Tag Archive for 'hdr'
I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. I was so incapacitated from food that I neglected to post any photos over the past few days. But I’m back now with some seasonal photos to share. This one was taken right outside my door on Beacon Hill in Boston. I think it is one of the last fall shots you’ll see from me as the trees have become extremely bare. You wouldn’t think so from this shot, but it’s one of the few trees still left with leaves… beautiful ones at that.
I can’t make it to the sunset after work anymore due to daylight savings time and the approaching winter. Even though I leave work at 4 PM, by the time I get home at 4:30, the sun is well on its way to setting. But that’s ok because it means more night shots like this one which I love anyway 
You may have noticed that I haven’t taken too many photos of foliage over the past month. This is mainly because I have been sick and secondly because I spent a good deal of time building a new computer so I can process pictures faster and maybe even play a *few* games. Now that I am all better and my computer is all built, most of the leaves are on the ground (dramatic irony). Regardless, there’s still some color left in this city be it on the ground or otherwise and I fully intend to capture some of it before winter takes hold.
This photo was taken on the Esplanade in Boston (where else) and as you can see there is plenty of color. My last post was about having the courage to take the path less traveled… the divergent path, if you will. For this post I am going to switch gears a bit and discuss our rights of passage across whatever path we choose.
Rights of passage are defined by more than the desire to pass. For everyone has desires, but to have a right one must have nobler intentions. It is a common misconception that rights come with birth, that we are somehow entitled to a life of moral righteousness on our own terms - this is not true. Without the moral constructs of society rights fade away to nothing more than desires. Only when desire transcends selfish intent does it become a right. Only when it upholds tenets that are deemed noble, true, and just by the common populace does it become necessary. But history has shown us that the common populace is far more uncommon and divided than one would hope. Who then has the right? The dominant power, those suffering, or neither? There is no answer to that question because it is false… we are all suffering. So long as there is a winning and losing side we as a race will suffer. So long as right and wrong are dictated by the whims of the powerful and neglected by the efforts of the merciful, we will falter. Until right and wrong are forged by the human race as a whole, our rights of passage will remain as elusive and ever changing as the wind. Perhaps such thoughts are too idealistic. Perhaps we are doomed to an eternity of fallen empires and rising rebellions. If that is the case I can only hope that more bridges are built than burnt in my lifetime and that my desires remain congruent with my rights.
Sheraton vs. Prudential
In the left corner we have the Sheraton hotel, in the right, the Prudential Center. If ever there was a more uncommon match up I have certainly never seen it. Though the battle raged for hours in the end there was only one victor…. not exactly, they were both still standing, but the Prudential Center is way cooler so I declare it the winner. Yeah I know, cop out story but it’s my off Friday and I have laundry to do so that’s all you get : P
Uplifted
City dwellers meander through the streets smelling the cold air as their chaffed hands dig into their pockets for warmth. Finding some comfort there they stop for a moment to absorb the changing weather, speculating that fall may have arrived. The clouds overhead clear to reveal dark blue skies scattered with dim stars and bright city lights that have have begun to take on a harsh and brittle appearance. By this time the cold air has seeped into their pockets causing shivers to run through their entire bodies. They march on, left with their speculations and chaffed hands hoping that there is at least a slight possibility that they are wrong. But nature knows far better than to leave its power in the hands of man. And though she is somewhat hidden in this urban landscape, she calls out to those most discerning, confirming their speculations with gifts of color. Pockets are no warmer for receiving these gifts, but hearts light up as the city’s cold harshness is transformed into a more subtle expression of nature’s call.
Welcome to the Intercontinental Boston - Hotel and Luxury Residences. This is one of the newest and most beautiful buildings in the city as well as the most reflective building I have ever seen. It provides blinding reflections of the surrounding buildings during the day, and fills the sky with it’s blue lighting at night. I’m not sure what those blue pillars are, but they look damn cool.
As summer draws to an end and children everywhere rush (walk slowly with their heads down) back to school, I am now delighting in the fact that I just finished my Master’s degree in engineering. To celebrate this milestone I went to Aruba for a week with my family and some awesome family friends (you know who you are) to soak up the sun. We stayed in the Hyatt Regency and I have to say that it is the most beautiful hotel I have ever seen. The lobby is completely open on one end to the street entrance and on the other end to the island marvels that await. To coax you more gently in the right direction there is a constant breeze blowing through the entire lobby. The flowing white linen draped around the seating areas flaps with the wind as you desperately try to decide whether to stay inside or venture outdoors. Making the decision even more difficult is the casino entrance that pours cold air 20 feet into the open lobby - A very smart trick to get people gambling, lucky for me I don’t know how.
