365 Photo Challenge
Downtown Winchester is really getting a facelift. I remember one of our first stories at TV3 Winchester was when the roof collapsed at the Taylor Hotel c. 2007. Read more about the renovation here.
The front porch of the newly renovated Taylor Hotel in Winchester, VA. Order a print of this image.
Yeah, I think I might be making the jump over to Lightroom. I know a lot of people already use it and I suppose I’ve resisted because I’m such an Apple “fanboy,” but I’m already loving Lightroom after just a day of using it.
Better basic adjustments, better flexibility, easier presets, more powerful integration into Photoshop. I could go on – I just like it.
Here’s a before and after image with just a handful of basic slider adjustments within Lightroom:
Before…
…and after.
At least I wasn’t shooting for a client…
Sunny 16. No, that’s not a forecast for the weekend – although, I think that’s pretty darn close for this Saturday (in Celsius, that is). Nope, this is a widely-accepted photographer’s rule for shooting in manual mode. By the way, it’s kind of a myth that all pro photographers shoot in manual mode. It’s an absolute must for photographers to know what all the settings are for and how to control each and every one of them, but I’d venture to guess that most photogs shoot quite a few of their shots in Aperture Priority mode with some exposure compensation thrown in on top to adjust for the scene. Anyway…
Given that this is, after all, a photography blog I figured I’d throw in some tips for good measure. All my photographer friends may already be aware of this, but for those of you who want to start shooting in manual mode – read on.
The Sunny 16 rule states that for any scene outdoors (during the day) with the camera set at f/16 all you need to do is set the shutter speed to the reciprocal of the ISO setting. Simply put – ISO = 100 then shutter = 1/100; ISO = 200 then shutter = 1/200 and so on. This is the very basics of the rule and, by all means, shoot how you want to shoot and stray from this rule as needed. But this rule will get you close if your goal is an evenly or properly exposed image during the day.
Here are my shots using the Sunny 16 rule. I color corrected and sharpened each image using the exact same adjustments without touching the exposure or levels. And, no this is not just the same shot posted 7 times.
ISO 100 | ƒ/16 | 1/100
ISO 200 | ƒ/16 | 1/200
ISO 400 | ƒ/16 | 1/400
ISO 800 | ƒ/16 | 1/800
ISO 1600 | ƒ/16 | 1/1600
ISO 3200 | ƒ/16 | 1/3200
ISO 6400 | ƒ/16 | 1/6400
Had so much fun yesterday revisiting an old HDR image that I thought I’d give it a go with another one today.
Before…
…after. Order a print of this image.
It’s been just over a year since I began dabbling in HDR so I’ve decided to go back and see if I’ve improved since then (September of 2012). This was one of the first images I ever processed using HDR techniques and I look at it now and think “what the heck was I thinking?!” There are so many things that make me cringe about this image and it’s a good thing that I still have the original RAW files so I can try again. If there’s one thing I’ve definitely learned, it’s don’t process/post-process too soon. Be patient with the images and take my time. Possibly to the point that I don’t even look at the images that same day.
A scene out in Frederick County, VA along Middle Road. I’ve ridden by this so many times and had always wanted to stop and photograph it. I just was a little too eager to get to the HDR process.
With a little bit of patience and lots of trial and error over the past year, I revisited this image. See more of my HDR images (many, of which, I’ll revisit). Order a print of this image
Shoot what you want and how you want. That’s what I would say to people just getting into photography. Sure, you should look at what others are doing and possibly see if you can recreate it. But in the end, you’re not shooting for them. You’re really not shooting for anybody except yourself. You’re going to be your biggest critic in the end so impress yourself. After all, does everybody like the Mona Lisa? Will everybody get a Jackson Pollock? Some will, some won’t. Some people will like your photography. Some won’t. If some people like it, great. If some don’t, accept it and move on. Gotta remind myself sometimes.
The ceiling of the Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World. See more from Disney.
Most towns have those iconic landmarks that give you just a glimpse into the past. You know, those buildings that have the old business name built into it, but the business hasn’t been there for years. It really makes you wonder what life was like back then and what current buildings will create wonder for future generations.
Winchester has these types of landmarks scattered all over. This is one that most people just breeze right by every day without a second thought. I couldn’t find much out there on the web about this one, but I’m certainly curious.
Anybody know anything about the old Pine Motor Company?
What is it about urban exploration (aka Urbex or UE) that is so fascinating to so many people these days? In the midst of a huge photography boom, it certainly stands out as unique. I’ve been to this place on several occasions and it fascinates me every time. Today I got to bring my 18-year-old son to have a peek. He was a little creeped out and I swear he thought zombies were gonna come running out any minute!
