Dream Tomorrow, Live Today, Cherish Yesterday

Topaz Tuesday - City Hall

 

Auburn City Hall

Canon 1D Mark III, 70-200mm F/4.0L, f/9.0, 1/500, iso 250

A couple of sundays ago we went to a vintage fair in Auburn CA. It was a lot of fun. On the way back to the car I spied this particular scene. Nice City Hall, eh? And the addition of the fall color really made it for me.

This morning I played with several images in Topaz, but wasn't getting something I thought was blog-worthy, until I tried this one.  I used Topaz Adjust, and chose the Spicify preset, definitely one of my favorites. Back in photoshop, I reduced the saturation on the blue channel because it was a bit unnatural looking.

Click on the continue link to view the original. You'll see how much detail Topaz brought out in the building, which I really like, and it was magic on the sky!

The most photographed lighthouse....

Canon 1D Mark III, 14mm F/2.8, f/5.0, 1/1250, iso 100

This is reputed to be the most oft-photographed lighthouse on the USA West Coast.  But not this particular view. You know how I "just gotta be different." 

This was taken on the recent Oregon trip of course.  I liked the dynamics of this composition, and also the fact that the image shows what a beating the lighthouse takes from its environment.

I did some post with Lightroom. I started with a preset named "Fake it till you make it." I then added some fill light, a little saturation, a bit of curves. I'm glad those clouds were hanging around.

Click on the continue link and I'll show you the typical "postcard view" of this lighthouse along with giving you its name....

Assignment Puna!

Pumpkin Curry

Canon 1D Mark III, 24-70mm F/2.8, f/3.5, 1/8th sec, iso 1250

One of my favorite blog buddies I have met through blogging is my friend Puna, of www.lifesignatures.org.  When I showed a recent picture of some Thai Restaurant Reflections, she made the comment that I didn't show any great Thai food! Puna is from Thailand and really knows her stuff.

So I replied that I had a mission, a mission to photograph some Thai food. On my trip this past week to Redding, I sought out the best Thai food in town, and according to Yelp, Kanya Gardens is the place to go.  So my workmate and I went there for dinner, and the food was really spectacular.

Photographically, it was a bit of a challenge. The restaurant decor was kind of a diner style. I have previously been in some pretty nice Thai restaurants, and they would make great photo subjects. But let me tell you, in the food department, this place didn't lack for anything!

The dish above is called Pumpkin Curry. They use a locally grown squash, and make the smoothest sauce you have ever tried. Just like Goldilocks favorite - not too hot (spicy), just right. You can get chicken, beef or pork, we opted for chicken.  The other dish we ordered was Drunken Noodles. And it was just amazing, but my picture was nothing special so I'm not showing it.

 

But I will show our appetizer, Thai Spring Rolls, "fresh style." You can either have them deep friend, or served like this with the rice noodle wrappers. DE-LISH-US! If you haven't tried Thai food yet in your own neighborhood, well, what are you waiting for.  And so Puna (and everyone else for that matter), how did I do, my friend?

Sundial Bridge at Night

Sundial Study #1

Canon 1D Mark III, 85mm F/1.2, f/16, 3.2 secs, iso 200

This week I was in and around Redding CA, where they have a huge point of civic pride known as the Sundial Bridge (see the Wikipedia entry).  This is the third time I have visited the bridge, and the first time at night.  There are always tons of people around, they truly love their bridge, which I think is great.  It is a wonderful attraction.

Until this visit, I didn't realize how cool the "underlighting is."  The surface of the bridge is rectangles of thick glass.

Through this blog I have made contact, "blog buddies," with many people. Sometimes when I'm out shooting I find myself saying "now if blog buddy X was here right now, what would he or she do?"  In this case, I was drawn to the work of Thomas Hawk.  Tom has a unique eye for architectural shooting. I often marvel at his images and wonder where he is, and how he ever saw the shot.  So in a situation like this, I try to think like Tom and emulate his style.  I'll have to email him and see if he'll comment on this series of shots.

