Paseo de Montejo, Mérida,
Paseo de Montejo, Mérida, by Suprada on Flickr.
Paseo de Montejo, Mérida, Mexico
We stayed at the Presidente Intercontinental hotel in Merida when we were there in December. One night, we decided to walk to the nearest Italian place for dinner. We walked down and along the Pases De Montejo. The street was lit up with Christmas lights. Looking at this scene, I just absolutely had to try to make a photograph.
This photograph was made at the “Monumento a la Patria” looking out to the street.
More about the Paseo de Montejo from http://www.differentworld.com/mexico/areas/yucatan-and-campeche/merida/guide.htm: “This major boulevard is Merida’s answer to the Champs Elysées in Paris. Magnificent mansions, built at the height of the henequen industry, line the broad streets – many are now banks or offices. Remember that good road and rail links to Mexico City were not fully completed until the 1960s and you’ll understand why trade with Europe influenced architectural styles and fashions so much here. One of the most beautiful mansions (the Palacio Canton) houses the Museum of Anthropology. Its contents are well worth a look, though not as comprehensive as the one in Mexico City.”
Post – Processing Notes:
This photograph is a blend of two exposures. With my camera on a tripod, I shot one frame for the center lights – and underexposed
the rest of the image. I then shot another frame exposing for the car trails. I hand-blended them in Photoshop.
For more information about hand-blending (or multi-raw processing as Harold davis calls it), check out Harold Davis’ Multi-Raw Processing tutorial on photo.net
You can go to my My Night Photography techniques post to read about other techniques I use. You can also download this article for your reference. Download Stacking Cheatsheet.pdf
Link to posts from Uxmal
Link to oher posts from Mexico
Technical Details:
Camera: Canon Rebel XT
Exposure: blend of two exposures
Focal Length: 19mm
ISO: 100
WB: Daylight
Lens: Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM SLR Lens for EOS Digital SLRs
Date: December 26, 2009
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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Gothic Church, Eknakan
Gothic Church, Eknakan, by Suprada on Flickr.
Gothic Church, Eknakan, Mexico
This beautiful church pops out of nowhere in Eknakan. It was dark by the time I shot this photograph. I am so enamoured by this church that I wanted to know more about it. Here is what I got after trawling the web for information:
From yucatan.gob.mx/estado/turismo/haciendas/eknakan/eknakan.htm:
“It is on the road Acanceh – Cuzamá only 16 kilometers from the first.
Eknakán means “the dark house of the snake” or “four dark houses.” It was an important hacienda built with the intention that one day outside the village church and not only of the estate.
The church is of Gothic architecture, according to connoisseurs, classical Germany. It is considered a museum. It has many windows, some circular, where you can admire the colorful stained glass remains that allowed a surprising light.
The choir of the temple is a masonry balcony with white columns in protocols that are part of the majesty of the building.
The carved wooden altar, with ornament same as the interior columns of the temple, there are steps of granite. On one side, in a chapel, a table looks carved an image of San Francisco with hands, feet and side with the marks of crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
These images are brightly colored colonial rough and sometimes overly prominent features at the foot of San Francisco is a wooden horse is not known who could have been.
An oil painting perhaps five feet two representing the Virgen del Rosario and whose signature is hidden by a wooden frame carved with relief.
Other things that make up the so-called museum are ancient copper bells, a bowl of fine china ornate serves as a baptismal font, a closet where clothes are protected priests no longer in use and three wooden chests.”
Too bad I did not have any time to go inside the church. A must-visit for anybody travelling in that region. There is a courtyard outside the church where a car can be parked and a picnic lunch – or in the case of photographers, a picnic dinner can be eaten.
Post – Processing Notes:
I shot this image in RAW mode and used Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.7
What do you think?
Link to posts from Uxmal
Link to oher posts from Mexico
Technical Details:
Camera: Canon Rebel XT
Exposure: 6s at f/3.5
Focal Length: 11mm
ISO: 100
WB: Daylight
Lens: Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM SLR Lens for EOS Digital SLRs
Date: December 26, 2009
Filter: Singh-Ray Neutral LB Polarizer
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
Winter Yosemite Falls at Night
Winter Yosemite Falls at Night, by Suprada on Flickr.
Winter Yosemite Falls at Night, Yosemite National Park, CA.
