Jan 31, 2012
I’m a sucker for landscape photography (ok, for ANY kind of photography actually). I find myself drawn to places that don’t look like what I can see at home. You know, like… colorful ocean sunsets, rolling mountains, rocky desert skylines… that sort of thing. It doesn’t really matter if it’s someplace I’ve already been (because then it sparks memories) or if it’s a place I’ve never seen before (because then it makes me want to go).
And I wonder… if you live in the desert all the time, when you look at landscape scenery from say… the midwest — does that spark your interest? More than scenery from your locale? And, if your morning commute has you traveling alongside the ocean, does it grow old?
I know I take for granted the scenery that is constant in my life, and am often successful convincing myself it’s “prettier” someplace else. (The grass is greener thing. Oh yes, I’m guilty.) The thing is, for those of you playing along at home, every place on the planet is special! Just different.
Jan 30, 2012
The cloud overlay in Indiana yesterday was beautiful. It was really cold, but comfortable in the car except for being pushed all over the place by high winds. No complaints here! Anything that will help dry up our saturated ground is a very, very good thing.
We left early…
And stayed late…
And even then… the text messages between me and my son, Ben, went like this:
Him: Why don’t you guys turn around and come back here for a bit?
Me: We’re already in Edinburgh.
Him: Ok. =) See ya in 30 then?
Me: If I didn’t have puppies I would.
Him: A fence and doggy door sound like a good investment.
A doggy door? Are you serious?
I hope Libby doesn’t find out he even suggested a doggy door! She would be wounded beyond comprehension. So beneath her!
Jan 29, 2012
I engaged in conversation with a good friend the other day who I haven’t seen in quite a long time. A few short minutes into the conversation, she asked about my granddaughter, Coco — and as a proud Nana, I immediately told her to visit here where she could see plenty of photos.
She said, “I don’t need another addition.”
I admit, I had no clue how to reply. So I didn’t.
The silence was uncomfortable and as she started to explain, I don’t think I had ever felt as much distance between us as I did in that moment. Basically, her thought is that everyone using the Internet — for work or pleasure — is sucked into this dark hole of addiction.
I’m not naive enough to think that there isn’t anyone on the planet using Facebook as their primary ‘go to’ for social interaction. Some do, and some live to play those goofy games and hit the site 100 times a day. The Internet makes other things easier to get and easier to do too. And, some of these things are undeniably destructive. But that’s not an Internet addiction… the Internet is simply the tool used to facilitate a problem that’s already there. At least that’s my opinion.
If I’m wrong, (and I certainly have been plenty of times before now), here’s today’s photo for all you visiting addicts…
Jan 28, 2012
I complain a lot because I have to drive an hour to get to a mall. Fast food here in the ville is limited (not saying we aren’t lucky to have Lucille’s & even Subway). I can’t simply hop in the car and be at a UPS store to ship something quickly, and if I forget to order my coffee K-cups online… I have to drive at least 10 miles to pick up a box.
If I said all these things don’t make me grumpy — I would be telling a big ole’ lie.
When I’m listing all those complaints over and over in my head while wishing I lived somewhere else, I sometimes forget to take stock of the incredible things I already have right here at home. So maybe January in Indiana sucks.. but there are some perks!
Jan 27, 2012
Now that everyone on the planet has at least one digital camera, (and because I haven’t dedicated a post to photography for quite some time now), today’s post is all about how to create a HDR image — and why you might actually want to.
Digital images aren’t as forgiving as our old film cameras were when it comes to exposures right out of the box. And, you’ve probably noticed (especially when you print your photos) that detail may not be as great as you’d like, especially in the highlights and shadows.
It’s not your fault. Probably.
There are many ways to create a high dynamic range image, and I only use the following process on special photos that I may use for print because it’s way too time consuming. The basic idea is that from one RAW file, 5 additional exposures are created and merged into one image with incredible detail.
It really doesn’t matter if you use Lightroom or Aperture or Adobe Bridge (whatever you use to work with RAW files is just fine). You simply create multiple versions of the RAW file with different exposure values. Once you’re ready, you can use Photoshop (or your favorite program) to “merge to HDR” (it’s under the ‘automate’ tab).
There are other ways to accomplish the same thing — like using a tripod to the capture the same image over and over — changing the exposure on each shot. (This would never work with any of my mobile ‘people’ subjects.) But if you’ve never created a HDR image before, at least give it a try! You’ll be surprised at the difference.