Speaking of, click the continue link for several more shots! Today is a multi-image post here at the Dream Tomorrow blog, and I'm going to ask you to vote on your favorite...

Fisheye Friday

Astoria City Hall

Canon 5D Mark II, 15mm F/2.8 Fisheye, f/10, 1/800, iso 200

My blog buddy Rian is the acknowledged Fisheye master.  (Check out this one.)  His work is pretty much the reason I bought the 15mm fisheye. So glad I did, even if I haven't yet taken an image at his level. I'm working at it.

I thought of him when I saw this scene.  I liked the building, and since it was a Sunday, the place was absolutely deserted. So I was able to wander the parking lot freely and try different compositions. I ended up settling on this one.  I liked the curvature of the building, but also of course the tree and sun. But I really like this smooth, cobalt blue sky.  This lens does a nice job with solar flare, doesn't it?  There is just one tiny lens refraction, which I could have cloned out, but decided not to.

I used the GND in Lightroom to darken each of the lower corners, added some Clarity slider, and there you have it.  This body and lens are a nice combo.   How'd I do Rian? Anyone else?

Pushing the Envelope

Dark Day

Canon 5D Mark II, 85mm F/1.2, f/16, 1/500, iso 400

I was looking at some other photo bloggers and I thought "am I pushing my own envelope enough?" There are so many neat and creative things going on. Look at this amazing shot from Craig. Not only is the shot amazing, but the treatment is awesome, don't you think. I really need to dedicate some time to learning that texture treatment.

So I thought I'd look through my collection and do something entirely different from my usual. Maybe something dark.  I ended up with this image, from a dreary morning in Yachats, Oregon. Mainly because of the composition.   After trying many different presets, I chose "Seim Infrared Warm II." I added fill light to bring back some detail. I have to say at this resolution the image loses some punch (compared to viewing say 1600 pixels). 

Let me know if you like it, and whether I met my goal of pushing my own envelope...

One Stands Alone

One Stands Alone

Canon 1D Mark III, 70-200mm F/4.0, f/6.3, 1/200, iso 200

Looking at this image you are tempted to think it would be from the recent Oregon trip, but it's actually from the Pt Reyes trip back in April.  Driving along 101 headed to Bolinas, I was kind of taken with this tree just out by his lonesome in the field.  Made me wonder why there was just one? You can see how densely wooded the surrounding area is.

I suppose whoever set up this land for grazing was responsible. In any case, our friend here is flourishing. I used a Lightroom preset called PH Surreal Moment, that gave it the color cast. This brought the tree further out of the background.  These are the kinds of images I like when I see them,but rarely take myself, so I thought I'd give it a try today on the blog.

Topaz Tuesday - the Glassworks

The Glassworks

Canon 1D Mark III, 180mm F/3.5 Macro, f/8.0, 1/500, iso 200

Topaz Adjust, Detailed Preset, Additional Saturation Added

After last week's favorable reaction to a subtle Topaz treatment, I thought I'd try again. Kind of a different subject matter, and use some restraint.

These lovely paperweights were found at the Astoria Farmer's Market during our trip there in late September.  The lady who made them was a delight, and insisted I take the brochure for her class where she shows people how to make them.  How MUCH I would like to do that?!? I love glass art. Alas, I don't have any trips planned for Astoria at the moment.

As it says above, I chose the Detailed preset. I then cranked up the saturation slider a bit. Again, I was looking for restraint, I wasn't trying to turn it into a painting or something.

Back in Photoshop, I looked at the original and the treated one side by side, and thought, what if I just hit the original with some saturation, won't it look like the treated one?  It sure did not.  The reason I chose the Detailed preset is I like how it brought the bubbles and glass to life. 

I picked a purple border because my wife says purple is the "in" color now.  Purple was my favorite color as a kid. So there you are.  Comments are always appreciated, and of course now I'm always showing the original image on the continue link below.

