A New Chapter has Opened

Tonight I began a new road in my photography. It involves software and implementing heavy post processing to my images. This may turn some off to the photos immediately, but to others that view with unbiased eyes; they will love the images and embrace them.

Photomatix is an HDR software that uses cutting edge technology and algorithms to mesh numerous images of the same scene(different exposures) into one single file. High Dynamic Range refers to the highlight to shadow difference in a scene. Even the most sophisticated cameras have a limit to the amount of detail captured in one exposure. I am not giving up my previous type photos, only broadening my possibilities. If you have ever taken a photo of a sunset, only to see the print and say, ‘You had to have been there” then you will appreciate HDR. If anything, this new software will create a more accurate portrayal of what my eyes see.

MT

And now for a preview of what is to come.

 

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Entering a World of Sepia

Having not posted in awhile, I figured it was time for some new stuff. Something maybe out of the ordinary. I have enclosed a collection of examples of my new favorite digital post processing technique: sepia.

The use of sepia has become more of a genre idea instead of the commonality it use to serve. Many say that sepia gives photos a sense of elegance or artistic quality. I found one website that regarded sepia as the tonality that makes everyday scenes into art. Well, I am all about taking ordinary scenes and turning them into art. I do go a step further and capture scenes that are common, but not ordinary. They are not ordinary because most people do not take the time to see them.

I hope you enjoy these images. I usually shy away from  extensive photo post processing, but I feel that I was not excessive. In order to enjoy some artwork, you must first put aside preconcieved ideas on how something should look.

MT

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Intricate Design

Crawling on my hands and knees gave me copious photo opportunities with my 100mm macro. Using a shallow depth of field I was able to highlight certain details amongst the numerous blades of grass in my front lawn. This image here is mixture of minimalism, abstraction, and fine art. I love the feeling of warmth in the background; the orange is the autumn leaves blanketing the grass in the background. When photographing macro, I find it is most poignant if there is a defined main subject. I only wish that I could freeze the fall colors for more than their short life consists of.

MT

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Reminants of Fall

 

 

 

Well, I believe fall is in full swing and that winter is following very shortly. As you can see from the image, the trees are clearing their branches of leaves and the water is sweeping them down the streams. I have a busy week but I hope to get out to “Red Rock Corner” maybe once. If not, don’t be alarmed, I will still upload photos. I have a few thousand in my library that would love to star on my blog. 🙂 Well, it has been a long weekend and will be an even longer week. I am off to bed, dreaming about the Canon 50D and my new 70-200mm lens that is in the mail as we speak.

MT

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Getting Out

This is the time of year everyone should get out and enjoy the abundant beauty that surrounds us. No excuses. Today it took me a matter of minutes to drive to the local park on the way home and snap a few images. Nothing spectacular, but enough to excercise thecreative side of my brain. This shot here is one that anyone could take, but I guarantee not many have. I don’t believe this to be anything amazing, but I stil lthink its beautiful. If you are only slightly more observant than the average person, your eyes will be opened to endless amounts of visual stimulation.

MT

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Dear Creek

Well, I said that I was going to share a story of an experience I had yesterday. So here it goes.

I walked down a dried up creek bed, and hit the main stream. This is a process I do quite often, and something I learned as a survival tip. “Follow small streams down and they will lead to bigger streams, which lead to civilization.” Anyways, back on subject. I was “working the area”. I was focusing on my “intimate shots” when I glanced up stream and noticed a deer making its way up the bank of the creek. I would say the deer was probably 125-150 yards upstream. It was beautiful though! The light hitting its coat, the colorful backdrop, and the flowing stream all together. I decided that there was no time for a photo, plus I was too far away. All I did was watch this deer, unknowning to me, cross the stream and disappear amongst the trees. I sat there with a smile on my face, I knew the moment was captured none the less. My mental capture was better than any photo I could have gotten of the deer.

I popped back into photography mode and walked upstream, since I had high rubber boots on, I walked straight up the little rapids I was photographing. I like to be right in the middle of my subject. After all, anyone can walk to the edge of the water and take a photo. I photographed the water rushng by rocks that had clumps of leaves on them. Yea, thats nice. Uhh, thats fine. Nothing great though!

