Camera Hack

Sugar Skulls

2012-02-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Taproom

2012-02-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Morning Light

2012-02-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram

Self portrait #2

2012-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Life of Riley

2012-02-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Self Portrait #3

2012-02-12T05:00:00.001-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Deal Me In

2012-02-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Self Portrait 1

2012-02-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

THE breakfast spot

2012-02-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Afternoon Well Spent

2012-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Stocked Fridge

2012-02-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Happy Boy

2012-02-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Blind Dog

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Good Advice

2012-02-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

The Rose

2012-02-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Bicycle

2012-02-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Laced

2012-02-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Head shot

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Citrus

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3gs, Instagram filter

Desert Stars

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

The Geminid meteor shower peaked this past Tuesday evening. I woke the wife up and told her to dress for warmth. We spent three or four hours in the middle of nowhere, some thirty-plus miles north of the city, watching meteors. Despite the fact that we lost feeling in our faces and fingers, we had a blast. I was even lucky enough to capture a couple meteors with the camera!

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 5 exposures (one 3 min, two 10 min, two 15 min) blended

Dreamy Christmas

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/4.0, 1/8

Christmas Arbors

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Another shot from the Bellagio Conservatory

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/4

Polar Bears

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Again this year, polar bears lord over the Bellagio Conservatory for the holidays

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 22mm, f/9.0, 1/4

Winter Solitude

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

If you want to feel alone, drive through Mormon Pass in the middle of winter. The glow is from Las Vegas, roughly 30 miles south.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 3 min exposure

Snowy Desert

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

The wife & I took a drive across the DNWR and came across a bit of snow. This is becoming my go to spot for getting shots of snow these days.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 3 min exposure

Back Yard Sunrise

2011-11-28T12:24:00.001-08:00

I love that our back yard faces east. I love that I have a covered rear patio with a ceiling fan and skylights under which I can sit and watch the sunrise while sipping a tasty beverage. Mostly, I love that Mother Nature occasionally cooperates and puts on a show worth watching.

Of course, if I hadn't been shooting the internals of the house, this would be at f/9.0 or f/11.0, and would likely be a better shot. Still, I like it.

Nikon D40, 18-220mm at 18mm, f/4.0, 1/30

Lake Harriet revisited

2011-09-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

A view of Lake Harriet at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. Shortly after this shot, those clouds grew dark and I got more than a little wet.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, 3 exposures at 1/25, 1/60, 1/125

Stick in the Mud

2011-09-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

The rise and fall of the water levels in the Virgin River leave interesting pools and pockets of mud in a landscape that changes with the weather.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/16.0, 1/20

Cascading River

2011-09-17T12:00:00.001-07:00

One climbs down 1300 ft in elevation following the Virgin River along its path through the Narrows, but the elevation change is hardly discernible. Only cascades such as this one make the hiker realize s/he is traveling downhill.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 120mm, f/16.0, 1/13

Fork in the Road

2011-09-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

There are many options for exploration, many paths to choose along the route through the narrows

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 31mm, f/16.0, 1/60

Through the Forest

2011-09-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

The morning sun breaks through the trees in a forested area along the Virgin River

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/16.0, 1/100

North Fork Falls

2011-09-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Looking back upstream at North Fork Falls along the Virgin River

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 65mm, f/16.0, 1/125

Big Springs

2011-09-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Big Springs, roughly halfway along the hike down from Chamberlain Ranch. This shot really doesn't do it justice.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/14.0, 1/13

Butterfly

2011-09-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

A butterfly rests on a bush alongside the Virgin River

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 200mm, f/16.0, 1/60

Over The Edge

2011-09-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

A peek over the edge of North Fork Falls on the Virgin River

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/16.0, 1/15

Mountain Forest

2011-09-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

The forested areas along the upper portion of the Virgin River provide some beautiful views

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 24mm, f/16.0, 1/200

Future Pine Cones

2011-09-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Future pine cones

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/16.0, 1/50

Leaning

2011-09-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Below Big Springs, the canyon narrows and becomes somewhat claustrophobic. The walls leaning in towards each other lend to the effect.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/16.0, 1/60

