Peggy Gray Bridge at Muriel Hepner Park
Denville NJ January 2019
This scenic stone arched pedestrian bridge was just complete. A nice use of funding by the Denville Open Space Trust Fund. The bridge is in memory of Peggy Gray who founded the Denville Beautification Committee and Denville P.R.I.D.E.
This image is a 3 photo HDR merge from the Canon SL2 DSLR and is available print at sizes up to 20″ x 30″.
An abandoned pasture slowly returns to its natural state under an ominous sky in New Jersey.
My goal in nature photography is generally to have my photos look very realistic, yet also portray a flattering impression of whatever laid in front of myself and my tripod. While out shooting yesterday, I was fortunate to have overcast lighting and also some dramatic clouds. More or less the ideal conditions for photographing scenery. The histogram on my DSLR was showing that I was losing a smidgeon of highlight data within my first exposures, so the easy solution was to bracket exposures and blend in post-processing.
For both photos below, I initially shot different exposures, bracketed 2/3 of a stop over and under my baseline capture. Within Photoshop I used the “HDR Pro” option and selected the “Highlight Compression” option to maximize details in my highlight regions. I then used a Levels Adjustment to add some pop back into my shots.
The open doors of an old horse stable evoke thoughts of a once-thriving farming economy in New Jersey.
Unsure how to bracket your photos? Your camera’s manual most likely contains that info, otherwise a quick Google search for bracket photography exposures will lead the way. Don’t know how to blend exposures or execute HDR? Ask Google, there are many great tutorials. Technical and software skills such as these are requirements of modern digital photography. Learning to look up tutorials on your own and interpret them is an even more valuable skill. The info is out there, if you seek it.
I read a lot about “must have” post-processing programs and plug-ins to “get the most out of photography”. I think the trends like adding background textures, post-processing blurs, and over-the-top HDR programs will eventually go the way of the Dodo.
Do you think Ansel Adams would have benefited from importing someone else’s floral patterns behind his powerful mountain images with often ominous storm clouds? Probably not. Did he go beyond basic post-processing? Not really (mostly what I consider rudimentary contrast enhancements). Does his photography have some of the greatest longevity we’ve yet to see? Of course!
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
If I don’t see semblance of a compelling image through my viewfinder or in the Camera Raw preview, I simply move on, and try to compose better next time I shoot.
Just my two cents.
daveblinder 