Photowalking Great Salt Lake

So, I am working on becoming a more “professional” photographer. i joined a group called Photowalking Utah. You can see them on Flickr or at www.photowalkingutah.org. There are a number of photostreams there and you can also see mine at this link. I have always wanted to be a photgrapher, ever since I got that old Argus C3 when I was 7. I was in heaven when I got my Minolta SRT-101 from my neighbor who bought it for me when he was in Thailand with the military. I was 16 at the time. I accumulated lenses and another body over the years and then had to sell all of it to pay for food when we were soooo poor early in our married life. When you have to chose between a camera and your kids, it’s your kids every time.

I did buy another used camera, a Yashica 124, sort of a Japanese Rolliflex, you know the kind you look in through the top. That was my main camera for many years until I bought a Canon 20D about 18 months ago. My son has that one now and I own a Canon 40D. Love this camera. It’s has rekindled the desire to photograph more and feels like when I was 16 and got that Minolta.

With all that history, I went on my first official Photowalk with the group 3 weeks ago this Saturday. I know, I am behind in my posting. I should be working now, but this has been sitting for a long time and I want to get it out there. On to the shoot.

We went out to the Great Salt Lake at about 6pm. The objective was to catch the sunset light out there during the “magic hour” right before and after sunset. Light is most dramatic at sunrise and sunset. It’s because of the angle the light is so obtuse (as opposed to acute for those who remember their high school geometry) and the warmer colors, especially at sunset. Sunrise has a cooler, bluer light, but it is the most accurate and least harsh.

We started out at some railroad tracks near the lake out by Kennecott. Those of you from here will know where I mean. It was about 2 miles west of the New Saltair and 1/2 mile east of Blackrock. Under the freeway there was a cool piece of track next to some rushes. It made for some really nice pictures like the one below.

Oh, and I didn’t mention that one of the other photographers had arranged for a model. I brought a changing room for her in the form of a popup tent. Her name is Heidi. At first, I didn’t know how she would do, but she was great. There is a new school of wedding photography out there called Trash the Dress. She brought an old wedding dress and we photographed her in it all over the area. After she swam in the GSL (nasty with brine flies and all) she told us that her mother and grandmother had hand stitched the dress. Blondie was appalled when I told her. Heidi also brought a “smokin’ red dress” (not my words by the way) and we shot her in that.All in all there were about 40 photographers clicking away at her. She loved it, even though she actually swallowed GSL water, awwwgh!

Some of my photos turned out cool, others not so cool, but I learned a lot. It was so much fun, maybe I will go out there again at sunset. I just need another willing model (or not). I will be going on other photowalks with this group. You can always see the pics on Flickr.