What did you photograph today? What did you develop/process in your digital editing software today?

Post it here with a bit of a description so we can all share in your fun.


The African Daisies in my front yard (with one or two Poppies and another wildflower (planted) I'm not sure about)have been blooming for over a week, so I thought I'd better photograph them before they're gone. I sharpened the image, cropped out some of the background, cloned out some buds and yucca leaves intruding on the subjects, brightened some shaded petals. Tried to shoot between gusts of wind... ;)

Its time for softball...softball tournament....

Skydog;
Super shot - to stop the ball and bat at the perfect time, nice conversion
to a 'painted image' also.. looks great. Tom :classic:

Photographed these guys at the University of Florida lake today and then cropped and sized to fit 100K. I've only had a camera for two weeks, but been using Photoshop for a while.

Photographed these guys at the University of Florida lake today ... I've only had a camera for two weeks,...

Whoa! Was this before or after the alligator ate lunch? :eek:
Is this actually the first time you've used a camera (during the last two weeks), or the first time in a long time? I'm guessing that you're using a digital camera, and wondering what fun I would have had if I'd started with digital instead of ruining all that film... ;)

Hi

After learning Photoshop for a few years, I bought a digital camera - a Canon compact. I'm still learning how to use it. Digital is great because I can take about 100 shots to get about 10 that are useable. That's my ratio usually. The camera is both easy to use and then becomes impossibly complex. I think I would be way too impatient and cheap to use film. Anyway, I wish I had bought one years ago.

Processed today, shot back in February on a trip to Arizona & Utah. This was shot somewhere on the road to the Paria Ghost town in southern Utah. I wish we had been there in the late afternoon when the light would have been striking the mountain. The color variations were incredible. I took 2 shots, exposing one for the sky & one for the mountain.

Processing was :
Blending the 2 shots
Saturation adjustment layer - a slight boost to a couple of the colors
Curves adjustment layer - added a little contrast
Sharpening
Resize & save for web

Howdy all,

Took this at MY zoo (it's where I keep all my animals.... haha) near where I work. After my divorce I had decided that I was going to hang as many of my own pictures as I dang well wanted (so there! :evil: ). Anyway, I've always struggled with picture size - I don't like having to crop a picture so it fits a frame and can't afford custom or specialty frames. Lately I've started changing the canvas size in Photoshop and pulling a color from the picture - but then still printing as 8x10 or whatever.

So, that's what I've done in this picture - just more canvas top and bottom. Does anyone do anything different? Would really love some other ideas.

>>>>> Does anyone do anything different? Would really love some other ideas.

The photo is great the way it is. Beautiful

I took these today, and did a quick join-up job to make a panoramic view :D
Shot is from Denby Dale view point, looking towards the Derbyshire boarder :wink:

I did this one today for a client.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/169/428242470_b5afc3844c_b.jpg

Let me know

I shot this for a client, processed and delivered it today

bill

Bills I really like your shot, it's got style.

These are two shots I combined this evening.

The first was of an office building and I selected the windows and created an alpha channel. The other shot was of a sunset which I dragged into the windows image, loaded the selection and created a Mask. I duplicated this andran a zoom blur filter over it (the sunset) and then ran the filter over the mask as well so that it would interact with the building.

Inkjet

David -- I see no need for any changes, but I'd like to know how long it took you to train them all to give you their total attention and same expression all at the same time? Lovely animals, and nice image!

I took these today, and did a quick join-up job to make a panoramic view :D
Shot is from Denby Dale view point, looking towards the Derbyshire boarder :wink:

Such a beautiful capture of a beautiful landscape! I've never tried pano stitching -- sounds hard. ;)

Bills -- image looks great -- small (guess that's smart since it's for a client). I love the lighting on his face and body.

... I selected the windows and created an alpha channel. The other shot was of a sunset which I dragged into the windows image, loaded the selection and created a Mask. I duplicated this and ran a zoom blur filter over it (the sunset) and then ran the filter over the mask as well so that it would interact with the building.Inkjet

Cool look! Love that glow!

I took this one about 2 hours ago at my daughters riding lesson, then had a quick play around and desaturated the background. It's now printed and up on her wall :thumbsup:
Conditions were quite dark and overcast, but I don't think it came out too bad. :wink:

chrisshoggy,

great shot

I saw this old factory as I was driving along today. I set my white balance and exposure using a Grey Card. I fitted a linear polariser and dialed in as much black sky as I could.

I've increased the contrast a tiny bit, but essentially the this is a shot straight out of my camera.

Inkjet

Inkjet, here is a hearty welcome to RetouchPRO!!! I love it when someone jumps in with a great post like this one. As many pictures/snapshots as I take, I've still never figured out how to make the sky that intensely blue in camera without special filters, etc. You did a great job.

Janet

This Brown Pelican posed nicely for me near a tidal marsh on Florida's Gulf coast.

Used Paint Shop Pro to add frame and SA for painterly look.

Steve C.

Some very nice photographs here.

I took hundreds of photos while in Myrtle Beach and Charleston South Carolina on a 2 week winter golf vacation. I downloaded them yesterday they are as they came out of the camera with the exception of some blur to the carriage shot.

Not sure why but I like the Bubba Gump shot haven't figured out what to do with it yet though.

Actually the pictures are some of the first taken with a Pentax K110 I got about a month ago.

...Not sure why but I like the Bubba Gump shot haven't figured out what to do with it yet though.

Actually the pictures are some of the first taken with a Pentax K110 I got about a month ago.

I find the colors very appealing in the Bubba Gump shot. :)

Shot this morning in Titusville, Florida as part of an assignment for the state of Florida and part of a grant application I am applying for. I love these birds. (Roseate Spoonbills)
Enjoy,
c

[QUOTE=CJ Swartz]David -- I see no need for any changes, but I'd like to know how long it took you to train them all to give you their total attention and same expression all at the same time? Lovely animals, and nice image!

QUOTE]

I have the weird ability to make dolphin noises by forcing air through my gums/teeth. No idea what I'm saying in dolphinese - but by the looks I get from the animals it is shockingly obscene :lmao:

I have the weird ability to make dolphin noises by forcing air through my gums/teeth. No idea what I'm saying in dolphinese - but by the looks I get from the animals it is shockingly obscene :lmao:

Is this similar to "talking turkey"? :dizzy: :dizzy:

Janet

Took this last night, and was quite pleased with it :)

chrishoggy wow.

george washington bridge

I find the colors very appealing in the Bubba Gump shot. :)


I think that is what draws me to it also.

I shot and processed this today. It's a panoramic view from the top of Solomon's Temple in Buxton, UK.
Mild dialup warning, as it's a 569KB jpg
http://www.chrishoggy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pan2.jpg

I was out early today and took some photos of the Velodrome here.

I didn't like the sky so I changed it for a closeup of a jet contrail I shot last week.

Hope you like it

This was taken last Friday as I slipped out of work for lunch and went to the zoo. When I first moved to South Texas a couple years ago, I was forever pulling over whenever I'd see a great egret... didn't take TOO long ( :nod: ) for me to realize that they're EVERWHERE. This area is a haven for birders - and whenever another rare bird is spoted at someones backyard birdfeeder, the town can expect an influx of $100,000 as birders from around the world flock (ha!) here.

Anyway, in my opinion one of the best places to get pictures of local birds is at the zoo. And this time of year they're all busy building nests. I have a bucket full of pictures of Great Egrets... but I can't seem to stop myself from taking another whenever one is near.

[hey.. I just realized for those people who clone angel wings on kids pictures... that wing might be good for that] -edit

Great shot. Personally I would get shut of the tree and give it a nice clean sky background.

Here are a few others of mine from yesterday. Most are of the inside of the caves at Buxton. Not very happy with them as I had to use the flash, because I forgot to take a tripod with me for slow shutter speed shots :sad:
http://www.chrishoggy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/gal/

Great shot. Personally I would get shut of the tree and give it a nice clean sky background.

