LeggNet's Digital Capture

Prison, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I found the placement of this old Help Wanted sign interesting, since it was posted near the outskirts of the Utah State Prison.

Prison, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I found the placement of this old Help Wanted sign interesting, since it was posted near the outskirts of the Utah State Prison.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Buried, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Living in a sea of colour, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

For the final day of the Five Days of Autumn series, here is the capture titled Living in a Sea of Colour.

Labels: autumn, leaves

Autumn Postcard, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Captured on the road into the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway in Northern Utah.

Labels: autumn, leaves

Abandoned Line, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

An abandoned powerline in the Suncrest area of Draper Utah.

Labels: autumn, leaves

Sundance Lodge, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Robert Redford’s Sundance Lodge

Labels: autumn, leaves

Red Leaf on Asphalt, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Red Leaf on Asphalt

Labels: autumn, leaves

KUTV Channel 2 again, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Last night and this morning, the Salt Lake City CBS affiliate (KUTV) featured one of my shots on their newscast and website. Click here to view a video clip of the segment.

The capture of the cabin surrounded by the autumn color was made in American Fork Canyon just up the road from Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort. The fall colors are at (or extremely close to) their peak stage right now and the canyon scenery is fantastic.

Labels: autumn, leaves

KUTV Channel 2 again, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Last night and this morning, the Salt Lake City CBS affiliate (KUTV) featured one of my shots on their newscast and website. Click here to view a video clip of the segment.

The capture of the cabin surrounded by the autumn color was made in American Fork Canyon just up the road from Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort. The fall colors are at (or extremely close to) their peak stage right now and the canyon scenery is fantastic.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Soaring Hawk, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I photographed this young Swainson’s Hawk recently when my work took me to Eagle Mountain (Utah). On this particular day, I spotted seven hawks on a one mile stretch of road entering town. With fall approaching, this bird will soon be on his way to Argentina for the winter.

Labels: animal, birds

Surreal, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Labels: bw, sepia

Mount Timpanogos, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

This capture of my friend Doug was taken at the 11,000 foot level on Mt. Timpanogos in the summer of 2004.

Exploding Milkweed, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Balance, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

bal‧ance  [bal–uhns]

1. a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.
2. something used to produce equilibrium; counterpoise.
3. mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc.
4. a state of bodily equilibrium: He lost his balance and fell down the stairs.
5. an instrument for determining weight, typically by the equilibrium of a bar with a fulcrum at the center, from each end of which is suspended a scale or pan, one holding an object of known weight, and the other holding the object to be weighed.
6. the remainder or rest: He carried what he could and left the balance for his brother to bring.
7. the power or ability to decide an outcome by throwing one’s strength, influence, support, or the like, to one side or the other.

Labels: animal, birds

Blue Sky Autumn, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

This rainy Friday morning is the last day of summer. The Autumnal Equinox will occur tonight just after midnight signaling the beginning of fall. Here in Northern Utah it has already felt like fall for the past week or so. This capture was made in one of Utah’s many canyons where the leaves are beginning to turn into their bright autumn colors.

For more information on the Fall Equinox, click here.

Labels: autumn, leaves

Family (Tongues), originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Beau was being a bit uncooperative so the family showed their appreciation.

A Timpanogos Fall, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

The leaves are beginning to turn in Northern Utah. This capture was made on the East side of Mt. Timpanogos in the Uintah National Forest.

Labels: autumn, leaves

A Timpanogos Fall, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

The leaves are beginning to turn in Northern Utah. This capture was made on the East side of Mt. Timpanogos in the Uintah National Forest.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Andrew Goldring, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I came across this young man at the Avenues Street Fair in Salt Lake City and was simply amazed at his talent. I heard him playing before I could see him since I was approaching from behind the stage. As I neared the stage I expected to see a seasoned guitar veteran leading the band and was quite surprised to see this “kid” up front. He was playing a blues set accompanied by bass and drums and quite simply carried the band.

