24 Oct 12. This is another shot taken from the top of Mt Walker while we were sightseeing with friends almost a month ago! It is from a series I shot to create an HDR image but I liked this well enough to use it on its own. In the far distance at the left about 9 o'clock I believe you are looking at Tacoma, and I am at a loss as to the name of the islands in the foreground. It was just prior to 1700 PDT when I took the shot and it was beginning to look like we might get rain. But we managed to avoid such and shot for almost another 30 minutes before calling it quits for the day. The image was O.K. as it was, but it seemed to be lacking a bit of detail in the sky, so I did a little micro contrast increase over the entire image, then masked it out everywhere except for clouds in the upper area of the sky. Otherwise, it is a basic shot straight from the camera. Nikon D300s; Aperture Priority; 18 - 200; ISO 200; 1/60 sec @ f /16 on a tripod.
25 Oct 12. Let's start with a bit of correction concerning yesterday's image. What you are seeing is as follows: the first portion of water is Dabob Bay which co-mingles with Hood Canal, then that initial piece of land is Takutkso Point, part of the same Olympic Peninsula, then the land straight ahead is the Kitsap Penisula where we reside, and then Tacoma way in the distance which you can't really see. I was a bit confused last night when I was writing and it was brought to my attention by a question from my sister and a note from one of the members on the list who is employed by AAA. With that grievous error cleared up, we look at the image for today. It is a creative shot made by employing a filter that allows for taking an image and placing it on top of itself as many times as you want, much like looking at yourself in two mirrors, one in front of you and the other behind. Probably something that most of the guys on the list have done many a time while sitting in the barber's chair. Unlike the two mirrors, this filter gives you ultimate control on how you create your image. In preparation for a talk I'll be giving this Saturday at a seminar in Abbotsford, B.C, I've been playing around with a number of different approaches to improving a photo (the topic of my presentation). While this one is going to make a radical alteration to the original, it is a fun filter to employ when you want to achieve something interesting as well as potentially comical, depending on your starting image. Some of you may recognize a form here that can be found in nature. Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 1250; 1/3 sec @ f / 5.6 hand held.
26 Oct 12. As you walk along the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta, think of the boardwalks in our country, you are struck by some of the art that adorns its seawall. Some of it straight out of science fiction cinema, and some of it straight out of I have no idea. Much of it was rather strange, but fascinating non the less. I was particularly impress with what I think are either characters out of the Star wars movies, or at least characters that were inspired by movies of that genre. Many of them were such that I wanted to stay the day photographing them, but time constraints, i.e., NOT missing the ships sailing, prevented me from so doing. The image for today is one of the more unusual sculptures along the walk, and I think I might have to say that it was the most unique of all those we got to see. Nikon D300s; Aperture Priority; 18 - 200; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f / 9.
