Looking Glass Falls

As a couple of you know - I've been in Asheville NC for the past few days - so while I have hundreds of images from many State Forests, the Brevard area - including Pisgah, DuPont - and several others.  I'll share one taken this AM as the sun came up... As well - this is processed on my Surface Pro 3 Tablet - so I'm pretty sure I'll either reprocess it entirely or clean this version up before entering it into my next challenge...

Anyway -  I waited for a bit for the rays to strike the falls - and really didn't know it would take the effect it did. I had only a few minutes to watch it - and less time to capture it. It's a magical place...  How magical?

As an aside - up the stream about 50 yards, was a lunch basket sitting on a rock..? I wondered who had left it, as no one was around, and I was certain I was alone - as there were no cars in the parking lot? Going back to shooting and composing - down walked a young man and woman, smartly dressed - as if they were about to go out on a date (even though it was still very early AM?). Anyway - they walked the shoreline to the picnic basket sitting on a rock downstream...

A few minutes later - I heard the young girl shriek - and looking back towards them - she was staring at her left hand and suddenly jumped into his arms... Obviously - he had just asked her to marry him - and from the sound of it - she was thrilled... I raised my voice and bellowed "CONGRATULATIONS!" - and they both looked up, still embracing - and waved back with huge smiles on their faces...

Yes - it's a magical place... And I'm sad to leave it shortly...

A Short Walk to Whaleback Lighthouse

This was taken mid-morning this morning at Ordione Point, Rye NH USA- low tide on the coast of New Hampshire. While I have a few I'm working on - this one allowed me to play with various things I've learned in only the past week or so in The Arcanum.

And yes - the weather really is this dark and grey today - and the fog is real, as there is a 10 degree temp difference only yards from the shoreline... I left the house with only a light shirt - and was in a coat while shooting for three hours this AM... You have to love New England when "Spring has almost Sprung"...

Sony A7R2 - Sony/Zeiss 16-35mm.

Shoreline Path

Playing a bit with textures, colors - and moods created by colors in single images. This is one of those. I was drawn to the path, the leading lines - and with the ability to pull the post processing into what I saw at the time. This was taken today in Portsmouth NH USA - and the post processing went like this:

• Raw file into Lightroom whire I played with colors, hue, saturation, curves - and "painting" in various effects;
• Into On1 Photo 10 for dynamic contrast, hues and color balance;
• Into Photoshop for layer masks;
• Back into Lightroom for final edits and export

Sony A7RII, Sony/Zeiss 16-35mm.

Mist, Snow and Fog

We awoke early this morning to new snow, with a quick changeover to sleet and freezing rain - all of which created a wonderful fog over the coast. As the tide was coming in, and expected to peak in the next few hours, I packed up my gear and headed to the coast. While the wind was brisk on the beaches and inlets (to say the least,  I was thankful that I brought my cold weather gear.

There are a few challenges in shooting in weather like this with the first - staying warm while it is blowing cold rain and mist into your face. The second is trying to keep the fron element of the lens dry enough during a long exposure (such as above) to not blur the image. As a lens hood won't fit (and probably isn't long enough) - I sacrificed my warmth to use the visor of my cap to shield the ND filter long enough to finish the long exposure.

I'll try to post more from this mornings shoot in the next few days, but for now, this was taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II, the Olympus 12-40mm f/2,.8 Pro lens and a 10-stop ND filter. Post processed in Lightroom and Photoshop.

Winter Coastline

Yesterday along the coast, we had exceptionally high surf and temps in the low 20's F (-6C) - making shooting somewhat daunting. As the surf rolled in - the sea-spray would turn into an icy slush, covering the rocks - and unsuspecting photographers ("me" ;) ) and equipment. The soft winter light, however  - was just tremendous.

This was taken with my Sony A7R II and the Sony-Zeiss 16-35mm with a 10-stop ND, tripod mounted - giving a 20 second exposure at f/16 - 100 ISO. The image was processed in PerfectPhoto Suite, then finished in Lightroom for export as a JPG for the Web.

Season Change

A few months ago - I posted an image taken from this same location. Today, however, we had our first major snowstorm, and like an mad idiot - drove to one of my favorite locations. Upon arriving on un-plowed roads, I was the only person once in the multi-acre area. That was no surprise, quite frankly - as it was still snowing quite hard and I'm sure most rational people were safe, warm and cozy at home.

