Idaho – Page 2 – Kyler Michaelson

Snake River 360˚ Panorama

Posted on February 15, 2015 by 5t31th

The Snake River wraps around the Blackfoot Golf Course in Blackfoot, Idaho.

This is the Snake River and the Blackfoot Golf Course.

I wanted to capture a unique perspective of Old Town Pocatello, Idaho. The city used to be centered around these train tracks since Pocatello used to be the Gate City. Travelers headed to Oregon or Washington would take the train out of Pocatello. This vantage point shows the rail way going through Old Town. It is now just freight cars, but still an interesting part of town.

Old Town Pocatello 360˚ panorama from above the tracks.

Campus Caption Exercise

Posted on February 5, 2015 by 5t31th

The assignment is to take photos in support of or against the statement that ISU buildings are in good condition. I decided to support the claim that the buildings are clean, sturdy, and create a healthy learning environment. I took my Nikon and started researching the state of our buildings at ISU. I found them to be well maintained tidy. The physical science building has a great entry way. The space is open and balanced. The building was pretty clean and the tile floor caught the sun from the window. I decided to shoot just under exposed to get some detail through the windows. The rendezvous building was built while I was attending the college of technology. I would look out and watch the workers installing struts and concrete forms. The design of this building is effective as a space for students to mingle, live, and attend classes. The education building has this neat little garden area that I wanted to shoot. The light was not ideal, but I managed to get a clear shot with decent color saturation by propping my camera on a rock. I enjoyed exploring campus searching out the good side of things even though I gave myself very little time to really soak it in.

The physical science building is in great condition, the sturdy brick walls make a safe learning environment. The main entrance is shown here.

The interior of the entrance to the physical science building is an awe inspiring space. Clean, tile and soft afternoon light display the attention ISU pays to maintaining a stimulating space for learning.

The Rendevous building is one of the newer buildings on campus, and it is an example of the level of architecture that ISU provides to students and faculty. The rendevous building is a place for students from all over the world to meet, live, and attend classes in comfort.

The hallways and classrooms of the rendevous building are very neat and clean. This building was opened in 2007, and it still looks brand new.

The older buildings on campus show their age, but still have a scholarly charm. The grounds are well maintained and sidewalks are clear of obstructions.

The education building offers a tranquil outdoor space for students and faculty to take a break. The education building is structurally sound, and a stimulating space.

360 Sunset Pano

Posted on January 12, 2015 by 5t31th

Twin Falls, Idaho

Twin Falls Sunset

Posted on January 12, 2015 by 5t31th

Assignment #4

Posted on November 12, 2014 by 5t31th

The theme for this assignment was to document a lost world. I decided to document the history of gold mining in Leesburg, Idaho. My Dad, two of my brothers, and I went up to the mountains at 4:00am. We got to the cabin as the sun started to pop over the ridge line. We continued on into the maze of old mining roads and abandoned homesteads. Finally arriving in Leesburg. This was a mining boomtown around the turn of the last century that became a ghost town. Hippies moved in during the 1960’s, and there are still remnants of both the old miners’ and the hippies’ presence. We also visited the cemetary where the people of Leesburg were buried. On the way off the mountain, we had to pass by the modern mining operations at Beartrack mine. I decided to document the scar where a mountain was removed to get at ore. Then we stopped at Dump Creek Gorge. This gorge was created when miners diverted the creek for the purpose of dredging gold. I have a deep appreciation for the history of these mountains, and the history that is being made today. It was great getting to document the mines and the the way the miners lived.

This is the living room of an old homestead in Lemhi County, Idaho

An old jar in Leesburg, Idaho.

This is a window looking right down the old main street in Leesburg, Idaho

The grave of Albert Schmidt 9th Ohio Infintry

Three Chinese miners were murdered at this spot for their gold dust.

One of several signs I disregarded while documenting the old mines.

