Photography – Rob & Julie Snow Family Blog

A Monchau Feeling

May 20, 2018May 22, 2018 snowfamily2 Comments

Well before we left Monchau I knew it would be my favorite stop in Germany. The architecture and the colors completely grabbed me. We visited the medieval town center dominated by narrow streets, the Rur river, and the half-timbered buildings (structural timber frame is visible on the outside of the structure with plaster, brick, or stone infilling). I love this type of construction because the structural elements are exposed rather than hidden away and are often used to great artistic effect. I’m hoping to see a lot more of these types of buildings on our British Isles trip that is coming up right around the corner!

Monchau is nestled into lush and green hills. I can’t imagine a more appropriate and charming setting for a medieval town. I was smitten. We were caught in a little rainstorm while hiking up a hillside of the town. Under normal circumstances we might be a little annoyed to be wet. However, it seemed so appropriate to rain here that it simply added to the ambiance and our enjoyment of the moment.

I’ve prepared a couple photos that capture a little of this Monchau feeling.

This photo captures some of that medieval timber construction, the Rur river passing between buildings in the midst of the town, and the green hills outside the town. It was taken handheld on May 12th 2017 in Monchau, Germany using the Fuji X-T10 and the Fuji 18–55mm lens at 18mm, 1/250s, f/7.1, and ISO 800. Editing was performed in Lightroom to square the architecture and slightly adjust the white balance.

This photo captures some of German shingle work that I noticed in many of the cities and towns is a favorite detail of mine. Just look at the patterns; the are fantastic! Throw in a little grunginess and I’m as happy as a clam. It was taken handheld on May 12th 2017 in Monchau, Germany using the Fuji X-T10 and the Fuji 18–55mm lens at 37.4mm, 1/250s, f/8, and ISO 320. Editing was performed in Lightroom to square grunge the photo up a little.

This photo was taken as we were walking back down the hillside into Monchau!

This photo is a great little example of the small and narrow streets in Monchau.

This one is of Julie and the kids taking in the scenery.

After Hours in Barbizon France

August 1, 2017 snowfamilyLeave a comment

After scrambling over rocks and moss and wandering around the forests of the French countryside, which is another post altogether, we found ourselves in the quaint village of Barbizon, France. Unfortunately, all the restaurants were closed for the evening but don’t despair; at least we found some fun things to photograph before heading back to Fountainebleu for dinner.

Driving through this part of the French countryside was a reward unto itself. Everywhere we looked we enjoyed both a rustic and quaint treat for our eyes.

After Hours in Barbizon taken handheld on May 8th 2017 in the village of Barbizon, France using the Fuji X-T10 and the Fuji 18–55mm lens at 23mm, 1/250s, f/6.4, and ISO 2500. Editing was performed in Lightroom for color balance and to bring some detail back to the sky.

Notre Dame from the Seine

July 16, 2017 snowfamilyLeave a comment

One of the highlights of the trip to Europe was the riverboat ride on the Seine. We did this on our last trip to Paris as a young couple and it was thrilling to do it again with our kids. This was to be the culmination of our time in Paris; however, due to inclement weather we modified our plans to spend our sunny day at the Eiffel Tower and on the Seine.
I made this photo of a lovely evening scene including the Seine, multiple bridges, Ile St. Louis, and Notre Dame on the tail end of Ile de la Cite. The river gives a wonderful vantage point of the city. I call this photo, “An Evening on La Seine.”

An Evening on La Seine taken handheld on May 5th 2017 on La Seine near Ile St. Louis in Paris France using the Fuji X-T10 and the Fuji 18–55mm lens at 55mm, 1/40s, f/4, and ISO 6400. Editing was performed in Lightroom to add some sharpening and remove a small crane from the skyline.

An Evening Chat in Ghent

July 3, 2017 snowfamilyLeave a comment

One of the highlights of our trip to Europe for me was an evening/night walk through the city of Ghent in Belgium. I have a plethora of photos from that evening that I’ll be editing over the course of time.

The walk through the city at night was uncomfortable at times because the kids were quite tired and we were slightly nervous about having them around so many intoxicated folks. However, people were still polite and the city at night was incredible! It was photographic heaven.

I made this photo in the Graslei/Korenlei area of the city shooting across the Leie towards the Sint-Michielskerk Cathedral (photo location). As this area is very popular and busy we endeavored to move through it relatively quickly. However, we still took some time to admire this area of the city under bright lights. It was very satisfying to find this group of three people sitting near the canal and conversing on a nice evening. I call this photo “An Evening Chat in Ghent.”

An Evening Chat in Ghent taken on May 15th 2017 in the Graslei/Korenlei area of Ghent using the Fuji X-T10 and the Fuji 18-55mm lens at 18mm, 1/50s, f/3.6, and ISO 6400. I went with f/3.6 to increase the focus of the background. The black and white conversion was performed in Lightroom. — An Evening Chat in Ghent taken on May 15th 2017 in the Graslei/Korenlei area of Ghent using the Fuji X-T10 and the Fuji 18–55mm lens at 18mm, 1/50s, f/3.6, and ISO 6400. I went with f/3.6 to increase the focus of the background. The black and white conversion was performed in Lightroom.

Venting in Colorado

April 2, 2017 snowfamilyLeave a comment

Vents Taken with the Fujifilm X-T10 camera with the 18–55mm lens at 1/30s, f/3.6, and ISO 200 with fujichrome film simulation and converted to monochrome in Lightroom.

Have you ever booked a hotel far from your destination with the express purpose of having to walk long distances back and forth? That is what I did on my last trip to Denver for the SME (Mining) Conference. It was completely worth it.

