Here's my first Milky Way shot of 2021. This was captured on the evening of Friday, June 4th from Trayfoot Mountain Overlook in Shenandoah National Park at mile post 87. I had seen this old snag on previous drives and thought it might make for a fun foreground as the overlook looks out to the south and east.

 

The only downside is the Milky Way was rising right over the light dome of #charlottesville Virginia so the effects of light pollution are evident in the photo, although I've tried to minimize the impact through processing.

 

Specs:

Canon EOS 6D, Sigma EX 50mm lens, iOptron Skyguider Pro tracker for the sky shots. Aperture was set to F/3.2 for all shots.

 

12x60" tracked sky shots at ISO800 stacked and denoised with 12 dark frames, merged with a single untracked foreground shot of 120" at ISO1600. I used some dim light painting for the tree from my cell phone's flashlight to make it show up a little better.

A setting looking to the south-southeast while taking in views of a snowy landscape along the Hidden Valley Nature Trail in Joshua Tree National Park. This was another image captured where I liked the layering present with the foreground and it's snowy landscape leading up to the rock formation in the distance. I decided to minimize the overcast and overcast skies as I felt it really didn't add much to the image.

An interstellar experience in the remote Norwegian mountains.

 

Hardangervidda is a mountain plateau and the biggest national park in mainland Norway. It is the largest plateau of its kind in Europe, with a cold year-round alpine climate, and one of Norway's largest glaciers.

 

Photographed from the central mt. Store Skrekken 1429moh. to minimize light pollution.

 

A setting looking up at a nearby tree and then beyond to the skies and sun shining above. This was while walking to the main area and exhibits at the Montezuma Castle National Monument. When I noticed the sun shining down through the trees, I recalled a friend giving me some advice on creating and bringing out more of a starburst look with the sun by closing down on the camera lens aperture. To minimize blowing any highlights present while still being able to bring out the more shadowed areas underneath the trees, I decided to work an angle that used the tree leaves to mask some of the sun’s brightness. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 4 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.

Die Buhnen bei Rantum auf Sylt sind charakteristische Holzbauwerke, die ins Meer ragen und parallel zueinander angeordnet sind. Sie dienten dem Küstenschutz und sollten die Strömung bremsen und die Sandabtragung minimieren. Die Szenerie ist geprägt von der malerischen Kombination aus dem weitläufigen Strand, der Nordsee und den sich im Takt der Gezeiten verändernden Buhnen. Auf dem Foto erscheinen die Buhnen in herbstlichem Licht bei sehr tief stehender Sonne.

------------

The groynes near Rantum on Sylt are characteristic wooden structures that protrude into the sea and are arranged parallel to each other. They served as coastal protection and were intended to slow down the current and minimize sand erosion. The scenery is characterized by the picturesque combination of the expansive beach, the North Sea and the groynes that change with the tides. In the photo, the groynes appear in autumnal light with the sun very low in the sky.

The Mallard, or Wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos[1]), probably the best-known and most recognizable of all ducks, is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and sub-tropical Americas, Europe, Asia, New Zealand (where it is currently the most common duck species), and Australia.

 

The male birds have a bright green head, while the female's is light brown. The Mallard lives in wetlands, eats water plants, and is gregarious. It is also migratory. The Mallard is the ancestor of all domestic ducks, and can interbreed with other species of genus Anas.[2] This interbreeding is causing rarer species of ducks to become genetically diluted.

 

The Mallard is 56–65 centimetres (22–26 in) long, has a wingspan of 81–98 centimetres (32–39 in), and weighs 0.9–1.2 kilograms (32–42 oz). The breeding male is unmistakable, with a bright green head, black rear end and a yellowish orange (can also contain some red) bill tipped with black (as opposed to the dark brown bill in females), and is also nature's most feared duck. The female Mallard is light brown, like most female dabbling ducks. However, both the female and male Mallards have distinct purple speculum edged with white, prominent in flight or at rest (though temporarily shed during the annual summer moult). In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage the drake becomes drab, looking more like the female, but still distinguishable by its yellow bill and reddish breast.

 

In captivity, domestic ducks come in wild-type plumages, white, and other colours. Most of these colour variants are also known in domestic Mallards not bred as livestock, but kept as pets, aviary birds, etc., where they are rare but increasing in availability.

 

A noisy species, the male has a nasal call, the female has a "quack" stereotypically associated with ducks.[3]

 

The Mallard is a rare example of both Allen's Rule and Bergmann's Rule in birds. Bergmann's Rule, which states that polar forms tend to be larger than related ones from warmer climates, has numerous examples in birds. Allen's Rule says that appendages like ears tend to be smaller in polar forms to minimize heat loss, and larger in tropical and desert equivalents to facilitate heat diffusion, and that the polar taxa are stockier overall. Examples of this rule in birds are rare, as they lack external ears. However, the bill of ducks is very well supplied with blood vessels and is vulnerable to cold.

