Long Weekend

Jay and I drove up to Sandusky this weekend to see if we could get a shot of the Marblehead lighthouse on Lake Erie. The shot you see here was taken a couple of years ago, and although I like it, I'd really like to see a more spectacular sky. We've visited this spot several times in the past year - it's only about two hours from our home - but the sky isn't generally very cooperative over Lake Erie. Although the sky looked fantastic further inland, the clouds thinned out as we reached the lake shore. So, we headed back home. No luck. We often visit the same location several times since cloud cover is so unpredictable. We follow weather patterns and keep track of wind direction, but our best guess isn't always good enough.

In other news - my new website will go live this week. I'm doing a little bit of last minute testing, and the site should be up and running in a few days. So, get a good last look at the existing site. You may never see it again. :)

The Earth Breathes

This is a shot from our trip to Yellowstone. Most evenings, the light was unimpressive - but when it was nice, it was VERY nice. :) I used a soft GND (graduated neutral density) filter to reduce the dynamic range, and combined two exposures to create an image as close to reality as possible. This beautiful geyser spewed steam for us all evening.

I'm finishing up my new website this week. The site is complete, but I'm hunting down bugs. I have a few issues that need to be dealt with before I'm ready to go live. But I should be able to get it up on schedule. I've made some minor updates to my existing site as well.

Jay and I are planning a trip to the East coast at the beginning of October. We want to capture the fall colors at their peak. We are feeling a little cooped up lately - we need to spend some time in the wilderness. :)

Canon 5D Mark II

DPReview has published preview specs for the new 5D Mark II from Canon. What a beautiful camera! 21.1 million effective pixels, excellent ISO capabilities, an integrated cleaning system, the excellent DIGIC 4 processor... and it will be priced around $2700. Oh, and did I mention that it has high definition video capability?

Right - so... I'm going to try not to drool too much over this one. Jay and I will likely sell our bodies (camera bodies, that is) and upgrade to the 5D Mark II and the 50D.

Meanwhile, my website is looking good. I'm still wading through the major changes... my website has evolved quite a lot in the past few years. I am adding information on our workshops, a links page, and several other useful areas. I'll also add a section where buyers can purchase my work directly... though that may go live a little further down the road.

The Wrath of God

This is a shot I took in France a couple of years ago. I reprocessed it over the weekend, and I'm much happier with the result. The older version was processed on an older computer - with an inferior monitor - and I have a few new PS techniques in my repertoire now, as well. The stormy sky was so amazing that day, and it was difficult to bring out the spectacular beauty without destroying the rest of the image. So - here it is - new and improved... The Wrath of God.

Processing the shot was difficult because I was dealing with a broad range of light. The shadows in the foreground were deep, but the highlight area of the sky was bright, filtered sunlight. In order to blend the image satisfactorily, I needed to process the original RAW file twice. First, I processed the foreground - making sure I had good detail in my shadows.The sky was relatively easy to process separately, since it was so dramatic on it's own. Combining the two exposures was more difficult. I layered the two images and then created a complex mask that allowed the two exposures to share the final image without creating halos or other distractions. What do you think?

Follow This Blog

So - Blogger has a new feature. You can now add my blog (and others) to your "Blogs I'm following" tab in the Blogger dashboard. I like the feature, since it will allow you to keep track of all the blogs you read regularly in one place. No more bouncing around all over the place. And since mine is your very FAVORITE blog of all, you'll want to add it to you list. Right? RIGHT? Well, you can't say I didn't try. :)

I've been putting lots of hours into getting my new website up and running. I'm very happy with the results so far. Dreamweaver is an excellent program, and everything is on schedule. I have a long list of updates to work on today - and over the next couple of weeks. I also have a stack of landscape photos waiting for attention.

Go Green

Our most recent stock shoot involved lots of light bulbs and little wooden people. The concept... "Going Green" in honor of our recently formed partnership with Go Green Tube. We found a bright green compact fluorescent bulb at the hardware store, and it stands out beautifully against a white background.
We have a lot of fun shooting stock - it's so completely different from landscape photography, where you have to work with whatever nature gives you. In studio, I am master of my domain. :) I can adjust lighting or composition according to my whim (no need to worry about falling off the cliff or getting the shot in before sun down), and the final product is only limited by my own imagination. So, it's an entirely different kind of challenge. I tend to like bright colors, simple themes, and clean backgrounds. This time, I'm very happy with the results. Now, lets see if they sell!

Good Morning

This morning, the light was so beautiful that I couldn't resist taking my camera out while my daughter and I waited for her school bus. She pointed out the prettiest flowers, and I took some shots. :)
I wish I had the Canon 100mm macro lens and an extension tube - but my little 50mm does a beautiful job despite its limited capabilities. One of these days I'll sell the one I have and upgrade... but I have a few other things on my list first.

Sunday

We ran today - about six miles - and had some fantastic sushi for dinner. Yum. We also spent much of the afternoon working on a series of stock images. I plan to process those tomorrow, so if you check back then, you're likely to find a shot of two here. This was a fun stock shoot... it's a brief series of environmental images and we were also testing our new studio setup. It worked perfectly, and was incredibly easy to put up and take down. I couldn't be happier.

Go Green

Today, I'm announcing a new partnership with GoGreenTube.com. I'm looking forward to working with the Go Green team to help educate the public about environmental issues. A friend of mine suggested I take a look at the GoGreenTube website a few months ago, and I was intrigued. The site is relatively new, but is growing very quickly. They are hosting the Chill Out competition for The National Wildlife Federation this year, and each time one of their environmentally friendly videos is viewed, Go Green Tube offsets one pound of carbon dioxide though CarbonFund.org. I contacted the president of the company and asked if they could use my images and website to help promote their cause - which I obviously believe in pretty strongly. :)

You'll notice a new link to GoGreenTube.com on my website, and I'll let you all know what changes you'll be seeing as they come about. I'm working hard on my new site design, and I'm still on schedule to have it online by October 1st. Meanwhile, take a look at GoGreenTube if you have a chance. They are looking for new members - and new videos as well.