Next Steps..............

As this hobby is moving along, I'm moving (slowly) to a more complete product.  I want to move on from DIGITAL presentation and smaller print formats to PRINT in a larger format presentation.

I am passing the year mark since Channer turned me on to HDR and that leap has really provided a hobby that entertains me.  There are so many great photographers - I really wanted to find a niche that I liked and was extremely comfortable with.  I'm OK with some saying it is not real photography I am doing with the blending of light.  I'm happy with ART.

I am continually inspired by my association with the Flint Lensmen Camera Club and have learned much from them.  (Even Bob....)  The members are all very diverse with a wealth of experiences and different takes on what is good, bad and ugly.  Most of all, although there are a few hecklers in the rear, no one has tried to change my style - just hints on how to be better technically.

So the next step to 'building' a final product is the presentation.  I didn't think much of this aspect until talking with some of the club members.  A few meetings have centered on the art of mat cutting.  So I bit and bought a mid-range model.  I've been working with it for two weeks - and aside from a few mistakes the results are fairly good.

For now - it is an exponential gift.  Another layer to my ART.

These are my first three efforts.  

The first effort is a black mat on a B&W (Algoma Steel) photo.  It is fairly idiot-proof.  I'm sure I still have a lot to learn on what colors to mat a photo with - what adds to the final product.

The next effort is a photo of seven birds on a rail that really doesn't translate well into a 'standard' photo size.  With the mat, I can size the photo to any that best enhances the photo.  That was an unexpected gift.

The third effort is a double mat.  This photo of the Rockland Breakwater light in Maine is a real favorite.  My dilemma was what color to go with - either a green or red.  Went with green.  Worked great.

 Still have a long way to go - but this is fun.

10th Street Bridge

I've been away from Pittsburgh for so long, I'm not sure why they paint the bridges yellow.  At one point, the bridges were a blueish-purple.  There may be a few that still sport that color.  But I like the yellow.  I'd like a better color sky.  There was enough low clouds in an otherwise flat sky that I could work with.  It will be good to get back when the weather is nicer.

1/80 f/16
Aperture Priority
ISO 400
Focal length 20 mm (30 mm for 35mm film)

Seven on a Rail

While walking around Pittsburgh (not really around - we were heading for an ice cream parlor...) I saw a number of these bird sitting around on the fences and posts.  And then I saw this seven.  Being Super Bowl week - I saw an interior line. There is the Center, Guards, Tackles, one tight end and a slot receiver.  Made sense to me.

This photo is interesting to me on many levels.  The wire and the top rail are actually level.  The building blocks are a bit off due to the angle of the shot.  One of the unknowns is that the sky was so crappy that I was happy to use the wall as it was.  I also like the multiple shades of brown on the back of the birds.

This is also first attempt at a photo in a non-standard size.  I have an old 3 4x6 photo frame that I used for this.  I cut a mat - still made some rookie mistakes but... - and put it all together.  Looks good.

1/125 f/5.6
Auto
ISO 360
Focal length 130 mm (195 mm for 35mm film)

Under the 10th Street Bridge

Trip home to Pittsburgh offered a great opportunity to shoot subjects that are new to me.  No wilderness, no ice formations, no lighthouses, all new STUFF.  I have seen some interesting HDR shots of bridge undersides.  Just had to get my own.  In a perfect world - there would have been blue skies with a wisp of a cloud or two.  But this is Pittsburgh - in February.  I'm happy it wasn't snowing and windy!

This is a true HDR shot.  I'm getting better at hand holding the camera in these situations.  Still not comfortable lugging the tri-pod around...........  This brings out the best of a HDR - light on the underside.  Not sure this is suitable for much more than a screen saver - but it does give me high hopes to get this is a better light in October.

1/15, 1/25, 1/13   f/16
Aperture Priority
ISO 400
Focal length 24 mm (36 mm for 35mm film)

Flint River Walking Bridge

This is a walking bridge across the Flint River in a county park.  The area is really nice and a favorite photo shoot destination.  With the recent snow, the bridge is looking really nice.  Not many people around - in fact none.  The park is closed to traffic although snowmobiles are allowed.  So it was a nice hike out here.

We finally have some blue sky - first time we've seen the sun in a week.  There are a lot of small trees around - which takes away from the scene to me.  I thought I'd post this shot because of the sun - pretty bright.  I had some different angles but I like the sun position and the reflections on the glass.  I'll probably enter this in a club competition - just to get a discussion going.