Since I was there for a week, I didn’t have to make the aforementioned decision as I spent plenty of time in both the lobby and outside. While I do have some pictures of the lobby, they were not taken with my usual care because honestly, I just didn’t want to take photos. I was so relaxed that setting up my tripod and camera in the middle of the place somehow seemed wrong. That’s not to say I don’t have photos for you. In fact, I think these are some of my best. Almost all of my HDR shots were taken in one day since the rest of the week I didn’t really feel like carrying a tripod on my horse (horseback riding into the sunset - try it once before you die), in the jeep (off road safari to a natural pool - don’t try it if you have high blood pressure), on the sailboat (it’s harder than you think to get a sailboat to sit still for 9 shots), or under my beach chair (safe for all ages). But HDR or not, I have some good shots for you that I’ll be sharing in the next few days.
The photos in this set are brought to you by happy hour. Balashi, Aruba’s local beer, is not only cheap, but quite tasty as well. After 5 or 6 Balashis on the dockside bar with the fam I began to notice a sunset which is quite possibly the most amazing sunset I have ever seen. And no, I did not have beer goggles for the sunset. Rushing to my room in my inebriated state, I grabbed my tripod, urinated for 15 minutes, and stationed myself at the beach while my family looked on in amusement. Have you ever been so tipsy that a simple, obvious, and maybe questionable idea seemed like the most incredible and exciting idea in the world? And then later you realize that perhaps it wasn’t such a great idea when you notice that the fridge you were trying to fit into is a little broken (completely joking, sort of). One would think that trying to bracket 9 exposures on a tripod, in the sand, in heavy wind, and after 6 beers would be one of these amazingly ungreat ideas, but to tell you the truth, I think the beers helped. So here’s to Balashi, cheers!
The first two shots I am sharing with you were taken right at the hotel beach. I really didn’t do much post-processing to these photos. The sunset really looked this incredible.
Lounging
Drinks of Dusk
Sweet Beginnings
I can’t think of better conditions under which to get married and by the looks of things, they even had a good number of guests. I actually met the bride of this wedding at the hotel bar later in the week while her husband was gambling in the casino (if that isn’t marriage I don’t know what is). Turns out they live in the same area as me… small world. Best of luck to them.
Sweet Abandonment
No, the groom didn’t really get abandoned. That’s my brother who decided to get all artistic by standing in the middle of my shot. Why one would choose the look of abandonment in such a beautiful setting, I’m not sure, but it worked out pretty well. Thanks Sam!
Under Cover
This canvas was part of the beautiful wedding that just ended when I started taking photos. By this time the sun had set and the sky was completely engulfed in the myriad of colors you see here.
Private Service
This table setting is the location of the bride and groom’s first dinner. I didn’t stay around long enough to see what they ate, but I bet you it was just as good as the atmosphere.
Bamboo Cove
Dinner for Two
The above two shots are NOT an HDR photos. There was too much motion to blend the exposures properly so I used the -1 EV shot to keep the highlights in and used Photoshop’s handy shadow recovery tool to bring out the table and chairs.
These shots are from a recent photo shoot down at the Esplanade in Boston. This is probably one of the few places you can watch a sunset in the city, which is why half my photos are tagged with Esplanade 
Regardless, the sunsets from here are always beautiful.
Cleatset
I took this shot by resting my camera directly on the dock, sans tripod. Considering the camera weighs close to a ton, it’s not surprising that it remained still for the 9 shots required to create this photo.
River Path
This shot shows the bike path that runs along the Esplanade.
Creamsicle Dreams
I couldn’t really think of a better title for this one. I wanted to express the shift in colors in the sky from the sunlight on the right to night’s beginning on the left with the transfer between the two happening somewhere midway. That was my intent at least, but all that kept coming to mind when I looked at this photo was, “creamsicle, creamsicle, creamsicle.” I must be hungry.
Sunset’s Reception
Sunset’s Reception 2
Break Time
It’s been over a week since I last posted something… far too long, I apologize. Once my classes are over expect to see a lot more work from me.
Caught Watching
I almost fell into the water when taking this shot. I figured it would be a good idea to get as close to the water as possible, but little did I know that the lowest level of rocks was covered in slippery muck. Rest assured, I escaped unscathed.
Ying Yang
Can you see it?
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