HDR Coca Cola Sign in Randsburg, CA

• Nature Photography, travels

I spent about 2 hours in Randsburg, CA two night ago photographing interesting ghost town type subjects. There is a lot of history here but much is ‘modernized’ since it is more of a living ghost town and unlike Bodie to the north, which is uninhabited for the most part.

This old sign really caught my eye with the warm setting sun light and I shot it with a 70D and 16-35mm lens. There was a long shadow from the left side to the right side, cast on the wall from the chain railing that was there and I retouched that out to make this image all about that cool old sign.

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Fall Color at Belknap Hot Springs Oregon

• Nature Photography

One of my favorite places to chill is Belknap hot springs in Oregon’s Cascade Mtns, a little over an hour NE of Eugene. This picture is the Secret Garden which is an amazingly beautiful developed garden deep in the forests there.

The hot springs are developed swimming pools with water nice and hot. There are cabins to rent, RV spaces, and lodge rooms. Hiking trails abound right from the springs. The beautiful McKenzie river is great shooting and nearby attractions like Proxy Falls is a favorite for photogs.

Best time to go: October (IMO) when it is cold and rainy. Makes those hot springs feel wonderful after a hike.

I used a Canon 70D with 16-35mm zoom lens and a Induro tripod.

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The Slave River in Canada’s NW Territories

• Nature Photography

Last month I made a trip top see family in Canada’s NW Territories. One evening we went for a hike along the Slave River at a place called Mountain Portage and I got busy with the camera. The area is stunning and very wild and remote. It also has plenty of history dating back to the Klondike Gold Rush and more. nw_territories_slave_rvr_mountain_portage_MG_5674frame   As far as processing this image I darkened the sky and added contrast to the lower portion of rocks, then also lightened the tiny bit of fall color on the other side of the river. Viola! Get my eBook below.

Romos ‘Rainbow’ Diner

• Image Processing, Software Techniques, travels

This is Romos Mexican Restaurant in Holbrook AZ on a chilly rainy night. I titled it Rainbow due to the obvious rainbow of color but that is not an official name. The rain ‘makes’ this image so colorful with the color reflections. I processed this with HDR software first and lightly to avoid the Grunge look and then blended back some parts with the original file. Shot with a 70D and 24-70 lens.

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My article in Outdoor Photographer Magazine

• Flash & Strobe Lighting

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I am thrilled to see the September issue of Outdoor Photographer and my article: Lighting Nature which is based on my eBook: OUTDOOR FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY. In May they asked me to write this piece on how to use a flash in nature photography and I was of course, thrilled and honored to contribute to the magazine. 
 
You have to buy the issue to read the article but here is a link to a Photo Tip based on the same article if you want to learn about flash photography outdoors here.
 
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Canyon Country Alpenglow

• Nature Photography

Alpenglow? I have always wondered if alpenglow only happened in the mountains but according to Wikipedia the answer is NO. This was 20 minutes after sunset, the perfect time for alpenglow, and it added a warm ‘purply’ reddish tint to the files which were shot at daylight WB. Processing becomes a challenge in trying to replicate the true color as experienced but then does it matter? Probably more important than processing it perfectly, is avoiding processing it imperfectly where it looks overly processed. Canon 5D, 28-70mm @ 50mm.

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Selective Blending B&W and Color

• Image Processing

I was teaching at the Black Hills Photo Shootout a few years ago and had half a day to kill so I went on a marathon shooting visit to Badlands NP. I have been there many times and like many places you visit over the years, returning can be like you have never been there before with fresh eyes and new perspectives.

The light was not that great when I got there but I shot anyway and it was fall, so there was a tiny bit of color. I like the idea of B&W with some color remaining because it really emphasizes the color when you do this and directs the eye where you want it to go.

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Here’s the Photoshop screen showing the B&W and a mask to brush back the color area which keeps the bush in its original color. I also added contrast with a Curves adjustment and also used High Pass Filter. 

Doors of New Mexico

• travels

Nothing better than the SW and New Mexico in particular for amazingly cool and colorful doors and windows. Okay I now France and Europe and Mexico has them as well but I aint been there. This is near Albuquerque and while the wall is newer the door is very old and it just popped out as I was driving by and of course, I had to stop. I had no camera with me except my iPhone which still amazes me as to what I can capture with it especially when I gotta get the shot and dont have my Canon’s.

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The Oregon Coast

• Nature Photography

This is from the Oregon Coast and while I had been here a long time ago I had not seen this huge rocks that was split in half. Perfect subject for a near/far approach filling the foreground with the rock using my 16- 35 mm lens. The only processing was darkening the sky a little and a bit of saturation and sharpening.

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Post Processing Adventures

• Nature Photography, Software Techniques, Special Effects

I photographed this image at Red Rock Conservation Area, North of Las Vegas, about 6 weeks ago. I was zipping down the road from Mt. Charleston when I spotted the cactus starting to bloom. I guessed that I was about 1 week to early for full bloom, but I was not going to be here in a week, so I shot anyway.

I used a flash to fill in the shadows on the cactus and that worked great. But since it was 4 pm the light was not that great yet, so when I opened the image in Photoshop it looked like a basic snap. That’s where the fun begins. You get started and you never know where you are going in creating. Are these images ever DONE? No, they are abandoned when you are happy with the results.

I always bracket exposures so the first thing I did was HDR process it with the only intention to add drama to the clouds. Then I opened Topaz B&W Effects and used the Cerulean set to colorize the image. Once I got here I decided I had what I wanted and subsequently ‘abandoned’ this image to go start the process all over another. If you want to know about Topaz, here’s the link: http://www.topazlabs.com/aff/idevaffiliate.php?id=196

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