Giant Tear

Taken in Maui...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

Look Up

Monument Rocks, Kansas...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55 DX

Pretty Bird

For me, birds of paradise are an endless source of inspiration.  Taken in South Kehei, Maui...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

Heading Out

Taken on a crisp April morning, Resurrection Bay, Seward, Alaska...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

Hedge Your Bets

Looking back I know I could have framed this better, should have went with a wider angle then stepped in closer, but I like the look of the weathered, aged wood, and the contrast in mood between the explosives sign and the horseshoe...  One day I'll go back and explore the area again - the opportunities were just too numerous not to...  Taken at Independence Mine, Hatcher's Pass...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-300 DX VR

Pretty Three

Taken in Maui...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

The Perils Of HDR

Following up on yesterday's post, another peril of getting caught up in HDR processing.... Is getting caught up in HDR processing.  Instead of concentrating on taking "good" photos, one could easily get caught up in trying to take ordinary photos and make them look "better." A good example follows, where I took an ordinary photo, cropped it, and then played around... And then realized that I could waste too much time trying to fix ordinary photos instead of getting off my butt, getting outside, and trying to improve my "skills"...

Before...

After...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

HDR - To Plunge, Or Not To Plunge?

This first shot was taken in Badlands National Park, South Dakota.  I think it's a decent shot, in terms of composition, contrast in color, highlights and shadows, difference in foreground and background...

As much as I strive to go out and shoot, discover, explore, try out camera settings and see what the changes in camera lead to... There are plenty of days where it's too cold, too dark, where I don't want to go out and shot, but I still want to push forward and try new things.

One of those "new things" is HDR photography.  In nutshell, I'm intrigued by the possibilities of using programs and plug-ins like Topaz Adjust (which I used - truth be told - with a built-in preset) to "make" the image below, but I really want to be the best photographer I can be  by "getting it right in the camera"... 

So, really, I guess it's a matter of just pushing forward, experimenting, finding a sense of balance between "getting it right in the camera" and "tweaking in the digital darkroom", finding my own voice, and learning as I go...


Nikon D7000, Nikkor 55-300 DX VR

Le Artiste

Walking the boat docks at the Seward Harbor on a cool April morning, I tried concentrating on composition.  This is obviously an attempt at being "an artiste".  Shot at the boat harbor, Seward, Alaska...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

Rollin'

Taken at Independence Mine, Hatcher's Pass...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-300 DX VR

Fall Is Fleeting

Taken at Eklutna Lake...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55 - 200 DX VR

Perspective

One of the goals I set for myself a couple of months ago was to post at least one photo a day on this blog.  Although it can honestly be a pain, another daily obligation, it's also given me the opportunity to more frequently look through what I've shot so far, and to think about what I like, what I don't like, and to just simply think...  A couple of days ago I posted the photo below.  I like it, how the yellow of the flowers plays against the yellow in the butterfly's wings, the overall vibrant colors.  What I don't like is the "top down" perspective...  

This shot was taken in the same sequence.  Same flowers, same butterfly. I like this one better because it's not a typical "looking down at a pretty flower" shot.  A great shot? No. But I think it's still a better shot...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55 - 200 DX VR

To Crop, Or Not To Crop?

One of the things I try to do when taking photos is "get it right in the camera."  I try to get the subject framed the way I want it when I take the photo, instead of relying on cropping after the fact.  Occasionally though, when I'm reviewing photos later, I find one that I like, but think "I should have zoomed in tighter" or "I should have taken two more steps closer."  The photo below is a good example.  I like colors and texture of the wall, and the same with the dumpster.  I don't like the foreground though, the dull alley.

Here's the same photo, cropped in an 16 x 9 aspect ratio.  Closer, tighter, eliminating the foreground.  Better?  I'm not sure.  But you don't know until you try...

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 18-55 DX

High Plains

This was taken on an October evening, about 20 miles east of Cheyenne, Wyoming.  I didn't do anything like dial down the exposure to make it look dark and gloomy.  Just a simple shot of a highway on the high plains at dusk.  I guess I like it because you get the sense of wide open spaces, of commerce that keeps plugging along while everyone else is having dinner or sitting at happy hour...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

Closer...

Random shot in Marion, Kansas...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

Pillar

Monument Rocks, Kansas...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55 DX

After The Storm

This shot was taken about two hours after a thunderstorm.  The skies were like a painted field of fire as the sun set.  This isn't the best shot by any means, but I like the how the green lights on the dock play against the orange and red of the sky...  National Harbor, Maryland...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

The Heartland

Typical view throughout rural Kansas...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

Red

Driving on the road to Hana, on a rainy stretch of road, when I pulled over at a bridge to take a couple of photos.  Looking around, I saw this red leaf that really popped out against the background.  Road to Hana, Maui...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200DX VR

Reflective November Evening

I took this shot about six months after I got my first DSLR.  I like the texture in the mud flats and the reflection of the sun.  The only thing I did in post processing was straighten the horizon a bit.  Sunset, Turnagain Arm outside of Anchorage...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

Lit At Night

One of my first attempts at taking a night shot with my new Nikon D7000.  I changed the ISO settings to Auto, with a maximum of 6400.  This was handheld, no tripod.  Mount Rushmore, South Dakota...

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 55-300 DX VR

Low Rider

Taken in Hillsboro, Kansas...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

Little Bird

South Kehei, Maui...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

Reflection

Taken at the boat harbor, Seward...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

Autumn In Denali

Taken in Denali National Park...

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR