Roll With It

August 5, 2020
by Michael Scandling
comments 13
Abstract / California / Impressionism / Inspiration / Photo Log / Photography / Seascapes

Note: If you are seeing this in an email, please click on the blog title in the body of the email. Your web browser will take you to the actual blog where pictures always look much better.

DSC03025_M_DxO11FMLFC1Blog

December 6, 2013. Sonoma County, California.

This shot had been and also-ran from a shoot that has produced a couple of other pictures that I’ve posted here. It just seemed that it was too much like another one that got a lot of attention. But, as has been happening fairly frequently, I saw it with different eyes last night. This is a distillation.

As with my last post, tonal balance was a challenge, but I believe all the pixels ended up happy.

(Sony RX-100. RAW processing and initial editing in DxO PhotoLab 3.3; Final editing in Adobe Photoshop.)

Moonlight Mile

August 3, 2020
by Michael Scandling
comments 23
Abstract / Impressionism / Inspiration / Photo Log / Photography / Seascapes

Note: If you are seeing this in an email, please click on the blog title in the body of the email. Your web browser will take you to the actual blog where the picture will look much better.

IMG_1330_DxO11FC1FlBlog

July 10, 2010. San Gregorio Bluffs, San Mateo County, California — and last night in my office.

This is an impossibly small crop of a much larger frame — a starting point for an imaginary stroll on walkable water.

I was going to post this last night, but it wasn’t ready. This is a picture where every nuance counts. An adjustment of just one click plus or minus in vibrancy or color balance or layer blending made a visible difference. Everything is poised on the head of a pin. Had to sleep on it. Glad I did. A few changes in the morning finally resulted in a smile for both me and the Muse.

(Canon G5X II. RAW processing and initial editing in DxO PhotoLab 3.3; Final editing in Adobe Photoshop.)

Mystery Mountain

August 1, 2020
by Michael Scandling
comments 21
Abstract / California / ICM / Impressionism / Inspiration / Landscape / Photo Log / Photography

_DSC2960_4_DxO11FBlog

July 12, 2020 — Marin County Headlands, California

I did a lot of ICM pans while waiting for the comet NEOWISE to appear over Mount Tamalpais on July 12. The RAW file of this shot had been sitting in archives since then, several times passed over as an also-ran. Today I saw it with new eyes. It had potential.

Every single element took part in the slow pixel dance, changing color, tone, and contrast relationships with their partners many times over. Eventually each one found its place. While I was working, the computer’s fan turned on every now and then, sounding like a gentle breeze blowing through the native grass and coastal scrub.

While yesterday’s picture was a very small crop of its original frame and was ready after about a half hour of processing, this one is the full frame with no crop other than about one degree of straightening — and about two and a half or three hours of processing until we all agreed this was no longer a loosely organized bunch of pixels, but truly a picture.

It proofs nicely at 20 by 30 inches (51 x 76 cm) and can grow to more than twice that size with no ill effect

(Nikon D850, Nikon 24-120mm f/4G VR. ISO 64, 6 seconds at f/4. 10-stop neutral density filter. RAW processing and initial editing in DxO PhotoLab 3.3; Final editing in Adobe Photoshop.)

Archway

July 29, 2020
by Michael Scandling
comments 18
Impressionism / Inspiration / Photo Log / Photography / Positivity

Note to email subscribers: To get a far better look at the picture, open the email and then click on the title of the blog and you’ll be taken to the actual blog website. It’s always a much more satisfying view when you do this.

_DSC3592_DxO11FC1Blog

July 27, 2020 — San Francisco Bay Area, California

Arches are inclusive. Arches form bridges, not walls. Even the most delicate arch can form the strongest structure.

(Nikon D850, Nikon 24-120mm f/4G VR. RAW processing in DxO PhotoLab 3.3; Editing in Adobe Photoshop.)

What’s This?

July 28, 2020
by Michael Scandling
comments 19
Abstract / California / Impressionism / Photo Log / Photography

Note to email subscribers: To get a far better look at the picture, click on the title of the blog and you’ll be taken to the actual blog website. It’s always a much more satisfying view when you do this.

_DSC3609_M_DxO11FBlog

July 27, 2020 — San Francisco Bay Area, California

ICM experiment. ISO 64, 1.3 sec at f/9. But what is it?

(Nikon D850, Nikon 24-120mm f/4G VR. RAW processing in DxO PhotoLab 3.3; Editing in Adobe Photoshop.)

There’s a There There

July 27, 2020
by Michael Scandling
comments 29
California / Impressionism / Inspiration / Photo Log / Photography / Seascapes

If you subscribe by email, please click on the blog title after you open the email. You’ll be taken to the actual blog, where the photo reproduction is much better than in the email. It’s always better to do this.