It makes you wonder about what once was. It makes you wonder who once was. It makes for good photography. It makes for fascinating photography. It’s the thrill of exploration and discovery.
It’s just really cool.
One of the abandoned buildings of the Warfield Complex in Sykesville, MD. See more images from Sykesville.
I suppose you could call this neighborly. I mean, who knows what he could have actually been throwing through his snow blower. In the end, it’s easier (and cheaper) to deal with your own broken window than someone else’s, right?
Here’s to good neighbors.
Yeah, I’d say we got some snow today! And, of course, Waldo had loads of fun running around in it. He actually disappeared a couple times – it’s deep. How deep? About two Telly Awards deep – depending, of course, on where you measure.
The goal is to shoot every day – not “have something interesting to say” every day. I’m literally taking my camera with me everywhere I go now (sometimes I bring the entire bag). Kinda crazy. I know. It’s the only way I’ll get better though.
“Morning’s here…”
The mechanic jumpsuit, team jersey and race credentials from Team Shaklee and the USPro Cycling Championships in Philadelphia – 1999. Jim O’Brien had a friend who was connected to NASCAR who custom made our mechanic jumpsuits.
While grilling tonight I needed something to flip the steaks. I was in a fun mood so I grabbed the Park BBQ-2 grilling tongs I have. I’ve had them for a while, but figured I’d use them tonight. My daughter started asking about them so I began explaining how they’re made from actual bicycle tools – so I had to show her my set of tools that matched the BBQ set. I just think it’s cool.
And, of course, this got me thinking about my time with the pro cycling team. It’s not something that a lot of people know about me, but I was the head mechanic for a professional US domestic cycling team for 2 seasons. It’s something that I’m rather proud of since I had no formal training and essentially taught myself what I needed to know to get to that point and certainly learned a crap-ton from then head mechanic Jim O’Brien of The Right Gear (awesome mechanic and the real deal).
Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of photos from that time in my life because I was more focused on cycling than I was on photography. But I do have a couple fun stories from my first big race.
It was the USPro Cycling championship back when it was in Philly (1999). Shaklee wasn’t a huge team and certainly didn’t have a huge budget, but we did have some quality guys on the team and it was lots of fun traveling with them. Some of the guys on the team chose to ride their own machines as opposed to the team-issued Marin bikes. This caused issues when it came to spacing the wheels for the follow-car. I had to space the majority of the wheels to fit the favorites on the team so if/when they had a flat, the wheels were ready to go. This all went out the window when a guy riding a non-issued bike flatted. I then had to spend extra time properly spacing the quick-release to the bike when I should be just closing it and sending the rider on his way.
As luck would have it, a teammate on a non-issued bike flatted. And he flatted on the most visible part of the course – the start/finish stretch where the biggest crowds were. This was my moment to prove to the world that I could do it. The team manager and director sportif were awesome and confident that I was going to be fine. And I was – considering I had to re-space the quick-release on the fly. I wasn’t thrown off by the wheel change. I wasn’t thrown off by the thousands of cheering fans. I wasn’t thrown off by the cameras on motorcycles surrounding me. I was, however, thrown off by the commentator (I think it may have been Al Trautwig) who drew everybody’s attention to the wheel change and did what any good broadcaster would do. He began educating the masses on what was happening and engaged the crowds by starting a count to demonstrate to the crowd how quickly race mechanics change wheels.
That was awesome.
The second big incident happened in the same race, but I think the following year. Anyway, it involved another wheel change. This is the kind of thing that you just have to laugh at (even when it was happening). I had a rider (Eric Wohlberg) who had a slow leak and needed a new wheel, but he just had to figure out when was a good time to change it. He decided on The Lemon Hill section of the biggest one-day race (at the time) in the US. This was a section where the fans lined the roads with no barriers as the cyclists entered the park. Or, at least we thought he had decided on that section. It turns out, he hadn’t chosen that point. The race was just slowing down. Didn’t matter, I was already out of the car wheel in hand. My follow-car driver had a different plan though. He was still moving and was shouting at me to get back in the car. But, you see, I couldn’t. He had just driven onto my foot. Awesome.
Well, that was a fun trip down memory lane. Good times.
I’m hoping that the drive I had back then still exists so I can take a third hobby and turn it into a new career.
What a fascinating story this is. I’m not from Winchester so didn’t attend Handley High School, but it’s a name that’s out there – a lot. So I’m interested.
What motivates a man, who never lived in the city, to leave a sizable portion of his estate to the educational betterment of the town? Fascinating. And apparently very problematic initially. I never really got into history, and I probably won’t dive to deeply into this, but it’s fascinating nonetheless.
I’ve decided that I’m going to start “investigating” my town (or at least the town where I currently live because “my town” in Bridgewater, VA) and will be posting my thoughts each weekend (at least for now) and John Handley is a big part of this town.
