I took the production quality up a notch here with the sounds of falling rain recorded with my Zoom H2, and the inclusion of a new opening melody. The music is used with full permission by Kevin MacLeod. If you missed some of my previous Audioboos, you can listen to them all here. http://audioboo.fm/chriscorradino
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If the player does not work in your browser, here is the text:
I noticed it in the rear view mirror. A brilliant display of purple wildflowers resting in the shadow of the Athabasca Glacier. After pulling the car over abruptly, I ran into the middle of the field, camera and tripod in hand. From this perspective, the Glacier appeared massive and powerful. This is the way I wanted to remember it. I used a 4 stop neutral density filter in order to hold detail in both the sky and foreground. Then, with a small aperture, and slow shutter speed, I made this photo. It was bittersweet, as I knew this scene would not last forever. A few minutes earlier, I stood at the base of the Glacier, and saw just how fragile it had become. Having lost over half it's volume in the last 125 years, it's now more parking lot than it is ice. As nature photographers, it's up to us to preserve these areas, and do what we can to educate others about our natural world. As conservationist Jane Goodall said, "Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference".
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I recently asked what kinds of things you'd like me to use audio for, and many of you requested that I share the stories behind some of my photos. For this first installment, I'm bringing it to you in both text and audio. It's a particularly meaningful photo to me, and a story I hope you will enjoy.
With nearly four million annual visitors, Yosemite National Park is easily one of the most heavily trafficked natural areas in the United States. Considered by many to be the Mecca of landscape photography, it's statistically possible that over one billion photos have been created here. Much of the park's notoriety is due to the iconic black and white images created by Ansel Adams. More recently, Galen Rowell climbed these peaks, creating beautiful color photos which were widely published. Although the grounds of Yosemite stretch over 1200 square miles, the vast majority of pictures are made in a small seven mile area known as Yosemite Valley. There are countless books, maps, and websites which detail exactly where to stand in order to get the best perspective. Signs appear on the side of the road which read "Preserve your Kodak moment here." Tour buses packed with shutterbugs spill into parking lots while paid guides point out each landmark through a bull horn. In 2005, I hiked in these same woods and wondered how I could possibly create something unique when so many photographers had gone before me.
On a pleasant evening in July, I found myself standing directly in front of Half Dome, one of the park's most well known features. As the sun went down, I made several pictures of the majestic 8,836 foot dome reflected in the Merced River. It was a beautiful scene, but nothing that was really different from the postcards being sold on the souvenir racks. In fact, my image looked quite similar to the back of the 2005 California state quarter. I waited restlessly as the last light of the day vanished. What happened next was nothing short of remarkable. A group of teenagers rolled in on bicycles and carelessly tossed them to the ground. Just as quickly as they arrived did they begin to leap from the top of the bridge and free fall into the river more than 50 feet below. With each jump, a few seconds of tense silence was followed by a jubilant splash and shouts of joy which echoed through the darkening sky.
My opportunity to create a unique photo of Half Dome had arrived, and I ran through a quick mental checklist of what was needed to capture the moment. At the time, I did not own an external flash and was forced to use the pop up on my then new Canon 10D. While not ideal, it would provide enough light to illuminate a person in the foreground. In order to properly expose the landscape, I raised the ISO to 800 and used a wide aperture of f5.6. The shutter was set to maximum flash sync speed of 1/250th. Next, I arranged my composition with a wide angle zoom lens and set the camera on a tripod. Just then, this young man soared from the bridge and I snapped one photo. A feeling of euphoria came over me as I reviewed the LCD screen. Having captured the shot I wanted, I began to pack my bags by the light of the moon. Before heading back to my campsite, I gave the group a few business cards and offered to email the image once I got back to New York. I never heard anything from them, that is until now.
I received an email from a gentlemen named Scott. He wrote, "Probably 6 years ago my family and friends went to Yosemite. I remember meeting you there. I was with a couple of my friends jumping off the bridges. One of the pics was on your website for a while." He went on to say, "I've recently been thinking about starting a photography business in Springfield Missouri and thought I would check out your site once again for some inspiration. I love your work, and am very jealous of the beautiful places you get to shoot." The irony of his message made me pause. It was his leap which helped me believe I could create unique images, and succeed in the photography industry no matter what the odds were. Now, six years later he was looking to me for inspiration. The truth is, he doesn't need my advice. He only needs to continue leaping fearlessly while forging ahead to follow his dreams.
