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The Road Home

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I was driving to work today when I had a sudden thought of somethings to do additionally during my workflow.  My typical shots are handheld, 3 exposures, -2 to +2 and not much time to take them.  Sometimes, when I am in a hurry, I do not have time to capture the entire dynamic range.  One of the problems I have had with HDR processing is having a blown out sun; the center is pure white.  I don’t know about you, but I have never seen a pure white sun devoid of color.  So, enter the clone tool.  I was able to take the edges of the sun and clone them across the white area and blend it back in.

The Road Home

Okay, so this was on the way away from home, not to home…well unless you are traveling the other way and then it would be the road home.  Anyways, I have a fascination with these gates and have begun keeping a series on them.  This was sunrise just a few days ago.  Too bad I don’t get to do this all the time as a real job…maybe some day.

the_road_home

Cartersville

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A few months ago, Scott Bourne and Rich Harrington started Triple Exposure, a neat site covering panoramas, time lapse and HDR.  There’s lots of information over there so go check it out http://3exposure.com/ .  As soon as I am able to, I will upload a panorama I took while in Oregon.  Unfortunately, I pieced it together before some of the tips on that site.  Maybe now, that pesky photomerge will work right.

Downtown C’Ville

I decided the other night to take some time in the major metropolis (hehe) of Cartersville.  This is the view of Jefferson’s on main street.  If you like wings, this is a must visit.  I took several other photos that night and will post them soon.

c'ville

Foggy Sunrise

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probably my favorite times to take photos are at sunrise and sunset.  My day job requires that I am up before dawn almost everyday.  So, on my way to work, I happen to see some of the prettiest sunrises.  Due to my limited time in the mornings, I usually take these handheld instead of with the tripod.  It is amazing I ever make it to work.

It is so humid around here that it has become difficult to take sunset photos.  I can’t wait until this fall.  Sunrise and sunset seem to be more colorful in the fall and winter here.  Is it that way everywhere?

Foggy_Sunrise

Blood Mountain Sunrise

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This was probably one of the most fun sunrise photos I have taken in a long time.  Awake at 0230, on the road at 0300, at the trail-head at 0500.  Began hiking just after 0500 and at the top of Blood Mountain at just after 0600.  Blood Mountain is the highest peak on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia.  We started the hike at approximately 3000 feet and made it to just shy of 4500 feet.  2 miles, 1500 feet and a beautiful sunrise.

Blood_Mtn_Sunrise

Sunset in the Shadows

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Have you ever messed up something that other wise would have gone perfectly according to plan?  Plan, plan again, and then over plan, because those all of those plans will fall apart at first contact.

I decided the other evening to capture some sunset photos.  In my mind, I worked out my plan, including the location and even my sunset shot.  Wonderful you say?  I thought so too…and then, first contact.  I arrived at the location and to my utter astonishment, things just did not line up.

Enter back-up plan number 1.  Why number one?  Because typically two, three or more come after it.

I went to my alternate location and waited… and waited… got a drink and waited some more.  Just before the sunset, I second guessed myself and chose alternate location number 3.  Into the wind the car went and off to location number 3.  I arrived at number 3 to find a vehicle blocking access and a beautiful sunset in the works.  But plan number 4 formed at a rapid pace now and once again the car went into overdrive.  I arrived in time for one shot of the sun sinking below the horizon (photo coming soon) and shortly later this…

Sunset_in_the_Shadows

The Pond

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Is that a miniature tree?  I don’t know.  Maybe that is a giant flower?  Do you see the Cheshire Cat?  Maybe there is an army of cards or the Queen of Hearts is around the corner.  So, do I need to take the red pill or the blue?  Is this all real, or really all?  Do you ever sit around and question why?  Why do we drive on the right side, or is it the left?  Why is green, green–or is it blue to me?

I think the world has lost a very important thing.  Critical thinking.  I am beginning to think my generation was the turning point.  We have been spoon fed everything through the television, internet, etc.