After spending several hours just going through the woods, fields and shoreline - this is the first image I've post processed so far - but, I'm sure I'll share others in the near future. This was taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and the 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro lens. This system is weatherproof, freeze proof and needed to be today.. 

Sunset Over the Portsmouth Traffic Circle

Taken this evening just after sunset in Portsmouth NH USA. While outside what I typically post - it was a long day of try to shoot a flock of Canada Geese - and they had a mind of their own in coming close enough. After a few hours I gave up - went home - and grabbed my Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II, as this is an image I've envisioned for quite some time.

Shot in RAW and only post-processed in Lightroom, it shows the traffic flow around the rotary. I liked the lights, sunset colors and patterns. I hope you do as well. 

Looking West

The weather over the past week has been a bit silly.  Either bright blue skies without any detail, and sunrises and sunsets of the same - or incredibly cloudy skies without any detail. But, today - was a bit different, as some clouds started moving in after sunrise.

This was taken earlier today with my Sony NEX-7 and the 10-18mm f/4 Sony E mount lens. Post processed in Lightroom and Photoshop, it is from the Audubon Tract in Dover NH USA which is an estuary that is fabulous. While the weather today was incredible - there wasn't another single person out during the three plus hours I was shooting at this location. That was a bonus, for sure...

Sunrise

I've always viewed photography as an art form -but, I've always constrained the post-processing by what was contained in the original image. Yesterday, however - I began to be pushed in a mind-bending exercise to try something new. And the image above is the result.

I always liked both of my two images - one of the lighthouse and the other of a sunrise in Haiti. And learning some new techniques from the library at The Arcanum - thought I'd try to creatively join the two images.  I can say, as this is "new to me" - it took a long time to explore, learn, fail - and then try again...

I have to add - while this style isn't something I'm hooked on - it's interesting to explore areas of photography we don't know - until we give it a try.  Is it for everyone? I don't know - but taking an "artistic approach" is a road that perhaps teaches us how to do our "in camera" images perhaps that much better?

The Shore at Adam's Point

I'm just going to say this first...  The Arcanum rocks! What's The Arcanum?  Just go here:  http://www.thearcanum.com/  poke around - and unleash your mind. Anyway, as a Student, I had a critique from my mentor the other day - and it was a mind-blowing experience. He introduced me to another photographer's work, Peter Eastway from Australia - whose work is incredible.

Anyway - this image is the fifth frame ever taken on my new Sony A7R-II I received last evening - taken today in Durham, NH USA. It was post processed completely using the workflo that Peter Eastway espouses - using sets of layers and curves in Photoshop. I find his methods incredible, if you have in mind the final image before pressing the shutter button.

Thanks for looking - and I'm processing a few more from today in the same workflo just to see where they land...

The Calming

An image from a couple of weeks ago that I finally liked the processing on. Taken in Rye NH, USA with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and the Olympus-Zioke 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro lens - it was a challenge to place the lighthouse correctly, wait for the wave to crash onto the larger rock - and smooth the water with a longer exposure.

I want to thank a few folks in my cohort in the Arcanum who suggested removing some sea grass on the left most edge - as that's exactly what the image wanted while retaining the overall feel.

This image was processed from a single Olympus RAW image in High-Resolution mode, yielding a 64 megapixel file. Post processed in both Lightroom and Photoshop, I liked the final results. I hope you do as well...

Shoreline Sunset

This is just one of those images. Taken last week - I keep coming back to it and trying to make it what I saw - which, I think is finally done...

I walked Adam's Point in Durham and just kept walking the shoreline - waiting for the "right image". And this was it. Just after the sun rays descended below the horizon and only lit the opposite shore. The reflections are what they were as well.

This was my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II with the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 pro lens. Lightly post-processed in Lightroom. I love the DR of the Olympus silly little MFT sensor. It's good enough for me...

A wonderful Merry Christmas to all my followers - and to DB? Thanks for looking...