C'mon, go for a ride?

Wishful Thinking

Canon 1D Mark III, 135mm F/2.0, f/2.0, 1/25, iso 2500

When you are a guy, and you get your hands on a Ferrari, the first thing you think of is "where can I get a pretty girl to ride with me?"  This was a "grab shot" that ended up working out pretty well. You can imagine these moments don't last long. And it was nighttime.

The point of focus ended up being about where that right outside mirror is. When I look at the original in full size, I can see the writing that is imprinted on the mirror.  The shallow depth of field is caused by the f/2.0 aperture, and I like the effect for this shot. Sets the mood, don't you think?  He has that cocky body language and she has that expression, well, "I probably shouldn't (but I AM tempted)..."

I really like catching moments like this one.  And for the record, the first babe I squired in a Ferrari? Yup, I married her.

Super Plane

Any chance you are digging this, Bob?

Canon 1D Mark III, 15mm F/2.8 fisheye, f/13, 1/640, iso 400

As mentioned in yesterday's post, I went flying last friday in a new plane. New to me. And new period, with a serious nod to the past.  The plane is called the Super Sportcub, produced by Cub Crafters in Yakima WA. 

This is a modern rendition of the venerable Piper Super Cub (here is one wikipedia page).  What a difference 50 years of technology makes! For those of you that understand airplane dynamics, this is a 900 pound plane with a 180 hp motor.  Whether you are a flying nut or not, that means this plane takes off the ground in about 50 feet!

For these shots, I'm indebted to my 15mm fisheye and the 14mm lens as well. I used a f/stop which would have a large depth of field, so we can see both the plane and the view outside.  Speaking of the view, what do you notice on the right hand side of this image?  Do we have a tiny porthole in which to see the outside world?

No, we have a gigantic window, that is open! That's right, the windows on both sides, about 4 feet long, pivot up and attach to the wing above.  Click on the continue link for four more pictures, and the story on the airplane itself.

Fall Flying

Canon 1D Mark III, 14mm F/2.8, f/16, 1/250, iso 400

I went flying yesterday. Nothing that unusual for me, I go a couple of times per month. No, I'm not a licensed pilot. I have friends with planes, which even they will tell you is the smart way to go. I don't have the addiction. The flying addiction and the ownership addiction.

While my friends can cite chapter and verse about useful load, fuel burn, and operating cost per hour, my main concern is: what kind of photo platform is this bird?  Yes, I'm looking for the flying tripod!

In most cases, the planes make lousy photo platforms. It begins with the fact that you are shooting through plexiglass. So you have distortion, scratches, and reflections.  Then, the plane is in the way. I.e. wing, engine.  If you are an aviation enthusiast, this isn't a problem. In fact, plane owners like to see their plane in the shot.  I do too.

But I'd sure be interested in a plane that doesn't have any of these photographic issues.  One that allows unfettered photography, from the unique perspective of being above the ground. There is a book called America From 500 Feet that I own and really enjoy looking at. I have flown in the same ultralight they used, and attempted to shoot some pics, which let me tell you was quite a challenge.  Stick your body out of a car at 50 mph with your camera and zoom lens on.

At the recent airshow I went to with several friends (see this blog post) I found a plane that piqued my interest.  Might just work as a photo platform.  So that's the plane I flew in yesterday.

As far as the subject matter in this shot, these are rice fields, which are plentiful in the Sacramento area.  The rice has been harvested, and this is what remains.  It looks to me like Mr. Tractor Driver might have stowed a six pack or two?  It kind of reminded me of the "crop circle" pictures I have seen, so that's why I took the shot.  Let me know how you like it.

And come back tomorrow, when I'm going to show you this very interesting airplane!

Friday Funnies - Another Movie Review

I threw a curve at you yesterday with my first ever movie review. As I indicated, this was as much of a surprise to me as it was to you.  I'm obviously a rookie reviewer.  Let's listen to a professional, shall we?

A movie review?

