Adding Life to an Image.

There are times when the scene before you looks much better than the picture you just took.  Sometimes it is an issue of field of  view.  Other times your camera isn't able to capture the dynamic range of the scene as well as your eyes and brain can.  This scene looked flat and uninteresting straight from camera.

This is the merged HDR file.  You'll note the numerous dust spots in the sky.  I realized after this trip that my camera was in desperate need of a good cleaning.  Processing of the merged file consisted of cleaning up all the dust spots, minor straightening, and running through PixelBender's Oil Paint filter.

The oil paint filter is my go to when I'm looking for a more abstract look.  It has several sliders that are very useful in determining how you want the final image to look. 

I knew from the start that this would end up being more of a digital painting than a photograph.  The term digital painting is used very loosely when it comes to this because there are people with the talent to actually paint a scene like this instead of applying a filter.

With an abundance of dead space in the sky it felt like the perfect opportunity to add a poem or verse. Choosing Psalm 119:105 was obvious as the lighthouse provides guidance for ships.

By choosing to stray from reality a little I felt that punching up the colors wouldn't take away from the overall image. 

Technical data for this image. Nikon D700, 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 180mm, iso 200, median exposure 0.8 seconds @ f/14.0

Simplicity

Most of the time I prefer to have clouds in my landscapes.  There are times when that rule flies out the window.  My wife and I spend Sunday and Monday in Duluth's Canal Park area for our anniversary.  Our day was filled with walking around this busy area, enjoying each other's company and taking pictures.  I was hoping for a spectacular sunset over the lift bridge but, like most times, the clouds blew away prior to sunset.  What we were left with is a perfectly clear sky.  Inwardly I was thinking that now the images would be boring and I would have to find another way to add interest to the images.

Much to my delight the simple sky worked with this scene.  It may be because the lower third of the image is filled with all the lights and details of the city.  I'm not really sure.  All I know is that the final output makes me happy.

Composing this image took a bit of thinking.  I wanted the bridge to dominate the image but I didn't want it to be the only thing you see.  Rach and I walked to the end of the pier and up by one of the two lighthouses.  This elevated the scene enough so the pier lights weren't bothering me.  Thankfully Rach is very patient with my picture adventures as we spent the better part of 45 minutes taking pictures of various parts of the downtown area.

It was a wonderful evening spent with the woman I love and I hope to spend many more like it.

For more images from this trip go to my SmugMug page and check out the Landscape and Macro Flower galleries.