As I walked past an urban private school this venting caught my eye. It twisted back and forth mostly at right angles with the exception of the two larger pipes. For some reason they bend at their own angle. They want to be unique but they want to do it together. Sometimes that is just how life feels.

An Afternoon at Temple Square

April 24, 2016 snowfamilyLeave a comment

A few weeks ago we had a pretty busy but excellent weekend. On Sunday we had an early baby blessing of a new niece (Breanna’s daughter Violet) and a baptism later that afternoon (Breanna’s son Joe). It was a gorgeous day so to fill up some of our time we spent a good chunk of the day downtown at Temple Square. It was well worth it as you’ll see below.

Temple, Fuji X-T10, 1/280s, f/11, ISO 200

We started our tour at the conference center for a bathroom stop. We walked into the main room and were quickly seized upon by a missionary volunteer. People are not allowed to wander the building alone. However, she was very willing to take us exactly were we wanted. The kids wanted to see the roof.
After visiting the roof we walked across the street. The square was teaming with the vibrancy of spring life following a cold winter. Trees with new leaves, vibrant spring flowers, blue sky, and nice clouds.
I snagged this photo of the temple with my new camera as we walked into the plaza. I’m very happy with it.

We noticed some incredible blossoms near the RS building. I wanted a portrait of Julie but was having trouble getting the light to cooperate until I noticed the huge reflector (RS building itself) on the other side of the trees. Problem solved = incredible light for Julie. Nice! She just needed to brave the eye-piercing light reflected off such a huge white wall.

Flowers, Fuji X-T10, 1/450s, f/13, ISO 200

Here is my take on the spring flowers. I let the strong and direct sunlight light the blossoms from behind and make the blooms the main feature. Everything else fell to the background. Flowers are so frequently photographed because they are truly amazing and a delight.

The Church Office Building played a central part in our history. Julie worked there on the 14th floor for years before Nate was born. I used to take the train back from the University of Utah and study for hours in the cafeteria until Julie was done working. She’d come visit me on breaks and sometimes bring me a treat. Those were good times. I took this photo in memory of those times.

Nate, Fuji X-T10, 1/250s, f/3.2, ISO 1000

Here is Nate soaking in an exhibit demonstrating some of the methods used to cut the stone for the SLC temple. He was pretty into that.

Cara Angry, Fuji X-T10, 1/400s, f/5, ISO 1000

Here is a photo of my Cara. She would not allow me to take a photo of her all day. Finally she acquiesced to my request on the condition that she be allowed to be angry in the photo. Here is the result.

Moss and Kids, Fuji X-T10, 1/480s, f/5, ISO 1000

The kids were very into the moss around a few of the flower beds. So much so they determined to smell it and really get close to it. I was lucky to capture it.

Tabernacle in BW, Fuji X-T10, 1/300s, f/9, ISO 200, Edited in Lightroom

The Tabernacle is such a majestic building. For this shot I was trying to get a nice mix of reflections from the metal roof and a batch of nice playful clouds. I like how it worked out.
The bottom line to the story is that we had a great time on a wonderful spring afternoon at Temple Square. It is a peaceful place to wander and spend time with the family.

A Walk In Winnipeg

September 27, 2015 snowfamilyLeave a comment

I had a day trip to Winnipeg a couple of weeks ago. In fact, I’m posting this on the eve of returning to this interesting little city for a day.

I understand that it used to be a major commerce center and could be considered the “Chicago of Canada.” I’ll be there working on a bid for a major transportation project. Julie has long influenced me to get the most out of these little business trips by taking some time to get some decent food or walk around an interesting part of town (with a camera of course). Sometimes just choosing a hotel in a more interesting part of town will make it a lot easier to accomplish my goals.

After finishing my meetings I headed downtown to drop off my bags and pick up my new (very old really) film camera that I recently purchased. I set off to an area of town called the Exchange Area which was peppered with old brick buildings, outlets for each parking stall, and a lot of interesting people.

I shot 36 frames and these few are my favorite. Hope you enjoy them. I sure enjoyed making them.

Casual Discussion Inverse Staircase Riverwalk Keep Your Trash In Line Angles Old Stairs Glass and Brick Old Building Night Scene

Perspectives from 3 Feet High

September 2, 2015 snowfamilyLeave a comment

Cara borrowed my phone the other day to take pictures around the house. After she was finished, she wanted me to look at them and I found quite a few that not only offered me a glimpse of life from her perspective, but that also have artistic qualities to them as well.

Here they are, exactly as she took them (Madeleine helped her find a cool preset before she started).

Photo Friday – Sunlight On Dirty Glass

March 26, 2015 snowfamilyLeave a comment

Train Station Photo

Taken with iPhone 6 Plus and edited with the Enlight App.

While the Frontrunner train was pulling into the station this morning I turned around and noted the sun shining through some very dirty glass. The storm on Monday covered everything at the Lehi station with dust including this glass. I love lines of the beautiful mountains behind the two panes of glass.

It occurred to me this afternoon that I really used to enjoy posting a photo each Friday and telling a story about it. That got derailed by a lot of other photoshoots and general business. So I’m happy to say that I’ll be editing a photo and posting it here each week. Hopefully we’ll have fun with this.

Dinner and Walk

June 7, 2014 snowfamilyLeave a comment

A little while back Julie and I were able to head out to dinner in Salt Lake at the Koko Kitchen. We don’t get too many dates so each time we get out is a special occasion. Here is a photo that I made of Julie right outside of the restaurant. These photos were made on medium format film and I love how this portrait turned out. I love this woman dearly!

Julie at a Table

Then we walked across the street and we sat down on the curb to make a photo of a bunch of dandelions. We got low to make the photo a little different. Here is what we came up with!

dandelions