Deep Tones or B&W...

I have received lots of positive emails from folks saying that they have been enjoying my series “which do you prefer”, so I will do a few more. This image was originally captured at Longwood Gardens with private client Pam Corckran a few years ago. In post processing, I added a small amount of the Topaz Glow “Fur & Feathers Filter”. Next, I brought the image into Nik Color Efex to tone down the garish colors that Topaz had added to the photo using the Bleach Bypass filter at a reduced opacity. Because I had gotten a glimpse of what the image would look like as a B&W while in Nik, I decided to try a B&W conversion.

I’d like to know which processed image you like best. A or B ? Please use the comment section below to respond. My email box is full and I will not be able to get back to you via email-thanks! I will add my thoughts after everyone has had a chance to comment. If you missed my thoughts on my last post-check out the comment box. HERE. Thanks for playing, this has been fun. A quick reminder, there are no right or wrongs here-only opinions.

B

Flower Compositions

There are many ways to photograph a flower. Lots of variables will affect the outcome of your photo. Lighting, background, your distance to subject, subject distance to background, aperture, lens, and so on…. A lot of the impact will come from the composition that you choose. How you set up the image design is entirely up to you. Will you go for a vertical or horizontal, will you get in tight or leave room around the flower to include some background, how much of your subject is in focus, what parts of the flower do you want in focus, will there be one or more subjects in the composition??? So many things to think about when taking a picture. It is not always as easy as some people think.

Below are three different compositions for the same Dahlia. In the first image the Dahlia is the supporting subject used as a juxtaposition. In the second shot the Dahlia is used as more of a background element. In the third image the Dahlia is the main and only subject. Which do you prefer and why.??

IMAGE 1

IMAGE 2

IMAGE 3

Pine Barrens

I went for a hike through a small portion of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands. This reserve, known for its sandy, acidic soil also contains some notable forests including Wharton State Forest, Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, Bass River State Forest, and Penn State Forest.

Controlled fires help to keep the underbrush tame. I was awestruck by the vibrant red colors contrasting with the dark burned bark for this scene. I composed it two ways but decided on the view that showed more of the red underbrush. The sky was flat, including it did nothing for the image. I looked for a tree that was “nonconforming” and included it for interest.

This area needs much more exploring. My 6-mile hike was just a toe touching. BTW, during the week the place was desolate-just the way I like it! This photo may not be an iconic shot that I captured from some far away place, but being out in nature, forest bathing does something special for the soul…it is priceless.

Autumn Colors Everywhere

It is time to get out there and capture some great fall colors. Many locations are already spent but if you check online you can still find places that are in full swing. Years ago, I photographed this waterfall in an area within the Delaware Water Gap. It was my first and last visit to that specific area and my only waterfall shot worth saving from the day. Not that I did not like that waterfall but at the time I was into wildlife photography and never really took landscape shots seriously. That has changed since I have broadened my horizons…no pun intended!

I did like the way this one came out and it appears like I added some Nik Color Efex Glamour Glow to the shot—who knows, it was so long ago. My settings were 6 seconds at f/22, ISO 100. I probably shot it with my original Canon 5D and 24-105mm lens since it was at 40mm. If I were to photograph it again, I may have pointed my camera a bit more to the left-just slightly anyway.

I had a good time during my Zoom Presentation to the Ontario Council of Camera Clubs this past weekend. It was nice to hear from so many of my Canadian friends. Client/friend Laurie Thompson won the grand prize which was a one-on-one Zoom session with me for 30 minutes.

Today I had a chance to walk the boardwalk and breath in the fresh ocean air. It was a glorious day. Other than that, things are still going steady here. I have kept busy with my friends and family and have been tirelessly reworking/rescheduling all my workshops-ugh… cannot wait for things to get back on track. But stay positive, there will be change.

In the meantime, please post to my Facebook page your favorite waterfall or autumn shot. I will start a thread and post in that thread-I would love to see everyone’s colorful images.

One More Time...

I really enjoyed reading everyone’s opinion on which composition they preferred on my previous blog post, so I decided to give it another go. Most folks voted for image “B” last time and they offered a lot of good reasons for doing so.

I am curious to read your thoughts about these two, totally different compositions. I used the same camera as in the last post, it was converted to 720nm. I reduced the saturation a bit more in my post processing. This is an old carpenter’s shop in Allaire State Park Village.

So, which do you prefer A or B and why? Thanks again for commenting here and not in an email. I’ll share my thoughts in a bit. I have a clear winner here and for reasons you may not expect.

A

B