Front Row

What a great view. It looks as though the horizon just goes on forever, but in reality, this is a lake and coming toward me is a wall of heavy rain. Any normal day, you could see the other side of the lake, but with the thick fog, mist and rain blocking the view, the perception changes.

The result was worth it, but it was painstakingly cold and windy. I had to constantly clear my lens of mist, while keeping the umbrella over the camera. It poured on me several times, which I actually had to carry my gear to cover, then return to continue.

Lesson: don't give up if you *really* want the shot.

Beaverfork Lake, Conway, Arkansas
Long exposure with minimal HDR toning.
Orig # KS1_5833a

Pier 2

"Pier 2"

Another from my latest series.
Lake Beaverfork, Arkansas.
Orig # KS1_5516b2s

Pier 1

This is the start of a new b&w series I'm working on. Hope you enjoy!

Cascading at Sunset

Cascading waterfall at sunset, Woolly Hollow State Park, Arkansas

Long exposure, HDR from 11 frames ranging from less than 1 sec to 15 seconds. Yes, the sun and sun rays are all real. The refractions are from the stacked ND filters and the shifting of the trees during exposure.
Orig # KS1_2939-2950hdr2a

Nature's Graffiti

I titled this one "Nature's Graffiti", although it could easily have a myriad of titles. This old homestead could tell so many stories, and if it were to have ghosts, you can almost see them peering through the windows.

This photograph ended up being much more interesting after a closer look. I shot this as an infrared, but I also bracketed it for an HDR image - to ensure I had the greatest tonal range from the infrared spectrum. The reason I went to all this trouble was to ensure I could emphasize the dramatic contrast of the vines spinning and exploring the house.

I also converted it to b&w to give it the simplicity and toning to closer match it's timeliness. I purposefully shot this with a slow shutter speed to give some life to the grasses and branches, which blurred during the exposure.

Old store...

This is an old store that I've passed many times, but just couldn't find the right mood/composition to photograph it....until this visit. I fear that it will soon collapse. As you can tell from the photograph of the full structure, it's leaning to the left considerably.

Hope you enjoy.

Small waterfalls

Small waterfalls shot at Woolly Hollow State Park, Arkansas.

This is actually a 10-frame panorama. The detail is impressive. The closer you look, the more waterfalls you see.

Hope you enjoy.

Orig # IMG_0372-481

Nature's Green is Gold - #2

"Nature's Green is Gold - #2"

This was shot the same day (same tree!) as my Project Imagin8ion Grand Prize winning photograph ("Where One Day Ends, A New Day Begins"). This was shot about 20 minutes before my winning photograph was taken. This is an HDR taken at sunset, composed of 22 bracketed images. I wanted to achieve the highest, dynamic range possible (within reason).

This field of flowers is what attracted me to this area. Imagine a field full of yellow flowers (buttercups), with a clear, blue sky.

This is also the same tree in "Nature's Green is Gold".
Hope you enjoy. :)
Orig # KS0_6121-6142_hdr

"Surrounded by Trees"

"Surrounded by Trees" - is a vertical and horizontal, infrared panorama shot at Woolly Hollow State Park, Arkansas.

This panorama is composed of multiple rows and columns, containing 26 frames. It was a tough exposure to get the sun in the lower section of the frame, but with some patience it worked out.

Hope you enjoy.
Orig # DSC_0111-0136a