I had given some thought to cloning out the tree... but it seemed like an important part of the picture. The position the egret was in was odd for just "flying" so I wanted to leave something in to show she was landing.


Sunday we had a high of 54 degrees f, today (tues) it is to get near 90 <sigh>. So decided to go out walking around campus before it got too hot. I took this picture near the resaca (sorta a lake) - and wanted to try a couple techniques they talk about on that Radiant Vista site. Did the usual levels, curves, color adj, saturation, sharpening. Then did ctrl-alt-~ (tilde) to select all areas over 50% brightness (?) - moved that to it's own layer, changed the blend mode to "lighten" and then added a gaussian blur - so the brighter areas have a bit of a glow. I've done the same sort of thing with just a duplicate background, punching the saturation a bit more and then adding a gaussain blur - and changing the opacity. But this seems nice too.

This was taken at Marble Hill. It used to be the Governors summer "cottage" to get away from the heat etc. It was burned out by a huge bushfire and was destroyed. It's been partially restored but most of it's still ruins, and yes the sky really is that colour blue. It's straight out of my camera and unmodified.

Here are some of my latest macro shots taken today.

OK Chris, now I am officially jealous. :) These are marvelous, stupendous, terrific images!!!!! WOW!

Do tell. Please.

Janet

I was given a tip for catching moths in flight. Basically I put some lengths of cotton around an LED light. Each one has a tiny bit of honey (or any sticky substance) on the end, Moth then flies to the light and sticks to cotton. You can then move that length of cotton away from the light, and the moth will keep trying to fly to-wards the light (while stuck to cotton). It is more or less hovering in one spot while trying to get to the light.
It's kind of cheating, but they are actually in flight, even though it is controlled. Moth eventually brakes free to live another day, and you get some nice close shots :) (I took about 60 and only got 5-6 that were of any use) Used Photoshop to remove the cotton string that was stuck to one of it's front legs :)
Bit of camera data on the shots:
Shutter speed 1/1600
F/3.5
focus mode- Manual
ISO-100
Focal length 21.6mm
Flash - ON
Optical Zoom set to Max 10X
DIY macro lens at 2" from camera fixed lens
Distance from object (Moth) approx 8"

Original size image showing where cotton was, on link below.
http://www.chrishoggy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/moth.jpg

Once again I was unleashed in Grand Teton National Park. The first photo is a mountain shot taken at an old landing on the snake river. The second was a little creek about twenty miles up the road looking the other way. Both were taken with a canon rebel xt attached to a canon EFs 10-22mm wide angle lens.

The last photo (elk) was shot along the snake river just below the jackson lake dam. They were about 150 yards away and were shot using my rebel xt and my new toy: a canon ef 100-400mm lens.



Alan

Ya gotta LOVE the 100-400 no matter what they say about the negative side effects. It is sharp as a tack and let's you get the elk.

Great pics. They make me yearn for the west again.

Janet

So true!! I have been happy so far. Particularly with the image stabilization. I took that photo while sitting in the driver seat of my running car....no tripod and it is still pretty sharp.

Alan, love that second picture of the creek. Love what's happening with the clouds, the treeline and the creek. Very dynamic. I could almost be in the scene. Great work.

Syd

Hi,

Here's a movie poster I just finished for a group of local producers.
It is a documentary of a true story from this area. (Central PA)

Bill

I was out in the woods w/my Canon 30D and was quickly reminded that I was only in a park in the middle of Brooklyn. I came across a fire hydrant in the middle of the woods. Oh well, it was fun to pretend I was out hiking away from the city for awhile. I just processed the raw files today.

I used to shoot in B&W all the time. I really love printing in the darkroom. Since I started shooting digital (this is the first digital camera that I own), I noticed that shooting for B&W has changed. The options are infinite in how I can manipulate the raw file. I have to admit, I'm having a bit of trouble when it comes to the B&W conversion. Here are 2 versions that I did with this image. Any tips?

Syd, thanks for the compliment.


Little Fisher, great shot!. Since we tend to leave or plant little pieces of woods in many of our cities I love the ironic statement made by the little piece of city in the woods.

I think you did a fine job with your adjustments. You brought the details of the hydrant out and much improved the tonal balance of the photo in general. I would say your on the right track. Nice work!!


Alan

This is, Eli... our nextdoor neighbor.

I took him and my two children to the local McDonald's, where he got these high fashion sunglasses as part of a Happy Meal."

:)

Ive been editing some images of a Swedish "boy"-band I shot the other day.Heres two.

I was out in the woods w/my Canon 30D and was quickly reminded that I was only in a park in the middle of Brooklyn. I came across a fire hydrant in the middle of the woods. Oh well, it was fun to pretend I was out hiking away from the city for awhile. I just processed the raw files today.

I used to shoot in B&W all the time. I really love printing in the darkroom. Since I started shooting digital (this is the first digital camera that I own), I noticed that shooting for B&W has changed. The options are infinite in how I can manipulate the raw file. I have to admit, I'm having a bit of trouble when it comes to the B&W conversion. Here are 2 versions that I did with this image. Any tips?As you have discovered, digital BW conversion options / methods are plentiful, perhaps too plentiful. A nice problem to have, I guess. :)

Although I found it difficult initially to find the intended subject because just about everything in the image is in sharp focus and there is relatively little contrast (tone-wise) between the hydrant and background, I especially liked how the hydrant was framed by the foreground trees.

Ideally (IMO) it would have been nice to have shot this at f/2.8-f/4 (assuming you have a DSLR) so the hydrant would have been in focus and the foreground and BG were a little fuzzy. If you cannot manipulate DOF in RAW converters (I don't shoot RAW, so I don't know), sometimes the illusion of a narrow DOF can be achieved in Photoshop (or equivalent) by using blurred layers and selectively applying the effect using Layer Masks.

Placement-wise I prefer a subject more off center than centered and crop accordingly when possible.

Contrast variations can be applied by various means (burn, dodge tools, layer blend modes, adjustment layers, etc.). Nice to have multiple options here, too.

BW interpretation is really subjective, so take my commentary and interpretation with a grain of salt. If nothing else, hope this gives you some ideas.

Danny, you are really going to LOVE CS3. Black and white conversions are a snap. And since you have upgraded, you will also find the lens blur filter simulates depth of field quite well with just a wee bit of tweaking afterward. I'm sure you are going to have LOTS of fun. And BTW, depth of field cannot be simulated in RAW. You are safe there. :)

Janet

Here is one from today, Sunday 04/29. As soon as I saw the April competition I had this shoot in mind, but it was past the date :bawling: .

Canon 20D, EF24-70 f2.8, ISO100 1/100th @ f9.

Here is one from today, Sunday 04/29. As soon as I saw the April competition I had this shoot in mind, but it was past the date.

It would have won hands down too. I do find that the man's missing lower jaw is just a tad distracting. But the story is there and it is a wonderful capture!!!

Here is my "processed today". I've been passing this old farmstead for years now and always thought I should take a picture as it was so well kept up and picturesque. Wellllll......I didn't. The widow who lived here died. The family doesn't want the home or the land. You can see what it looks like now. So sad.

Janet

It would have won hands down too. I do find that the man's missing lower jaw is just a tad distracting. But the story is there and it is a wonderful capture!!!
Janet

Thank you Janet. I agree about his lower jaw line. I wish I'd had him about 6 inches or so to the left. It was a tough shot to get, I was laying on the floor with the camera just a few inches off the floor (I'm getting too old for that kind of stuff :lol: .

Thanks again for the nice compliment and hopefully, I'll figure something out for May and before the deadline :happy: .

Thanks for the tips Danny, and Janet too. I can't wait to check out CS3 for myself. Janet, is CS3 what you used to convert to B&W in your farmstead shot? BTW, I love shots of abandoned places.