When I got home that evening I did a bit of googling and found out that his name is Andrew Goldring and that he is 14 years old. He seems to keep quite busy playing small venues around Northern Utah (in addition to all the other things that keep 14 year old boys busy). He looks to be someone to keep an eye on as his career unfolds.

Check out his website at www.andrewgoldring.com.

UPDATE: I was contacted by Andrew’s father and they are now using some of my shots on his website. Thanks Steve!

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Roadside Hawk, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I spotted this serious looking predator perched atop a fencepost in Eagle Mountain (Utah). When I stopped to photograph him, he turned and stared directly into the camera lens with a very determined look. I imagine that this is the type of stare that places fear in the hearts of fieldmice everywhere (or at least in Eagle Mountain).

Labels: animal, birds

Chef Hugo the Balloon Artist, originally uploaded by LeggNet. I guess this answers the age old question:

“What does Santa do during the summer months?”

Elizabeth selling Kenyan jewelry, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

While wandering through the Avenues Street Fair this past weekend, I ran into an old friend. Elizabeth, who is from Kenya, was selling authentic African jewelry. Michelle and I used to play on a band with Elizabeth. It was great to catch up.

Weeds, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

With summer winding down, many roadsides in Northern Utah are teeming with wild flowers. I stopped alongside one such road this past week for a few captures.

The Potter’s Hands, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

“So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.”

Miracle at Cana, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Mystic Water, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Big Cottonwood Canyon is a canyon in the Wasatch Range roughly 25 miles southeast of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The canyon’s entrance is a few miles north of Little Cottonwood Canyon.

The 15-mile long canyon provides hiking, biking , picnicking, rock-climbing, camping and fishing in the summer. During winter its two ski resorts, Brighton and Solitude, are popular among skiers and snowboarders.

Hiking to the mountain lakes contained in the canyon is popular, with many trails leading to lakes such as Mary, Martha and Katherine. The canyon’s most popular hiking trail leads to Lakes Blanche, Florence and Lillian. The trail is 3.1 miles long and is considered strenuous.

Big Cottonwood Canyon is a watershed canyon, therefore pets and other animals aren’t allowed.

[source: Wikipedia]

Canoe, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

A canoe ride in the calm morning water of Strawberry Reservoir in the Uinta National Forest of Northern Utah.

Pink Shoes and Fish, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

What else can I say? A shot of Pink Shoes and Little Fish.

Mamiya/Sekor 55mm f/1.8, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I actually have an adaptor that mounts this 35+ year old lens on my modern digital SLRs. The exterior of the lens might be a bit dated, but good glass is good glass.

Mamiya/Sekor 55mm f/1.8, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I actually have an adaptor that mounts this 35+ year old lens on my modern digital SLRs. The exterior of the lens might be a bit dated, but good glass is good glass.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Toy Soldiers, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Yesterday’s post (link) featured a capture from a series I did photographing toy plastic soldiers (the cheap dimestore type) in various scenarios. I received a couple questions about the technique I used in creating the “look” of the shot, so here’s a brief rundown of how I did it:

First, I shot the soldiers at their eye level (or at least tried to get that low) and looked for natural items (pebbles, twigs & such) to include in the photo that would look like full size real-life features when enlarged. I also placed other items (soldiers, vehicles, etc.) in the blurred background to add depth to the scene.

Second, in Photoshop, the two main things I did to create the wartime look was to:

1. Colorize the image using the Hue/Saturation tool (Hue: 43, Saturation: 15)
2. Add an overlay layer created from a scanned image of real film grain

All of my other post-processing steps involved the normal steps one would take on an image (sharpening, brightness/contrast, etc.)

Pretty simple. Here’s a link to the complete set on Flickr: Toy Soldiers

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Call for Help, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Call for Help, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Call for Help, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Heart in Hands, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Happy Friday! My daughter posed for this capture which mimicks a local billboard advertisement.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Spiral Blue, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Just a simple shot through a garden hose.