Shallow Waters

2011-09-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

The upper portion of the Zion Narrows hike provides very different scenery than what most people are used to after seeing the narrow canyons of the lower portion.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/14.0, 1/200

Close Quarters

2011-09-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

I think my fascination with slot canyons stems from the amazing way light bounces between the walls, illuminating only a small part of the scene, leaving the rest shrouded in mystery.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/14.0, 1/13

Picnic View

2011-09-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

There are quite a few spots around Lake Mead that provide the perfect backdrop should you wish to take a bit of lunch while hanging out at the lake.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/14.0, 1/125

Dark Passage

2011-09-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Early in the day, the sun struggles to reach the depths of the narrow canyon.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 24mm, f/14.0, 1/13

Lava Butte

2011-09-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

From the parking area near the 33 Hole area at Lake Mead, Lava Butte is the most prominent hill visible when looking back toward the city. The yellowed grasses, red rocks, blue water, and brown desert provided a great view.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 32mm, f/14.0, 1/125

Narrowing Walls

2011-09-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

Another view of the wash as it passes through the narrowing walls of White Owl Canyon

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 27mm, f/14.0, 1/13

Oasis

2011-09-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

The landscape at the Lake has changed from this same time last year. With water levels rising, we watched boats and water skiers gliding across an area that wasn't accessible to watercraft just twelve months ago. Hopefully the trend continues.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 65mm, f/14.0, 1/320

Red Rock Walls

2011-09-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Another shot from White Owl Canyon. The canyon narrows into a beautiful slot canyon a short walk from the edge of the lake.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 34mm, f/14.0, 1/4

White Owl Canyon

2011-08-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

Friends from back east visited this week and a couple of us headed out to White Owl Canyon to see if we could get a decent shot of the canyon's namesake. We spotted him quite a few times during the day but never managed to get a good shot.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/3.5, 1/160

Desert Palette

2011-08-27T04:55:00.000-07:00

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 135mm, f/9.0, 1/800

Day on the lake

2011-08-26T04:55:00.000-07:00

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 112mm, f/9.0, 1/250

Winch

2011-08-25T04:55:00.001-07:00

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 170mm, f/9.0, 1/250

Blue waters

2011-08-24T04:55:00.000-07:00

We took a mid-day sightseeing cruise around Lake Mead recently. This is just one of the shots I fired off. I loved how blue the water turned out.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/250

Inner Canyon

2011-07-19T04:55:00.000-07:00

As we walked along the River Trail on our final day in the canyon, we watched the sun rise, slowly illuminating the canyon as it did. Colors changed from deep purples to pinks to oranges to reds as the light made its way down the canyon walls. Spectacular!

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 20mm, f/16.0, 1/30

Silver Bridge

2011-07-18T04:55:00.000-07:00

The silver bridge provides access across the Colorado River from the River Trail to Bright Angel Campground. I couldn't resist using a silver toning for the end result.

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 12mm, f/16.0, 1/2

Canyon Morning

2011-07-17T04:55:00.000-07:00

Sunrise over the Grand Canyon, as viewed from the Bright Angel Trail more than 2000 ft below the rim

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 12mm, f/16.0, 1/80

Big Rock

2011-07-16T04:55:00.000-07:00

As we descended the North Kaibab Trail, we passed between a tall canyon wall and this rock.

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 12mm, f/16.0, 1/80

Bridge Over Colorado

2011-07-15T04:55:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the looking back theme from yesterday's shot, two of us chose to hike a small mile loop across the Colorado River after dinner at Phantom Ranch. We crossed the Silver Bridge and walked along the River Trail towards the Black Bridge. I turned around and grabbed this shot of the Silver Bridge as the light faded in the canyon.

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 18mm, f/16.0, 1/2

Dawning Day

2011-07-14T04:55:00.000-07:00

The sun rises over the Grand Canyon as our group made our way to the South Rim on our final day in the canyon. Our climb out reminded us that it is always worthwhile to turn around and look back along the route you've chosen.

