‘Marsh Rays’ | New Bern, North Carolina
Yesterday was pretty much cloudy, dreary and rainy all day long- or tous photographers, the perfect day to be on the lookout for a sunset. I’ve grown to dread cloudless, sunny days. I’m always on the lookout for clouds in the forecast. Particularly lately, as cold fronts have moved into the area with the arrival of fall, we’ve had some pretty neat sunsets. There’s nothing better than the light that is created during those brief moments when the setting sun pokes through those clouds.
I don’t typically shoot landscapes in a portrait orientation, mainly because I don’t think they look as good on a widescreen or in print. However, I found that the best way to portray this scene was to shoot that way. I was right at the edge of the marsh and the only way to get the reflection in the water was to turn my camera. I really like the way the tops of the marsh grass are illuminated by the warm light of the sun’s rays here; they’re actually the reason I shot this scene. I scouted it out a few evenings earlier and knew the next time we had this kind of sunset, I’d be there!
The Shot: Nikon D90, tripod mounted and remote fired. 3 exposures, tonemapped in Photomatix and masked back with original layers in Photoshop. Tweaked the image a bit with Nik Color Efex and Viveza. I then used the sharpening method I’ve described before (still need a name for it) in which I’ll convert the image to black and white using Nik Silver Efex with a yellow filter. Then change the blend mode of that layer to ‘Luminosity’ and mask as needed. Finsihed with a very slight Glamour Glow and exported.
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Speeding By | New Bern, North Carolina
This image was taken during the same sunset as my previous post. The wind had really kicked up and I wanted to capture all the motion that was going on in the scene. I not only wanted to blur the water and clouds, but the sun too, as it quickly neared the horizon. I zoomed in to 105mm and captured a single, long exposure at f/22. After processing, I think that my favorite part of this image is not the motion that I was trying to capture initially, but the stillness and sharpness of the silhouetted trees. Amazing; sometimes you set off to specifically shoot one thing and you end up liking the absolute complete opposite better!
The shot: As I stated above, it’s a single exposure shot at f/22, ISO 200…tripod mounted and fired with my new wireless remote. Adjusted the colors slightly in Photoshop using curves, added a Pro Contrast Filter from Nik Color Efex and did a little masking. That’s about all for processing!
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Urban Jungle | Chicago, IL
Today’s photo is going to take us on a little urb-ex in Chicago. These elevated train tracks immediately drew me in with their steel and iron work- perfect for HDR. I especially like the little puddle in the foreground. I’d love to shoot this same scene after a downpour and get the reflections of the underside of the structure on the ground!
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©2011 Zach Frailey
Tip: Shooting an Oft-Photographed Scene
One of the biggest tasks I give myself when I’m shooting popular landmarks is to create a shot that is unique. Sometimes it may seem difficult to get a unique shot of such a frequently photographed spot, but with a little planning and thinking, it’s really quite easy.
Do a quick Google search for a popular subject, and you’ll see what I mean. The majority of the photos you see will all be from the same spot. For this post I’ll be using the ‘Cape Lookout Lighthouse’ as an example. In the screen capture below, you can see that the majority of the photos returned are very similar. Most are shot vertically and are close ups of the lighthouse. You’ll find the same kind of photos no matter what lighthouse you’re searching for, it’s just the way most people see them and want to remember it.
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” | Mr. Rogers Memorial Statue, Pittsburgh PA
One of Pittsburgh’s favorite native sons, the Mr. Rogers overlooks the city as he ties his shoe, just as he did at the start of 895 episodes of his show on PBS. Many kids, including me, grew up watching his show on PBS. This statue, completed in 2009, stands across the street from Heinz Field (seen over his shoulder) on the North Shore overlooking the Point and the city of Pittsburgh, PA.
©2011 Zach Frailey