 

This was after the sun set behind the mountains... sometimes the sky does crazy things. This is pretty much straight out of the camera and I just did everything I could to prevent the highlights from blowing out and to minimize oversaturation artifacts.

  

Whoa, whoa! Nothing's set in stone yet - at least give me another 1000 shots to try, okay? Now that I think of it, there really are a lot of testshots here, which I try to minimize now, so the next 1000 might take a bit longer...

 

It's weird to announce the amount of shots anyway, right? If so: I also just got 1 million views… however I feel even more weird shouting that from the rooftops.

 

I really didn't think that I would stay here for long and yet now, I think I might be here for some time! So I'll just go and celebrate that and hope at least some of you agree that that‘s not a bad thing!

 

By the way: Because I'm a manual lens enthusiast I had to include 4 of my favorite lenses, that got a lot of use during that time:

 

Carl Zeiss Luminar 16 mm F 2.5

Tomioka Copal E66 75 mm F 2.8 (enlarging lens)

Tomioka Copal E36 71 mm F 4 (enlarging lens)

(Tomioka) Tominon-MC 48 mm F 4 (enlarging lens)

 

Shot with a "Tomioka-Copal 105 mm F 4.5" (enlarging) lens on a Canon EOS R5.

As I walked up to the shoreline at Mirror Lake just outside of Anchorage, I’d been drawn to the mountains all around with the sun slowly coming up that Saturday morning. It was a few seconds, maybe a minute, before I turned to the east and noticed this with the mountain and ridgeline and its reflections on the lake waters. Wow! So while composing the image was a matter of lining the mountain and reflections, metering the image required a lot more work, especially with the sun shining away. I knew I didn’t want to blow any highlights with the sun and that area. I also wanted to minimize light artifacts across my lens. And then there was the more shadowed areas and pulling out realistic colors. I found a spot I could meter the shutter speed and then let it be. I later worked with 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.

An image idea I noted from another photographer before heading out on this trip to the Dakotas and Badlands National Park. By angling my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward, I felt I could minimize the overcast skies but also capture a more sweeping view across the prairie grasses to the yellow mounds and then badlands formation off in the distance. I later used a Pro Contrast and Skylight CEP filter in Capture NX2 for the final image to address what I felt was the more muted colors from the overcast skies above.

A view looking to the west across the canyon and gorge with blue skies above at the Cedar Point overlook in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. This was definitely a difficult image to capture as I was looking almost directly at the sun from this view with the canyon below. I not only had to work to minimize any sunlight falling across the lands, but I also had to expose it such that I could void blowing any highlights and still pulling out the more shadowed areas later. I chose to work with Aurora HDR Pro to better bring that complete setting in the image. I later exported a TIFF image to DxO PhotoLab 3 where I did some final adjustments with contrast, saturation and brightness for the final image.

This was an image captured looking mostly to the east across the calm, placid waters of Byers Lake with a forest and mountain ridgelines off in the distance. My thinking in angling my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward were a few things. One was to capture that sweeping view across the reflections of the lake waters. Another was to capture the nearby rocks and submerged plant-life present in the lake. While a polarizer could have minimized that, I felt it was a complement to this setting. Yes, the eyes would naturally be drawn to the majestic peaks and forest off in the distance, but if one looked carefully, one could see the details of life and in the image nearby.

 

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.

This is a shot I had envisioned for qAhh...the high you feel when a shot comes together!

 

I had envisioned this image for quite a while and I was elated when I finally made it happen! It required so many things to line up. First, clear skies during an early spring Milky Way. Second, sufficient snow coverage to help illuminate the landscape at night. Third, low wind for the long exposures. Fourth, stable snow conditions to minimize avalanche danger. And finally, the most elusive and scarce element, time (I'm usually running Milky Way Workshops in the Southwest in Spring)!

 

We set off late in the evening and arrived just before the Milky way was in the prime position. We set up a small tent as a prop and felt it added additional interest to the pano. In the darkest hours of the night, we were like two kids beaming with glee!

 

Tech Specs: I did two passes for this pano - all at 17mm. First pass was for the sky at 10sec ISO 10,000, f/2.8. I stacked 8 shots for noise reduction. I then took a second pass for the foreground (same exact position) and took that at 45sec ISO 3200 for improved landscape detail.