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 12mm, f/16.0, 1/320

Canyon Before Sunrise

2011-07-13T04:55:00.000-07:00

Early on our last day in the canyon, around 3am, the group stopped for a break. While we rested, I positioned the camera on a rock, opened the shutter for 3 minutes, and hoped for the best. By this point in the trip, I simply felt too exhausted to unpack the tripod. The yellow dot on the far rim is the North Rim Lodge, the point where the adventure began three days prior. The white dots toward the bottom are hikers just starting up the trail from Indian Garden Campground.

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 18mm, f/16.0, 3m

Spent

2011-07-12T04:55:00.000-07:00

Exhausted hikers receive a welcome reprieve from hiking when they reach Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon. Phantom Ranch offers hot meals, shade, cold beer, air conditioning - a veritable oasis in the middle of the desert.

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 12mm, f/16.0, 1/10

Stumped

2011-07-11T04:55:00.000-07:00

On our first night in the park, we watched a great light show as the sun set on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 18mm, f/16.0, 1/15

Bright Angel Trail

2011-07-10T04:55:00.000-07:00

The Bright Angel Trail provides the easiest access to the inner canyon for those who only want to spend a little time below the rim. We used the Bright Angel Trail as our route up from the bottom to the South Rim.

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 12mm, f/16.0, 1/25

Mule Train

2011-07-09T04:55:00.000-07:00

Hiking on the Bright Angel Trail leads to occasional encounters with mule trains ferrying people and gear between the rim and Phantom Ranch. The mules own the right of way on the trail.

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 12mm, f/16.0, 1/60

Coconino

2011-07-08T04:55:00.000-07:00

A mere ¾ mile down the North Kaibab Trail, hikers find a great spot to rest and take in the view. This vantage point provides a great view of the canyon and glimpses of the trail some four or five miles distant. Only 6¼ miles remain from here to the first night's rest for most hikers.

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 12mm, f/16.0, 1/50

Camp

2011-07-07T04:55:00.000-07:00

Our second night below the rim of the canyon, we spent camping along Bright Angel Creek near its confluence with the Colorado River. The ice-cold waters served well to numb aching knees and feet.

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 12mm, f/16.0, 1/100

Sunset on North Rim

2011-07-06T04:55:00.000-07:00

The first night on the North Rim, we hiked the short (1.2 mile) distance from the campground to the lodge for dinner. The trail skirts the rim of the canyon and we were treated to a great light show as the sun went down for the evening.

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 18mm, f/16.0, 1/15

Anchor

2011-07-05T04:55:00.000-07:00

All along the North Kaibab Trail, we found anchors left behind years ago. I suppose a chat with a park ranger would be in order if we wanted to know their true purpose.

Nikon D40, Tokina 12-24mm at 24mm, f/16.0, 1/40

Pink

2011-05-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

The wife's new S1300 has a macro setting. It doesn't do too badly but the depth of field is pretty minimal. With some cropping...or just better composition to begin with...this mode could be very useful.

Nikon S1300, f/3.2, 1/400, ISO 200

Tropicana

2011-05-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

The wife picked up a new toy recently. She snagged herself a point-n-shoot to tote through the Grand Canyon with her next month. I took it out today to play around with it and see what it could do. Other than the blown highlights in the upper corners, I liked this shot. I have a couple others I might post in the next few days as well.

No editing - as shot in camera.

Nikon Coolpix S3100, f/3.2, 1/25, ISO 500

Remembered

2011-03-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

The cemetary at Taos Pueblo

I converted the image to B&W, applied Sepia Toning, boosted the contrast a bit, and sharpened things up

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 38mm, f/13.0, 1/80, ISO, 200

Twisted Sandstone

2011-03-28T04:55:00.000-07:00

The sandstone walls of Antelope Canyon

I used a layer mask to recover some detail originally lost in the shadows. After that, I sharpened things up, used the Color Balance tool to warm things up closer to what I remembered from our visit there, and then scaled things down to size.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 22mm, f/9.0, 1/2, ISO 200

