Picture of the Day (Dial-up internet users enter at own risk!)

[Mosca]

The cooling towers at Berwick nuclear plant:

 

[Mosca]

The cooling towers at Berwick nuclear, sunset the same day:

 

[dmharris]

Mosca, really lovely photos. Is the last one (orange) altered with software or natural?

 

[Mosca]

Mosca, really lovely photos. Is the last one (orange) altered with software or natural?

The color is accurate, but I bumped it up just a little bit, like 20% or so. That is pretty close to what it looked like. I left the hue/tint alone. Here is the original; but, the edit is more accurate to what I actually saw.

As I learn more about this stuff, I've learned that all photographs need post processing; even the film images that you took 30 years ago got pp'd, even if it was automated in a booth. I have the advantage of having been there, and I try to hit them as quickly as I can, so that I can keep it accurate to what moved me when I was there. This sunset was blinding; there were no clouds.

I've been reading a lot about it, as well. This summer, I would sit on the back porch and take pictures of my flowers; I would try to make the pictures look as close to the original right out of the camera, I experimented with different apertures and shutter speeds, and then after all that I tried to see how much more accurate I could make them look in 2D, using mostly Adobe Lightroom 2. And THEN, I worked at how to make them not just as ACCURATE, but just as APPEALING. And what I learned is, when you decide to put that frame around the world, you need to give it more vibrance if it is going to compete for attention with the real thing.
I really appreciate the edits that some people do, but it doesn't work for me personally, at least not yet. My goal, as I'm learning, is to accurately reflect what I saw, what struck me as "photo-worthy". I'm not putting anyone down, I hope; ALL images are valid. It is an art, and there is room for all interpretations of it. I'm working inside the one that pleases me, and I hope that others enjoy it as much as I enjoy what they do!

 

[easyrider]

Raineer

 

[easyrider]

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Winter morning on the Snake River Plain

Digital darkroom discussion of this photo here.

 

[geoand]

Steve, This is the first photo of yours

That I can not see. Doesn't show up on the other thread but the color version does.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

That I can not see. Doesn't show up on the other thread but the color version does.

Sorry about that. I tried linking to Panoramio, but I guess the photo isn't yet publicly available. Don't know why not. So I uploaded to Picasa instead and linked from there.

 

[Mosca]

Hey Steve, I like that B&W photo a lot!

Regarding the winter scene in the DDR thread, remember that your light meter in your camera is always trying to make everything 18% gray, including the snow. Overexpose snow by 2 stops for the best results. That is a tip from Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure, a great and inexpensive book (around $16) on getting the settings right on whatever type of camera you use.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Hey Steve, I like that B&W photo a lot!

Regarding the winter scene in the DDR thread, remember that your light meter in your camera is always trying to make everything 18% gray, including the snow. Overexpose snow by 2 stops for the best results. That is a tip from Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure, a great and inexpensive book (around $16) on getting the settings right on whatever type of camera you use.

With my current camera I adjust settings using an exposure histogram in preview mode. Virtually all of the time I'm using exposure bracketing as well; otherwise in sunlight either the snow blows out to pure white or the rest of the pictures is underexposed

 

[Mosca]

With my current camera I adjust settings using an exposure histogram in preview mode. Virtually all of the time I'm using exposure bracketing as well; otherwise in sunlight either the snow blows out to pure white or the rest of the pictures is underexposed

Regardless of how you get there, your photos are a joy to view! thanks for sharing them.

 

[jerseyfinn]

Nice shot ciscogizmo.

I get this irresistable urge to roll a bowling ball down these steps just to see what would happen.

Barry

 

[jerseyfinn]

This first week of November is when I usually make a trip to Flagstaff AZ & get in some hiking and photography. This year, I had not planned upon going . . . that is until I'm in my backyard taking pictures of the leaves changing colors and I think to myself that I could be in Arizona doing the same thing. So I organize a last-miniute trip to Arizona, arriving on Monday and going home Sunday. My wife could not get the time off, so I e-mail her some images each day after I get back from my day's excursion. Here's a few images so far. They are out of camera with slight sharpening applied in PS Elements. .

Westfork Trail, Oak Creek Canyon​

This trail is 14 miles in total length and it follows Oak Creek into the canyon. The trail criss-crosses the creek several times making for an interesting hike. Only the first 3.5 miles of the trail are walkable. Beyond this point, the creek disappears between two canyon walls and one must be prepared to walk, wade, and swim the rest of the way depending upon the waters & time of year. Needless to say, I stop at 3.5 miles on this chilly November day.