This fox kit is nearly full grown but still listens to mom. I had a minute or two to shoot, in the last light of the setting sun, before the parent fox - concealed in tall grass nearby - gave a sharp warning and the kit abruptly dived into its den and safety. Two ears poked up from concealment, then two eyes and part of a face: a beautiful blonde variant! But I couldn't convince her to come out and pose for me, and a few moments later I lost the light.

 

We come now to one of my longstanding gripes. I try not to use Flickr as a forum for complaining, because nature and wildlife photographers already know these things and are here to share positive experiences and great photos. But. Just. Once. A moment ago, checking online to make sure the Red Fox is still taxonomically Vulpes vulpes, I came across this in Wikipedia: "the red fox is one of the most important furbearing animals harvested for the fur trade."

 

Wrong. You do not "harvest" an animal. You kill it. This euphemism is intended to soften the blow, cushion delicate souls from reality, minimize the suffering, deny the truth. We hear politicians use such odious language all the time. The governments of Washington and British Columbia are currently "harvesting" wolves; a certain percentage of moose may be "harvested" each fall - as if they were as insensitive as rows of corn or wheat in a field. No images of blood and death, please; it's too offensive to contemplate. It's so widespread, this spinning of truth into some sort of palatable fantasy that may ease the conscience a little - so that people slide into apathy and allow barbaric practices to continue. So that people who wear fox coats or hats can think of bloodless rows of corn, if they think at all. So that the politicians can appease as many voters as possible and get re-elected. So that we never have to admit what we really do.

 

Okay, enough. End of rant. I realize that it's unrealistic to expect honest words from elected officials and other authority figures. But I really am tired of the bs.

 

Photographed near Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2019 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

A setting looking to the northeast while taking in views across a snowy landscape present along the Hidden Valley Nature Trail. This is in Joshua Tree National Park. My thought on composing this image was to zoom in with the focal length to fill most of the image with this fallen tree a friend and I came across in this open area. That would help to minimize the overcast and snowy skies present, while focusing on the desert plant-life and rocky landscape off in the distance.

School's out for the summer and daily high temperatures are in the 90°s, so my kids will be wanting to go to the swimming pool every day. I want my kids to be good swimmers to minimize their risk of drowning, but beyond that, I'm not interested. However, seeing a bird swim is, I find, quite interesting. I was pleased to see this masked lapwing chick paddle past a duck on its way to an island in the pond that is part of its habitat/exhibit at Sylvan Heights Bird Park.

A setting looking to the west-northwest while taking in views across meadow present at Bruhel Point. This was at a parking area pullout at along the Pacific Coast Highway. What I wanted to capture with this image was a look across the meadow to the waves coming into the shore along the Pacific coastline. By angling my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward, I felt I was able to create more of a sweeping view leading up to the horizon. That in turn would bring the horizon a little higher into the image and minimize what I felt was more of a negative space with the blue skies above.

all links/info on blog

Silent Raindrops

 

ITTY BITTY TITTY COMMITTEE EVENT

Nov 13 - 30th

♥APPPETITE - Anti Social Hoodie

♥ND/MD - FLO Bom Skins LeL EvoX

♥TONIC - Fine Beauty v7.1 + Fine Beauty Bust Minimizer v7.1

 

LELUTKA - Halle Head 3.1

DOUX - Chill hairstyle

MIDNYTE CREATIONS - Hands Poses2

Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikk%C5%8D_T%C5%8Dsh%C5%8D-g%C5%AB:

 

Nikkō Tōshō-gū (日光東照宮) is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

 

Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji, it forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 42 structures of the shrine included in the nomination. Five of them are designated as National Treasures of Japan, and three more as Important Cultural Properties.

 

Tōshō-gū is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was initially built in 1617, during the Edo period, while Ieyasu's son Hidetada was shōgun. It was enlarged during the time of the third shōgun, Iemitsu. Ieyasu is enshrined there, where his remains are also entombed. This shrine was built by Tokugawa retainer Tōdō Takatora.

 

During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate carried out stately processions from Edo to the Nikkō Tōshō-gū along the Nikkō Kaidō. The shrine's annual spring and autumn festivals reenact these occasions, and are known as "processions of a thousand warriors". Cedar trees line the roadway, termed the Cedar Avenue of Nikkō.

 

Five structures at Nikkō Tōshō-gū are categorized as National Treasures of Japan, and three more as Important Cultural Properties. Additionally, two swords in the possession of the shrine are National Treasures, and many other objects are Important Cultural Properties. Famous buildings at the Tōshō-gū include the richly decorated Yōmeimon (陽明門), a gate that is also known as "higurashi-no-mon". The latter name means that one could look at it until sundown, and not tire of seeing it. Carvings in deep relief, painted in rich colors, decorate the surface of the structure. The next gate is the karamon decorated with white ornaments. Located nearby is a woodcarving of a sleepy cat, "Nemuri-neko", attributed to Hidari Jingorō.

