June 27, 2022
Tom Glassman, a well-known local photographer, led our inspiring Nature Photography Hike & Learn on June 17-18. At the Friday evening lecture, we quickly realized that Tom’s images are composed in-camera, with no post-processing involved. Other than initial color correction, compositions are achieved without cropping or most of the techniques normally associated with today’s digital darkroom, such as Photoshop. He emphasized that the best way to improve a photograph is to note what’s missing and take another photograph.
During the Saturday hike portion of the class, a hardy group of folks met at the Hobart Bluff trailhead to put Tom’s teachings into practice. It was a foggy, cloudy, and cold day....just about perfect for some unusual flat-light photography. We hiked southward on the Pacific Crest Trail towards Pilot Rock about a half-mile to an outlook of the Bear Creek Valley, some 3,000 feet below us. The wildflowers were out and extraordinarily abundant, and the drops of water on the mosses, leaves, and flowers made the colors rich and saturated.
With a delightful blend of humor and expertise, Tom emphasized and demonstrated what it takes to compose a great photo, how to use layering to make it interesting, and how to use the fog to hide the background so we could highlight the foreground.
After three hours composing, focusing, and creating a narrative in the camera’s viewfinder, we had lunch tucked amidst the lava rocks, wildflowers, and trees. Feeling satisfied and a bit soggy, we headed slowly back to our cars to arrive at the parking lot just as the sun was breaking through. It was a fun and exciting H&L as we learned many of Tom’s photo techniques while also slowing way down to see and connect with the Monument in a new way.
Tom Glassman’s website can be found HERE.
Words by Terry Dickey, FCSNM Board Member
