Cozumel

Run Away….Run Away!

January 17, 2010 by Justin Balog 2 Comments

Now that the bites have healed I decided to post the image from the scene of the crime. While I was on vacation making this image I was attacked by a multi-species strategic insect task force. I am glad that I was able to get a couple of shutter clicks in before I had to flee (pun intended) the scene.

Nikon D300
Tokina 11-16 ATX Pro
Gitzo Traveler
Singh-Ray 3stop RGND

Tip: I was using a 3 stop Reverse Graduated Neutral Density (RGND) to hold back the sun. Later I found that I probably needed to stack another 2 stop filter on top of it. Thankfully I was shooting in RAW so I could recover the blown out sun in post production. Make sure you meter the background and foreground independently so you can better determine your filter needs.

Filed Under: Cozumel, Gitzo Traveler, HDR, Nikon D300, Singh-Ray Filters, Tips, Tokina 11-16, Travel

Castillio de Cozumel

January 7, 2010 by Justin Balog 2 Comments

Checklist for a great castle:

-Beautiful hand crafted stone walls.
-Private ocean fed lagoon.
-Access to a pirate ship in the nearby harbor.
-15ft Crocodile providing security.

This place has it all! Once upon a time it was someone’s dream. However, now it stands abandoned near the mouth of the Cozumel Marina. My hope with this image was to realize what this person’s vision was and not what it has become.

Capture (7 Images) –> Photomatix (HDR and light tone mapping) –> Nik (Define 2.0) –> Nik (Tontal Contrast) –> Nik (Sharpened For Output) –> LightAsMagic.com

Filed Under: Cozumel, Gitzo Traveler, HDR, Nikon 16-85 VR II, Nikon D300, Processing Notes, Travel

Resolutions

January 6, 2010 by Justin Balog 0 Comments

Just a friendly reminder….errr motivator. We are getting close to a week in. I hope that if you made them, you are keeping them! It would be easy to do if I had a gym like this near my house.

Nikon D300
Nikkor 16-85 VRII
Gitzo Traveler

Capture (7 images) –> Aperture (Raw conversion) –> Photomatix 3.2.6 (details enhancer) –> Photoshop (color corrections) –> Nik ColorEFX Pro (Tonal Contrast cut highlight contrast, boosted mid-tone and shadow contrast) –> Photoshop (boosted vibrance) –> Nik Define 2.0 (auto total image) –> PS (re-sized) –> Nik Sharpen (display)–> LightAsMagic.com

Filed Under: Cozumel, Gitzo Traveler, HDR, Nikon 16-85 VR II, Nikon D300, Processing Notes, Travel

The Definitive Guide To Cozumel

January 2, 2010 by Justin Balog 0 Comments

I spent some time this holiday season putting together a traveler’s guide to Cozumel. The guide provides both maps to photo locations and additional lodging/dining resources. Ok, maybe there are other guides but this one covers all our favorite spots and activities while we visit the island. You can find it here:

http://www.hossedia.com/travel/cozumel-mx/

The picture’s story: This local fishing spot is shared by a crocodile measuring 5 meters in length. Nobody seems to know where it came from or where it lives. Several locals have told me that its name is Poncho. He usually visits the marina when the fishing boats return. He is rumored to spend his days sleeping on the fairways of the neighboring golf course. I see why they fish from the safety of the wall, and never look for their balls in the rough.

Nikon D300
Nikkor 16-85 VR II

Capture –> NIK Viveza 2 (brightened the fisherman) –> Nik Tonal Contrast (slight midtone/shadow contrast boost) –> NIK Define 2.0 (whole image automatic) –> NIK Sharpener (for display) –> LightAsMagic.com

Tip: When you are traveling, make sure to do some forward-recon on the internet. You can research local festivals, map locations of interest, and even print out free margarita coupons for your favorite restaurants.

Filed Under: Cozumel, Mexico, Nik Software, Nikon 16-85 VR II, Nikon D300, Processing Notes, Tips, Travel

Exposed

December 21, 2009 by admin

This site is about sharing inspiration through stories and pictures. I hope this post doesn’t violate any self imposed rules. What the heck, I make the rules so I guess I should break them. With the addition of a Flip MinoHD to my travel kit, this site is now about sharing inspiration and stories through the occasional moving picture. The Flip is a great little device for traveling light. It lives up to the hype as one of the easiest video cameras to operate. Little did I know that the included software turns my Mac into one of the easiest production studios to operate. The Flip, and the included software, has its limitations but just like using a single prime lens you can create inspirational movies. This movie was made from a series of clips that I downloaded, ordered, and then with a click of a button fed to the ‘Magic Movie’ machine. I added some music and viola!

I apologize in advance for some shaky footage. I had never operated a scooter before, let alone drive it single handed while I filmed our ‘Road Less Traveled’ tour of Cozumel. I hope you enjoy the movie. It is a precursor to the new content I will be providing next year (it is only a week away).

Click on the ‘Play Button’ and give it a second to load.

Tip: Having never shot footage before, I quickly learned to let your subject inject motion into the scene. Panning only works if you have a hydraulic boom.

Filed Under: Cozumel, Flip, Mexico, Moving Pictures, Travel