High Dynamic Range test

I'm still trying to learn Photoshop and I've been wanting to try out the High Dynamic Range feature for a while, but hadn't taken time to do it.  What it does is merge several images taken in a high contrast setting and blends the best details from each to give a composite photo.  A blown out sky in one photo is replaced by a "normal" sky exposure from another image.  The key is to take several identical images with different exposures so that the detail is maintained from the shadows to the highlights.  To try this out, I took three shots of the skylight in our upstairs hall since I knew this would have lots of contrast.  I'm posting two photos.  The first (the one with the watermark) is one I just lightly edited in Lightroom.  The second photo is one where I blended the 3 images with the HDR merge function in Photoshop.  Since I like photos with lots of contrast, I actually like the one from LR better in this instance, but I appreciate the technique shown in the second shot where there isn't as much shadowing in the highlights and the reflection has more detail.  (This may be difficult to see unless you enlarge the images).  I'll be interested to use the technique again in a situation where contrast is more of a composition challenge.  At least this gave me the chanced to figure out how to do it in PS.

Black and blue sage

This is an image I made with a different kind of "camera".  The camera in this instance was my flatbed scanner.  I've been reading about making very detailed "photographs" with scanners and wanted to see what kind of results I could get.  I used a box lid that I painted with a matte black paint as the background.  You can really scan any object that will fit in the dimensions of the scanner and box lid and the detail that is rendered is amazing.  As you can see in the cropped image, you can enlarge the image a great deal without losing the detail.  It's like using an extremely good macro lens.  A lesson I learned, however, is that with the exacting level of detail shown, the glass of the scanner needs to be extremely clean.  Mine wasn't and I spent quite a bit of time zapping dust spots with Photoshop.  While this isn't a technique I'd probably use a lot, it's fun to try.

Ladle

The assignment for this weekend from DPS is "circles".  I was fixing some soup and noticed my reflection in this ladle and decided to take this for my "circle" photo.  As I was eating my lunch I looked around and noticed that I was surrounded by circles.  They are everywhere.  Just look around you right now and notice how many circle shapes are in your immediate surroundings.  I enjoy assignments like these that get me to increase my focus on the world around me.

Pop-up temple

I enjoy pop-up books, and this photo is from a great one called The Architecture Pack.  Hopefully I'll have more energy tomorrow and be a little more creative!

View from the sofa

I had some minor surgery today and I've been sleeping off the anesthesia all day.  My head is still full of fog, but remembered that I needed to post.  The key was to not have to leave the sofa.  So here's the best I can do today.

Another try at image layering

I'm still trying to work on the technique of image layering to produce a collage effect.  I'm trying to figure out which images to choose to layer, how many images to use and how long to expose each photo.  Here is the best of my latest attempt.....but not anything I'm very happy with.  I like the idea, but I need a lot more practice.

Fern with morning light

This morning while we were eating breakfast on the front porch I noticed the wonderful light shining through this little fern sitting on the porch railing.  The background was very busy, so I used my 50mm lens at f1.4 to blur it out.