Iwo Jima Memorial

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130607_IwoJima_Hands by Karl G. Graf.

From the Air Force Memorial we shot down to the Marines Memorial.  While I took several images of the overall sculpture, I felt like these two detail photos captured the feeling best for me.  The above image reflects the consolidated effort required to win the battle.  The expressions on the two soldiers faces shown below seem to project focus and determination.

130607_IwoJima_Heads by Karl G. Graf. Shadows from the high noon sun hid the details on the soldiers faces.  I used NIK Viveza and Color Efex Pro to brighten their faces while still maintaining the shadows and not blowing out the highlights in the rest of the image.  To accentuate the structure details, darken the blue sky, and keep the patina from the bronze, I first converted to black and white using NIK Silver Efex Pro.  To finish the photo, I blended the B&W version back into the color image.

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141019_Fonthill-Fall

Integrity, Service, and Excellence

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130606_Missing Man Formation by Karl G. Graf. It was high noon on a cloudless day when we visited the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, VA.  The Memorial is 270 feet high and appears to be soaring. Its array of arcs against the sky evokes a modern image of flight by jet and space vehicles. At the same time, it enshrines the past in permanent remembrance of the pioneers of flight who came before, and pays homage to those of the future.

The number three in the vertical design of the spires signifies several elements.  “Three” is resonant with significant associations for the Air Force, including the three core values of today: Integrity first, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do. It is also the smallest number of elements needed to define and enclose a space. The spires also reflect an exploding bomb burst as well as the “Missing Man” maneuvers. The spires are asymmetrical and dynamic. Each is a different height, causing the view of the Memorial to be different at every angle.

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141019_Fonthill-Fall

Lincoln

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130603_Lincoln_B&W2 by Karl G. Graf.

Last weekend Karen and I had the wonderful experience to spend time with my cousins and aunt in Washington, DC.  It was their first experience to really see the Capitol.  Being a teacher for her full career, my aunt continued to repeat that every American should have the experience to visit in person.  It really does provide a perspective of our history as well as the current affairs.  I will focus on this trip for my next several posts.

Since the first time I visited Washington almost 50 years ago, the statue of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial has sent chills of pride through my body.  It still does as I write this post.  The firmness of his beliefs and sternness of his resolution as well as his heavy sorrow show in his face and eyes.

I converted this image to black and white to focus on Lincoln’s face.  I applied several masks to darken the background, brighten his face, and highlight his eyes and expressions.  This is the way I perceive his statue.  Below is the image straight out of the camera for a comparison.

130603_Lincoln by Karl G. Graf.

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141019_Fonthill-Fall

Fonthill: On Display

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130519_Fonthill_Pitcher in Alcove by 2013. I have had the great opportunity to shoot several times at Henry Mercer’s Fonthill Castle with my good friend John Barclay.  Some of my previous work is currently on display there.  Most of my work has been with the larger scenes in each room.  Today I focused on several of Mercer’s collection pieces that are displayed around the castle.  It was a dreary day today in Eastern Pennsylvania … great light for capturing details.  To capture the mood, I also focused on capturing images for B&W processing.

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Emerging: Bleeding Hearts

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130509_Emerging_BleedingHeart_1 by Karl Graf.

I was after a subdued image of our Bleeding Hearts on a bright early morning.  I stood above these “hearts” and shot through an Atlas Cedar.  A slight gap between the branches framed the “hearts”.

I next got down on my belly and shot the macro below focusing on the simple two heart image.  I added a little contrast and darkened the background to highlight the “hearts”.  I plan to use this one for a Mother’s Day card for Mom.

130509_Emerging_BleedingHeart_2 by Karl Graf.

This post will be my last of my “Emerging” series  … at least for a little while.

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Emerging: Lilac

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130508_Emerging_Lilac by Karl Graf. I saw this emerging Lilac blossom against the bright red of a Flowering Quince and could not resist shooting an image.  As they say, “When you see red, shoot!”  The red background tends to overwhelm the Lilac buds.  I tried to separate the two with a shallow DOF.  Later in post processing, I added a little structure to the Lilac and added a little blur to the Quince which helped the separation a little more.  Just experimenting …

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Emerging: Magic in the Wind

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130507_Emerging_Redbud_wind effect by Karl Graf. I was experimenting with swipes and pans on this Redbud tree to create some interesting images for backgrounds.  While I had my camera set for a blur (f/32, 1/4 second, ISO 200), I let the wind create a little magic on its own.  I just held the camera still, waited for a gust of wind, then snapped the shutter.  It’s pretty amazing what nature can do!

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