Tag: motorcycle

Topaz Clarity vs Topaz Adjust Comparison

Topaz Adjust Version
Topaz Adjust Version

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I wanted to see how Topaz Clarity would compare to Topaz Adjust in terms of rendering a more realistic faux HDR image so I went back in my library to some work I did at the Bonneville Salt Flats during the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials.

The image above was processed in Topaz Adjust 4 and shows a lot of halos as well as a very surreal rendering of the racers themselves. I reprocessed the original file using Topaz Clarity which really improved on the result as you can see in the second version below. There is a lot less noise in the sky and the skin tones are more realistic though the shadow areas are not as open as in the earlier version. All in all Topaz Clarity made a smoother version while still compensating for the extreme lighting conditions of shooting at midday on the salt flats.

Topaz Clarity Version
Topaz Clarity Version

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Below is another image of a sunrise over the entrance to the Bonneville Salt Flats that I used Topaz Clarity to process. It has fewer problems with halos and noise while still extracting a great deal of information from the single frame exposure I used to create it.

Bonneville Sunrise
Bonneville Sunrise

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I like the way that Topaz Clarity handles these types of images and suggest that you give the Topaz software a trial of your own to see if it is something you want to add to your processing tools and techniques. Topaz is running a summer sale offer of the entire Topaz Bundle for $199 until July 7, 2013 which makes it a really good deal. If you want to trial or purchase any of the Topaz products please use the link below which credits me with your purchase and pays me a small commission.

http://www.topazlabs.com/705.html

 

The Eagle and the Indian

Eagle Motorcycle
Eagle Motorcycle

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I thought I would begin this week on a different note from the last few posts. As I’ve said many times motorcycles are a passion of mine and have been for over 48 years. I started riding when I was 17 years old and still love the feel of a motorcycle as it accelerates out of a turn and blasts down the road. Nothing compares to the immediacy of riding, hearing and feeling the machine as I go through the gears on a lonesome highway.

The motorcycles in these photos harken back to an earlier time when men were just beginning to ride motorcycles. I imagine that they too felt the same way about their machines as I feel about mine today. I love to look at how elemental they were , not a lot of unneeded or frivolous components just the bare necessities.

Eagle Engine Detail
Eagle Engine Detail

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I really like the attention to detail that the early motorcycle manufacturers showed. Even though everything here has a function there is still a measure of pride in the way they are attached to the engine such as putting an acorn nut on the magneto bracket and chrome plating the oil fill neck.

The Soul of an Indian
The Soul of an Indian

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This Indian Motorcycle engine is so primitive yet in it’s day it was the epitome of internal combustion technology. Once again the engineers made sure that every part had an intrinsic beauty as well as a clearly defined function.

 

 

 

Parklands Morning

Parkland Morning
Parklands Morning

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I rode out to the Parklands yesterday morning to revisit the images that I shot the last time I was out there. It was a cool brisk morning and I enjoyed riding my motorcycle in the early morning darkness. I am so lucky to have two things I am passionate about that bring me out into the early morning awakening of the planet. As a photographer I need to get up early and get to a location in time to get my gear out and get in position to capture the dawn of a new day. As a motorcyclist the early morning hours are also magical and allow me to see, hear and smell the world as it rises out of the darkness. The feel of my machine as I carve through turns and feel the wind on me is something I have enjoyed for over 48 years and hope to continue for many, many more years; when I do I will always have my camera with me too.

I returned to this spot because I wasn’t particularly happy with the noise in the earlier set of exposures I shot here last week and wanted to capture the feeling of spring before the trees filled in completely. Instead of trying to capture the scene just at sunrise I took a walk along the shore and scouted some additional vantage points. After that I headed back down along Floyd’s Fork to see if the redbud trees that I shot last were still blooming. I wanted to revisit those images as well. I found what I was looking for and shot along the creek for a while before returning to the lake about an hour after sunrise.

The sun was peeking out from behind the clouds and illuminating the new born leaves beautifully. There was a weather front moving in from the west and it was bringing with it some very interesting cloud formations. I set up my tripod and started shooting again. The air was still and left the water undisturbed to reflect the sky beautifully. I was hoping for a fish to break the surface so that I could have the rings on the water when I heard these two geese coming down from the cove as they lifted themselves into the air. They were moving along in the shadows on the left when they turned and started flying toward my position. I shot two frames and then waited until they were up in the sky before shooting the last frame.

This image is another HDR from a three frame bracket set. I merged them in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and applied the Deep 1 preset before returning it Aperture 3 for some minor adjustments and sharpening. NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 anti-ghosting worked incredibly well, set at 40% strength, to isolate the two geese and prevent ghosting that would have shown the geese in different places in the frame.

Where the Hell is Murph ?…: NORDKAPP…….Top of the World.

This is Murph's image of himself at the Top of the World
This is Murph’s image of himself at the Top of the World

Today I want to share a post from my friend Murph. Murph is on an around the world trip on his BMW sidecar rig and posts his progress on his blog “Where The Hell Is Murph?”

This link will take you to his blog  Where the Hell is Murph ?…: NORDKAPP…….Top of the World.

His story is one of self discovery and persistence. I met Murph several years ago at the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials at the Bonneville Salt Flats. At that time he was traveling around the country following various motorsports events and living off his motorcycle. He usually camped near the events and in the case of some events such as the Baja offroad races he followed the race from the tip of Mexico back to the USA camping along the way.

Last year he decided to undertake an around the world motorcycle trip which he began this past fall in Holland. He went to Holland where he had his BMW converted to a sidecar rig in order to be able to carry all the gear he needs to be self sufficient and be able to handle the varied terrain that his quest will take him through.

He is also a very talented photographer and writer which is why I’ve decided to share his New Year’s Day post with all of you. He doesn’t use any special programs to process his images relying mainly on Photoshop for his editing. He shoots Nikon cameras and lenses as well as using his iPhone to record some video.

He began his trip in the beginning of winter and has been riding in ice and snow for a couple of months now. He wanted to ride to the North Cape in Nordkapp, Norway ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Cape,_Norway ) before heading for Russia this year. As he says on his blog “It’s all downhill from here”.

I hope you enjoy reading his story and seeing his photography.

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