(If you told me that I'd do a movie review on this blog, I'd be surprised. If you told me it was going to be for this particular movie, I'd be stupified.) Michael Jackson is certainly one of the most enigmatic figures of the past 50 years.  He was born just two years after me, and probably like a lot of my readers, we grew up hearing his music and there were a lot of special songs. But with his general wackiness, the surgeries, the kid issues, saying it is hard to relate to him is an understatement. When this movie came out, my thought was "ugh, people still trying to make money with this crazy cat." Yesterday my son won tickets for the movie from a radio station, and asked me to go with him. I don't go to many movies.  I hate sitting through the trailers, and there's always some obnoxious SOB that ruins it for me.  So, I have a home theater! But anyway, "be a good cheer," my uncle always says - so off we went. And I'm glad I got to see it, and here is why. It's real. And so is he.  It's what goes on behind the scenes to craft a production of epic proportion. The cast of characters is really a great mix of people, and you can tell each one is a superstar on his or her instrument, or lighting, or whatever. The dancers are awesome. And really for the first time I can remember, you get to see Michael Jackson as a person. Ok, yes, a person with insane talent - every gene is his body was meant to be a musical writer and performer. And it's 96% music. Music being performed. And he's not trying to sing as if in a performance, he's holding back his voice. Again, very real.  There's just a tiny bit of preachiness, where he claims the planet is doomed, but other than that, all good! Worth 90 minutes of your time if you enjoy music being performed.

Thai Reflections

Canon 1D Mark III, 135mm F/2.0, f2.0, 1/50, iso 2500

No, I haven't made a quick trip to Thailand recently, but probably wish I had.  Must be a great place to visit, eh? I went to Hong Kong in the 80's and loved it. So INTENSE.

Speaking of intense, that's what I thought when I saw the reflections of the Thai Restaurant's neon on this lovely late model Corvette. This was at one of the local impromptu car shows I attended over the summer.  With it being dark, I thought the shooting was done.  But that is when the neon came to life and I just happened to see it working some magic on the vette.

You can see how dark it was by the fact that I cranked the iso to 2500, was at f/2.0, yet only achieved a 1/50th shutter. I also want to point out that there are no post processing adjustments whatsoever on this image.

Almost an abstract, but still a car shot.  Something a bit different for the blog today!

Fall Color Wave

Fall Color Wave

Canon 1D Mark III, 24-70mm F/2.8, f/7.1, 1/320, iso 1000

Another image from the last day of our recent Oregon trip. You might recall from a previous post that we left the coast in Bandon at about 7 am and had a 90 mile easterly drive to meet up with I-5. This was the first time we were treated to real Fall Color in Oregon.

When I first saw this particular scene, it reminded me of a wave - the shape of the mountains, the foamy froth of fog. And a golden beach in the foreground. Okay hey, I'm a photographer, not a poet, eh?

So much for my rule about no "stands of trees Fall Color shots" this year.  Well, I do like to break the rules, at least now and again. It was a misty, rainy and cold morning. I do think the image captures what we saw and felt.

Topaz Tuesday - Serene Stream

Canon 1D Mark III, 300mm F/4.0, f/14, 1.3 seconds, iso 200

My goal for today's Topaz Tuesday is to use an image from my Fall Color shoot this past Sunday, and do a mild Topaz treatment.  As with any digital art program, the effects are often over done.  What I want to show here is Topaz's "subtle side."

The setting for this shot was interesting.  The creek winds its way along the road.  In this stretch though, between the creek and the road are a lot of blackberry vines. I wouldn't say "impenetrable" but I would say "ripped pants and bloody legs."

So I retrieved the trusty 300mm fixed telephoto (I had brought all my gear to be ready for anything), and made my way up and down the road, shooting through breaks in the trees and brush.  I wish I had shot the scene with say a 50mm so you could see the overall mess that that the 300mm poked through.