Thanks for the tips Danny, and Janet too. I can't wait to check out CS3 for myself. Janet, is CS3 what you used to convert to B&W in your farmstead shot? BTW, I love shots of abandoned places.

One word: Yes.

And thanks.

Janet

Alright, here's another. I'll make it the last one for a while and just keep the daily stuff to a photo blog. I came across this doll while digging around a road-side fleamarket. I tried out 3 different techniques.

Heres one i took earlier just after a rain storm, I was trying the macro function which i dont fully understand except that you should always use a tripod and i didnt ! ! ! ! !

All that i have done is resize for posting

Palms

posted a few other photos in the photo art forum

Palms, those raindrops look pretty sharp for being a handheld shot. I know, getting the tripod out and getting it set-up can be a pain, but it does help a lot. I have trouble getting into the contorted positions it always seems to require to get down to where my macro subject is, so I appreciate your desire and effort as well as your image.

Pretty and pink!

Heres one i took earlier just after a rain storm, I was trying the macro function which i dont fully understand except that you should always use a tripod and i didnt ! ! ! ! !


I have a love/hate relationship with tripods...mostly the hate part. We just don't have a compatible relationship. Therefore, I can commiserate when you don't use a tripod. Just learn to hold your breath, keep your hands and arms close to your body...AND hope you get a sharp shot. :) :) I can honestly say that of all the pictures I've posted here, I have only used a tripod on one. That one was a 4 second exposure. No one can hold still for that long.

The most important thing to remember is to have fun.

Janet

Here's one I shot today during my lunchtime walk in the garden.

A good photo will make you stop and look, that photo did just that. Great job
Paul

Here's one I shot today during my lunchtime walk in the garden.

Absolutely lovely shot.

Janet

Another from my Friday walk. Processed it today (only required a quick Curves adjustment). I've been told it's called a Columbine.

fpellerin, both of your shots are lovely! You have chosen lovely subjects and show them off well with your execution -- you get close to your subject as well as isolating it from the background with depth of field. I hope you often get to walk in the garden at lunchtime with your camera! :)

Thanks for the compliments CJ! I try to make it out there every lunch break. It's especially interesting these days as new flowers seem to pop-up every day! I have a few more shots that I have yet to process...hopefully I'll get to them today!

Took this very early this morning.

Took this very early this morning.

Gorgeous!!!

Janet

Took this very early this morning.

Pelle -- beautiful lighting (duh! -- that's why you chose early morning :) ) Love the colors, the reflections, and the texture of the stonework.

Met up with this fella while hiking along the Jenny Lake Trail with my kids today.

Shot with a rebel XT in raw,

...... man......... I need to practice.......

Beth

These are some plastic spoons I photographed to try out an idea.

Coconut palms, South Florida.

Steve C.

Coconut palms, South Florida. Steve C.

Steve, lovely watercolor effect -- I hope that's from post-processing because I have a camera that has an overly strong denoising algorithm when shooting jpegs but its "watercolor effects" don't look that good -- that's another reason why I mostly shoot raw.


Met up with this fella while hiking along the Jenny Lake Trail with my kids today.

Shot with a rebel XT in raw,

How exciting for you and the kids! I hope you had a zoom lens and weren't really THAT close! ;)


...... man......... I need to practice.......

Beth

Beth, a nice sharp rendition of the hair. You did "blow out" the background, and might need to work on that next time.... Ohhhh, and by the way, kudos on the creative positioning of your subject. ;) :)

These are some plastic spoons I photographed to try out an idea.

I love seeing plastic and glass images, and have also enjoyed playing with different lighting. Nice work on this!

Steve, lovely watercolor effect -- I hope that's from post-processing because I have a camera that has an overly strong denoising algorithm when shooting jpegs but its "watercolor effects" don't look that good -- that's another reason why I mostly shoot raw.


Yup....post processing. In fact I used a combination of filters, (which I usually do.) Shot original with Nikon D50.

One of those images which I keep messing with because it takes manipulating well.

And thanks.

Steve C.

Just a photo I took this morning. I modified the cars colour to compliment the wall.

Here's another bug from the weekend that I processed today. Two "oopsies" on this one: 1- Blew some highlights on the Lilac blooms and 2- Should have stopped-down the lens a bit for more DOF.

Shot info: Nikon D50, Sigma 70-300 APO DG Macro @300mm, ISO 200, Exp.Comp. at -0.3EV, 1/640sec. at f5.6.

(Used CaptureNX to PP the shot...my other laptop in in the shop for repairs so I don't have Photoshop for the moment. I have to say I don't like NX at all!!!)

Crafted this for a new mom (and dad) from pix I took at church Sunday.

Hard to believe my kids were ever that little. Time sure flies... :)

Speaking of kids, the attached examples are of my (too) soon to be 11 daughter. She's such a cooperative subject. This is her "Dad, I can't believe you're taking another picture" look.

Anyway, I used this shot to test a Photoshop action I was working on today.

The action allows me to create this "three image layout" based on a single image of any size / dimension image, regardless of its resolution. The result an image consisting of individual layers, so further manipulation is possible -- including swapping in different pictures, applying different layer styles, converting one to black and white, etc.

While these examples aren't all that innovative layout-wise, the fact that each was created in less than 20-seconds is what pleased me. :)

I'll continue to hack at this action. If I can get a few more kinks worked out I will post it at www.atncentral.com (http://www.atncentral.com).

Danny, this photo of your daughter will be a treasure in your collection when you no longer remember the Photoshop action you were working on while photographing her ;) -- lovely image of a lovely girl.

Crafted this for a new mom (and dad) from pix I took at church Sunday.

Hard to believe my kids were ever that little. Time sure flies... :)

Very nice photo's and great way of presenting, I would like to bet the mother and family are well pleased

Palms

Hi there,

This will be a poster of the National Theather of Pécs, started yeserday morning 6x7' slide scanned and there was a Carte 'Dor pitch at lower right and now FINISHED!!!

can't show the start because i've overwrited yesterday

saby

Nice work Saby!

Thanks Frank,

actually it could' ve been easier rolling around, but here we don't like easier way :-(

saby

Hi there,
I am new to both photography and photoshop, so please keep that in mind when viewing!
This is an old abandoned barn on my road. Just realized it's kinda pretty.

Mellyelli, looks like a photo that I would like to see -- Bigger. ;) You are having the same problem many of us did when we first started posting here -- getting the photo to be the right size -- big enough to really see and small enough to be accepted by the uploader. Don't worry about it -- we all went thru it the first time we posted on a forum. Take a look at the instructions in this thread --
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/image-help/9077-size-quality-attached-images.html

Since you're new to Photoshop, you may need some help to figure out the directions -- just ask and help will be offered by many members (who remember when they needed an assist.)

You can upload the larger version of your photo to your original post or you can just make a new post.

Thank-you CJ. Lets try that again.

Just practice......another from same shoot

Hi Folks

I love watching this thread, getting to see everyone's current work. Some cool stuff.
Here is a dancer.

Bill

Hi Folks

I love watching this thread, getting to see everyone's current work. Some cool stuff.
Here is a dancer.

Bill

WOW wow and wow

Another wow, wow and wooow!

Hi Folks

I love watching this thread, getting to see everyone's current work. Some cool stuff.
Here is a dancer.

Bill

WOW just doesn't do it. Stupendous!!!

Janet

I found this guy last Saturday fishing under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay. I had a great time watching him juggle the crab - took him several minutes to get it down, and I got quite a few photos! Enjoy...

Nice capture of action, Mike! Glad you found a good subject and stayed around to see what he/she would do - sure worthwhile!

I'm just finishing the processing on the pictures I took in Utah. Here is one of my favorites. The sun was just right that the sky was a deep, dark blue. When I opened the file, it just begged to be converted to black and white. Other than the conversion, I didn't do anything to make the sky look black.

The f-stop was probably around 11 (as it was quite bright that day). The shutter speed is anyone's guess because I have the camera set to aperture priority and seldom pay attention to shutter speeds. The lens is a 24-105 mm.

