Canon 7D MkII, EF100-400mm @ 117mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec, ISO 400
It was a dark and dreary morning at the Anacortes ferry dock. The sun broke through the clouds to display its golden rays behind Mt. Baker. Even though it was raining at the dock, I felt that it was going to be a beautiful day. By the time we reached Friday Harbor, the clouds had burned off and the sky was bright blue. It was a beautiful day. Each day is a gift!!!
Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 35mm, f/22, 1/125 sec, ISO 400
This image of Oregon’s Painted Hills was taken from the main overlook. The overall scene was immense and beautiful. However, the bright mid-day sun made the image look flat. As I was surveying other images of the Painted Hills, I came across several dramatic images of the hills in late afternoon/early evening sun. I took the challenge to see if I could get close as I post-processed the image. Using a variety of adjustment layers and masks, I came up with the following image.
This is what I imagine what the scene would be in the warn early evening light, just before sunset. I can’t wait to go back and capture an actual sunset here.
Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 62mm, f/11, 1/350 sec, ISO 400
Driving up to Oregon’s Painted Hills, I saw this pastoral scene and stopped to capture the feeling. It was “high noon” and the sun was bright, but I still wanted to give it a try. To recreate the feeling I had, I processed the image in Topaz’s Impression and added a little texture in Photoshop. Who say’s you can’t make good images in bright noon day sun!
To get an overall feeling of the Painted Hills, I decided to try to take some hand-held panos. I used my left elbow as a pivot point to rotate the camera around my body. I used Lightroom’s pano function to merge the individual images. They did not turned out too bad.
Fuji X-T1, XF 18-135mm @ 37mm, f/22, 1/180 sec, ISO 400
I have heard many people comment on the beauty of the Painted Hills of NE Oregon. Being from central Washington, I had never taken the 2-3 hour drive to see them. So on a recent trip to central Oregon, I thought I would go exploring. My purpose was more of a scouting trip than specifically to take images. I was there mid day on a very bright warm summer day. Even in this bright light, the colors of the hills radiated out. I look forward to coming back during the late afternoon sunlight.
Painted Hills is one of the three units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, located in Wheeler County, Oregon.[1] It totals 3,132 acres (1,267 ha) and is located 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Mitchell, Oregon. The Painted Hills are listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon.[2] Painted Hills is named after the colorful layers of its hills corresponding to various geological eras, formed when the area was an ancient river floodplain.
The black soil is lignite that was vegetative matter that grew along the floodplain. The grey coloring is mudstone, siltstone, and shale.[3] The red coloring is laterite soil that formed by floodplain deposits when the area was warm and humid.[
Gettysburg – North Carolina Monument
Surrounded by dogwood trees (the North Carolina state tree), the monument features figures of North Carolina infantrymen advancing during Pickett’s Charge, where fifteen infantry regiments from North Carolina participated and suffered heavy casualties. One man kneels injured on the ground, pointing towards the enemy with his proper left hand while two men wield guns and look forward. A fourth man holds a flag in both hands as he glances forward.
The North Carolina Monument is my favorite in Gettysburg. To me it best depicts the feeling of the Southern soldiers as they faced the onslaught of the Union guns during Pickett’s Charge. It sends shivers through my body every time I visit.
This battle fought 152 years ago just prior to Independence Day, marked the turn of the war that kept our Country united.
Louisiana Memorial – “Peace and Memory”
I have not posted an entry during the whole month of June. I will try to do a little better this month. On a trip to Gettysburg National Battlefield last month I was able to get images of a few memorials and battlefield scenes. I processed them using Nik Silver Efex Pro sepia toning to fit the character of the past.
Donald De Lue named his memorial sculpture “Peace and Memory”. He explained, “It flies over the battlefield blowing the long, shrill clarion call on the trumpet over the long forgotten shallow graves of the Confederate dead. It is taps for the heroic dead at Gettysburg.” De Lue explained the female figure is “Spirit Triumphant”, symbolizing the survival of the spirit and the ideas of these men that they did not die in vain. The eternal flame held in the other hand symbolizes the memory of these gallant men. It is the embodiment of the spirit that went into the Battle of Gettysburg with them.”
Louisiana had approximately 3031 soldiers engaged at the Battle of Gettysburg. 724 of them were casualties for a loss of 23.9%. This percentage placed Louisiana 22nd in rank of all the states that had soldiers at Gettysburg.
Fuji X-T1, XF 18-135mm @ 49mm, f/9, 1/280 sec, ISO 200
This image was taken at the “Garden of Memories” near Newtown, PA. The Gardens memorialize the 9/11 tragedy. Along its spiral walk it memorializes the 2973 people killed, the the 58 Pennsylvania victims, the 42 children from Pennsylvania who lost a parent, and the 18 Bucks County victims. On the inner ring of the spiral, the Bucks County victims are etched in glass. It is a quiet and peaceful place. A place to walk, sit, and reflect. Remember … on this Memorial Day!
Canon 7D MkII, EF100-400mm L @ 400mm, f/5.6, 1/5000 sec, ISO 800
A couple of days after my dear wife passed, I was walking along the bridge at Lake Galena in Peace Valley Park. I looked up and saw a large bird down the lake flying directly for me. As it approached, the Osprey stopped and hovered in the wind right above me. It looked down and just stared at me. I could feel the message from my darling wife above.
Canon 5D MkII, EF24-70mm f/2.8L @ 60mm, f/11, 1/20 sec, ISO 200
Fallen cherry blossoms covered the ground beneath the trees. I was able to get a few images before the lawn mowing gang cut the grass and swept away the beautiful blooms. The past few weeks are typically my favorite weeks in the garden each year. For a few days we are lucky to have the flowering pears, flowering plum, flowering crab apple, and flowering cherries all in bloom at the same time. It is peaceful and beautiful in the garden.
The image below is a new perspective using multiple exposures while zooming out.
A different look is achieved by a long exposure and a zoom pan as seen below.
Which one catches your eye? I like them all.