A Work in Progress

I’m working on a concept at the moment, haven’t quite captured the effect I’m after, but getting close.  Will keep trying till I figure it out.

A Crack in the Reality of Things

Occasionally, something unusual comes from my time in nature.  And later, it translates into something unusual in post production.  And I’m just the kind of person who will follow it to it’s conclusion.

Revisiting Last October

Last October I captured an image of a row of birch trees that I really liked, but when I got home and viewed the image on my computer, I noticed a wire running through the image.  The updated Adobe Photoshop 2019 has an improved “Content Aware Fill” feature that seems to work much better than past versions and I gave it a try on the image.  I came away pleasantly surprised by the end result.  Is it absolutely perfect? No, but it’s pretty darn good and I would be willing to print the result.  My plan is to print it on canvas which should aid in softening any residual effects of the process.

Canon 5D Mk ll, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM, ISO 50, 70mm, f/16, 1/30 sec.

Water in Motion

I love photographing water in motion along with the sound of the water as it flows by.  The St. Louis River is flowing unusually strong for this time of year due to heavy rain in northern Minnesota.  This is providing a wonderful spectacle in Jay Cooke State Park where it flows over an incredible array of rock ledges and falls on it’s way to Lake Superior.

Lack of Preparation

In my last post I spoke of being prepared and using technology to achieve a goal.  Well, if you use your tech correctly, you probably have a better chance of succeeding.  I made the mistake of not taking in to account the height of the trees up river from where I was shooting from.  That meant I needed to be on site at least thirty or forty minutes earlier than I actually arrived.  Therefore, I did not get the shot I had planned for, but the evening was not a total loss, I did happen to be there to see the full moon rising over the river.  Sadly, I was not properly prepared for that shot, I did not have my tripod with me, I had left it in the car.  I did have my monopod though and did the best I could by bracing it against whatever I was near.  I will try again if weather permits, but at this time our forecast does not look favorable until early next week.

Preparation

I’ve had in mind a sunset shot looking up river from the swinging bridge at Jay Cooke State Park, however you have to wait until the right time of year to get the right alignment.  Thanks to the PhotoPills app, I was able to travel forward in time to find out exactly when I should be in the park to get the shot.  Using the augmented reality feature, I could see just where the sun will be based on where I stand on the bridge.  Technology is a wonderful thing…when it works!  I will be visiting the park later today to give it a shot, but feel safe knowing that I have a window of several days to get the image I am hoping for.  In the meantime, here is a teaser of the view I will be working with.

 

Early Morning Goals

This morning I arose early so I could be in Canal Park in Duluth for the sunrise and accomplish two goals. One was to get a shot of the sun rising between the two lights at the end of each pier at the entrance to the Duluth harbor, the second was a shot of the Aerial Lift Bridge lit by the morning sun.  Below are two of the results.

Stuck On Minnesota

Some of us love to show our passion for northern Minnesota.

The Photographer

Challenging weather days around Lake Superior brings out photographers trying to get that great storm shot.  It amazes me just how many people will brave the elements to come out and witness Lake Superior when the strong northeast winds bring big waves to Duluth.  We may not have hurricanes here, but Gitche Gummi can do her best impression of one.

Morning at the Glensheen Mansion

The Glensheen Mansion is a popular stop in Duluth for those wishing to experience the history and grandeur of Lake Superior living.  On occasion the grounds and buildings are opened to the public for free for photography events.  I made my first trip this morning to scout it out and capture a few images.