In any case, often times when I’m standing at a location getting ready to shoot it, I’ll look at what is given to me in terms of the natural elements within. For example, I saw all of these curving lines – the curve of the bridge above, the curve of all the support beams below, the curve of Storrow Drive, and the curve of the pedestrian walkway. All of these lines were speaking to me.

The responsibility of the photographer is to listen and decide how to best respond. Response is dictated by how you execute the shot. From the angle of the camera, to the height of your tripod (if you’re using one), and the lens you decide to slap on. All of these factors directly correlate to what you heard from your scene.

For this shot, I decided that the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens would work best. Most of the lines in the scene were radial in nature and the Fisheye lens does a perfect job of accentuating them via distortion. Next, it was a matter of figuring out the best placement of the camera and getting the exposures.

You listen. You respond. Money in the bank.

In terms of processing
This is a tone-mapped HDR image taken across nine exposures. I found the best single exposure that had good motion trails with the traffic and masked that in using Perfect Layers 2 by +onOne Software.

Next up was stylization. That was all fielded by Perfect Effects 3. I applied some Fashion Passion and two custom Tone Enhancer and Glow effects to get the overall look locked down. After that, I decided to grunge up the shot by overlaying a stock texture file using the Hard Light blending mode in Perfect Layers.

Add the final touches in the Develop Module of Adobe Lightroom 3. Reduce heat to medium. Bring to a boil. Season to taste. Serve hot.

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Now, don’t misinterpret my words. I have nothing against selective color. In fact, when used effectively, I think it can be a gorgeous addition to a black and white image. I just think that it requires a soft touch and this is a tip that can be applied to all sorts of life lessons – everything in moderation.

For this image, I initially worked the entire scene in black and white. However, after reviewing the original color image, I realized that I loved the beautiful landscape that was painted on the wall. It really deserved to pop off the screen a bit more, so I masked back a small amount of the vibrant and punchy color, just enough to let it register to the viewer. I also think it contrasts very nicely against the stark, monochromatic sky and lights.

I think what I’m trying to say is that the application of subtlety often times will have a stronger impact than slamming your viewer over the head with blatant changes.

In terms of processing
I initially converted this image to B&W using a custom build effect in Perfect Effects 3 by +onOne Software. I also applied the Lighter effect under the Color & Tone category and selectively masked it onto the overhead lights to make them more pronounced. You will also notice that I masked just outside of the light housings, as well, to give them the appearance that they are glowing.

Next, I returned back to Perfect Layers and used a 10% opacity masking brush to restore some of the original color from the wall. Each stroke was iterative and compounded on itself so I masked in until I was happy with the output.

Finally, I added some contrast and clarity using the Develop Module in Adobe Lightroom 3.

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So, what’s a boy to do here? Well, I know that a large majority of people tend to shoot a scene like Multnomah Falls with a wide lens. It makes sense, right? You want to capture the whole scene with all its beauty. And that iconic bridge – come on! So, does that mean that veteran MF photographers should just sit idly by? Not a chance!

I had my Canon EF 70-200 2.8L IS on, a lens that I had never used in this location. Fresh eyes. It didn’t take long at all to compose a scene that I was really excited about. Because I knew that I already had shots of the entire falls back at home, I was free to take my time experimenting more with other focal lengths. It opened me up to new possibilities. It reminded me that none of us should ever be done with a location.

In terms of processing
This is a single exposure image that I processed pretty much exclusively in Perfect Effects 3 by +onOne Software. The first effect I applied was Tonal Contrast because it instantly cut through the haze caused by the misting water. Next, I applied a Cooling Filter to the entire image, masking out the boulder in the foreground. Finally, I added a Green Enhancer effect to bring out the beautiful color of the moss.

I sent it to FocalPoint 2 afterwards to add a 3% blur to the background and gave the image its final touches in Ligthroom 3′s Develop module.

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While the Giants were going on to win the championship (w00t New York!), I was meeting up with my two newest friends, +Karen Hutton and +Ben Canales, to shoot sunset atop Crown Point at the Vista House. I have to say that these two photographers are just fantastic to shoot alongside with and exude creativity and tons of comic relief. It was an absolute pleasure and I look forward to more encounters with these characters.

