"Hobbit's Hidden Treasure"

"Hobbit's Hidden Treasure"
©David A. Ziser

I captured this image while visiting Multnomah Falls a few years ago. It still remains one of my favorite images from that wonderful trip to the Columbia River Valley near Portland, Oregon. 

This image was also featured in a Technique Tuesday I did where I was discussing extremely slow hand-held shutter speeds. How slow – how about 1/3 second.  Yes, handheld.  You can catch that TTues episode right here. I love blurring flowing water and Multnomah Falls is the perfect place to do just that.

It was this motion blur together with the water's misty spray in the bright late morning sun which provided a hint of mystery to the shot. A tweak or two in Lightroom finished the image's treatment weaving the colors and textures into their artistic presentation.

Camera specs; Canon 5D Mark II fitted with 24-105mm IS lens at 24mm, F22 @ 1/3 second (handheld), ISO 50. Enjoy! -David

"A Cold Winter's Morn”

"A Cold Winter's Morn”
©David A. Ziser

We were up early every morning during our trip to Orlando.  Each morning we got to watch the sunrise.  Most were beautiful but somewhat uneventful but a few were simply spectacular and others were almost surreal like you see in the image above.

It was Sunday morning the the fog had been rolling in over the last two mornings. Sunday morning was different. Yes, we got the fog but as the sun rose into the sky, the fog still hovered on the ground. 

While packing I took a quick glace out the window and caught the sight of the sun backlighting the scene and casting the eerie shadows of the barren trees and shrubs across the blanket of fog. What a cool sight.  Once again I grabbed the camera, headed to the balcony and grabbed a few more images.

I had complained a few times about the cooler than usual temperatures we were having in Florida during our trip – it even dropped to 33 degrees on one morning.  While working with this image in Photoshop the final manipulations kept pointing me to the colorized version of the scene.  Instead of being taken in Florida, it looks more like the very chilly surrounds of Minnesota in winter.

I really like the finished result.  The cascading streaks of light and shadow almost give  a brushed stroke appearance to the image. And, since I’m talking about print competition in the following post, I thought I would give it a gallery treatment as part of the finished presentation.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 180mm, F10 @ 1/800 second, ISO 200. Enjoy! –David

"Beach Walk"

"Beach Walk"
© David A. Ziser

I made this image after a recent photo shoot with a client. We were just heading back to the car and the last evening glow was just starting to leave the scene. I made this as one of the last exposures of our visit to the beach.

I love the line the rail gives to the composition leading right to the sea. The textures of the weathered walkway against the enhanced evening colors complete the image.

As you view the image, it seems to draw you into the tranquility of the scene where you just want to rest a while and enjoy the peace of the last evening light.

Camera specs; Canon 40D fitted with 10-22mm lens at 22mm, F5.6 @ 1/50 second, ISO 400. Enjoy! -David

"Into The Sunset"

"Into The Sunset"
©David A. Ziser

I made this image last week during our catamaran sunset cruise.  We've taken this cruise once before last year and it is quite a photographic adventure.  

This image was made right before the sun settled below the horizon.  The timing was perfect with beautiful orange textures in the sky and the alignment of the ships on the horizon which gave me this great sunset composition.

OK, I did tweak the colors a bit in Lightroom 3, removed one small boat that just didn't look right, and slightly extended the sea and sky on the left.  The minor adjustments, I think, really added to the overall impression of the image.

Since we've been talking image competition all week, I thought I would finish the image with two color key-line strokes added around the image to accentuate the predominant colors in the scene and give the image the look of a gallery presentation. Be sure to double click the image to see the larger version.  I love it!

Camera specs: Canon 7d fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 200mm, F8 @ 1/500 second, ISO 200.  Enjoy! -David

"Good Morning Sunshine"

"Good Morning Sunshine"
©David A. Ziser

Everyday since we arrived in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico almost two weeks ago, I have photographed the sunrise from our second floor balcony.  The morning sun presents itself from about between 6:00 – 6:30 a.m.  Every morning is different.  Some morning are more spectacular than others, but all are a beautiful beginning on a joyous day in this part of the world.

This is today’s morning sunrise.  I spent about 30 minutes shooting several variations of the landscape as the sun slowing welcomed itself into the day.  I think this image is my favorite.  I’m a big fan of the rich, vibrant colors many of these sunrises exhibit.  This one was no exception.

