Four years ago I drove the recently opened Trail Ridge Road to the pass. At that time I took 5 vertical images with a Nikon D200 and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens to be combined into a panorama. At that time the software to combine images for a composite panorama image were just starting to be available (including manually moving layers in Photoshop CS3), and don’t have the capabilities of the programs available today. The first panorama is the composite of 5 raw images using Auto Pano Giga 2.5. The second panorama used Auto Pano Giga with the Neutralhazer plugin (to reduce the effect of long distance haze). The folks from Kolor that created the dehazer claim that the program reduces the effect of light traveling through long distances of air. The third panorama adds the Topaz Detail (Color Jump) filter to the above. Let me know what you think about the three versions.
Rocky Mountain National Park Panorama on Trail Ridge Road. Images taken with a Nikon D200 and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/11, 1/160 sec). Composite of five images using Auto Pano Giga 2.5. Additional processing with Photoshop CS5.Rocky Mountain National Park Panorama on Trail Ridge Road. Images taken with a Nikon D200 and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/11, 1/160 sec). Composite of five images using Auto Pano Giga 2.5 and the DeHaze Plugin. Additional processing with Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.Rocky Mountain National Park Panorama on Trail Ridge Road. Images taken with a Nikon D200 and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/11, 1/160 sec). Composite of five images using Auto Pano Giga 2.5 and the DeHaze Plugin. Additional processing with Focus Magic, Nik Define, Topaz Detail (Color Jump), and Photoshop CS5.
Summer in New Jersey. Independence Day Fireworks Video.
I finally had a chance to process the DSLR video of the 30-June-2011 Montgomery Township Fireworks display. The Nikon D3s camera is limited to 5 minute HD (720P) video segments. I ended up with three 5 minute segments. I left the in-camera sound recording on to get the sound effects of the fireworks. I also got commentary about the fireworks from a family sitting in front of my tripod. At one point you can hear a train whistle. The other clicking sound is the shutter of my other cameras. I used Adobe Premiere Pro to combine the first and third segments, zoomed in a bit so the firework display takes up more of the image, and increased the volume. I also used Premiere Pro to add a title page to the video.
I think that this image of the waining gibbous moon with the D3x and 500 mm telephoto lens is sharper that the one I took with the D3x and 600 mm lens of the full moon 15-June-2001. Both were on a Gitzo tripod and Wimberley head, remote shutter, mirror up with 30 sec delay.
Waining Gibbous Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR telephoto lens (ISO 100, 500 mm, f/4, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5.
We didn’t get to see the full lunar eclipse in this part of the world. The sky was clear, and the moon was bright so I got a chance to test taking images of the moon with my new 600 mm telephoto lens. The first five are attempting the same exposure while changing both aperture and shutter speed (f/16, 1/50 sec; f/11, 1/100 sec; f/8, 1/200 sec; f/5.6, 1/400 sec; and f/4, 1/800 sec). The final image was taken at 1200 mm using a TC-E III 20 teleconverter. For all of the images I used the camera autofocus, remote shutter, mirror up for a 30 second delay to allow the mirror up vibrations to decay, and tripod VR mode.
Late Spring Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 600 mm, f/16, 1/50 sec) on a Gitzo tripod and Wimberley Head. Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5Late Spring Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 600 mm, f/11, 1/200 sec) on a Gitzo tripod and Wimberley Head. Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5Late Spring Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 600 mm, f/8, 1/100 sec) on a Gitzo tripod and Wimberley Head. Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5Late Spring Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec) on a Gitzo tripod and Wimberley Head. Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5Late Spring Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 600 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec) on a Gitzo tripod and Wimberley Head. Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5Late Spring Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 600 mm f/4 VR lens + TC-E III 20 (ISO 100, 1200 mm, f/16, 1/100 sec) on a Gitzo tripod and Wimberley Head. Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5
Gone to See Central America and the Panama Canal. Semester at Sea Spring 2011 Enrichment Voyage on the MV Explorer. Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop II with Michael Mariant. Day 6: Guatemala.
While riding the bus to the Pacaya Volcano we noticed what looked like a tornado just off the highway. The sky was cloudy, but no sign of thunderstorms. It turned out to be a large Dust Devil. I got the following images from the rear of the bus using a Leica V-Lux 20 point & shoot camera. For another view, check out Jenny’s shot from the front of the bus.
View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 19.5 mm, f/4.4, 1/500 sec)View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 100, 29.9 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec)View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 29.9 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec)View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 19.5 mm, f/4.4, 1/500 sec)View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 19.5 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec)
