Orange Glow
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6, 1/250s, 55mm, f/16, ISO 800
Orange Glow
Monthly Archives: December 2012
Barge at Sunrise
Some more images from my early morning walk on Sunday. I usually find something interesting when I walk the trails along the barge canal. This barge and tug were docked just beyond a gate into an access area for Utica, NY. I have noticed quite a lot of activity the past few weeks along the canal. I think there is an effort to dredge our section of the canal and keep it accessible.
Both of these images are three exposure brackets combined using Photomatix. I generally start with a simple tone mapped default and tweak the settings to achieve the image I want. I tend to keep the color saturation to a minimum and hopefully create a more realistic, natural image rather than an ‘over the top’ HDR image. Finally adjustments to the exposure and a slight gradient added in Lightroom.
Barge at Sunrise
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, (1/3, 1.3, 5s bracket), 19mm, f/16, ISO 100
Tug and Barge
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, (0.8, 3, 15s bracket), 70mm, f/16, ISO 100
Pre-Sunrise over the Thruway
My plans changed this morning when I received a text from an operator at work and I decided it was easier to drive in to help him. I ended up staying about an hour getting some parts in place to make tomorrow a little easier. As I left work around 6:30am the sun was just making its presence known in the sky. I decided it would be a good time to capture the image I have been wanting from the pedestrian walkway over the NY State thruway.
I had the lens as close as possible to the chain link fence but I just couldn’t keep it out of the image. I suppose if I didn’t have the wide angle lens on the camera it would have been easier to not include the fence. The colors in the sky and the light trails from the cars is what I really wanted anyway. Mission accomplished…
Pre-Sunrise over the Thruway
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, 15s, 70mm, f/22, ISO 100
At The Ready
At The Ready
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, 1/40s, 42mm, f/8, ISO 400
Forgotten Hero
I decided yesterday that I was going to get out of the office during lunch and go for a walk with the camera. It had been over a week since we had any time together. Of course, as soon as I walked out the door it started to snow but I didn’t let that stop me.
I headed toward the town park which is only a quarter mile up the road from the plant with the hope of finding a few image possibilities. It didn’t have to be anything majestic, I was just looking for a few clicks of the shutter. Just about half way to the park I passed a very old cemetery in the woods across the road from the walking trail. I noticed an old flag fluttering in the wind and couldn’t resist exploring.
The fenced in area wasn’t any bigger than 30′ x 30′ and looked like it hadn’t been visited in years. The trees have grown so large that their roots have disturbed the headstones. You could see where some attempts had been made to support them but it was obviously a losing battle. The flag that caught my eye was a memorial to a war veteran. Upon closer inspection I noticed it was for a Revolutionary War veteran. The information on the headstone had been all but polished away by the elements over the years but someone has tried to keep this veteran’s service honored.
I never did make it to the park…
Forgotten
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, 1/15s, 38mm, f/8, ISO 400
‘Tis The Season
Well, it is time to end my recent hiatus, I just wish it could be with a new picture. The weather, shorter daylight hours and quite a bit more activity at work as the year ends has kept me away from my camera. I even tried to enjoy today off from work but the constant drizzle outside and grey, overcast sky has left me with no opportunity to go exploring. To partially remedy this situation and relieve my posting withdrawal symptoms I decided to recycle and old image.
This image is from almost a year ago. I was still using my old point & shoot camera to learn on and was about three weeks into my attempt at a 365 project (that project eventually ended after 91 days, but that is another story). I had just finished hanging the lights on the house and realized I needed a picture for the day. I liked the way “cool blue” lights looked against the surrounding blackness.
As you can see from the original I was still learning my way around Lightroom. The Sony only saved JPEG images but I generally was able to create the image I wanted. I still hadn’t learned about blown highlights or white balance. The changes I made to this image are subtle. I corrected the color of the lights and recovered some detail in the highlights. I applied a little more noise reduction and sharpened the image with the newer techniques I have learned. Small differences but I do like the new image better.
Xmas Lights Original
Sony DSC-H20, 1/20s, 12.7mm, f/4, ISO 200
Xmas Lights Redo
Sony DSC-H20, 1/20s, 12.7mm, f/4, ISO 200
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