Oct 132013
 

“Ordinary” Magic ©2013 by April Siegfried

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I’ve enjoyed playing in the sandbox of Photoshop since the first version for Windows was released in 1992, and can imagine there must be a way to digitally create this image if I’d come up with the idea. Instead, what a pleasure it was to look up at this moment—“whoa!”—and simply click the shutter release. Instant gratification.

Nikon D300; 1/45 sec @ f11, ISO 220 (handheld);
18-200 mm f/3.5–5.6 @ 105mm (157mm EFL); focus distance 33.5m

Sep 082012
 

Cloud Play №7
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Nikon D300; 1/60 sec @ f11, ISO 560 (handheld);
18-200 mm f/3.5–5.6 @ 18mm (27mm EFL)

Cloud Play №6
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Nikon D300; 1/250 sec @ f9.5, ISO 200 (handheld);
70-300 mm f/4.5–5.6 @ 70mm (105mm EFL)

At this time of year in Chicago, we get to experience amazing cloudscapes along Lake Michigan.

Sep 212011
 

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This was a challenging image to process, with respect to color. When I tried to eliminate color casts—using every trick I know—it looked, somehow…wrong. Too, nature doesn’t always conform to our rules of color harmony.  🙂

Now I’ve reset my camera to shoot RAW+JPEG, so I’ll have a color reference. The JPEG preview on my camera display looked accurate in the field but, working solely with the RAW file next day, it was hard to recall from memory.

Nikon D300; f8 @ 1/180 sec, ISO 720 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 22mm (33mm EFL)

Sep 122011
 

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This is one of those rare images where very little processing was needed. Other than running the file through the DxO raw converter and boosting contrast a bit, I have not modified the light—it is as seen!

Spot clean one distant black streak of a bird, add some high-pass sharpening, and done. I love when that happens. 🙂

Nikon D300; f8 @ 1/250 sec, ISO 200 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 18mm (27mm EFL)

Aug 102011
 

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Note the focal length of this image, cropped only from 3:2 to 4:3. The cloud formation was huge.

See the little tiny speck near the lower edge, toward the right? That is a bird. 🙂 There’s enough resolution in the original file to actually discern its shape.

Cloud Play №1 was photographed in the parking lot of a Walgreen’s drugstore, and Cloud Play №2 in the parking lot of a local shopping mall. This was photographed just before 6AM at an intersection one block from my house. Even living in a city, I’m discovering there are pockets of space in which to enjoy such glorious skies!

Nikon D300; f8 @ 1/180 sec, ISO 1250 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 48mm (72mm EFL); focus distance 21.13m