When we set aside ego and put ourselves in a position where we stand to fail, the possibility for success is much greater than if we had played it safe. The risk is often equal to the reward. For me, success is not merely defined by print sales. In fact, this particular photo was not one of my best selling images from the trip, nor was it without technical flaws. Yet, when I think of Yosemite, I'll always remember this moment as a turning point in my career.
Way back in April, I covered a small but passionate protest against genocide in Sri Lanka. I was surprised that there was little media coverage. In fact, I'm pretty sure I was the only one there. To document the story and help increase awareness, I created an audio slideshow. Not long after, things grew progressively worse, and by May, the United Nations called it a "bloodbath". The war finally came to an end on May 19th, but there were reports that over 200,000 people were being held in government-run camps. Several months passed with little news of what was happening. Then just this week the NY Times ran an article that said "tens of thousands of displaced Tamils held in closed camps would be allowed to leave immediately, but would be required to register with local authorities so that their movements could be monitored." It goes on to say "Rights organizations cautiously welcomed the move, which made it more likely that Sri Lanka would meet its self-imposed deadline of releasing most of the war displaced by the end of the year." Of course there are many questions that still need to be answered, but hopefully this is a step in the right direction. The old slideshow can be viewed below, but please note that it contains some disturbing images.
Spending the day photographing these heroes was an unforgettable experience. NYC really knows how to throw a great parade. Thank you to all of the soldiers, and military families for your incredible sacrifice. This is my tribute to you.
A behind the scenes look at some of the gear and techniques I use to cover a political rally. Filmed by Alex Baker on September 23, 2009 near the United Nations in New York.
Over the past few weeks I've watched Sue hand feed, and care for Hope, a five month old female Virginia Opossum. Due to lead poisoning, and various other medical issues, Hope requires special attention. This is where the Volunteers for Wildlife make an impact. At their hospital facility, they provide medical care for wildlife who need help. Hope is just one of the many animals that they are treating. To learn more about how you can help to make a difference, please visit online at http://www.volunteersforwildlife.org/donate/
Special thanks to my wife Sue for her incredible narration skills. Also, many thanks to Kevin MacLeod for allowing me to use his music.
Tech details: Filmed with my new favorite pocket gadget, the Flip Video Ultra, and edited in iMovie. The sound was recorded with the Zoom H2 and edited in Garageband.
This July 4th, I wanted to share a fun fireworks slideshow I made a while back. I had no idea how these pictures would turn out, but perhaps more importantly, I knew how I didn't want them to look. I knew that I did not want a memory card filled with traditional fireworks photography. I wanted something different, and unique. I experimented with a bunch of techniques like throwing the camera in and out of focus while zooming in and out. I moved the camera from left to right mid exposure. All rules went out the window and each image was a total surprise. I found the entire exercise to be quite liberating. Music is thanks to Sigur Ros.
First, a very special thanks to my wife Sue for providing the excellent narration. Who needs Sigourney Weaver when you're married to a marine biologist! Her hands on experience from working with these animals brought a unique perspective to this project. Her scientific knowledge helped me to piece together the narrative, and form the story. We have some future collaborative efforts in the early stages of planning, and I'm sure you'll be hearing more from her in the future.
For the past 6 months I've had the opportunity to photograph seals in a wide variety of situations. During that time I witnessed some incredible moments. There is one in particular that really stands out. It was the feeling of joy I got as I drove home from a "Seal Release". After months of rehabilitation, this beautiful animal was released from his cage, and made a frantic sprawl for the ocean. In a matter of seconds, he splashed back into the ocean, healthy and free.
I also have a new found respect for the staff and volunteers at the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation. On those brutally cold winter days, I thought I was freezing, but these dedicated people actually wade INTO the water to help animals in need. They work hard to make our planet a better place, and I thank them for their tireless efforts. If you are interested in getting involved, check out their website.
For the gear heads, here are the technical details: All still images were shot with Canon 40D's. I used a wide variety of lenses from 17-40, to 70-200, and a 400mm. Gitzo tripods, and a Canon 580EXII flash. The sounds of the ocean were recorded witha Zoom H2 field recorder. This was also used to record the narrative which was edited in Garageband. The soundtrack was then edited in Garageband and imported into Soundslides. All images were sorted with Lightroom 2, and edited with Photoshop CS4.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 1:00AM 
