Paper Birch

Pretty birch trees from northern Minnesota.


Triangulation - (HDR)


Sunset Birch

Mississippi Curves

Mississippi River winding through Minneapolis.

Shot through an office window.

The Yellow Truck

A walk down the road produced this find. Covered with lichen, I am left wondering about the story behind this truck. Especially so close to Halloween.

The old yellow truck

It would appear this old truck was abandoned long ago, yet it seems to have been recently moved. The corner window is too clean and there is air in the tires.

If the colors in this photo appear to be over saturated, you are correct. I used a circular polarizing filter that enhances colors to become more vivid. I wanted this truck to appear somewhat operational as it were going to make a left hand turn at any moment.

Haunting abandonment.

(HDR)

I under saturated the colors for this image slightly below what was seen in real time. I was hoping for a more haunting image of an abandoned truck. Strange though if you notice the driver's side headlight and trim ring appear brand new as compared to the passenger's side headlight. Is this truck rejuvenating like the Stephen King book? Remember his book, "Christine"?

Autumn Leaves

Autumn, a season of change from summer to winter. A season of vivid colors and cooler weather. A season of damp forest aromas of decaying leaves mingling and soft scents of pine as quiet echos sing across the lake. A time to reflect upon the year's memories as we prepare for long winter nights. Autumn is nature's last triumph before we descend into the dead of winter.

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Thanks to Virginia at Birmingham Alabama Daily Photo for this music inspiration.
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"AUTUMN LEAVES" (Les Feuilles Mortes)
by Jospeh Kosma and Jacques Prévert (French)/Johnny Mercer (English)
The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold.
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold.
Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song.
But I miss you most of all my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall.
English Translation of Jacques Prévert’s Poem: The Dead Leaves
Oh I wish so much you would remember
those happy days when we were friends.
Life in those times was so much brighter
and the sun was hotter than today.
Dead leaves picked up by the shovelful.
You see, I have not forgotten.
Dead leaves picked up by the shovelful,
memories and regrets also,
and the North wind carries them away
into the cold night of oblivion.
You see, I have not forgotten
the song that you sang for me:
It is a song resembling us.
We lived together, the both of us,
you who loved me
and I who loved you.
But life drives apart those who love
ever so softly
without a noise
and the sea erases from the sand
the steps of lovers gone their ways.

Around the Bend

Fall color tour.

A nice autumn drive down the back roads of northern Minnesota.

Golden Birch

Lakeside view.

Autumn has to be the best season of the year. The autumn colors are enhanced by the sun's low angle. The result are stunning blue skies and vivid colors. Also it helps to have a polarizing filter.

Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO Speed: 100

Autmn Mist

An early autumn morning at the lake in northern Minnesota.

Waiting for the morning coffee to brew, I set out in the early morning for some photo opportunities. Not a sound, except for the birds singing their wake up calls and the gentle lap of the waves on shore.

Bucketmouth

Big shovel to to remove blacktop.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/60 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/250 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/15 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

Av( Aperture Value ) 11.0

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 17.0 mm

Orange Glow

Yet another sunset from Lake Vermilion, this viewpoint has been seen often. Taken July 3rd, the day before our Independence Day celebration. Nature provides the best light show that fireworks can not compete with.

In the center, behind the island, we see a glimpse of red. That red is actually where the sun has just set behind the the distant shore approximately 2.8 miles ( 4.5km) away.

Yellow Deere

Sarah requested I provide the original photo as an example as to what it looked like.

This first image is the original photo shot metered to what the camera metered to be correct. But the parking lot is too washed out, too bright, the chinks of blacktop in the foreground are too dark as are the trees in the background. Also, the scrapes and scratches on the bucket are not very visible. Not an interesting photo lightingwise. Well, actually, compositionwise, it's not a great photo in the first place.

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/50 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

This photo is metered for the parking lot. The lot is no longer washed out, but everything is too dark.

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/200 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

This photo everything is overly bright. Except for the edges of the crumbled blacktop in the foreground. The camera metered these areas well.

At the bottom of this post is the merged combination of the three photos. The process brought out the details of the scrapes in the bucket and grease and detail of the pi in the linkage. Which is what I was after in this photo in the first place. Again, the composition of this image is rather mediocre.

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/13 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

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Toys I wish I could play with. Landscape work at the office.

Two examples of HDR, a third way is scheduled to post on Saturday. The first example is a classic HDR image over saturated and over tone mapped to create this all too bright unrealistic image that looks pretty interesting, but wears on some viewers. But this is a hoot to manipulate.

