Category Archives: Landscape Photography

Spring: Bench & Weigela

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140427_bench & wegelia by 2013 Karl Graf. Fuji X-T1, XF55-200mm @ 55mm, f/5.0, 1/400 sec, ISO 200

This post will start a series on Spring as it comes into our garden.  This image is a composite of two images. The first is a straight image of the garden bench against a red Weigela.  I then overlaid a C-blur of the Weigela on top and adjusted the opacity to my taste.  I can never pass by an opportunity to capture red!

Spring has come slow to SE Pennsylvania this year.  The plants and trees are now rushing into bloom before we can catch up cleaning the yard.  Each new day is a gift that we very much appreciate.  So here’s to 27 April 2014 … it is a beautiful day!

 

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Early Summer Morning on San Juan Island

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140419_SanJuan_SE Shore by Karl G. Graf. Canon 7D, EF-S10-22mm @ 10mm, f/22, 1/10 sec, ISO 200

Some time when it is cold and dreary, I enjoy looking back through my past images to a more enjoyable time.  We had some wonderful early summer weather on our whale-watching trip last summer.  This image was taken on the SE end of San Juan Island in Puget Sound.  How we miss the beautiful Northwest!

 

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Morning Peace

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140418_SanJuan by Karl G. Graf. Canon 7D, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS @ 78mm, f/16, 1/25 sec, ISO 400

Looking back at images from last summer, I recall taking this photo with a thought of peacefulness.  We were on San Juan Island near the Limekiln Lighthouse waiting for Orca’s to come by.  While waiting, I looked up at the hillside above me and saw this scraggly pine and white daisies.  It was quiet and peaceful.  All I wanted to do was sit and enjoy the moment.

In processing this image, I added a little contrast and graduated fog to enhance the peaceful feeling I had.  It was a beautiful day and moment.

 

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Remains From Prior Year

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140408_Spent Cone Flower by © 2013 Karl Graf. Fuji X-T1, XF55-200mm @ 58mm, f/5.0, 1/55 sec, ISO 400 (hand-held)

As new growth emerges from the ground, the flora from the previous year stand above protecting it.  It is a natural progression.  But now is the time when all “good gardeners” remove the old in preparation for the new.  My preference is to let the old and new coexist in a natural environment.  But in our garden, I don’t vote.  I just need to spend more time in the natural areas close to home.

This spent cone flower caught my eye.  I minimized the DOF to keep the focus on the flower head and blur out the ground.  I converted to B&W to further keep the interest on the spent flower.

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One Day Makes A Difference

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140402_Single Crocus by . Fuji X-T1, 60mm Macro

One day makes a huge difference as nature moves forward.  Two days ago, the crocus blooms were all closed.  Yesterday it was 60 degrees and they just burst open in full glory.  I enjoy watching as Spring evolves in our garden.  I just received my 60mm Macro lens for the Fuji X-T1, so I thought I would give it a try.  I definitely could use a tripod …

This image is processed in Topaz Simplify using a impressionistic painting style.  This type of processing hides my lack of sharp detail.

 

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First Blooms

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140401_White Crocus's by . Fuji X-T1, 55-200mm

No, it is not April Fool’s, we really do have bulbs sprouting up.

These little white crocuses are our first bloom of the Spring.  The blooms remained wrapped up.  It seems to be too cold for them to open up to the sky.  Maybe tomorrow.  The shadow cast by the bare flowering pear tree gave the image a little balance to fill the void of the brown winter grass.

 

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Spring is Coming ???

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140331_Emerging Daffies by . 140331_Emerging Daffies by . 140331_Emerging-Daffies by . Fuji X-T1, 55-200mm

Spring has been long in coming.  It has been a long, hard, cold winter with record setting snow fall.  Since the “official” spring started one and one-half weeks ago, it has been cold and wet with even a little snow flurry.  But finally I see emerging spring bulbs coming up.  Maybe Spring is really here!  This morning I thought I would give my new travel camera its first try.  I purchased my new FUJI X-T1 on the recommendation of two of my mentors/instructors,  John Barclay and Tony Sweet.  They have both fallen in love with the new FUJI X-series cameras.  It will take me a while to get familiar with its strengths and weaknesses.  It is sure a lot smaller and lighter than my Canon SLR’s.  Hopefully the weather will get a little warmer for more pleasant shooting.

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Sand Ripples

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140306_Sand Ripples by Karl Graf. Canon 5D Mark III, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS @ 200mm, f/16, 1/60 sec, ISO 200

Looking down the beach, I saw this interesting shadow pattern on these sand ripples  as the sun broke the horizon.  This highlight-shadow pattern just lasted a few moments.  There is always something of interest if I am open to what the moment brings.  I just need to be patient and wait for that moment.  It was a nice morning.

I worked on this image to convert it to B&W.  I was a nice pattern of white and black contrasts.  But, the warm sun made the image for me.

 

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Riding on the Beach

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140305_Riding on the Beach by Karl Graf. Canon 5D Mark III, EF70-200mm f/2.8L @ 80mm, f/16, 1/80 sec, ISO 200

The sunrise was not spectacular, but there was a nice warm glow that brightened the sky and ocean.  As I was absorbing the warmth of the early morning sun in South Carolina, I was thinking of the cold and snow that we were currently experiencing in Philadelphia.  I was glad to be at Hilton Head Island.  There were just a few of dawn walkers and bikers.  I waited several moments as this biker and her dog first rode up the beach (I missed her the first time) then turned around and came back down.  It added a little interest to what would have been a very nondescript photo.

 

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