HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year!  As I think about the future photographically, I have been delving into what some would call Fine Art Photography.  I look at it as adding an artistic look digitally.  

Some would say that it is not art... Looking at it more broadly, I think that it is due to the results of what one sees and conceptualizes, using a mechanical brush instead of a paint brush, which I think requires a talent grant by God.

Enough said.  Today's photos are some of my 'baby-steps,' using various textures and adjustments.

The first two pictures are examples, although the 'normal picture was processed with a heavy vignette.

 

December 25, 2018

I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas as we did.

I mentioned that we were in Dahlonega, GA Saturday to see the lights around the Courthouse Square.  Here are a few of them.

The first is of one of the trees and the next two are the same tree, but as I took the picture, I had a longer shutter speed and then zoomed the lens as the camera took the picture and from different angle.

December23, 2019

Only one picture of the Christmas Full Moon taken in Dahlonega, GA.  We went to Ellijay, GA for lunch and to take pictures of an apple orchard.  I thought that it could be used on a project that I had in mind, but decided against it.  

We then went to Dahlonega to see the Christmas lights around the square, which I will post later..., after we go back to Ellijay to pick up a jelly cabinet that Linda found.  It turned into a "Hallmark movie scene..." 

The lights are always very nice, however, photographers are told to look around from the shot that you are capturing.  Honestly, I did not look around!  Two ladies spoke to me about the picture that I was taking and said, "Did you see the moon?"

I did crop the photo to draw in the moon.  It was shot at 200mm and it does not do that much for something that is about 238000 miles away.

December 5, 2018

I had an epiphany at 5:30 this morning, albeit, not a spiritual one.  Taking landscape photos can be difficult this time of year due to the drabness, although snow, going to Key West, or other places are difference makers.

I was reading an article on 'seeing in black and white,' which made the point of looking for compositions that would be good in black and white.  I immediately thought of the picture that was posted yesterday and the results follows.  Now for the disclaimer.  I know that not everyone likes or appreciates black and white photos and I understand that.  Well, I try to...
 
I am including both photos for comparison noting that I did tilt the black and white photo to make the different textures of the clouds look more as an horizon and I did some adjusting to contrast the whites and blacks.

December 5, 2018

This photo is of the sky as I walked out of the house to go to work yesterday.  Fortunately, I "Have Camera, Will Travel" just like Paladin...  

A lesson to be ad is that if you see a shot that is worth taking, take it!  Within ten minutes the sky was pretty, but muted.  One of which I would not stop to take a picture.

November 26, 2018

I have an assortment of pictures from this past weekend.  The first picture is a reflection in the birdbath in the backyard followed by one of Linda's house decorations, which is a large pine cone with painted tips.  The next is another decoration.  She does a great job of decorating for the seasons of the year and the holidays.

The two picture of the birds are from the current table runner in the dining room.  The first bird was taken as a normal shot and a flash, but the second was taken with a piece of printer paper held in front of the flash to 'soften' the picture and to bring out more detail.  Notice the yellow and white side feathers, which are 'blow out' and the detail is blurred.  Also, in the next shot, notice the texture of the table runner and the black on the bird's head is more distinct.

The last four pictures are for some processing.  The first of then is a close up of the the table cloth.  I took this to save it as a texture that can be used to apply to a different photo.  Textures should be compatible with the photo to which it is applied and I just broke this rule.  What can I say... The models were inexpensive. 

After applying it to the base photo, the third in this series, I removed the texture that was over the 'models.'  I left the opacity of the the texture at 100%.  The last photo has the opacity pulled back to 30% as the final effect.

November 18, 2018

Wow!  It has been over two weeks since I took any pictures.  Time really flies when you sit there watching ballot recounts and more recounts and not to mention a week of rain.  

Yes, it did rain; no, I did not sit there watching recounts, and no, the time did not fly by.

Actually, I have been spending much time going through photos and  practicing using a new upgrade on a processing software.

The foliage is just about gone here, but there are spots that catch the eye.

 

November 1, 2018

Here are a few miscellaneous photos taken recently.

 

October 27, 2018

The Great Smoky Mountains are named that way for good reason.  There is a smoky cast all around and is evident in the following pictures taken from the tower atop Clingmans Dome.

I started at a structure and worked my way around count-clockwise back to the structure.  58 shots were taken, but only included these due to overlap.  It would be fabulous to be there on a clear day.

The first picture is from where the pictures were shot, which is probably obvious.  It would have been great to take a video, but it was too crowded.

 

October 24, 2018

Went to the top of Clingmans Dome on the way back from Gatlinburg, TN.  It is half way between Gatlinburg and Cherokee, NC and it is the highest point in the Great Smokey Mountains, as well as Tennessee, at 6643 feet making it the third highest peak east of the Mississippi.

For those who traverse the Appalachian Trail, it crosses over the Dome and it is the highest point on the trail from Maine to Georgia.

Turning off the main road, it is seven miles to the parking area.  From there, it is a half mile trek up a very steep, but nicely paved trail.  I would classify it as difficult but doable.

If you did not know, there is a 'love - hate' relationship when it comes to black and white photos.  I, for one, happen to like them. Admittedly, not all are 'eye catching.'  Ansel Adams, I am not!

Here are a few from the Dome.  Did I say, Black and White?