were certainly still illuminated well enough (by the blue moon) for an excellent and very clear shot.

Photographing the moon can be difficult, and sometimes people forget that exposure is perfection. If you want to see the "man in the moon" you've got to get your exposure dead on, and never settle for a moon so bright, that you can't see the green cheese.  ;)

 Have an awesome and very blessed night, folks! We'll see you tomorrow!

 God Bless!
Amanda Smith
Professional Photographer and Western Photographic Artist, Wyoming
www.amandasmithphotography.com
Shooting for Christ, Focusing on God (©)

P.s.

While we are talking about night shots, check out this little morsel I created lat week using a bulb setting.  More on this shot below, tomorrow!

Thunder Boomer and Stars over that big Wyoming Sky.
©Amanda Smith, Professional Photographer, Wyoming.

For more information on my photographic creations, you can go to my website located at: www.amandasmithphotography.com

ENJOY!