Anyway, what about the Topaz treatment? I ran the Topaz Adjust filter in Photoshop and went through several of the presets. Like I said, I was looking for a subtle effect. I ended up choosing a preset called "vibrance." I chose this mainly because I liked how it helped me look into the water.

Given the name, you can imagine that the effect might be more than what I was looking for. So I used a couple of adjustments in PS. First, I used Shadow/Highlight to knock down the highlights. The water area to the left was pretty bright.  I then used the Saturation slider, and backed it down. Yes - desaturation!  I then used Curves to pull the colors into the darker side of the mix.

It was at this point that the name I chose came to me. I felt the treatment really brings the image alive, yet is still a soothing scene - serene.

A couple of Topaz Tuesday commenters have been interested in seeing the original image, so click on the continue link below to view the original, and also leave a comment telling me what you think of the image.

On Setting Goals

Canon 1D Mark III, 14mm F/2.8, f/10, 1/2, iso 250

Somewhere along in my life, probably my 20's, I became a real goal setting type person.  It's worked out well for me in many areas of my life. When I started getting serious about photography, I didn't set any goals, the thought never really crossed my mind.

Then I read somewhere that you'll have better luck on your photography missions if you set out with a purpose, with goals. Specifically, the kind of images you want to capture. I first tried this out on a trip to Hawaii, where I specifically was looking for a reflected sunset image. I ended up finding a spectacular location and created an excellent image. 

You'll recall from recent posts that in this Fall Color season I wasn't going after "stands of trees" type images. Nothing wrong with them of course, but I had other plans. Leaves and water, that's what I'm after.

Yesterday my wife and I set out for a location only about 30 minutes from home. I read about this waterfall on a fantastic website called www.waterfallswest.com/ operated by a heckuva guy named Leon Turnbull. If you live in the western US, there is probably a waterfall nearby that Leon has already explored for you, and the details are easily had at his website.

I was looking for one that didn't involve much of a hike.  Here is the direct link to Devil's Falls. I was encouraged that Leon had a picture of the falls taken in November (meaning there would still be water flowing).  Following his directions, we arrived there without incident. And what a magnificent sight! And behold: Fall Color!

With my 14mm lens and trusty tripod working for me, the only thing difficult about this shoot were the very slippery rocks.  The rocks are smooth as glass from eons of waterflow.  And then a bit wet with mist.  Even my vibram soles couldn't grip these guys.

As if fulfilling this goal wasn't enough, on the drive back I shot a gorgeous little creek just littered with leaves.  I spent about an hour shooting there, and I'll share some of those images later this week.

I think you'll find setting photographic goals very productive. I need to do more of it myself!

Simplicity & Symmetry

Simplicity and Symmetry

Canon 1D Mark III, 180mm Macro F/3.5, f/3.5, 1/400, iso 160

Obviously shooting plants is something I like to do. But some of the plants I like a great deal I also find challenging to be creative with. I have taken pictures of this type of plant before, but never got it right.

In this case, I was really happy with the result.  I then used a Lightroom preset called "surreal moment" which basically accentuates the center and ups the contrast. Now I feel like the image really emphasizes the structure of the plant.  Nature is nearly always simple in its beauty, when you get right down to it. Don't you think?

Saturday Still Life

Still Life #1

Going to do something different today. I'm dispensing with the technical info, and I'm going to put up five different shots. These are from a recent shoot for my friends at The Tattered House. 

As you know, I generally put up one picture for day, along with the story behind it.  Today it will just be the pictures, and your commentary.  Please tell us which one you like the best and why?  Click on the continue link to view the other four images and get to the comment area.

Friends on Friday: Stephan Dietrich

Fall Color Swirls - Stephan Dietrich

Dream Tomorrow blog readers are familiar with frequent commenter Stephan Dietrich. I have appreciated his thoughtful comments on my images all this year.

So I thought it would only be right to share some of his cool imagery with my readers.  Stephan and I have been friends since about 2000, meeting through our kids sports, and our mutual interest in photography.  We took a lot of great sports pictures over the years.