Spiral Blue, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Just a simple shot through a garden hose.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sarah’s 10th Birthday, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

In honor of Sarah’s 10th birthday, here are 10 photos of Sarah.

Purple Globe, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

A couple of weeks ago I posted a photograph of this purple globe sitting on top of my car. The post included a question about reflections vs. shadows and that the glass globe was hand blown. What the post failed to mention was that my beloved brother-in-law Tyler had created this piece of art (Tyler sarcastically thanked me for giving him credit when I saw him this past weekend). Click here to view the original post.

Tyler and his wife Michelle began learning the art of glass blowing last year and have advanced quickly to a very impressive stage. In fact, the orb picutred here is actually one of their rejects. To see some more of their blown glass, visit their company’s website at www.foreverfurnitureinc.com and click on glass.

Did I mention that the piece of hand-blown glass featured in this capture was created by Tyler… 🙂

An angry wasp moved into my hot tub, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

One of the many wasps that makes it’s home in my backyard. He looks a tad bit angry at me for disturbing him.

Salt Lake Realtor Magazine, September 2006, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

A friend of mine, Bryan Catherman, is a freelance writer and asked me to collaborate with him on a three-part series on digital photography in real estate for a local publication. This is a capture from part one. The complete article can be downloaded here.

Bryan’s blog, The Hopeless Writer, can be found at www.bryancatherman.com/blog

Little Sailboat, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I captured this gentleman guiding his sailboat into the marina at Strawberry Reservoir in Northern Utah. This shot just begged to be manipulated to look like a toy sailboat.

Little Sailboat, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I captured this gentleman guiding his sailboat into the marina at Strawberry Reservoir in Northern Utah. This shot just begged to be manipulated to look like a toy sailboat.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Casino at night, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I captured this 30 second exposure of a casino in Mesquite Nevada just after sunset. The blue desert sky contrasted nicely with the artificially lit buildings. I found that the long exposure worked well to naturally saturate the color in the shot and add to the dramatic feel.

Labels: time exposure

Casino at night, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I captured this 30 second exposure of a casino in Mesquite Nevada just after sunset. The blue desert sky contrasted nicely with the artificially lit buildings. I found that the long exposure worked well to naturally saturate the color in the shot and add to the dramatic feel.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Red Rock Rappel, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Yeesh, look at the pasty white legs…. (taken by Michelle in Southern Utah).

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

On the rocks, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

While editing photos from the shoot I did last week in Cottonwood Canyon, I came across this shot of a mosquito. “What mosquito?” you might ask. Well, by clicking here to view a large version of the shot, you can spot the little guy posing for the capture on the orange rock in the lower left.

Purple Globe on White, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I love the reflection (or is it a shadow?) that the sun creates when shining through this hand-blown glass globe. I would love to tell you that this was taken in a high-tech photographic studio, but it was actually captured sitting on the roof of my car. I set it there as I was unloading some stuff at the office and noticed the cool shadow/reflection.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Imbalance, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I spent some time this past Saturday at the eye doctor. The good news is that my right eye is 20/20. My left eye though, not so good. The doctor told me that it is somewhat rare for someone to have this much difference in vision between their eyes.

During my life I have pretty much taken my good eyesight for granted. This brief episode made me stop and realize what a precious gift we have with our vision. Even for those with less than perfect vision, the amount and quality of vision correction remedies available to us today is astonishing. We are blessed.

Today’s capture is a close up of that less than perfect left eye.

Someone I met at the drugstore, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I ran into this gentlemen at the drugstore recently and he was kind enough to allow me to photograph him.

Have a great weekend!

Left Turn, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

This photo of railroad tracks is being used by independant folk musician Barbara McKay on the cover of her new album titled Era. Barbara lives in New York and found my photography through the web. Take a second and drop by Barbara’s website at www.barbaramckay.net where you can listen to some of her songs.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

One BIG pit, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

The first time I visited the Kennecott Copper Mine was in 1993 with my family. When we reached the visitor center and looked over into the large open pit, my son Kris (who was five at the time) asked, “Are they building a volcano?”.

