UWOL #3 "Trekking the Wild Appalachians" by Rick Phillips at DVinfo.net

Rick A. Phillips · May 22nd, 2007, 08:34 AM

Greetings fellow challengers. I started out to make a film mostly about wildflowers, but we had a very unusual spring here and the chrononlogy of the blooming of many flowers were either late or earlier than usual. I did so much walking trying to find some of the species I wanted to film that it eventually became more of a film about walking in the wild. I was determined not to put too many birds in this entry, as I pretty much filled both previous efforts with them. So, only one short clip of a Common Yellowthroat Warbler which happened to be scolding from overhead while I was filming Golden Ragwort by the stream. Hope you enjoy the scenery (including me with dirt all over my pants from kneeling on one knee!).

cameras: Canon Optura 200MC minidv and Sony TRV730 digital eight

shot on Roan Mountain and the Unaka Mountain Wilderness area in northeast Tennessee

link to film: http://www.uwolchallenge.com/challen...palachians.mpg

Rick

Bruce Ellingwood · May 22nd, 2007, 10:38 AM

Great job Rick. Reminds me of how much I miss that part of the country. I really enjoyed your choice of music also.

Bruce

Catherine Russell · May 22nd, 2007, 11:21 AM

Hi Rick:

I like it. Great photography both stills and film with good music. Add yours to the stack of beautifully made films.

Cat

Geir Inge · May 22nd, 2007, 11:27 AM

Some great scenery you've captured on tape, Rick.
Very nice put together and I think the music was great, too.
The orchid at the end was stunning.
Maybe some more of clips where you are walking towards the camera?
Thanks for sharing.

Ruth Happel · May 22nd, 2007, 12:03 PM

I instantly recognized Roan Mountain- that is a beautiful spot! I hiked there and did lots of photography years ago when I lived in the mountains outside Johnson City. In all my years of hiking there, though, I never saw the yellow ladyslipper orchid- great shots of that. I liked the feeling of the film combining the hike with what you saw- very immersive.

Ruth

Mat Thompson · May 22nd, 2007, 12:13 PM

Looks like a stunning environment, nice film that really made me feel I was going for the trek myself, well if I could walk at the moment of course! Some nice shots, especially considering the cameras used although some of the editing seemed a bit 'piled up' in places and maybe could have done some more levels of detail. I'd have liked the walker to look like he meant business too, he wasn't really dressed for it and that pulled on the 'wild factor' for me a little.

Rick A. Phillips · May 22nd, 2007, 12:20 PM

Geir, you are correct. I think editing is my real weak spot right now and I need to spend more time with that. My problem is I'm always wanting to get back out in the wild to film more stuff.

Ruth. Small world isn't it? I'm not surprised you did not see the Yellow Lady's Slipper. They are around, but they are probably hundreds of times more rare than the more familiar Pink Lady's Slipper. What a twist. A friend actually found and told me about the Yellow (which I thought when I started the project I would have zero chance of finding). After filming that I thought I could easily find the more common Pink and put that off until the last day. I walked my legs off (Mat Thompson style, minus the blister!) and never did find a Pink in bloom. I hope to get back up there in June to film the Catawba Rhododendron in bloom during the Rhododendron Festival.

Rick

Bruce Foreman · May 22nd, 2007, 04:58 PM

Beautiful work, Rick. Great vista's, made me wish I was there with you. While I grew up neat the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia, I've spent the last 31 years and half of my 20 yr air force career in relatively flat central west Texas.

So mountains grab me.

Technique and all looks great. This is not a criticism but those scenic vista's cry for widescreen. Gosh they were beautiful!

Trond Saetre · May 22nd, 2007, 05:36 PM

You have some great scenery there!
I love hiking myself.
Your video is a very nice one.
The only thing I would like to see more of, is what has been mentioned by others... more of the person walking towards the camera instead of mostly away from it.

Well done!

Chris Barcellos · May 22nd, 2007, 06:20 PM

Nice look at the area and some beautiful scenery and points of interest. I was a bit put off by the repeating rear view of the walker too.... Maybe add extreme close ups of eyes, or boots, or whatever for variety. Cool film...

Per Johan Naesje · May 23rd, 2007, 01:57 AM

Rich,
second what have been said already about your film.
Very clean and sharp footage, some more movements in your footage will enhance the overall impression.

Rob Evans · May 23rd, 2007, 11:01 AM

great footage of a really varied environment, that's an amazing place and you've bought it out really well. If I'd have to give one piece of feedback, it'd be to vary the shots of you walking - they're all very much the same angle with you heading towards or away from the camera - you could try to vary this by getting some close ups of your boots over terrain, or long shots having you appear over low ground bringing in some ground haze as well. Maybe even a shot or two of you sat facing into the wildeness with the camera looking over your shoulder.

Good luck!! ;-)

Rick A. Phillips · May 23rd, 2007, 11:37 AM

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. I actually remember thinking at one point during the editing process that I needed more variety in the shots of me walking toward the camera or varying the angle or just a close-up of my boots or something, but obviously failed to implement this in the final product. I'm learning more all the time from your comments and by watching how others do it. Looking forward to the next one.

Rick

Gabriel Yeager · May 23rd, 2007, 09:16 PM

Beautiful stuff Rick!

I love the golden flowers next to the stream/river. A bunch of these just sprouted up next to a creek that runs through my back yard!

Wonderful stuff, keep it up!

Say, would you happen to know much about flowers? I took a picture of one a year or so ago that I have never seen before. It looked like something out of a movie... Think you could help?

I loved the music too!
~Gabriel

Jeff Hendricks · May 23rd, 2007, 11:47 PM

okay now I have to get out backpacking thanks to you :). My favorite shots are the ones of the folks off in the distace hiking. The area reminds me a lot of Nevada where I do most of my backpacking.

I liked the shots of the hiker walking away from the camera and how we couldn't see who it was, it lent to a feeling of mystery.

Thank you for the piece.

Jeff

May 22nd, 2007, 08:34 AM	#1
Rick A. Phillips Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: kingsport, tennessee Posts: 123	UWOL #3 "Trekking the Wild Appalachians" by Rick Phillips Greetings fellow challengers. I started out to make a film mostly about wildflowers, but we had a very unusual spring here and the chrononlogy of the blooming of many flowers were either late or earlier than usual. I did so much walking trying to find some of the species I wanted to film that it eventually became more of a film about walking in the wild. I was determined not to put too many birds in this entry, as I pretty much filled both previous efforts with them. So, only one short clip of a Common Yellowthroat Warbler which happened to be scolding from overhead while I was filming Golden Ragwort by the stream. Hope you enjoy the scenery (including me with dirt all over my pants from kneeling on one knee!). cameras: Canon Optura 200MC minidv and Sony TRV730 digital eight shot on Roan Mountain and the Unaka Mountain Wilderness area in northeast Tennessee link to film: http://www.uwolchallenge.com/challen...palachians.mpg Rick

May 22nd, 2007, 11:27 AM	#4
Geir Inge Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Larsnes, Norway Posts: 1,343	Some great scenery you've captured on tape, Rick. Very nice put together and I think the music was great, too. The orchid at the end was stunning. Maybe some more of clips where you are walking towards the camera? Thanks for sharing. __________________ Geir Inge B. Brekke Visit me at: https://vimeo.com/gibbfilm

May 22nd, 2007, 06:20 PM	#10
Chris Barcellos Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Elk Grove CA Posts: 6,838	Nice look at the area and some beautiful scenery and points of interest. I was a bit put off by the repeating rear view of the walker too.... Maybe add extreme close ups of eyes, or boots, or whatever for variety. Cool film... __________________ Chris J. Barcellos

May 23rd, 2007, 01:57 AM	#11
Per Johan Naesje Trustee Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Akershus, Norway Posts: 1,413	Rich, second what have been said already about your film. Very clean and sharp footage, some more movements in your footage will enhance the overall impression. __________________ - Per Johan Last edited by Per Johan Naesje; May 23rd, 2007 at 03:10 AM.

