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After doing my research, I decided to go down to Nubble Light in York, ME to watch the Super Moon moonrise. I knew there would be some people there, but I figured it was off-season and how many people could there be? Well, about 100 other photographers, plus a bunch of curiosity seekers, ended up joining me. It was quite an event.
The sky was clear, but an onshore marine layer provided for some low level moisture. As you can see from the flag, the wind was blowing pretty good too, so I did my best to shield the camera from the breeze and minimize camera shake.
Thanks for visiting my Photostream and for all of your faves and comments.
A setting looking to the southwest while taking in views tufa formations and plant-life present in the South Tufa area of Mono Lake. Given the haze in the skies above from nearby wildfires, I decided to compose the image by focusing on the tufa formations and centering that in the image. That would help to minimize what I felt was more of a negative space with the skies.
Mono Lake-75
Avui tots mengen gelats. (Cadaqués - Catalunya)
Hoy todos comen helado. (Cadaqués - Cataluña)
Historia de la fotografía en Español:
Estando de vacaciones en este bello rincón de la Costa Brava (Cadaqués) me senté para tomar un helado y me fijé que todos estaban tomando helados, debido a la calor del dia, por lo que dejé un momento mi helado para tomar esta foto.
El lugar era perfecto, en un bonito rincón con las luces correctas en semi contraluz y con la perspectiva hacia la iglesia, me encantó y disparé, he aquí la foto.
Si la quieres ver ampliada pulsar dos veces sobre ella. Espero os guste.
Datos técnicos en Español:
Cámara Nikon D800
Objetivo: Nikon de 28mm Super gran angular.
Diafragma: f/8 para conseguir la máxima calidad del objetivo.
Velocidad: 1/320 Velocidad para compensar el diafragma y el ISO.
Iso: 100 Para minimizar el ruido al ampliar.
Trípode: No
Filtros: No
History of photography in English:
While on vacation in this beautiful corner of the Costa Brava (Cadaqués) I sat down to have an ice cream and I noticed that everyone was having ice cream, due to the heat of the day, so I left my ice cream for a moment to take this photo.
The place was perfect, in a nice corner with the correct lights in semi backlight and with the perspective towards the church, I loved it and I shot, here is the photo.
If you want to see it enlarged, click twice on it. I hope you like it.
Technical data in English:
Nikon D800 camera
Lens: Nikon 28mm Super Wide Angle.
Diaphragm: f/8 to achieve the highest quality lens.
Speed: 1/320 Speed to compensate for aperture and ISO.
Iso: 100 To minimize noise when zooming.
Tripod: No
Filters: No
White Sands National Park, New Mexico.
I enjoy shooting "long landscapes" like this one, and the Tamron 70-300 works well for me for that purpose, being relatively light and compact. I was carrying three lenses during most of my hikes in the park - a 17-35, 24-120, and 70-300.
I tried to minimize lens changes in such a sandy environment, and so sometimes used the 24-120 in DX crop mode rather than switching to the 70-300. I still needed to clean the sensor regularly, and clone out some dust spots.
Thank you for visiting! =)
Tall Green Bog Orchid (Platanthera huronensis) has whitish green flowers, which can vary greatly in number and are typically intensely fragrant. This orchid is thought to have descended from a cross between Platanthera aquilonis and Platanthera dilatata. It is important to be aware of the ecological sensitivity of the location. I stay on the trails and minimize my impact on the environment at all times. I practice wildflower-friendly photo techniques only, to prevent damage to flowers and their habitat. Copyright © Kim Toews/All Rights Reserved.
The Potholes of Escalante. I took this last spring and since then this spot has gained popularity (unfortunately, lol). This was a night with a beautiful sky but the wind was blowing and creating some motion artifact in the branches. Almost a perfect night, but not quite. Anyway, the darkness minimizes the apparent motion and that helps, but it also blew sand into my eyes and made the night very uncomfortable. Single exposure. There is a light in the pothole and one above and to the left. (Low Level Lighting)
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Astronauts and Aliens to Witches and Wizards!
Hi! Here's something different. Anyone interested in a Fantasy Astrophotography Workshop? This would be 2-3 days in an "otherworldly" location. We would capture beautiful landscapes under the Milky Way with fantasy characters in costume including Astronauts (in spacesuits), Aliens, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Witches, Wizards, Steampunk, Medieval, etc. I will provide the mentioned costumes, but if anyone has a great costume that will look exotic in an "otherworldly" setting then you are welcome to bring it. This will be a great chance to learn Low Level Lighting and share some fantasy techniques. If you are interested please contact me. I am trying to see if there is enough interest to organize a workshop during the July New Moon. There are several possible locations depending on interest.
For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography .
Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!
Still under the weather but since having the "man flu" doesn't get me any sympathy, I was persuaded to go for a drive after the rain stopped today. We did find some nice light here and there, which really brightened up the remaining fall colors. For this shot, I used a Singh Ray warming polarizer to minimize reflections and warm up the colors a bit.
As it turned out, we had a really nice afternoon and later I was comforted with a crusty sour dough bread, basil pesto dipping oil, a favorite Niagara Gold cheese, and a glass of Megalomaniac red wine. The latter was purely for medicinal purposes.
While walking around the Sandstone Falls area of the national park with a view looking to the southwest across several waterfalls of the New River. My thinking in composing this image was to angle my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward and create a sweeping view across the several waterfalls. That would also help to minimize the more overcast skies present that morning. By including some of the foreground, it would help to create a sense of scale and add a layered element and foreground to complete the setting.
Captured in Restrepo, Meta, Colombia, this image features the Straight-billed Woodcreeper (Dendroplex picus) in its natural habitat. The bird’s rich brown plumage and striking features are beautifully highlighted as it clings to the tree, showcasing its unique adaptations for climbing. The blurred background offers a soft, natural bokeh effect, allowing the bird to remain the focal point of the composition. The subject’s sharp textures are in stark contrast to the soft greenery surrounding it.
