Dean Sauskojus Photo Blog

The KISS Principle = Keep it simple stupid. I’m not going to call myself stupid but keeping it simple is a major philosophy of my picture taking. The image of Yellowstone Lake can be broken down into just 5 different elements. I have other images with just two elements that are just as strong or stronger. I used to carry around a black piece of cardboard with a rectangle cut out of the middle to look through like I was looking through the viewfinder of a camera. That helped me focus on what was in front of me, also forcing me to look through the rectangle and not off to the side. You have to be able to pare down all those unnecessary objects to get to the single elements that make up a strong image. On my left when I took this shot was the shoreline. On my right were more rocks jutting out of the water. Neither one of these elements would have made the composition stronger and would have confused the eye of the viewer. The less to look at the more focused the viewer will be, and you as a photographer will have a much more successful image. Then you have abstract photographers who have very complex images. They are very successful, and have a large group of followers, but for me I’ll stick with the KISS Principle.

Technical Info:  Canon 30d, Bogen 3021 Tripod, Canon 17-40mm L lens,  Singh Ray 2 stop Hard  Gnd

Copyright © 2009 Dean Sauskojus

Driving between Norris and Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone a week ago I came across these creek beds lined with very fine grass. If I were to give the grass a name I would call it angel hair. I used the wind to give the grass an even more delicate look by using a slow exposure. The creek beds are full of sulfuric minerals that killed these once thriving trees but not the grass. I used the trees for stationary objects to go along with movement of the grass in the picture. These are my anchors for the image, (more on this later). You can’t walk out into this area without sinking up to you knees in mud. The creeks which you can’t see in the image are four feet deep in places. My telephoto came in handy to reach the area I wanted to photograph without having to cross the creek beds. After using a 4×5 for some years I treated the wind as my enemy. Now I try to use it to my advantage when I can.

Technical Info: Canon 5D Mark2, Bogen 3021 Tripod, Canon 70-200mm IS L lens, BW Polarizer

Copyright © 2009 Dean Sauskojus

A video relating to the September 1 post, “Hurry the Harvest”.

I found this beautiful fern garden at the bottom of a canyon along the edge of the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River. Most guys are here to fish. I’m here to take photographs. Amongst the ferns, two were growing straight out of lichen covered rocks. They had already been signaled to start changing their color. For a photographer like me it was heaven on earth.  As I look at this image it reminds me that when things get really tough, good can come out of it. I’ve had many experiences where this has come true in not only my photography, but in real life.

Technical Info:  Canon 30d, Bogen 3021 Tripod, Canon 17-40mm L lens

Copyright © 2009 Dean Sauskojus

When we arrived on Beatooth Pass this weekend it was raining and the wind was howling, not good picture taking weather. From the valley floor to the top of the pass the temperature changed from 84 degrees to 44 degrees. We decided to head down the other side of the pass to a lower elevation looking for other opportunities. Nothing was working out and it was still raining. I had this gut feeling that it was going to start to clear up. Sure enough a slit in the clouds began to develop. In one hour the sun would be set. As we rushed back to the top of the pass I went to an area that I thought would give me the best chance to get the photo I wanted. As soon as  I set up the sun hit a hole. I had ten minutes and then it was all over.

Technical Info: Canon 5D Mark2, Bogen 3021 Tripod, Canon 17-40mm L lens, Singh Ray 2 stop hard gnd, three exposure blend

Copyright © 2009 Dean Sauskojus

It’s harvest season here in the Gallatin Valley so I thought I would post a wheat field image. Images like this have been totally overdone by many photographers so it was my goal to do something different. To make the image stand out I used HDR (high dynamic range software) to bring out the clouds. I’m not a fan of most HDR images, and don’t use it much, but it works very well on storm clouds. This photo placed first in the Landscape Professional Division of the “Outside Bozeman” magazine photography contest. If you are in Bozeman during the month of  November or December you can view this photo and others from the contest at the Sola Cafe’ in Bozeman Montana.

Technical Info: HDR image, Canon 30d, Bogen 3021 Tripod, Canon 17-40mm L lens, two image stitch

Copyright © 2009 Dean Sauskojus