Great Brook in December
Great Swamp NWR
New Vernon NJ
A mild 50°F morning and drizzling rain dispersed patches of fog across the refuge.
Great Brook in December
Tag Archives: landscape photography
“Landscapes of New Jersey” at Parsippany Library
A few views of my exhibit, Landscapes of New Jersey, at the Parsippany-Troy Hills Public Library on Halsey Road. My artwork is on display through the month of April.
Join us Tuesday April 30th for a free program on landscape photography at the library!
Morning Reflections on West Brook
Troy Meadows, Parsippany NJ
On this morning, just enough light seeped through the clouds to illuminate mid-ground.
Sigma 17-50mm + Canon SL2
Day’s End at Merrill Creek
Merrill Creek Reservoir, Warren County NJ
Subtle tones of pink shone in the sky on a late January afternoon.
Sigma 17-50mm + Canon EOS M50
Late Day Light Through Pines
Late Day Light Through Pines
Jonathan’s Woods, Morris County NJ
A December’s day draws to an end near the former Cathedral Pines area.
In-camera HDR taken with the Sigma 17-50mm OS F/2.8 lens + Canon SL2 200D DSLR.
Winter on the Ogden Mine Railroad Bed
New Jersey Fine Art Landscape Photography from Jefferson in Morris County by Dave Blinder.
March 3, 2018 in Jefferson, New Jersey.
This must have been quite a view for the rail workers many years ago when the Ogden Mine was operational. Per the Morris County Park Commission: “This is the largest park in the Morris County Park System, encompassing 3,346.07 acres of beautiful near-wilderness and recreational areas.”
Plan your visit to Mahlon Dickerson Reservation
5 shot panorama off the Canon 5DsR + EF 40mm STM lens
I recently purchased a “gray market” Canon 5DsR dslr camera brand new in box on ebay for $2100. That is incredible savings as I see the USA version selling for $3700 today (March 4th) on B&H!
Several friends have asked me if I bought a 50 megapixel camera so that I can crop more often. Quite the contrary, I hope to not crop AT ALL! My goal is to achieve the most detailed images I can in-camera and to offer massive prints of landscapes, wildlife, macro, and possibly even some street photography. I do think it is important to “go big or go home” with visual arts especially when the subject matter has the potential to create an immersive experience.
I have been underwhelmed by the impact of some of my past photography exhibits. I have often printed to 12″x 18″ from previous 18 megapixels camera like my trust old Canon 7D. While I was happy with the image quality, I find that typical photograph print sizes are easily lost in the shuffle and quickly forgotten to most viewers. If you truly believe in your technique and your subject matter you must push your activity to the limit and rise above. When there is an opportunity to overachieve, why not do so?
The final pixel county of my merged wintery image is 21227 x 8469 pixels. If printed at 300dpi for extra find detail that could be a projected size of 70″ x 28″. A 150dpi print resolution which can still render a nicely detailed print I could print to 141″ x 56″! Does the average person need an 11 foot print? No, most decidedly not. However, the local hospital, college campus, or hotel lobby might be looking for some original nature art to spruce up their facility.
Do you have any questions or comments on the location, my photograph, photography techniques, or New Jersey Fine Art Print Installations? Leave a comment here, or contact me at dave@daveblinder.com
Upcoming Reception and Exhibit at Morris Museum
If you are available, come join the fun and celebration of local art with us for the opening of the 2017 New Jersey Highlands Juried Art Exhibit in Morristown.
Thursday, January 11th 2018 5:30PM Morris Museum 6 Normandy Heights Road Morristown, NJ 07960 Light refreshments will be provided Please RSVP by January 8, 2018 to Julia Somers at Julia@njhighlandscoalition.org
One of my favorite photos of 2017, “Kincaid Woods in Summer” will be shown along with other finalists including local paintings, photographs, and mixed media pieces.
My limited edition artwork is matted and framed to 18″x24″. I have hand numbered both the mat and the print as #1 of 25 using an archival quality Micron fine art pen. The mat and print are also hand signed.
One of my favorite photos of 2017, “Kincaid Woods in Summer” will be shown along with other finalists including local paintings, photographs, and mixed media pieces. My limited edition artwork is matted and framed to 18″x24″. I have hand numbered both the mat and the print as 1/25 using an archival quality Micron fine art pen. The mat and print are also hand signed.
Opening reception:
Thursday, January 11th 2018 5:30PM
Morris Museum
6 Normandy Heights Road
Morristown, NJ 07960
Light refreshments will be provided
Please RSVP by January 8, 2018 to Julia Somers at Julia@njhighlandscoalition.org
Full details of the Juried Highlands Art and Photography below
Public display dates:
January 9, 2018- February 18, 2018
Public Visiting Hours and Information
The New Jersey Highlands Coalition hosts the Highlands Festival to raise awareness about the natural resources of the NJ Highlands region. The 5th annual Juried Highlands Art and Photography Exhibit, which coincides with this festival, will feature a selection of works featuring the landscapes, flora, fauna, natural, cultural and/or historic resources of the Highlands of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.