May 23rd, 2007, 09:16 PM	#14
Gabriel Yeager Major Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington, NorthWest USA Posts: 788	Beautiful stuff Rick! I love the golden flowers next to the stream/river. A bunch of these just sprouted up next to a creek that runs through my back yard! Wonderful stuff, keep it up! Say, would you happen to know much about flowers? I took a picture of one a year or so ago that I have never seen before. It looked like something out of a movie... Think you could help? I loved the music too! ~Gabriel __________________ Gabriel Photography

May 22nd, 2007, 10:38 AM	#2
Bruce Ellingwood Regular Crew Join Date: May 2006 Location: Corona, Calif. Posts: 47	Great job Rick. Reminds me of how much I miss that part of the country. I really enjoyed your choice of music also. Bruce

May 22nd, 2007, 11:21 AM	#3
Catherine Russell Trustee Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Lyons, Colorado Posts: 1,224	Hi Rick: I like it. Great photography both stills and film with good music. Add yours to the stack of beautifully made films. Cat

May 22nd, 2007, 12:03 PM	#5
Ruth Happel Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Black Mountain, NC Posts: 488	I instantly recognized Roan Mountain- that is a beautiful spot! I hiked there and did lots of photography years ago when I lived in the mountains outside Johnson City. In all my years of hiking there, though, I never saw the yellow ladyslipper orchid- great shots of that. I liked the feeling of the film combining the hike with what you saw- very immersive. Ruth

May 22nd, 2007, 12:13 PM	#6
Mat Thompson Trustee Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 1,397	Looks like a stunning environment, nice film that really made me feel I was going for the trek myself, well if I could walk at the moment of course! Some nice shots, especially considering the cameras used although some of the editing seemed a bit 'piled up' in places and maybe could have done some more levels of detail. I'd have liked the walker to look like he meant business too, he wasn't really dressed for it and that pulled on the 'wild factor' for me a little.

May 22nd, 2007, 12:20 PM	#7
Rick A. Phillips Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: kingsport, tennessee Posts: 123	Geir, you are correct. I think editing is my real weak spot right now and I need to spend more time with that. My problem is I'm always wanting to get back out in the wild to film more stuff. Ruth. Small world isn't it? I'm not surprised you did not see the Yellow Lady's Slipper. They are around, but they are probably hundreds of times more rare than the more familiar Pink Lady's Slipper. What a twist. A friend actually found and told me about the Yellow (which I thought when I started the project I would have zero chance of finding). After filming that I thought I could easily find the more common Pink and put that off until the last day. I walked my legs off (Mat Thompson style, minus the blister!) and never did find a Pink in bloom. I hope to get back up there in June to film the Catawba Rhododendron in bloom during the Rhododendron Festival. Rick

May 22nd, 2007, 04:58 PM	#8
Bruce Foreman Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Angelo Texas Posts: 1,518	Beautiful work, Rick. Great vista's, made me wish I was there with you. While I grew up neat the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia, I've spent the last 31 years and half of my 20 yr air force career in relatively flat central west Texas. So mountains grab me. Technique and all looks great. This is not a criticism but those scenic vista's cry for widescreen. Gosh they were beautiful!

May 22nd, 2007, 05:36 PM	#9
Trond Saetre Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 3,375	You have some great scenery there! I love hiking myself. Your video is a very nice one. The only thing I would like to see more of, is what has been mentioned by others... more of the person walking towards the camera instead of mostly away from it. Well done!

May 23rd, 2007, 11:01 AM	#12
Rob Evans Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Berkshire, UK Posts: 390	great footage of a really varied environment, that's an amazing place and you've bought it out really well. If I'd have to give one piece of feedback, it'd be to vary the shots of you walking - they're all very much the same angle with you heading towards or away from the camera - you could try to vary this by getting some close ups of your boots over terrain, or long shots having you appear over low ground bringing in some ground haze as well. Maybe even a shot or two of you sat facing into the wildeness with the camera looking over your shoulder. Good luck!! ;-)

May 23rd, 2007, 11:37 AM	#13
Rick A. Phillips Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: kingsport, tennessee Posts: 123	Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. I actually remember thinking at one point during the editing process that I needed more variety in the shots of me walking toward the camera or varying the angle or just a close-up of my boots or something, but obviously failed to implement this in the final product. I'm learning more all the time from your comments and by watching how others do it. Looking forward to the next one. Rick

May 23rd, 2007, 11:47 PM	#15
Jeff Hendricks Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: The Carson Valley, Nevada Posts: 248	okay now I have to get out backpacking thanks to you :). My favorite shots are the ones of the folks off in the distace hiking. The area reminds me a lot of Nevada where I do most of my backpacking. I liked the shots of the hiker walking away from the camera and how we couldn't see who it was, it lent to a feeling of mystery. Thank you for the piece. Jeff __________________ www.tahoestarr.com