And we have encouraged each other with landscape and other genres of photography as well.  I was telling Stephan that this year I'm trying to do something different with Fall Color images.  Well little did I know he had something MAJOR different in mind.  These two images for example, which I think are really excellent.

Here's how he describes the process:

With Photoshop and other software (Painter, Lightroom, Topaz, etc.), you can paint-and-create on the computer and manipulate your digital images.  Back in high school and college I learned to "paint with the camera" using a technique of taking a long single exposure and moving either the camera and/or subject during exposure.  You can also take multiple exposures and combine the images to create a "photo abstract" collage image. I tend to like the challenge to take "one exposure" and not to digitally manipulate an image.

Handholding, I moved the camera and my body as well. In this case I used the "move and pause" technique during exposure so that the entire image is not a blur and that certain elements are somewhat sharp.

Both images were made with his Canon 5D, the 24-70mm F/2.8 at f/22, iso 100.  One shot was 4 seconds of exposure, the other 6 seconds.

One of the cool aspects of these abstracts is that they can be arranged numerous ways on a wall. (You probably wouldn't want to sign them in this case.) Stephan estimates there are something like 40 different arrangements you could make with the two images.

I think they look great in any arrangement, and I'd be proud of these images. Very colorful and fun.  To see more of Stephan's images you can view his gallery on www.photo.net.  Let him know what you think of these images with a comment here on my blog!

The Trolley and the Fisherman

Astoria Trolley

Canon 5d Mark II, 15mm F/2.8 Fisheye, f/7.1, 1/400, iso 250
Post Processing with Lightroom preset "PH Surreal Moment"

I have not systematically gone through my 2,800 Oregon shots.  It's easy and fun to do in Lightroom, you rank them, hit X to get rid of clunkers.  So I hadn't actually seen this particular image until this morning.

I recalled the situation, and it made me think about a recent comment on another post, and my response. (Here is the post).  Visitor Ben Hodges basically said "how do you get a shot like that?" and I replied that it was kind of like fishing. You have to know your gear, you gotta get out there and get wet. And be ready when the moment comes.  I learned this well from my Dad, a serious uber-fisherman if there ever was one.

But as any realistic fisherman will tell you, luck comes into play as well.

So a few minutes before taking the above picture, I had been shooting some wall murals at the Astoria waterfront.  I had some time to kill while my wife was shopping, er, "fishing for bargains!" 

 

So I was shooting these wall murals. I first tried the 14mm, but then thought the Fisheye would bring the images to life a little more.  I didn't think these would be great images or anything, but I was there, had the time, it's a chance to learn and practice. Once done with these walls, I walked back over to the shop where my wife was evidently still trying to land a big catch. 

I crossed over the trolley tracks and was walking toward the building when I heard the trolley. Thinking there could be a shot, I turned and walked back toward the track. I didn't even have time to look at the settings on my camera.  But as luck would have it, the 15mm Fisheye was a good choice. I raised the camera and fired away as the trolley went by.

So I knew my gear, I knew a good opportunity was coming, I did the right things. But then luck stepped in, and gave me those people, and the placement of the sun.  It's kind of like one of those shots that you couldn't get if you tried, don't you think?

I love the blond cutie looking back.  The lady in purple, probably just tuckered out from being a tourist. And the one in green, what is she thinking? "Boy that is a tiny lens on that guy's camera?" Who knows but she too adds to the image. Lady luck, some quality gear, a lot of practice and a few skills; "ding ding ding" are you ready?

Postcard from Bandon

Canon 5D Mark II, 16-35mm F/2.8, f/6.3, 1/30, iso 640

Bandon Oregon is often called the most photogenic beach on the west coast of the US.  It certainly has more sea stacks (lava formations in the water) than I have ever seen before. The trick is though, having a photogenic sunset!

This was from our first of two nights in Bandon. It was pretty exciting being there, knowing it would be a sky worth shooting. There were perhaps 10 other photographers taking in the scene.

