I'm now selling my photos!!!

I now host galleries of my favorite photos @ www.lloydshell.zenfolio.com Feel free to surf over there to see photo's that may have drifted into the darkest reaches of the archives here on Blogspot.

I also have begun selling my photographs when requested, I can handle most sizes and finishes either locally or via my on-line printing service.

Thanks for looking!

Lloyd
lloydshell@gmail.com

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Labor Day Morning: Rio Grande Depot, Salt Lake City

I normally don't drive when I work uptown, I would much rather ride the train. UNfortunately on labor day, certain groups of people tend to NOT want to work, even when us healthcare workers still need to be there. Have to say that despite the myriad pluses to my career as a PT, working holidays and weekends is a bit of a downer. I mean, REALLY, can't you people stop getting sick or needing surgery for a weekend so we can just shut the place down and take a week off? sigh....

Where was I? Oh yeah, I had to drive to work so I left early and took my camera and tripod. Challenges ensued, were overcome and pictures taken. See below for the shots I liked.






This shot was a LOT tougher than you might think, really had to pick the right exposure to not blow the sign out, and then bring up the shadows like a madman. Sorta like it, a lot!


Sunday, September 21, 2014

Up in the Mountains!

Not sure what it is but droplets of water collecting on things just please me. Hiking with my brother last month I saw these leaves and HAD to stop and take a few shots. Only had my Sigma 17-70 not my macro lens, but I still like what I got. The first one is my favorite, and I spent the most time on it.




My bro.


The skies were kinda nice too!


Oregon Coast!!!!

No place like the Oregon Coast. Lovely scenery and always a LOT cooler than inland.

These trees were right off the path at Hug Point south of Cannon Beach. I (again) had never been there though we had driven past it before. This first shot was edited in camera, the only post processing was adding the frames and watermarks.


This one I messed with in Photoshop, trying to bring up the shadows as much as possible. Kinda think I like the first one....


Desultory shots of Canon Beach, really glad the fog burned off AFTER the two shots above.



Driving back in to Hillsboro I spotted a nice little open space under the trees, I jumped out and shot a bit, but lacking tripod it was hard....




A Bridge Far, Far Away....

It is always fun to take a quick vacation, the problem is, if it is too quick, it becomes less a vacation and more work. To avoid that feeling, one must recreate. For me that means: Photography! My father-in-law wanted me to photograph this bridge near his home. I had lived in the area previously but never knew this was there. Sad.

First: Panorama time. Tougher than it looks, this stitch was mysteriously messing up my computer. Had to take shot or two out on the end. It provides a pretty good overall view of the setting. Supposedly this is the longest wooden trestle bridge still in daily use.


The amount of wood in this thing is unbelievable, and the complexity of the crossmembers awe inspiring.


I wonder how much of it has been replaced over the years to keep it in shape.


Not a visit to Oregon without blackberries in a photo. These things are everywhere.




Looking back as we leave. Pretty area!


What is better than balloons at sunrise?

Hot air balloons have really become a favorite of mine through the years. There is something about them that is just fascinating. The colors, the majesty... sigh... They also work well as a subject for photography, there are multiple points of view that can be approached with varying focal lengths. Take these first two shots for example:

17mm cropped to 4x5 aspect ratio focusing on the colors of the envelope with an accent of the foreground balloon basket.


Then scooting a foot further forward and using a fisheye lens but in landscape orientation, emphasizing now the burners and top of the basket with the colors of the envelope taking a diminished role in the background. If I could have gotten even closer I would have bumped right up to within a foot of the burners to even more dramatically show their textures, but without permission I would not even try.


When this little guy climbed on here I got really excited, still with the fisheye I snapped off some quick shots, and I liked this one the most. I could totally see me doing that as a kid!


Before they let these characters fly away they have a briefing with the head honcho and some of the volunteers. This was a tricky exposure due to the lightening sky over the mountains, I had to get an exposure for the foreground and let the sky blow out.


Switching back to my 17-70 "Standard Zoom" I began searching for the context and detail shots that to me make these balloons so special. This eye is on top of the balloon, only seen while inflating/deflating or flying over. I really need to get on a balloon while it is flying some day!


I LOVE the energy in this shot, I would have loved to use a tripod and 3-5 second exposure and have the people moving but I was all handheld this day.


The roar of the burners is stunning, the heat tremendous, the whole scene fascinating.



Intersecting colors, shapes, textures & the overall vibrancy of this kept me shooting until I got just what I wanted. I don't think I could have done any better in this circumstance. This shot PLEASES me.


Another in the series, I LIKE it, but the landscape orientation above pleases me more.


With the sun now peeking above the mountains, exposure became a hugely challenging experience, at times I have simply bracketed (sprayed and prayed) but wanting to be more precise to my vision, I was much more picky shooting in manual and checking my exposures on the cameras LCD until I achieved what I wanted. Stopping down to f14 also gave me some excellent rays from the sun to add interest.


These next two photos were taken from almost the exact same spot, but framed and exposed differently. (and post processed differently as well.) The first exposed more for the backlit colors of the balloon and less for the sky, in post processing I chose a cooler white balance for a pleasing sky that was "real" and true colors.


This second photo was exposed @ 1/500 sec vs 1/60 of the shot above, the WB was warmer to reflect the warm light of the rising sun and the decreased exposure retained more detail in the sky and gave me a highlight on the balloon rather than full illumination of the balloon, fading to black in the corner. Both work, but I like the second, I like the drama and the feel more.


As a matter of course, with balloons you spend a lot of time looking up.


In this case I think the portrait orientation shot works a little better.


Color, color, color. Shapes. Textures.


Contrasts in framing, a few steps makes the difference between symmetry...


& asymmetry. With the second my favorite. What do you think?


The occasion would not be complete without shooting a little HDR. Very hard to do when balloons are in the air. Kind of crazy when I want something WIDER than a fisheye lens that has a field of view of 180 degrees from corner to corner.


Hope you enjoyed the balloons. Pretty sure I will shoot more of these in the future! ;-)