I’m still kicking around my backyard. A neighbor gave us the Quail yard art (thanks Terri!) and my lovely bride added the other elements. This image is one of those that you won’t normally see, because it’s usually at your feet and you’re looking down on it. Somehow, I saw it in my mind and then made the image.
I shot this handheld, but will likely grab a tripod for the next time. As always, bracketed exposures merged in Photomatix Pro. No further editing.
Enjoy – PHOTOROGR
Today’s PS Challenge image comes from WA 123, just south of the Stevens Pass entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. My lovely bride and I just returned from a trip to Washington state to celebrate our grandson’s 5th birthday, including side trips to the Palouse Region in southeast WA, Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Parks, and a day in Victoria B.C.
This image was made from two exposures, processed in Photomatix Pro and PhotoShop with an On1 Photo RAW filter.
I’m just starting to work the pictures, so be patient and enjoy! PHOTOROGR
Today’s PS Challenge comes from the dining area at Walker Burger in Walker CA. My lovely bride and I took the Bullitt for a spin and ended up there. Love their burgers! If you haven’t had one, you don’t know what you’re missing! But those if us who have eaten there know!
They have a wonderful outdoor eating area with picnic tables, trees, lawn, yard art, and bird houses and feeders. I tried to catch some of the little birds on the feeder, but you can imagine how that went. Here’s one of the beautiful bird feeders/art works on display. I bracketed exposures, processed it in PhotoMatix and PhotoShop, and added a little filter from On1 PhotoRAW.
Enjoy – PHOTOROGR
Driving into town to run a couple errands this morning and the light on the Sierras was great. I processed this while waiting for the afternoon light to make some close up images in the yard.
Bracketed exposures just to make sure, then processed in Photomatix and PhotoShop, with an On1 Photo Raw filter.
Enjoy – PHOTOROGR
Happy May Day every one! (I’m celebrating Spring in the United States, not the USSR’s holiday – just to clarify.) Temperatures are moving upward, so it’s shorts weather. Also time to start those outside projects that have waited until winter came to a close. I have 6 cy of soil to move, then the planting, topped off with ground cover rock. We’ll see how motivated I am.
Today’s PS Challenge image comes from Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, taken during our visit on Saturday. This is an old sign advertising a show at Piper’s, on display in the lobby area. The light was terrible and the best view obscured by its placement on the wall opposite the grand staircase. I bracketed exposures to improve my chances of getting a good, usable image. I processed the bracketed exposures in Photomatix, then cleaned things up in PhotoShop. I had to ‘warp’ the image to make it fully presentable, due to the camera optics and combining the exposures. I like the result.
Enjoy – PHOTOROGR
Today’s PS Challenge image comes from the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park. I was hoping the coming storm front would provide good light and great skies for shooting the Home Ranch. Alas, the light didn’t cooperate with me.
To make this image, I used the exposure bracketing feature of the PowerShot G9 X camera to make the three exposures, then combined them in Photomatix. I caught this Momma cow in mid-chew, then she and the calves all ran away.
Enjoy – PHOTOROGR
My apologies for the long break between posts. I’ve been busy shooting, but I took a little break when my friend and photo buddy, Richard Hawkins, lost his battle with cancer. Many of you are familiar with one of Rich’s best pictures.
Richard and I were out with the wild horses a couple years ago. I had just made a few images and turned around when he grabbed this shot of me. Shooting with him was always fun – he had a great eye for images and helped me look at things a little differently. Rich bought a 1964 Olds 442 just before he received his cancer diagnosis. He dated his wife in a car just like it many years ago. At his first car show, he won the ‘under construction’ category. He also asked me to take his picture in the same pose he was in when he had his original 442. I was very happy to do so. God Bless You, Rich – my cameras and I miss you.
On to the images from this month. I picked up a point and shoot camera, a Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II, to enhance my camera bag. I’m learning the capabilities and limitations of this tiny little camera (it’s only 3.75″ wide, 2.5″ tall, and a narrow 1.25″ thick), but it makes marvelous images. I’m getting very nice landscape images, as you can see, and there’s potential for close up and macro photography, once I learn the camera a lot better. The PS challenge can be either ‘point n shoot’ or PowerShot, depending on my feeling that day.
I made this image just south of Woodfords CA. That’s CA 89 on the left. I made this image with the PowerShot.
I’ve driven by this section of the East Fork of the Carson River several times, and finally stopped to make the image. Great sky and great light!
The beauty of the PowerShot is the ability to stop and jump out for the quick shot. This image was made from the side of CA 89 (the Carson River is just behind and downhill from these trees) in an area where a wildfire burned a couple years ago. The tree on the left was completely burned but the other two were only burned on the bottom half. I hope they survive.
