Skyscape - David Mathre Photography

Thursday (23-December-2010) — Florida

Gone to See Florida — 2010 Road Trip. Day 3: Sunshine Skyway Bridge at Dawn from Fort De Soto Park

Sunshine Skyway Bridge Panorama at Dawn from Fort De Soto Park. St. Petersburg, Florida. Composite of 3 vertical images taken with an Nikon D3s and 45 mm f/2.8 PC-E lens (ISO 200, f/11, 0.5 sec). Images processed with DxO, AutoPano Giga, Photoshop CS5, and Topaz Define. (David J Mathre) — Sunshine Skyway Bridge Panorama at Dawn from Fort De Soto Park. St. Petersburg, Florida. Composite of 3 vertical images taken with an Nikon D3s camera and 45 mm f/2.8 PC-E lens (ISO 200, f/11, 0.5 sec). Images processed with DxO, AutoPano Giga, Photoshop CS5, and Topaz Define. (David J Mathre)

One-Year Ago (18-December-2009) — Hawaii

Gone to See Hawaii, Maui Day 3: Haleakala National Park.

Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station: Comparison of HDR Image Processing Programs. I used images taken at sunset last year to do a comparison of HDR (high dynamic range) processing programs. The first image is the original image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). The next three images are HDR composites from 5 exposures (+2, +1, 0, -1, -2 EV) using Photoshop CS5 HDR Pro, Photomatix Pro, and Nik HDR Efex Pro. The final image was processed using DxO Optics Pro 6 using a “single-shot” HDR technique. All of the new HDR programs have multiple, if not many presets as well as many controls to optimize the image. The HDR programs have come a long way over the last 3-4 years, where the HDR effects were often overboard. But then again, HDR can recover an uninteresting image i.e. “A derelict fishing boat along the Alaska Canada Highway”

Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu'U'Ula'Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). Original image, no HDR (David J Mathre) — Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu’U’Ula’Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). Original image, no HDR (David J Mathre)

Sunday (21-November-2010) — New Jersey

Backyard Autumn Nighttime Sky Over New Jersey.

November Full Moon — Also known as the Beaver Moon or Harvest Moon. 1) Image acquired with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 with TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 100, 800 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). 2) Image acquired with a Nikon D3s camera and 400 mm f/2.8 with TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 800 mm, f/16, 1/100 sec).

November Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with D3s and 400 mm f/2.8 with TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 800 mm, f/16, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre) — November Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with D3s camera and 400 mm f/2.8 with TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 800 mm, f/16, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)

November Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with D3x and 400 mm f/2.8 with TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 100, 800 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre) — November Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 with TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 100, 800 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)

Friday (19-November-2010) — New Jersey

Backyard Autumn Nighttime Sky Over New Jersey.

Waxing Gibbous Moon (97% full). Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and Questar 7″ telescope (ISO 200, 1600 mm, f/16, 1/200 sec). Image processed with Capture One 5, Photoshop CS5, Focus Magic, Topaz DeNoise.

Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and Questar 7" telescope (ISO 200, 2500 mm, f/16, 1/200 sec) (David J Mathre) — Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and Questar 7″ telescope (ISO 200, 2500 mm, f/16, 1/200 sec) (David J Mathre)

Sunday (14-November-2010) — New Jersey

Backyard Autumn Nighttime Sky in New Jersey.

Gibbous Moon. Image taken with Nikon D3x camera and Questar 3.5″ telescope (ISO 100, ~ 1600 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec). Processed using Capture One Pro 5 and Photoshop CS3. With the smaller telescope I used the mirror up setting on the camera to dampen mirror vibrations for 30 seconds before taking the image.

Waxing Gibbous Moon from New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and Questar 3.5" Telescope (ISO 100, ~1600 mm, f/16, 1/50 sec) (David J Mathre) — Waxing Gibbous Moon viewed from New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and Questar 3.5″ Telescope (ISO 100, ~1600 mm, f/16, 1/50 sec) (David J Mathre)