Sunrise From The Rim

2011-03-25T04:55:00.000-07:00

After seeing the sun set over the western half of the canyon, I woke early to catch the sun rising over the eastern half. The show lived up to my expectations.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 42mm, f/4.5, 1/1250, ISO 200

Grand Canyon Sunset

2011-03-24T04:55:00.000-07:00

Walking along the rim of the canyon at sunset always provides great opportunities for capturing the deep colors the canyon has to offer

Even though I had forgotten to reset the f-stop after shooting a couple point of view shots, I still like how this photo turned out. I recovered some shadow detail using a quick mask, sharpened things up a small bit, and then scaled the image down to size.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 24mm, f/4.0, 1/200, ISO 200

Blue Skies

2011-03-18T04:55:00.001-07:00

During a recent traverse of Turtlehead Peak, as I descended the traditional route, I grabbed this shot of the wispy clouds above Turtlehead Peak towering a seemingly unreachable height above me. One of the best hikes in the Red Rock NCA leads up to this peak though it is not for the faint at heart.

I did no editing on this shot other than to sharpen it a bit and scale it down to a size suitable for sharing.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/250

Grassy Hillside

2011-03-18T04:55:00.000-07:00

The stream from the La Madre Spring pours from beneath the heavy grasses growing in the canyon above White Rock Hill. A trail follows the stream up the canyon to the remnants of a miner's cabin

The only editing I applied to this shot was to boost the contrast a small bit and then warm the image using the Color Mixer tool before sharpening things up a tad.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/125

Rolling Hills

2011-03-17T04:55:00.000-07:00

From the saddle between locally named Livestock Hill and Kraft Mountain, you can look past the Calico Hills, Blue Diamond Hill, the Bird Springs Range, and points farther south

I converted this shot to B&W using the Color Mixer and then applied a Sepia toning to it before increasing the contrast a bit and sharpening things up.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 22mm, f/9.0, 1/200

Sunrise over Calico Hills

2011-03-16T04:55:00.000-07:00

During a recent hike in the Calico Basin area just outside the Red Rock NCA, I turned back to judge my distance and speed. I stopped to grab this shot of the basin with the sun just beginning to rise and color the landscape.

In editing, I sharpened things up and then boosted the color a bit by decomposing the image to LAB components and then duplicating the A & B layers, setting the duplicates to Overlay mode & applying a nice curve to the L layer, after which I recomposed the image.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 22mm, f/9.0, 1/50

Mountain Stream

2011-03-15T04:55:00.000-07:00

The stream that runs down the canyon from the La Madre Spring disappears and reappears among the heavy grass growth in the canyon. Hiking up to the remnants of the miner's cabin, one criss-crosses the stream frequently, even leaving you standing atop a 20-ft waterfall at one point.

I loaded this photo into Gimp twice, once as shot in camera and once with the exposure adjusted to bring out the clouds in the sky a bit more. I blended the two together and played with the Curves tool until I found the contrast I wanted.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 22mm, f/9.0, 1/100

Spring Color

2011-03-14T04:55:00.000-07:00

Fall may bring vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows to the trees but I have always like the first hint of color in Spring, Mother Nature letting us know that winter has passed and new beginnings are near.

I didn't do much editing to this photo other than tweaking the white balance a bit to provide some warmth to the shot seemed a bit washed out when I first looked at it. Other than that, just some standard sharpening and scaling the image down to share.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 69mm, f/9.0, 1/125

Morning Traffic

2011-02-18T04:55:00.000-08:00

After a 7-mile jaunt around White Rock Hill, my progress home slowed for a few moments, impeded by the traffic jam created as a group of wild burros made their morning commute.

I applied a small bit of sharpening and a Curves adjustment to bring down the glare on the road. No other edits.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 200mm, f/9.0, 1/250, ISO 200

Turtlehead Peak

2011-02-16T04:55:00.001-08:00

When we stopped about halfway up Turtlehead and I grabbed yesterday's shot, I turned to put the camera away before continuing up the hill. I couldn't resist grabbing this shot of our destination just starting to catch the rising sun before I did so, though.

