Get the Free Good Newsletter

Click Here!
To learn more about the newsletter

 
 

The Long Way Home

Longs Peak

I hope everyone enjoyed yesterday’s guest post. I know I did! Although he has great sense of humor, Mike is no joke, and it was a pleasure to share his story with the regulars here at LightAsMagic.com. One thing I forgot to mention was that he provides portrait services in the Phoenix area. Look him up if you are in need of photo services.

Today’s Photo: Whenever I’m traveling along northern Colorado’s front range, I usually take the back roads. Actually, 15 years ago I shot an entire photo essay along these very roads. I will have to scan the slides so I can share them. The few times a year I travel north, I still explore these roads. They are always calling me. You never know what you will find. In this image, I found a great view of Long’s Peak (Colorado’s tallest mountain). When I take the long way home, I just have to remember to make sure and add a couple extra hours to my commute. I would recommend everyone else does the same. If you have an extra hour, exit off the highway, and see what the ‘long way home’ has in store for you.

Adventure Note: If you want to stand on top of this mountain, you can! It is a 17 mile round trip hike, and it’s challenging, but the experience is worth it. Drop me a line if you are ever interested in trying it.

Continue for Capture/Processing Notes…

Field Test Your Vision

Field Testing Your Vision

A while back I talked a bit about how I use my iPhone as a way to test an image on location. Often, when I am out and about, I will snap a quick image, take into my darkroom, apply some global/selective adjustments, and get a feel for a scene. All this right from my iPhone! If I am diggin’ it, I will take it to the next level with my SLR. Sunday I was out shooting images for an upcoming tutorial and discovered this garage door. I first shot it with the iPhone (the iPhone is below), then applied a touch contrast and desaturated it. I liked what I was seeing, so I went back and deployed my DSLR to make the image you see above. It is a great way to quickly test out and discover new ideas in the field. I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think.

The iPhone version from the field test.

Continue for Capture/Processing Notes…

Earth, Wind, and City

Earth Wind and City Nikon 28-300

I was out and about this weekend shooting some images for an upcoming tutorial when I ran across this scene. I had been wanting to make this image of the Denver skyline as it peeks over the shoulder of Green Mountain. Well, I had put it off for long enough. Today was the day, the passing snow storm offered the final piece of the puzzle. It also helped that I had my new Nikon 28-300 along for the ride. This image wouldn’t have been possible without it. Look for the tutorial in the coming weeks. It should be a good one!

Photographer’s Note: Did I mention that I am really diggin’ Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro 2?

Exposure 0.001 sec (1/2000)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 210 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias -2/3 EV

Processing Notes:

Capture – 1 images
Lightroom 3 – Develop Raw
Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 – Black & White conversion
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

Shapes and Tones

Shapes And Tones

Over the weekend I was excited to try out a present I received this Christmas. The outside of box read ‘fragile’, but surprisingly it wasn’t Italian (hopefully you have seen A Christmas Story). It was a Nikon’s new travel lens for the full frame camera. The 28-300 VR II. Yep, all systems go! My kit is complete. It was high noon and the sky was the haziest I have seen it in a while. I wasn’t going to let that stop me. Heck no! I spent the better part of the day taking the long way home just to put it through the paces. Check back next week for a full recap of the journey. Anyways, back to the image at hand. I really was hoping for a nice clean clear image of the Denver skyline. Again, not today. However, once I had the image back home, I was pleasantly surprised. I decided a slight contrast boost, some added texture in the foreground, and a hint of toning was just what the image ordered. It was full of shapes and tones, so I went with it.

Anatomy of a Photo-Walk: Part VI

Little Boxes

See that big shadow running across the face of the Denver Library? That shadow is being cast by the structure from yesterday’s post. Nothing like a big arrow pointing you towards something to photograph. I didn’t mind, I have been wanting to photograph the Denver Library for quite a while. It is an interesting building. The smaller windows and varying heights make it a small skyline of its own. I have always been fascinated by this design so I tried to emphasize that in when making this image. I used the properties of the Nikon 45mm PCE to create a plane of focus that fools the viewers eye into believing it was looking at a miniature model. Similar to what the architect did with the entire Library.

Continue for Capture/Processing Notes…