SUSAN VERSUS HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE

In the post prior to this one, I wrote about taking photographs of the waterfall where the buildings and sky in the background were too bright...

...or the waterfall was too dark, but the buildings and sky looked better.

I went in search of a solution and learned about high dynamic range. (What did we do before the internet?)

• Read the online article HDR: A Beginner's Guide to High Dynamic Range Photography  http://www.digitaltrends.com/how-to/what-is-hdr-beginners-guide-to-high-dynamic-range-photography/#ixzz4AuCyvzLV
• Watched a video by Canon on HDR photography          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP8MRjxY86w
• Studied the manual that came with my camera (not much help there, really) 
• Upgraded my copy of Lightroom to Lightroom CC
• Played with the settings on my camera
• Shot a few practice photos
• Played with the settings on my camera
• Shot a few practice photos
• Played with the settings on my camera
• Shot a few practice photos

Finally it was time to load up Enzo and head back to Bellevue Downtown Park. I was ready to tame the high dynamic range beast. 

Golden Hour √

Tripod √

Camera √

Memory Card S**t!

The next evening, I returned, memory card inside my camera. 

Golden Hour √

Tripod √

Camera √

Memory Card √√

Bellevue Skyline √

Waterfall... wasn't operating... Noooo..... followed by S**t!

I tell you all this in explanation as to why the final photograph doesn't include the waterfall. What you see in the foreground is the pool at the top of the waterfall. 

There was no way I was leaving the park without my prize, so I took this photograph. Not what I was hoping for, but not a bad beginning.

PHOTOGRAPHY FUN WITH A PHOTOGRAPHY FRIEND

We've been blessed with temperatures in the 80s in the Seattle area the last few days. Saturday evening, my photography buddy Joy and I headed out to enjoy the early taste of summer and practice our newly acquired knowledge about shutter speed. 

Our destination: Bellevue Downtown Park. The centerpiece of the park is a waterfall feature, the perfect place for a shutter speed exercise. 

Shutter speeds allows the photography to depict motion in her photograph. In the case of a waterfall, a fast shutter speed stops the fall of water in its tracks, so to say. A slow shutter speed, on the other hand, smooths the falling water, giving it an ethereal, hazy quality.

(When doing photography with Joy, you can be certain she will chronicle the endeavor.)

After reviewing my photographs at home, I wasn't thrilled with the results. We took our photographs during the Golden Hour, the magical hour of golden light before sunset. The light was indeed gorgeous, but the waterfall was in the shade, while above and behind the waterfall, the shining glass and metal buildings of downtown Bellevue were in bright sunlight. To make a long story short, I had issues with the exposure of the photographs that showed the waterfall against a backdrop of buildings. The waterfall was too dark; the buildings too bright. The exposure issue called for additional study, followed by a reshoot.

I did, however, get a couple of good shots of a Mallard duck and her drake at ease in the pool below the waterfall. I liked how the slow shutter speed had smoothed out the waves of the pool. The stillness of the ducks, the reflection of light off the softly rippling water gave the photograph an air of cool serenity. I added a filter to fade the color of the photograph, further enhancing the sense of restfulness.

PHOTOGRAPHING A PHLOMIS

I gave myself the following challenge:

1. Photograph the phlomis blooming in my garden
2. Take the photograph in situ
3. Use my Nikon Coolpix point-and-shoot camera, without a tripod
4. Take the photograph in the bright light of midday

Behold the phlomis...

I am a big fan of this plant. I love its unusual form, boldness, quilted leaves and whorls of fuzzy flowers. It's like a cheerful yellow exclamation point in my garden. That said, I found it a difficult subject to photograph. Should I try to capture its statuesque beauty? Or should I zero in on the flowers?

I decided to go close up, taking the photograph at a bit of an angle. I converted the photograph to black and white so the wonderful form and texture of the flower took centerstage.