Category: Photography

Two Photo Merges

Today I am going to act upon a suggestion from Nelson @ A few images, frozen in time and tell you about the software I use on my photos. I use Corel PaintShop Pro X6 because several years ago I got a copy of PaintShop X4 on closeout and two years later I was able to upgrade to X6 just as cheaply.

I use a simple one click photo fix that allows me to sharpen, brighten and adjust shadows and highlights from one place. I like this option since I do not like fiddling with my photos much. Why? I kind of like them as they are but sometimes you just need to give them a little love. Just saying. On the two below photos I used PaintShop’s HDR photo merge and took them with my Canon SX10is. As some of you know I am just getting into DSLR’s but used the Canon because it has an Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) mode where my  more expensive  DSLR’s do not…..lesson here is if you want to do HDR check the camera you are looking at for this function (AEB). You can do this manually but so far my results, read here stuff I like, is better served with the AEB mode. I use a simple approach at this time and choose one of the six defaults PaintShop presents.  I hope that helps anyone looking at getting into HDR even if just as a way t0o express oneself artistically. I hope you enjoy these two photo merges.

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Another Best Of The Worst

I took my Sony A300 out to test my new-to-me-zoom lens and as is with all thing there is a learning curve. I have to admit I am rushing things. There is just a few things going on in my life right now that can cause one to feel pushed upon but I need to carve out small blocks of time to breathe the wonderment around me. And you do too! As I was walking around our place a slight movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I turned towards the movement and saw something small but pretty cool. It was a tiny Damselfly skipping through the air! I followed it to where it landed and tried to get the A300 to focus on it but it was too small. The camera keep on focusing on the Spotted Jewelweed (for size comparison I might add a Spotted Jewelweed is about the size of an average persons top joint on their pinky finger) and missing the little bugger. So I manually focused this shot and missed the sweet spot a bit. I still like it though and I hope you like another best of the worst.

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Reflections Instead Of Z’s

The Bride and I spent the evening with great friends and survived a major thunderstorm and flash floods to do so. With the storms still lurking about as we drove home I became wide awake and not even close to being ready for bed. What does one do who has bitten by the photography bug do? Dabbles in said pursuit if one can no matter the time of day….or night. I was looking around the lab, aka home office, when I spied some items a top my PC tower . Since one of my weaknesses if finding my place in the light I decided to test drive some new-found ways to get good captures in low light. Here is one I took using a new-to-me Sony Alpha prime lens and messing with the camera’s on-board AB settings.Here is to Reflections Instead Of Z’s. Enjoy.

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Best Worse Picture So Far

As the storms approach I decided to take advantage of the cloud cover proceeding in to get a few shots in. I once again stubbornly grabbed my extension tubes  and camera and went out to give it another try. Well I still am not getting it but in the process I may have taken my best-worse picture so far. This picture is of a Bumblebee face first in a Spotted Jewelweed. You can see it’s front legs holding onto the Jewelweed as one of it back legs seem to be searching for something to grip. Pretty cool stuff even if the shot was way under-exposed and grainy as all get out. I like it!

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Something New And A Little Dew Too

As a budget- restrained individual I try to buy the best I can afford but still not break the bank. I try always to buy local first but sometimes the cost difference does not allow it and I have to order stuff online. An exception is lenses for my camera. I have to try it out first and that dictates it must be local. Well after many attempts using craigslist , most have not been less than positive, I had my faith in youth, humanity and the ability to buy local on craigslist restored this evening in one fell swoop! The young man I contacted actually responded to my inquiry and followed through with what he said he would do. He was one time, that is something new, and was polite and the lenses were as advertised, something new as well. Since I did not get home in time to take a few pics tonight I had to look in the-way-back-files and find something to share. Here is one from last August, I think, taken with my Olympus SP-350 and that much I do actually know. So here is to something new and a little dew too!

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Oh My, What A Fly

I was trying out my new extension tubes on my Sony A300 with a Minolta lens this evening. The Minolta lenses are very difficult to focus using the extension tubes. I also have to “guess” on the shutter-speed as the light meter is not accurate with the tubes on. Here is one I got right of a fly I have never seen before so  I looked it up. It is I believe a Tiger Bee Fly and oh my, what a fly!

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Seeking Shelter From The Rain

I took a little walkabout of our place after the latest rain shower paused till the next wave arrives. I am glad we are getting what I hope will turn be a couple of days of gentle, consistent rain. As I walked along the side field I saw this Bumblebee hanging under the blooms of a plant as if seeking shelter from the rain.

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