Feb 9, 2010 | Landscape Photography
It’s an inside joke, Moose & stumps. These dead trees are part of a forest submerged in Quake Lake, MT. Quake Lake is a ~real~ cool place that we enjoy hanging out at. It was created by a huge earthquake not to long ago that shut off on end of the canyon, damming it up. In the winter as you can see, it freezes and that’s when the photos come to life!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DLCMTQL0030.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The “trick” to making the image required selecting only those elements that worked while make sure everything else was excluded. I shot with the 70-200VR2 because we were stuck on a road, couldn’t actually get down to the lake. But being up high was the other important ingredient in making the image.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DLCMTQL0018.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Yeah, I stopped the bus to photograph big sticks in the snow, hard to believe I know. The shadow on the top edge of the top image I think bothers me and the lack of depth in the bottom one makes me wonder about it. Seeing them small here on the blog doesn’t bring out the texture you can see in those sticks, perhaps that’s what has me scratching my head. I’ll have to print these and stare at them. I like them, not sure, yet, if I love them.
Photos captured by D3s, 70-200VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Feb 8, 2010 | Landscape Photography
Still playing catch up, processing images from this last road trip. I was looking at some of the TrueHDR images I did and wondered what would happen if I did just a One Image HDR from the middle exposure. At the same time, tried a couple of single clicks just to see the outcome as another possible tool in the photographic arsenal. I really like the Oak Bay Bridge, not liken the Muir Woods images, the boat going to sea has me jazzed.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP69842.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
As you view the gallery, you’ll see the After image on the left, the Before on the right. It’s on my to do list creating a simple how to video on this, but you can see and learn more about this from the same guy who planted the seed in my mind, RC, right here.
click here to open Gallery
But this is real easy stuff, in Photomatix Pro, simply File > Open, select image and OK and you’re done! Give it a try.
Photos captured by D3x / D3s, 70-200VR2, 24PC-E on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jan 21, 2010 | Landscape Photography
My bud RC is not only a great friend (and designer of this site), but a killer sounding board. We talk about all sorts of things and one of them is HDR. Na, we’re long past the is it Elvis on Velvet or Art thing, but rather on how can we use it to communicate the wonders we see in our daily life. Applying it at the time of click in our mind and then see it come to life in the DD.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7597.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
This photo is just an extension of those conversations. It’s a real simple single image HDR that is used to bring out and otherwise quite scene. It’s the warm tones in the century old cabin that made me thing, frame, expose and process this into the final image you see. You could call it no more than a fancy simple click because that’s all it is.
Photo captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jan 20, 2010 | Landscape Photography, Moose Adventures
After a picnic lunch at one of the best spots on the planet to have a picnic, we headed back down the road. We came around the corner when the skies opened up. It wasn’t for long, but long enough to make some really gorgeous clicks of a gorgeous winter landscape.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp1353h.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Now with the one frame success from the previous day with this new processing thought, I had to play with it more today. I found some images that didn’t work so well. I found a couple others that I was kind of impressed by. This is one of them. Above is the after, below is the before.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp1353.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The extra drama in the clouds is what I’m liken and what I’ll keep focusing in on. Those who follow me on Twitter got this additional hints tonight: 1 camera, 1 lens, 1 click, no in camera or software filters and handheld. More to come :)
Photo captured by D3s, 14-24AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jan 14, 2010 | Landscape Photography, Photography
There is a small slice of heaven just north of San Fransisco, Muir Woods. This grove of coastal redwoods has long been a favorite of our families and today, we were fortunate to be be able to share it with our DLWS family. Nestled in the hills behind Mill Valley, the early morning fog lifts and the sun rises creating a magical world. You follow the creek up the walk as you explore the massive trees along the route. I’ve never reached the end of the trail, i spend so much time not really too far from the parking lot.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7149bw.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Photographing redwoods is something I’ve very comfortable with now. The main thing I look for are small amphitheaters in the forests, miniature groves within the grove. I’m looking for a means of showing the trees in the forest, a visual depth. And at the same time, communicate the majesty of the trees. I also use the PC-E lenses now, I really like not having leaning trees. I really, really like this particular photo that I created today. It started off with plumbing the body to use the PC-E lens. Next was to take a 5 image HDR set that was finished using Photomatix Pro and Silver Efex Pro. The 45PC-E is so wicked sharp, this final image is gorgeous! Simple a grand morning!
Photo captured by D3x, 45PC-E on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jan 10, 2010 | Landscape Photography
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been going to Ft Point. My first trip as far as I know might have been in a stroller, but whatever the case, I just keep going back. This could be because it’s historic and I love history, it could be its location, the base of Golden Gate’s south tower, or it could because it’s a great place to shoot. Shooting there again this weekend proved to be another great visit.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP9912.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
I visited the Fort this time deciding to attack it with two basic thoughts, use 1 lens and chase the light. In the beginning, the light was winning, I couldn’t make it snap in the viewfinder no matter how I looked. Then I looked down a hallway of one wing, you could see through a half dozen doorways without obstruction. With that one shot under my belt, the rest started to fall into place.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP9977.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The majority of the images were taken with the razor sharp 50f1.4AFS at f/1.4. I had a lot of fun with that for quite awhile until I went up on the second level. I got to one of the canon ports and it just screamed 16Fish. The problem, NO light! We’re talking dark as sin, just small droplets of light here and there and that’s what made it all work. Handholding at 1/10 of a second, I cranked off some fun shots. These two are the current favorites; that could always change. These are both single capture HDRs. A three image HDR is in the show, see if you can figure out which one it is in the gallery below.
Click Here to launch the Ft. Point Gallery.
The one thing that is very deceiving is these two images were taken in locations that were really pitch black. The exposure comp dialed in was -2.5 stops to deal with the darkness. That exposure comp along with the little light really popped the color in the brick and made the blacks really black. All good stuff! When it comes to finishing, other than the B&Ws (still not sure what I like better, I started with B&W but now like the color) was real simple, it’s right out of the camera.
I’ll be going back again in a couple of days. I wonder what will strike me this time, can’t wait!
Photos captured by D3s, 50f1.4AFS / 16Fish on Lexar UDMA film
