Tree and Black Diamond

While hiking at Black Diamond I came across this tree with exposed roots that was pretty cool.  I don't think my pictures really do it justice, but a few of the shots came out pretty cool.

The tree is growing through some type of sandstone or rock

Updated: Images shot with my Tamron Ultra Wide Angle lens.

Feeling like Spring

This is a great time of year for Macro photo work. I have a pretty large garden of roses and other types of flowers and as spring approaches I will be taking more a lot photos with my Tamron 90mm lens. All I need are a few bees or ladybugs and I am all set for some fun close up work.

I think one of the hardest things to shoot is a red rows. Preventing over saturation of the color must be some type of fine art, because I can never seem to get it right. Feel free to pass on your own tips.

I took these today from a tripod in the backyard. The sky was overcast which really seemed to help keep the lighting under control. I also lucked out with no wind.  I really hate the wind blowing around the flowers.

Learning to use my ND filter

46 second exposure time

I spent some time taking pictures close to home today.  I picked up a 10Stop ND filter recently and have only had a couple of chances to use it and this seemed like a good subject. The water running down the fountain itself isn't very deep, so it is hard to really get the full impact of the water.

I decided to go with color over B&W to highlight the flowers.

Expect the Unexpected

I always love when I go out to shoot photos and come across something you would never expect. A few classic examples...

While shooting in Livermore I saw an old farm. Deep at the very back was an old barn with a white figure in the doorway.  Zooming in with the Nikon 70-300mm lens and I see a friend flapping in the wind.

I poked my lens into the doorway of an old shack and come across a red post with a odd looking head on top. I still have no clue what that thing is.

Kata 3N1-35 PL Backpack Review

I bought a Kata 3N1-35 PL to replace my LowePro Fastpack 350 camera backpack.

A few key points

1) The padding of the LowePro around the arms and back is much softer and thicker compared to the Kata bag

2) Inside space is about the same actually although the upper storage space in the LowePro is much larger. The lower camera storage space might be slightly larger on the Kata. It does seem deeper.

3) Inside padding is about the same on both bags.

4) Access to the inside of the bag is better in the Kata with openings on both sides

5) The Kata offers many more configurations for shoulder straps

6) Kata comes with a tripod mount. This is a big plus.

7) Kata comes with a rain cover

The last few points are the main reason why I bought the Kata bag. Overall I bet I use both bags at different times.

The LowePro comes with a nice little internal zipper bag as well as memory card slots.

Which bag is better? Very hard to say. I lean slightly toward the LowePro but they both have pro’s and cons overall.

HDR or just Tonemaped?

Tonemapped

Someone asked me recently if the above image was an HDR image or just tonemapped. Sometimes it really is hard to tell. First to answer the question, the above image was tonemapped with the Photomatix Plugin for Aperture. I also used a circular polarizer when I shot the image.

Unedited version of the above image

Tonemapping is a pretty dangerous form of editing. You can easily go way too far and make an image look like a cartoon. For sure it is all about personal taste and I know some people really hate it. I enjoy how it can bring out the clouds and bring out detail in grass and trails.  I try pretty hard to find a good place that allows things to be bright but still realistic.  When it comes to urban exploration images, I really enjoy heavily tonemapped colors.

True HDR Image of Mt. Diablo

The above image was created using a true HDR process. 3 bracketed images were combined and then tonemapped in Photomatix.

Brushy Peak Regional Preserve

This photo was the first one I had published. It was featured in the East Bay Regional Park District activity guide a few months back.

A little Urban Exploration?

Byron Hot Springs

I am not exactly someone who will usually cross the "do not enter" sign, but I had heard a lot of stories about the Byron Hot Springs and really wanted to check it out.  It has seen better days. Today it is a hotspot for graffiti.

If you do visit, you will find a pretty easy gate to cross and then a walk of about a mile down a road that approaches the main site. 

Road just above the main building is surrounded by abandoned cars. Some maintained by the site caretaker

The inside is pretty much gutted and you will not find a lot in the way of furniture or fixtures, but it is still one of the most famous abandoned buildings in the area.

When I visited it was well over 100 degrees outside and I didn't stay very long, which was probably a good thing. I have read that the site has a caretaker with a shotgun and he isn't afraid to point it at you.  You may also want to look out for homeless people or just teens hanging out.

My posted photo set from the Byron Hot Springs

Another great set of photos from the Hot Springs come from Scott Heafner but he took his shots a few years earlier.

Visit at your own risk. 

Marsh Creek hillside

I took this HDR image a few days ago while driving through Brentwood. I have probably past this location 20 or 30 times and had never even noticed the rocks on the hill let alone the trees.  But I had pulled into a small side road to take a photo of the nearby ranch and saw the perfect hill for a picture.

This photo was featured this week by The Digital Visual.

HDR image shot from a tripod and a Marumi Circular Polarizer. Tamron Ultra Wide angle lens. Edited and in Aperture on the Mac.

Tubes and more Tubes

View from each direction at the top of the bridge

Earlier in the winter I was out on a drive out near the delta and came across a very narrow road with these long water pipes (I assume they were water) running parallel with the road. At almost the end of the road we found a bridge just wide enough for a single car. This picture was taken from the top of that bridge.

I love the depth of field and the overall grungy feeling of the sky and fields.  Any other day and it would have just been an ordinary photo. Timing is everything I guess.

Western Railway Museum

This picture is as good as any to post first. I took this on a weekend trip to the railroad museum and was by far my best photo that day.  If you are looking for a great place to shoot photos of trains or even just rust bolts and industrial equipment you should check them out.  Western Railway Museum - Solano County - California

Hello World

I guess this is my first post to this new blog.

About me. I work for an East Bay software company and in my free time I am a landscape photographer with a little urban exploration thrown in.  Most of my photos are taken in in East Bay parks or on the back roads.

I currently shoot with a Nikon D5100 and mostly use a Tamron Ultra Wide Angle lens.  Photos are usually edited with Aperture on the Mac.

I have been shooting photos since high school but only really got serious about a year go with I picked up the Nikon.  I am still learning and building my skills. I once read a quote that your first 10,000 photos are crap. I am just over 5000 on this camera at the time of this writing. I will let you be the judge.

Your feedback and comments are always appreciated.