All of a sudden I look upstream and see movement. My hunting instincts kick in and tell me to get down and sit still. My photography instincts say, “Get a little closer Matthew”. So…I of course crouch down and jog upstream as far as I feel comfortable. I justify to myself that I was “sneaky” while jogging up the stream. Second thing. I had to switch lenses!!! Duh, I can’t photograph a deer from a hundred yards with a wide angle. Being in the middle of the stream I dipped my knees into the icy water, pulling my camera bag off my back and fumbling for my telephoto. I find a rock to perch my bag on. I keep my eye on the deer as I change lenses. Using my manual focus Olympus 70-210mm I set the f/stop and the shutter speed. I adjust the white balance and the ISO. I begin to expose images, switching between horizontal and vertical shots. I make sure I slow down and concentrate for every shot. I would rather take one great shot than ten shots and then realize I needed to change something. I watch the deer traverse the creek. I capture two images. One that travels through the elements of my lens, past the mirror, and into the sensor. The second, from my retina, to my optic nerve, to my thalamus, and then to my visual cortex. This image will saty there for years to come, being bake to be brought up fro mmy database within seconds. Within moments the images are captured. The deer moves on, defeated from the steep embankment. She searches for an easier way. Likewise, I move on. Not necessarily looking for the easiest path. All the while I smile, knowing I have done my best to capture what I saw. I am well aware that I will fail, but that is what drives me. I do not believe my images will ever equate to being in the scene itself. I only hope I can come awefully close. I am an observer of beauty, I am a philosopher of nature, and I am a photographer attempting to capture both.

MT

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Exorbitant Color

After a very chilly morning, the sun warmed up the day and it was absolutely lovely. It was if you were wearing a coat that is.

I took a walk to one of my favorite spots at Knob Knoster State Park this evening. I was anticipating fall colors on the trees, but to my surprise, there were more leaves on the ground then in the trees. Well, adapt and improvise. I began to focus my attention to each puddle, every cluster of leaves, and every relfection. I believe my back is sore from all the crouching and bending I did. That means I was doing a good job. 🙂 Anyways, I have included a small gallery of what I would consider, an initmate view of autumn. Hope you enjoy. Oh, and stay tuned for a great moment I captured tonight! I am sure the story will be up very soon, considering it was awesome and I want to share it with everyone. I depart now, getting my “zen on” to “Allian Bougrain Dubourg & Arno Elias”. Look ’em up if you do so feel inclined.

MT

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A Good Moment

Walking back from taking the previous uploaded images, I came about this leaf. Call it a serendipitous moment. This leaf was precariously hanging by the reminents of a spider web. It was intriguing. I think to myself: its fall, this leaf just fell, prolonging its journey to the earth, and the reminents of a spider web is all that is left in its way. The seasons are changing and the leaves will soon be brown and the spider webs nonexistent, but I captured this moment. The leaf is on its own, the frost shortening its last breaths.

MT

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Where I Am

Even when not wetting a line in the North Fork, that is where I am. If it isn’t the river, its the woods bordering it. It is my sanctuary, my home, and my place of solitude. Nothing can get me when I am on the river or in the woods. Only the animals that frequent the woods will sense my presence. If I am lucky, not even they will recognize me. I want to be forgotten. Motionless, slowly breathing I will become a tree, become a rock in the river, or simply become nature itself.

I do my best to blend in, it is a pitiful atempt in all reality. I am not apart of nature. The Earth has become a sanctuary for humans and not so much for the creatures that originally were here.    “I know I am intruding but please let me stay”, I cry. They reject me at first. I am an intrusion. I don’t belong here. “Please, I want to stay”, I say again. “I will be quiet, I won’t even move from this tree”, I reassure them. Shhhh…..Don’t move, they are accepting me. They are curious, just like myself.

I once was a part of nature. Mankind was a part of nature. Relying on the land, self-suffiecent, respecting the earth they stood on. Where is that today? When do you stop and look at a leaf, think about the veins of life running throught it just like yourself, and appreciate the beauty in it. Simplicity. A word commonly ignored today. Well, tomorrow I head to simplicity. I will walk amongst the trees, walk along the rocky river bottom, and I will be where I should be. It is my life. Nature is the blood that runs through my veins.

MT

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Uber Excited!!!

Okay, so I am jumping out of my seat with the excitement my last batch of images has brought me. Not only did I get to be in the woods this weekend and witness magnifcent (and cunning) Whitetails, but I got to enjoy a float on the river. It was beautiful and I did all I could to cram the beauty in my small viewfinder. It would be comparable to if I was a painter, I would need a canvas that I could run along and paint every detail I saw. No image can bring the happiness of actually being there, but to those who weren’t experiencing God’s marvelous creation this weekend, here is a little of what you missed. Too busy admiring my work to write more. Enjoy.        Oh!!! One more thing. Go out and enjoy nature, it changes every day.

MT

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