 

The stable of the shrine's sacred horses bears a carving of the three wise monkeys, who hear, speak and see no evil, a traditional symbol in Japanese culture that is derived from a quote in the Analects.

 

The original five-storey pagoda was donated by a daimyō in 1650, but it was burned down during a fire, and was rebuilt in 1818. Each storey represents an element–earth, water, fire, wind and aether (or void)–in ascending order. Inside the pagoda, a central shinbashira pillar hangs from chains[3] to minimize damage from earthquakes.

 

Hundreds of stone steps lead through the cryptomeria forest up to the grave of Ieyasu. A torii at the top bears calligraphy attributed to Emperor Go-Mizunoo. A bronze urn contains the remains of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

 

In 2008, Yuri Kawasaki became the first female Shinto priest ever to serve at Nikkō Tōshō-gū.

This is part of my pandemic project. The project was created to minimize the number of people that I would come into contact with and to help keep my sanity. The location is a local university. From what I can tell the vast majority of classes are being held online leaving the campus empty with the exception of a few nursing students and an occasional group of Frisbee golf players.

 

The project started when my wife and I used the campus to walk the dog in the evening. I began to notice the architecture and interesting light fixtures. I started to return and photograph and soon had a project.

 

The project is to examine the lights and architecture of the empty Campus at night.

 

Canon 6D

Voigtländer Color Skopar 28mm f2.8

 

This represents my dilemma in my project, and the pros and cons that I face. :

 

The top board has a nice grain and is easy to route, but it naturally bows and warps (very bad pro) and is very, very soft. It is also limited in the width I can get.

The bottom board is hard, sturdy, without bow and I can cut to almost any width I'd need- but I'm not a fan of the layered view.

 

I believe the bottom board comes with the best "wins", and the fewest challenges; and with the right joint or routing I would minimize that layering I am not a fan of.

 

Theme: Re-Creation

Year Thirteen Of My 365 Project

There was a week toward the end of June when every morning a dozen or so Snapping Turtles would be laying eggs, heading out of the Lake to lay them, or returning to the Lake after laying them. With the water behind her, and a hole she has dug with her back legs and feet visible, this Turtle is in the process of laying her eggs. I was very careful not to move quickly, and I moved on my stomach on the grass, to minimize any disruption to the Turtle, and I grabbed a half dozen images before moving on.

 

When one is used to birds, and nests in cavities of trees or hidden inside bushes, the egg-laying behaviour of the Turtles seems somewhat reckless. We were on a small hill in this image, completely exposed and very clearly visible from above and to the sides. That said: the Lake is apparently full of females who come out to lay eggs, so something is working.

DESIGNATION: CC-1807

NICKNAME: Galaar

RANK: ARC Commander grade III

UNIT: Vornskr Company, 3rd Regiment of the 253rd Elite Legion

------------------------------------

 

"Keep moving! We're almost there! Let's teach those kriffing lizards not to mess with the two-fifty-third!"

 

"Command this Galaar, we're running out of cover! If we advance any further we'll be completely exposed to enemy fire. Requesting close air support to cover our advance."

 

"Negative, trooper all air assets are currently occupied with the space battle."

 

"Understood Sir. Is there an alternative route? Anyway for us to bypass the enemy position and minimize casualties?"

 

"Negative, the only way through is a frontal assaults, that facility must be destroyed no matter the cost. Is there anything else commander?"

 

"No Sir."

 

"Very good, you have your orders... For the Republic."

 

"For the Republic..."

 

"This is it Vornskr! We're hitting them head on, prepare to charge!

 

"FOR THE REPUBLIC!!"

 

 

----------------------------------------

 

Another quick entry for the 253rds final mission before I head off back to school. If I have some time one of these weekends I'll try to get another one done, I decided to go all in with the planets "vibrant plant life"/mostly stone terrain and ended up really liking the colors. Wouldn't mind working with them again. Until then, thanks for stopping by and have a good one!

   

Lake Ninan at night. 15 shot Selfie night panorama.