No editing other than scaling down to size.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/50, ISO 200

Soft Light

2011-02-15T04:59:00.000-08:00

We started up Turtlehead Peak just as the sun began to light the sky. About a mile up the hill, we paused to consider our route and I grabbed this shot of the canyon at Red Rock NCA.

The day being hazy, I needed to run a local contrast mask on the image to remove the haze. I ran it twice. I then used the Curves tool to remove a color cast. Lastly, I sharpened things up and scaled everything down to size.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 24mm, f/9.0, 1/150, ISO 200

The Miner's Canyon

2011-02-14T04:55:00.000-08:00

About a quarter mile past (and 450 ft above) the miner's cabin near the La Madre Spring is the marker for the miner's last resting place

I converted the photo to B&W and applied a silver gelatin toning sample. I then played with the Curves tool until I had the contrast I wanted. Next I opted to add a simulated grain pattern as I felt it fit well with the scene. Lastly, I scaled the image down to size.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/125, ISO 200

Harsh Landscape

2011-02-13T04:55:00.000-08:00

After choosing to battle the talus slopes above the Redstone Dunes parking area at Lake Mead NRA, I found this view from the saddle just below Redstone Peak. The landscape around Lake Mead can feel quite alien at times.

I converted this shot to B&W, applied a Sepia toning, boosted the contrast, and ran a local contrast mask over everything. I finished up by sharpening the edges and then scaling it down to size.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/1000, ISO 200

Pyramid Peak Sunrise

2011-02-12T13:51:00.001-08:00

From the top of Mystery Cairn Peak, looking east towards Little Pyramid Peak as the sun rises over the mountains on the Arizona side of the lake

This is as shot in camera - no editing other than a small bit of sharpening after scaling down to size

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/500, ISO 200

Hoodoo View

2011-02-09T04:55:00.000-08:00

Driving from Antelope Canyon to Zion, we detoured across the mountain to bring us to Cedar Breaks National Monument. Cedar Breaks features hoodoos similar to those found a few miles up the road at Bryce Canyon. As we ventured towards one of the scenic viewpoints, this view past the ranger shack down into the canyon caught my eye.

In post, I first sharpened the image a bit. Next, I converted the image to B&W using the Color Mixer tool before toning it with a palladium sample palette. I liked the retro postcard feel, so I enhanced that by adding a simulated grain pattern. Finally, I scaled the image down to upload size.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 28mm, f/9.0, 1/640, ISO 200

Great White Throne

2011-02-08T04:55:00.000-08:00

After sloshing through the Virgin River as it winds its way through the narrows of Zion, the mile walk back to the shuttle treats hikers to a great view of the Great White Throne.

The only editing I did for this one was a bit of sharpening, slight tweaking with the Curves tool, and scaling the image to upload size.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/100, ISO 200

Canyon Rim

2011-02-07T04:55:00.000-08:00

The rim of the canyon towers high above the Virgin River, letting very little sun reach the canyon floor

This image is as shot in camera - no editing other than scaling to upload size.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/250, ISO 200

River Crossing

2011-02-01T04:55:00.000-08:00

A hiker crosses the Virgin river in the narrows at Zion National Park. Walking on those boulders has been compared to walking on greasy bowling balls. Fun!

In post, I played with the Curves tool for quite some time to try and bring up the shadows without blowing out the highlights. I sharpened things up and brought up the contrast a bit before scaling it down and uploading it.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/50, ISO 200

Into The Clouds

2011-01-20T04:55:00.000-08:00

As I walked along the road leading from the former ranch at Spring Mountain State Park towards the sandstone peaks lying just to the west, clouds rolled in over the hills and it started to rain. I grabbed a shot of the heavier rain up in the hills before turning back and jogging to the relative dryness of the Jeep.

In processing, I used the Channel Mixer to convert the shot to B&W and then toned it using a Sepia toning sample. I sharpened the edges a touch and scaled it down to size. That's it!

