Morning Sky over the Lake (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel and Photocopy filters)

Cropped Original (edited with Corel Paintshop Pro Magic Erase)

Graphic Novel filter

Colorized Photocopy filter

Photocopy filter

Colorized Photocopy filter

AuroraHDR soft edit (edited with Corel Paintshop Pro Magic Erase)

Late Fall Colors, Sunrise on the Lake (Graphic Novel filter)

A problem I've had with my graphic novel images is that the colors tend to get toned down significantly as I merge the color image into the black and white image. (I usually use something around 60-70% opacity, so as not to lose the effect of the filter.) The color image here worked well, I believe, because the HDR with which I was working was very much overblown. Here, they look quite normal for fall (late fall) colors. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas! -- Sunrise (Paint Daubs Filter)

That long time ago

When the guest room was taken,  

the Christ child was born. 

Sunrise on the Water (Dry Brush Filter)

The morning star shines

with a bright burst of gold rays.

In water, it gleams.

Lakeside Sunrise (Dry Brush Filter)

How early, then, does

the sun rise in the morning?

Ask one who can't sleep.

Canadian Sunrise (Palette Knife Filter)

Granted, there's a point in post-processing at which a photograph stops looking like a photograph, or when it starts looking like something other than a photograph. Is it still photography when your photo starts looking like a painting, or a cartoon? I guess my thought is that, if an artist manages to produce something that he finds visually pleasing, it's ok if it doesn't look exactly like it did when he snapped the shutter on his camera.

Thinking Back on a Canadian Sunrise

I was thinking back this morning on our trip to Canada last fall. This is one of my sunrise pictures from one of those early fall mornings.

Colorful Canadian Sunrise

Today's picture (above) is a Photomatix/Aftershot Pro edit of a sunrise on Lake of the Woods, as seen on Spruce Island (Fall 2013). The picture below is A JPEG conversion of the ARW original. As an additional thought on this image, I may have wanted to merge the two in such a way that the line of trees had come out more along the green lines that you see in the image below, as opposed to the silhouette that you see in the edit above. 

Snowy Winter Sunrise

Yesterday's sunrise photograph was made from three exposures (-3, 0, +3) that were shot handheld (Sony NEX-6), processed in Photomatix 5, and then sent through Corel Aftershot Pro for the Noise Ninja (to tone down some of the grainier dark points). 

Making Interesting Photos in Boring, Small-Town America (Part 1)

"Hi! I live in boring, small-town America, where there is absolutely nothing to take pictures of. I don't have the opportunities to travel all over the world like those famous, big shot photographers, who get to make the really cool pictures of mountains, waterfalls, skyscrapers, and famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, etc." I would imagine that most of us have either thrown or been invited to this 'beginning photography pity party' at one point or another.

So, let's say that the above scenario describes your photography situation. Let's say that you live in small town America. To make it even more challenging, let's say that you live in one of those locales where they warn drivers to prop their eyes open lest they blink and miss everything that there is to see! Of what interesting things can you possibly make photographs?

1. If you're living above ground on planet Earth, the sky is the limit. By this I mean that you have opportunities to take pictures of whatever you see in the sky: Think sunrise, sunset, and any other sun pictures. (Legal disclaimer -- sun pictures are taken 'at your own risk'. Camera damage or destruction, fire, blindness, and death are no doubt possible.). Or think: Clouds, which are another favorite. And chances are, if you are living in boring, small-town America, you have a view of the evening sky that is not hindered by city lights; you can get some gorgeous views of the nighttime sky (stars, moon, etc.) that are not available in other locations.

(09/10/13, Sony NEX-6)

(09/22/13, Sony NEX-7)

F-stop: f/1.8

Exposure time: 30 sec.

ISO Speed: ISO-800

Exposure bias: 0 step

(+ a little bit of photo-editing in which the green was turned up way too high...)

(09/26/13, Sony NEX-7)

(09/26/13, Sony NEX-7)

(09/30/13, Sony NEX-7)