There are many different points of view available, using both placement and focal length. One of the elements that makes Bandon work so well is that the sand is so smooth and reflective. When you have a great sunset sky, the sand works just like a mirror. Its very unusual sand too, when you walk on it, you do not sink in at all. 

I chose this particular one because I liked the arc of the incoming wave on the sand. I'm a water guy! (Preferably saltwater.)

The classic Bandon sunset is when there are thousands of little cumulus puffs, all reflecting golden light. I had hoped for something like this the second night, but alas it was not to be. That sunset was a fizzle.

Having photographed sunrise twice at Mono Lake, I always tell people that at least once in their life they need to experience that. It's really something.  And I think I should add a couple sunsets at Bandon to that must-do list as well.  Let me know how you like this one, and or your Bandon memory if you have been there.

Topaz Tuesday - the Picker

The Picker

Canon 1D Mark III, 70-200mm F/4.0, f/4.0, 1/1250, iso 250

Since I started playing with Topaz, I have wanted to try it on a person.  But I was waiting for the right opportunity or subject.  On Sunday I went to a street fair, and this kindly gentleman was there just picking up a storm! I watched and listened for a minute or so. Then continued on my way.

As I was walking away it came to me that this guy was the subject I was looking for.  I turned to the side, and literally just banged this one frame off. Right afterward there were people in the way nearly all the time. I looked at the shot on the LCD and said "well, I think that one will work!"  I call these "one shot wonders." 

So what did I do in Topaz? This was a two pass deal First I used the "panorama" preset, which livened up the colors. Then I used "vibrance" which gave it the painterly effect.  I must say I quite like it.  What say you?

UPDATE! Blog reader CA Photo Scout asked to see the origina, pre-Topaz. I have added this to the post after the "continue link" below...

Yuba River Afternoon

Yuba River Afternoon

Canon 5D Mark II, 85mm F/1.2, f/4.0, 1/200, iso 100

This was one of the last shots of the day on our Saturday fall color trip. This was pretty easy, it was taken from a bridge!  I like the way the river snakes back and forth from the very back of the image to the front.  I'm looking forward to exploring the river over the next year. I want to get down to the water level, get some rock/moving water shots.  This is right outside of Nevada City, which is only about 45 minutes from home.

Perfect end of a nice day...

A little fall color, a little waterfall

Canon 5d Mark II, 85mm F/1.2, f/14, 1/20, iso 400

Yesterday my son and I went on a fall color shoot.  But we didn't go to the traditional spots around where we live. I might have already mentioned that this year, for fall color, I'm trying to find something different. I want to include water.  Well, most of the day, we didn't find much, although just the spending time together part was great.

At the end of the day we went searching for a waterfall I had read about, on the Yuba river.  We didn't end up finding that one, perhaps we didn't walk far enough, I don't know.  But we did find this pretty little setting.  Just a tiny little canyon, creek and waterfall. I sorta thought that big ol stump didn't belong in my shot, but I wasn't about to do anything about that.

Nice and serene. I can work with that.

Cape Perpetua Morning

 

Cape Perpetua Morning

Canon 5D Mark II, 85mm F/1.2, f/8.0, 1/2500, iso 100

Driving along the Oregon coast, you have a lot of moments where you want to slam on the brakes, pull over and capture the moment before it is gone.  So it was our first morning while staying in Yachats, as we drove south to take a picture of a famous lightouse.  On my left was the road leading up to the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area (Wikipedia entry), when I saw this scene and did a triple take.

Quickly whipping the Audi around I parked right at the base of this awesome sight.  The fog changes things quickly here, so I wasted no time. There was a strong "god beam" look to it in person, that did not completely translate to the image, but you still feel a sense of what a special morning it was.

There's a little Lightroom post processing going on here. A preset called PH Surreal Moment, added the mocha tinting. And then I did a couple of graduated neutral density filters to bring out some detail in the sky at the top of the image. That's right, in Lightroom you can do software based GND filtering!

