Scott O. Smith Photoblog

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/320 seconds * f/4.0

I was asked recently to work with 10 boys to help them earn their photography merit badge.  I’ve always looked up to the boy scout program, I received my Eagle on my 13th birthday and am grateful for that opportunity.  After spending about 40 minutes with the scouts about the techniques of photography they chose a project and off they went.  About a week later I caught up with two of the boys and found they hadn’t worked on their project.  I invited them to go on a photowalk with me to the Ogden Utah Union Station.

They had such a great time they are wanting to do another photowalk.  My first photowalk was with Thomas Hawk in San Francisco.  I really like getting out for photowalks, it’s a great way to improve your skills and just have fun.  I’ve included a few of my favorites from the walk, check out the full gallery here

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/60 seconds * f/4.0

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/640 seconds * f/8.0

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/400 seconds * f/8.0

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 30 seconds * f/4.0

My wife decided to pull out our Halloween/fall decorations this past Sunday.  Now that fall is here she wanted to have a fall theme for some frames that are hanging on our wall.  After looking through my photo library I couldn’t find anything that would work so I asked if she wanted a Halloween themed portrait.  After telling her about my idea for a ghostly image next to a head stone she had us all in the car and heading to the cemetery.

Today’s photos was one of my favorites from the night.  It’s a 30 second exposure, I had Macey stand next to the headstone for the first 5 seconds while my daughter and I manually triggered two speedlights, one camera right and the other camera left set at 1/16th power.  For the remaining 25 seconds the sensor was able to pick the available ambient light.  All was done in camera.

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 30 seconds * f/4.0

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/125 second * f/5.6

A few weeks ago I joined Nathan Marx and Rob Snow for an early morning hot air balloon launch at Antelope Island.  I live just a few miles from the island and enjoy getting out there.  The balloon launch was canceled due to wind (after they had inflated several balloons) so we left the launch site and drove around the island.  Below are a few of my favorite shots from the day, full gallery here.

Canon 40D * EF-70-200mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/200 second * f/4.0

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/125 second * f/4.0

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/200 second * f/8.0

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/200 second * f/4.0

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/200 second * f/4.0

Canon 40D * EF-70-200mm f/4L * ISO 100 * 1/200 second * f/7.1

Sony DSC-N2 *ISO 160 * 1/640 second * f/9.0

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I spent a few days in Moab Utah, she surprised me with the trip for my birthday and I have to say it was one of the funnest birthday’s I’ve ever had.  We booked a four hour off-road hummer excursion that took us to the Poison Spider Mesa Trail then to Hells Revenge pictured above.  Hell’s revenge was pretty amazing, I highly recommend taking the Hummer tour.

We also hiked to Delicate Arch one evening to watch the sunset.  The 3 mile round trip hike is a moderate hike, especially in the 105F weather.  I was amazed at the size and beauty of the arch, seeing the arch at sunset is a definite must.  I’m not a landscape photographer, I don’t have the time or patience it takes but wanted to share a few images that I took of the trip, enjoy -

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/50 second * f/7.1

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/100 second * f/8.0

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/250 second * f/8.0

Canon 40D * EF-24-105mm f/4.0L * ISO 100 * 1/125 second * f/8.0

Double Arches (to show the magnitude of these arches I included a photo with people, bottom center)