Technically, I used a Canon R5 with a long lens setup, taking full advantage of the 800mm f/11 lens with a 1.4x extender to achieve a detailed and crisp image at a distance. The lighting was soft, giving the bird’s feather patterns a smooth and natural appearance. The photo was taken at 1/180 sec to ensure sharpness and minimize motion blur, while I manually selected an ISO of 1600, balancing the need for proper exposure with the fine details in the shadowed parts of the image. The overall composition reflects my goal of capturing this bird’s natural beauty while minimizing distractions in the background.
©2023 Adam Rainoff Photographer
El fotógrafo trabajando. (Las Dous - Alt Penedès -Cataluña).
The photographer working. (Les Dous - Alt Penedès -Catalonia)
Español:
Decidimos realizar una salida para captar rincones escondidos de nuestra geografía, pero para llegar a este lugar, debes bajar bastante pendiente hasta llegar al puente que hay abajo y después bajar al lecho de la riera, con sus correspondientes resbalones.
Eso si, con la condición a que a la primera gota de lluvia, debiamos recoger las cámaras y abandonar el lugar rapìdamente.
Cuando uno está en zona de montaña y más conociendo el lugar, al llover por las grandes pendiente de las montañas muy rapidamente sube el caudal con abundante agua. He visto este lecho lleno de agua y más de una pasarela metálica para cruzar los coches, el agua se las ha llevado riera abajo.
El lugar donde estabamos no teniamos cobertura telefónica por lo que se pactó previamente que siempre estariamos en contacto visual el no del otro.
El dia fué muy desafortunado por que en el lugar del salto de agua sobre el profundo pozo, perdí los filtros de DN aqui perdí entre la maleza y hojas el temporizador remoto, allí descansará hasta la noche de los dias.
Estaba a bastante distancia de mi compañero y lo vi tan bien sentado, que decidí hacer una fotografía incluyéndole a él dentro de la escena.
Fotografía panorámica compuesta de 10 fotografias en formato vertical, capturando toda la escena frontal, lateral y trasera de mi cámara, (180º) todas en una sola fotografía.
Nota: Dado lo complicado del lecho de la riera que estaba compuesto por millares de hojas y ramas, me era muy dificil asentar fijamente mi trípode, por lo que la secuencia la realicé en tres ocasiones distintas, para asegurar su buen fin.
Por cierto estabamos en un fondo donde hacía mucho frio y por los arbustos y ramas helados, quedamos con las piernas mojaras y eso después de las caidas encima de las resbaladizas rocas, muy doloridos, pero con las fotos conseguidas.
Espero que os guste, Antoni Gallart.
Datos Técnicos:
Cámara: Nikon D800
Objetivo: 19 m/m
Diafragma: f/8.
Velocidad: 1/80.
Iso: 200
Tripode: Si
Alineación horizontal tripòde: Si para minimizar distorsiones de lente.
Filtros: No
Disparos: 10 Verticales, todos incluidos en la misma foto.
Archivo: RAW
Angulo de visión imagen: 180º
English:
We decided to go on an outing to capture hidden corners of our geography, but to get to this place, you must go down quite a slope until you reach the bridge below and then go down to the bed of the stream, with its corresponding slides.
Of course, with the condition that at the first drop of rain, we had to collect the cameras and leave the place quickly.
When one is in the mountain area and more knowing the place, when it rains down the great slopes of the mountains, the flow increases very quickly with abundant water. I have seen this bed full of water and more than one metal footbridge to cross the cars, the water has carried them down the stream.
The place where we were did not have telephone coverage so it was previously agreed that we would always be in visual contact with each other.
The day was very unfortunate because in the place of the waterfall over the deep well, I lost the DN filters, here I lost the remote timer among the weeds and leaves, there it will rest until the night of the days.
I was quite a distance from my partner and I saw him sitting so well that I decided to take a picture including him in the scene.
Panoramic photograph composed of 10 photographs in vertical format, capturing the entire front, side and rear scene of my camera, (180º) all in a single photograph.
Note: Given the complexity of the riverbed, which was made up of thousands of leaves and branches, it was very difficult for me to firmly seat my tripod, so I did the sequence on three different occasions, to ensure its success.
By the way we were in a background where it was very cold and because of the icy bushes and branches, we were left with wet legs and that after the falls on the slippery rocks, very sore, but with the photos obtained.
I hope you like it. Antoni Gallart.
Technical data:
Camera: Nikon D800
Target: 19 m / m
Aperture: f / 8.
Speed: 1/80.
Iso: 200
Tripod: Yes
Tripod horizontal alignment: Yes to minimize lens distortion.
Filters: No
Shots: 10 Verticals, all included in the same photo.
File: RAW
Image viewing angle: 180º
Featured on Flickr Explore #58 on July 23, 2021
Kirk's dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii) is a small antelope native to Eastern Africa. Kirk’s dik-diks are tiny antelopes that vary in colour depending on their habitat but are typically yellowish-gray to reddish-brown on its back and grayish-white on their belly. Males have horns that are ringed and stout at the base, which are often concealed by a tuft of hair on their forehead. These antelopes have beautiful, large, dark eyes surrounded by a white ring. And while their eyes are stunning, they provide more than just sight. Preorbital glands appear as a black spot below the inside corner of each eye. These glands produce a dark, sticky secretion used to scent-mark their territories.
The most distinguishing feature is their elongated snout, which is also an evolved cooling mechanism that stops them from overheating, even in extreme temperatures of up to 40°C (104°F). This also helps minimize their need for water.
This very cute looking Kirk's Dik-Dik was photographed during a photography safari on a late evening game drive in Samburu National Reserve, Kenya.
