Tag: Techniques and Styles

It’s Not the Destination, It’s the Journey…

Navajo Highway

Well folks it’s been one whole year since I began this blog. When I started SpeedDemon2 I had a vague notion of where it would lead but just like riding my motorcycle the whole thing was not about the destination; the whole purpose was the journey. When I started the blog I wanted to share my images with a wider audience and connect to other like minded folks. I didn’t know how it would happen but I knew that if I gave it a shot it would all work out.

The past twelve months have been rewarding in so many ways. I discovered other artists and photographers who shared with me their thoughts and criticism,  challenged myself to become a better writer, have taken my photography to an entirely new level, gained access to photo opportunities, the list goes on.

When I start out on a motorcycle ride whether it is a month of travel across the country to a specific place, or a short ride into the city, there are so many possible routes to take that will lead to new discoveries yet still get you to the destination. Along the way I discover new vistas, see features and things that I’ve never seen before, make new friends and all the while I feel connected to the life force that surrounds me. Blogging has done that for me as well, exposing me to others who care about many of the same things I do and broadening my experience as an artist.

I have no idea where the next twelve months will take me but I am sure the journey will be filled with discovery. There will be new influences on my photography, new tools that spark new ideas, new destinations to explore, new projects to immerse myself in and most important of all there will be the journey. I hope you, my readers, will stick around and join me on this journey; I don’t know the destination yet but I am confident it will be worth the effort.

Silent Sunday

Into the Mist
Into the Mist

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Memo From the Department of Shameless Self Promotion

I am still accepting participants for my next HDR Workshop on May 17-18, 2013 here in Louisville. The last session was a great success; the participants all felt that it was time well spent and were applying the things they learned the next day. Here’s a link to the sign up page at Outdoor Photo Gear.

http://outdoorphotogear.ticketleap.com/using-hdr-photography/

 

 

Miles Lake Morning / Using Reflections to Add Interest

Miles Lake Morning #1
Miles Lake Morning #1

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When I went out to the Parklands the other morning I was hoping to get a dramatic sunrise but the eastern sky was empty. I decided to hike along the southern shore of Miles Lake to see if there might be something else in there to photograph. About half way to the end of the lake I looked behind me and saw that there was a weather front moving in from the west. I noticed that the clouds were creating an interesting reflection in the placid surface of the lake so I set up my tripod and shot a three frame bracket at -2, 0, and +2 EV.

Back home in my studio I opened the three images in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 where I merged them and since the morning had been calm I only applied 20% anti-ghosting to the merged files. Once they were merged I applied the Deep #1 preset and made some adjustments to the contrast, white, blacks, shadows and highlights sliders. I then returned the image to Aperture 3 where I adjusted the recovery and vibrance sliders very slightly before sharpening and saving the image.

Spring Morning on Floyd’s Fork

Spring Morning on Floyd's Fork
Spring Morning on Floyd’s Fork

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Another example of realistic HDR processing using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. This image is from a three exposure bracket set shot at -2, 0, and +2 EV. I merged it and applied the Balanced preset before adjusting the tone mapping and tonality. I then returned it to Aperture 3 for final adjustment.

Floyd’s Fork Morning

Floyd's Fork Morning
Floyd’s Fork Morning

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This image is from the Parklands shoot I did earlier this week. It is a HDR image from three exposures -2, 0, and +2 EV that were merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 using the balanced preset with some adjustments applied. I then returned it to Aperture 3 where it was given the final adjustments to color, vibrancy and sharpening.