Janet

Just a rose taken indoors available light Sony R1.
Geoff

The rose is beautiful. The depth-of-field is great. The bluish-magenta cast to the background bothers me a little. That used to happen to me a lot when I was a Minolta shooter. Something in the camera settings converted all that green-yellow to blue, which was easily fixable in Photoshop. I love roses. They are so beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

Janet

Thanks Janet , I did the background this way to give a contrast to the yellow rose.
Geoff

Here's a picture of a rabbit I took out at my dad's place. He really likes his birdseed, but I don't think he appreciated me taking a picture while he was eating.

I really liked the threatening look, but his whiskers definitely need more work, and I'm not sure that I like the depth of field effect.

...I don't think he appreciated me taking a picture while he was eating.

I really liked the threatening look, but his whiskers definitely need more work, and I'm not sure that I like the depth of field effect.

I see what you mean about the depth of field, but you didn't have a lot of time to take another shot to correct it -- you had to get out of there before he came over to beat you up! That is a very threatening stare, and he looks pretty big... ;)

You captured some nice lighting which highlighted his cheek, nose, muzzlepuff, and fur, and you caught an interesting expression -- nice!

I took some friends from Columbia to Yellowstone yesterday. It was stormy and sunny and creating all kinds of great lighting conditions. The subject here is Castle Geyser. The storm clouds had passed overehead a few minutes prior to this shot.

The only out of camera adjustment made here was a little tweak with levels to improve contrast. The colors are as they were.



Alan

Great shot Alan the colours look spetacular

Palms

Beautiful image, Alan. Though I've never seen the park on a day like that, such days did happen in my native Montana. Makes me nostalgic, and I really envy you living in such a glorious area. As a footnote, my parents met in Yellowstone. Mom was a cabin maid at Mammoth and Dad drove a tour bus.

<C>

CJ: I appreciate your comments, and I'm glad you liked the picture. I'm just glad to still be in one piece; I think this critter would have made the Rabbit of Caerbannog look pale by comparison if I stuck around much longer.

Alan: WOW! That's an amazing shot! I haven't had much of a chance to take pictures in such dramatic lighting... I've got to get out more.

Experimenting with depth of field effects with my new Sigma 100-150mm F/2.8 lens.

This was shot with a Nikon D70s at 120mm, F/3.2, 1/400th... converted to BW in Photoshop.

That is a super shot Danny i like it a lot

Palms

May as well jump in. :) Actually, processed last night, not today, but close enough right?

It is the middle of winter over here and somewhat ironically the only flowering thing in my yard is this hibiscus- I used it when shooting off the end of a roll of film yesterday. The light wasn't ideal (dappled shade) but the flower itself appears to be the main source of illumination anyhow....hehe. I just love the vivid colour even though it hurts to look at too long.
The camera I used was a Pentax A3 with 28-80mm zoom, F/3.5, shutter 1/60 (I think), and ISO 200 film.
I ideally should have gone for a greater depth of field, it's looking way too shallow...but still pretty :rainbow:

Shot less than an hour ago. One of the pilots practicing for this weekend's Red Bull Air Race here in London.

Pete

waycool!

Bill

Shot less than an hour ago. One of the pilots practicing for this weekend's Red Bull Air Race here in London.

Pete

Thats a great shot, the speed they go at i would have trouble keeping my eye on them , let alone a camera ! ! !

Palms

Pete - that's neat! I especially love your shutter speed allowing some motion of the prop -- nicely done.

I love photos of planes, and tried taking some at a few airshows -- when the Blue Angels were going to buzz the crowd from behind (I was ready for them, I thought) I raised my camera and caught -- blue sky and maybe a tip of a tail.

"Lady Taking a Rest"

Had the original photo for a while. Did the manip this am.

Steve C.

Shot this a lunch time today. He did not like me being under HIS tree and did not stick around too long either.
D200, 70-300mm@170mm, f4.5, 1/125 sec., ISO 100.

I love squirrels. They are so feisty, especially when you are sitting under "their" trees. Thumbs up.

Janet

Just started to retouch this pic this mornin.
Black hair ona black background… always hard.

Fortunately I have the magic of RAW:)

A closeup of some plastic cutlery.

A closeup of some plastic cutlery.

Cool! Did you use a lightbox or tent? You seem to have handled the lighting well.

I used a light tent lit from behind and blacked out the sides with some black card to increase contrast in the edges.

I used a light tent lit from behind and blacked out the sides with some black card to increase contrast in the edges.

Nice work and nice effect! When I took a photography class, I shot some stemmed glasses for one lesson -- I had never tried any tabletop stuff before and didn't think that I liked anything other than "nature shots" at the time. I ended up loving the play of light on transparent objects -- need to work on it to get better. Seeing your work makes me want to try some again.

Thanks for those kind words.

Yes this is also someting that has long interested me. I normally light this from the rear but the soft box had just died and the light tent was my Plan "B" with the card used to recreate the normal lighting situation.

Well here are a few of the 100's of shots I took at Chester Zoo yesterday.
The last one is my personal favourite, as it looks more natural :)
http://www.chrishoggy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/zoo/

Nice Chris. I liked them all. Isn't a zoo a wonderful place to take pictures? :)

I certainly hope the zoo officials know enough to have the prairie dogs in an enclosure they cannot burrow under. I'm originally from a state in the western part of the USA where prairie dogs are a huge bane on the livelihood of the people. I must admit that I viewed them with a mixture of laughter and despair.

I also admit to having several (errr...many) pictures of them in the wild, so to speak. Since they are protected by the endangered species act, they tend to take over people's lawns, the golf course, farmer's pastures, cemeteries, and any place else that there are NO natural predators.

Here are two that were taken this summer at the golf course just as the sun was coming up. The golfers tell me that they are guaranteed a hole-in-one no matter what. It just depends on the definition of "hole-in-one".

Janet

The prairie dogs seemed to pose for their photo, and were quite funny to watch. The enclosure is rather good, as you get to see them above and below ground.
This is a shot of my two kids inside the dome that forms part of the tunnels you can go in under their enclosure.

The prairie dogs seemed to pose for their photo, and were quite funny to watch.

Agreed with wholeheartedly.

The enclosure is rather good, as you get to see them above and below ground.
This is a shot of my two kids inside the dome that forms part of the tunnels you can go in under their enclosure.

WOW. I'm impressed.

Janet

Here is another of my favourites from yesterday. This one took a bit of work to get it right, as the mesh fencing round the enclosure made it hard to get a good shot. A bit of work in CS2 soon removed that though:wink:

I love it Chris. The removal of the fencing went well. Kudos.

Janet

Chris -- love your photos!! That zoo seems to have natural habitats for most/all the animals, which is great for them and for photographers. Your lion looks great, and I don't see any evidence of "mesh removal". I know the fencing is necessary, but it really messes up some otherwise great shots.

I love watching prairie dogs (they perform for visitors in our zoos also), and your zoo's setup is better than ours - our Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson has viewing of their underground hole-ways, but no neat viewing domes -- your kids must have loved that!

Here is another of my favourites from yesterday. This one took a bit of work to get it right, as the mesh fencing round the enclosure made it hard to get a good shot. A bit of work in CS2 soon removed that though:wink:


Great series of shots Chris i would be pleased/proud to just of taken one, The lion looks magnificent,
I have not visited Chester zoo ( Twycross being our favorite local one ) but it looks tempting
Palms

Chester Zoo is one of the best in the UK IMHO, and I've been to quite a few of the big ones. We spent 6 hours going round it all, and at £49.50 it was worth every penny. This was our 3rd time at Chester, and it never fails to be value for money. Every animal seems to have a large enclosure that is more than adequate for their needs.
The leaf-cutter ants were great to watch, and they were totally open. It was a tree stump that had a small amount of water surrounding it to contain the ants. I even ended up with a few on my camera while trying to take some macro shots:grin:
It was great for the kids and great for me to try my hand at a bit of animal photography, as it's not really something I'm too good at.