I also find it humorous that the Wikipedia page for John Handley High School lists, as notable alumni, Brian Partlow (who I know as a really nice guy) ahead of Patsy Cline! no offense Brian
John Handley High School. An endowed public school in Winchester, VA. Order a print of this image.
I’m ready for warmer temperatures and longer days. Shorts and short sleeves. Open windows in the house. The beach. The ice cream truck. Picnics and cookouts. Very long bike rides.
I’m soooo ready…
I’m a big fan (HUGE fan) of going paperless whenever you can. Probably to the point of annoying some people. Well, with all the options for portable devices and virtual documents, why wouldn’t you? And my computer desktop? It’s a pet peeve of mine when my desktop gets all cluttered. Mac, PC – it doesn’t matter. Organize your files in folders for cryin’ out loud. It’s not like cleaning your house (which I’m not very good at). Everything’s virtual. It takes very little to no effort at all.
Here’s my desktop. What does yours look like? by the way, you can order a print of my desktop image.
Many speakers distinguish between disorganized and unorganized.
Disorganized applies to the sort of person who stuffs receipts into the sock drawer and can never find the car keys. Unorganized applies to things which have not yet been arranged in an organized manner. By this reasoning, a person would be disorganized, but an office would be unorganized.
Order a print of this image
Want to know how to take amazing pictures? Read on…
I’ve done a lot of self-guided learning in my life and have heard and read lots of advice – good and bad. It’s a daunting task to learn new things especially as you age. Get over yourself and accept the fact that there are others who are just as qualified as you are and even more qualified in many cases.
One gem I’ve heard over and over again in a variety of ways is that it’s not about your camera. It’s not about your computer or latest software. It’s all about you. It’s about your ability to see new things or to see mundane things in a new light. It will never be about your camera.
The key to taking amazing pictures is simply this – put yourself in front of amazing things.
When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
– Marcus Aurelius
It takes effort to be good at anything – I know that. After two months of hard effort I’ve started to get frustrated with how things have gone so far. I’ve spent quite a bit of time reading about different techniques. Watching different tutorials. Learning about things I thought I knew about. Filling in the gaps of knowledge. And I realize I’ve got a long way to go. The one thing I haven’t spent a lot of time doing , however, is shooting. Don’t you love the irony here?
Practice, an enormous amount of practice, makes better. There is no such thing as perfect – I know that. But at least I can improve. I know I can. One of the biggest tips that any great photographer will hand out is – shoot every day. That’s a no brainer. If you don’t practice, you can’t get any better. You just can’t.
So, what to shoot? When to shoot? Where to shoot? Anything, whenever and anywhere.
Photo opportunities will rarely, if ever, come to me. I have to make them happen. Sometimes I have to go out of my way to discover new places, new things and new situations and just be ready wherever I am. There are so many things about freelancing that are going to push me beyond where I’ve been before (this is my second go at freelancing by the way – my first was wedding videos). I realize that to these opportunities come at a cost sometimes. Late nights, early (sometimes extremely early) mornings and weather that I hate.
These opportunities are rarely, if ever, at my convenience.
The Silver Lake Mill in Dayton, VA. Took a detour to shoot this and was late for lunch with my mom and sister. Order a print of this image.
So with the Olympics approaching, I starting wondering what the medals were made of and found this on the web:
Gold and silver medals are 92.5% silver. Gold medals must be plated with at least 6 grams of gold. All Olympic medals must be at least 3 mm thick and at least 60 mm in diameter. Bronze medals are bronze, an alloy of copper and usually tin.
This got me thinking about other famous iconic awards and what they’re made of. Found this on the web:
When they pick up their trophies, the winning celebs are toting around 8.5 pounds of metal. Oscar is 13.5 inches (34 centimeters) tall. The Oscar statuettes, officially dubbed the Academy Award of Merit, have a 24-karat gold plating on their surface. Beneath the gold, the statuette’s interior is a metal mixture called Britannium, also called Britannia metal. It is an alloy of tin (93 percent), antimony (5 percent), and copper (2 percent).
How about this one:
Each Primetime Emmy statuette weighs six pounds, twelve-and-a-half ounces (3.08 kg), and is made of copper, nickel, silver and gold.
And, of course, that got me thinking about what my stuff is made of. It doesn’t really matter, I’m just curious. This is all I could find:
Silver Winners are awarded a Silver Telly statuette, the highest honor. Bronze Winners are awarded a Bronze Telly statuette. Designed by the same firm that makes the Oscar® and Emmy®, the Telly statuette is nearly 12 inches tall and weighs more than 4 1/2 pounds.
A couple finisher medals and a Silver Telly Award I’ve earned over the past year
Cedarmeade Studios 