Category: Skyscape

Views of the sky. Sunrise, sunset, clouds, and weather

Wednesday (27-April-2011) — California, Mexico, and At Sea

Gone to See Central America and the Panama Canal. Semester at Sea Spring 2011 Enrichment Voyage. Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop II with Michael Mariant. Day 1: Depart San Diego; Travel to Ensenada, Mexico; Embarkation on the MV Explorer.

HDR composite of images of Sunrise over San Diego taken from my hotel room. Three images were taken with a Leica X1 camera (+2, 0, -2 EV) just as the sun started to show above the mountains to the east. The first image was processed with HDR Express, using its Artistic default. The second image was processed with Photomatix Pro using the Compressor Deep settings.

We left San Diego at about 11:00 by bus for Ensenada, Mexico. Once we arrived at the cruise line port we embarked on the MV Explorer to begin the Spring Enrichment Voyage to Central America and Panama Canal. It was good to see many friends from the Caribbean Enrichment Voyage and Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop I (UTPW-I) on board the ship.

After the ship departed Ensenada for Cabo San Lucas there was a small  green flash at sunset. The image was taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (200 mm equiv). This is a good omen for the Voyage!!!

San Diego Sunrise. Composite HDR Image taken with a Leica X1 (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/11, 1/13 sec +/- 2EV). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, HDR Express (Artistic), Topaz Denoise, and converted to jpg with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
San Diego Sunrise. Composite HDR Image taken with a Leica X1 (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/11, 1/13 sec +/- 2EV). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, HDR Express (Artistic), Topaz Denoise, and converted to jpg with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
San Diego Sunrise. Composite HDR Image taken with a Leica X1 (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/11, 1/13 sec +/- 2EV). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Photomatix (Compressor Deep), and converted to jpg with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
San Diego Sunrise. Composite HDR Image taken with a Leica X1 (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/11, 1/13 sec +/- 2EV). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Photomatix (Compressor Deep), and converted to jpg with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
M/V Explorer Upper Mast. Image taken with a Leica X1 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4.5, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)
M/V Explorer Upper Mast. Image taken with a Leica X1 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4.5, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)
Green Flash at Sunset over the Pacific Ocean off Mexico. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 49.2 mm, f/6.3, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)
Green Flash at Sunset over the Pacific Ocean off Mexico. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 49.2 mm, f/6.3, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)

[Posts will be limited while on the M/V Explorer due to narrow internet bandwidth.]

Monday (28-March-2011) — California to New Jersey

Gone to See California. Day 9: Return Flight from San Francisco to New Jersey. Aerial Views from Across America.

I took a number of images while flying back from San Francisco to New Jersey after attending a four-day Photography Workshop in Death Valley lead by Michael Mariant.  For this flight I did have a window seat, and a GPS to record locations (when above 10,000 ft). I like taking images with a Leica V-Lux 20 and X1 camera while flying rather than a much larger DLSR. The first images are of Mono Lake in eastern California. The first with the X1, and the second with the V-Lux 20.

Aerial View of Mono Lake from 36,000 feet and 27 miles during a commercial flight from San Francisco to Newark. Image acquired with a Leica X1 (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/6.3, 1/1000 sec). Processed: Capture One 6 Pro (raw conversion, haze reduction), Photoshop CS5, Focus Magic (sharpening), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), Photoshop CS5 (save for web). (David J Mathre)
Aerial View of Mono Lake from 36,000 feet and 27 miles during a commercial flight from San Francisco to Newark. Image acquired with a Leica X1 (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/6.3, 1/1000 sec). Processed: Capture One 6 Pro (raw conversion, haze reduction), Photoshop CS5, Focus Magic (sharpening), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), Photoshop CS5 (save for web).
Aerial View of Mono Lake from 36,000 feet and 27 miles during a commercial flight from San Francisco to Newark. Image acquired with a Leica V-Lux 20 (ISO 80, 9.7 mm, f/6.3, 1/800 sec). Processed: Capture One 6 Pro (raw conversion, haze reduction), Photoshop CS5, Focus Magic (sharpening), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), Photoshop CS5 (save for web). (David J Mathre)
Aerial View of Mono Lake from 36,000 feet and 27 miles during a commercial flight from San Francisco to Newark. Image acquired with a Leica V-Lux 20 (ISO 80, 9.7 mm, f/6.3, 1/800 sec). Processed: Capture One 6 Pro (raw conversion, haze reduction), Photoshop CS5, Focus Magic (sharpening), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), Photoshop CS5 (save for web).