The last PowerShot image for this post – the West Fork of the Carson River in the middle of the Carson Valley. The Town of Genoa is visible at the base of the mountains, and Duane Bliss Peak is reflected in the river.
As much as I love my PowerShot, it will never replace the big camera for many things. The PowerShot will bracket exposures and focal length, but the big camera does it much better.
This is an HDR combined from an exposure bracket of the West Fork of the Carson River, in the mountains. There’s lots of ice in the stream still, as this section of the river gets very little direct sunlight in the winter months.
Another HDR of a usually dry wash feeding the East Fork of the Carson River.
This is the Bower’s Mansion, an historic structure on the west side of Washoe Lake, just south of Reno.
The Eagles are long gone, except for the nesting pairs, and the other Raptors are slowly leaving the area as spring approaches. Smaller birds are returning, so we have subjects to shoot and new challenges in shooting. Small birds are more likely to move as you approach, so a long lens and quick reaction to spotting them is critical.
I found this Western Meadowlark on a fence post in the wildlife viewing area on the south end of Washoe Lake. Chilly morning, so it was trying to fluff up and stay warm.
This Western Meadowlark landed on a branch near me, and posed nicely.
These Black Tail Deer are part of the Town of Genoa herds, although these 4 can be found a couple miles north of town on Foothill Road.
I’m not sure they were more worried about me or something to the right, but they held still long enough for me to make this image.
I had the opportunity to try a new technique I saw in Outdoor Photographer magazine – the wildlife panorama. I usually try to get my wildlife images as close and detailed as possible, but I love the concept of combining wildlife and landscape photography. Watch for more images like this.
I found these 4 another day, but they moved into a grove of trees as I approached. New challenge to get a good shot through the trees. This one moved in and stopped, not exposing more head for me. Changing my position wouldn’t have helped, as other trees blocked the view.
Spring is here – evidenced by the blossoms on some of our fruit trees. These are from the Flowering Plum in the corner of the backyard.
First close up of the year – almost a macro. Each blossom is only 3/4″ in diameter. As more flowers bloom, I’ll shoot more macros. Hopefully, the wet winter will cause the desert to bloom, and not delay too much the mountain meadows blooming.
Welcome Spring and the changes it brings. Thanks for reading this blog!
Enjoy – PHOTOROGR
So, there I was, reading the March/April 2017 issue of Popular Photography magazine (specifically an article by Glen Van Slooten on ‘seeing the trees for the forest’) which included this quote from Henry David Thoreau. The words resonated deep inside me. A few days later, I was reading about the cover shot for the March 2017 issue of Outdoor Photographer magazine. In his own words to describe the picture and his process for making it, the photographer, Robert Glenn Ketchum, said this, “…As you look at this image, I want to call your attention to an “old school” idea about taking pictures: The camera doesn’t matter; it’s what you see that’s important…” My technically oriented engineer’s brain almost exploded. I called one of my photo mentors to discuss this interesting concept. He laughed and said something like, ‘why yes, and that’s the subject of a presentation I’m making next week.’ (Though I didn’t hear it specifically, I’m sure that he covered the telephone and said something like ‘he FINALLY gets it!!’)
As I thought about the quotes and my mentor and his presentation, I realized that I have been subconsciously wrestling with the concept for some time. When I look at something, what am I actually seeing? I had always wondered why people making images from the same place and time that I was were making better images. In many instances, they could see an image that I didn’t.
What does it mean? Simply, there’s one more item on my list of things to learn about photography. This one, however, is not a setting on the camera – it’s consciously looking at an item, animal, or scene and visualizing the image it could be, or taking an idea and making it into a reality. We’ll all see if I can actually do it – the challenge is there.
I had the opportunity to go inside the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City before it re-opened last weekend. The Museum suffered damage from flooding last January and has been closed for repairs and cleanup. I’m happy to report that the Museum staff and volunteers did an excellent job and the displays and exhibits are in excellent shape. Here are some images from my visit.
This is the Glenbrook. I made this image from three exposures processed in Photomatix, a High Dynamic Range (HDR) software, and finished as a monochrome image. HDR utilizes multiple images made at different exposures to bring out the best highlights and details in the shadows. (I discuss HDR in more detail in this post, https://photorogr.com/2016/03/29/an-amazing-week-for-me/ – go take a look!)
Same image as above, but rendered in color.
The drive wheels on the Inyo. Note the reflection in the floors – Museum staff thinks the floors look better than ever and I agree!
If you think the names on cars are obtrusive, take a look at this! We can clearly see that the Inyo was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia. This decoration/advertisement is displayed between the drive wheels and can be seen in the previous image.
I’ve got to learn the names of the things that make these beautiful machines run. This is an HDR image.
