The inaugural photo of the week, I am re-running this image of my daughter, taken at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Enjoy.
This HDR image came out far better than I expected it to in the wind and water vapor surrounding me. It has been chosen as an editor’s pick at HDRSpotting.com, and HDR afficionado website. And now you can hang it on the wall of your home or office by placing an order from my online gallery. White space has been added to the gallery version, allowing proper cropping for standard prints and frames.
Also, if you like my work, consider becoming a fan of my Facebook page. On January 31, I will select one fan at random to receive a $50 gift certificate to my online gallery (for a print purchase only, not for session fees).
For as long as HDR has been a processing option, there has been debate about whether or not a single tonemapped image constitutes and HDR image. Classic thinking would say no. However, Photomatix is capable of taking a RAW image and doing the tonemapping actions that come with HDR processing. In fact, the guy who is now producing the best HDR books, Trey Ratcliff, encourages you to try the technique. So I did, and you see the result above.
I personally am happy with it. Some photographers like heavily tonemapped HDR, some don’t. For me it depends on the image. More importantly though, the image consuming public likes it, and wants more of it. To that end, I guess I will do my part and keep contributing.
I have been to San Francisco three times in my life. Each time, I have taken what I think are some cool pictures of the Golden Gate. My last trip out was in July of 2009. I got in early enough on a Sunday that I was able to do a mini-roadtrip from my hotel (near Fisherman’s Wharf) across the Golden Gate and all the way up to Point Reyes. I am not a big fan of lighthouses per se, but this seemed out of the way, so I thought “what the heck?”. That’s the kind of tourist I like to be sometimes, going well off the beaten path. First things first though, had to get an updated shot of the Golden Gate.
I drove across it this time, which I had not done before. Exited at the visitors center on the northeast side of the bridge, and patiently waited for a parking spot. It had good views, but wasn’t providing the kind of shot I wanted. And there were a TON of people there. Back in the car, I crossed the highway and started driving on Conzelman Road. If you have driven this road, you know it requires your complete attention, especially after you pass the bunker at the summit and start going down the one lane road towards Nike-Hercules complex on Field Road. That said, I could tell I was seeing same new (to me) vistas with the Golden Gate in them. I drove on the road to the summit, and then hiked around the World War II bunker at the top. Interesting stuff, but with the wind and intermittent fog, nothing super compelling. I continued onward via car, down Conzelman to Field, then circling back around on McCullough to Conzelman and headed back to the 101.
Going back this way was breathtaking. Whereas the Golden Gate had been to my back before, now it was right in front of me. A few pullouts along the way offered interesting perspectives, but still not “the shot.” I continued on, finally stopping at Hendrick Point – the closest elevated point to the Golden Gate on the northwest side of the 101. I took the short hike to the old barracks/ gun emplacement and continued on right up to the fence. Clearly I wasn’t the first person to want a shot from here, as a pretty large hole had been made in the chain link. The wind was blasting pretty good, but I steadied myself on the fence and shot the above image through that hole. Came out pretty good I think. The color version of this image won a photo contest earlier this year. I didn’t expect to win anything, I was just proud of the shot.
If you like this image, it is now available for purchase (along with the color one). And between today and 1/1/10, use coupon code “powgg” for a 10% discount on these or any other prints in my photo gallery.
This is a side chapel at the famed San Xavier del Bac mission outside of Tucson, Arizona. From the mission website:
The present church was built from 1783 – 1797 by the Franciscan Fathers Juan Bautista Velderrain and Juan Bautista Llorenz. Little is know about the actual labor of the construction of the church, who was the architect, who were the artisans, but many believe it was the Tohono O’odham who fufilled these roles. San Xavier Mission is acclaimed by many to be the finest example of mission architecture in the United States. It is a graceful blend of Moorish, Byzantine and late Mexican Renaissance architecture, yet the blending is so complete it is hard to tell where one type begins and another ends.
Whether you prefer this color version or the black and white version, they are both available in my art gallery for purchase as prints or downloads.
This is one of the two major sandstone formations that comprise the Red Rocks Amphitheater in suburban Denver, Colorado. To me it looked like a guardian, protecting the lonely pine tree struggling to survive in the rocks. Order your copy today and save 15% with the coupon code “fb2009″ (only valid through 12/31/09).
People look at the above photo and almost immediately ask “what’s up with those funky clouds?” I tell them that this isn’t a straight picture, it’s a reflection out of a mud puddle. “Ooohhhhhh, now I see.” The inversion of this image so that the mountain is pointing up totally throws people off. It’s kind of funny to me, but it also makes me wonder how good of an idea it was to flip it 180° to satisfy my feelings on what looks better.
Compare the shot above to the original below:
Which works better for you? Or should I not have gone through all this, and instead used a different image I captured, from a little further out, that really puts the scene in context?
Me being me, I naturally continue to like the first the best. I think if it makes people talk, then it can’t be all bad, right?
This is the original version of the Reflections photo I first posted some time ago. This is the original, as it was the first thing I saw when I came upon the puddle in question. I like each version for different reasons. I prefer the first one I posted because of the outstanding clarity in the reflection. I like this one because it tells the story. You see the road, and you see where you are going. Pretty sure I am going to do a special edition run of posters including both, just not sure yet how I am going to put them together. For now, order this one and enjoy.
We received about 10″ of snow recently, so I took that opportunity to go get a new view of my normal surroundings (luckily my Sorel’s are good to about 12″ of snow). Got what I think is a great shot of this creek near my home. Converted it to a high contrast black and white in Lightroom. I wish it snowed more often.
Gone Skiing
Today is a holiday at the company I work for, so I am going skiing. Not sure if Copper Mountain has enough snow yet to ski the part of the mountain in the picture, but I hope so. I worked at Copper for 2 years, and pride myself in being able to find all the powder stashes. But it has to snow for that to happen.