Category Archives: Architecture

Day 40 – Barn

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Windows

I’ve been kind of fascinated with barns in the past year or so. I’m also saddened that so many of the old barns in the valley have started to fall down. It is a challenge to photograph most of them without trespassing. I may have to get bolder about asking permission to get close. In any case I shot this one as the whole barn from the roadside but it didn’t do too much for me. What I loved was the random windows and the contrast in texture between the tin roof and the old wood. So, I cropped in, gave it some detail and saturation and sharpening, and a frame of course and now I think it tells the story I wanted to tell a lot better. Hoping to commit to photographing barns once a month this year. There are some great ones in the Klamath Basin as well.

Day 38 – Fountain Close Up

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Fountain

Here is one more black and white from the walk in the park. I fear this fountain’s days are numbered given the way to appears to be crumbling when viewed close up. I read an interesting article this morning that suggested we should be spending at least 10 minutes a day with our cameras to get sharp with the function of all the buttons and develop muscle memory for making adjustments. I know I often say I can do something but I can’t tell you how to do it. That’s muscle memory. Even after 30 years I can pick up a clarinet and start playing it even though in my head I can’t remember how to play it. Same idea. Years of practice develops muscle memory.

The idea behind the 100 days project is similar. Just do it. Every day. And not just the camera but the post processing skills as well. I have been spending time with black and white conversions lately. I may go to working with textures next. Building the skill, ingraining the knowledge. That is the point.

Day 29 – Fresnel Lens

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CBL_Lens

In this image I wanted to highlight the Fresnel Lens at Cape Blanco Lighthouse. In the original image the lens is lost in shadow. So I went with the extreme detail extractor in Nik Color Efex Pro then added saturation and warmth and finally lightened the center to furhter highlight the lens. though it is more striking in the full resolution version I think it works and I’m thinking of having this one printed on metal.