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/80, ISO 200

Mountain Silhouette

2011-01-15T04:55:00.000-08:00

I like silhouette photographs, the void allowing the viewer's imagination to sort of "fill in the blanks" as it were. This scene is from Bear Creek Canyon in Colorado, just west of Denver. As I drove home from Central City, up in the mountains, I decided to detour through Bear Creek Canyon for a change of scenery. The sun set, and about halfway through the canyon I was treated to this view. One of the few times I carried my camera up the hill with me, I pulled to a stop and grabbed the photo.

The only editing I performed was to convert the shot to B&W, give it a dose of selenium toning, and tweak the curves to bring out the contrast. Scaled it down and uploaded it.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 55mm, f/4.8, 1/20, ISO 200

Marina Sunrise

2011-01-14T04:55:00.000-08:00

The Lake Mead Marina is a great place to catch the sunrise. You practically get the the place to yourself, other than a few fishermen who might be launching their boats on the ramp. The colors always impress and I find it very relaxing to stand on the dock while watching the sun come up. Of course, having a camera on hand makes things just that much better!

Editing this one provided a couple challenges. This was taken when I still shot in JPEG instead of RAW. There were artifacts everywhere and, due to the long exposure, a few hot spots in the sky. Cloning those out was a pain but I think I managed to get most, if not all, of them. Other than than, just some standard sharpening and playing with the Curves tool to get the contrast I wanted. Scaled down and uploaded to finish things off.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/18.0, 3 second exposure, ISO 200

Downstream

2011-01-13T04:55:00.000-08:00

During one of the early hikes I found when I first moved to Vegas years ago, we found ourselves walking along the Colorado River just below the Hoover Dam. We came across these canoeists paddling downstream in the midday sun. Downstream from where I grabbed this shot is an area where you can rent canoes, kayaks, etc. and paddle nearly 10 miles upstream - nearly all the way to the base of the dam.

I thought the image to be a bit harsh, feeling overly sharp as some digital images do. I softened the image by duplicating the layer and applying a large Guassian Blur to the new layer. I then moved the new layer to the bottom of the stack and set the opacity of the top layer to something near 45% which had the desired effect. After that, I only scaled the image down to posting size and uploaded.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 55mm, f/4.0, 1/1000, ISO 200

Walking the Dog

2011-01-12T04:55:00.000-08:00

A guest photo, taken by the wife, during a hike in the La Cienega area west of Santa Fe. Stanley, the overly expensive free dog, frequently joined us on hikes while we lived in Santa Fe and Denver. He was a good dog.

I used the edge sharpening technique I've come to rely on recently - so far as sharpening of images goes, I find the results of sharpening the edges in the image to provide better results than arbitrarily applying an Unsharp Mask or Sharpen tool. After sharpening, I used the Color Mixer tool to correct the white balance. The last edit was to use the Contrast/Brightness tool to give the image a bit more pop than what came out of the camera, which felt a bit washed out.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 35mm, f/9.0, 1/320, ISO 200

Bellagio Reflection

2011-01-11T04:55:00.000-08:00

I recently decided my growing collection of photos needed a bit more organization. I messed around until I developed a workflow that I can live with in iPhoto and then started retrofitting things to the shots I've taken over the last several years. The upsides are that I should be able to more easily find things when I want and I get to become reacquainted with photos I've managed to forget. The downside, of course, is that this process is all too time consuming. Still, I enjoy taking a new look at photos I've previously dismissed.

In that vein, I came across this photo I took while visiting the Conservatory at the Bellagio a few years back. Decked out for Chinese New Year, the display included glass balls floating on a koi-filled pond. The highly reflective balls gave me a chance to shoot the ornaments hanging overhead without needing to point my camera directly into the sun. After looking at it for a few moments, I decided I liked it and would share.

I did no editing on this shot other than to scale the image down to posting size and sharpen it slightly to clean things up.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at175mm, f/7.1, 1/5, ISO 200

Still River Waters

2011-01-10T04:55:00.000-08:00

Another shot of the Colorado River taken below the Hoover Dam. When I first looked at this shot full-screen after getting home, I immediately thought it would look great in B&W. Once I started editing and playing around with the various toning samples, I finally settled on the bluish tones of the Cyanotype sample if for no other reason than it was the most pleasing when I viewed it full-screen.

