Moonlight at Dusk

We see snow as white in almost all light conditions just because that is what our brain is telling us the color should be, then we take a shot and see the color as the camera does. Sometimes that color works to create the mood we have envisioned, other times it doesn't. This night shot was taken recently and blue snow bothered me. Using the split filter in Lightroom I desaturated the snow making it white. 

Looking for Night

I went out last night looking for the fabled meteor shower and we saw lots of meteors but none went through the frame.  I was in southern MN and ground light is everywhere with each farm having a security light and the closely spaced towns.  This was shot earlier at the cabin and shows the city lights of the north Metro, 60 miles away.  I'm still experimenting with white balance in these mixed lighting situations.  On some I like 2500K, this was about 3800K.

The Digital Sketchbook

I often talk about doing a digital sketchbook when teaching.  The idea is that a subject attracts my attention for a reason that is not readily apparent but through a visual exploration the reason eventually is found.  Last week this image was the final result of a sketchbook.  I lost count of the time and number of sketches during the process, part of the joy of photography. The starting image is below. Technical: no cropping, saturation -57.

Smith's Rock State Park

This shot was taking after a great hike around one of the most popular sport climbing locations in Oregon. As one of afraid of heights I looked down more than up and took this shot. The larger rock is interpreted as heavier by the brain and anchors the image while the smaller stones lead me to the top of the image. Technical: Taken handheld with a Canon Elph. What is the difference between the two shots, a saturation or exposure adjustment? Answer: The larger shot is 1/2 stop darker which increases the color saturation of the water's color.

Before and After

Before

After

Black and white conversion of a monochromatic silhouette using the local adjustment brush in Lightroom to open the of goose and slightly darken the water.  Some days you just have to play on the computer.