Did anyone see the lunar eclipse this morning? I had trouble getting one even this good, but I enjoyed watching the show from my backyard.

This is my "Sunrise on the Moon". ;)

"All The News That's Fit To Print"

Steve C.

Here's a photo my daughter took from the balcony of the Animal Kingdom Lodge at Disney World.

Seems the man with the feed and the giraffe are having a bit of a standoff.

Steve C.

Here's one I printed yesterday and coated today. This budda is sitting in front of a gated spa and the little girls face was blown out from the light. New head - new background - printed 20x24 on canvas on my Espson 9800. Fed ex is my friend!
~Nancy~

----------------------------------------
www.PhotoArt123.com

I went to the wetlands at the edge of town looking for spots to photograph. This is one image I've manipulated by changing tones and replacing the sky. I couldnt wait for the right light.

I've just finished working on my completely unretouched photo of the Barker wetlands. At no time did the hands leave the wrists.

Here's one of my youngest son. Photographed 2 days ago, cropped and converted to B&W today.
Nikon D200, Sigma 28-70 @70mm and f/4, 1/60 sec., ISO 100, Off-camera flash through an umbrella.

Here's one of my youngest son.

That's a keeper! Lighting is so important for good portraits. (duh! Lighting is so important for all photography.) ;)

Just got back from a week in London, and caught a beautiful day on Thursday October 4th and took this shot of the London Tower Bridge. I used a Canon EOS Rebel/XT with a F24-70 F2.8 L lens at 1/1250, F/9 at 24mm.

Alan

24-70 f2.8 ISO100 1/100th @f11

Nice shot Dennis, the avenue draws your eye nicely along, and the Autumnal colours are lovely.

Could possibly be lightened just a touch, but that's purely a personal feeling, you'll know better what the lighting on the day was.

Nice shot Dennis, the avenue draws your eye nicely along, and the Autumnal colours are lovely.

Could possibly be lightened just a touch, but that's purely a personal feeling, you'll know better what the lighting on the day was.

Gary, thanks for the compliment. It seems to be showing up here just a bit darker than the processed file. It is still pretty close to the lighting yesterday morning. Thanks again.

Just got back from a week in London, and caught a beautiful day on Thursday October 4th and took this shot of the London Tower Bridge. I used a Canon EOS Rebel/XT with a F24-70 F2.8 L lens at 1/1250, F/9 at 24mm.

Alan

We have the London Bridge in Arizona, and that may be as close to London as I ever get. It's nice to see that London does have sunshine sometimes.

24-70 f2.8 ISO100 1/100th @f11

Dennis, it's a place that I would have liked to have been in person - thanks for sharing such a lovely sight!

Dennis, it's a place that I would have liked to have been in person - thanks for sharing such a lovely sight!

Thank you CJ, it is a nice place to see in person in the fall. I was surprised at the color this year due to the drought.

... I was surprised at the color this year due to the drought.

Nice shot Dennis, the avenue draws your eye nicely along, and the Autumnal colours are lovely.

Could possibly be lightened just a touch, but that's purely a personal feeling, you'll know better what the lighting on the day was.

Dennis - I don't think this is the forum to "play with" other people's images, (she says just before she posts his image that she has "played with"), but I wanted to see what a Shadows/Highlights correction would do -- what do you think, and Gary - what do you think? I will delete this post if you wish, Dennis - just thought this was the easiest way to show it, and I love the heightened colors. (We may all have differently calibrated monitors also, of course.) :)

CJ - no problem and sent you a pm.

Thanks.

Three of us had left our cars with the intention of taking pictures of this big bull and his harem in the open field at the side of the road. While walking to the best shooting spot, traffic began to stop on both sides of the road and people were turning off their engines. Just as I reached the first car, the cows began crossing the fence and heading into the road right in front of me. After the harem was safely across, this big bull stepped from the trees and crossed as well. He stopped, lowered his head (with the threatening horns) and stepped toward us. I thought I was a gonner with no place to hide or run. Thankfully, he decided we weren't a threat; and he turned and bounded into the trees. It was an amazing site. I'm afraid I was too excited to hold very still for tack sharp pictures. I do, however, have evidence of my story right here. Enjoy.

Janet

Wow Janet, where was this picture taken???

Wow Janet, where was this picture taken???

Highway 43 South just out of Ponca, Arkansas.

and Gary - what do you think?

Sorry to be so late getting back on this one CJ, things have been a bit hectic and times been a little in short supply.

Nice job on brightening it up, a little too much for my taste, but as you say we're all using different monitors, and the chance of them all being calibrated identically is not good.

I took your version, overlayed it on Dennis's original, and dropped layer opacity to 67%, which gave me the kind of look I was seeking (at least it does on my screen).

Janet, great shots.

Why is it I never have a camera with me whenever I see anything interesting.

I was walking the dogs yesterday, and a couple of Roe Deer jumped the hedgerow in front of me, seeing the dogs they immediately took off and cleared the barbed wire fence into the woods on the other side of the track. Whole episode lasted just a few seconds.

Unlike you I have no pictures to recall the incident, just a memory that will last with me for some time.

Hello everyone! Long time no see, I've been on hiatus for a little while. I personally enjoy the original version of Dennis' photograph. I think the range of contrast adds more depth to the photograph. I think that by lightening it up too much, we lose the realism in the photo. Of course, this is my personal opinion, but I would leaf (pun) it the way it was shot. The nice diagonal line created by the light in the red trees draws my eye to the crossroads in the lower third of the picture. I think by lightening the picture, we lose that draw. Very nice shot Dennis!

N

This was shot in the Maritime forest overlooking a marsh near Charleson SC

This is a picture that I took on the set of a short film that I am co-producing. The young lady in the photograph is our Assistant Director. Believe it or not, there is no after processing in this photo (except for some minor cropping). She is a naturally beautiful girl, so processing was not required.

N

Really nice picture Nickolas. Quite mysterious and thought provoking.

Philbach. I like the mood of your picture. I'll bet it would make a great painting too.

Janet

Nice shot Phil, very American. We don't have any landscape that looks like that over here. It's the moss hanging from the trees makes it "alien" for me. That and the slightly brown tinge to the grasses and ground cover plants, ours tend to be more green.

Nikolas, great crop, really draws attention to her eyes (or should I say eye) in a way that a full face shot would never do. Few blown highlights which is a pity.

It was very interesting to recolorize this cartoon, it was scanned form the celuloid by the studio, it was lots of masking and layer blending techinques.

saby

I've been trying out some lighting on this bottle and was quite intrigued to see the patterns in the edge.

I've been trying out some lighting on this bottle and was quite intrigued to see the patterns in the edge.

I love what lighting can do with glass! Intriguing patterns.
I haven't done any lately, so maybe this will motivate me to try again.

I took this photo over the summer, and just got around to processing it today. I'd love to hear what you all think.

I was out this morning trying out my new 10mm lens.

I was out this morning trying out my new 10mm lens.

So close that the subject is abstracted so that I am not sure what it is, which leaves it as form and color and line -- all which work together to make an interesting and attractive image. The sky appears a bit underexposed on the right side top of the image which detracts a bit from the yellow/blue contrast, but that could be my monitor. You will be having a lot of fun with your new lens!

Made this autumn image today.

Hi all..neither of above...they were taken a gew weeks ago and were processed and are already printed, but wanted to share anyway :-)

2/4...btw..it's Barcelona/Spain...EUROPE :-)

3/4 ..unfinished cathedral

4/4..that's it..thanks for your patience

I'd a puzzle today, I couldn't get y they need the layers for this

We're in the midst of our first serious snowfall of the season up here...

DKcoats That sure looks cold. Where was this taken? Well my enclosed picture I did not take. I seemed to have received the above photo from several different people with a label like "a one in a million shot." I couldn't take it any more so I doctored up the photo and replied that I decided to go out and shoot some birds too and I got a one in two million shot.