I used the star minimization technique from photographingspace.com

 

This image gives me some Stranger Things vibes :)

 

Canon 6D

Samyang 14mm @ f2.8

25sec, iso 6400

#0105

 

ADN Aurora Dress

Dress + panties + Hud

NITHIUM KUPRA-Maitreya + Petite-Legacy + Perky-Hourglass-Belleza Freya - Isis- eBODY Curvy - Tonic Curvy + Fine + Minimizer-Altamura

  

ADN WEDGE SANDALS

HUD colors & Logo

INITHIUM KUPRA-MAITREYA-BELLEZA-SLINK-TONIC

  

Six Feet Under Inverted Cross Harness

Rigged for Maitreya Only - Hud (black base + 9 cross colors) - 3 pieces Left/right leg + chest - Copy

  

EscalateD Star Hair - Fitted No resize

Un/natural essentials included - Materials changeable via hud - Version streaks/Duo/Mirror - Copy/Mod

A red wolf emerges from the vegetation at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington. This wolf (Canis rufus) is a North American species that by 1980 was nearing extinction. Smaller than the Gray Wolf but larger than the coyote, the red wolf was saved by a few zoos led by the Point Defiance Zoo. Together they developed a Red Wolf Species Survival Plan which has includes a successful reintroduced wolf population to the wild. The goal from the start of the breeding program has been to put the Red Wolf back into its natural habitat. Great care had to be taken to maintain the wolves’ natural instincts and minimize human contact. The program is ongoing, and the Point Defiance Zoo has been successful breeding wolves to produce individuals that have been and can be reintroduced into the wild.

There's No Need for Hurry

Or chasing the next storm

I'm going to take life as it comes

Good or bad; happy or sad

Being content that I am alive

At the here and now

Oh, those joyful angelic voices

The wind whistling leaves in a passing breeze

Birds add songs in symphony of life

It is so grand to delight in today!

 

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one overcast morning in New River Gorge National Park & Preserve while taking in views of Sandstone Falls. This was the first stop in America's newest national park that I made back in April 2021. My thinking was to take advantage of the recent rains and then overcast skies to visit locations with waterfalls. In my mind, it would be much easier to have a longer shutter speed to capture that silkier look to the waters flowing. Composing the image was a matter of setting up my Nikon SLR camera on a tripod and orienting it to capture a view across the many waterfalls present at this location. I closed down on the aperture and then metered it to minimize blowing any highlights. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 4 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.

The Small White Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium candidum) is a rare, endangered, perennial orchid with tiny white flowers that occurs in isolated patches in Ontario. As with all orchids, fungus found in the soil are interdependent for their nourishment and survival. The orchid requires approximately three years to produce its first leaf and as many as 16 years to produce its first flower after germination. The species is capable of extended dormancy, surviving underground for as long as six years, until suitable conditions occur for above ground growth. 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.

From a point on the stairs to the main, historic entrance to Mammoth Cave in this part of the national park. While I had some time before the tour started with the park rangers leading us down, I decided to use this extra time and compose an image of the waters falling from the recent rains. I was able to brace myself on some of the steel railings and capture a longer exposed image so that I could get more of a milky or look to the waters. The fog was coming in and out of the view caused some actual actual fogging on my camera lens, but I was able to minimize some of that with color control points and Capture NX2 along with a DarkenLighten Center CEP filter.

Built in rapid response to the Victory-Class Airships being developed. Styled after the "Ironclad" warships, this was designed to be able to soak up enemy fire as it streaked head-long into the Airships gas-bag thingy. Designers minimized the amount of windows so as to prevent gnomes from getting inside. A large periscope was incorporated into the design after it was determined some visibility must be need to guide the ship in. Twice the size of a normal biplane, and its wings tucked into the sides for maximum penetration, this ship is sleek and will be able to rip apart almost any Airship it is catapulted at.

__________________________________________________

 

Built in response to this: www.flickr.com/photos/redwall97/24639675832/ . Specifically a comment made about how the size of the needle needed to pop it would be epic. I decided that it could be much less glorious while at the same time remaining a bit slipshod. This was built in good fun and will probably be taken down unless you guys like it. And yes this is microscale. Also, another post-apoc build coming soon.

NEW: ..::B2K Design::..Sexy Outfit Mariel -

 

💗CREDITS 💗

 

::B2K Design::. SEXY OUTIFS MARIE

💓💓+ hud 💓

 

Compatible Maitreya Lara,Petite Belleza Freya,Isis Slink Hourglass, Tonic fine,Curvy, Minimizer Ebody Curvy Legacy

 

Exclusive XXX Event From 13th ofmay to the 3th of june maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Possession/149/107/25 Compatible

  

Mainstore maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Thoth/150/35/21 Marketplace marketplace.secondlife.com/p/B2K-DesignDress-Amelya-ADD/2...

