Utah

Reflecting On The World

January 21, 2013 by Justin Balog 5 Comments

Howdy, I hope everyone had a great weekend! I’m not much of a self-portrait type of guy. I’m rarely seen in photographs. However, once a year I post a photo of myself with the following message. It serves as a reminder to me about HOSSedia’s mission. Every year I hope I have had some successes helping others find their own creativity.

The Way I See Things

The world is a beautiful place full of wonderful people. Seeking out its beauty and sharing it with others is what I do. If only to encourage others to do the same. There is something transcendent about art and beauty. It’s a common ground that breaks down the barriers that divide us. I’m a dreamer, but in my heart of hearts, I know if we all recognize and share the beauty of this world, we will make it a better place.

Your guide to ‘The Creative Frontier’,

Justin

Filed Under: Moab, Utah

Dreams In The Distance

January 14, 2013 by Justin Balog 3 Comments

Howdy! I hope you had a great weekend. It was cold here in Colorado…like Chicago Cold…like it hurt to breathe cold…like I spent the entire weekend in hibernation cold. Thankfully, I will heading to the Yucatan in the near future.

News – I will be making an appearance on Trey Ratcliff’s variety hour tonight. Once I have a link I will try to share it on the various social channels, so keep an eye out.

Today’s Photo – I shot this image just north of Mea Arch in Moab, UT. After a memorable sunrise at the arch, it was time for some coffee! As I drove back to camp….this scene caught my eye. Coffee was going to have to wait….

Continue for Capture/Processing Notes…

Filed Under: Lightroom 4, Moab, Nikon 70-300 VR, Nikon D700, One Click, Processing Notes, Travel, Utah

Gooseberry Mesa

January 8, 2013 by Justin Balog 4 Comments

Today’s photo is of the famed Gooseberry Mesa outside of St. George UT. I shot the image handheld with a Nikon D700 and 28-300mm VR II. I was just driving by on a mountain bike trip a while back, jumped out, shot the photo and off I went. Later I rode around the top of the mesa…one of my favorite mtb. trials of all time!

In terms of processing….

1) I applied a standard camera profile and lens correction in Lightroom 4.
2) Then I opened it up for editing in NIK SEP 2.
3) I applied the ‘full dynamic’ (harsh) preset
4) Burned the bottom edge.
5) Bumped up the fine structure in the clouds a bit.
6) Then used a few selective control points to shape the light on the mesas.
7) The I seleniumed it…I’m a sucker for selenium!

Here’s the before/after screen shots from Nik SEP 2.

Before

After

Filed Under: Black & White, Nik Software, Nikon 28-300 VRII, Nikon D700, One Click, Processing Notes, Travel, Utah

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

November 15, 2012 by Justin Balog 1 Comment

I tell you what, this lion had one heck of a view. Getting to watch the sunset over the Great Salt Lake every night would be quite a treat!

Book Club

I will have the final details for you on Monday when the Book Club officially launches, but for now I would like to thank our sponsors who believe that investing in creativity is a good idea. They came through huge!!!

Think Tank Bags

Every week we will be giving away a ThinkTank card organizer and at the end of the event, ThinkTank will be giving away a free Retrospective 5 to one lucky reader.

Nik Software

Nik Software will be giving away one of their individual products every week, and then the big daddy…at the end Nik will be giving one lucky reader the entire ‘Complete Collection’.

Craft & Vision

Craft & Vision is going to be giving away free books every week, and at the end of the club one lucky reader will get their entire collection.

Filed Under: News, Salt Lake City, Sunsets, Travel, Utah

The Hoodoos

October 25, 2012 by Justin Balog 1 Comment

My man Jimmy Nix from NomaicPursuits.com was in town last night, and we were out doing what all good photo buddies do. We photographed the heck out of downtown Denver. Needless to say I didn’t have much time for a post tonight, but there was no way I was going to let you down and not have something pretty waiting for you in the morning. Enjoy the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, and we will see you back here tomorrow for some iPhone Friday.