Oh well.

We're in the midst of our first serious snowfall of the season up here...

That is absolutely brilliant DC I love it

Palms

We're in the midst of our first serious snowfall of the season up here...

Don't ............

Had to do a lot of home improvements this year, so finances don't run to my usual ski holiday and I'm getting withdrawal symptoms already.

Course I'm used to my snow having somewhat more of an incline, but if I tilt your picture to about 40° it still gets to me. :D

Phil - the pic(s) were taken at the little lake near where I live in the 'burbs of Minneapolis. It wasn't all that cold, by Minnesota standards. (The flying geese came from another shot of the same scene.)
Palms - thanks for the kind words. Glad you liked it.

This was taken today on Folly Beach near Charleston SC. This is the Morris Island Light house that is getting ready to be moved to safety

NYC, lord of the roost.

Ant - Good one! :grin:

Phil -- they're going to move a lighthouse?! That sounds like a big job - glad they are going to save it from destruction.

Gary -- That is sand in Phil's photo, NOT powdery snow, so don't let it add to your withdrawal symptoms. ;)

dkcoats - nice capture! It creates a sense of solitary peace and Winter. Were you using the fishing chair?

"Japanese Doll With Umbrella" (From photo taken this am.)

Steve C.

Mosquito Lagoon, Florida

This is a composite I finished today for the Law Enforcement Memorial Fund Annual Report.
Those of you who have read my profile and looked at my Flickr page know I am deeply attached to this subject for several emotional reasons. A few years back I dedicated myself to their art department for any photographic needs they have for nothing but cost in honor of a few folks. On my flickr site there is a whole set of Law Memorial shots. It was an emotional job, (this is a small portion of what I did this year), but it's done and I feel it was a bit therapeutic.
Before anyone asks, the Thin Blue Line is synonymous with the memorial representing the thin line between good and bad kept secure by those who serve.
The memorial wall is in D.C. if any of you get that way, it's beautiful.

c

I got up early this morning.

Well I took this yesterday. A sailboat was going by as a fogbank was rolling in.

I applied a "U" shaped Curve to this one. This is at the rear of the Town Hall

I got round a bit today. Just increased the Saturation a bit.

Shot back in September, but just got around to processing this. :)

very nice Dana

Hi, here is the photo processed by me today.

Well its has interesting color and drama. The perspective and lens distortion bothered me some and I thought it interfered with the photo.

took this yesterday.
processed today.

im so bored man...


*edit*

should maybe say this: its taken with a nikon d80 + 105mm sigma macro lens.
process is.... just the crop. thats it.

OK, I'll bite, what's it a picture of ?

OK, I'll bite, what's it a picture of ?


its 3 cute little waterdrops on a showerscrub... i thought that was obvious... doh!

hehe

Just experimenting with Liquify Plugin.

A shot of mine taken and processed over the last couple of days
Geoff

A trip to Bok Tower (Lake Wales, FL) today for a photography class walk about. It was a hazy, but beautiful day. The sky was totally blown out in the original shot and I fixed it with my "Blown out sky" tutorial. :-)

A shot of mine taken and processed over the last couple of days Geoff

"White with detail" - very nice! Nice composition also.

... It was a hazy, but beautiful day. The sky was totally blown out in the original shot and I fixed it with my "Blown out sky" tutorial. :-)

A "fix" that doesn't look fixed -- just right, Swampy!

CJ
>>A "fix" that doesn't look fixed -- just right, Swampy!

Thanks!! That's a very nice compliment.

My son Jeff went out with me to shoot photos today. Here is Jeff shooting a picture of the mountains..

Canon Rebel XT
Shooting Mode A-Dep
Small Curves adjustment in Photoshop.




Alan

It's not a work just today but a really intersting natural-photograpy album by Orsolya and Erlend Haarberg finished today. Hopefully it'll available everywhere in europe till it published by NG. I've made some HDR work in it where it boosted the picts.

One of the camera club's events this weekend took us to Tempe (Arizona) Town Lake - there were two concerts going on and fireworks afterwards. Great fun practicing nightshots/fireworks shots!

Will be posting some others in my blog.

The sky was blue, the sun was out, the air was warm the camera came out ! ! !

Palms

Shot today and processed today.

Camera: Nikon D70s
Lens: 18-70mm
Aperture: f16
Speed: 1/40s

I'm taking a photography class through the local art league and we spent the morning at an animal rescue barn way out in the country. The place was a delightful junk yard with dogs, cats, horses, ducks, a monkey, llamas, junker cars and trucks and tons of stuff to take pictures of. Here are some shots that I caught.

Camera Canon Powershot Pro
Lens: Stock
Shot in RAW

It looks as if you are having a great time taking pictures. Don't you just love it when there is such a variety of subjects? I especially like the carousel horse. It would be a good subject for painting as well.

Janet

Photographed my son's track meet. Clouds and then sun made white balancing a bit tough. I'll try posting a couple but here is a link to the gallery. http://www.pbase.com/photobart/pvcc__home_21608

Photobart

Photographed my son's track meet. Clouds and then sun made white balancing a bit tough. Photobart

Wow! Great shots -- the closeups on the runners really show the exertion and determination, and your timing on the pole vaults worked very well. Your experience and skill shows.

Photographed my son's track meet. Clouds and then sun made white balancing a bit tough. I'll try posting a couple but here is a link to the gallery. http://www.pbase.com/photobart/pvcc__home_21608

Photobart

I agree with C.J. super shots nice album you have there

Palms

We've had a lot of rain the past two weeks. This was the sky just after the last thunderstorm. I've never, ever seen the sky such a color and was told after by those who have been through tornadoes in our area that this is the color of the sky when a tornado is likely. The rainbow was magnificent but didn't show well in the photo.

Sign me, counting my blessings in the mid-south.

Janet

Well caught Janet, That colour is gorgeous- and a bit creepy... kinda the same colour the sky turns over here when there are lots of bushfires. Did you shoot this at dusk?

Yes, shot at dusk. If I had been just five minutes earlier (went looking for my shoes), I would have caught the sky "French's" mustard yellow. It was creepy but gorgeous at the same time.

Exceptional colors, Janet. Great capture.

---------------------------------------

Took the plunge on a Nikon D300. (A lot to learn. I am in "tryout/experiment" mode at the moment.)

This is a snap of my brother-in-law's new toy. Looks good, but rides rough and is expensive to drive/maintain. I'm happy with my 10 year old mini-van. :)

Shot and assembled today.
As you can see, Spring has not arrived here yet :-(

Camera Make NIKON CORPORATION
Model NIKON D70s
Date/time 4/8/2008 12:10:54 PM
Lens 50 mm
Image Exposure time 1/250 s
F-number f/8
Focal length 50 mm
Gain control None
Contrast Soft
Saturation Normal
Sharpness Hard
Subject distance range unknown
White balance Auto
ISO setting ISO 200

Dennis,
Hope you don't mind but I did a little tweak or two on your image. Nice shot by the way, hope you don't mind.


c

I've been harping on the amount of rainfall we've had in our area the last few weeks. At last count, we were over 18 inches. All of the water has forced the US Army Corps of Engineers to release water from dangerously high lakes. This was the scene as all 10 floodgates at Table Rock Lake/Dam were opened to release water at 47,000 cubic feet per second. Needless to say the flooding downstream was devastating. But better that than have the dam burst!!!

The scene was nothing short of IMPRESSIVE! I took this and stitched it together as a pano so I could get the whole dam into the picture. One "stupid" man was standing right on the river's edge. The rest of us "stupid" people were back at least another few feet. :) :) :)

Janet

Janet,

you inspired me to go shoot something that I've been driving by, every day for the past 25+ years.
Never fell compelled to photograph it. Don't know why. Maybe I just took it for granted.
This is a 4 photo panorama of the Passaconaway Falls, less than a mile from my house.

