Some times a slide comes back and I think to myself, this is why I photograph.  Those fleeting moments of magic that I was there, that I saw, that I paid attention to.  It seems the more you do this photography thing, the better you get.  At least, better in terms of discrimination of quality of light.  It’s a practice.  You might get good quickly, you might get good slowly – it really doesn’t matter.  The important thing is to pay attention to where you are, don’t worry about that magic image.  Pay attention, immerse your observation into your local reality.  Then, if you feel so inclined, you trip the shutter. I must have stood here with Harley Goldman for 45-50 minutes while the wind whipped around us in a frenzy and we just watched as the clouds rolled by playing the shadow dance on the landscape.  This is the only image during those many moments.

You are reading a blog posting from the photographer Laurent Baig. Feel the wilderness experience.

We were driving around and bouncing along looking to see what might be photogenic or at least worthy of a photograph when we pulled around a corner and saw this scene…along with about 50 other photographers.  What the hell, you can’t not take a picture just because 1000s of others have done the same.  I’m really glad I did, because this slide is amazing! I should also add, this image would not have been made without the generosity of information by some wonderful photographers that I’ve met via this site. First time to an area is unlikely to land an image like this without a priori knowlegde. Thanks to everyone I met up in Colorado.

I’m also deeply humbled and honored that the voters for the RMNP fall color competition picked this image for third place (anonymously).  Cheers, everyone!

You are reading a blog posting from the photographer Laurent Baig. Feel the wilderness experience.

I decided this last trip not to limit myself.  I wasn’t going to limit myself to just open shade images and dawn/dusk images.  If I found the right composition and the light was right, I was going to make an image.  We passed by this stand on the way up Last Dollar Road from Telluride and I was struck by the light on the foreground aspen boles.  They really stood apart from the rest, almost like a studio light was on them.  This was not the case of course, but I tried to keep that feeling in the photographed image.

You are reading a blog posting from the photographer Laurent Baig. Feel the wilderness experience.

I often contemplate my desk job and what exactly it means to me.  I then wonder what would I rather be doing instead of it.  Then I wonder why should it matter if I can make the time for that which I love. Then I wonder why I am wondering so much instead of paying attention to what I’m doing.

I think I can only make photographs when I am “present.”  This can mean a lot of things, of course, but for me, it means I’m concentrating on one thing – I am here.  As I walk a trail, I have to feel myself being there.  This means taking it all in and allowing spontaneous inspiration to take over my being.  In such a mind state, I see the light and patterns of nature much easier. I almost feel it and it leaves me giddy. And then it’s a lot easier to create an image rather than hoping an exposure will turn out.  I wish I could turn that on at will…

You are reading a blog posting from the photographer Laurent Baig. Feel the wilderness experience.

Finding your own creative vision when in the midst of scenery that is very well photographed is hard.  I found it difficult not to get excited by the iconic scenes. Still, I wanted to make images that were me.  I’m still trying to find my vision.  Or maybe, I’m trying to let my vision find me.  Either way, the creative aspect of photography is really about finding what really triggers something deep inside you.  For me, I was just amazed at the near endlessness of aspen forest.  I kept wanting to find an image that showed that, yet not necessarily in the context of majestic rocky peaks and colorful skies.  I came across this scene outside of Ridgeway, Colorado and knew it was going to be one of my expressions for that awe of “Endlessness.”

You are reading a blog posting from the photographer Laurent Baig. Feel the wilderness experience.

I’m taking part in the 2009 Fall Tucson Open Studio Tour.  If you are in the area, please take part in visiting artists at their studios.  My studio, which is also my home, will be open to visitors Nov 14-15 from 11-4pm.  The tour is open through 5pm, however, I have classes that I’m trying to miss as little as possible, so I’m cutting my hours down a small bit.   Please do try to attend and come by to see some of my latest work in print.

You are reading a blog posting from the photographer Laurent Baig. Feel the wilderness experience.

Change in the Weather, Aspens, Colorado

It was really fun to see the 4×5 version of this image turn out so well.  I honestly thought I’d wasted the film.

You are reading a blog posting from the photographer Laurent Baig. Feel the wilderness experience.

Aspen and Oak Tapestry

For me, the trip to Colorado ended being about blankets of color, photographically speaking, anyway.  I saw these splashes of color weaved into a landscape and I wanted to make an image that represented the way I was seeing the color.  This was how I saw it.

You are reading a blog posting from the photographer Laurent Baig. Feel the wilderness experience.

Aspen Stand, Colorado

This is one of the first stands of aspen we found on our trip.  We’d driven up the Dolores river to Telluride and on a recommendation from Jimmy Gekas, we headed up last dollar road.  We found a few lovely stands of aspen, one just shy of turning completely yellow, the rest as you see here. We were enthralled.  For this image, I wanted to give the feeling of being right at the edge and feeling the bath of light as the sun filtered through the yellow leaves.

You are reading a blog posting from the photographer Laurent Baig. Feel the wilderness experience.

Cienega Creek, Cottonwoods

Before I start rolling out images from Colorado, I wanted to share a pretty little place in the Empire mountains of southeastern Arizona – Cienega Creek.  Actually, this is a feeder to Cienega Creek.  I hope to make an image of Cienega Creek proper at some point, but this what called to me the day I was there.

Cienega Creek is an important corridor for birds and wildlife.  Over 170 species of birds have been identified in the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (NCA).  I re-stumbled upon this area while looking to explore the San Pedro Riparian NCA. Everything is primitive here.  There are no paved roads and just a few dirt roads left from the days of when the Empire and Cienega Ranches were in full operation.  Now it’s protected by the BLM.

You are reading a blog posting from the photographer Laurent Baig. Feel the wilderness experience.