thePhotoTourist

Old Barn HDR

Old Barn HDR

I found this barn quirky and full of character. Not having grown up in the country, I have no idea what might have been the purpose of this unusual structure. Standing there in that field, I was struck by the way the builders arranged the building with a pass-through and on the level, even though the place where they put it clearly is not level. I wondered about that old building’s many stories as that day’s bright sunlight illuminated the grass and trees around and brought out the textures and colors of the old wood in the open passage, doors, and walls.


Lens Review: Nikon Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S Zoom

Lens Review:  Nikon Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S Zoom

This is a great “do-everything” tool for FX photographers (that is, Nikon shooters who use D700 or one of the D3 series — a body with a full-frame sensor). For me, it is a very credible FX equivalent of the much-lauded but DX-specific AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II. I’ve been missing that huge zoom range and performance since I upgraded to FX. Now I have it again.


Wine Grapes HDR

Wine Grapes HDR

(HDR image of ripening grapes on the vine) We visited Pollak Vineyards on a bright, sunny day in late July. The grapes on the vines had just turned purple. In the bright sun I had a challenge to capture the light on the grapes and bringing out their color while managing the dark shadows and very bright highs of the sunlit vines. The HDR shot turned out best, giving truly the sense of how bright and vibrant those wine grapes were.


Visiting Wineries

Visiting Wineries

Photo taken on the back porch outside the second-floor tasting room at Sharp Rock Vineyards on a very hot and bright day in July. I loved the wood tones inside the porch. The empty old porch was to my eye beautiful and contrasty as it as lit by the sunlight washing in through the open side that overlooked vineyards, but the bright sunlight glare from outside made getting the right exposure a challenge.


Washingtonian Cover: Balloon by Rick Collier

Washingtonian Cover: Balloon by Rick Collier

The cover of The Washingtonian Magazine August 2010 issue is this photo by Rick Collier of a balloon lifting off at dawn. The original image is named “Dawn Lift” and I originally blogged about it in August 2009.