_DSC3482_1_DxO11FC1Blog

July 25, 2020 — San Gregorio Bluffs, San Mateo County, California.

Gertrude said, “There’s no there there.”

Sometimes the less “there” there is, the more “there there” there is.

There, I’ve said it.

Gertrude was obviously thinking of somewhere else.

(Nikon D850, Tamron SP 24–70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2. RAW processing in DxO PhotoLab 3.3; Editing in Adobe Photoshop.)

Light Path

July 25, 2020
by Michael Scandling
comments 28
California / Impressionism / Inspiration / Photo Log / Photography / Seascapes

Note to email subscribers: To get a far better look at the picture, click on the title of the blog and you’ll be taken to the actual blog website. It’s always a much more satisfying view.


IMG_5742_DxO11FCBlog

July 13, 2018. San Gregorio Bluffs, San Mateo County, California.

The bluffs over San Gregorio Beach are a favorite spot for me. They provide a high enough vantage point for me to see far out to sea with an oblique perspective for light play on the surface, and they get me far enough above the water to prevent having too much detail on the water. Sometimes detail is a distraction.

I’ve long been drawn to horizons. Horizontal lines tend to be soothing; vertical lines are jarring. I go for soothing. The horizon, reassuringly lateral and far away helps create a feeling of stability and space. And it’s good to have a feeling of stability and space. Especially in today’s world.

And especially when it’s a dark and moody early evening.

(Canon G7X II. RAW processing in DxO PhotoLab 2.3; Editing in Adobe Photoshop.)

NEOWISE, Take 3 — Third Time’s the Charm

July 22, 2020
by Michael Scandling
comments 30
California / Nature / Photo Log / Photography

_DSC3287_DxO11dnllFC1BlogR

July 21, 2020 — Lake Hennessey, California

Fog all over the Bay Area. Not a star in sight. No hope at all for a comet. We went in search of clear skies further inland and eventually wound up on the shore of Lake Hennessey, which we’d never heard of. A pleasant 62 degrees, clear skies, late-night fishermen, and a hilly horizon. Here’s our catch: Two meteors, the Big Dipper, a whole bunch of stars, a satellite track — and oh yes, the comet with a tiny bit of ion tail visible. All in this one shot.

(Nikon D850, Tamron SP 24–70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2. RAW processing in DxO PhotoLab 3.3; Editing in Adobe Photoshop.)

NEOWISE, Take 2

July 20, 2020
by Michael Scandling
comments 21
California / Photo Log / Photography

_DSC5214_DxO11-dnllFC1Blog

July 19, 2020 — Richmond, California

No dramatic foreground. Mostly a practice shot. Conditions: Not so good. Hazy sky. Thin high clouds. Still, the tiniest wisp of the ion tail shows on my monitor, if not here. Seeking a clear dark sky. San Francisco Bay Area in July doesn’t like to produce such a thing. Tomorrow’s weather forecast looks a little better, however.

(Nikon D500, Tamron SP 24–70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2. ISO 800, f/2.8, 3 sec. RAW processing in DxO PhotoLab 3.3; Noise reduction in Topaz DeNoise AI. Editing in Adobe Photoshop.)

Aluminum Sea

July 13, 2020
by Michael Scandling
comments 27
Abstract / Impressionism / Inspiration / Monochrome / Photo Log / Photography / Seascapes

IMG_1385_DxO11FC1Blog

July 10, 2010. San Gregorio Bluffs, San Mateo County, California.

On my way from Silicon Valley to San Francisco, I decided on the spur of the moment to take the scenic route. Web Cam showed some coastal clouds and I was hoping to get a sun-dappled sea. All I had with me was trusty MiniCam™ — my Canon G5X II. (The best camera is the one you have with you, so have something decent with you. That’s my motto.)

Clouds were insufficient for dappling, but the sea was pretty flat. Shimmering. Nice for Intentional Camera Motion.

The G5X II is very good for its size, but it does have its limitations. It has a built-in three-stop neutral density filter, which is nice but about three stops short of what I needed for ICM. Best shutter speed I could get without unrecoverable overexposure was 1/30. I had to twist fast to get any blur at all, so this is subtle ICM. (It’s also good exercise.)

Off the camera and on the box, the sky above was a mismatch for the streaky sliver below. Squinting at the monitor, the Muse thought the clouds should be softer to play quiet harmony with the sea. She was right.

(Canon G5X II. RAW processing in DxO PhotoLab 3.2; Editing in Adobe Photoshop.)