Tag: nature

Macro on the Mountain

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Green
Green Moss

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While hiking in Pine Mountain State Park I was intrigued with the plant life that was on the trees. I assume these green guys are a moss since they were primarily on the north side of the trees. This image was taken using my 60mm Nikkor macro lens and processed in Aperture 3.

Moss #2
Moss #2

Another shot of the moss from a little closer. This image was also processed in Aperture 3.

Moss and Lichen
Moss and Lichen

I was also fascinated by the various lichen that accompanied the moss. The patterns and textures are so intricate. As with the previous images I used Aperture 3 for processing.

Moss #3
Moss #3

The more I studied these mosses the more intrigued I became.

Lichen and Bark Study
Lichen  Study

These lichen remind me of coral reefs floating above canyons in the sea. The forms and colors are amazing and seem as endless as the ocean depths.

Lichen #2
Lichen Study #2

These lichen are everywhere in the forest at Pine Mountain. These were on a branch I found lying on the ground but they were everywhere on the trees and on the forest floor as well. The texture and delicate structure is something that really draws my eye to them.

I’m not sure that I have properly identified any of these organisms and welcome any input that people want to share with me about what they are.

Pinnacle Point Sunset

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Pinnacle Point Sunset
Pinnacle Point Sunset

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After my post last week about HDR processing I decided to follow up by processing an image from multiple exposures. In this case I shot four frames at +1.3, +.3, 0, and -3 ev then merged them in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. I was watching the histogram while shooting which is how I came to use these settings. The histogram was fine on the dark end but was still blown out at the upper end until I underexposed it by 3 stops. That frame was the one that made the image work.

After merging and tone mapping the merged image I returned it to Aperture 3 where I cropped it slightly, added some sharpening and enhanced the definition and vibrancy. I also tried creating an image as vibrant as this using only the 0 ev frame but it was way too dark and noisy. From this experiment I have to admit that it is definitely better to use multiple images when the exposure range is as wide as this sunset was. Without the multiple exposures the lake and mountains in the center of the image would still be too dark and lacking in detail.

I am also including the four frames I used to create the HDR image below so you can see what I was working with to create the final image.

DSC_6450 DSC_6449 DSC_6448 DSC_6446

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

Posted on by Nick Roberts
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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January Clouds

Posted on by Nick Roberts
January Clouds
January Clouds

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I couldn’t believe the way the clouds were arrayed across the sky on Saturday. The morning began as a cloudless day but by early afternoon these cloud formations were spreading into the east. I processed the image in Aperture 3 and NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 before cropping it slightly. I also took it into Photoshop CS% where I manually corrected the vertical perspective.

Let There Be Light

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Let There Be Light
Let There Be Light

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This is another image processed in Aperture 3 and NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 from a single frame. The contrast between the artificial lights and the sunset really made for a compelling composition.