The only editing, in that regard, was to convert the image to Black & White using the Color Mixer tool and then colorize it using the Color Map tool. After that, a little tweak using the Curves tool to generate a nice 'S' curve and accentuate the contrasts a bit before scaling the image down to posting size and running a quick Unsharp Mask to clean everything up before uploading.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 70mm, f/4.5, 1/100, ISO 200

Colorado River Reflection

2011-01-09T04:55:00.000-08:00

A hike to the hot springs in Arizona just south of the Hoover Dam takes you alongside the Colorado River for a few hundred yards. I grabbed this shot of the mountains reflecting in the relatively still waters of the river as we hiked by. I love the colors that came out through the water.

The only editing I did for this shot was to sharpen the edges as I first described in the post about the shot of the moon over Red Rock NCA. The only other operation was to scale the image down to posting size and upload.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 105mm, f4.8, 1/100, ISO 200

Rocky Canyon

2011-01-08T04:55:00.000-08:00

Another from a recent trip to Red Rock NCA.Red Rock provides plenty of opportunity for boulder hopping or scrambling activities. I spend hours following washes like this one up the various side canyons in search of routes to the dozens of peaks that surround the Red Rock wash.

The only things I did to this post were use the Levels tool to tweak the white balance a bit and then run the Unsharp Mask to tighten everything up a bit before scaling it down to size for posting.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/60, ISO 200

Morning Hike

2011-01-07T04:55:00.000-08:00

On a recent hike in Red Rock NCA, I turned back to check on the progress the wife was making. I grabbed this shot of her crossing the desert just as the morning sun was beginning to warm us up. I'm not completely happy with this shot because I failed to realize I had left the lens set at f/4.0 after shooting some closeups the last time I had the camera out. Had I had the lens at f/9.0 or f/11.0, this shot would be much better.

In post, I used the Color Mixer tool to bring out the blues in the sky. I sharpened everything up as best I could by sharpening the luminosity channel using the same method as I did for my shot of the moon the other day.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/4.0, 1/200, ISO 200

Seasonal Stream

2011-01-06T04:55:00.000-08:00

Making my way down the canyon, I hopped from boulder to boulder in an effort to remain dry. Along the way, I grabbed this shot of the seasonal stream I attempted, and sometimes failed, to avoid. This same wash will be bone dry within a month...at least until the snow runoff in the Spring.

This shot required very little effort to bring out. I used the Color Mixer tool to tweak the white balance and bring the colors closer to what I remembered. I then used the Curves tool to give the scene a little depth before finally using the Unsharp Mask tool to sharpen things up a bit. Lastly, of course, I scaled the image down.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 18mm, f/9.0, 1/15, ISO 200

Unfortunately, Blogger apparently won't allow me to receive notifications of comments unless I turn on comment moderation. I hesitated because I didn't want to moderate comments on this site, but I find myself too forgetful to check comments on a daily basis to see if there is anything I should respond to, so...

Comment moderation is on, if only so I can know when you might have something to say :-/

Wet Day

2011-01-05T04:55:00.000-08:00

After hiking up into Icebox Canyon at Red Rock NCA, taking the dry route along the rim of the wash during the hike up, I opted to follow the seasonal stream along the bottom of the wash on my return down the canyon. I arrived back at the car a bit wet, but it was worth it. I found a small bit of fog hanging in the air at one point. The fog, combined with my inability to keep the lens dry on the boulder-hopping route provided me a view I liked.

In post, I removed some fuzziness using a local contrast mask. Next, I used the Channel Mixer tool to convert to a B&W image. I colorized the image using Sepia tones and then played with the Curves tool until I had a nice 'S' curve that brought out the highs and lows to give me the contrast I wanted. Finally, I scaled the image down and ran a slight Unsharp Mask to clean things up.

Nikon D40, 18-200mm at 27mm, f/9.0, 1/15, ISO 200