Evening at the Pier

I went out to the San Clemente pier recently and took a few shots.  It had rained that morning so there were still some clouds in the sky.  That made for a more interesting sky for sunset.  All of these shots are HDR (High Dynamic Range), meaning that they are a composite of several pictures shot at different exposure settings.  That way the highlight and shadow areas are properly exposed in the final shot. 

This evening was particularly nice because it was cool but not cold.  That kept the crowd down to a minimum and made for a very comfortable and peaceful stroll along the beach.  I like the leading lines in this second picture.  It leads your eye right to the end of the pier and the setting sun.  

I like to experiment with different post processing techniques.  This next shot is an example of an artistic interpretation of the subject using HDR.  Some may consider it a bit over the top but I like the effect it has on the sky.  What do you think?  

This last picture was obviously taken from under the pier. I converted it to black and white, something that I haven't done much of in the past.  I plan on doing more of it.  Something about black and white that just cuts right to the essence of the subject.  By the way, if you want to see a larger version of any of these pictures, just click on them and you will be able see them in more detail.  If you've got a minute, be sure to leave a comment.  Let me know what you like or dislike.  Thanks.

The Beautiful Harbors of Maine

A few years ago, Vicky and I took a trip to New England.  We started out in Boston and drove north along the coastline of Maine.  As usual, we were stopping at many of the lighthouses, but we also saw numerous little seaport villages and harbors along the way.  To fully explore the jagged coastline and all of the quaint harbors of Maine would probably take months.  This area is definitely one that I want to go back to and spend more time photographing.  The photo above is a scene from Bass Harbor near Acadia N.P.  The building with the yellow roof is a restaurant called Thurston's.  This is where we had our official Maine lobster dinner.

This next photo was also taken in Bass Harbor.  Lobster traps and buoys like these were all over the place.  There was no shortage of photographic subjects in these harbors.  I can't wait to get back there one day.

Disney Concert Hall

 
Today's blog photos are of the very distinctive Disney Concert Hall in L.A.  This building has an endless supply of interesting lines and curves to capture.  On these two photos I played with the color balance on the building to warm it up.  I used my polarizing filter to reduce the glare and reflections on the shiny building, as well as, to deepen the blue sky. 

The hardest part of photographing this place for me is the drive to get there.  On most days the traffic is horrible on the highways in and around Los Angeles.  I took these on a Sunday morning when the traffic was bearable.  I plan on returning there on a day when there is a more interesting sky (i.e. white puffy clouds) to include.

Random Shot

I will be posting what I will call Random Shots from time to time.  These will represent a variety of pictures in my portfolio that I want to share.  This one is of McWay Falls, located on the Big Sur coastline.

Sparks Lane, Smokey Mountain National Park

This is one of my favorite spots in the Smokies.  It is a small lane off of the main loop road that goes through Cades Cove.  This was taken at sunrise on our first morning in the park.  In the pastures on both sides of the lane you will often see wildlife foraging for food.  On different occasions I have seen wild turkey, deer, woodpeckers and the occasional bear.  The views are spectacular in every direction.

More Fall Color From Tennessee

Here are a few more photos that were taken in the Smokies.  The above photo was taken in Cades Cove where the color was just starting to change when we were there.  The size of the tree next to the old house really caught my attention here.

This next photo is of an old grist mill that we found on the way to North Carolina.  There were a lot of people wandering about so I had to be patient in order to find the opportunity to make the picture without any humans in it.

Here's a shot of part of the road through Cades Cove.  It was early and a little misty this morning so there weren't a lot of cars on the road.  Nevertheless, it took me about 5 minutes to finally be able to set up and capture this image between having to move out of the way of many cars that were driving through.

This last shot was taken in the Greenbriar area of Smokey Mountain N.P.  I liked the large rock with the leaves on it in the foreground and then the river leading your eye to the trees in the background.  It really captured the Fall season for me.  What do you think?

I've still got more pictures from Tennessee to come.  I'm processing them little by little.  Thanks for visiting and comments are welcome.  Until next time...

Fall Color and our week in Tennessee

My wife Vicky and I just returned from spending a week in Tennessee visiting our daughter Sandy.  We had a great time exploring Nashville and the Smokey Mountain National Park.  There was some beautiful Fall Color to see in the Smokies, particularly at the higher elevations and over on the North Carolina side.  I've included a couple of photos (above) that show off some of the fall leaf color we saw.

The Biltmore Estate

In addition to the Smokies, we visited the Biltmore Estate (photo above) in Asheville, we saw a beautiful glass art exhibit by Chihuly at the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens outside of Nashville and we spent an evening of wine tasting and music at a winery owned by Kik Brooks of Brooks & Dunn fame.  All in all it was a relaxing week of getting to visit our daughter and having some beautiful photographic opportunities. 

Chihuly Glass Art