Thank you for your falls. Here are mine :-)

Camera Make NIKON CORPORATION
Model NIKON D70s
Date/time 4/18/2008 11:10:54 AM
Lens 50 mm
ImageExposure time 1/500 s
F-number f/13
Focal length 50 mm
Gain control None
Contrast Soft
Saturation Normal
Sharpness Hard
Subject distance range unknown
White balance Sunny
ISO setting ISO 200

The scene was nothing short of IMPRESSIVE! I took this and stitched it together as a pano so I could get the whole dam into the picture. One "stupid" man was standing right on the river's edge. The rest of us "stupid" people were back at least another few feet. :) :) :)
Janet

I'm not a huge fan of the overly processed HDR images that we see everywhere.
However I do think it can be a great tool to enhance slightly "flat" pictures.

I used ReDybaMix HDR on this train to give it some pop.

Do you find it overdone?
What about the composition?
And is it way to saturated?


Camera Make NIKON CORPORATION
Model NIKON D70s
Date/time 6/25/2007 02:25:30 PM
Lens 18 mm
Image
Exposure time 1/250 s
F-number f/10
Focal length 18 mm
Gain control None
Contrast Soft
Saturation Normal
Sharpness Hard
Subject distance range unknown
White balance Sunny
ISO setting ISO 200

Frank, those are some mighty impressive shots. I really like the water. Isn't it amazing that we drive by scenes like this every day and somehow miss them because of the familiarity?

Thank you for sharing them. I like the treatment you gave both images.

Janet

This is a shot from the rooftop of the hotel where my wife and I stayed Saturday night. The bld. in the foreground is Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners major league baseball team.

This is my first experiment with trying to get HDR. Overkilled on the colors, but my kids liked it!

I shot these yesterday and did a little processing on them today,

The big deal about them is i actually took my little camera of automatic mode for the first time :eek: but no worries after taking a few i put it back on, :)

also instead of a bit of handy paper i have invested a whole £2 on stretch canvas's about 15" X11" and painted one black, ( makes life a lot easier, and I might invest in bigger ones ) and a bit of florists oasis to hold the flower in

Beware all you photography experts i am on my way :grin::grin::grin::grin::grin: (not)

Palms

Yesterday morning as I drove to work there was still a smidgen of ice left on the little lake near my house. By that afternoon, after a day of 75-degree weather, it was gone. I guess spring has finally come to the frozen tundra.

I merged three exposures to HDR in Photoshop, then did a couple of different mappings in Artizen. Back in Photoshop, layered the more-extreme version over the not-so-much in luminosity mode and lowered the opacity a bit. Did some selective color tweaking and a little D&B. (Shot yesterday, processed today)

dc

Yeee Haaa!! I Finally got flowers in my garden!!

Canon Powershot S1 IS
Date Time 2008:04:22
Exposure Time 1/640 sec
F-Stop 4.5
Focal Length 58mm
Color Space sRGB

This is a shot from the rooftop of the hotel where my wife and I stayed Saturday night. The bld. in the foreground is Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners major league baseball team.

This is my first experiment with trying to get HDR. Overkilled on the colors, but my kids liked it!

GREAT shot! I love the HDR feel. It isn't overdone or grungy looking. Just right.

Yesterday morning as I drove to work there was still a smidgen of ice left on the little lake near my house. By that afternoon, after a day of 75-degree weather, it was gone. I guess spring has finally come to the frozen tundra.

I merged three exposures to HDR in Photoshop, then did a couple of different mappings in Artizen. Back in Photoshop, layered the more-extreme version over the not-so-much in luminosity mode and lowered the opacity a bit. Did some selective color tweaking and a little D&B. (Shot yesterday, processed today)

dc

Ditto on the HDR feel. Brrrrrrrrrrr on the cold water.

Yeee Haaa!! I Finally got flowers in my garden!!


Hahahahaha. Too funny.

Janet

Yeee Haaa!! I Finally got flowers in my garden!!

Canon Powershot S1 IS
Date Time 2008:04:22
Exposure Time 1/640 sec
F-Stop 4.5
Focal Length 58mm
Color Space sRGB

I have a few of them waiting till they turn into "clocks" (go to seed) though for some photo's

Palms

HI I took this last week, I has gone to a nature trail and just stepped out of the car and there was this pretty cardinal and his mate (too bad i didn't get her too). I also took this small garden waterfall.
Nikon D40
I know I was in aperture priority, still don't know how to get the info off the photo.

I shot this at Oxbow Bend on Sunday 4/27. This bird is actually walking on a frozen part of the Snake River. It was an incredible day bright sunshine multiplied by snow and ice. This was shot about 2:00 in the afternoon.

For post processing I used levels to blow out the ice even more than it already was. I also used the replace color command to get rid of variances in the color of the ice and snow (except for the birds footprints).

I added the frame to separate the image from the rest of the page when posted.



Alan

I shot this at Oxbow Bend on Sunday 4/27. This bird is actually walking on a frozen part of the Snake River. It was an incredible day bright sunshine multiplied by snow and ice. This was shot about 2:00 in the afternoon.

For post processing I used levels to blow out the ice even more than it already was. I also used the replace color command to get rid of variances in the color of the ice and snow (except for the birds footprints).

I added the frame to separate the image from the rest of the page when posted.



Alan

Excellent Alan :bigthmb:

Palms

Exceptional Alan. I love what you did with this one.

Janet

Alert: We're starting to see flickers of sunshine in the Seattle, Washington area. :)

Shot this one of my daughter with Nikon D300, 18-200 VR. BW conversion and frame done in Photoshop CS3.

Very, very nice Danny. I really like the way the conversion came out on this one. She is getting to be way too pretty for her own good. You should be proud.

Janet

All the above photos are great; good work! These are a couple of pictures I snapped while out for a nice spring walk in Toronto.

Sorry if the quality isn't that great... but you can view the originals on my Flickr page, at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikolasclarke

The signature hole at the Nashua Country Club.
Panorama made from 5 photos.

Camera Make NIKON CORPORATION
Model NIKON D70s
Date/time 5/13/2008 02:25:30 PM
Lens 38 mm
Image
Exposure time 1/250 s
F-number f/9.5
Focal length 38 mm
Gain control None
Contrast Soft
Saturation Normal
Sharpness Hard
White balance Sunny
ISO setting ISO 200

Flower on a barrel cactus in my back yard today.

Very, very nice Danny. I really like the way the conversion came out on this one. She is getting to be way too pretty for her own good. You should be proud.

JanetThanks for your kind words, Janet.

Here's a little layer fun with my son's pal, Jake.

Templates for for mag logos here: http://www.escrappers.com/magazine.html

A friend and I went shooting this morning at the falls. I had to get my feet wet to get this one, but I thought it turned out rather nice.

It was shot with a 70-300 mm, F22, ISO 100, for 1/2 a second. The sun wasn't up yet, so I used a white balance of shade -3. That left it a little "cold," so I adjusted the RAW file appropriately to the histogram, corrected the color in Photoshop proper, and gave it a Lab Color finish for a punch in the color department.

This was also shot at the falls ... though obviously in a much more still area of the river, and much later in the morning after the sun was up.

I thought it kind of funny that I got the exact same photograph of this duck going in both directions. It traveled the identical path, so the focus, size, color, etc., are all identical. The duck is merely reversed in one of the photographs.
It will make for a good sale at one of the galeries, since they are a natural matching pair, rather than one photo flipped.

This was also shot with a 70-300 mm, F5.6, ISO 800, at 1/500th of a second shutter speed. The white balance was set to shade.

Just retouched this one. Shot last week at my daughters house. Her boyfriends Mother & sister.

AFrazier: nice work. I like the duck a lot. The water is good. I can relate to getting wet. It took my shoes three days to dry out. :)

JD Spears: Good portrait. Good manipulation. However, even with the small file size, I can detect some heavy lines on the older woman's forehead that could be toned down just a tad. Don't take them all the way out. That makes photos look unreal. Good pose and great lighting. You have a winner there.