  

Featuring

 

Luxury: Help Set (Top, Panties, Socks, Mesh Eyes and Headband) for sizes Maitreya, Petite, Isis, Freya, Phisique, Hourglass, Legacy, Perky, Altamura, Tonic Curvy, Fine, Minimize, eBody Curvy.

Please, check my blog in about me tab for all the credits and links! Thanks and hugs.

Shot with single off camera strobe (Godox AD200Pro/Godox XPro II L trigger), bare bulb, mounted on overhead boomm bounced of 32 inch umbrella, centered behind subject. Black flags on right and left side of subject and in front of subject to minimize color cast from background.

 

shot for Crazy Tuesday - theme COFFEE / TEA CUP

In Joshua Tree National Park with a view looking to the south-southeast across the mountain desert landscape present in this part of the national park. This location is at Keys View. In composing this image, I took advantage of the layers that I felt were present with the ridges and spurs coming off the main mountainside. I angled my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward to bring the horizon higher into the image and also minimize any artifacts from the morning sun across my camera lens. I used the ClearView tool in DxO PhotoLab 6 to cut through the haze present and even bring out a distant view of the Salton Sea that had some low clouds over it.

While looking to the north across quite colorful badlands and eroded formations at the Tiponi Point overlook in Petrified Forest National Park. From this higher vista-like view, I was able to capture a more sweeping look across this high desert, north Arizona landscape. My thinking was to angle my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward which would minimize what I felt was the more negative space of the blue skies above.

I’m posting 2 images for comparison. Which do you like best? The first image is what the camera saw and is the more realistic image. The green color in the sky is caused by airglow. The second image is my interpretation of what we would expect to perceive if we had better color vision at night (our dark vision is primarily black and white). The second image is how I usually process images, trying to make the image closer to something people can identify with. This summer I had numerous nights with marked airglow and green skies. There was a lot of wildfire smoke on the horizon which I have tried to minimize. __________________________________________. Technique: Both images made from the same captured images at 20 mm. Both images are blends made from stacked images, one set for the sky and one set for the foreground. Sky, stacked vertical panorama, 3 sets of images, 12 in set, at 13 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400. Foreground, 9 image stack, 30 sec, f/1.8, ISO 6400.

Looking up and out of a narrow canyon at night in Utah’s Canyon Country. These are some of my favorite images to attempt at night. It’s fun to plan be at the right place at the right time. There is Low Level Lightning (lowlevellighting.info) present here with one muted light along each canyon side wall and one further down the canyon to try to give a sense of depth (not sure if that worked, lol). The challenge with the lights is to avoid bad hot spots in a narrow space. Some hot spots are inevitable but you have to minimize them as much as possible. Stacked image in Starry Landscape Stacker, 16 light frames and 1 dark frame, 11 mm, f/4.0, 30 seconds, ISO 12,800. Instagram: instagram.com/wayne_pinkston/

Website: waynepinkstonphoto.com

500 px: 500px.com/waynepinkston

Low Level Lightning: Lowlevellighting.info

It's three thirty in the morning. From somewhere far off, I think I can hear my phone ringing. I attempt to build it into my dream...but I cannot.

 

Eventually it stops. I settle back into the downy comfort of sleep for a few precious seconds.

 

Then the ringing starts again.

 

I get out of bed, grumbling, threatening and stubbing my toe and stugger (a cross between "stumble" and "stagger") downstairs to the phone.

 

It's Larry Talbot.

 

"I have a splendid picture for your flickr site tomorrow," he tells me. "I think even Easy Rider will be impressed."

 

"It's three thirty in the morning," I growl. "What the *** is wrong with you?"

 

My complaint is met with silence. What I have just said is of no interest to Talbot.

 

"Go to your mailbox," he says. "There I have put the image for tomorrow."

 

We argue about this for a moment...then I hear a low guttural warning growl...and I set down the phone and go to the mailbox.

 

The image you see above is there. I pick up the phone again.

 

"What the heck is that?" I ask.

 

"It's an image of me. And it's what you call SOOC," he says. His chest used to puff out when he was a kid in the midst of saying something really stupid. I imagine it happening now.

 

"SOOC?" I ask, looking at the image.

 

"Absolutely."

 

"SOOC means 'Straight Out Of the Camera,'" I say.

 

"Indeed."

 

There is a silence between us. I hear a faint crackle on the phone line.

 

"Larry, there's no way this is SOOC. You've Photoshopped the snot out of this thing."

 

"Nope," he says. "SOOC. Even Olaf agrees."

 

I visualize Talbot's massive manservant/minion.

 

"It's not even actually very good Photoshop," I say finally. "If I put this up, people are gonna think I did it."

 

Silence. A sulky vaguely threatening silence.

 

I sigh.