1/100, 1/320
Aperture Priority
ISO 400 f/5.6
Focal length 70 mm (105 mm for 35mm film)

South Haven Light in January

This is the South Haven Light - in January.  Lots of ice build up here - and it was snowing heavily.  The lake effect was producing lots of squalls.  And it was cold.  On this trip i learned a lot about shutter speed and what it does with the snow patterns.  This weekend, the snow was horizontal.  I had to keep the speed down a bit because I wanted to keep the DOF a large as possible.  So the snow isn't showing the travel pattern - but they are large.

1/320 f/16
Aperture Priority
ISO 400
Focal length 130 mm (195 mm for 35mm film)

St. Joseph Light in January

It was COLD.  Really COLD.  Last year I was out on the west coast of Michigan in late March and at that time all the ice was gone.  I think it is still growing at this time of year.  Unfortunately it was snowing all the time - I'd say lake effect was in full motion.  It is really tough to separate the sky and ice and snow.  This shot cleaned up well.  The front range light is covered/caked in ice - and that was the point of the day.  The shot may be on the dark side, but adding any more flattens everything.  And in a weird coincidence, this light is actually on the right side of the histogram!

1/320 f/16
Aperture Priority
ISO 400
Focal length 170 mm (255 mm for 35mm film)

Tahquamenon Falls Trail

This is the trail to the Tahquamenon Falls from the upper falls lot.  There was a fair amount of snow.  I didn't expect to see the amount of leaves that survived fall.  I like the texture of the trail and the clouds in the sky.  I might work this a little more to get the green of the trees in the background to come put a bit more.

1/160 f/18
Aperture Priority
ISO 100
Focal length 25 mm (37 mm for 35mm film)

Algoma (Essar) Steel - Redux

I really like the B&W effect on this shot.  What I didn't like on the previous shot was some of the sky in the center right of the photo was washed out - no definition.  The effect may work at some point - but I wanted more definition in the sky.  The other shot is a single HDR photo.  This shot is seven different exposure levels - and the sky came out much better.  There is a lot more definition.  Seven levels is the most I've ever tried before.  I like this much better.  New Trick.

Algoma (Essar) Steel

This is a photo from last - well now two - year.  The Soo Lock Boat tour includes a pass through the Algoma (Now Essar) Steel property,  Depending on what time of day you get through there - a lot can be going on.  Anything from freighters to large equipment to gas blow offs can happen.  So what happened here?  Not much going on - but great backlighting!  So I was cruising through some old photos and thought this might be good in B&W.  Exceeded my expectations.

1/640 f/13
Auto
ISO 400
Focal length 32 mm (48 mm for 35mm film)

Whaleback Light

This is a shot of Whaleback Light at the head of the Portland River from Fort Foster park.  A bit deceptive, but the light is a fair distance away from land.  This was an interesting shot with the light between the trees.

The real story about this shot is the processing.  I'm trying to frame the shot better by lining up major points of the shot into the rule of thirds.  The water level fits in nicely for the rule.  The trees could go either way, but this line up seems to work for me.

1/200 f/9
Aperture Priority
ISO 200
Focal length 85 mm (127 mm for 35mm film)

Rockland Breakwater Light II

Wow - that is dark.  Certainly the day was dark - it was threatening to rain most of the time.  If it wasn't threatening to rain - it was raining.  So I'll go back to - Well everyone has a sunny photo of this.  

This is a single photo HDR.  I had forgotten this series until I saw one of the breakwater photos used as a screen saver this afternoon.  I do like the photos of the lighthouse.  The rust drainage on the wall is very interesting.  (Note to self - next time take a close up or what you like.......)

1/100 f/11
Aperture Priority
ISO 200
Focal length 38 mm (57 mm for 35mm film)

Bike in Woods - Winter

This is the same bike I photographed earlier in the year.  To get to the location was easier earlier in the year - it is just off a trail that is easily accessible.  This time of year, the best term I can use is trudge.  I had been thinking about this shot for a few days and was not disappointed.

(1/320, 1/640, 1/160)   f/10
Aperture Priority (HDR)
ISO 400
Focal length 70 mm (105 mm for 35mm film)

Season's Greetings and Happy Holidays!

This is the photo I sent out this year as a holiday card.  This is the Gazebo in Ligonier on Christmas Eve - 2009.  The photo itself is a true HDR.  This is one of my first successful efforts of using a tripod, setting the camera bracket settings, using a remote release so I didn't have to touch the camera, aperture priority, manual focus, etc.  I should have used written notes.  After the shot - I didn't know what I had until I returned home and started working with it.  Initially - I had a real had time believing I could get a photo like this without a flash and all the issues that brings up.