Can you say flash backs to Alice in Wonderland or The Matrix?  Why?  Why did Robert Frost write “The Road not Taken”?  What does it mean?  What is the meaning behind Charles Dickens Oliver Twist?  It is amazing how there can be so many different meanings in classics, but there is nothing in most of what is written today?  Or is it just going to take several hundred years to understand what is being written?  Sometimes I think the word just mean what is written.  In a former life, I wrote poetry.  I shared one with a college professor once and they tried to dig for meaning in it.  But, as the artist I thought “it is what it is”.  Now I am not so sure.

Don’t take anything at face value.  Ask why.

The_Pond

No Admittance

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I love to drive around and look for interesting angles on buildings.  When I came across this, I was amazed at the complexity of the statement here.

Now, not many people will get what is actually being said.  On the face, it just says “No Admittance”.  However, upon close examination…

It says: There is no admittance to this building.  Why, you ask?  Because, if you make it past the vines, then you have to deal with the outrageous amount of rust–let’s just say “tetanus shot”–and we all know what corrosion does, so if you make it to the top of the stairs, after a lengthy trip to the hospital, excruciating lock-jaw, and probably painful recovery, then who knows, this thing may actually fall down…

I’m just saying.

So, now that you made it to the top, assuming it hasn’t fallen yet, you survived the painful lock-jaw, and the vines did not tangle your feet causing you to strike your head on the awful rust covered contraption, (Did I say “tetanus shot” yet?) you must get the door open, keeping in mind that this whole time, it says “No Admittance”.

I wonder why that is there…never mind.

Where was I?  …oh yeah, opening the door, yes.  Now you have to open the door–at least this part is easy.  Right, it’s attached to a brick wall.  Of course you don’t have to worry about that huge gap in the wall just past the door.  Surely the building won’t fall down.  Right?

Okay, now to the second part of the statement on the wall, “Authorized Personnel Only”.  Is it just me, or is there something wrong there too?

“Authorized Personnel”… Who are they?  They must be like superheroes or some such.  Just think, they have to be able to make it past the killer vines, up the rusted, corroded, falling down steps…after a lengthy painful trip to the hospital for an excruciating case of lock-jaw, which most likely took them forever to overcome…and just barely make it back for the final assault on the door, which may not even open, even though it is attached to a brick wall…which they don’t even know will remain standing. …Or did they just go through the gap, which is in the wall of the building, holding the door, that should not fall down.  Right?

Am I the only person who thinks like this, or is there something wrong with me?  Comments related to professional help can be placed in the comments section at the bottom of this post, on my Facebook page–by the way, if were not friends yet, just ask–or both.

I sure hope you were amused by the previous, in depth, evaluation of this photo, but I know what you really want to see is the photo, not what I write.

No_Admittance

If you enjoyed this, like it, digg it, tweet it, stumble it, etc……

Sunrise at the Gate

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It is hard to believe that it could be this beautiful less than a mile from where an EF-3 tornado hit the night before.  I had no idea what damage was just across the horizon.  Literally just across this horizon.  I went to bed at about 2 AM because I had to make sure the last tornado was out of the area.  After I was sure it was clear, I went out to see if anyone in the immediate area needed help.  I would have been much latter going to bed, but unfortunately, I drove away from where the tornado actually hit.  I took some photos from the area I would have gone and will post them later.

I have decided to use Flickr for my gallery at the moment.  Don’t forget to check out that page also.

Sunrise_at_the_Gate

Pleasant Sunrise

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It is so hard to believe that, only about a mile from here, there was a tornado.  I was in the area and saw this beautiful sunrise the morning after.

 

pleasant_sunrise

Winter Wonderland

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I truly love the snow.  I would live in Alaska if I could convince my better half.  However, she is allergic to the cold.  No, really, she is allergic to the cold…hives and all that.  I can just imagine the scenery.  Like the pacific northwest times a hundred.  Oh well.

winter_wonderland

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