Posts in Category: New York
Sunrise of over Long Island
It was late in the day yesterday before I realized that it was not, in fact, Wednesday…certainly long after I posted my Pic 4 Today in the #wildlifewednesday category on Google+ 🙂 So it is not surprising that I also remembered, about the same time, that I had a few shots form my last day on Long Island still on the camera and unprocessed. They were more out the window of the hotel shots, this time of the sunrise. This shot is a lot more Processed than usual…approaching overcooked, but, as an image I think it holds some interest.
Samsung Smart Camera WB800F in Rich Tone mode. Processed in Snapseed, using the new HDR Scene filter, on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014.
Sunlit Autumn Tapestry. Happy Sunday!
Yesterday I published (various places) a collage of similar photos…but they were taken just before the sun broke through and really lit the leaves. I did some color balance adjustment to warm the individual segments of the collage and the collage as a whole, but there is no substitute for direct sun when you are after color.
The image was taken from the 7th floor of the Marriott Long Island Convention Center, where they put me while I worked the New York State Ornithological Society Annual Meeting (for ZEISS). Right across the road from the Marriott is a Nassau County Nature Preserve, the last remnants of Hampstead Heath, and my window looked right down on it. It provided a uniquely colorful view in October, and a unexpected bonus for the trip. And, to frost the cake, the Marriott is one of the few hotels I have ever stayed in where you can actually open the thermopane windows, if only a crack. It was enough to get just the lens of the camera out far enough so I did not have dirty hotel glass between me and the scene. Bonus x2.
Samsung Smart Camera WB800F in Rich Tone mode. Processed in Snapseed on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014.
And for the Sunday thought. I never cease to be amazed at the subtle ways God has of blessing me…reminding me of the Creator’s essential good will for me, for all of us, and, I have to think, exercising some humor. I did not have high hopes for this trip. Ornithological meetings, in my experience, are not fertile ground for ZEISS, and who in their right mind would choose to spend an Autumn weekend on Long Island, 40 minutes out of the City? A much busier day than expected at the ZEISS booth on Friday, and then the sunset view out my hotel window, as enough to remind me that God is God, and God is good. Always. And then to look out before breakfast to the Tapestry across the street…to come back from breakfast and find the Tapestry sunlit…well, like I say, frosting on the cake. And me, being me, thinks “yeah, okay God, you got my back…even here on Long Island you put me good places.” I even grudge a thanks.
Well this is me, this Sunday morning, more than grudging! Thank you God.
Now you might be wondering, as I sometimes do, if is really that God puts me in good places, or if I have just developed the ability to see what I identify as God’s good in the the places I am? And to that I say “what does it matter?” I am convinced it does not at all. Either way, I see God’s action on my behalf at work…demonstrating undeserved love. And either way the evidence of God’s blessing continues to build in my life.
And while I am at it, here’s a thanks for what I take to be God’s will at work in those who preserved the little patch of Hampstead Heath across from the Marriott on Long Island. I certainly enjoy and appreciate it. God is God. God is good.
Even, apparently, on Long Island. 🙂
The View from the Marriott Long Island
I am working the NY State Ornithological Society Meeting, held this year at the Marriott Convention Center in Uniondale on Long Island. They put me on the 7th floor with a window that overlooks this view at the end of rainy, blustery day. And, wonder of wonders, the Marriott has windows that actually open…just enough to get the just the tip of the lens of my Samsung Smart Camera WB800F out the crack (and it is a very small lens). The tapestry of Autumn color under the sunset sky was too good to miss.
Camera as above. In Rich Tone mode (in-camera HDR). Processed in Snapseed on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014, using the new HDR scene effect, some Ambiance, Sharpening and Structure. I then opened the image in Photo Editor and applied some Perspective correction to pull the buildings more or less upright. The overall result is a bit painterly but, I think, interesting.
10/5/2011: Eisenhower Bee
While at Eisenhower Park on Sunday, there were multitudes of bees working the flower borders. They munst know how short the season is now, and must be driven to harvest while the harvest is still here.
And I was practicing with the new zoom. It has a great close focus, even at the long end. With the Nikon P500 I have been using, I would put the camera in Close Up mode to engage close focus and then be able to zoom out to about 600mm and maintain macro focus. With the Canon, in my experiments so far, macro does not appear to work well above about 2 feet at the tele end (though it focus down to 0 cm at the wide end…you can focus on something that is touching the outer surface of the lens)…but normal close focus at the long end of the zoom is 4.6 feet (and very fast)…which certainly gives you a tele-macro effect.
This shot was at 840mm equivalent field of view from about 5 feet. Not bad!
Canon SX40is at 840mm equivalent, f6.3 @ 1/1250th @ ISO 160. Program.
Processed in Lightroom for Clarity and Sharpness.
10/4/2011: Eisenhower Park Veterans Memorial HDR
Eisenhower Park in Nassau County New York on Long Island is beautiful park filled with war and civic memorials. There is a 911 memorial there, and this is the Veterans Memorial. As you see, a series of terraced wall fountains and pools bordered with flowers runs down the hill toward the lake.
This is a 3 exposure HDR, from –2.6EV to +1.4EV. The Canon SX40IS has a very flexible auto bracket, though it is limited to 3 shots. The shots were blended and tone mapped in Photomatix Pro and final processed for Clarity and Sharpness in Lightroom.
Canon SX40IS at 24mm equivalent field of view, f4 @ 1/1250th @ ISO 100. Programmed Auto.
And just for fun…here is a single shot comparison, processed only in Lightroom. Which goes to show, you don’t always need HDR.
