Saturday, June 29, 2013

Be careful NOT to over do....

One of my new photo delights is discovering Topaz Plug-In tools.

Yikes. It can turn a simple photo into a work of art.

Well, that might be a stretch.

But it can open up shadow areas and add a strong emphasis on detail not really noticed before.

Oh course, it is possible to go too far.

You can make the effect too obvious. It then draws attention to itself.

I brought up some pictures I took a few summers ago on a trip to D.C. and had fun re-visiting that visit.

It is possible to work on a recent photo and make it appear to be a postcard from the 1950s.

Not that that's a bad thing.

Of course, the newer cars give it away.

Is that a Prius?

A Smart car?

The flags have 50 stars.

I like the effect it had on my picture at the Korean War Memorial.

The reflections of the visitors on the wall on the left are more prominent.

The soldiers wearing long ponchos are more dramatic.

Even the green grass and trees appeared more vibrant.

There are "sliders" that allow me to add or subtract individual hues or the overall scene. Or add "micro contrast" clicks.
The Vietnam Wall was enhanced with my new process.

The engraved lettering seemed to "pop out" more as the  minute changes were made.

The Memorial itself produces a tremendous response and these tweaks in my photo add to the stirring setting.

This is the Summer travel season and I hope people go up to Washington and see the monuments, museums and memorials.

I was able to go into the US Supreme Court because it was not in session.

The last few days it must have REALLY been crammed with people as historic decisions were being handed down.

This staircase was an OK picture but, using these new enhancement tools, it really became a beauty.

Something about marble and polished brass just go together.

Oh, I just remembered to pull up a shot of the newest memorial - to World War II - and give it a pictorial boost.
It's been a delightful morning, going back to Washington, DC again.

Gave me a chance to experiment with these post production tools.

Someone complained that these kind of changes alter the photo from what was actually seen.

Well, I was doing that back in the 1950s with my darkroom at home.

Now I just have newer tools.

(Click on the photos for more details.)
Like many things in life, use these enhancing steps in moderation.

Don't go overboard.

People will notice.

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posted by chuckography @ 12:58 PM 0 Comments

Friday, May 09, 2008

A "Green" Mini-Vacation

It's not that I dislike hiking and camping but staying at a hotel with speedy and efficient room service beats sleeping on the ground under the stars.

And anytime you can hike woodsy trails without walking is pretty good too. Nice Segway.

Asheville, N.C. is laidback and even described as a hippie town. It sits at 2,000 feet near the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway that rises much higher.

Everywhere you look, you see a Prius. Guess these hip people are watching their carbon footprints.

The Parkway has a speed limit of 45mph, with many scenic turnouts, so it takes several hours to reach the switchback road that snakes its way from Cherokee, NC to Gatlinburg,TN, through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Clingman's Dome is a little more than 6,000 feet elevation and there is a trail you can walk up from the parking lot to get to the absolute top. A sign says it takes 30 minutes but I doubt the view is much better than from where I sat by the car sipping from a bottle of mountain spring water.

I was saving my strength for touring the Biltmore Estate.

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posted by chucker @ 10:40 PM 1 Comments