Week #4 in the Picture a Day Project

A candle. I think I only took this 2 or 3 times. I am getting better at seeing what the camera sees and matching the image to my imagined picture.

This lock I took 2 times, it has such interesting character. This image is over saturated, but I like the greens that come through.

This one is more natural, or straight out of the camera. You cannot see the moldy greens as well. Which do you like better?

I was cloud bursting and trying to get a decent image of planes and jet aircraft taking off at AVL Regional. When I saw this dragon about to devour that poor Cessna... well you know... 

 I was doing a experiment in observing how light changes during sunset. After taking almost 70 images, this was one of the last. The light was almost gone, but my fantastic camera was able to pull this image. Too bad the operator was unable to capture the two lovers better.

Again with the experiment in sunset lighting. This was taken on the Blueridge Parkway. Again the day light  had just about left the cove of Haw Creek. But I was able to get this image. I love the way the light from the houses is reflected up to the cloud thus creating a very satisfying golden hew.

If y'all counted your fingers right you will have noticed there were only 6 images this week. Oooppps! I went to the doctors one day and had a shingles vaccination. It kicked my ass that night. I was able to complete my familial responsibilities that night, but that was all. I was wiped out. Through out the rest of the week I began to regain the little bit of endurance and strength I normally have and do not plan on having any more lapses.

So here are the pics 'o the day for this week. Please let me know what you think (start a trend)

Thanks for looking!

olc

A little fun with time-laps Photography

Someplace I read something about how light changes during sunrise and sunset. The take away from the article was to set up my camera about a half hour before sun set and take a picture every minute to document the change.

I have tried this a few times and refined my technique.

For the camera geeks out there, the first time I tried this I used a very high ISO and Automatic White Balance. Also, I was on a dock floating on water which was moving due to rough water conditions. and this means that during longer exposures the subjects would not be sharp. So, in the middle of the actual picture taking I had to move to solid ground.

Also, some people wanted to get onto the dock and when the shutter speed got too slow their images were blurred.

Last night, I went to an overlook on the Blueridge Parkway and spent some time looking down at Haw Creek.

This time I used a lower ISO and Shot using a Color Temperature of 5200K.

Each video is a bout 3 minutes or so. The beginning may be a little boring, but try and tough it out, because as the last 25 slides come long the colors begin to pull some really nice images.

Let me know what you think!

olc

One from this morning. Turkeys of all kinds wonder on this golf course

The truth is I wanted to gat a picture of a great blue heron this morning. It was not there. these guys fowled it though. (See what I did there?)

Sunrise on the Blue Ridge

Well, the Runtyun decided to spend the night with a friend and that allowed me to plan an impromptu sunrise photo-shoot. ...If I could get up early enough to make it happen.

When I finally turned off Netflix, it was about 1130. Sunrise is 615, or so. My mind was racing around trying to plan out what lenses and where to go. What time should I get up to get to...whereever “there” was.

That thought, where to go, stopped everything. The answer, you ask? The Blue Ridge Parkway, but which way to go? First I thought I would go south, the pullouts are closer and more frequent. But, deep down in my heart, I am a Yankee, so North it was.

Well, 4 o'clock came around and my eyes popped open and there was no going back to sleep. I rolled out of bed and put together my kit, including my Father's Day mug 'o coffee from the Runtyun and loaded it all onto the Grinner. Loading it all, or strapping it onto the bike was an interesting feat in the dark, but I got lucky and nothing fell off during the ride, though I need to perfect a plan for the future.

Finally, I made it the the parkway, (Let me just say Town Mountain Road, in the dark, with a wobbly load, is not as much fun as one may think!) and the first 4 or 5 pull outs were either taken by cars, or did not work for me. I was getting a little anxious about time so the next pull out would have to do.

I got off the bike and looked around. Not much color to be seen, except shades of green and nothing much for a subject or perspective. However, the gear was off the bike and I had to own this place and find something interesting. I walked around for about 5 or 10 minutes. I thought, "Sometimes you go out and get nothing.

The coffee was coursing through my veins, so I could not leave.

Then I saw some tall grass sticking up high enough so I could work it to give some perspective to the coming sun and clouds in the distance. I took a couple of shots---here is the best of them.  

I have taken better and more focussed shots. This lens was a Sigma 17-35mm and I wonder if it really as sharp as I want.

This could be a better photo, but I don't want to spend so much time in Photoshot.

Looking up at the gear and the bike, I saw something. LEADING LINES, started to scream in my head.

This could be a better photo, but I don't want to spend so much time in Photoshop.

After a bit, the light became stronger thus creating more shadows and I wondered about depth of field, and the sensitivity of my lens and camera. When I took this shot, I figure it would be a throwaway, but now I wonder. What do you think?

Finally I saw this red flower, any one know what it is?

I think there are some OK shots here. It is funny how sometimes when circumstances  seem to go against you, the challenge seems to help to step up the game.

olc

On the side of the road

Some friends of mine, who know more about these things than I, say this is a good picture, but it could be better.

What do you think?

Please leave a comment.

olc