The firebox and surrounding area of the Glenbrook, processed as an HDR image.
As you can see, I worked on my HDR skills. I also tried a new technique that I’ve been exploring – focus stacking. In focus stacking, images are made at different focal planes and then blended together to achieve deep focus in subjects. The Museum was probably not the best place to work this technique as many of the subjects have curved surfaces, making focus stacking a challenge. I did it, however, and learned lots about the technique and its challenges.
One of the drive wheels on an engine. I focused on the face of the bolt (at left center), the washer, the face of the drive shaft, the bolt heads on top of the drive shaft, the wheel spokes, and the machinery behind the wheel. The light was at the top of the drive shaft, so everything below was in shadow. I liked the composition.
Inside the cab of one of the engines, a focus stacked image (8 focal planes).
Same image as above, rendered in monochrome.
I was intrigued by this control lever, and made a focus stack using 8 focal planes along the length of the lever. This wouldn’t be possible in a single image, even at a small aperture maximizing depth of field.
The spherical object on the right presented the greatest focus stack challenge, as the gauges were all on the same focal plane.
This is the entire apparatus, 7 focal planes. I worked the image to bring out the patina of the brass as well as the deep focus.
This is a shot from inside the passenger car. I loved how the old glass caused the somewhat rippled appearance of the Inyo cab, against the straight and in focus wood paneling. This was made from two exposures and focal planes, one for the interior and one for the Inyo.
This is the ceiling of the passenger car. The artwork is amazing and the lamps are just gorgeous. I used 8 focal planes to make the image in focus from the front lamp to the wooden header behind the far lamp. As I refine my focus stacking technique, I will use more focal planes for better quality images.
I love focus stacking, and am happy to add it to my photography toolbox. Just like everything else in my toolbox, its best use is a work in progress. I hope you enjoyed my revelation and my trip to the Railroad Museum. A big thanks to the staff for allowing me to visit.
Enjoy – PHOTOROGR
I needed to get a little yard work done before the first big storm came in; I backfilled a new wall (losing 2 lbs in the process), worked on the drip system, and mowed and fertilized the lawn. The weather came in on schedule – bringing lots of needed moisture and compacting the fill behind the wall – so I moved inside to pretend to be a studio photographer. It’s October so my lovely bride is getting out the Fall and Halloween decorations. They proved to be worthy subjects for my camera!
A little background – when I was finishing my engineering degree (several decades ago), my lovely bride, Susan, was at home with 2 little boys. Between my working, going to class, and studying, we didn’t have much time for conversation. One of our neighbors in married student housing was a mechanical engineering student and his wife was in the same predicament. Susan and the neighbor wanted to have a night out, so they found a tole painting class. Susan was a natural and became a world renowned tole painter.
For years, our home has been a revolving gallery of her work – the theme changing with the seasons. With the storm in full swing, I set up a little studio and made images of Susan’s work. I hope you enjoy her beautiful art and hope that I did proper justice to her talent. Except where noted, the figures are painted on 1/2″ plywood and the other pieces are cut from 1/4″ pine.
This pair of trick or treaters is painted on 1.5″ thick wood. The Witch is about 7″ tall, and the Pumpkin is about 6″ tall.
This little Witch is 18″ from the bottom of her feet to the top of her hat, and her Ghostly companion is almost 10″ tall. As with all her figures, Susan paints each piece individually and then assembles them.
This beWitching lady stands about 24″ tall.
This lovely little Witch stands about 20″ tall. Her hands are made of 3/4″ pine, and the spider is 1/2″ plywood and 1/4″ pine.
This little Wolfman also stands about 20″ tall.
Halloween wouldn’t be complete without a Frankenstein monster, complete with charging posts. He stands about 22″ tall.
This is our candy basket for the trick-or-treaters. The box is about 12″ square and 3″ deep. The welcoming Ghost is about 16″ to the top of the handle, and stands in the center of the box. This was my most challenging image, trying to get it all in focus.
This Witch is about 16″ tall.
I processed this image using different filters and techniques – always exploring!
This Scarecrow guards our kitchen counter from intruders. He’s really good, because no unwanted crows are hanging around in there! He’s about 12″ tall.
And, a little different processing makes a picture showing a different feeling.
Susan also has a fun collection of chenille pumpkins and baskets, helping with that Autumn feeling around the house.
The sign says ‘Pumpkins for sale,’ but don’t believe it. Susan painted the sign as a decoration, not an advertisement.
I experimented with another of Susan’s painted pieces, this Pumpkin, and a lantern. I found the lantern to be very challenging because of the glass door. In many shots, I had unwanted reflections (in several instances, the striped socks I was wearing) blocking the candle. I made this image using multiple exposures and assembled them in Photomatix, then applied filters in Nik Color Efex Pro.
