All the Ducks in a Row!

After cropping, it became apparent that all of the ducks are in a row, so to speak.  This hazy, overcast day produced very few good pictures.  One final look through finally produced this picture.  The contrast between the duck's body feathers and the water, the reflections, and the wonderful green blue head allows the ducks to pop off the page.  The ducks, about fifty in all, floated lazily, not moving  much and just not working the camera.  Frustration, hours old, led to many waisted shots, lens changes, resetting the camera settings, etc., etc, etc., and do not forget frozen fingers and toes.  But, in the end, even though the shot of the blue crane, swooping down just above the water in the river, is only in memory because of lens changing and turning around seconds to late, the day did produce this fantastic picture.

Ron Martinsen's Photography Blog: PhotoPlus Expo 2012 Trip Report (Part 1 of 2)

Ron Martinsen's Photography Blog: PhotoPlus Expo 2012 Trip Report (Part 1 of 2)

Hurricane Sandy caused some rough seas on Lake Erie, Ohio.  The softness of the waves contradicts the rough waters as huge waves break on shore.  Well composed, this picture includes horizontal as well as vertical lines that tie the picture together.  The limited chunk of land at the bottom anchors the picture, it give the waves a destination to arrive at. 

Played with this picture last night, I like this view...the water is simply amazing! 

 

Hurricane Sandy hits Ohio!  Water, water everywhere.  Mill Creek Park's infamous "Old Mill" located in Youngstown, Ohio, the waterfall is usually much smaller and less wild. Today's picture taking included trying to overcome overcast skies while huddle under a bridge so the equipment would not get wet.  Here the ribbons of water blend into silken flows, cascading over the falls. 

The mill stands proud as it is inundated with water from the rains of Hurricane Sandy.

This particular picture is a favorite and has been edited many times.  After researching information on "sharpening" the gourds now POP off of the page.  Every professional attains a level of knowledge then gets comfortable, many are satisfied with their knowledge base.  For some, there are always new things to learn, one opinion or tip, whether camera settings or editing software skills, that can lead to a whole new archive of photographs.  "Gourds" is far from perfect, however it is beginning to get the "feel" that the eye and heart felt the day it was taken.  Gnarls on the gourds are starting to stand out as they did on the actual gourds, deep oranges and dark greens are anchoring the bright yellows and splashes of white in the stems.  This picture, when finished must get the viewer to feel autumn!

A sunny, autumn day, a lake, an arch bridge, beautiful leaves...reflections of beauty.  This sunny day could not be controlled by any of the filters on hand, brightness everywhere.  Shooting in the midday sun is an issue faced everyday by photographers, and the problem can be solved if the sun is used to enhance the picture.  Look closely to what the sun does to the arch bridge's stones...you can see how alive they become when viewed under bright sunlight!