I cannot begin to accurately tell you how strong the winds were up there last night. It was almost comical – laughing so hard while your eyes involuntarily stream tears from the whipping cold air. And the thing was that if you didn’t brace your tripod down with your own weight, it’d simply blow over. But that’s what we, as photographers, do to get our shots, right?

I pondered this a lot last night over coffee at Stumptown with Karen and +Jeffrey Yen. We were discussing the differences and similarities of photographers versus other type of artist. Now, this isn’t meant to be a debate. I am not trying to deliberately spew incendiary opinions, so please don’t react as if that was the case.

My point is pretty simple – as photographers, if we want to create our work, we have to go out to where the work is and create it. If that means hiking through chest-deep water, blistering cold, or across some sandy desert dunes, that is what we have to do. It’s a pay-to-play art form. Whereas a painter, for instance, has the freedom and the luxury to create wonderful and epic work from the comfort of a controlled environment. If a painter wanted to paint the Grand Canyon, he or she isn’t required to be sitting or standing on the rim to do so. If a photographer wants to capture the same place, there really is no other option but to be there. We need to study and master our cameras and the environment all while knowing how to manipulate the camera to best exploit whatever the current environmental conditions are. And really, would we want to have it any other way?

It’s a fairly straightforward opinion and as I was standing atop Crown Point, trying to keep my camera from blowing over in the middle of a bracketed sequence of exposures, I was reminded of just how lucky I am to be a photographer and how much I love my craft.

In terms of processing

This is a nine exposure tone-mapped HDR image using Photomatix. I processed the image primarily in Perfect Effects 3 by +onOne Software. Not much done, though – mostly accentuating the warm tones in the building and sunset horizon while cooling off the rest of the sky. I also selectively added some tonal contrast to the Vista House itself to bring out some more texture. I toyed with applying a FocalPoint layer to the sky but I ended up losing a bunch of that gorgeous shape to the clouds and opted to delete that layer.

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Now, the potency of the effect will surely vary based on the individual but it’s definitely hitting home for me. I took this shot near Rockefeller Center in NYC in early January using my Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L Prime with the intent of getting this sort of reaction and I’m glad I was able to succeed with it. I’m sure that tilting the shot helped increase the effect, too.

In terms of processing:

I tone-mapped this image in Photomatix because there was too much tonal range to capture in one shot. I did end up masking back the original sky from one of the brackets because I wasn’t happy with what the tone-mapping did to ghost the moving clouds. Stylization occurred in Perfect Effects 3, by +onOne Softwareand I added some final touches using the Develop Module in Adobe Lightroom 3.

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I had the pleasure of shooting with +Scott Wyden Kivowitz and +Chris Robins along this bridge. The point here is that we were a small community of photographers who fell in line with each other quite nicely. And that is an important point to make.

Engaging in a photowalk with other photographers comes with some etiquette and decorum. We look out for each other – we do what we can to help minimize external distractions in the frame and we keep vigilant eyes open to ensure we are all safe and all the while, we still keep true to our own unique styles and brands – and these are not mutually exclusive events.

So when you’re out and about with fellow photographers, keep this in mind. We are contemporaries, not competitors, of each other. It’s a very big world out there and I’m so happy and lucky to be able to share it with so many other talented artists.

In terms of exposure & processing
I used my Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L prime lens to get this image.

This is a nine exposure tone-mapped HDR image. There was simply too much of a tonal variance to capture everything in one exposure. I tone-mapped with Photomatix and stylized in +onOne SoftwarePerfect Effects 3. I went heavier than normal with the punchiness of the color because I felt that it served my agenda of conveying a particular mood – upbeat but tense.

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And then I pivoted the camera downward.

What did this do for the image? First off, including that little cameo of roadway allowed me to bring the distant horizon line further up to the top third of the frame. But it also added a new foreground layer and a natural one at that!

By angling the camera as I did, the roadway ( foreground layer ) created a natural leading line that caroms nicely onto the highway ( middle layer ) in the distance that caroms again into the Columbia River and terminates into the Gorge ( background layer ). It’s like a game of pinball for the eyes. That’s one of the best parts of photography – controlling where the eye should go and how it should get there. I was able to achieve this simply by tilting downward and incorporating a stronger foreground layer.