I hope these figures didn’t scare you too badly, but you can understand why it was a little spooky around here this week. I’m just glad I didn’t watch Young Frankenstein, too! Just wait, Christmas is around the corner…
Enjoy – PHOTOROGR
A couple months ago, my lovely bride and I loaded up and headed home to Wyoming to join family in celebrating my Dad’s 85th birthday! While we were there, we also celebrated Mom and Dad’s 65th wedding anniversary. (The anniversary actually happens in November, but we celebrated while we were all there!) I just realized that I haven’t shared our family portrait from the party.
The Van Alyne Family – August 2016
My lovely bride flew home the day after the party, so I was on my own for the drive home. The first photo stop on my trip home was going to be Rocky Mountain National Park, so I reserved a hotel room in Loveland CO (just downhill from Estes Park, the Gateway to RMNP, and about 1/3 of the price of a room up the hill). As I was driving to the hotel, I passed a brown road sign advertising the Benson Sculpture Gardens. While I was eating dinner, I looked up the Benson Sculpture Garden on my phone (yes, I know a little about technology) and decided to check it out. The Garden is a huge park full of huge sculptures.
I arrived at the Garden in late evening, so the light was a little dicey. Although the sun was nearly down, the sky was a bright white and the sculptures were in various stages of shadow. Knowing I was in trouble from a lighting perspective, I decided to experiment with a process called ‘light painting.’ In his book Night & Low Light Photography, David Taylor describes light painting as, “…the technique of lighting a subject during a long exposure. This can be achieved by using a handheld flash or with a suitably powerful flashlight.”
I chose handheld flash, and found myself popping the flash from different angles and sides to see what the result would be. I had to work around all the people in the park – hundreds of them – all walking around looking at their phones. The Pokemon craze had just hit and it seemed that Loveland’s populace had embraced it fully – at least those who were in the Benson Sculpture Garden that evening!
I’ve taken a very long time to finish these pictures. Sometimes, we try things in camera that yield good results easily, but some of them take more work. I look at this as a wonderful learning process. I need to push the limits of my equipment, but I also need to push the limits of my knowledge of photography and image editing. I succeeded in pushing the limits. Using these images made in camera, I learned a lot about editing images using multiple software packages and filters.
A BIG THANKS to all the artists who created these fantastic sculptures and put them on display, and to the City of Loveland for assembling them in this beautiful setting.
I think you’ll like the results, so let’s get to the pictures!
One of the first sculptures I saw – Shakespeare. I tried to frame the sculpture with the tree in the background, but the sky still made this a challenge. I introduced a light vignette to bring the sky down a little.
Probably not the best angle of this Eagle, but it’s the one I chose. I used a little fill flash underneath to negate the shadows.
This sculpture is called ‘The Potato Man.’ It is one of my favorite sculptures in the Benson Sculpture Garden. I combined three images to bring out the colors and the details.
I made two images of this sculpture, using flash on both sides of the head. I then combined the two images in Photomatix to get this result.
This is an HDR image, using 4 images with different exposures and flash placement.
I applied a black and white filter and adjusted the contrast a little to make this version of the image. I like them both!
This sculpture was in shadow as the sun was setting behind and to the left. A little fill flash made the image work.
I loved this statue of a musical trio. There is so much going on that picking a spot to shoot was difficult. I explored the black and white presets in Nik Silver Efex, and liked this one. I need to remove the car on the left side of the picture, but it’s a Mustang. Hmmmmm…what a dilemma…
This is a close up of the saxophone player. I combined three images in Photomatix to make this image.
I applied a preset filter in Nik Silver Efex to make this image.
Some people would say, ‘…make it stop!’ Filters can be overused, but I had to share one more using this preset from Nik Silver Efex. This is the drummer from the other side of the musical trio statue.
Ah, the fun of being young! My Mom has a Christmas ornament based on this sculpture.
And then there’s the really interesting sculptures. I tried to capture the setting sun in the background…
This sculpture is in a beautiful and natural-looking setting. I removed the concrete pedestal to improve the natural look.
Another of my favorites. I used a fill flash to make this side of the sculpture visible.
A couple of bucks running through the woods! There are visual treasures at every turn!
These kids were really enjoying the park. This is a composite of three exposures.
So, there you have it. These are but a few of the sculptures in the Benson Sculpture Garden. I’ll return another day, armed with better knowledge of photography, to make more images of this wonderful place. If you’re planning a trip to this area, this is a must see. If you’re on a journey in creative photography (like I am), this is a great place to learn your craft!
I hope you enjoyed these images. Thanks for joining me on my journey! Enjoy – PHOTOROGR
The PHOTOROGR Project 