Curated by New Jersey photographer and Coalition trustee Dwight Hiscano, juried by a panel of prominent local artists and gallery owners, and judged by Alexandra Willis, curator for the Morris Museum.
About the New Jersey Highlands Coalition:
The New Jersey Highlands Coalition hosts the Highlands Festival to raise awareness about the natural resources of the NJ Highlands region, to promote the missions of the NJ Highlands Coalition’s 80+ nonprofit member organizations, and to fund the Small Grants Program which supports local grassroots organizations. As a nonprofit organization in Boonton, New Jersey, the New Jersey Highlands Coalition works to protect, restore, and enhance the water and other natural and cultural resources of New Jersey’s Highlands, now and for the future.
Tamron SP 15-30mm lens, first impressions
It has only been a couple of weeks now since I purchased the new Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC wide angle lens for full frame. I bought the lens to further invest in my real estate / architectural photography work, but naturally I will still give the SP 15-30mm a workout with my outdoor shooting. I am pairing the lens to both my Canon 6D and also my Sony A7R (via Fotodiox Pro adaptor).
As expected the lens was ready to go as soon as I opened the packaging. The frontmost element is bulbous, which is just a fact of the matter when using such an extremely wide POV with a fast F/2.8 aperture. The finely crafted incorporated lens hood and also the slide-on lens cap do well to protect the front element. There is also no threading for filters on the SP 15-30mm, although after market adapters seem to be springing up. I have not tried any filters with the lens yet.
So what do I really think of the SP 15-30mm VC?
It is wide on full-frame, very wide. When effectively composing a landscape photo at the lens’s broadest field of view we get a grandiose amount of scenery captured in a single frame. Knowing how to use an ultra wide lens to its full potential will be a challenge to new comers.
The SP 15-30mm VC is also extremely sharp. Fine detail is recorded throughout the entire frame. I am confident that my landscape photography will come to life in large prints after reviewing my camera raws. Expectedly, there is an acceptable level of distortion in the corner of the frames. I actually enjoy the slight “cathedral-effect” on my nature photographs but distortion is easily corrected in all camera raw converters.
Tamron’s SP 15-30mm VC is a sleek and attractive full frame lens capable of creating sleek and attractive photos. I look forward to using the lens for future low-light and night sky shooting. With the current retail price-point near $1200 Tamron has provided a great deal of value at a nice price point.
To view my most recent uploads:
For Fine Art prints or updates on my upcoming gallery showings contact me at daveblinderphotography@gmail.com
Tamron SP 15-30mm VC + Sony A7R. 1/15th F/14 ISO 80. Buttermilk Falls in New Jersey
Tamron SP 15-30mm VC + Canon 6D. 1/50th F/11 ISO 320. Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey
Tamron SP 15-30mm VC + Sony A7R. 15mm F/14 ISO 50. Black River Park in New Jersey
Tamron SP 15-30mm VC + Canon 6D. 15mm F/14 ISO 100. Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey.
Maximizing dynamic range in landscape photography
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.
The Best Weather for Nature Photography?
My favorite nature photos, especially landscapes are often taken in the most brutal weather conditions. Often in snow, rain, or wind that makes being outdoors very uncomfortable. On the contrary, I don’t find many of my “blue sky” shots to have much of a mood to them. Why the correlation between extreme weather and dramatic photos? I’m not entirely sure, but I think that the sunlight is often much softer during bad weather spells. Also, precipitation and moisture in the air create a lot of mystery and drama. Perhaps a great deal of effective nature photography lives in the surreal or sublime realms? On the other hand, embracing and emphasizing the mundane is an effective technique too, especially for street photography.
As my photography years go on, I’ve come to embrace adverse weather conditions more and more.
What weather conditions have created your most dramatic photos?
Infrared photo taken in the early stages of a snow storm in Chester, New Jersey. I had finished a quick walk at some local parks, but glanced down a residential road and couldn’t resist shooting a vanishing point in the snow.
Photo taken shortly after a snow storm. The walk down to this vantage point was treacherous to say the least. I did not enjoy the bitter cold or the fright from extremely icy rocks. I do enjoy looking at the photo from home now, though.
A very gloomy morning on the Atlantic Ocean. Photo taken in Ocean City, New Jersey. The wind was strong and actually a big unnerving. Even with a tripod-mounted camera, I will keep the camera’s strap around my neck to avoid accidents in this type of weather.
And here is a blue sky photo that I like:
A blue sky above the New Jersey Pinelands is dotted with Cumulus clouds, adding the illusion of depth to some two-dimensional pixels.
daveblinder 