As for processing, I applied two textures found within +onOne Software Perfect Effects 3 along with blending them together (most visible in the sky). I masked in the Cyberpunkeffect onto the foreground roadway and highway to have them pop out with a cooler blue against the warmer colors of the nature scene. Finally, I applied a touch of FocalPoint 2 to draw focus onto the highway below.

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On our way back home, we decided to park along the promenade to catch the sunset. It certainly didn’t disappoint as we were greeted with gorgeous, subtle colors and nice cloud formations over the PDX skyline.

Towards the end of the shoot, I slapped on my Canon 15mm fisheye to have some ultra-wide fun. Initially, I had my tripod and camera perched over the rail that you see here. I intended to disregard it altogether, focusing only on the Willamette River and skyline.

Chris came over to me and suggested that I take a few steps back, incorporating the rail and pathway. My first reaction was not surprising – I disregarded it altogether and continued shooting. But then I stopped for a minute and thought that I should at least consider Chris’ suggestion. Who knows, right?

I repositioned my tripod, composed, and came up with this shot. I instantly knew that it would be my favorite from this area. And it is a really good lesson. I know that I’m very quick to dismiss suggestions and criticism by others, especially in the field, regardless of how accomplished they are. But that can’t be a very healthy way of going about things – especially when you’re part of a community of photographers.

So, listening is something that I will be working on more. Listening doesn’t mean that you’re going to act on every suggestion posed. Rather, listening is the first step to actively honing your own skills. It helps you refine your vision by learning how to embrace criticism and feedback while also weeding out anything that doesn’t fit within your own voice.

All in good time, though. :)

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The other day, I went on a fantastic photo hunt along the Oregon Coast. The plan was to hit Pacific City for a few hours and then make our way north to Cannon Beach for sunset. Unfortunately, because it was my first time driving out to the coast, I underestimated just how slow traffic on a 2-lane “highway” would actually be.

We did make it to Cape Kiwanda and got some decent shots along the beach there and then we were off again, heading north. It became clear that we wouldn’t make it to Cannon Beach for sunset – and that is where having a backup plan is so critical.

Laz began scouting new locations almost immediately after getting back in the car. Just because Plan A wouldn’t work out doesn’t mean Plan B can’t be enacted, right? And so, we found Rockaway Beach. We had plenty of time to get there, scout, and position ourselves for sunset against the beautiful Twin Rocks. Mission accomplished!

And even though Plan A (Cannon Beach) failed in its original form, it did become Plan C! We did make it to Cannon Beach after a nice dinner and had the entire place to ourselves for some awesome astral/star photography. :)

As for the technical details of this shot:

This is a two shot exposure blend taken with the Canon 15mm Fisheye lens. One shot exposed for the driftwood and ocean reflection while the other exposed for the gorgeous sky. I blended the two images in +onOne SoftwarePerfect Layers and stylized in Perfect Effects 3.

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Now here is the thing with Fort Revere, and most places that are as texture-rich as this one: it’s really critical that you don’t get lost in all of the detail. It’s really critical that you establish a compelling shot even amongst all of this glorious chaos. These scenes give photographers a special opportunity to tell a story – sure, it may be a slightly twisted story but it’s a story nonetheless.

Now, as far as the title of this post, I had a lot of failed attempts at getting a compelling shot. I think it mostly had to do with the vantage point that I was seeing in the frame. None of them really pulled me through the image – and that is, IMHO, one of the most important elements of a strong photo. Can you lead the viewer’s eye where you want it to go? No? Then try again.

For this shot, I had my Canon 14mm lens on and it wasn’t until I had my camera and tripod almost straddling this right wall that I saw the shot that I was meant to take. The wall itself had so many intrinsic elements that aided in creating strong leading lines through the frame. And so I fiddled around a bit and got what I wanted in the frame.

Now, because there was such a dramatic amount of dynamic range, I tone-mapped this shot and brought in all of the details that I wanted to retain using Photomatix. I also stylized the shot in +onOne Software Perfect Effects 3. I also added a tiny amount of FocalPoint to simulate a shallow depth of field (most notable by that doorway in the back of the frame). Finally, to further aid in drawing the eye through the frame, I simulated a light path by selectively dodging and burning the ground to taste.

So when you’re out and about, try abandoning the idea of shooting front and center all the time. Get your camera close to a wall and see what fun you can have with distortion.

#HDR #UrbEx

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