Just another amazing morning on the Oregon coast, let me know how you like it?

Flyin' Friday

On Final

Canon 1D Mark III, 70-200mm F4.0L, f/4.5, 1/400, iso 100

I got invited to fly to a plane show down in the Bay Area yesterday, and it was a really good time. Got to see a good friend that I don't see to often in person, which was nice.  And thanks to another friend, we traveled down in style.

Click on the continue link for a first time ever video invite from me, along with a several cool aircraft and flying shots.

Underwater Fall Color

Canon 20D, 70-200mm F/4.0L, f/32, 1/6th, iso 100

My friend Stephan and I have been talking off line about our fall color plans for this year. I was telling him that I want to focus on water, with a fall color theme. I'm not really into shooting stands of trees this year (now watch, that's exactly what I'll go do, right?). 

Ideally, what I hope to find is "Water Fall Color." A gorgeous setting just all overrun with fall color.  We shall see.

In the meantime, I looked back in the `ol archives and found a series where I found some leaves stuck to a rock, in rushing water. I showed him this one to see if he thought it was worthy, and he did, so I decided to post it today. Sort of in the "Storm Shootin" theme, something different, taking a chance.

As you can see by the settings, I had to work to get a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of the water. Even so, I still added some motion blur in photoshop.  The light falling on the leaves is natural though.  This was taken a week shy of four years ago.

This is one of those cases were nature provided the subject and composition. Four leaves, each of a different color, laid out in a pleasing arrangement, holding firm under rushing cold water.  A "too good to be true moment!"

All right everyone, get out there and work the fall color!

Storm Shootin

Storm Shootin'

Canon 5D Mark II, 15mm F/2.8 Fisheye, f/10, 1/160, iso 1250

I'm going to start right off and say I don't have any idea whether this is a blog worthy image or not. I really don't. But, I want to take some chances from time to time.

As probably a lot of people know, a very powerful storm raked California yesterday. Hundreds of thousands cut off from power, flooding, lots of trees damaged.  I came home from work a bit early because my wife wanted me to help out a couple of small trees that were laid over.

In the early evening, the wind changed from a steady blow to gusts, and the rain let up. I went out to my front yard, with the macro to see about shooting a Japanese maple or two.  I did that, nothing too wonderful. But then I noticed the sky.  It was like looking into a boiling cauldron. Moving incredibly fast. And amazingly, some blue spots here and there. I wondered if there wasn't some way to capture this?

Fetching the fisheye, I went back out, and took a few shots of my big oak tree with the sky behind it. Again, on the LCD it did not look too special. That's when I decided to focus on the sky itself.  I wanted to try to frame the sky somehow, and show not only some fall color, but the wildness that was going on.

I ended up standing right in one of my Sangu Kaku maples, with the branches whipping all over me in the wind. Took numerous frames.  I ended up liking this one the best. To be honest, there is some post processing here. I saturated the sky, and lightened up Mr. Sangu Kaku so we could see him.

So you tell me - any good? Does this one appeal to you, or did it at least capture the moment?

Topaz Tuesday-Astoria Farmer's Market

Astoria Farmers Market

On our recent Oregon trip, driving from Granite Bay to Astoria (just under 700 miles) was the first order of business, on Saturday.  Sunday morning, we found out there was a great farmer's market downtown. I have found these to be image rich!

I took many great pictures over about the course of an hour.  One of the booths was a woman who made these small flower holders out of vintage bottles. Her booth had old windows as props for the vases. I thought they would look pretty cool, but also didn't want to just start shooting away.

"Would you mind if I took pictures of your vases?" I asked, hopefully.  She looked me up and down and then said "go ahead, everyone else does, thanks for asking first."

And since today is Tuesday, don't you know that I gave each one of them Topaz treatment?  For each one I used Topaz Adjust, but a different preset.  #1 is "panorama," #2 is "psychedelic," and #3 is "spicify." Let me know how you like them?