The Oobaru Mobile Work Platform comes equipped standard with a boom-mounted grabber arm capable of lifting loads up to 200 kg. Designed with worker safety in mind, the Oobaru features a cockpit rollcage, anti-slip rubberized coatings on its feet and "fingertips", and smooth rounded corners to minimize damage in case of accidental collisions.
For this build I was inspired in largely by the Maruttoys Tamotu model kits, and the fact that I had a lot of the new 2x2 corner slopes. The Friends pod matched these curves really well, but getting the arm mounted securely was kind of a pain because the "latch" is in a weird position in relation to the rest of the attachment points.
A short distance away from the wall is another Vietnam memorial, a bronze statue named The Three Servicemen (sometimes called The Three Soldiers). The statue depicts three soldiers, purposefully identifiable as European American, African American, and Hispanic American. In their final arrangement, the statue and the Wall appear to interact with each other, with the soldiers looking on in solemn tribute at the names of their fallen comrades. The distance between the two allows them to interact while minimizing the effect of the addition on Lin's design.
Canon R5
Canon RF 24-70mm F / 2.8L IS USM
Lee Soft GND 0.9
Lee Square Circular Polarizer
Yeh, I know I know. I am back after a long time. Busy life doesn't make things easier. But this is an image I wanted to make for many years. Somehow never got the right conditions. In fact this time also the condition was not the best. I wanted to have a bit more snow on the mountains. So the hunt probably continues.
With the earth warming up in rapid speed; a perfect shot with more snow will become more and more difficult. Because the snow will not stay on the ground for long. So one need to plan this shot just after a heavy snowfall. But that minimizes the probability of getting a good sky. However it also keeps the challenge and excuse to go back to this beautiful village some more time. :)
I knew about the exact location for many years. But this time when I reached there; to my surprise I saw a temporary safety barrier next to the road. Large enough to cover the view. Surely done for good intention as this road becomes a ski route in winter and this place has an open fall on a turn. And probably it is not that safe in winter to stand there with camera on tripod either. Skiers will not see you next to the turn and can hit you and the camera and in the process all three can get damaged.
But I needed to take the image. So I just went up the hill next to it. Luckily there was no snow at that part as it wouldn't have been possible to go up if there was snow. It was too steep to go up with loose snow. We used the age old Himalayan technique to stand on the base of the grass to get grip on a steep hill. As always I was there 30 minutes in advance. So had plenty of time to set up everything. Was really lucky with a lovely sky.
I still wish I had a bit more snow. But maybe next time. Till them; I will stay happy with this one as a prize for that evening.
A special thanks to my son for accompany me there. We spend the time waiting for the sunset playing chees. So the time passed quickly. He also enjoyed the little adventure and gathered the experience that is so important to have while going off route on the mountain.
If you are interested on the natural beauty of the location, I did make a little video that might interest you here.
Please have a look at my website www.avisekhphotography.com for all my recent works.
Have a nice weekend.
Hope you will enjoy the picture.
Any suggestions or criticisms are always welcome.
There are famous horseshoe bends on the world's rivers, and obscure ones, such as this. I may be the only photographer who has ever photographed this one, in a remote part of Grasslands, far from the nearest road. The day was virtually cloudless, so I composed to minimize the sky and allow the river to dominate. I wasn't totally confident that this would work, but ended up liking the outcome.
I really like fall on the northern prairie, after the summer heat has departed, before the winter cold arrives. I tend to run late with my latest images, in part because I like to sit with them a while to find out whether they're just a flash in the pan or have some long-term merit. If a photo still interests me after a month or two, it goes into the queue.
And so, a new image set starts today, with a couple of shots from two months ago and then two more from 13 years ago. Seriously. I'll try to explain when I get to them.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2024 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Spring flow at Crabtree Falls in Western North Carolina
Yancey County, Western North Carolina
Accessed via the Blue Ridge Parkway (mp 340)
Date taken: May 10, 2016
During the years 2006 and 2007 I lived in Spruce Pine, North Carolina while I worked as a field engineer for Robins & Morton on the additions and renovations at Spruce Pine Community Hospital (now Blue Ridge Regional Medical Center). During that period of time I got familiar with the Blue Ridge Parkway and with some of the local waterfalls, primary among them, Crabtree Falls in neighboring Yancey County. Returning now, almost ten years later, is like visiting a friend. I've tried on two new career paths since, my current being full-time outdoor photography. I'm happy to be doing what I am with my time. Visiting Crabtree and similar has real value, although it doesn't always show up in the numbers.
Crabtree Falls is located along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Crabtree Meadows Recreation Area around milepost 339.5. Big Crabtree Creek cascades in a series of delicate steps over a wide fan of rock, resulting in a very intricate fall. Chief difficulty in photographing this set of falls is the wind generated consistently from falling water. One must get rather creative in an effort to involve foreground while minimizing wind-blur from the natural action of the place.
Star Trails from OBX. This was shot in Salvo, NC - right from our front porch.
From a very good timelapse video: vimeo.com/170495270
The Rokinon 14mm f2.8 lens is totally manual, very sharp, but distorts a lot so that i usually use a lens profile to try & minimize the distortion effects.
A moon sliver started at the bottom of the picture but soon left the frame.
StarStaX-L6027-L6274
The sun took on this dramatic red appearance as it began slipping behind clouds in southeastern Ontario this late afternoon. This is evidently the result of smoke from forest fires in Ontario and Quebec. Poor air quality is being reported and people here in Kingston, as well as other places, are being advised to minimize exposure and especially outdoor exercise
What you're seeing right now might be one of my all-time favorite compositions I've ever been able to shoot or witness. I spent a lot of time getting these materials in different places. The amazing hillside lights, the ferris wheel blurred by the clouds, and that amazing ski lift that looks like a prism effect, Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd comes to mind, it looks as if it's just spilling down the terrain.
