Found this super big Crane fly outside my bedroom window and pulled out my trusty cell phone for an on the spot portrait. Perfect for a fone friday fotograph. 
And in gritty monochrome, it looks pretty interesting too!
This is a High Dynamic Range image (HDR) of my backyard in North Carolina. We’ve moved back to the midwest but sometimes miss the beauty. I spent many hours planting dozens of plants, laying patio stones and rock paths.
The above image was produced with Nik HDR Efex Pro 2, Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop CS6. I created the version below with Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
Architectural monochrome in beautiful Jacksonville produced with Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
I shot this image a few months back at or local produce market. The texture and natural design features caught my eye. I used my phone camera for this one and enhanced the image using Adobe Photoshop CS6 for modification to add depth and light and dark tones. And finally I added a slight curve and burned some shadows for a more rounded, 3D look.
I decided to move the color version into Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 for this monochrome conversion.
This study in texture was part of my test of a new(used) lens. Those old Nikkors really shine . . . no chromatic aberration, no vignetting and sharp as a tack.
With so much texture, I just had to include this monochrome version.
I’m already missing the ocean. I decided to reminisce about warmer times when I visited this beach in Jacksonville Florida and my first attempts at nine exposure High Dynamic Range photography. For this image, I ended up using only seven of the images since they contained more than enough of the dynamic range needed. And with Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, the monochrome conversion was lots of fun. This one is a higher contrast version.
Monochrome HDR for the fun of it.
A photo from a while back that I took in New Bern, North Carolina. This arcade is full of color, lines and form but I wanted to concentrate on the bold lines with this version. I sometimes like to emphasize the stark contrasts along with extreme geometric design. At least that’s what I’ve tried to do with this High Dynamic Range image.
You can check this 500px link to see my full color version of this shot and my other recently published images.
This photograph was taken while I lived on the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii. I just happened to capture this energetic swimmer on his way to attacking the waves in the late afternoon at Waimea bay on the north shore. Such a beautiful place!!!
Due to a few unforeseen issues, this will be my last post for a while. I hope to continue in the future but am currently not sure what that future holds for my photographic activities. I will still try to load new images into my “Store” at 500px.
For now, I’d like to thank all of those individuals I’ve encountered through this blogging exercise for sharing thoughts and ideas about our love of photography.
