Experimenting with HDR

I have recently started to play around with creating images using the HDR technique.... for those that don't know, HDR stands for 'high dynamic range', and basically what you do is take multiple exposures of the same scene, exposing each image for a different part of the photo, then using the 'digital darkroom' (re: computer photo software) to combine those images. Up until this point, I've always just used filters (graduated neutral-density filters) to shoot high-contrast scenes, such as sunrises and sunsets. But, I just got a new computer and some new software which has this HDR tool built into it, and I have to say, its pretty cool, and its nothing new..... photographers used to combine images in the darkroom all the time. You really have to be careful with this stuff, though...... you can easily make images that are so unreal looking, its not even funny. I still love using my filters, however......I don't think I'll ever give those up! The images below are the 3 separate images I shot to make the single HDR image, which is seen above. Basically you expose one image for the sky, one image for the foreground and one image for the in-between area. The end result is pretty cool, and actually closer to what our eyes actually see when we are standing there viewing the scene in person, since our eyes are capable of seeing a much greater range in contrast than a camera can.

The Lost World

For the past couple of evenings I have been going down to the mouth of Hollow Rock Creek to shoot the sunset/dusk time period..... which I've never really done before, and that's strange since its only a couple of miles from my house. It really is a beautiful little spot, but Hollow Rock Creek is a pretty small creek and for most of the summer there isn't very much water in it, so to get shots like this you really need to shoot it in the spring. For some reason when I viewed these images on the computer for the first time, the first thing I thought of was a lost world.... uninhabited by humans, one that is primal and rugged yet also beautiful. Thus the reason behind my title for this post and these images. All 4 of these images were shot with the aid of Cokin graduated neutral-density filters, helping to bring out the colors in the sky, which were there but were pretty faint as the sun had already set. Long exposures also help to bring out the colors, and the exposure lengths on these images ranged from 5 to 20 seconds.

Partridge and Pussy Willows

This evening I took a drive up the Arrowhead Trail, hoping to see a moose (which I did, but was unable to get a picture as by the time I stopped the car and got my window rolled down, the moose was already several hundred feet off into the woods), but also running into a few other special sights. The surprising thing was seeing about 7 or 8 partridge (Ruffed Grouse) at different points along the road. Every single one that I saw was standing right along the edge of the gravel road, and wasn't disturbed in the least by my prescence. After seeing 3 or 4 of them, I stopped at the next one I saw and watched him for a good 10 minutes or more. He just kind of stood there, all puffed up at the edge of the road, as I snapped pictures of him. After watching and taking plenty of pictures, I drove off down the road, watching in the rearview mirror as I went. He never moved. At least, not before I rounded the next bend in the road. A little while later some light snow began to fall, and I managed to get a rather interesting shot of some blowing snow and some pussy willows. I've tried to take pictures of pussy willows before, and have never been satisfied with them. This is the first time I've actually been happy with the results. But, you know what they say..... you are your own worst critic!

Paradise Found

Today I had to perform my first official function of this season for my "day job", which for those of you who don't know, is at Grand Portage State Park. I had to go down to Cloquet for the day for a training session, and I thought I would make the most of it and get up early so I could stop along the way and take a few photos of the sunrise. So, this plan found me waking at 3:45 so I could be on the road by 4:20 in order to make it down to Tettegouche State Park for the sunrise. My plan was to shoot the sunrise at the arch on the Tettegouche shoreline..... which would mark only the second time that I've done so. What a beautiful morning it turned out to be! It was a little chilly, as the temperature that night dipped to about 24 degrees, but the lake was a real jewel.... calm as can be, not a ripple to be seen anywhere. As I walked from the parking lot down to the shore, I looked west and saw the moon hovering over Palisade Head. When I got down to the shoreline, I could see a loon about 50 yards out, slowly swimming back and forth, occassionally diving below the surface to look for fish. As I set up my tripod in preparation for the rising sun, a man walked up behind me with his own camera and tripod. It turns out he was up for the whole week taking pictures along the shore, and just the day before he had been up at Grand Portage State Park. We shared a few stories, then went our separate ways, he presumably to do more hiking and shooting, and myself off to Cloquet for my training session.