This mountaintop theme park and it's Christmas event (if you can really call it that, it goes until May or June) are simply incredible. While the rain was a problem the entire day (and worse since I was in the clouds now), the low 40s temperature did not sway me at all nor my ambition. Would you believe me if I told you that glow around the lights was entirely organic and not added in editing? The illumination across the mountaintop was very powerful, and I had no intention of minimizing that. The way these bright colors spill across the mountainside and the dark sky.
Now what I did do in editing was a bunch of clarity fixes. The ski lift in particular was a bit too bright, so I let the lights show their true shape, did the same to the hillside lights on the left, lowered the clarity around the ferris wheel cause the sky wasn't blending in there as well as I wanted. The patch of lights at the bottom was initially a lime green, but I turned it yellow to help it contrast with the other colorful pieces in the image better.
I was a little on the edge about posting a shot with a rainbow in it (cause politics), but a wise woman told me before departing here that that element doesn't belong to that group and is still a symbol of happiness. She was right. And ultimately, this is Sagamiko's centerpiece, at the end of the day I couldn't NOT shoot it. I absolutely love it. I recommend Sagamiko to all, extreme weather, minimal attractions, but expert showmanship all around.
I guarantee you will see more shots of this in the future, I'm far from finished here. (Why does the mobile version of this post look awful)
1966 Mustang...
A beautiful 1966 Mustang stole the show at the car event. I positioned myself low to the ground, minimizing background distractions and maximizing the sky, then desaturated the image to capture a timeless, classic feel.
Thank you for visiting for marking my photo as a favourite and for the kind comments,
Please do not copy my image or use it on websites, blogs or other media without my express permission.
© NICK MUNROE (MUNROE PHOTOGRAPHY)
You can contact me
by email @
karenick23@yahoo.ca
munroephotographic@gmail.com
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Ordinarily I try to minimize the light pollution in my shots, but I thought the light pillars that were forming last night looked neat, so I incorporated them.
While on the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge with a view looking to the northwest to a sunset. My thinking in composing this image was to take advantage of the sunlight, and the way it reflected across the lake waters. There would also be a few other people on canoes and paddles to add to the recreation feel of this setting. The main purpose of capturing this image was to practice on using some new H&Y filters that I had recently purchased. I wanted to practice on minimizing lens artifacts as well as being able to take the filters and set them up without spending a lot of time. My thinking is that I wanted to be able to use this on national park travels. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 5 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.
A bit over one minute of flight over the slightly inverted S of the Potomac River to approach the landing at DCA (Washington DC). The airspace is crowded, squeezed by the prohibited area above the capital and kept above the water to minimize the noise pollution. It makes for a nice light trail for my camera. Hmmm.. wondering why all those red lights on the buildings 😜
Taken from Lincoln Memorial towards Rosslyn, Va with Interstate 66 bridge over Potomac in between.
Happy mothers day if you celebrate it today, and, happy yourself for the other parts of the world!
| 100mm | 25 sec x 3 frames | f/22 | ISO 800 |
A walk in the woods and forest not long after starting a hike along the Canyon Trail. The view is looking to the south as I walked the trail up the side of West Mountain with tall trees all around. That was the composition I visualized with this image and also using the trail ahead, carpeted with fallen leaves, as a leading line. Metering the image was a little trickier, given the brighter areas in the upper portion of the treetops that were caught in the morning sunlight. I decided to find an area that would have a mean shutter speed and allow me to minimize blowing any highlights while later pulling out the more shadowed areas in post-production. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 3 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.
A setting looking to the west while taking in views across eroded rock formations present in this part of the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. As a distant backdrop, there are the Sierra Nevada mountains with Lone Pine Peak and Mount Whitney being the most recognizable. I decided to angle my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward and bring up the various parts higher into the image, minimizing the more negative space of the blue skies. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 5 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.
Another image captured from a roadside pulloff while driving along Boston Mills Rd in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. In another image captured at this point, I zoomed in on the focal length to have more of the setting for that image be of the forest. With this image though, I pulled back on the focal length to include much more of the forest to my front as well as around me. While that would include some of the overcast skies present that day, I felt I was able to minimize that by moving around to get that right composition for the trees around me. I was later worked with some control points and color control points in Capture NX2 to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted. I then added a Foliage and Sunshine CEP filter to give that little bit extra for the final image.
This is Double Arch in Arches National Park, Utah. Do remember the picture game "Where's Waldo"? You had to find Waldo in a crowded photo. Anyway, in this photo it's "Where's Eric" (sorry Eric, you volunteered!). There is a figure in the photo with a headlamp, posed to give some scale to the photo. The arch is huge. Since Eric is in front of the arch and closer to the camera, he is actually magnified a bit, and the arch minimized a bit. Nikon 810A Camera, Nikon 14-24 mm lens, 20 mm, f 2.8, 30 sec., ISO 8000.
I just discovered it's Where's Wally in most of the world, and Where's Waldo in the USA and Canada. Thanks Oscar for the info!
The figure in the photo is Eric Gail you can see his excellent gallery here:
www.flickr.com/photos/dot21studios
Eric kindly volunteered to pose in the photo. Thanks Eric. BTW, I need another Model Release! LOL
Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there.
Please join me at:
Late winter is a quiet time on the northern prairie. Cold snaps make outdoor activities a challenge. Wildlife activity has reached its lowest ebb. Two days ago I was out, just looking. The landscape light I'd hoped for did not develop, so I switched to macro mode and came up with this.
The weather has been warming over the past week, and so the snow is looking crystalline and granular, the result of some melting and re-freezing. The lichen is growing on pink granite; some quartz or feldspar is showing near the top of the image. This is quite probably a glacial erratic. Contrary to popular belief, an erratic is not an unstable rock with emotional problems, but rather, a rock that has been transported elsewhere from its place of origin. In the West Block of Grasslands, these are the clearest indication of past glaciation.
Here I used my standard approach to creating high quality macro images: tripod, cable release, macro lens, low ISO to minimize noise, small aperture for maximum depth of field.
Photographed on the slopes overlooking Police Coulee in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2025 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
shot by KHWD in unst, shetlands , the calm of the picture belies the howling winds
want to see more images or read the blogs?
www.motorhome-travels.net/blog
www.motorhome-travels.net/post/blog-82-shetlands-july-2001
Unst, the northernmost inhabited island in the Shetland archipelago, is known for its rugged landscapes and relentless winds. Sheep on Unst have adapted to these conditions by seeking shelter in natural dips, behind stone walls, or among the island’s rocky outcrops. The island’s terrain provides pockets of protection where sheep can huddle together, minimizing exposure to the strong coastal gusts.
Hermaness, a dramatic nature reserve at the northern tip of Unst, is particularly exposed to the elements. Here, sheep share the land with seabirds like puffins and gannets, navigating the windswept moors and cliffs. The island’s climate, influenced by the North Atlantic Drift, keeps temperatures relatively mild despite its northern latitude, but the wind remains a constant challenge.
Unst’s landscape is shaped by centuries of human and natural influences, with traditional crofting practices still evident. The island’s sparse population and remote setting make it a haven for wildlife and hardy livestock. If you ever visit, you’ll likely see sheep tucked into sheltered spots, making the most of the island’s natural windbreaks.
Seven 4 min exposure were combined in StarStax to produce this final image. The plan was to wait until the quarter moon moved behind Grand Teton and use the smoke from the forest fires in Idaho to accentuate the moonbeams. The smaller f/stop was set to minimize the number of stars in the field. The location was String Lake in Grand Teton National Park, WY
From the archives but I've never posted this here before. This is a panorama of Double Arch in Arches National Park. 12mm fisheye lens, 10 vertical images, f/2.8, 30 seconds, ISO 10,000. This is basically a panorama of the inside of a spherical object. I’ve only done this a few times as there is infrequent need for this, but it is hands down the most fun panorama for me to do. It’s a bit more technically challenging than a standard pano. A panorama was done because I could not fit the entire scene on one frame, even with a 12mm fisheye lens and climbing the back wall (exciting in the dark!). In the past I had tried to do this pano with a 15 mm fisheye lens and still didn’t get as much coverage as I desired from top to bottom, so I returned 2 years later to try it with a new 12mm fisheye. This project took several hours to get the Low Level Lighting and positioning and exposures done. Unfortunately you pretty much need the location all to yourself or you’ll drive other people crazy running in and out of the arch. Anyway, I at least learned 2 new things. First, I could get the whole scene in a 12 mm pano but there was a lot more distortion to correct with the 12 mm fisheye compared with to 15 mm fisheye. Second, the distortion really depends on where you stand and even a few feet of difference can change the whole look of the results. It’s important to get level with the second arch to minimize distortion. So... now I want to go back and try again but it’s getting harder to get this location all to yourself these days.
I think this is one of the best views in Dubai. It is where you can see several of the skyscrapers in the commercial and financial center of the city, with emphasis on the Burj Khalifa downtown. No kidding, this photo was planned almost a year in advance. From the time spent to discover the place, to the preparation to be there at the right time, in the proper position. Get access to the site, and then assemble the equipment and manage to stay in the same position for more than 2 hours. No doubt it was worth every second spent on producing this work.
For this photo I placed the tripod in a wall that gives access to the view. Since there was no one, I was able to choose the place where I would stay. I looked closely at the view to choose the best angle and position, keeping in mind that I would need to minimize the distortion caused by the wide-angle lens (14mm) I would use. At the same time, I chose to centralize the Burj Khalifa, which would be the "star" of the photo. The positioning of the surrounding buildings would balance the elements of the photo, distributing interesting subjects from the foreground to the background. In addition, I chose to include the clues and cars trails focusing on exploring a more futuristic look, which is what this city represents.
Since I was positioned from late afternoon until the end of the blue hour, I was able to register the entire transition of sunlight and artificial lights from the buildings and cars. The idea was to register the moment of sunset and at the same time the atmosphere of the lights of the city already beginning to light, and also the traces of the cars. For this, a base exposure and two negative -1 and -2 negative stops, respectively, were used. The base exposure was used to get all the details of the shadows and the textures of the buildings. The first negative, I used to recover the colors of the sky and the horizon yellowed by the setting sun, and also to balance some parts of shadows in the transition from the background to the foreground. And the second negative I used to recover the details of the already bright artificial lights of the buildings and the streets. Then I used a sequence of a dozen exposures that were made at the end of the session, in order to capture the cars trails. This sequence was stacked up for a more consistent and more continuous trail result. This work was done using mostly Luminosity Masks and blend modes in Photoshop.
In the post-processing, I made adjustments of contrasts and micro-contrasts, highlights and shadows, distortion correction, color adjustments as well as sharpening and other minor adjustments. All of these adjustments were also made selectively using Luminosity Masks and I also used the Nik Color Efex Pro plugin.
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#moderncity #dubai #sunrise #bluehour
While taking in views at the Eielson Visitor Center in Denali National Park and looking to the southeast across a tundra and braided river landscape to snowcapped peaks of the Alaska Range. Given the more overcast skies that morning, I decided to angle my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward and have those mountain peaks in the upper portion of the image and minimize the more negative space of those overcast skies. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation while playing around as I learned how to work with DxO PhotoLab 3 that I’d recently purchased after moving away from Capture NX2.
Charisma Designs - Elaine Pants
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Flickr Group: www.flickr.com/groups/14804462@N22/
These tiny orange spheres reminded me of scoops of orange colored ice cream, so I added a leafy garnish for presentation.
Details:
Lycogala epidendrum, (wolf's milk or Groening's slime) forms small clusters of textured orange spheres that ooze orange slime when punctured.
