Pennsylvania

Kentuck Knob

November 14, 2011 by Justin Balog 8 Comments

Howdy! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I started some focused waterman training for an upcoming event. More on that when we start this year’s fitness challenge. It’s just around the corner! Anyway, as promised here is a little something for the Frank Lloyd Wright fans out there. This is the porch of the famous Kentuck Knob home. I had big plans to dedicate this week to Frank’s House and do a 4 part series on his ground breaking Falling Waters home, but when I got into my Lightroom library I got distracted. Nothing new, I’m easily distracted by bright shiny things. Either way, I couldn’t break my promise. I had to deliver at least a little bit of Frank’s work! Look for the full series in a couple of weeks. This particular property is privately owned. You tour the place and mixed in with the family photos are a few photos of the owners hanging out with Princess Diana. Apparently, when she was going through her divorce, the owner of this property provided her legal council.

News: I wanted to give everyone a heads up, our domain will be changing in a couple of weeks. Don’t worry, everything is changing for a good reason. Things are expanding around here and part of the domain name change has to do with that expansion. More on the new domain and the reasons behind it next week. Also, the current domain will work after the change. All the 301 redirects will be in place, Google has been notified, all the ‘i’s dotted and ‘t’s crossed, and all the good IT kung fu has been taken care of.

When it does change, we will be celebrating with our first newsletter, so sign up here to make sure you stay in the loop!

Filed Under: HDR, Kentuck Knob, News, Nik Software, Pennsylvania, Software
Tagged With: Frank Lloyd Wright

The Blue Streak

August 2, 2011 by Justin Balog 0 Comments

You are looking at the opening tunnel of one of the last 2 functioning Vittel Roller Coasters in operation. The coaster is called the Blue Streak, and can be found in Conneaut Lake Park, PA. It has just been renovated and its ready to ride. This coaster has a long history in my family. My grandfather was actually the lead carpenter in charge of maintenance back in the 50′s. My father was a security guard who patrolled the coaster at night to keep her safe. Now I’m the guy who shuts the coaster down because ‘some photographer (me) is standing in the middle of it trying to take a picture’. Yep, I shut the Blue Streak down for a good 1/2 hour a couple months back. I will share the entire story when I run my series on Conneaut Lake. Let’s just say that because of my family history, I felt entitled to do whatever I wanted.

New Website

The new website is almost ready, here is another sneak-peek at the new look. If you want to sign up for the monthly ‘Good Newsletter’ now, you can just use the form below. You will have to wait until next week to use the far more awesome form pictured here.

Continue for Capture/Processing Notes…

Filed Under: Conneaut Lake, Gitzo Traveler, Nik Software, Nikon D700, Pennsylvania, Processing Notes, Sigma 15mm Fisheye, Travel

The Forest Breaks Into Song

July 11, 2011 by Justin Balog 4 Comments

I wrote about the magic of Pennsylvania before, but as I continue to go through my library of images I’m reminded of just how ‘shire-like’ this state is. If only it had a few rocky peaks, Peter Jackson might have been able to film ‘Lord of the Rings’ here. Everyone has those moments or places they will never forget. For me, this is one of those places. It is the overlook near Kentuck Knob. Actually, this tree had this view. Could you imagine being this tree and experiencing this view 365 days a year for hundreds of years. Not only did this tree have a heck of a view, the forest was home to beautiful wind chimes. They called them ‘sound sculptures’, but they were basically wind chimes. As the breeze filtered through the trees, a magical band would begin to play and the forest would break into song. I’m not sure about 365 days a year for hundreds of years, but I could have easily spent the entire afternoon in quiet contemplation here.

Continue for Capture/Processing Notes…

Filed Under: Gitzo Traveler, Landscape, My Favorites, Nik Software, Nikon 17-35 2.8 AFS, Nikon D700, Pennsylvania, Photomatix, Processing Notes, Travel

A Sense Of Wonder

May 31, 2011 by Justin Balog 3 Comments

These are the roads you dream of as a kid. You have no idea where the lead, but their mystery draws you in. They are little tunnels through the thick forest that surely lead you to something cool. I see most of the world in this way. Everything that surrounds us is an opportunity for adventure, you just have to take the time to see what’s down the path.

Continue for Capture/Processing Notes…

Filed Under: HDR, Nikon 50mm 1.4 AFS, Nikon D700, onOne Software, Pennsylvania, Processing Notes, Travel

Count Down To The Tour

June 22, 2010 by Justin Balog 2 Comments

Lance Armstrong showed some impressive form this weekend by placing 2nd in the Tour of Switzerland. Because the Tour is less than a month away, and I have thousands of bike racing photos in my archive, I decided I would start posting them to celebrate the world’s greatest bike race.

This image is from the 2003 US Pro Championships in Philadelphia, PA. I wanted to get a large group shot. As a bike racer, I knew the peloton would break up in just a few laps, so I identified a location that would work early in the race. I set up on a median in the middle of the course, and shot with a long lens to exaggerate the close proximity of the riders. I got lucky when Victor Rapinski decided to stand up to stretch his legs.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D1x
Nikkor 300 AFS F4
Bogen Monopod

Exposure:0.001 sec (1/1000)
Aperture:f/4.0
Focal Length:300 mm
Exposure Bias:0 EV

Processing Notes:

Photoshop – Curves adjustment
Photoshop – Slight vibrancy boost
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

Tip: Cycling photography is a very unique and demanding enterprise. Ensure that you are familiar with the course. If you can, make sure to drive or walk it and plan your shot locations. The race will be fast and furious and you won’t have time to improvise.

Filed Under: Nikkor 300 AFS F4, Nikon D1X, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Processing Notes, Tips