Old mining Equipment in Lemhi County, Idaho

Gorge created by dredge activity in Lemhi County, Idaho

This used to be a mountain

Main Street Leesburg, Idaho

This is a historic homestead in Lemhi County, Idaho

This is the view inside an abandoned mineshaft in Lemhi County, Idaho

Old mining equipment in Lemhi County, Idaho

This is an abandoned mineshaft in Lemhi County, Idaho

Detail view of old mining equipment in Lemhi County, Idaho

Light Painting and Astro Photography at Bear Trap Cave

Posted on October 27, 2014 by 5t31th

I went out to Bear Trap Cave near Minidoka, Idaho. My friend Fatu drove his Jeep, and we set out on the 100+ mile trek out into the desert. When we left, the sky was gray and overcast, but we were undeterred. About 80 miles into the desert, and we got lost. We were still undeterred. We came across Brigham Point Cabin right as the sun went down, and the sky cleared up. We stopped and did some light painting at Brigham Point Cabin with some blue in the sky. Then we continued on our quest. We started driving faster and faster trying to get to the cave before the stars started to pop. We came around a corner and started to drift. Then we say it. A huge gaping hole in the earth. We slid the Jeep sideways right up to the rim of the cave. We got out of the Jeep, and even though it was new moon, it was bright enough to see. The light was coming from the milky way. We decided to secure the perimeter and venture into the cave. Bear trap cave is a huge lava tube that stretches over 15 miles under the Idaho desert. One of these photos required me to walk a quarter mile into the cave in the pitch black with out turning on my flashlight. That was a wild experience. I was scared stiff, but determined to create the image. I could feel the darkness enveloping me, but I continued on. About half way back I thought to myself, “what am I doing here. It is 1 a.m. and pitch black, and you are underground and unarmed….Oh well.” This was great fun and I recommend you go spelunking as soon as you get the chance.

Bear trap cave and stars in Idaho

beartrap cave milkyway light painting IDAHO

Brigham point cabin light painting. IDAHO

Bear trap cave lava tube with red and blue light

light painting at bear trap cave

Assignment 3

Posted on October 20, 2014 by 5t31th

These are my deadpan landscapes. I am no purist, and I wanted to capture the emotion and the sense of place present in each location. Sometimes this goal required me to deviate from the typical deadpan rule book and style guide. I really enjoyed shooting these photos, but it was a sacrifice converting them to black and white. I love the way the series turned out in black and white, but I will post the full color versions in another post if you wish to view them too. The colors in these skies are worth a look.

railyard in Pocatello, Idaho

Sunset on the rails in Sterling, Idaho

Big Southern Butte, Idaho

The old farm in Chesterfield, Idaho

Doplar weather radar in Springfield, Idaho

Old windmill from house in Chesterfield, Idaho

Haystacks in Taber, Idaho

Old farm equipment in Chesterfield, Idaho

Old house with beehives in Chesterfield, Idaho

Chesterfield, Idaho 360 panorama

Sunset on the water, in Sterling, Idaho

Chesterfield Trip

Posted on October 20, 2014 by 5t31th

Dr. Ownby took the class out to the old Chesterfield ghost town by Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. We went there to work on photographing panoramas. The trip was very fun and it was an interesting experience. I have a personal connection to the old township. My step father Troy Call is a descendant of Chester Call, the man who Chesterfield is named for. It was neat to wander around and explore the old buildings. I really got a sense of how things were back then.

While out at Chesterfield, I decided to collect some light data. I shot two 360 hfov panoramas, one with 3 bracketed exposures 2 stops apart. I stitched the resulting photos, 187 of them for each pano, and stacked the bracketed panoramas together. Then reprojected from the rectilinear projection captured by my camera to an equirectangular projection, which is more useful for CG. I also shot several light probes. I have a 3 inch mirrored ball on a mini tripod which I shoot 5 bracketed exposures 2 stops apart and stack the resulting photos into a 32 bit radiance file. Then reproject from a spherical angular map projection on the ball to an equirectangular projection. The 360 pan makes a great background plate for 3d scenes, and the light probe does a great job of shining the real world lighting into the 3d scene.

All in all this was a great experience, and I came away from it with several valuable assets. I hope you enjoy my photos from this trip.

Chesterfield, Idaho old house with beehives

Chesterfield, Idaho light probe that has been reprojected to equirectangular.

Chesterfield, Idaho windmill from inside old house

Chesterfield, Idaho farm equipment

360 hvof panorama in Chesterfield, Idaho

Chesterfield, Idaho light probe before it is reprojected.

360x180 fov panorama in the front yard Chesterfield, Idaho

360×180 fov panorama in the front yard Chesterfield, Idaho

Outside in Idaho

Posted on September 28, 2014September 28, 2014 by 5t31th

It is an amazing place to live and a great place to find inspiration for photography. Idaho is full of secret places to explore and I plan on photographing as many as I can.