After a quick review of the camera’s controls, and a lesson in polarization, I turned my wife Shauna loose in a small airplane (an otter to be exact) for a flight around the summit of Mt. McKinley. I knew she had the eye, I just didn’t know how good her eye was. When we landed and reviewed our images, she thought I would dig this one. She was right, I pretty sure everyone else is going to like too. There is a good chance you might be seeing more of her work in the future.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D5000
Nikkor 16-85 VR II
Nikon CPLII
Lexar UDMA

Processing Notes:

Capture – 1 image
Photomatix 4 – HDR/Tonemapping
Topaz Labs Denoise 5
Nik Color Efex Pro – Skylight Filter
Nik Color Efex Pro – Brilliance/Warmth Selective to sky
Sized for web
Nik Sharpener 2.0 – Adaptive 25%
LightAsMagic.com

After yesterday’s build up you were probably expecting to see an image for Andy Schleck crossing the finish line with his fist clenched punching through the fog. I might have been able to get that image had I had a press pass and a 300mm lens. It wouldn’t have been a problem. However, I was standing in mud on the side of a mountain 400m from the finish. Not an ideal situation for making images of historic sports moments. So why did I decided to share this image and the story that led to it? The answer is simple. This is by no means the best image from the Tour, you can find those images all over the web. It was however the best image I could make to tell the story the day my dad, the A-team, and I waited in the fog and rain to witness the arrival of the yellow jersey. It is these moments, captured in images like this, that compel me to continue to pursue my vision (and carry some extra camera gear with me). I hope that in some small way, this site compels you to continue to pursue yours!

Capture Notes:

Nikon D5000
Nikkor 16-85 VR II
Lexar UDMA

Processing Notes:

Capture – 1 image
Adobe Camera Raw – Raw processing
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

I paid a comfort penalty making this image. Airports offer some unique possibilities. Where else can you find vast reflective surfaces and scattered light sources without going to Vegas? It is easy to lose track of time while you are out wondering around exploring all that Denver International Airport has to offer. I ended up over exploring and when I headed back to the terminal, boarding was well under way. Needless to say, when you get on late with a bag full of camera gear, you pay the price in leg room……

Side Note: If you are a conspiracist, DIA is at the center of some pretty amusing theories. You can find more information here.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D700
Sigma 15mm Fisheye
Gitzo Traveler
Lexar UDMA

Processing Notes:

Capture – 9 images @ 1ev (used the .jpgs)
Photomatix 4 (beta 1ish ?) – HDR/Tonemapping
Nik Color Efex Pro – ProContrast
Photoshop – Remixed the sign from the anchor .jpg
Nik Define 2.0 – Noise Reduction (auto profile)
Sized for web
Nik Sharpener 2.0 – Display 20%
LightAsMagic.com

Our adventure seemed liked it only started yesterday. However, tonight is the end of an trip that spanned thousands of miles over 12 days. The adventure began in Alaska with a visit to Denali National park and ended with a relaxing weekend in my new favorite city, Vancouver. In the middle was a cruise to celebrate my folks’ 40th wedding anniversary (Congrats team!). There are gigs worth of images and several great stories to tell over the coming months. Look for a week’s worth of posts that will tell the story of our flight to Denali and the landing on a glacier at its base. Personally, I am having a hard time waiting on that one. I can’t wait to share it with you! For now, I wanted to share an image from the beginning of the adventure, our trip into Denali National park by bus. If you ever have the chance to visit this park, take it. It is an incredible place. If you do visit, I have two tips for you. 1) Expect bad weather. That way you aren’t too bummed out when the clouds shroud Denali. Only 30 percent of the folks that visit actually see the mountain. Don’t worry, there is still an incredible amount of wildlife to experience. We saw 6 grizzlies over the course of our trip. This leads me to my second tip. 2) Bring long fast glass!

Capture Notes:

Nikon D700
Nikkor 80-200 AFD
Lexar UDMA

Processing Notes:

Capture – 1 image
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

Over the last month or so I have been testing out the Nikon D5000. For me, it is a great back-up camera as well as a light travel companion. If you are looking to upgrade to a digital SLR, or wanting to get started in photography, this camera is a great option. In order to complete the review I thought it would be interesting to hand it off to my wife for a trip up to Alaska. She has the eye of a photographer, but lacks the patience to deal with all the various dials and settings. So I put the camera in program mode, set the auto ISO, and put her in front of grizzlies, glaciers, whales, moose, and mountains. You will see other images from her portfolio in the final review. For now I thought I would share this one. No question about it, she didn’t let this one get away!