Friday (25-March-2011) — California

Gone to See California. Day 6: Death Valley Spring 2011 Photography Workshop with Michael Mariant.

We started the day before sunrise walking out to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes near Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley National Park. The objective for this location was to focus on lines, shapes, and textures as the sun rose and the shadows moved across the dunes. The first image is of morning shadows on the sand dunes. The next two are the same image of the dunes taken by Michael Mariant using my Leica X1 camera. The first is the “out of the camera” jpg, the 2nd the raw (dng) image processed with Capture One Pro attempting to minimize the amount of the upper right being blown out.

Sand Dune Morning Shadows, Death Valley NP. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 50 mm f/1.4 G lens (ISO 100, f/8, 1/500 sec). Image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted for web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Sand Dune Morning Shadows, Death Valley NP. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 50 mm f/1.4 G lens (ISO 100, f/8, 1/500 sec). Image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted for web with Photoshop CS5.
Sand Dune Morning Shadows, Death Valley NP. Image taken by Michael Mariant with my Leica X1 (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/10, 1/60 sec). Out of the Camera jpg. (David J Mathre)
Sand Dune Morning Shadows, Death Valley NP. Image taken by Michael Mariant with my Leica X1 (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/10, 1/60 sec). Out of the Camera jpg.
Sand Dune Morning Shadows, Death Valley NP. Image taken by Michael Mariant with my Leica X1 (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/10, 1/60 sec). Image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted for web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Sand Dune Morning Shadows, Death Valley NP. Image taken by Michael Mariant with my Leica X1 (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/10, 1/60 sec). Image processed with Capture One Pro.

Thursday (24-March-2011) — California

Gone to See California. Day 5: Death Valley Spring 2011 Photography Workshop with Michael Mariant.

Before the workshop started, I joined Michael as he reconnoitered and GPS tagged a path to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park. We would be going out to this location Friday and Sunday morning well before sunrise in the dark. The following images are of Michael going out to the sand dunes taken with a Leica X1 camera. The temperatures were cool by Death Valley standards, notice Michael wearing a green vest.

Michael Mariant Marking a GPS Trail to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park. Image taken with a Leica X1 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/6.3, 1/800 sec). Image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg for web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Michael Mariant Marking a GPS Trail to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park. Image taken with a Leica X1 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/6.3, 1/800 sec).
Michael Mariant Marking a GPS Trail to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park. Image taken with a Leica X1 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). Image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg for web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Michael Mariant Marking a GPS Trail to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park. Image taken with a Leica X1 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec).
Michael Mariant Marking a GPS Trail to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park. Image taken with a Leica X1 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/6.3, 1/1000 sec). Image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg for web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Michael Mariant Marking a GPS Trail to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park. Image taken with a Leica X1 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/6.3, 1/1000 sec).
Michael Mariant Marking a GPS Trail to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park. Image taken with a Leica X1 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/6.3, 1/800 sec). Image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg for web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Michael Mariant Marking a GPS Trail to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park. Image taken with a Leica X1 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/6.3, 1/800 sec).

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Tuesday (22-March-2011) — California

Gone to See California. Day 3: Working in South San Francisco.

Before going to work, I took some images of a sailboat at anchor in Oyster Bay. Two of the images were combined using the Photoshop CS5 HDR module.

Sunrise with Sailboat at Anchor in Oyster Bay. Images taken with a Leica X1 (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4.5, 1/250 + 1/2000 sec). Two image HDR processed with Photoshop CS5 HDR module (photorealistic). Noise reduction with Nik Define 2.0. (David J Mathre)
Sunrise with Sailboat at Anchor in Oyster Bay. Images taken with a Leica X1 (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4.5, 1/250 + 1/2000 sec).