Interesting in HDR

Overnight last night we had rain and freezing temperatures. This natural effect on nature can be quite interesting. The picture below is a sample of what we have outside this morning.

Next I did some close-up pictures of branches around the house. Using the crop feature of my Pentax K7 I took one of the images and cropped it down to the following image.

At first I thought that this was an interesting image. Then I wondered what the HDR filter in the camera would do with this image, so I applied it and obtained the following result.

The HDR filter seemed to provide a vibrancy that did not exist before. I did try to shoot the image in HDR originally but I need to break the tripod out for that. So I was a little lazy and chose to apply HDR after the fact. What I have learned is that I need to shoot some more HDR to see how I like it. You may want to try it also. What do you think?

February Nature Photo

It was a good day to go out and take a look at nature yesterday. This is an area near where I live. Snow, ice and the seasons make this a place I like to photograph throughout the year. This is the first time I toyed with HDR. It provided an effect that I feel brought out more in this image than what was provided by natural light. If you have HDR effects in your camera it may be worth while trying from time to time. It may surprise you.

New York Circa 1980

During my days in the US Navy the USS Seattle was in the Brooklyn Navy Yards for a major overhaul. While I was there I took a fair number of pictures. At that time, little did I know that I would not see the World Trade Center Buildings ever again in person. Above is one of those photos of me at the base of the Statue of Liberty with the Twin Towers behind me. This picture is from negatives that I have scanned over time. I had some great times while I was in New York. Along with some stories only a sailor can tell. But looking back, I am glad I have this photo. I am glad that I was on the observatory deck of the World Trade Center, up in the crown of the Statue of Liberty and on the observatory deck of the Empire State Building. I recall those days fondly.

Food in Florence, Italy

When in Florence, Italy in 2007 my wife and I had a wonderful time. One of the things I found interesting was the stores with food displayed in the front windows. When I saw this I had to take a picture. Not only does it look delicious but it is so full of color. Since this was behind the storefront glass I put my camera on the glass to prevent the possibility of its reflection. As you travel with your camera try to be observant of images out of the ordinary. When you see something that strikes your eye, take a picture of it. You may be surprised by how many people like it.

Naples, FL After Sunset

Sunsets over water can be spectacular but often its the colors after sunset that are more striking. This is one of those photos that bring out the blue of the water along with the horizon sky colors of change after the sun has set. I was fortunate to be in a position to provide the natural beauty of the shadow of nature in this shot. Photography as an art gives us plenty of opportunity to capture these images and share them with others. Feel free to follow me on Twitter to share in this photographic adventure. Twitter Info is @TMSphotos