I had great fun late afternoon on a photo walk/ride with friend, Janine, fellow Beaver Islander during this time of year. As an artist, she has a great eye for design and my lensbaby shot for today - http://365project.org/taffy/the-also-ran-ph/2014-07-05 - was taken in her workroom, a treasure trove for lensbaby photo ops! After lensbaby practice, we drove to Lighthouse Point. This was taken looking west over the harbor, with the lighthouse behind me. Processed using Photomatix, from three photos using my wide angle lens (reward for using lensbaby), trying for a natural look to capture the late afternoon lighting and the howling wind that was bending the tree quite a bit.
Alternative based on Eric's feedback: https://www.flickr.com/photos/taffyraphael/14568443606/in/set-72157645420031124
Lovely shot Taffy, great processing and love the flare. I really admire that you take the time to get your three shots to combine. I'm impressed that the tree is not blurry with the amount of movement you would have had from the wind. I had to laugh that this was your reward for using your lensbaby.
I love this Taffy. You can see the tree bent by the wind. The shimmering water is glorious and the sky dramatic. It's interesting that you composed it from three pictures, something else new for me to learn!
Lovely composition and beautiful light. I tried a 3 shot outside with trees and I got lots of ghosting with the leaves blowing. Perhaps you are far away enough just to give you softness in the leaves and not ghosting. Must try again.
Lovely composition, and that tree does not look strong enough to withstand the wind!!
So, you made me curious, and I spent the last 15 minutes looking up Beaver Island, as I had no idea where exactly it was! It sure has quite a reputation with the Mormon Colony, and all the Emerald Isle stuff. Sounds like an interesting place to spend the summers. Are there cars on the island? Are they ferried over?
We're get pushed partners this week, I think you are a talented and accomplished photographer so it hasn't been easy for me to think of something for you to do and I'd like to to post a photograph using shadows as the main element. Enjoy.
@panthora I'm glad you checked out the island! It's a fascinating place to spend the summer. It's about the size of Manhattan, but with 550 or so permanent residents. In the summer, that goes up to about 3000, but it still feels fairly empty because 2/3 of the island is state forest. It's almost all dirt roads and we do have cars that come over via ferry. We leave a car here (an old 1999 truck-like Isuzu) because the roads will ruin any car, as will the dust when it's dry. Visitors can rent 'trackers' -- little jeeps -- pretty easily. There's a lot of history, old Mormon dwellings, rich Irish heritage (e.g., Shamrock is one of the two main bars), and recently it's been designated for the National Birding Trail as we have a fairly unique ecosystem. Last summer I did more systematic photographing to 'introduce' Beaver Island to 365 friends. This summer, I've been less focused on that because of the mosquitoes. They've really changed how we 'are' on the island! Unheard of to still have them at the 4th of July! A great place to visit and live for a few months every year!
@pennyp Hi Penny -- thanks for such kind comments. And that's a great challenge and shadows are something I haven't done much with at all. Next sunny day, I'll be out there looking for opportunities!! I've been viewing your album and will post a challenge soon -- you are also hard to challenge!
@pamknowler Hi Pam -- I think the lack of blur was from both distance (but I wasn't that far away as I was using my super wide angle) and that higher speed (200 and over). And that the tree could convey movement meant it didn't have to be crystal clear.
@dibzgreasley Thanks Debs! I think the soft looks was from the high winds so when I stacked the three shots, there's a bit of subtle blurring. But this was taken with my super wide angle, not the lensbaby. I switched lenses after using the lensbaby for a good bit of the afternoon.
I like the simplicity of your scene, Taffy, but a lower vantage point, lifting the crown of the tree above the horizon, may be more effective. Your HDR processing has created a strange grey circle around the sun and an unnatural "shadow" on the grass...any explanation why that has happened?
@ericdibosco Your eye for detail in remarkable. I didn't even notice the darkness in the grasses -- when I went back, it's in even the lightest photos, but the stacking brought it out more strongly. I think the sun halo is because one of the shots had more of a sunburst and the other extreme was it was just blown out. I don't think it's fixable with the ones I took, but I think the lesson to be learned is I shouldn't have been a full stop apart, and instead maybe .3 or .7 at the most.
Great shot and great processing. There´s something with the composition and simplicity that appeals to me very much, just a lonely tree and a sun...this is good work.
Beautiful shot- I think the "odd" coloring adds to the mood of the shot. It's sort of that same feeling as the eerie color the sky can get before a big storm.
July 8th, 2014
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
So, you made me curious, and I spent the last 15 minutes looking up Beaver Island, as I had no idea where exactly it was! It sure has quite a reputation with the Mormon Colony, and all the Emerald Isle stuff. Sounds like an interesting place to spend the summers. Are there cars on the island? Are they ferried over?
We're get pushed partners this week, I think you are a talented and accomplished photographer so it hasn't been easy for me to think of something for you to do and I'd like to to post a photograph using shadows as the main element. Enjoy.