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Archive of ‘Photography’ category

Photography, Travel | 0 comment

Christmas at Arlington National Cemetery

Christmas wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery - ©TimeLine Media

It’s Christmas Eve! We will be heading out to spend the day visiting with family, have a nice meal, and exchange presents. We’ll repeat that with the other half of the family the next day. Needless to say, it is a great time of year! I enjoy the time off, and the freedom to make new family photos. So many families make new photos this time of year, and we will do the same. It is such a blessing to have our families close so that we do not have to travel far to see them. We hope that all of you have a safe holiday, and get to relax with some time off too.

Christmas wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery - ©TimeLine Media
Christmas wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery – ©TimeLine Media

There are many major roadways that pass the area of Arlington National Cemetery, just outside Washington, DC. The sprawling burial grounds for service men and women is decorated for the holidays at each marker. Wreaths are laid onto each grave site by donations and with the work of many volunteers.

Christmas wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery - ©TimeLine Media
Christmas wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery – ©TimeLine Media

The wreaths are nice remembrances for all those that have served, and passed. To honor them, I spent a quiet morning walking the grounds, and discreetly taking a few photos. I walked from the Visitors Center all the way to Section 8 which is across the highway from the Pentagon, and near the Air Force Memorial. No section was missing wreaths from the sections bordering the roadway, all the way to the top of the western hill.

Christmas wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery - ©TimeLine Media
Christmas wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery – ©TimeLine Media

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Personal, Photography, Technology, Travel | 0 comment

Lincoln Memorial – HDR photos

Lincoln Memorial - HDR Image - ©TimeLine Media

Extending Dynamic Range

Recently, a new version of Photomatix was released by HDR Soft. This program create high dynamic range (or HDR) images from bracketed exposures. I have posted a few times previously about HDR images which are a very controversial topic in photography forums. My previous HDR images were made using the Google Nik application named HDR Efex Pro. It has been a little while since this has been updated with new features, so I decided to download the trial for Photomatix.

v4

Why is there so much controversy with HDR? It can take scenes with very dark tones, and light tones, and make both more viewable through tone mapping. I think the problem with a lot of HDR programs is that so many use the default settings, or they try a preset then do not do any additional work passed this point. This means that all pre-visualization has gone out the window. The images have just been plugged into a program, then you let the software decide how your final image will look.

Washington, DC

Lincoln Memorial - HDR Image - ©TimeLine Media
Lincoln Memorial – HDR Image – ©TimeLine Media

It is because of this that many think this is a form of cheating, and may be a different art form from photography all together! I think that this kind of processing is just new. It could not exist without the computing power that we have available to us today. But in the film darkroom, there have been tools available to selectively adjust dark and light tones in a frame. This is where the terms “dodge” and “burn” originate. As these techniques have had decades to mature, I think the same will be said about HDR in the future as the software improves and photographers take advantage of these tools.

Gettysburg Address in the Lincoln Memorial - HDR Image - ©TimeLine Media
Gettysburg Address in the Lincoln Memorial – HDR Image – ©TimeLine Media

These are just a few examples from my first try with the Photomatix software. There are a few new features that I am testing with these, but I am really happy with the results so far! Photos from the Memorial are made from 9 image brackets that are 1EV apart from a Nikon D800. I am doing more comparisons, and will post more when I have worked more with the program.

Lincoln Memorial - HDR Image - ©TimeLine Media
Lincoln Memorial – HDR Image – ©TimeLine Media

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Personal, Photography, Travel | 0 comment

Washington, DC – LDS Temple at Christmas

Washington DC Temple of Latter Day Saints - ©TimeLine Media

Kensington, Maryland

In looking for the best places to view Christmas displays in the Washington, DC area, the Temple of the Latter-Day Saints in Kensington, MD is always on the list. This beautiful church building was set on a promontory that is easily visible to travelers on the Washington Beltway freeway. The temple spires seem to rise up out of the trees as cars head west. The white marble and golden spires make this an easy landmark to locate, but it is somewhere that I have never been before this year. 

Washington DC Temple of Latter Day Saints - ©TimeLine Media
LDS Temple of Washington DC – ©TimeLine Media

My mother visited here with some friends, and she really enjoyed the display. There are many trees and bushes on the grounds of the temple that are illuminated during their Festival of Lights. A Nativity scene, and other programs in their visitor’s center are available for groups that are there to take in the season.

Washington DC Temple of Latter Day Saints - ©TimeLine Media
Washington DC Temple of Latter Day Saints – ©TimeLine Media

There were so many cameras there too! It is understandable with all the colors and the modern architecture on the grounds. Timing for photographing Christmas lights can really help make the photos better. The best tip I can offer, is do not wait until the sky is completely black! The really dark contrast makes the decorations seem like they are in a vacuum. It does not place them in a context that is familiar. The human eye sees much more in darkness than the camera. So even though it seems like it is completely dark around you, your sensitive eyes can still recognize people, objects, and things that the camera cannot pick up. When you go back to look at photos with a black sky, these elements are missing, and takes away from the photo. Make these images at or close to sunset to keep some of these background elements and details visible to the camera. They make for much better images!

Washington DC Temple of Latter Day Saints - ©TimeLine Media
Washington DC Temple of Latter Day Saints – ©TimeLine Media
Festival of Lights at the DC LDS Temple - ©TimeLine Media
Festival of Lights at the DC LDS Temple – ©TimeLine Media

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703-864-8208

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