Sunset Ridge

It should be noted that the ridge from which these photos were taken is not actually called Sunset Ridge, that is just my name for this post, since its on a ridge and was at sunset. The ridge doesn't really have a name. I have my own name for it, but officially it does not have a name. Every so often I like to just "bush-whack" my way somewhere to take photos, and these are usually areas which end up with me standing on top of a high ridge with an awesome view spread out before me. There is no trail to the viewpoint portrayed in these images, and it is very difficult to get to..... but once you're up there, the view is worth the trouble it was to get there. The islands you see out in the lake are the Susie Islands, one of my favorite places to explore and shoot in the summer.

Spring Beavers

I saw my first beavers of the year today..... I went up to Grand Portage State Park to check out the water level at High Falls and got side-tracked by some beavers that I spotted swimming around in a side channel of the river. It was the only part of the river (other than the falls) that was ice-free, and it had a family of beavers hard at work! I saw one adult and 3 young beavers, and watched them for about an hour as they dragged branches from the woods into the water, then proceeded to use their teeth to strip the branches of their bark. There was no wind, and I could easily hear their teeth chewing away as they worked at the bark. Winter seemed to kind of drag out this year..... its nice to see yet another sure sign of spring.... the beavers!

Evening hike at Magney

This evening I went for a hike to the Devil's Kettle waterfall at Judge C.R. Magney State Park, hoping to catch some sunset color in the sky over the river. Spring is definitely on its way, as the trail had the look of spring: still some snow-covered areas, but mostly very wet and muddy. One of the small thrills of spring and mud is being able to see all the fresh animal tracks. I saw countless deer tracks on my way up the trail. While the river did still have some ice and snow along its banks, it was running freely in the middle. I had a feeling, however, that higher water levels are yet to come as the snows continue to melt further inland. It was, by all accounts, perfect weather for a hike...... the temperature was just right: not too warm, not too cold. And, while enjoying the view at the Upper Falls and Devil's Kettle Falls, a nice pink-ish glow from the setting sun radiated throughout the sky. Another sign of spring, as I sat and enjoyed the still partially-frozen Devil's Kettle, was looking up to the sky and seeing a perfect V-formation of Canada Geese heading north. Summer will soon be here!

The day after the storm

After all the snow the shore received over the past couple of days, I decided to take a drive towards Duluth to check things out along the shore. I stopped for a hike at Gooseberry Falls State Park, and was treated to a late winter wonderland of fresh snow and running water. The temperature was very comfortable, hovering in the mid-40's, and with the bright sun it was quite warm. Along the river below the multiple waterfalls there was still a fair amount of ice, and the water was running along the top of the ice in places, making for a very interesting view. Just below Middle Falls someone had built a snowman a day or two before, presumably on ice at the time, but when I saw it this little snowman was on its last legs, so to speak, water rushing past on both sides, soon to be washed away, if the sun didn't melt it first. I couldn't resist taking a shot of the snowman.

I drove down as far as Duluth, and as I got into town, I noticed a few people trying to surf the last of the big waves as they approached shore near the Lester River. I watched these guys for about a half-hour, and they weren't having much luck. After several attempts they were unable to catch a single wave. Nonetheless, it still looked like a lot of fun....that is, if you could stand the bone-chilling cold of Lake Superior's water this time of year. I ran a few errands around town, then headed up to Skyline Drive just after sunset to catch the view before heading home.....the lights of the city combined with the last bit of sunlight on the clouds and the fresh snow sure made for a beautiful vista. The Northland sure is an interesting and magical place! How could you not love living here?

Spring snow storm

Well, I guess winter isn't over yet! Northeast Minnesota just got hammered with a winter blizzard, with some areas receiving more than a foot of snow. This storm was a mixture of rain and snow at times, and was also accompanied by some very high winds, which resulted in quite a show of waves on Lake Superior. Just when you think spring might be here, Mother Nature throws you for a loop!