White balance used the tiny gray cups as reference.
A single focus (not stacked) image was also prepared, minimizing the tiny gray cup fungi. Contrast and color enhancement with Topaz Restyle (reef at night preset, 40% normal blending mode).
Whenever You're Ready, You Should Go Outside
Whether it's for play or wonder
But not everyone can find that happiness
One has to sometimes just do it
And then let the feelings come as they do
That's when a sense of adventure can happen
One can then find what is needed.
Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one afternoon in New River Gorge National Park & Preserve while taking in views on the Fayette Station Bridge. The view is looking upstream and to the southeast. Here I used the New River flowing by and the channelized setting of hillsides and ridgelines to capture this image of a national park setting. While I could've gone for more leveled-on view, the overcast skies for me felt like more of a negative space to be minimized. I could angle my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward and use the river as part of that sweeping view to look forward. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation while playing around as I learned how to work with DxO PhotoLab 4. I then exported a TIFF image to Nik Color Efex Pro 4 where I added a Foliage and Pro Contrast filter for that last effect on the image captured.
While looking to the southeast at a scenic overlook to the New River and namesake national park. With another image captured at this point, I used the New River flowing by as a leading line into this setting. Here I decided to look across the river valley and gorge to the more distant hillsides and ridgelines. I took advantage of the high ground I was on and also angled my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward to create a more sweeping view across this river valley. That would also allow me to minimize the overcast skies present that morning that I felt were more of a negative space. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation while playing around as I learned how to work with DxO PhotoLab 4. I then exported a TIFF image to Nik Color Efex Pro 4 where I added some filters for that last effect on the image captured.
The day after Christmas was a beautiful day, a winter heat wave by Chicago standards - a balmy 48 degrees and sunny (though it gets colder sitting right by the water watching the sun to go down). So I decided to head out to Montrose Harbor. Walked around for a bit taking bird pictures and then set up for the sunset starting about 25 minutes before sunset and going about 25 minutes after. It was such a nice day that there were several other people out walking and biking by and some of them stopped to ask what I was doing - fun to explain!
This was 302 photos taken at 10 second intervals with the Sony Nex 5T Timelapse app (so camera was set up for a total of 50 minutes), and then blended together in StarStax using lighten mode. The result of the stacking was a bit dull colors-wise compared to the individual frames, so then I played with the colors to my own artistic liking. So, I may post other versions with different tints and saturation in the future, but I think this is my favorite.
It's really just too bad the sun won't set over the skyline from any vantage point I can find at this time of year. In the summer, it will set over the skyline as viewed from the Planetarium, so I'm looking forward to trying that. But right now it sets more to the south, so this and the Navy Pier one I did a few weeks ago are the best vantage points I can think of. The only way to see it setting over the skyline right now would be to go out on a boat, and even if I had access to a boat it wouldn't be stable enough for a time lapse.
If you read this far, tell me, did you notice the dust spot? I was disappointed when I got home to see there was a large spot on all the frames from, I assume, sensor dust due to changing the lenses outside. But, it doesn't show nearly as much after the stacking process. My eye is drawn to it because I know it's there, but I'm curious if others noticed it. Also, seriously, what are you supposed to do about changing lenses outside? Just never do it? But I want to go for a walk where I use the telephoto lens for birds on the way and then get to a vantage point and switch to the kit lens for landscape/sunset. I suppose in the future I will try to check for dust spots after changing lenses, and even if I couldn't clean it out there, I could have probably adjusted the aperture to minimize it.
UPDATE: Thanks to some suggestions in the comments, which in retrospect are obvious but which I hadn't originally thought of, I figured out how to remove the dust spot by using select and feather in photoshop, and then brightening the selection a bit. The feathering is key so the edges of the adjustment aren't obvious. (I had originally been trying to approach it by cloning/repair, which doesn't work with such a detailed cloud pattern). While it would be tempting to just replace this photo, which is getting all the views in Explore, that wouldn't be fair since the description and comments already address the dust spot. So, I posted it as a new version, and also posted a couple with different color choices. Here is an album with the various versions: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/jesspictures/sets/72157649590603658]
UPDATE 2: I posted this as a comment but I realize people probably didn't see it. I'm trying to get a group going for this method. If you ever do this kind of photography or want to try, join this group! (FYI you can also do this on an iPhone - see my other posts about that).
[www.flickr.com/groups/2750725@N24/]
UPDATE 3:
Behind the scenes: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/32229726@N03/15932742548]
Album of other versions of this photo:
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/jesspictures/sets/72157649590603658]
Video of the stacking process:
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/jesspictures/15962510049/]
Video of the frames as a traditional time lapse:
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/jesspictures/16148502845/]
Someday, I will start a blog instead of just posting all this info in photo descriptions.
Smiles on Saturday - Theme: Quotes
The phrase “take only pictures, leave only footprints, kill nothing but time” is intended to address this "micro" level of humanity by impressing upon tourists, hunters, and others the need to respect nature and to minimize the adverse impact upon nature caused by tourists, hunters, hikers, and others. ( Also a good motto to live by : )
Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. From start to finish it took 140 years to complete construction with the 1st stone being laid in 1296 and the completion of the dome in 1436.
I have previously posted images of this building - from different vantage points.
This was an interesting shot for me as we were walking through Boboli Gardens and I thought there would be a good perspective of the Duomo from there - but there was always something obstructing the view.
For this shot, I actually had to put the camera through a fence of bars and push it as far to the left and as high as I could so that I could minimize the impact of the trees.
It wasn't what I was exactly hoping for, as the brown building in the middle blocks a lot of the Cathedral.
But I love this setting with the Tuscan hillside in the background.
Excerpt from www.hember.ca/pdf/ShandDamStory.pdf:
Before the Shand Dam and the other major reservoirs on the Grand River opened, the river was sometimes a raging, uncontrolled torrent that menaced property owners all along its banks, and at other times it was a smelly trickle of sewer water.
