Lightroom 4

San Francisco Sunrise

March 26, 2013 by Justin Balog 9 Comments

This was one of the most creatively heartbreaking images I had ever shot. The night before, the staff of the Fairmont (find out more about it in our travel guide) arranged for me to photograph the sunrise from the hotel’s roof. Pretty cool right?!?! After hanging out and chatting with a very friendly security guard, the sun slowly made its way up. Not being familiar with a San Francisco sunrise and not wanting to overstep my welcome, I gave up, shot this photo and returned to my room. I peeked out the window only to see a hint of what I was sure was the most incredible sunrise I have ever seen. Imagine all those clouds lit up as if they were on fire…well, I never made it to the roof in time to photograph it. That sunrise will forever be my white whale…it was the one that got away. Ah well…it made for a good story and this photo turned out alright.

Photographer’s Note – This is a single image shot with a Nikon D700 and 17-35mm 2.8 (I longed for that lens for over a decade). I brought it to life with Lightroom 4 and a few Nik Software filters. Did you see that you can get the entire Nik Collection for only $149.00 now…WOW!!!

Click Here To Get It – If you use the coupon code LIGHTASMAGIC you save even more money and get it for $126.00…yesterday it was $500!

Filed Under: California, Gitzo Traveler, Lightroom 4, Nik Software, Nikon 17-35 2.8 AFS, Nikon D700, Processing Notes, San Francisco, Travel

Visions of Belize – Under The Mayan Sky

March 21, 2013 by Justin Balog 2 Comments

This will be our last look a Belize for a while. I have a lot more photos to share, and they will make their way to the site in due time. For now, I leave you with this image. When I look at the night’s sky. I remember that this is the same sky that the Mayan’s looked at 4000 years ago. It is the same sky the inspired them to build pyramids, make art and write music. I wonder and I hope that it will inspire all of us to do the same. I hope you have enjoyed this tour of Belize. Better yet, I hope it has stirred your own muse to visit. If not for the scenery and history, visit the people. We made many friends while we were there and I hope to see them all again soon. Thanks Belize!

Photographer’s Note - To process this photo I used Dave’s Kick Butt Lightroom preset. I highly recommend them. CLICK HERE to get them.

Before Dave’s awesome presets….

Filed Under: Belize, Lightroom 4, Nikon D700, One Click, Processing Notes, Really Right Stuff, RRS Versa 24, Sigma 15mm Fisheye, Tips, Travel

Visions of Belize – Xunantunich

March 20, 2013 by Justin Balog 5 Comments

Belize is also a major zone of Mayan civilization. Actually, 12% of the population is pure Mayan. At one time, the ruins around the southwest part of Belize supported a population exceeding a million people. Now the entire population of Belize is about 350,000. There are quite a few theories regarding the demise of the great Mayan civilization, and I’d suggest you investigate them. There is a lot to be learned from them. The ruins of Xunantunich, pictured here, are a must visit for anyone traveling to Belize. They are some of the few remaining ruins you can still climb and explore. I made a few photos while visiting them, but I thought this one did the best job of taking us into the adventure. What do you think?

Filed Under: Belize, Lightroom 4, Nik Software, Nikon 14-24mm 2.8, Nikon D700, One Click, Travel, Visions of Belize

Visions of Belize – The Saba Tree

March 19, 2013 by Justin Balog 1 Comment

After you’ve passed through the Mayan mountains, you find yourself surrounded by the beautiful rolling fields of western Belize. You also find ancient and sacred Saba trees. To this day, Mayans believe these trees are maps that will guide your soul to the heavens. Obviously this farmer is either Mayan or just loves a beautiful tree because they left it standing tall right in the middle of their pasture. Tomorrow we will be visiting some of the largest Mayan ruins in Central America.

Filed Under: Belize, Lightroom 4, Nikon 14-24mm 2.8, Nikon D700, Travel, Visions of Belize

Visions Of Belize – The Mayan Mountains

March 18, 2013 by Justin Balog 3 Comments

As a SCUBA diver, prior to visiting Belize, this is what I had always imaged what it would be like. 30 miles off the coast is the world’s 2nd largest barrier reef. The reef itself is dotted with small islands, which in Belize, they call ‘cayes’. That being said, this week I want to share with you the Belize we discovered when we made our way through the Mayan mountains to the west. This is the Belize we fell in love with and will surely return to visit.

This is the Belize we will surely return to! The Mayan mountains are full of citrus orchards, breathtaking vistas and friendly little farming communities. You can reach this valley by traveling along the Hummingbird highway. You actually drive across the entire nation from the coast to the Guatemala border in about 2 hours. I hope you enjoy this week as we share in an adventure along this highway. We will see beautiful Saba trees, Mayan ruins and the Milky Way!

Photographer’s Note – This is a single image shot with a Nikon D700, Nikon 24-70 lens, Singh-Ray 2 stop GND filter. I brought it to life with Lightroom 4, a few NIK filters and a couple moves in Photoshop.

Filed Under: Belize, Landscape, Lightroom 4, Nikon 24-70, Nikon D700, Travel, Visions of Belize