Boston, MA (HDR from 5 bracketed exposures)
I recently attended a 4-day GI, liver, and pancreatic pathology course in Boston. I made my way down to the harbor during my first evening in town to get this shot of the Financial District just after sunset.
Pullen Park in Raleigh, NC
I have a half marathon coming up soon. I originally intended to start training 12 weeks out. Then, 12 weeks became 10 weeks. Then, 10 weeks became 8 weeks. I finally forced myself to go for a run this morning. It was nothing to brag about (2.5 miles), but I have to start somewhere.
The Sailboat Pond at the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science in Durham.
We make it out to the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science on a pretty regular basis. The ‘Catch the Wind’ exhibit features a neat little concrete enclosed pond where visitors can captain radio controlled sailboats. In this photo, I was fortunate enough to capture three of the sailboats in a staggered formation. The boat reflections turned out well and are enhanced by the gentle ripples on the pond’s surface.
I’m working on an HDR tutorial which I will debut in the next week or two. I also have several exciting photography opportunities coming up over the next couple of months, if I can break away from doing autopsies on moldy exhumed bodies long enough to take advantage of them!
The William B. Umstead State Park in Raleigh, NC
This was a really nice day to go hiking the trails at Umstead State Park. It was a little cloudy and the temperature was in the low 80’s. Most importantly, the humidity felt pretty low. I had been to this spot before, but it was after some recent heavy rains and the creek was very high and muddy. This day, I was able to hop on the rocks right into the middle of the creek bed. I like to set the tripod up very low to the ground in situations like this. I would have put it even lower if I could have. I really like the perspective it creates, especially with the 12 mm focal length.
One of the coolest things about high dynamic range photography is that you can create some amazing details in things like reflections. In an ordinarily exposed, non-processed photo, the pool of water in the foreground would have been completely blown out. No real details would have been appreciable and the shine and glare would have detracted from the photo.
Falls Lake in Durham, NC
I’m not sure how I feel about this one. I didn’t roll out of the rack this morning thinking I wanted to create an image that is almost devoid of color. But, I get so few chances to get out and take pictures that I just have to work with whatever conditions (weather, lighting, etc.) that I’m confronted with. Waiting for the conditions to be “right” is a luxury that I just don’t have.
Pullen Park in Raleigh, NC
This small pond at Pullen Park in Raleigh is a neat little spot to shoot. The reflections here are amazing, the bridge is photogenic, and the trees in the background are often very colorful. You’ll notice that there is a conspicuous layer of yellow pollen on the surface of the water.
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The William B. Umstead State Park in Raleigh, NC
The runner-up title for this photo is “Home of a Million Tiny Biting Insects”.
I took this photo during a spring hike through Umstead State Park. The location where I was standing was under water the last time I had walked the trails. After several days of rain, the creek had been well over its banks. I actually didn’t think this side of the creek was accessible. The walking trail leads to a pile of large rocks that are stacked on the edge of the creek. The area seen in the photo is on the other side of those rocks. The risk of climbing down the rocks and getting to this spot seemed acceptable so I went for it.