As I’m framing up the photograph, I strive to pick up other elements like the palm frawns in the scene that I think contribute to the overall composition. 

If your sunrise was not so nice, let me offer our sunrise as a suitable replacement to the start of your day ;~)

Camera specs:  Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 32mm, F4.0 @ 1/50 second, ISO 100.  Enjoy!  -David

Technique Tuesday: Print Competition; The Winners Please, Re-Broadcast, and More!

Good Morning Everybody,

I’ve got one heck of a post for you today and it’s jammed packed with some great images!.  Fasten your seat belts – HERE WE GO…

Last Thursday we conducted our first amazingly successful PhotoPro Network HOT SHOTS FALL 2011 Image Competition and review.

We had a much larger turnout than expected all at the last minute, of course. So lots of folks were able to submit images before we could close off the registration.  I think that’s a good thing though.  The viewing audience got a chance to see a much larger body of work judged and evaluated.

Print Competition The Rest Of The Story

First of all, my sincere THANKS to the more than 10 volunteers who put in collectively over 50 hours of their time to pull off the technically complex and most exciting image competition ever!

We had people monitoring the event in Florida, Kentucky, and Cabo, Mexico.  There were also a total of 10 devices - 4 computers for viewing, judging, and monitoring, 3 iPods for scoring, and  3 iPads for monitoring remotely – all were used to pull off the most technically complex print competition ever and to make it the  success it was.

We had 45 photographers enter from 22 states around the country with one entry from Canada which made our competition an international event!  Here are the top 10 images in order submitted for the event.  Enjoy!

Here are a few of the comments from our “LIVE” studio audience:

“Its was great. I started competing this year and it was so much fun…"  John V.

“I am learning SOOOO much.  Thank you!”  Cindy S.

“I enjoyed the presentations and the judges comments on the images.  Thanks for all the hard work for this wonderful learning opportunity.”  Chuck C.

“This is great!  I think I'm going to look into the master photographer classes on PPA.” Mary D.

“This is the first time I've experienced anything like this. GOOD to hear/learn what the judges look for.” John D.

“…Thank you…  Seeing the images and listening to the judges comments was invaluable and educational.” Jammie . G

“Judy and I really enjoyed the Webinar. We learned a great deal from reviewing the photos and then hearing the experts comments. We appreciated your hard work in support of photographers all over the globe.”  Judy and Chuck H.

A Test Drive For A Bigger Event

This was the “test drive” for the much larger event scheduled for next year’s PhotoPro Expo 2012 Print Competition [link] with $5,000 in prizes and awards!

We have several viewers tuned in via our live webcast watching the entire competition “LIVE” as it happened.  I was moderating the event and answering as many of the submitted questions as fast as I could.

What Makes A Great Image?

The Professional Photographers Of America have been conducting Print Competitions for many years. Judges go through rigorous training to learn how to distinguish a great image from one that is close to great.  I was a print judge for many years and it is an exciting and extremely educational experience.

The judges are looking for 12 main aspects of an image and basing their score on that criteria.  The Twelve elements listed below are in accordance to their importance:

Impact, Technical excellence, Creativity, Style, Composition, Presentation, Color Balance, Center of Interest, Lighting, Subject Matter, Technique, and Story Telling.

You can read the long version right here.  It goes into much great depth about each aspect of what the judges are looking for.

And The Winners Are…

We selected three winners from last Thursday’s competition. They are listed as follows:

Highest Collective Score for 6 Images: This award is the most difficult of all the awards a maker can receive.  It demands extremely high quality and consistency across all 6 of the makers entries. Our winner this year is Jessica Edwards with a scoring total of 483, nearly an 81 average for all 6 of her images entered! Congrats! Jessica!

Here are Jessica’s six fabulous entries:

“Lipstick And Leather” scoring 83

“Modern Day Goldie Locks” scoring 82.

“Dance Of The Black Widow” scoring 79.

“Gridiron Great” scoring 80.

“Heartbreaker” scoring 79

 

“Changes are Coming” scoring 80.

Jessica’s Prize: OnOne Software’s new Perfect Photo Suite 6.0 which has been receiving “RAVE” reviews everywhere.

Highest Overall Print Score: Electric Arch

This award is always a crowd favorite. It goes to the maker of the image with the overall highest scoring image of the competition. Our winner for this competition goes to Eric Shalita for his image “Electric Arch” which scored a phenomenal 88 from the judges.  This was also the judges favorite image too.