After our most recent visit, I called Kris to let him know that they still haven’t finished the volcano. He was thankful for the update.

Copper Mine Dump Truck, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I took my nine year-old daughter up to see Kennecott Copper Mine, the world’s largest operating open-pit mine. Even though the mine is only 15 minutes from our home, she had never seen it up close.

Of all the impressive things we witnessed at the mine, the numerous jumbo-sized dump trucks were the most popular. After we returned home I did a bit of Googling and found that these 2,700 horsepower trucks are capable of carrying up to 320 tons of load at speeds of 40 mph.

With the ‘ginormous’ size of these trucks, I felt that it would serve the capture well to edit it to appear as though the vehicle is a child’s sandbox toy. Here is the resulting image.

No Passing, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

This windy mountain road reminds me of the type of route that gets used in sports car commercials with the disclaimer on the bottom of the screen.

Professional driver on a closed course, do not attempt

Unfortunately I wasn’t in a sports car. I was in an SUV with the wife & kids… 🙂

Does Geek Squad encourage illegal activity?, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

While recently driving on a local city street, I was passed by a speeding black & white VW. I was driving right around the speed limit (60 mph) and this car was clearly speeding while weaving in and out of traffic. As happens quite frequently, I caught up with the car at the next traffic light (where I took this photo). I already assumed that this was a Geek Squad car (they’re easy to spot), but what surprised me was that the car had a radar detector prominently mounted on the windshield.

When the light turned green the car quickly sped away only for me to catch up at the next red light. This continued for several lights until the Geek beat one of the red lights and zoomed off into the distance (at well over 80 mph).

My question: Does Geek Squad equip all their cars with radar detectors in hope that they can get to their appointments quicker? In doing so, are they encouraging their predominantly young employees (with minimal years of driving experience) to drive over the speed limit and break the law?

From what I witnessed…… YES

On a side note, I find it equally interesting that Best Buy (Geek Squad’s parent company) does not sell radar detectors on their website, stating “Due to certain state restrictions, Best Buy cannot sell radar detectors online. ‘

And on another side note, Geek Squad has had previous legal trouble having allegedly used pirated copies of Winternals software.

Folded Glory, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Earlier this week I read an email about the history and meaning of the 13 folds of the American flag. Even though the email appears to be propagating an Urban Legend, it gave me the idea of photographing a folded flag.

This rather simple shot was made by placing a the flag atop the reflective surface of a grand piano with a white wall in the background. The camera was set on the piano as well since a long (1-2 second) shutter speed was required. The lighting is natural from a nearby window.

The resulting image is pretty much what I imagined when I set out.

More fun on the street at sunset, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Has it been hot enough for you?

With daily highs in the 100’s last week in California, this downtown fountain in Visalia was a popular spot for the younger crowd to cool down. In watching the water continually circulate after spraying on the numerous children, I just had to wonder if any filtering is done in the process….?

More fun on the street at sunset, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Has it been hot enough for you?

With daily highs in the 100′s last week in California, this downtown fountain in Visalia was a popular spot for the younger crowd to cool down. In watching the water continually circulate after spraying on the numerous children, I just had to wonder if any filtering is done in the process….?

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Gear, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Each month, I typically get a few emails asking what type of camera I use. So, last night as I was re-organizing my gear from the trip, I picked up a point-and-shoot camera and decided to take a photo of it all.

My primary camera is a Canon 30D (camera on right), while my wife typically uses the Canon RebelXT (left). As for lenses, I love the 24-105L (on the 30D) and it is on my camera over 80% of the time. The other lens I use frequently is a 70-200L (on the RebelXT in the photo).

When I entered the digital arena, I opted to go with Canon. This was a tough decision, since I had exclusively used Nikon equipment back in my film shooting days. The choice to go Canon had to do with the number of lenses and accessories available. I have no regrets in having made this choice.

