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.
Last night I got an e-mail link to the June 2011 Newsletter from Tuner Photography. The first thing I noticed was the image of an old car in front of the Cow Canyon Trading Post in Bluff, Utah. I remembered taking a snapshot of this vehicle as we were driving by back in February 2008 as part of an Elderhostel (now Road Scholar) Photography Workshop I was attending with my father and brother. Ever since I have wanted to go back to spend some more time in Bluff. Since then based on Winston’s image it looks like the Cow Canyon Trading Post has added a Gallery. If you do a search on the Internet you see a number of images of the Cow Canyon Trading Post and this old car parked out front. Back to Winston’s Newsletter — How to be creative where many have (and/or are) taking images from the same location. I remember a session at Delicate Arch where it seemed that the tripod positions were so used that they were marked in the rocks.
I’ve attended several workshops with Winston, and recommend him as a teacher. As a new digital photographer, I learned a lot during his workshops, both out in the field and back in the classroom “after the click” processing the images. It is because of a comment he made during one of his workshops that I try to share at least one image a day (preferably one taken on that day). I started doing this on Facebook, but after dropping Facebook it morphed into my “Images of the Day” photo-blog. I do recommend that you also to sign up for Winston’s monthly Tuner Photography Newsletter. Some day I hope that I can attend his Balloon Festival Workshop in Albuquerque.
Below are two versions of the image I took of the old car in 2008. I admit it is a snapshot or “grab” as I was in the back seat of a van and we were moving when I took the picture. One in color, the other converted to B&W with Nik Silver Efex Pro. Is this just a historical picture from somewhere I have been, or something artistic. I am still digesting Thom Hogan’s 20-June-2011 essay “How Thick is Your Skin”
Back to the images of the old car — I think that it is a Buick from the mid-50’s but am not sure. If you can identify the make/model and year let me know.
Cow Canyon Trading Post. Image taken with a Nikon D300 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec).Cow Canyon Trading Post. Image taken with a Nikon D300 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). NIK Silver Efex Pro 2.
Gone to See the Caribbean Islands. Semester at Sea Spring 2010 Enrichment Voyage on the MV Explorer. Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop with Michael Mariant. Day 10: Kralendijk, Bonaire.
I found this Fip-Flop graveyard while photographing a lighthouse in Bonaire. I have no idea why all of these shoes are here — and if they were from tourists or locals lost on the beach.
Flip Flop Lost and Found on Bonaire. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 50 mm f/1.4G lens (ISO 100, 50 mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec).Flip Flop Lost and Found on Bonaire. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 50 mm f/1.4G lens (ISO 100, 50 mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec).
Gone to See the Caribbean Islands. Semester at Sea Spring 2010 Enrichment Voyage on the MV Explorer. Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop with Michael Mariant. Day 8: Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Morning view of off-shore oil platforms from the deck of the MV Explorer.
Morning View of Off-shore Oil Rigs. Port of Spain, Trinidad. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 135 mm, f/16, 1/1000 sec). Raw Image processed with DxO, Capture One 6 Pro, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Springtime Nature in Colorado: Rocky Mountain National Park.
While visiting Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park I saw a number of male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds. It looked like they were setting up territories as they would perch on a branch and watch the others in the vicinity. Every now and then they would dive toward the others in an attempt to get some more space.
Male Broad-tailed Humming Bird at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR lens + TC-E II 20 teleconverter (ISO 280, 400 mm, f/8, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5.Male Broad-tailed Humming Bird at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D300 and 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR lens + TC-E II 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/8, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5.Male Broad-tailed Humming Bird at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR lens + TC-E II 20 teleconverter (ISO 500, 400 mm, f/11, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5.Male Broad-tailed Humming Bird at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR lens + TC-E II 20 teleconverter (ISO 360, 400 mm, f/11, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5.Male Broad-tailed Humming Bird at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR lens + TC-E II 20 teleconverter (ISO 280, 400 mm, f/11, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5.