Eric’s Prize: NIK Software’s new and highly acclaimed Color EFEX 4.0

Best In Category:

These are the top scoring images in each of the six categories.  Each winner will receive a copy of my 2011 Success Collection.

Highest Scoring Artistic (Photoshop,etc.) Image: “Electric Arch”. Please see above.  It was also the top scoring image in the competition.

Highest Scoring Landscape Image:

”Docked” by Jill Davidson scoring 85.

Highest Scoring Portrait Image:

“Old Boys Club” by Jonathon Burton, scoring 84

Highest Scoring Wedding Image:

“Rooftop Romance” by Rosemary Cundiff-Brown scoring 83

Highest Scoring Sports Image:

“Riding The Wave” by Peter Tucker scoring 82.

Highest Scoring Wildlife Image:

“Water Drops On Wings” by Amber Pulse scoring 81.

Congratulations to all our winners.  Hope to see you at PhotoPro Expo 2012. We’re giving away $5,000 in prizes and awards next February!

Now For The Re-Broadcast Of The PhotoPro Network Image Competition and Review

Hit the PLAY button below and enjoy the images and judges comments one more time! Enjoy everybody!

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Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  I’ve been at the computer too long these last two days with these lengthy posts.  We’re hitting the sunshine early.  I’ll plan to see you sometime tomorrow for another great post from the sunny shores of Mexico.

See ya’ then, David

"Catching The Last Wave"

"Catching The Last Wave"
©David A. Ziser

I headed to Javier's Restaurant ahead of the others to get a ringside seat for the evening's light display.  I was not disappointed.  Although not spectacular, the sunset was still a beautiful display of color over the Sea Of Cortez.

I had made several images, ranging my exposure and crops for various renditions of the scene.  I got several keepers but this one was one of my favorites.  Just as I was about to make an exposure, I saw a young boy carrying a surf board running into the bottom corner of the camera frame.  I decided to wait a split second more till he was more prominently positioned in the frame.  There was the shot - hit the shutter and I knew I had image I wanted.

Into ACR for a little tweaking of the colors. Sometimes timing is everything.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 40mm, F4.5 @ 1/80 second, ISO 250. Enjoy! -David

"Evening’s Away"

"Evening’s Away"
©David A. Ziser

That was my first thought when I looked at this image on the back of the camera.  The evening was just beginning to slide away. Sunsets are always gorgeous down here in Cabo.

We were relaxing by the pool at the end of the day and LaDawn noticed the sunset’s reflection on the water’s surface.  I grabbed my camera and got off several photographs before the evening’s color completed faded.

I really wanted to pick up the reflection on the water but the clouds kept shifting and had to get closer and closer to the pavement.  Finally, with my head nearly resting on the sidewalk, I captured this image creating almost an infinity pool effect.  I think it really captures the everyday beauty of this wonderful part of the world.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with Sigma 8-16mm wide angle lens at 8mm, F 5.6 @ 1/50 second, ISO 100.  Enjoy!  -David

"Looking To The Stars"

"Looking To The Stars"
©David A. Ziser

Last evening we headed down to the art district of San Jose.  The town hosts an “Art Walk” every Thursday and it’s always relaxing to enjoy the art, including sculptures, glass, photography, jewelry, paintings, needlepoint and much more. We also got a chance to visit Bruce Herman [link], one of Mexico’s top photographers, who was featuring his amazing images at Raweli Gallery.

This image was captured at moon light right outside the front door of Kent and Sarah’s home where we are staying. I was anxious to do some shooting with my super wide Sigma lens as we visited the Art Walk but, while waiting for everyone, I pointed my camera skyward and took this image.

What attracted my eye was the play of lights and shadows cast by the wall sconces on the front door entrance.  With the super wide angle lens I was also able to grab part of the carport.  I felt that by including it into the composition, it gave the image the additional balance it needed.

A little tweaking in Lightroom 3 to reduce the noise and bring out the right cobalt blue of the sky finished the presentation.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with Sigma 8-16mm lens at 8mm, F4.5 @ 1/13 second, IDO 2500.  Enjoy!  -David

"Paradise In View"

"Paradise In View"
©David A. Ziser

I captured this image as we made our approach into Cabo San Lucas yesterday afternoon.  The sun was hanging low in the sky and was just starting to kick up a little of those beautiful Cabo colors.