The first Grand River dam, the Shand Dam, started to change all that. It came about after years of struggle to find a reservoir plan, a political structure and funding.
The first big step taken by the Grand River Conservation
Commission (formed in 1934) was to hire H. G. Acres & Co. of Niagara Falls during the summer of 1938 to come up with a reservoir plan and then supervise construction of the new dam.
Soliciting government funds was another big problem that solved itself as the Great Depression lingered. Money flowed to the project thanks to the lean years and what today’s government would call infrastructure spending as part of an economic stimulus package.
The federal and provincial governments each kicked in 37.5 per cent of the $2-million cost of the dam, while the eight local municipalities that made up the GRCC (Brantford, Galt, Fergus, Elora, Paris, Kitchener, Waterloo and Preston) paid 25 per cent. In return, the municipalities got the dam and jobs for some of the
unemployed people in their communities, helping to lighten their welfare rolls.
Municipalities contributed different amounts based on a formula that had been developed a few years earlier. The overall project cost included acquiring 2,000 acres of land. Half of Belwood, along with most of its businesses, were affected by the construction.
The project got underway in 1939. At the peak, an on-site construction camp included a dozen buildings to house 200
men. Most of the unskilled labourers were from the towns and cities in the Grand River and they lived on the worksite. While machines were used, there was also lots of manual work.
When WW II began in September 1939, the provincial and federal governments decided the project was too far along to be put on hold for the war.
Instead, once the high spring waters subsided in April 1940, there was big push to complete the dam quickly.
By Nov. 14, 1940, all Canadian records were broken when 256,000 cubic metres of clay had been put in place and compacted in just five weeks. The dam’s steel gates were installed and the dam was complete by the end of January 1942. The “last spike” on a railway that had to be moved due to the dam construction was driven in by Grand River Conservation Commission chair William Philip on March 9, and then the first train crossed over the dam.
It opened with great fanfare on Aug. 7, 1942, with 3,500 people on hand.
There is still some film footage of the opening. A street dance and food for 5,000 people were provided by Raynor Construction, the firm hired to build the dam. It was the largest party ever held in Fergus. The post office even issued a special cancellation stamp on mail from Elora and Fergus that day.
At first, the new dam was called the Grand Valley Dam, but tourists searching for it ended up at Grand Valley, 18 km upstream. As a result, it was renamed the Shand Dam after a local pioneer family.
The Shand Dam garnered national and international attention. The Financial Post ran a front page story a year after the dam opened, with a headline that proclaimed “Grand Valley masters its river.” The article began: “Post-war projects that will pay for themselves, prevent serious annual losses and permanent injury to otherwise productive land offer attractions impossible to ignore.” It described the value of large engineering projects that would also provide post-war jobs for returning soldiers.
The Shand Dam was the first large-scale multi-purpose dam in Canada, and it formed a 12-km long lake — water that is held back to prevent flooding and then let out during the dry summer
months to supply fresh water to communities downstream.
That value was proven after Hurricane Hazel in 1954. The Toronto area suffered tremendous loss of life and property, but no one died in the Grand River watershed as a result of the hurricane.
The reservoir system in the Grand River watershed has made the lives of watershed residents much less susceptible to the problems of flooding. They have paid for themselves many times over. They reduced flood damage significantly twice this winter — once in the thaw in late December and a second time in mid-February.
Today we know that large engineering projects such as this minimize the impact of flooding and drought, but don’t eliminate these problems. Instead, dams are one of several measures that
help to keep people and property safe from flooding by counterbalancing the impact of climate change and development that removes water storage from
the land.
While walking The Window View Trail and a view looking to the west-northwest at a setting sun. I closed down on the aperture in order to create more of a starburst look with the sun itself. I later did some editing in Photoshop to minimize and eliminate the lens artifacts captured with the image.
They're everywhere. They made the park looked so beautiful. A beautiful morning it was.
This HDR is made up of 4 separate shots of different exposures. I actually shot this with 9 exposures but decided to use only 4 to minimize the ghosting effect.
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Some facts on Cherry Blossom
The cherry blossom is the national flower of Japan.
Samurai warriors were fond of cherry blossoms. The short life of the cherry blossom mirrored their duty to die for their master at a moment’s notice. In 1910 the Japanese sent cherry trees to Washington, D.C. as a token of goodwill and friendship.
In 1952, America sent cherry trees back to Japan to replenish their collection following World War II.
The song, Sakura, means cherry blossom or cherry tree.
Sakura is pronounced: sah koo rah.
The area that was to become West Palm Beach was settled in the late 1870s and 1880s by a few hundred settlers who called the vicinity "Lake Worth Country." These settlers were a diverse community from different parts of the United States and the world. They included founding families such at the Potters and the Lainharts, who would go on to become leading members of the business community in the fledgling city. The first white settlers in Palm Beach County lived around Lake Worth, then an enclosed freshwater lake, named for Colonel William Jenkins Worth, who had fought in the Second Seminole War in Florida in 1842. Most settlers engaged in the growing of tropical fruits and vegetables for shipment the north via Lake Worth and the Indian River. By 1890, the U.S. Census counted over 200 people settled along Lake Worth in the vicinity of what would become West Palm Beach. The area at this time also boasted a hotel, the "Cocoanut House", a church, and a post office. The city was platted by Henry Flagler as a community to house the servants working in the two grand hotels on the neighboring island of Palm Beach, across Lake Worth in 1893, coinciding with the arrival of the Florida East Coast railroad. Flagler paid two area settlers, Captain Porter and Louie Hillhouse, a combined sum of $45,000 for the original town site, stretching from Clear Lake to Lake Worth.
