Tag: scape

Winter’s Flight is pretty much done. . .

This jet trail dominated our wintry sky, the other day, and begged a foreground to make it work. Daylight leaving at jet speed, I chose the first vantage point I could find, and was fortunate to find three elements I liked for it.. the view of the expanse of sky, the hard lines and contrasts of the parking lot lights, and the bare trees.. the Birds were an absolute bonus. I would have waited another few seconds, for the car at bottom to leave, but was rudely interrupted by someone behind me who didn’t know what I was up to, and therefore just thought I was daydreaming or something.. this in a parking lot that had other exits besides mine, but.. OhWell.
I did have time to bracket for HDR combining, and though I chose not to open up the shadows so much, since most of what was on the ground wasn’t key to this photo, I think the image benifits from the HDR treatment. I used a trial version of Unified Color’s HDR Studio 2. ( www.unifiedcolor.com/ )

Txt&Drv? No Wrse!

sunsettling

I’m guessing that most photographers who have persued the art/craft/profession in the True spirit of the word, “amatuer” –one who Loves what he’s doing– drive with their cameras within reach. While I was looking for a suitable foreground for this awesome sweep of a sunset-ting, the words of a contemporary insurance advert came to mind; “Life Comes At You, Fast!”

This time, I was fortunate. I don’t, however, recommend it. I’ve had a couple of moments trying to do such a thing, when little things started to slip from my influence. .. like maintaining my lane, maintaining my speed, keeping awareness of traffic coming up behind me, etc.

So, “No, Don’t Try This” at home or on the road.

It IS kind of Beautiful, though.. isn’t it?

Talkin’ Photowalkin’

In the crisp winter, between Scott Kelby’s two wussy Photowalks, a couple of flickr friends and I did our own… in the bleak midwinter.
CyclopsNC
Slideshow of that walk.

My set from Kelby’s WorldWide Photowalk.

Recently, though, members of two different local groups I am active with participated in Scott’s second World Wide Photowalk.

I entered the maximum two entries, and that’s done. I needed to choose between two different versions of a candid portrait of a man I met sitting on a mall bench on Fayetteville Street. Maybe I was the wuss that time; I chose the image that was the preferred treatment of the opportunity, based on a query I made of other photographers (all skill levels). Their preference was to use the simpler version, better isolated from the downtown environment around him, and filling the frame.
Robert Sings

I still can’t shake the feeling, though, that I find the other version preferable, in that it puts him in context, true to my impression of what a downtown photowalk might be. I like the fact that it includes the “distracting elements” found objectionable by those who responded to my query. It’s not a “better picture”, but it is a different picture –one which is an authentic impression of my time and place and interpretation of Photowalk Raleigh NC. Thus:
Robert Sings

Since I don’t mind being disagreed with, chime in, if you want.