This image has a slightly surreal look to it.  The distant mountains with their varying tonalities seemed to be shrouded in mystery almost implying that one does not know what to expect upon arrival.  We’ve never flown into Cabo this late in the day but we DID know what to expect ;~)

Looks like the perfect time of the year for magnificent sunsets. Our sunset was beautiful later in the evening as this glimpse predicted for us.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 110mm, F14 @ 1/1000 second, ISO 200.  Enjoy!  -David

"Cabo Afterglow"

"Cabo Afterglow"
©David A. Ziser

Since we are heading to  Mexico tomorrow I thought I'd post one of those fabulous Cabo sunsets.  This image was taken last December about a year while on a visit to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. Every time we head to Cabo this time of the year, the sunsets are always magnificent.  This evening was no exception.

This view is from the beautiful Westin Hotel which is on the way to Cabo San Lucas, near where we stay when visiting that beautiful part of the world.  Even with a few tweaks in Lightroom 2, this is pretty much how I remember the sunset that beautiful evening.

The foreground is actually a reflection pool.  I positioned myself very near to its surface so I could get the "infinity pool" look in the image. The two lone palms framed the image of the sky, sunset, and reflection perfectly.

The results of this image speaks to the beauty of the moment. Moments that we should all strive to make a bigger part of our busy lives. 

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 10-22mm wide angle lens at 10mm, F 8.0 @1/200 second, ISO 200. Enjoy!  David

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is a very special day for many people around the country. May your day be as beautiful as the one pictured above. It’s a time when families and friends come together.  It’s a time when we give thanks for our many blessings.  As photographers we have many reasons to give thanks today.

Here is the quick list:

• Let’s give thanks for the treasured memories we capture for brides and grooms and their families.
• Let’s give thanks for the moments we freeze in time for families having that special portrait made.
• Let’s give thanks for being able to record the smiles of so many babies and children with our cameras.
• Let’s give thanks for being able to preserve the beauty of this wonderful world in which we live.
• Let’s give thanks for being able to revel in the magic of this wonderful profession of ours.

Make today special and take a few moments to be THANKFUL.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!  -David

"Three Sisters"

"Three Sisters"
© David A. Ziser

With today being the anniversary of my 3,000th blog post, I thought I should work the number three into my “image of the day” post ;~) This image was made earlier this year. We were attending a family function and on the way home passed a beautiful sunflower field.  I steered the car down the country road to get much closer to this very beautiful site.

I took several images that afternoon and already have posted a few of those images here at DigitalProTalk.  This is another one of my favorite images from that afternoon shoot.  With all the bright colors already present I wanted to accentuate those colors and contrasts even more.  I worked on the image a bit in Lightroom 3 and then over to Photoshop for a few experiments and then back to Lightroom 3 to finish up my post production work.

I really like the stylized almost surreal effect that I was able to create with this image.  It reminds me, ever so slightly, of one of the van Gogh paintings.  Compositionally I like the three sunflowers gracing the foreground of the image.  Behind them are five new baby sunflowers about ready to blossom.  The background is nicely out of focus leaving the three bright sunflowers in the foreground as primary points of interest making for wonderful color play throughout.

As I was working on this image I couldn't help but think how cool it may look printed up in a much larger configuration and hanging in our home.  Over the weekend I’ll just give that a try.

Camera specs:  Canon 7D fitted with 18–200mm IS lens at 200mm, F8.0@ 1/500 second, ISO 400. Enjoy!– David

Inspiration Day Wednesday: Amazing Photographers, Amazing Photographs!

Good Morning Everybody,

I have to be honest with you, I am running lean today on ideas for a post. I spent all day yesterday working on our PhotoPro Expo 2012 convention, didn't quite finish, and ran out of time at the end of the day before heading off to my next meeting early in the evening. Today is shaping up pretty much the same - too much to do, a few too many appointments, and too little time to get everything finished.

Inspiration Day: Amazing Photp0graphers, Amazing Photographs!

So, like they say, “turn a lemon into lemonade”. As I was collecting photographs from all of our speakers at PhotoPro Expo 2012, I was blown away by the imagery I saw by our lineup of speakers! I thought what I could do for you today is share with you some the excitement I was feeling yesterday perusing the many fabulous images that I was collecting for the PhotoPro Expo 2012 website.

