Watchtower
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, 3 image bracket (1/3, 1/6, 1/13s), 17mm, f/20, ISO 100
Watchtower
Tag Archives: HDR
The Path to Riches
Well, maybe not the path to riches exactly, but at least it was a path to fishes…
It was another beautiful day here in Central NY and I ventured out in the late afternoon to track down some more eagles. The young one was once again perched on the tree by the Black River but after I scared him away I found my way up to Delta Lake State Park for a little sunset action.
It was a little disappointing in the sky, the colors were more muted than I had hoped for but this view along the snowmobile path out into the frozen lake was cool. I was hoping for a more contrast between the warm sky colors and the cool ice/snow. I’m not complaining though, I had a great time exploring and just being outside was good. I’m sure I’ll be back before the winter is over…
The Path to Riches
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, (1/15, 1/4, 1s bracket), 42mm, f/18, ISO 100
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
Beachcomber
Sitting on the edge of the beach waiting for the sun to set I spied this lone rock disturbing the sand. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a close-up. Luckily, I had done my research before I bought my tripod earlier this year. I made sure the legs reverse folded allowing me to get the camera very low to the ground. The wide angle lens gave me the close-up of the rock I wanted, and it still provided a nice view of the beach and sky. I knew I would be taking this one into Photomatix for a little HDR help so I used a 3 image exposure bracket to capture the scene.
Beachcomber
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, (1/40, 1/10, 0.4s bracket), 17mm, f/16, ISO 200
Just Past Prime
My original plan was to get up early and try to catch the morning light at Chittenango Falls State Park but the below freezing temps convinced me to stay inside sipping my coffee. The cold weather wouldn’t have bothered me but I didn’t want to try to navigate the trail down into the gorge with any frost on the ground. It is suppose to be warmer tomorrow morning so if the rain holds off I’ll make another attempt then.
I decided to try processing this picture from last weekends excursion to Pixley Falls. I was a little late to capture the leaves on the trees but the color on the ground and in the water worked for me. I watched a webinar earlier in the week by Ali Elhajj for Topaz Labs on using the Denoise filter, beyond just the presets and I wanted to see if I could put what I learned into practice. It really did make a difference in my processing and I think it produced a better image.
Just Past Prime
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, (1/4, 1/15, 1/60s bracket), 21mm, f/16, ISO 200
Divide and Conquer
Divide and Conquer
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, (1/4, 1, 4s bracket), 17mm, f/16, ISO 100
Yes, still in my Disney mode…
Lights & Colors
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, (2, 8 & 30s bracket), 21mm, f/16, ISO 400
Fade Into Night x 3
I wish itching to get out with the camera today. I went during lunch but had very little success in the full onslaught of the midday sun. I did manage to capture one image that will work for a friends photo assignment. The last few days have been full between work and my daughter’s tennis matches so when the opportunity arose to sneak out after mowing the lawn I didn’t look back.
There was a great sunset developing and windless conditions so I headed back to Delta Lake State Park to capture some images after the sun dropped below the horizon. It is always a race against the clock as they start kicking you out soon after sundown since technically the park closes at dark (but that is always open to interpretation!).
The first image is the short exposure from my bracket set which has only been manipulated in Lightroom. Version 4 of that software allows for some great control of the image. The second image is the HDR version of the same scene. I have mixed feelings about this one. I like what I was able to pull out of the rocks but I think the sky went a little too far for me. The last image is a composite image using the first two. I brought them both into Elements and manipulated the portions I liked from each into a single image.
I’m curious as to which image works for you. Let me know in the comments. Thanks…
Fade Into Night – Adjusted
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, 0.8s, 26mm, f/22, ISO 100
Fade Into Night – HDR
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, (13/3/0.8s bracket), 26mm, f/22, ISO 100
Fade Into Night – Composite
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, 0.8s, 26mm, f/22, ISO 100
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