On November 5, 1894, 78 people met at the "Calaboose" (the first jail and police station located at Clematis St. and Poinsettia, now Dixie Hwy.) and passed the motion to incorporate the Town of West Palm Beach in what was then Dade County (now Miami-Dade County). This made West Palm Beach the first incorporated municipality in Dade County and in South Florida. The town council quickly addressed the building codes and the tents and shanties were replaced by brick, brick veneer, and stone buildings. The city grew steadily during the 1890s and the first two decades of the 20th century, most residents were engaged in the tourist industry and related services or winter vegetable market and tropical fruit trade. In 1909, Palm Beach County was formed by the Florida State Legislature and West Palm Beach became the county seat. In 1916, a new neo-classical courthouse was opened, which has been painstakingly restored back to its original condition, and is now used as the local history museum.
The city grew rapidly in the 1920s as part of the Florida land boom. The population of West Palm Beach quadrupled from 1920 to 1927, and all kinds of businesses and public services grew along with it. Many of the city's landmark structures and preserved neighborhoods were constructed during this period. Originally, Flagler intended for his Florida East Coast Railway to have its terminus in West Palm, but after the area experienced a deep freeze, he chose to extend the railroad to Miami instead.
The land boom was already faltering when city was devastated by the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. The Depression years of the 1930s were a quiet time for the area, which saw slight population growth and property values lower than during the 1920s. The city only recovered with the onset of World War II, which saw the construction of Palm Beach Air Force Base, which brought thousands of military personnel to the city. The base was vital to the allied war effort, as it provided an excellent training facility and had unparalleled access to North Africa for a North American city. Also during World War II, German U-Boats sank dozens of merchant ships and oil tankers just off the coast of West Palm Beach. Nearby Palm Beach was under black out conditions to minimize night visibility to German U-boats.
The 1950s saw another boom in population, partly due to the return of many soldiers and airmen who had served in the vicinity during the war. Also, the advent of air conditioning encouraged growth, as year-round living in a tropical climate became more acceptable to northerners. West Palm Beach became the one of the nation's fastest growing metropolitan areas during the 1950s; the city's borders spread west of Military Trail and south to Lake Clarke Shores. However, many of the city's residents still lived within a narrow six-block wide strip from the south to north end. The neighborhoods were strictly segregated between White and African-American populations, a legacy that the city still struggles with today. The primary shopping district remained downtown, centered around Clematis Street.
In the 1960s, Palm Beach County's first enclosed shopping mall, the Palm Beach Mall, and an indoor arena were completed. These projects led to a brief revival for the city, but in the 1970s and 1980s crime continued to be a serious issue and suburban sprawl continued to drain resources and business away from the old downtown area. By the early 1990s there were very high vacancy rates downtown, and serious levels of urban blight.
Since the 1990s, developments such as CityPlace and the preservation and renovation of 1920s architecture in the nightlife hub of Clematis Street have seen a downtown resurgence in the entertainment and shopping district. The city has also placed emphasis on neighborhood development and revitalization, in historic districts such as Northwood, Flamingo Park, and El Cid. Some neighborhoods still struggle with blight and crime, as well as lowered property values caused by the Great Recession, which hit the region particularly hard. Since the recovery, multiple new developments have been completed. The Palm Beach Mall, located at the Interstate 95/Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard interchange became abandoned as downtown revitalized - the very mall that initiated the original abandonment of the downtown. The mall was then redeveloped into the Palm Beach Fashion Outlets in February 2014. A station for All Aboard Florida, a high speed passenger rail service serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, is under construction as of July 2015.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
A setting looking to the north while taking in views across this setting in west Texas. My thinking in composing this image was to use some high ground I was on at a roadside pullout and capture a sweeping view across this desert and national park landscape leading up to the Guadalupe Mountains. The blue skies and clouds would be that color contrast to complement the earth-tones in the lower portion of the image. The clouds present would also help to minimize what I felt would be more negative space for the image captured.
Slivers from three bars of soap, joined together to minimize waste. (I’ve noticed a quite a few contributors, from their posts and comments, proudly do basically the same thing, so I’m not alone.) With regular soap, the sliver can easily be molded onto a new bar.
This particular stack of scraps was not so easy to form. When the makers of a longtime favorite soap brand tampered with the product’s formulation in the guise of “improvement,” I had to find a replacement. I settled on a bar from the men’s line of a brand named for a bird. The product was much better overall, but I discovered after using up the first bar that I could not squeeze the sliver onto a fresh bar without cracking the scrap piece.
Before too long, I found I could use two slivers to wash my hands with, carefully rubbing the pieces together to burnish them to fit, then allowing the stack to dry. The pieces would separate; after a few hand-washings and an overnight drying, they would adhere to each other. The stack is then attached to a fresh sliver in the same manner as before, and again and again as the weeks go by. I’ve long ago lost track of how many iterations the sliver stack has gone through.
I derived with my family and friends from New York to Acadia National Park about 10 hours. There was new moon and weather forecast for this night was good. It was chance to get good dark sky.
While Mount Desert Island is not heavily populated and is remote, but some light pollution exists. So, some places in Acadia National Park are just with good dark sky. But some places are having amazing sky! Sand Beach, while just a 290-yard-long beach inlet between granite mountains, has a spectacular view of the night sky. On the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale, this place has “Class 1” (out of 9) is absolutely, naturally dark — the darkest skies on Earth!
Such darkness sky in the Sand Beach can be attributed to two factors: location and park lighting. Newport cove protects the beach from most of the sky glow from major population centers on the island. The beach faces out to the dark open ocean. The surrounding topography blocks the line of sight from Bar Harbor city preventing residual sky glow. Park lighting were design to minimized light pollution.
The Sand Beach was good choice. The Galactic center region of the Milky Way casts obvious diffuse shadows on the ground. Airglow is readily apparent. The presence of Jupiter in the sky seems to degrade dark adaptation. Amazing sky!
Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 25.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400 - Panorama of 20 photos