by Judy | Oct 24, 2009 | Fine Art & Stock, Uncategorized
The fall foliage season begins on Long Island in mid-late October, and can last into mid-November, or even later weather doesn’t bring heavy windy rain storms too early. The blaze of color we enjoy as we commute to work is certainly a treat for the eyes, but capturing such beauty in compelling images can be a bit of a challenge. The reds tend to over-saturate and even blow out if they are over-exposed even slightly, and the even the yellows can be difficult in strong light. So, to play it safe under-expose your images by 1/3 – 1/2 stop (use your exposure compensation setting), and in some cases even a full stop of the negative EV is warranted.
Another technique to help your colors really pop is to use a polarizer. This is usually used to remove reflections on water and in glass, but it also helps accentuate the blue of the sky and the reds and yellows of the leaves.
After getting the exposure properly set, watch for your composition next. It is very easy to miss the stray power line, or car roof in our haste and excitement to capture the photo. So, check the edges of your image to make sure there is nothing that would detract from the photo when you print it out.
If it turns out Mother Nature has dropped the leaves before you were able to get out and shoot, all is not lost. Look for carpets of fallen leaves along paths and on grassy areas. These will make lovely backdrops to a still life of harvested bounty such as Indian Corn, mini pumpkins and hay bales. If you can’t find a carpet of leaves, look for colorful stragglers that you can zoom in close on. If you light it from the side (easy to do as the sun sets), the texture of the leaf will add interest to the photo.
Do you have favorite Fall Foliage images to share? Post a link to your gallery in the comments section. Happy shooting!
Lake Maratooka, Mattituck
Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon
Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon
Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon
Maratooka Lake, Mattituck
Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon
by Judy | Jul 6, 2009 | Fine Art & Stock
This holiday weekend brought an extra special reason for me to celebrate, for after literally years of trying to capture a breeding pair of American Oyster Catchers who nest at my favorite beach-Gilgo on Long Island-I finally was in the right place at the right time, with my camera in my hand.
These birds are unique looking shorebirds. They are about the size of a seagull, with yellow stilt-like legs about 6 inches long, and a long orange beak that they use to dig in the soft sand looking for, well, oysters, and other sand-dwelling crustaceans. In flight they are just as distinctive with a hooting, laughing kind of call that demands your attention. A very dear friend has admired them for several years, as he would often share the same tidal flats while clamming in Orient. I have been hoping to capture a usable image so I could convert it to a digital watercolor for him to enjoy.
And here are my results:
This was a photo that I processed in Photoshop, using filters and patterns. If you would like to know more about how, just send me an email and I’ll give you some pointers to start you off. Hard to believe it started out as photo, isn’t it?
by Judy | May 23, 2009 | Fine Art & Stock, Uncategorized
Life is crazy these days and I don’t often get a chance to just “go for a ride,” but last week Arty and I went looking for mating horseshoe crabs at sunset, and although we came up empty on the horseshoe crabs, we caught a gorgeous sunset over the Long Island Sound.
I was grateful for the anti-shake feature on the Sony A700, which allowed me to snap a couple shots without the tripod. Here is one with a few minor tweaks made in Lightroom. I really just appreciated the beautiful colors. Such a palette often provides a starting point for colorizing a promo piece. Serene and peaceful despite the dramatic color, don’t you think?
by Judy | May 9, 2009 | Fine Art & Stock
Every time there was rainy day in April, my father, the king of corny jokes, loved to remind me of the old saying “April showers bring May flowers,” but he would then add “and what do May flowers bring?” Of course, by the time I was 10, I knew the answer, but that didn’t stop him from announcing his punch line with a broad smile and deep chuckle-“Mayflowers bring Pilgrims!”
Thanks for the history-botany-climate lesson Dad.
But he was right, those rainy April days were more bearable knowing that in just a few weeks, the flowers of May would be in full bloom, and May is the blooming time for one of my favorites-Lily of the Valley. Small little flowers they are, but on a damp morning, the garden would be redolent with their bright fresh sweet scent.
These lily of the valley must have been a family favorite, because my aunt, Dad’s elder sister, grew them prolifically in her own garden. When she retired and sold the house, I managed to acquire a few of the pink varieties. They smell just as nice, but seem to have a special glow in the setting sun. Don’t you think?
Lake Maratooka, Mattituck
