Category Archives: Virginia

Nov 28
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Happy Thanksgiving

By | HDR Software, Landscapes, Photography, Topaz Adjust, Topaz Clarity, Topaz Detail, Virginia | No Comments
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 Happy Thanksgiving

I want to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!  I’m very thankful for all of the supporters of my photography, my family and friends!  I would also like to take the time to thank all of the kind people who have helped me along the way of my photographic journey.  Some of these are  Trey Ratcliff   (Stuck In Customs),  Scott Kublin   (HDR Photography Blog),  Varina Patel   (Photography By Varina), Curtis Warwick  (Really Nice Light),   Jon Beard  (JonBeard.com) and the whole Exposure Roanoke Group!

 

Photo Share – “Burn Off”

This one was taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway here in Virginia a few weeks back on a cold and windy morning. I absolutely love landscape photography! There’s just something about getting to a spot, setting up your gear and waiting for the sun to pop up over the horizon that just never gets old!
Topaz Labs Black Friday Event

 

Black Friday Offer

I wanted to let everyone know that Topaz Labs is offering the Complete Collection on sale for $199.99 (normally $379.99) by using the promo code “blackfriday2013”. This is a sweet deal for anyone who’s been thinking about purchasing this software.  You should checkout my reviews of Adjust, Clarity and Restyle for some more information about these products.

Oct 13
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How do you deal with tourists?

By | HDR Photography, Landscapes, Photography, Sony HDR Photography, Sony NEX5N, Topaz Adjust, Topaz Clarity, Virginia | No Comments
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Making The Most Out Of Busy Photographs

Most of the time I try to wait for a clear shot before I take a photograph…. But sometimes that just never works out. Like for example at Monticello a few weekends ago I found a spot and waited and waited some more… after a few minutes I could see a pattern to the flow of visitors and I decided to shoot a few different shots and hope for the best. I didn’t carry my tripod into the house because only a bag of certain size is allowed… so I did these handheld.  First set of brackets I shot had people on the left side of the fish pond but the front of the house was pretty clear.

I knew I had to get a shot with the pond reflection clear so that’s what I waited for with my second set….

So now I had the whole pond clear of people well… sort of.. I had to use the left half from one and the right half from other. You may be asking the question how did you use these two sets when they are obviously from different angles. I layered them in Photoshop and applied a black mask to one of the layers, taking the white brush I masked a section big enough to see on top of the other layer. Then selecting the move tool I aligned the images based on the location of the house, pond etc.

Dealing with the people in the field and the rail towards the right side of the house took more work using the cloning tool to remake the railings from one just like it on the lest side of the house. 🙂

So remember sometimes you just can’t get a clear shot but doesn’t always mean you can’t get the shot you want!

Oct 06
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In The Cellar

By | Photoshop, Sony NEX5N, Topaz Clarity, Virginia | No Comments
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The Monticello Cellar

This past weekend we visited Moticello in Charlottesville, VA. The leaves are starting to change colors but we’ve still got a ways to go yet. I have a few fall spots I want to visit soon!

I grabbed a few good shots on this trip : ) like this one which I captured in the cellar located beneath Monticello. This one was edited using Photoshop, Topaz Clarity and Topaz Black and White Effects.

Sep 07
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Playing Around With Multiple Exposures

By | Canon 6D, Light Painting, Photography Blog, Virginia | No Comments
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Shooting Multiple Exposures Canon 6D

I just got my Canon 6D back from Canon Professional Services and I have to say the level of service I received was even better than I expected! The repairs were done super fast the communication was spot on and they fixed my camera under warranty for free! Once I had the camera back I wanted to go out and test it right away so I took a trip up to Mill Mountain in Roanoke, VA and decided to shoot a multiple exposure image, first shot was the star then turned around and positioned this star over the city below. Editing was very simple adjusted the blacks slightly in Lightroom and did some cleanup to remove a sign on the lower left in Photoshop CC. (Note to self remember to check the settings in your camera after repairs… mine was set back to jpg and not raw)

Purchase A Print Of This Photo

 

Aug 28
0

Sunset On The Tracks – Roanoke, VA

By | Canon HDR Photography, Canon T2i, HDR Photography, HDR Software, Lightroom 4, Photography, Photomatix, Topaz Adjust, Topaz Detail, Virginia | No Comments
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Photographing Downtown Roanoke, VA

This past Sunday I had the pleasure to walk around and photograph the city of Roanoke, VA with some members from Exposure Roanoke.  Exposure Roanoke is a local meetup group who host numerous events for photographers of all skill levels, from hikes to photographing people in need. If you’re interested in photography you should definitely check them out!

 

Photo Share – Sunset On The Tracks

My Canon 6D is off to CPS for repairs…. so for this walk I was using my trusty Canon T2i, which by the way I just replaced with a Canon 60D this week (thanks to B&H Photo for the awesome deal! *body only $599 until Aug 31st*)    I might miss the old camera… it’s the one I cut my teeth on and learned after so many mistakes and not once did it let me down….
Sunset captured from the Martin Luther King Bridge in downtown Roanoke, VA