It was the range of imagery that impressed me most. At next year's PhotoPro Expo 2012 I'm bringing together a collection of SUPER speakers whose work really expands all fields of interest in photography. As a result, I think next year's PhotoPro Expo 2012 is going to be one outstanding “Education Destination” for all those that attend.

That said, let me share with you a few of the images from three of our extremely talented speakers that we have scheduled for the show. Let's see if you don't feel the same level of excitement that I did yesterday collecting these images.

Scott Kelby – What more can you say?

Scott is one of the best-selling authors on Photoshop and Lightroom. Always the constant learner, about five years ago Scott started hanging out with some of the top photographers in their profession and, being a really quick study, morphed himself into one of the top photographers shooting today. His style ranges from landscapes to fashion to sports photography and everything in between.  He seems to be a master at just about anything he tries.

This is one of my favorite images that most impressed me from his on-line portfolio at 500px right here.  I just love this landscape photograph – the composition, the colors, the energy makes this image one of most exciting Western landscapes that I've seen. What I think makes this image particularly interesting is the fact that there was a pool of water in the foreground that reflected the sky and, having photographed in a similar situation myself, it's quite a treat to see. Scott has many exciting images over 500 pixels.com.

Now check out this football image – it blows you away! It’s completely the opposite end of the photographic spectrum demanding a photographic skill set far different that the landscape image but Scott still nails it.  What a visual treat!

Jerry Ghionis - Wedding Photographer Extraordinaire!

Another of our headline speakers is Jerry Ghionis, one of the top wedding photographers in the world. I've had a chance to get to know Jerry over these last couple of years and, whether I hear him speak from the stage or cruise his website, I'm always excited about the wedding imagery that he produces.  It is astonishing beautiful and exciting to behold. I think it's his creativity that far exceeds just about every other wedding photographer working today.

I just love this photograph of the bride and groom backlit with the splashes of water also highlighted in the scene. The juxtaposition with the saxophone player completes a composition and captures one very special moment for this bride and groom.

Jerry just has a way of bringing all the elements together to make that final image just seem to sing. He definitely has the magic touch when it comes to wedding photography. Just check out his portfolio images right here.

I'm thrilled that we have him on board for PhotoPro Expo 2012 next year. And, he is also scheduled for an additional day-long program on Monday, February 6, 2012!. I can't wait.

Lindsay Adler - Quite The Fashion Statement!

Another photographer's work that just absolutely blows me away is the work of Lindsay Adler, a fashion photographer from New York City. I had the occasion to hear Lindsay speak at WPPI earlier this year and also a second chance to visit with her when she came to Cincinnati for the After Dark program.

She also had the market cornered at Sigma’s booth at the WPPI convention this past spring. Every image in the Sigma booth was created by Lindsay and every single one of those images had an absolutely mesmerizing effect on the viewer.

Lindsay is also part of our PhotoPro Expo 2012 lineup for next year. I think she brings a sense of style to her photography that should excite any photographer attending her session regardless of whatever field they happen to be working in. 

The image I posted here is one of my favorite Lindsay Adler images. It's more than her use of light and color in this image that makes it such an exciting photograph for me.  She breaks a lot of the portrait rules that I've learned over the years. When photographing profiles of people I was always taught to create a base with the subject’s shoulders that the head could rest upon. What Lindsay has done is completely sidestepped that rule.

In the above image she has done exactly the opposite by completely minimizing the model’s shoulders by how she has turned them away from the camera. That shoulder view, together with the overblown hairstyle makes the model’s head look that much larger – almost alien.

Then Lindsay adds her special touches to the composition - the blue skin, the matching blue background light, and the green highlights on the hair – these touches make for an outstandingly beautiful image!

I highly recommend you check out her website right here. I think I spent way too much time there yesterday but, I enjoyed every moment looking at every single one of her images – truly inspiring.

Hey gang, that's a quick preview of a few of the great speakers we have lined up for our PhotoPro Expo 2012 next year. We’ve got a grand total of 15 speakers coming to town and the photographic collections of the other 12 speakers is equally as impressive as the few I high-lighted.  Over the next few days I'll share a few more of my favorite images from our other superstar lineup of photographers. I hope the photographs in the links today will inspire you as much as they have inspired me.

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Hey gang, that's got to be it for me today. Once again it's a very busy day and I better get back to work. How about I see everybody again tomorrow for a brand new “Business Day Thursday: Selling The Appropriate Sized Wedding Coverage”.

Have a great rest of the day and I'll see you then.