_________________

Westfork Trail​

This time of year, the leaves have already fallen up Flagstaff way ( 6900 ft. elevation), but often you can still find trees with leaves on them in Sedona which is 3000 ft. lower in elevation, hence the time difference in leaf fall. Such was the case this year . . . well at least until Monday when I arrive. Some big winds came out Monday night and Tuesday which take down much of the leaves in Sedona and environs. It's still very beautiful as the leaves are fresh and full of color . . . they're mostly on the ground, or in the creek as these photos show.

When I arrive at the park to pay the entry fee, the ranger looks at me and asks if I have a senior's Golden Eagle Pass which confers free admission ( I'm 10 years short of achieving "seniors status" though my grey hair and beard say otherwise). She's a bit embarrassed when I inform her of this, but not to worry . . . I tell her I'm married to an older woman ( my wife is all of 3 months older than me ). To rub more salt into the wound, I go to a local steakhouse for dinner and the cashier there gave me the senior's discount which I gladly accepted ( the government will take it all away anyhow ). So it's been an interesting trip thus far.

__________________________

Jerome AZ​

The day before ( day of the high winds ), I venture out to Jerome, a former mining town and one of the most productive copper and mineral mines in America until it all plays out in 1957 and Jerome becomes an instant ghost town. Today, Jerome is a quite village of 500 folks, most of them artists and other folks who enjoy the view from up high and the solitude of the mountains.

This photo is taken on the main street. I send this image to my wife and tell her that I convince a gal to take off her shoes so that I might shoot this picture. In truth, it's a maniqin. I'm surprised that my wife has not called me out on this one yet.

_______________________

​

Jerome AZ​

One final image. It's a cafe which catches my eye as I walk about Jerome. It's a sunny day, but big clouds pervade the sky, and this combined with the angle of the sun makes for lots of moments of shade on mountain-sloped Jerome. I get lucky and a little sun shines through for a few minutes. I love the '50 look with the stools and the inviting counter. If they had been open for business, I would have gone inside.

So that's what I'm up to at the moment. A few more days of hiking to go. I have a hike planned for Bear Mountain near Sedona. It's only 2.5 linear miles of walking, but with an 1800 ft elevation gain. I've done this trail before, so I'm anticipating getting my butt kicked. But the view is spectacular, and I hope to grab some nice images.

Barry

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Nice shot ciscogizmo.

I get this irresistable urge to roll a bowling ball down these steps just to see what would happen.

Barry

Yes - that is an extremely nice shot. I like it very much.

I'm also wondering how many TUGgers post photos at Panoramio? It's a nice way to select a locale and get photos of what the area is like. Most of the landscape and travel type photos (except for photos in which people are the primary subject) also wind up viewable in Google Earth.

 

[Brett]

I get this irresistable urge to roll a bowling ball down these steps just to see what would happen.

This photo is taken on the main street. I send this image to my wife and tell her that I convince a gal to take off her shoes so that I might shoot this picture. In truth, it's a maniqin. I'm surprised that my wife has not called me out on this one yet.

really good perspectives !!

 

[Mosca]

This shot isn't technically great; the auto-focus caught the beam on the right, and the car is soft because of it. But it is a great shot for my purpose, personal memory. I'm not planning on selling it. What I like about it is that there is no color manipulation, just sharpening and some noise reduction (shot it at 1600 ISO; the entire scene was in the shadows).

The Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh PA.

 

[Timeshare Von]

Polar Bears - Churchill, Manitoba

Taken on Tues 11/4/08 in blizzard conditions on the Canadian tundra:

Taken the day before, also out on the tundra:

And one more from my Polar Bear Adventure:

 

[jules40]

Blue Angels

Navy Blue Angels

 

[jules40]

Florida Sunset

Taken from the car after leaving the Blue Angels air show at Kennedy Space Center

 

[jules40]

 

[Mosca]

Pittsburgh.

 

[jules40]

Mosca:
OMG! the pictures of Pittsburgh are incredible. Such clarity!
I took pictures of the airshow this weekend and I thought they were pretty good until I see the other pictures posted here.
Julie

 

[jules40]

 

[Mosca]

Mosca:
OMG! the pictures of Pittsburgh are incredible. Such clarity!
I took pictures of the airshow this weekend and I thought they were pretty good until I see the other pictures posted here.
Julie

Julie, those air show pictures are really good, especially the one of the angels in the sun flare with the clouds; very dramatic! Those guys at air shows are hard to catch, all of them, even the slow ones.

I'm just beginning to understand my tools, the camera and lenses and software. I started working on landscapes because I didn't like wide lenses; after using one exclusively for 3 months, now I couldn't imagine a telephoto, it seems so restrictive!

The most amazing thing for me about the Pittsburgh pictures is how the rivers are so blue; I grew up there, and the Mon was always brown, and the Allegheny was always kind of green-gray!