Written with light – Evocative landscape and artistic photography
Posts tagged wood
Draped Snowfall
0December 7, 2008
by Kalim Saliba
in Boston
It snowed for the first time this winter in the Boston suburbs today. This photo is to celebrate! I used Orton on the curtains and window only and sharpened the trees a bit.
Solo Duet
6February 5, 2008
by Kalim Saliba
in Artistic
Here’s something different just to mix things up a bit. My 18-200 mm lens + D200 couldn’t handle this kind of shot so I borrowed my roommate’s Canon XTI *gasp* + 50 mm f/1.4 lens and was thrilled with the result. I will be buying a Nikon 50 mm f/1.8 lens tomorrow for my D200. This Canon business is unacceptable 
Duxbury Beach – The Destination
2April 26, 2007
by Kalim Saliba
in Beaches
Here 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
0April 24, 2007
by Kalim Saliba
in Beaches
It 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
Wood Blossom
0April 20, 2007
This shot presents a significant departure from my normal photography. Today was the first 60 degree day Boston has seen in a long time and as is only appropriate on such a beautiful day, I grabbed my camera and set out to walk and take photos where appropriate. It’s nice to go out with the intention of having none, rather than always looking for stuff to photograph, and that’s what I did today… without a camera bag, extra battery, cleaning cloth, or tripod. The tripod was really hard to let go because it meant no HDR shots for me! But seeing as how my LDR (low dynamic range) roommate doubted my ability to photograph anything without HDR I thought I’d step up to his challenge for the day. I have to admit, it was not easy. Half the shots I took had blown highlights or just looked plain ugly. But it was certainly an enlightening experience for a few reasons: 1. I was not carrying a 4 foot 10 pound behemoth of a tripod around all day (I actually looked somewhat normal), 2. I felt like a sucky photographer, and 3. Once I realized my suckage I paid a lot more attention to what would actually come out good with the dynamic range that I had and in doing so I realized how much more freedom I had without a tripod.
However, as I mentioned above, today was for me, not my camera. I only took 43 photos in 2 hours and half of them pretty much suck (gotta learn somehow). But I really like this one. I was standing by the water watching the planes take off from Logan airport, when I noticed this little guy sprouting from the wooden pier in front of me. It took a number of tries to get the focus how I wanted, but he agreed to stand still after a while. I hope you enjoy it!
Hull Beach: Part 1
0April 15, 2007
by Kalim Saliba
in Beaches
Most 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