 

"What's going on in this image?" I ask.

 

"I am looking outward, from the very computer screen into the lives of those around me," he says.

 

"Why?"

 

"Because I may yet take a stronger hand in the promotion of my words on your little flickr site," he says.

 

I bristle just a little at his description of 'my little flickr site' but I think of Olaf again.

 

"What are you going to do?" I ask.

 

"Perhaps I have already started," he says.

 

I press him for details...but he gives me none. He tells me that he has also included a fresh article from his ancient Helium writings...

 

HOW TO AVOID FIGHTS IN YOUR MARRIAGE

 

by L. Talbot

 

Being married is wonderful. Personally, I have been married eight and a half times. Fighting in marriage is inevitable. But it is in the arena of AVOIDING fights where the truly experienced husband shows his skill.

 

There are two phrases that are absolutely KEY to staying happily married.

 

"Yes, dear," is used when you see your spouse's face start to change colors, from a healthy pink to a menacing purple. At this point it may still be possible to avoid the head-spinning-around and things-being-thrown phase (otherwise known as DEFCON 7) a carefully rehearsed "Yes, dear" is the precise strategic strike that may avert disaster.

 

Any thinking male entering into any long-term relationship must take the "Yes, dear" gambit very seriously. Insert just the right measure of sincerity and humility. Practice in front of a mirror. One must not mewl like a kitten…or rage like a lion. One must make “Yes, dear” sound as though a thunderbolt from Heaven has just penetrated your thick skull with an epiphany…an unexpected understanding of your own dense-ness.

 

These two words must encompass a surrender with dignity, an understanding how of how far one has carelessly and willfully stomped over the very last vestige of tolerable behavior by wiping one’s hands on a clean towel whilst said hands were still dirty, or by failing to divine that a small book placed in the precise middle of the staircase has been put there so that you, great lout of male waste that you are, would carry it up and/or down the stairs…or even worse: that you, in an attempt to show initiative and to fake sensitivity, have carried it in the WRONG direction entirely.

 

Plan A is “Yes, dear” in which the wise husband carefully fabricates sensitivity.

 

Having said this, I must add that Plan A does not always work.

 

At times a fight is as unavoidable as a tropical storm. They get too big too fast. You can't fly around them and there is nowhere to hide.

 

She's mad and you're handy. Keep in mind that you have probably actually done (or not done) something that is very small in your eyes. This action (or inaction) may have actually taken place at any point over the previous thirty years.

 

It is very likely this is a thing you have done (or left undone) a number of times before and it has only now resulted in the prickly and extremely dangerous creature you now face. Don't even try to understand it.

 

Begin by NOT doing the following:

 

•Say "Where did THAT come from? We were talking about cheese. . ."

 

•Stop speaking altogether. This will be viewed as an effort on your part to escalate an already volatile situation

 

•Speak. No matter what you say (other than the Magic Phrase below) will be viewed as an effort on your part to escalate an already volatile situation

 

•Leave the room and/or house. This is a coward's way out and besides you will pay for it. Later.

 

•Attempt to hug her. If you do, you WILL wind up in traction.

 

•Begin stating your case and/or try to WIN the argument. (I chuckle at the very naivety of this notion.) Clearly, this is a Newbie- defining mistake. Experienced husbands know you will never actually win an argument. Never. Ever.

 

Your goal is to minimize the damage and restore peaceful relations before the game starts on TV. Be warned, men: unless you move quickly and decisively to stave off disaster there's no way you are getting fed.

 

The Magic Phrase (MP) is comprised of three carefully designed and tightly compacted apologies. They have been loaded into one package for maximum impact.

 

The MP: "You're right. It's my fault. I'm sorry."

 

These seven words that can be like a cooling balm on the open confrontation. It must sound sincere and heartfelt…or you're a dead man.

 

So do what I do: as you deliver these words think about your wife. Remind yourself of the way she looked the day you got married and of the last time you laughed together. Think of how her eyes light up when she smiles.

 

THEN (provided her claws have been retracted) hold her for a second.

 

Later when it's safe, consider what annoyed her to begin with. Think about it honestly. Chances are that on some level you were actually being a caveman. Or not.

 

Does it matter?

Denderupvej 9A, 4683 Rønnede

📷 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

⚪️ M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 magnification MFT scale 1:1

⚪️ Raynox DCR 250 ( scale 2 : 1 )

⚡️ Godox V350o -1/64 , 12mm

🔦 Iluminator - rechargeable LED lamp

♻ AKocot Diffuser v1,0

🔭 Benro Mach3 TMA 47AXL tripod + Manfrotto 3D MHXPRO-3W

🔭 OBO Compact Light BS2551 25-154cm with 360° head, aluminum tripod

  

JPG focusing directly from the camera (without additional processing), made using the settings - "Set number of photos = 15", "Set focus difference = 1", "Loading time = 0".