Capture Notes:

Nikon D5000
Nikkor 70-300 AFS VR

Processing Notes:

Capture – 1 image
Nik Silver Efex Pro – B&W conversion
Sized for web
Nik Sharpener 2.0 – Display 30% selective to tail
LightAsMagic.com

That Anchorage Museum exceeded all my expectations. We visited it while wait for our Motor Coach (bus) to take us south to pick up our ship. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but one thing I wasn’t expecting was full gallery dedicated to HDR photography. Pretty darn progressive! I wonder if we will ever see an HDR image in Nat Geo? If you are ever in the Anchorage area, make sure you stop by the museum. The architecture alone was worth the visit.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D700
Nikkor 17-35 AFS
Gitzo Traveler
Lexar UDMA

Processing Notes:

Capture – 7 images @ 1ev
Photomatix 4 – HDR/Tonemapping
Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0 – ProContrast
Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0 – Touch of some glamour glow
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

No kidding, this was the neighborhood grocery store where we were staying at in Bordeaux. If this was my local grocery store, I don’t think I would ever keep anything in the pantry at home. I would visit it everyday, shoot some photos, and grab a piece of fruit and coffee on my way to work. In the evening, this hub of commerce flashed back to the days of the Salon when the local youth would come out to enjoy the surrounding cafes and discuss the day’s topics. It was the heart of the neighborhood, and just the down the street from our hotel.

Travel Guides: When I get back from visiting a town, I try to put together a quick travel guide that usually includes a map of photo locations and a quick list of things to do, places to eat, and where to stay. You can find all my travel guides, including the Unofficial Definitive Guide to Cozumel, over here:

http://www.lightasmagic.com/travel/

I hope to be publishing my guide to France very soon. Stay tuned!

Capture Notes:

Nikon D700
Nikkor 17-35 AFS
Gitzo Traveler
Lexar UDMA

Processing Notes:

I have forgotten what the exact details of the post-processing were, but it was a 9 image (@ 1ev) –> HDR/ToneMapped in Photomatix 4 (I think??) –> and to get the dreamy quality I use Nik Color Efex Pro’s Glamour Glow filter mixed in about 30%.

Sorry for the lack of details.

We made our way from the Toulouse airport to our final destination in La Mongie, the clouds thickened as we gained elevation driving up the slopes of the Tourmalet. We were filled with anticipation knowing the summit of one of the most famous mountains in the Pyrenees was only a couple kilometers ahead. That anticipation would continue to grow throughout the night since the fog bank refused to provide us the greeting we were hoping for! Do you know how hard it is to find your hotel when you don’t speak French and the visibility is limited to 15ft?

Capture Notes:

Nikon D700
Nikkor 45mm PC-E
Hand held

Exposure 1/3200 sec
Aperture f/2.8
Focal Length 45 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias -1/3 EV

Processing Notes:

Capture 1 image
Adobe Camera Raw
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

Tip: When using a perspective control lens, you can either meter the exposure (make sure to record the results) then shift/tilt the lens, or, if you are in the moment, you can ride the exposure compensation dial as you review the histogram. Personally, I use the later technique because I don’t want to be bothered with having to position the lens in a neutral state every time I want to recompose. Stay tuned for more details about this seemingly complex, yet simple to use creative tool!

We barely had any time in Paris. We arrived on the train in from Bordeaux around noon, leaving us just enough time to watch the final laps of the Tour de France along the Champs Elysees. If I didn’t get out and shoot, I wasn’t going to be able to live with myself. I knew I had to get out, even if it was only for an hour or so. We had a bit of time the next morning before our flight left, so I decided to set my alarm for 6:00am and schedule up a taxi to pick me up at 6:30. My plan was to have the taxi drop me off at the Eiffel Tower, make the tourist images that are required by all photographers visiting Paris, then follow my pre-planned walking route back to the Hotel. That was going to give me 3 hours of nothing but uninterrupted image making while Paris slowly awoke from its slumber. Images and their respective stories will follow in subsequent posts. This image was the final one of my walk. I had arrived back at the hotel, where I had met up with ‘pops’ who had just finished breakfast. I was starving after walking around for 3 hours with camera gear. I followed him down a winding staircase into what seemed to be the dungeon of the small hotel we were staying at. The walls were lined with century old bricks and a small archway led me into the dining area. What a place to have a breakfast! Beats the heck out of the Best Westerns here in the states. It felt as if I had just pulled up a chair to share a croissant with history itself. Too bad I didn’t have much time to talk, I had to catch our Taxi to the airport in 10 minutes!!!

Capture Notes:

Nikon D700
Sigma 15mm 2.8
Gitzo Traveler
Lexar UDMA

Processing Notes:

Capture – 7 images @ 1ev
Photomatix – HDR/Tonemapping
Nik Color Efex Pro – Pro Contrast
Nik Color Efex Pro – Glamor Glow
Photoshop – Curves adjustment
Photoshop – Levels Adjustment
Sized For Web
LightAsAMagic.com

I’m not totally sure that a permit was required to use a tripod in France, but I’m pretty sure that was what was being requested as I was asked to leave the subway. I understood ‘no good’ and ‘Gendamerie‘ well enough to know I should probably leave before I was the defendant in an international incident. Tripod restrictions weren’t limited to the subway either. I was also escorted away from Jean-Paul Sartre’s grave. I really felt like a Stranger.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D700
Nikkor 17-35 2.8 AFS
Gitzo Traveler
Lexar UDMA Film

Aperture f/9.0
Focal Length 35 mm
ISO Speed 200

Processing Notes:

Capture – 9 images @ 1ev
Photomatix – HDR/Tonemapping
Nik Color Efex Pro – Pro Contrast
Nik Color Efex Pro – Glamour Glow
Nik Color Efex Pro – Tonal Contrast
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com