Janet

"Feet" might have been an understatement. I was wet up to the bottom of my shirt, lol. I could see that the shot was there from the shore, so me and my friend Mr. tripod went for a wade to capture the magnificent torrent. I almost dunked my camera :eek:.

AFrazier: nice work. I like the duck a lot. The water is good. I can relate to getting wet. It took my shoes three days to dry out. :)

JD Spears: Good portrait. Good manipulation. However, even with the small file size, I can detect some heavy lines on the older woman's forehead that could be toned down just a tad. Don't take them all the way out. That makes photos look unreal. Good pose and great lighting. You have a winner there.

Janet
Older Lady!!? She's just 38. Coming into her prime. Just playing. OK! I'll tone them down a bit. Thanks Janet.
JD

Shot this yesterday at Oxbow Bend on the Snake River. Most photographers shoot down near the water to catch the wonderful reflections but I wanted a different perspective so climbed the hill.


Alan

cardmnal, not that the Ozarks where I live aren't beautiful; but I do have to say you have some of the most magnificent scenery right at your doorstep. Beautiful!

Janet

Shot last week at the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, SC, processed last night. Minor color correction and a classic Palladium toning to enhance the actual color of the stone work.

Shot with a Sony Alpha 700 at ISO 200, shutter speed 1/25, aperture 3.8.

I shot these this afternoon...well yesterday afternoon - but seeing as I have yet to sleep the day has not ended :) I think they turned out pretty well.

A House is where the Heart was (http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs28/f/2008/158/2/4/A_House_is_where_the_Heart_was_by_Veritas_Visum.png)
The Beaten Path (http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs30/f/2008/158/6/9/The_Beaten_Path_by_Veritas_Visum.png)
Windows are the eyes to the Soul (http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs25/f/2008/158/5/3/Windows_are_Eyes_to_the_Soul_by_Veritas_Visum.png)
Field of Dreams (http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs25/f/2008/158/c/e/Field_of_Dreams_by_Veritas_Visum.png)
Your Chariot Awaits (http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs29/f/2008/158/e/e/Your_Chariot_Awaits_by_Veritas_Visum.png)

Trying out my new camera today and this is what i came up with
Interesting trying to take a photo of a bee and not get stung ! ! !

( oh and i mean trying only about a quarter of the way through the manual for the first time )

Palms

I've always noticed that any time I try to photograph bees, they always manage to be turned away from me. I rarely catch them sideways or facing me. It's always their bee hind.
Good shot. Nice color contrast with the flowers. My yard is so bland, I end up getting a yellow bee against yellowish-green grass. You have to search out the bee in the picture, no matter how wide the aperture or how shallow the depth of field.

Trying out my new camera today and this is what i came up with
Interesting trying to take a photo of a bee and not get stung ! ! !

( oh and i mean trying only about a quarter of the way through the manual for the first time )

Palms

Palms -- good start! I'm uneasy around bees also, and am quite happy to shoot them from "beehind". (borrowed from AFrazier ;) )

The subject bloom looks sharp while the background is blurring nicely. The color is lovely, and the bee shows up well (except for his smile).

There are some burnt out highlights on the right side - I wouldn't mention them except that I know that you are serious about wanting to improve your photos, and one important step to improving is being able to see what area needs improvement. Look at your EXIF data (the file data that is saved for each image you shoot by your camera - it shows your shutter speed, aperture, date/time, etc.) for this shot and see what time of day, what aperture, what shutter speed, what mode (auto, program, aperture priority, etc.) your camera was set on, what exposure compensation (if any) was set -- then think about how you could have made it even better. Think about some of these aspects -- shooting at a different time of day - sunlight coming from a different direction - sun not hitting the blossoms directly at a different time of day; choosing a bloom that was not being hit directly by the sunlight; shooting more than one shot and changing the exposure to see if more or less exposure helps the image, etc.

To add to that ...

Most of the higher end DSLRs have two nice features that can help.
The first is the histogram. You'll have to consult your user's manual to find out how to access it on your particular camera, but a quick look at the histogram will tell you right away if you are blowing highlights or shadows. Just look for clips on the left and right side.
The second is the step shooting feature that comes on some of the semi-pro DSLRs (Nikon D300, Sony A700, Canon D30, etc.); possibly on some of the lower models as well. Once you meter your shot, it will shoot three exposures. One at the settings you've selected, one slightly underexposed, and one slightly over exposed. It gives you the opportunity to see the shot in three different ways. Perfect light isn't always perfect.

If you are going to shoot in direct sunlight, I would suggest shooting in RAW format. You'll be able to correct the exposure that way. (This is said on the off chance you aren't shooting in RAW). You'll also be able to adjust the curves, white balance, hue, saturation, sharpness, and a number of other things in ways that Photoshop proper won't let you do with the same precision. .jpegs compress the data, leaving behind artifacts, and corrupt the pure data of the image. Once it's compressed, if you change one thing, you change everything else with it. While it's still in RAW format, you can make adjustments to individual settings independent of the rest of the photograph.

The picture was still great. If you want to fix the blown highlights, just make a duplicate layer with the multiply blend mode, mask the layer, and paint in the areas you want darker with white. Blur the mask to soften the edges, and adjust the opacity of the layer to make it match the hue and saturation appearance of the rest of the surrounding pixels.

Thank you CJ and AFrazier for your help and advice I was still in happy snapper mode mainly to try out the camera I have made some other mistakes as well on other photo's :blush: but i will slow down and think more soon (honest :grin:) Thanks again i have read your advice and i will re read it as well

Palms

Palms, you captured a better bee than I have, with a lovely flower to boot - that is more than "happy snapper" mode! :)

I shot these last night, good 'ole Nebraska sunsets.

thoughts?

Indelible Indigo (http://fc03.deviantart.com/fs28/f/2008/161/9/6/Indelible_Indigo_by_Veritas_Visum.png)
Fading Glory (http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs25/f/2008/161/e/0/Faded_Glory_by_Veritas_Visum.png)

I think they are beautiful Blindv

Palms

If anyone is interested, Jupiter is in the southern sky during the wee hours of the morning. It sits above my house at about 2:00 am. Considering its progression across the sky (it was over my house at about 5:00 am less than a month ago), I would guess that it will be an evening star within a month (i.e. you'll be able to see it at sunset while the sky is still all sorts of beautiful colors). So if anyone wants to capture a nice shot, start figuring out a nice place to photograph the sunset horizon so you can catch Jupiter in the shot when the time comes.

On another note, I was having some middle of the night fun tonight. I fell asleep way too early in the evening yesterday, so I was up at 1:00 am with nothing to do. Soooooo, I grabbed the tripod to see what I could photograph at night around the house (admittedly, there aren't a lot of options).
This little creepy gave me an hour of entertainment trying to get just the right shot.

Edit:
Let me amend this by saying, 'around the outside of the house,' not the inside. No spiders inside my house that I know of.

Let me be more specific about Jupiter ...

It will be visible at sunset on the eastern horizon, not the western ... however, it will still be an interesting night. On 7-10-08, Jupiter will be on the eastern horizon at sunset, and Venus will be on the western horizon at sunset.
Additionally, there will be a conjunction of Mercury, Saturn, and Venus, with Mars very close by the other three, on 8-15-08, and there is a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus with the new crescent moon on 12-1-08. All of these are at sunset.

Enjoy. :)

I caught this one for my wife. She wanted some "beams of sunlight" coming through the clouds.
I thought the palladium toning might look nice. Any thoughts?

This one is great AFrazier! I took similar yesterday

Wow. Your shot is like raining sunbeams. Good catch. Was that a wide angle lens?

Thank you!
yeah it's wide angle :) .. it's actually kit lens of my Canon 400D :grin: I still didn't change them:blush: