Written with light – Evocative landscape and artistic photography
Posts tagged orton
Fading Fall
0 
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.
Boston Public Garden
2Yesterday was another incredible day in Boston. Spring here just keeps getting nicer. The most interesting part about the Boston Public Garden is the number of different people who are seen walking around. They range from business men, to mothers, to lovers, to musicians, to painters, to photographers. Here are a few shots from this beautiful place.
Spring Trophy
Draped Island
Swan’s Home
Colorful Bunch
Duxbury Beach – The Destination
2Here are a few more shots from Duxbury… the destination, if you will. The bridge has been crossed!
Competition
Bridge vs. Rusted Gate – Fight! By the looks of things, the bridge is winning, but to be fair, the gate isn’t really trying all that hard.
Party’s Over
This shot is kind of sad, but it is often the saddest things in life that reveal the most beauty. Perhaps this is because only in the face of sadness are we able to appreciate what has been lost. As creatures of habit it is easy for us to take things for granted, but hard for us to understand why we took them for granted once they are gone.
So, should we go through life in search of those bittersweet moments that bring tears of retrospective appreciation to our eyes or should we transcend our own instincts and dare to find beauty in even our most well established "habits?" I leave the answer to you, but I think this party would be much better if it wasn’t over.
The Way
Just beyond this dune lies a rocky beach bathing in low tide. There are children playing and dogs running around, absolutely thrilled at the pure simplicity of fetching a stick from the water. A few brave human souls have even chosen to swim… mostly the children, who aren’t yet afraid of the danger participating in such an activity poses to certain critical extremities. I know better, and as such I am watching the children, dogs, and stick bathe from the safety of my viewfinder. 
Duxbury Beach – The Journey
0It is with great sadness that I report that my camera is at Nikon for repair (nothing major, just me being picky about dust underneath the LCD and focusing screen). Before I sent the camera in, I managed to take one last beach trip over this past weekend where the temperature reached the high 70s. It was so incredibly nice that I spent most of the time just taking it all in. In between tanning I managed to take a few interesting shots of perhaps my favorite bridge which leads from Duxbury “mainland” to a little peninsula that is Duxbury beach. Only Duxbury residents are allowed to cross the bridge with their car and park it by the beach. Us po’ folk who don’t live in Duxbury must walk the mile or so that it spans in order to reach this holy grail of beaches. But as with most things in life, the journey is half the fun. This day was no exception and so without further adieu, here’s to the journey.
What is a destination without the journey that leads the way? What is a marathon without the 26.2 miles of pain and sweat – what worth do those final tears of victory hold if they are cried from a destination which is no different than its origin. If helicopters could take climbers to the peak of Mount Everest, would they conquer the mountain just the same? If The Discovery Channel aired the climb, would you sit on your couch and watch instead? There are too many shortcuts in life and not enough savoring of the roads less traveled by. Lingering by the shore has given way to running through the mall in search of the latest swim wear complete with a “free gift” (emphasis always on free) of wasted time. Those who manage to buy something they actually like rather than what they have been convinced to like by magazines, TV, and the like, are one step ahead. Those who walk in the mall instead of run are two steps ahead. And those who go to the beach instead of the mall, with a 5-year old t-shirt and shoes that are falling apart, don’t count their steps because, well, it’s hard when you have to stop every few feet to empty the sand from your shoes. My wish for all of you is that you always find sand in your shoes, for it will make the journey much more enjoyable, and the arrival so much sweeter.
Endless Escape
Under Reflection
Hull Beach: Part 1
0Most people wouldn’t go to the beach on an overcast day to take pictures, but I’m not one to follow conventions. Before I present the photos, I’d just like to thank my friends for having the patience (except for Mike) to sit in the car for an hour while I dragged them to the beach… many songs were sang, poorly. You may find some of these shots bleak, but the place itself is still beautiful, it just needs a little more sun to look happy. Hint: The best shots are at the bottom.
Derailed
The Boathouse
The Model
Casual Photographer
Heaven’s Gate
Walk the Plank
1I wasn’t going to post any more photos from this location, but after developing this one for fun, I liked how it came out so I thought I would share. This photo is more of a hybrid – Everything below the horizon is HDR + Orton while everything above the horizon is just HDR. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, don’t worry, just enjoy the photo! I named the first photo from this location, “Golden Desire.” I suppose some of you might be wondering how I went from “Golden Desire” to “Walk the Plank” all in the span of a few footsteps. Ok, valid question. Your answer is found in the rotting wood of the dock upon which this photo was taken. See you there!
Golden Desire
0Happy Easter everyone! I know this isn’t exactly an Easter shot, but it was taken on Easter so that has to count for something, right? I went on a wonderful drive with my dad to Duxbury beach to take a few pictures before Easter brunch. Although it was a bit cold, the clouds were absolutely spectacular. This shot is another HDR + Orton combo. The Orton effect is really starting to grow on me. Technically I think I was trespassing in order to take this shot, as there was a rusted chain about shin high serving as a barrier. I’d imagine there’s a boat parked at the end of this bridge in the summer. I will attempt to return in a few months time to make sure and perhaps get arrested.
Vanilla Sky
1April 6, 2007
Just when I thought I was going to go an entire day without taking any pictures, my roommate Jerry called to tell me there was going to be a nice sunset on the esplanade (an area directly by the river in Boston). Well, he was sort of right. While we didn’t really get to see the sun set per se, the light scattered by the sunset into the cloud formations above made for a truly beautiful sight. This is sort of like that Tom Cruise movie, “Vanilla Sky,” but without the crazy.
Oh and as for the technique, this would be my first photo which uses Orton – a technique which combines an out of focus image with an in focus one for a very soft and sublime result. I think it suits this shot nicely. For more information see the excellent tutorial written by a fellow photographer here.
