Canon 7D, EF-S10-22 @ 22mm, f4.5, 1/30 sec, ISO 800
This image is of the shuttle bay and hatch looking toward the tail. Boeing provided the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) that propelled satellites into higher earth orbits from the shuttle bay. Several of my close associates worked directly with NASA on these programs.
I used NIK Silver EFEX Pro’s selective color to preserve the blue and red of our Flag.
Canon 5D MKIII, EF24-70mm f/2.8L @ 62mm, f/11, 1/15 sec, ISO 400
When I saw this fireplace, my mind went immediately to black and white. The shadows, bright highlights, and shapes captured my attention. As I view simple subjects, I am slowly becoming able to pick out the shapes and tones that make the subject interesting, at least to me.
I was looking for colorful streamers or confetti to wish in a Happy New Year! Alas, all I could find was a pile of old steel bands from old barrels. Add a little Topaz magic and voila, instant streamers.
The following is the original for reference.
Canon 5D MKIII with EF24-70mm f/2.8L @ 63mm, f/8.0, 1/400 sec, ISO 1600
The color of fall in Eastern Pennsylvania has all passed. This entry is the start of a series of posts of an early November morning shoot in our back yard capturing the last of the fall color. The early morning sun caught these fallen leaves just right to pop them out from the frosted grass. Simple things tend to catch my eye. I constantly look down as I walk through the landscape.
On this shoot, I was testing out the low noise performance of the 5D. There was a steady breeze which required me to use a fast shutter speed. I also normally use a tripod where ever I go. This day I wanted to be “free” and capture images quickly as I saw them. With a high ISO of 1600, the 5D performed exceptionally well and allowed me to capture the images that I was targeting.
Canon 5D MKIII with EF24-70mm f/2.8L @ 45mm, f/8.0, 0.3 sec, ISO 400
Black and white granite markings laced with thin red lines decorate the narrow canyon walls at the bottom of Titus Canyon. The formations range from random lines, to indian pattern, to letters. Since I am the KGG the III, this pattern caught my eye right away. To bring out the contrast, the rocks were spritzed with water. It was amusing watching our workshop instructors racing back and forth between the students spritzing the walls with water bottles. I forgot which gave out first, the light, the water, or our instructors.
Canon 7D, EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS with 1.4X extender @ 270mm, f/8, 1/125 sec, ISO 200
No these are not Chuck’s footprints! As I admire the grandeur around me, I try to remember to look up and down as well as side- and backwards. This time as I looked down, I was treated by a little critter’s path along the sand. Micro scenes like this abound everywhere just waiting for one to notice.
Canon 7D, EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS with 1.4X extender @ 280mm, f/11, 1/90 sec, ISO 200
This was one of Chuck’s stops. He even put down his tripod to take an image. What caught my eye was the contrast between the smooth dune face and the ripples on the down hill side. I also liked the “scallops” on the dune’s edge.
Canon 7D, EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS with 1.4X extender @ 280mm, f/22, 1/2 sec, ISO 200
First light across the dunes was a dramatic sight. The dune directly in front of me caught the brilliant first light of day, while the dune behind was still in shadow. This moment lasted only a few seconds. If you look hard at the background dune, you can see traces of sunlight on the tops of the ripples. A moment later everything was in bright sunlight. I was lucky to be set up and just waiting for the sun to break.
I experimented with this image to create a B&W version. I felt that the bright area was just too much in the B&W version. I like the warm tan sand contrasted against the grey background shadow in color version. Below is the B&W version. Choose for yourself.
Canon 5D MkIII, EF 24-70mm f2.8L @ 34mm, f/11, 1/100 sec, ISO 400
Last weekend we visited family in Los Angeles. We started talking about photographic adventures and Death Valley came up. I thought I would go back through my images from earlier this year and post a few more from my trip to Death Valley with John Barclay and Chuck Kimmerle.
This image is from the “infamous” racetrack basin. Nobody knows exactly how these rocks move across the basin. Which direction did this 18-inch rock come from???
Anyway, it was an awe-inspiring site to visit and explore. Staying with the Black and White theme of the workshop, I focused on the contrast between the elements within the frame. I darkened the tracks slightly to help pop them out from the flats.
There is always something interesting wherever you are. It was a bright, but hazy afternoon as I was overlooking the LA Harbor. Nothing looked interesting in the harbor. I looked up and saw the warm afternoon sun highlighting the fence surrounding the overlook. The repeating curved arrows added to the interest.