I really like how the surfaces of the brick and the rock of the gazebo foundation stand out.  there is enough "light" to see the definitions on the gazebo roof.  The light on the trees is only from the street lamps.

After this shot - I was a HDR convert.

So with this - I say Season's Greetings and Happy Holidays.  Thanks for looking in.

Highland Drive Sunset

Last December at this time, I was in Pennsylvania to celebrate the holiday season.  When we arrived, there was at least a foot of snow on the ground - with the forecast of rain the following morning.  After a few hours of rain, the temperature would then drop below freezing for the next week.  

Now to the photo.  This series was taken the following night - just before actual sunset.  And, this is a true HDR photograph.  Instead of showing all three - I've shown the original RAW image and the final result.  Keep in mind that the photo was taken looking into the shadows and yet I can get some great colors and reflections off of the top layer of ice.

The original 'normal' RAW image:  (The normal image)

 

The Final Image:

 

On RAW images, the file is directly what the camera 'sees'.  It does not get the final enhancement that Nikon wants to present to the world.  But you get the idea.  If I were to do a HDR demo - this would be one of the projects.

On most of my shots, I use the one image workflow.  (I usually don't carry a tripod - and some of my subjects move around.)  So this was a real opportunity to compare both images to see if the three image process is any different than the one image process.  After this, I will carry a tripod more (and maybe use it) .  In a small setting there isn't much difference.  Blown up to screen saver size - the colors are fuller.  There is a difference.  

The four items I really like in this are the greens of the trees, the three bands of light in the sky and the ice of the road and the reflection of the trees on the ice covered snow in the lower right.

(1/20, 1/80, 1/5)   f/4.5

Aperture Priority
ISO 100
Focal length 25 mm (37 mm for 35mm film)

Marquette Loader

With the snow getting ready to fly, I was going through some photos taken last February during some travels through the UP.  This is an ore loader in Marquette - no longer used.  This is one of the largest standing objects I've ever seen.  The theory is that train cars loaded with ore would take an elevated bridge to the top of the loader and dump the ore into holding bins.  Freighters would then come along on either side where the ramps would be lowered and the ore would drop to the ships.  This loader is in the middle of town.  Unfortunately it was closed off - would have been interesting to view the inside.

1/160 f/6.3
Aperture Priority
ISO 100
Focal length 25 mm (37 mm for 35mm film)

Photo Set

Marshall Point Light - Part II

The Marshall Point light as many interesting angles.  Both the house and the light make interesting subjects.  While shooing on location, from the other side is all grass and green.  Here is just the opposite, New England rocky shore.  I like the way the colors in the rocks come out - along with some green on the right.

1/160 f/3.5
Aperture Priority
ISO 200
Focal length 18 mm (27 mm for 35mm film)

Photo Set

Rockland Breakwater Light

This is the Rockland Breakwater light in Maine.  The sky doesn't tell half the story - it was a miserable day.  This product is a combination of two photos.  In each shot, there is a person who was just strolling around.  Sometimes people add to the shot - but in this case it did not.  Elements has a function that will allow the combining of shots and selective removal of areas.  The location of the person was on the walkway in the middle of the shot.  In one shot, he was in front of the door at the top of the stairs and in the second shot he was on the far right of the walkway - just past the building.  Neat trick.  Instead of waiting for the 'perfect' shot, just took multiple shots.  As far as trying to 'clone' or blur, the door at the top of the stairs would have been very difficult to reconstruct.

Lincoln Highway

Not your usual Lincoln Highway photo.  This Lincoln Highway is a ski run - that hasn't seen any skiers in 5 years.  The sign looks pretty good for being in the weather for that long.  This is a sneaky photo.  The more I see it, the more I like it.  In the original, there are heavy shadows.  With enough post processing - not only could I get dome light in dark places, but great fall color as well.  (And the B&W version is a new screen saver.)

1/640 f/13
Aperture Priority  EV -7
ISO 400
Focal length 38 mm (57 mm for 35mm film)

Photo Set

RT 381 Fence

I like RT 381 in the fall.  I could almost do a book.  Lots of shadows here and the original is fairly dark.  I tried working on the middle rail of the fence and could not get it right without washing out the whole shot.  (A challenge for the next rainy day!)  As everyone has favorite settings, I'm starting to focus in on fences it seems.  I like the lines.  Who knows, maybe the book will be fences..........

This effect is not quite blown out as some of my other fall shots. This is somewhere between most of my third and fourth shots in the series.

1/200 f/5.6
Aperture Priority
ISO 200
Focal length 70 mm (105 mm for 35mm film)

Photo Set