Blitherings – Page 149 – Ink, Yarn & Beer

One Bright, Sunny Morning at Mugu Rock

Although I have lived along the California coast most of my life, I don’t really get out to see it often. I am not sure why. However, my friend, The Nikon Hit Man, knows the coast well – he has been fishing it for many years. We decided to do a photoshoot, but the fact is, it really was more of a time to just hang out together and chat about photography.

Below Mugu Rock 4 - Prelim (1 of 1)

Overall, the day was a bust for pictures as the sun was not with us – getting to the beach in the later morning is not conducive to the best photographic light. This is when the miracle – or curse – of post-processing comes in. These were taken around Mugu Rock, which sits on the coastline along the Pacific Coast Highway, north of Malibu, south of Oxnard. If you have been in the area, you cannot miss it. The best part of all were the big waves, remnants of a hurricane somewhere in the Pacific.

Below Mugu Rock 3 (1 of 1)

Drab pictures can be made more interesting, naturally, or pushed to extremes for drama and (artistic?) impact.

Below Mugu Rock 4 - Final HDR

I’ll leave you to choose . . .

Landscape @ 85

With some available time before work, went out with my 85mm lens to work on landscape, simply because it is not the normal landscape lens. It’s hard. I expect I will do some more later on.

Panorama Study 1 BW — Panorama Study in B&W

Metamorphosis of a Photo

Along the Las Llajas Trail (2 of 6)

I just spread out my mosen – planning on some sumi-e – but while it flattens out after dampening, and ironing – I am rummaging through some older pictures from hikes this summer. One hike which produced dramatic skies was earlier this year – just last month?!?!? – along the Las Llajas trail in Simi Valley. The picture above is straight out of the camera. Sky exposure was great; the lower portion is way too dark.

This next one is just lightened up in LR using different techniques. Not too interesting.

Along the Las Llajas Trail (4 of 6)

This next one is the raw file exported from LR 5.6 to Photomatix Pro – some putzing, not too horrible overall. Still, not quite to my liking.

Along the Las Llajas Trail (3 of 6)

Finally, black and white processing using LR and Silver Efex Pro 2. It works best, in my opinion, but the bottom portion of the picture, in the sand, could still use some help.

Along the Las Llajas Trail (1 of 6)

It never ceases to amaze me how we can manipulate photos on the computer.

What do you think?

On the Way Home

Beach Grass 2 Ducks 1 Kayaks Mushroom-2 Mussel Shell Rialto Beach Panorama

Our trip through the Olympic Peninsula is winding down. We will be home in a couple of days. We have seen incredible countryside, ocean scenery, eaten wonderful food, made new friends, and seen some good friends. What a wonderful trip!

Blackberry Blossom Sea Stacks 4 Tide Pool 1 (1 of 1) Toward the Sky

Enchanted Forest

Old Tree and Moss

The Pacific Northwest is a wonderful place. The rain forests are unbelievable to someone like me, from the woods of the Midwest and the chaparral-covered hills of California.

Toward the Sky

The Trees at Second Beach 1

Trees in the Northern Rainforest 1_tonemapped

This is on the way to Second Beach, just north and west of Forks, Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula.