Dream Tomorrow, Live Today, Cherish Yesterday

Coming in for a rest

Canon 10D, 70-200 F/4.0, f/9.5, 1/180, iso 100

Having Lightroom makes it so easy to review your images. One click and you are transported back in time. In this case, to 2004.  This was early on in my quest to become a decent landscape photographer.

It was my only visit to Joshua Tree N.P. I was staying with family in Palm Springs. I had seen a lot of great images from there, but I have to confess while there I was quite challenged. It would be interesting to go back today and see how my experiences since then would allow me to see compositions more easily.

This image is in the serendepity category. I was trying to work out some shots of these rocks, with the interesting sky, when right on cue Mr. Buzzard just flew into the frame. Click-click-click.

Wordless Wednesday

On Wordless Wednesday, you tell the story...

Topaz Tuesday - Need Your Help

The Girl - Topaz Simplify

It's a different kind of Topaz Tuesday here at the Dream Tomorrow blog. I have been thinking alot about what kind of image I wanted to show today.

You see, a person in my immediately family just found out she has breast cancer. She has already had an operation and will start chemo soon. Probably like most families, we have some experience with cancer. So far, everyone has survived it, including me. I don't think I have revealed that here on the blog.

I'd like to continue our winning streak, and that's where I'm hoping you'll help me out by commenting to "Miss L" here on the blog. On most days, I get about 180 page visits, and 2-10 comments. On Topaz Tuesday, I usually get around 500 page visits, but still 2-10 comments.  Thank you to the Topaz people for a Facebook post each Tuesday which brings a lot of visits.

For today's image, I recalled that I had this great image of a little girl walking through an iris farm. I first added some vignette in Lightroom. A little gaussian blur in PS, then went into Topaz Simplify. I chose the "Painting Harsh" preset - that's it. Back in PS, I did some selective cloning. I wanted something light, fun and full of hopefulness on a beautiful day.

I'd love to see 50 comments on today's image? Think you could help us out?  Miss L is not the little girl above, and she's not a little girl. She's an artist, wife, mom and all around good person. Send her some love, prayer, encouragement, right here on the blog. Our family will appreciate it.  (Note today I'm skipping the "before" image.)

 

A Productive View

Canon 5D Mark II, 24-70mm F/2.8, f/5.6, 1/1000, iso 320

I'm working with a friend and art consultant right now on some images, that she may be placing at a Sacramento office complex. She asked me if I had more of my aerials than what I had shown her. So I did some digging and found this one, and realized I had never put it on the blog. I like this for the dynamic nature, but also because it shows different crops and ways of planting.

The greater Sacramento valley is one of the largest food producing areas of the world! When I get to combine flying and photography, I'm a happy kid! Well, at least I feel like a kid.

Bob's Gone Grunge

Canon 5D Mark II, 85mm F/1.2, f/4.5, 1/4000, iso 100

Another image from my recent Mare Island (Vallejo, CA) shoot. This building really intrigued me. The green "windows" are actually just corrugated tin panels. They certainly wanted it to look like a building with windows, but in actuality it doesn't have any!

I was shooting this gantry and happened to see how it framed the building and smokestack.

In Lightroom I hovered over several presets, looking for a grungy look. I chose "PH Edgy Church" then used several sliders to reduce the effect of the preset. It was over the top. Hopefully I brought back to the "just right" stage. I then added film grain, one of the new additions in LR 3.0.

 

Window Decay

Canon 5D Mark II, 70-200mm F/4.0, f/5.6, 1/500, iso 125

I know I posted a window shot last week, but here I go again because this one really intrigues me. The patterns of the broken glass attracted me when I was on scene. Kind of like ink blots - creatures, continents, I can see all kinds of things.  Some windows with blinds, others just looking into eternal blackness.  I purposely chose this crop, increasing the angle, just to add to the chaos.

This one is from the Mare Island shoot, in Vallejo, CA. Worth a trip if you are in the area.

Fun Friday - The Shelby

Canon 5D Mark II, 135mm F/2.0, f/7.1, 1/8th, iso 250

I was looking over some images I took at a consignment vintage car operation last year. When I saw this one I thought it was both "fun" (hence posting today) and definitive of the muscle car era. Shelby's were Ford Mustangs modified by the legendary Carroll Shelby. There were a couple in my family. They "went like stink" as we used to say.

I like this image too because of the reflection on the hood. It's the marque of a very famous peformance car indeed!

I usually only show the pre-processed original image on Topaz Tuesdays. But the results I got here very easily in Lightroom might be interesting to many of you. So you'll see it on the Continue link below, along with what I did.

And the rain kept coming

Canon 5D Mark II, 24-70mm F/2.8, f/7.1, 1/60, iso 200

Driving is nearly always an enjoyment for me. Even a rainy and cold day can be a fun drive if you are in the right area...

Wordless Wednesday

On Wordless Wednesday, you tell the story...

 

Topaz Tuesday - Reflections

Canon 5D Mark II, 70-200 F/4.0, f/5.6, 1/500, iso 125

I got an awesome shooting location tip from my photography club friend Tim Fleming. Mare Island, in Vallejo, CA. Mare Island is a Naval Shipyard, although not much goes on there these days. There are a couple of old buildings that had a fire, and some friends and I shot "decay" shots there. You'll see them on the blog soon.

We also shot the outsides of numerous old buildings, it was great fun.

I liked this crazy reflection shot, but the original was lacking some character. Into Topaz Adjust 4.0 we go. I started with the "Small Details" preset. I then moved the Details/Threshold slider just a bit to the right, and did a little Saturation Boost. Not overdone, hopefully just right.

Let me know how you like it. Also, as always the original is on the Continue link below.