The Unframed World
Photography Tips, Travel Photos, Photo Critiques, Interviews
An extensive collection of photos, mainly showcasing the scenic beauty of my home-state Maine.
There’s nothing like reaching the end of a great aquarium (like the New England Aquarium), and finding that they keep a whole display of just jellyfish in the basement. Let’s face it, jellyfish are the main reason we go to aquariums anyway. They’re so peaceful, but freaky-beautiful while they just…
Although I’m a photographer, if became a novelist, this snowy escape in Vermont is exactly where I would live. Otherwise, it’s still the perfect place to travel or tour in Vermont in winter.
Already I’d received my first warning to stop shooting by the Boston Public Library security guard (“Officer Grumpy-pants” was the name ironed on his uniform if I recall correctly). Of course, with only minutes left…
Recently, Lori and I spent a very full 24hrs in Boston. We drove in on Friday evening (which is how I snagged that grim looking blue-hour HDR photo of Harvard Yard above) and then packed in as much as possible from 5:00am until sundown on Saturday. Why such a cramped schedule? Well, for one it’s more fun that way (arguable, I know); and secondly, Boston has so many photographic hot spots that it would feel like a waste not to. Don’t miss the sub 3:00 minute photo montage video below to be amazed by our super-human stamina and see all 1100+ photo from our 24hr adventure ^_^. (YES! A new photo AND epic video today!)
Getting back to what you’re really here for though… the photography (I hope). Harvard’s campus had a lot of cool buildings and Lori and I had to drive several loops through the campus before we finally settled on calling my friend Scott (who you may remember him from Japan By Bicycle) to ask for a recommendation. Scott happens to live about 8 minutes away from Harvard is fairly familiar with the campus. He’s also familiar with my photography habits from our bike trip, and patiently waited while I took photos until my memory card ran out of space (jk, but I like to think he’d be cool with that).
You ever been driving along, see an awesome photo op coming up ahead, stop in the middle of the road at just the right spot and capture exactly the moment you hoped? Me either. Stopping in the middle of the road freaks me out anyway. Even if it’s in the boonies of Nowhereville, I still worry that some Ricky Bobby wannabe is going to take me out. That’s why I’ve developed the Slow-Go technique whenever my photo-sense starts to tingle while driving.
This HDR tutorial covers step-by-step how I edited this HDR panorama to it’s completed state from bracketed source DNGs to final Photoshop edit. This is certainly not the only way to accomplish similar results. HDR panoramas are fickle beasts, but my methods work for me.
Maine beaches, in Winter, are for the hardcore. Equipped with waxed boards, steely gazes, and dry suits winter surfers don’t mess around. Interestingly, I met someone I knew while shooting and was able to capture this stoic HDR photo of him.
You ever feel the urge to escape to the snow encrusted backwoods where preferred method of transport is a snow mobile and cell coverage is scarcer than un-fried food at the country fair? Neither does my wife… But I sure do!
Notice something different about these photos? Yep, you got it, I shot these HDR photos of a Vermont barn in the dead of winter without my coat on! Few, mystery solved. After a weekend in -25°F weather photographing Montreal and also dining with HDR guru Ken Kaminesky it was pure bliss to romp around in the balmy barely-sub-freezing paradise of Vermont to bracket the shots for these photographs.
Blue Hour is perfect for HDR photography, but I’m always a bit tense since it’s so brief. This time, I had done my homework so that my tripod was in position right as the Christmas Tree was turned on in Quincey Market. The resulting 6 frame HDR photo panoramic was tone mapped in Photomatix, then auto aligned, hand stitched and edited together in Photoshop.
Mooching off friends is the best. After crashing at my friend Scott’s house for free, Lori and I toured Boston. This HDR photo panomara is from Faneuil Hall. I’ve included a quick infographic tutorial about how to make an HDR panorama yourself as well.
Getting permission to photograph the Merrill Auditorium was less complicated than I originally thought. Recently, I’ve been getting into HDR photography. Like regular photographs, HDR photos need an excellent subject to look amazing. Unfortunately, unlike an abandoned building, you can’t just waltz into the Merrill Auditorium. However, I figured it couldn’t hurt to take the direct approach and it worked out perfectly.
There’s no doubt about it, living on the Maine coast as a photographer is really tough stuff. For example, after a pleasant trip to picturesque Wolfe’s Neck State Park, Lori and I drove over to LLBean’s flagship store for some shopping and also Christmas light viewing. See what I mean? Brutal. As you know, I’ve been dabbling in HDR (high dynamic range) photography and found the pretty lights to be well suited for HDR (not long ago I posted my first HDR image ever). I even went ahead and shot an HDR panorama… oblivious at the time to what a bear this would end up be in post production in Photoshop.
I hit a quarter century. To celebrate we went out to Freeport, Maine and I tried to take more HDR photos. Maine is so scenic.
Recently, I was wed to my beautiful wife Lori. From Hilo to Kona, during our time honeymooning on The Big Island we were able to explore much of this peculiar island.
It was a beautiful October day at the Maui Tropical Plantation when we tied the knot and we both couldn’t be happier. This may be one of the only posts on this blog that I haven’t posted any of my photos on, but hopefully you understand.