Beaver Pond and Why I Do Photography

I'm writing this mostly for me - but, if you happen to stumble across it during your travels on the Internet, perhaps you think the same as well? Honestly? I don't know... Photography for me - is a very private journey, but - at the same time - very "public". We take images, and post them up - and wonder how we "Stack Up" to others who also do this thing called "photography".  At the same time, we look at "Masters" who we all love and respect - and wonder. Can "we", as in you and I - "do that"? Create images of the same caliber?

How many of us post images hoping that the most recent image is better than the last simply based on the number of "Likes" (on Facebook) or the number of "+1"s we get on Google +? Well - for me?  I was doing that as well - up until about three months ago. As for me - today?

I shoot for "me". What you see in my posts, my images, what I post lately in the past few weeks/months - is "me". I think I'm all done trying to "compete" - and when I do stop trying to please a mythical audience and chasing "likes" or "+1" votes?  - The "my images" come out.

In my cohort in The Arcanum - headed up by a wonderful person and which has so many talented photographers - I have been challenged to put into words what I want or "need" to move my images forward. For that - I think what I "need" is to have the confidence to believe in myself and refine and work towards who I want to be as a photographer.

It really is that simple - and at the same time - that challenging.

I love my new cohort and The Arcanum - for, if you are in the right place both - you will shoot for "you" - and not compared to the other nearly 250,000 Professional Photographers in the USA alone.

In short?

I think I just want to "shoot for me".

In that? That is all there is.

Transforming An Image

I processed this image previously, and it was good, not great - mind you, but I liked it well enough to share with my friends in my cohort of the Arcanum.They are a group of photographers who all share "the passion". Anyway, one of the photographers - Robert Waltman - made the simple suggestion to take the post-processing even a step further. Funny enough - I hadn't considered it as an option?

But, I gave it a try - and let the "Artsy" side come out a bit - and the image above is the final iteration. Frankly - I like it  lot better! And, it appears I'm not alone.. On 500px, the original pulsed at just under "50". The updated version however - is in the mid-80s...

Thanks Robert!

The Path

Out this morning, and as it's a grey day, went for a long walk through the Urban Forestry Center. It was strangely quiet, but without any real color. Coming from along the shore, I came upon this path, which lent itself to a B&W image.

Taken with my Sony A7R and Sony/Zeiss 16-35mm f/4, it was post processed in Lightroom, then brought into Photoshop, where I did the conversion using channels, saturation ans curves into the ProPhoto Colorspace.

Fall's Forgotten Places

There are times I just feel like I have to get out and shoot - and yesterday was one of them.. This was taken at Odiorne Point State Park, New Hampshire on a day that started out overcast, but tried clearing out late morning, giving the sky some wonderful detail and colors.

This was taken with my Sony A7R and post-processed from a single RAW image in Lightroom and Photoshop. You have to really appreciate the the information contained in a single RAW file..

The Stillness of Fall

This time of year is simply amazing for a photographer, as the colors becomes more muted and the daylight hours not quite as severe as during the summer months. Yesterday, I was out in rather cold and dreary weather - but, without a breath of wind, it was an opportunity to work on longer exposures and reflections cast in a small pond. What got me was the dead tree stumps on the right in the image - with only a bright spot of red from a small tree further down the shoreline.

This was taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II with the 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro Series lens.

Storm Over Odiorne Point

Odiorne Point is a State Park in New Hampshire that is well known for it's abandoned Fort as well as the place the first settlers of New Hampshire landed on the rocky shore in 1623.

The image above was taken today - a cold, dark and dank day - with exceptionally high surf in the morning. In my world - a perfect day for taking moody, long-exposure images.

Looking Back

In the muck trying to work on color, composition and color.  Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II with the 12-40mm F/2.8 Pro series lens.  This is the first post of this image, taken this week.

Reflections of the week...

This week has been a a huge step in my photographic journey, so - I thought it deserved a little reflection. When the week started, I had little idea what might be in store. As it turns out - and as with many things in life - the satisfaction isn't in arriving at the destination, but in traveling through the journey itself. Yes, that's exactly what this week has been like. Improving at post-processing images - and pushing and being pushed hard has made this week an incredible adventure. My thanks to all those involved in my cohort, especially the Mentor/Master.

The image above was taken this week in one of the Wildlife Management areas in NH with my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II. I haven't posted it to any other site as of yet - but, I thought it represented what this blog entry is all about - "Reflections".