The second below is the realistic approach where details are emphasized in the dark areas. More pleasing to the eye in my opinion.

Cartoonwerks

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/50 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/200 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/13 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

Av( Aperture Value ) 11.0

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 26.0 mm

Realism at it's best.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/60 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/250 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/15 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

Av( Aperture Value ) 7.1

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 26.0 mm

Washbasin

The washbasin. The working crew needs a good place to wash up after a good day of maintaining the grounds and flower beds at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. They were provided with this architecturally pleasing washtub. Both images are HDR images.

Spitting Lion

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Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/320 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/1250 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/80 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

Av( Aperture Value ) 4.5

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 30.0 mm

White Balance Mode Daylight

Washbasin

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Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/250 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/1000 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/60 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 20.0 mm

White Balance Mode Daylight

Guardian Oak

Hillside Cemetery, Minneapolis.

Its the end of May; all we have to show for May was the memories. May proved to be cold, damp, and windy. The Minnesota Fishing Opener was delayed in northern Minnesota due to the lakes being locked in with ice. The ice finally receeded mid May. More cloudy days than sunny with below normal temps. A sign global warming is over? We shall remember this cold dreary May 2008 as the year we didn't go fishing on the Opener.

Yep, another HDR image, this time in black and White:

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/45 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/125 - Autoexposure Bracketing -1 1/2

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/15 - Autoexposure Bracketing +1 1/2

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

Autoexposure Bracketing 0

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 17.0 mm

White Balance Mode Daylight

Ledgerock

From the rocky shore of Lake Vermilion.
Yes, this is another HDR photo. I need the practice at this type of photography. I will spare you the intricate details or tutorials. Other fellow photographers and bloggers have excellent tutorials you can search out. HDR can be taken to two extremes; over saturated and tonemapped for a surreal cartoonish look, or processed in a realistic manner.
There is a place for HDR photography when there is a high range between the dark and bright areas in the subject you wish to shoot. Such as this photo. No, its not a great composition or photo, but a good example of bright and dark. The camera senses the brights skyline, but the rocky foreground will become a black blob shadow.

I wanted to show the rocky shoreline with the cracks and crevices in the rock against the bright pre-sunset lakeside sky. I took 3 photos, information shown below, and merged them into one image. That's where the tonemapping fun begins with Photomatix to bring out the details. But there is a fine line to watch for, otherwise you will cross over into the cartoonish look seen in this Arbys photo post.
I do find it fun to create a cartoonish image, I prefer the realistic look that shows more detail that would be lost to the shadows.

Three photos taken at:

Tv( Shutter Speed ): 1/13 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ): 1/50 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

Tv( Shutter Speed ): 0.3 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

Av( Aperture Value ): f11.0

ISO Speed: 100 Focal Length: 17.0 mm

White Balance Mode: Daylight

HDR merged into one image via Photomatix

HDR Views

Eiffel Tower over the River Seine
Queen's Theatre, Versailles.

Old White Pine

Gnarled and weathered, standing stately near the lake shore. Some time decades ago, lightning struck the white pine, breaking it a third of the way up. Now this tree has an unique appearance.

Across the Pond

Garden view, a reflective peek.

Tour Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower.

The last 10 days were spent exploring the beautiful city of Paris, France. And yes, I am still suffering from jet lag.

City Daily Photo community has a number of resident bloggers depicting this beautiful city. My "2 for Tuesday" will simply be a tourist's perspective of Paris.

Please visit Paris, France through the eyes of Parisians:

http://www.parisdailyphoto.com/

http://bebelog-lulupo.blogspot.com/

http://parissetmefree.blogspot.com/

http://anidem.typepad.com/

New Barber Shop in Town

Floyd Lawson would be proud to be a part of this barber shop.

Champlin gets a new barber shop with a sports theme. Apparantly, they have TVs playing the latest games on ESPN. I should stop in, I need a cut; but I'll wait for a good game on the TV.
For more information about Dr. B's SportCut, please visit The Champlin Connection.

Gazebo Light

Gazebo at Veterans Park in Champlin, MN. And yes this was photographed the very same evening as yesterday's post of the Bridge Revisited. I thought I would sneak in yet another bridge view through the gazebo.

Flashback - Bridge Revisited

Back on April 9th, I posted a similar image of this bridge. I went back to capture the image of the gazebo at Veteran's Park. This is what I saw, and decided I had to capture this bridge one more time. I apologize for the duplication.

New Fire House

City of Champlin's new Fire Station at sunset.



Fire trucks ready to roll.