Click on the above photo to see notes describing each piece of equipment.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rugged Tenderness, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Road Trip Self Portrait, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

After spending the last week or so traveling around the west, we are headed back to Utah. Did you see the movie Cars? If so, then you probably remember the scene where Mack (the race hauler) makes funny faces at himself in the reflection of the tanker truck he’s following. Here’s my version of that scene (it was a monotonous drive yesterday).

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

2,500 years ago, a tree was born, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

We spent time yesterday in Sequoia National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of central California. It was quite amazing to go from the relatively barren valley floor to the forest canopy created by these giants in such a short period of time.

In the area of the General Sherman tree, the world’s largest living object, there is a cross-section of a fallen tree that is estimated to be between 2,200 to 2,700 years old. Today’s capture is of the core of this cross-section. Just imagine what the world was like at the time this tree was a seedling.

2,500 years ago, a tree was born, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

We spent time yesterday in Sequoia National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of central California. It was quite amazing to go from the relatively barren valley floor to the forest canopy created by these giants in such a short period of time.

In the area of the General Sherman tree, the world’s largest living object, there is a cross-section of a fallen tree that is estimated to be between 2,200 to 2,700 years old. Today’s capture is of the core of this cross-section. Just imagine what the world was like at the time this tree was a seedling.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Suicide Rock, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Suicide rock, in Idyllwild California, is a famous rock for rock climbers. The rock received its name from the legend of a Native American Princess who threw herself off the rock with her lover rather than being separated as the Tribal Chief had ordered.

We spent time climbing the area that can be seen between the trees on the far right of the capture. The granite slab, relatively mild weather and the remote location made for a great day.

For more info on Idyllwild, visit www.idyllwild.com.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Desert Palms Motel, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Although most of the hotel rooms were booked as we passed through Mesquite last weekend, we did not have to stay in the Desert Palms Motel. Thankfully I had previously made reservations at a rather nice hotel, which is something I cannot say for several exasperated travelers at the check-in desk when we arrived.

I captured this street scene while on a late night ice cream run.

Tahquitz Rock, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Tahquitz, also called Lily Rock, is a rock climbing area near Idyllwild-Pine Cove, California. It has easy-to-difficult multi-pitch climbs on great rock on the way up San Jacinto Peak. Tahquitz has a tough approach hike leading to a roughly 1000 foot (300m) face. The downclimb is dangerous, especially at night. A second popular rock face, called Suicide Rock, lies across the valley.

It is named for Takwish, a mythological figure of the Cahuilla. A Cahuilla legend recounts how tribesmen chanted over the body of their fallen chieftan Tahquitz, or Takwish, who had been possessed by an evil spirit and killed his sweetheart. Suddenly his body began to glow like fire, and he rose and settled on Idyllwild’s Tahquitz Rock. According to the legend, Tahquitz is trapped beneath the rock with a rattlesnake and a condor for company, and when the mountain shakes and trembles, it is not an earthquake, but Tahquitz up to his evil tricks on Lily Rock.

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahquitz

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Hitting the Road, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

We’re hitting the road today for a trip exploring the west. With planned stops in Idyllwild California, Sequoia National Park, and other places to be determined, we’re sure to pick up some great captures.

Since I am not too sure of what type of connectivity (if any) I’ll have for my MacBook, I’m posting this in anticipation of it being my latest update for a week or so.

Have a great week everyone – see you in August!

Matt and his little friend Pete, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

While I was reviewing the captures taken during last weekend’s hike/climb/rappel in Southern Utah, I noticed this one of an unintentional optical illusion. In reality, Pete and Matt are approximately the same height. Yet in this shot, Pete looks like he is MUCH shorter due to the rock Matt is standing on. It made me smile.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Spur, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

This alleyway entrance to a bar in Park City proved interesting to me with the lighting transitioning from daylight near the street to incadescent at the rear. The lighting implies that the shot was made at night, even though it was captured mid-afternoon.