 

A Godox V350o lamp and an additional Raynox DCR-250 lens were used.

 

"AKocot Diffuser v1.0" diffuser - the first fully developed functional version of the diffuser of my design and idea

 

Below the flash, I used a small, rechargeable LED light to illuminate the camera (to facilitate autofocus in difficult lighting conditions). The Godox V350o lamp was in "M" mode set to an angle of 12 mm (the widest possible) and a lamp power of 1/64.

 

I carried out a very thorough analysis of the materials, shape, size and structure of the reflector (reflector), shape, size and thickness of the diffusion surface (diffuser) - to obtain the most optimal light distribution on the photographed objects. The purpose of using a diffuser is to maximize the quality of light, obtain a very soft light distribution on objects while minimizing lamp power consumption (no burn-outs, reflections on shiny surfaces), the possibility of using high f aperture values (f/5.6...f/13) at relatively low lamp power, optimizing the distribution of shadows under the photographed objects ("destroying" the strong shadow by shaping the angles of light from the flash), minimizing the ISO value to the native level (maximizing tonal dynamics) - in my opinion, the appropriate distribution of shadow is an extremely important element of the composition.

CREDITS

All links/info can be found on my blog Silent Raindrops

 

CREDITS

TONIC

Fine Beauty v7.1

Fine Beauty Bust Minimizer v7.1

 

ITTY BITTY TITTY COMMITTEE EVENT

Nov 9 - 23rd

*Faida* - Seol Fatpack

 

MIDNYTE CREATIONS

2018 Christmas Truck Scene (MP only)

Full Length Portrait Poses

Hannah 4 LeL Fleur shape

 

LELUTKA

Fleur Head

 

ENFER SOMBRE

Ume Skin - peach tone

 

TRAM

@Collabor88

J1028 hair

A view looking to the northeast across some high desert landscape with plant-life present. Off in the distance and on some high ground were fragments of petrified logs scattered across it. My thinking in angling my Nikon SLR camera downward was to create a sweeping view across this national park landscape. I also had to work angles to minimize the sunlight coming across my camera lens with any lens flares as well as some of the National Park Service buildings in the distant portion of the image.

Recently I'd come across an article on a photography RSS feed (www.howtogeek.com/338162/how-to-use-the-foreground-and-ba...). The author gave ideas on using foreground, midground and background to make for interesting compositions with images. I like that idea and felt it important to use it especially when angling my SLR camera downward. While my goal was to minimize flattening that tends to happen with wider angle images, I felt the author's idea was a complement to my thought. Here I used the nearby foreground at the Candlestick Tower View Point while looking across the canyons around the Green River and mesas beyond. The blue skies and clouds were the color contrast to complete the final setting for this image of Canyonlands National Park.

From a high point while walking with a guided tour across some tundra in Denali National Park with a view looking generally to the east across this river valley with Moose Creek. The more unusual angle for composing this view was brought about because of the way the creek with its water stretched in front of me while also trying to minimize what I felt was the more negative space of the overcast skies above. In some ways, the creek waters going by were a leading line across the ridgelines and spurs that seemingly crisscrossed each other to a distant horizon. 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 PhotoLabs 3 that I’d recently purchased after moving away from Capture NX2.

We're in another park now, starting a new photo series. Kootenay National Park, in the Canadian Rockies, is not nearly as famous as nearby Banff or Jasper, but it has its charms. The last time I drove through it, in September 2021, it wasn't very charming: road construction elsewhere had rerouted traffic through Kootenay, and it was bumper to bumper all the way.

 

In years past, however, I've had some good experiences there, including photographing these Mountain Goats at a mineral lick. I wish I could have found a catch light in the young one's eye, but... no. Pretty cute nonetheless.

 

In recent years Parks Canada has put up protective fencing to keep wildlife off the highway and minimize the roadkill factor, always a sad sight. This strategy has been effective in Banff, so I hope they have similar success. There is lots of wildlife in the park, including goats, Bighorn Sheep, Black and Grizzly Bears, Elk, Mule and White-tailed Deer, Moose, Grey Wolves, and of course smaller mammals and birds. All these species occupy their own niche and may be present - or not - depending on location, season, time of day, and many other factors. There are some excellent hiking trails in this park.

 

Photographed in Kootenay National Park, BC (Canada); scanned from the original Kodachrome 64 slide. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©1989 James R. Page - all rights reserved.