Adios, David

"Frosty Desert Morn"

"Frosty Desert Morn"
© David A. Ziser

This is an image I made during our Sedona, AZ trip last week.  It was just about a week ago when the weather service forecasted  snow for the first time of the year in the Sedona area. We awoke to a very foggy morning with the clouds just beginning to clear.  About 45 minutes later the sun began to peak through the clouds casting it's rays onto the distant hills.

What’s cool about this image is how one large cloud, which I’ve cropped out completely, shadowed the rocks in the mid-ground area of the image leaving them as a silhouette.  If you look closely at the bottom of the image, you’ll see that the trees in the foreground just beginning to receive some of the morning sunlight.

I think that’s what I like best about this composition – I like seeing just the mostly snow covered mountains which otherwise would have been the bright red rock.  Anyway, what can I say, our room had quite a view ;~)

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 100mm, F10 @ 1/500 second, ISO 200.  Enjoy!  -David

"Clearing Storm"

"Clearing Storm"
© David A. Ziser

This image was captured last Saturday morning while in Sedona Arizona.  We awaken to the fallen storm over the mountains in the distance.  I grabbed some early morning photographs and decided to grab a cup of coffee.

Upon returning to our balcony view, the morning sun had begun to break through the clouds and splash it’s light on the snow covered mountains.  It was amazing to me how much the scene had changed in just a few minutes.  I grabbed the camera again and made this image.  It’s probably my favorite.

I remembered seeing an Ansell Adams image by the same name that he had captured in Yosemite National Park.  I thought, why not give my image the same name. 

The remembrance of Ansell’s image also gave me the idea to work this image as a B&W image and over to ACR and Photoshop I went.  Within a few minutes, I had the image I wanted – sorry Ansell, no darkroom for me on this one ;~)

Camera specs: canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 50mm, F10 @ 1/320 second, ISO 200.  Enjoy!  -David

"Afternoon At Cathedral Rock"

"Afternoon At Cathedral Rock"
©David A. Ziser

This image was taken a few years ago on a trip to Sedona, AZ. The scenery, colors, geography, and rocks are just beautiful to see.   Since we are spending time again in Sedona this week, I thought I would re-visit this image that I made on that earlier visit.

This image is one of the iconic locations from the Sedona area, Cathedral Rock.  This image was taken downstream of Cathedral Rock. It was taken in the late afternoon/early evening. The light was beautiful. The blue sky and white clouds reflecting in the calm waters added the azure peacefulness to the scene.

I also love this very wide angle view.  My low vantage point accentuated the stream foreground and contrasted beautifully with the red rocks in the background.  We have this image hanging in our home along with a many other images from Sedona.  It’s a great way to remember this beautiful part of America.

Camera specs; Canon 5D fitted with 12-24mm Sigma lens at 12mm, F9.0 @ 1/125 second, ISO 400. Enjoy! –David

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Hey gang, I’m cutting it short today.  We’ve got another super busy morning today and I promised LaDawn the rest of the day off after we wrap up our business here in the area.

It’s back to Northern KY on Sunday morning and I have to say, even with the great experiences we’ve had these past three weeks, it will be good to get home cold weather or not.

How about everybody have a wonderful weekend and I’ll plan to see you Monday morning.

Till then,  David

"Bridge Traffic"

"Bridge Traffic"
© David A. Ziser

This is an image I made as we were approaching the Oakland Bay Bridge (I think). It was quick bright and hazy on our approach to San Francisco.  I grabbed this image. But don’t worry – LaDawn was driving– just as we were making our approach to the bridge.

I really like the soft curves of the bridge structure against the faint hills you see in the background.  The haze did a great job of adding subtle nuance to the colors and depth of the scene.

I enhanced the colors just a bit in ACR by kicking up the Vibrancy slider slightly and added the gradient to the sky.  On my first pass, I thought I had what I wanted.  I even added the image to my post ready to go.  Something was just not working for me though. 

The bottom right of the image, the approach showing the traffic was sort of a plain-Jane brown – it just didn’t fit the tonality of the rest of the image.  That part of the bridge was much closer to the camera and wasn’t being affected by the more distant haze.

Back to Photoshop I went, brought it the Color brush and gave that part of the image the same blue wash as the rest of the image.  Now I think it works.  Who says you can’t get a good image from a “drive-by-shooting”?

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 155mm F10 @ 1/800 second, ISO 800.  Enjoy!  -David