This is a 45 minute stack of photos taken in March in Yosemite Valley. If you look carefully, you will see that the edges of the Upper Yosemite Falls are frozen. Amazing isn’t it? This photograph was made by stacking a series on 2minute exposures, taken over 45 minutes starting at 4.00 AM. So towards the last of my shots, it was getting light in the sky. I hope to go shoot a "more frozen" version next year.
Technical Details:
Camera: Canon EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera
Exposure: Stack of 2min exposures at f4.5
Focal Length: 17mm
ISO: 400
WB: Daylight
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
Date: March 7, 2010
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Golden Gate Bridge at Night – 1
Golden Gate Bridge at Night – 1, by Suprada on Flickr.
Golden Gate Bridge at Night – 1, San Francisco, California.
“A night photograph is a collection of time and light.”
My first keeper with my new Canon 50D. The camera came on Tuesday evening and after playing with it for a bit, I was itching to take it out for some real outdoor shooting. The opportunity came when we had to go to San Francisco on Friday to attend an event. After the event, at 2.00AM, we made our way to a pull out past the Golden Gate Bridge. It had been drizzling a while back, but it was nice and clear with patches of fog rolling in and out while I was shooting this image. It is extremely magical photographing outside at night. I feel like an an outsider looking into a new world all ready to be discovered.
Currently reading / looking at Michael Kenna: A 20 Year Retrospective
Technical Details:
Camera: Canon EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
Exposure: 30s @ f8.0
Focal Length: 23mm
ISO: 100
WB: Daylight
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
Date: February 13, 2010
Location: 37.82883333,-122.48600000
(3 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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El Conte at Night
El Conte at Night, by Suprada on Flickr.
El Conte draped in Fall colors, at Night, Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee
I happened to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last October. Fortunately for me, right then, fall colors were at their peak. We drove in on a Friday to the tourist town of Gatlinburg. That night, I decided to head out and try night photography. I had recently taken a night photography workshop by Harold Davis and was very eager to try the techniques and methods out.
By the time we reached the Sugarlands visitor center, it was getting dark. The ranger there talked about Campbell Overlook, on the NewFoundland Gap Road being a good sunset spot. So I decided to head there for the night shoot. An excerpt from the “NewFoundland Gap Road Auto Tour” booklet: “From here you are looking toward Mt. El Conte, the third highest peak in the smokies, but Bull Head in the foreground keeps you from seeing all of El Conte”.
The Campbell Overlook is at Mile 4 from the Park entrance at Gatlinburg. It is 3.7miles from the Sugarlands Visitor Center. There are two large parking areas on the left providing views of Sugarland Valley and Mt. El Conte. Of the two, the second pullout is named for Carlos Campbell, who wrote Birth of a National Park: Great Smoky Mountains
This is the thing about night photography: its a lonely affair, especially for someone who likes company – the long time on spot taking the many really long exposures in the inevitable cold. Luckily for me, I had people to give me company while I was shooting.
This photograph is a combination of many exposures taken over 1 hr at the same spot. The photographs were then processed and stacked using Adobe Photoshop Extended CS4
For more about night photography, you can read Harold Davis’s excellent book titled Creative Night: Digital Photography Tips & Techniques
Technical Details:
Camera: Canon Rebel XT
Exposure: Stacked Exposure
Focal Length: 17mm
ISO: 100
WB: Daylight
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
Date: October 24, 2009
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Ocean and Bixby Bridge
Ocean and Bixby Bridge, by Suprada on Flickr.
Ocean and Bixby Bridge, CA.
This is a photograph of the Bixby Bridge, officially the “Bixby Creek Arch Bridge” on Hwy 1 near Big Sur. This photograph was taken during the night photography workshop with Harold Davis.
For this photograph, we crossed the street to a turnout to get a different perspective.
For more about my workshop experiences, you can read this post.
Technical Details:
Camera: Canon Rebel XT
Exposure: 346sec at f/8.0
Focal Length: 16mm
ISO: 100
WB: Daylight
Lens: Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Date: September 26, 2009
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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Car Trail – Bixby Bridge
Car Trail – Bixby Bridge, by Suprada on Flickr.
Car Trail – Bixby Bridge, Monterey Wharf, CA.
This is a photograph of the Bixby Bridge, officially the “Bixby Creek Arch Bridge” on Hwy 1 near Big Sur. This photograph was taken during the night photography workshop with Harold Davis.
A looong exposure setup very close to the bridge to try to get an interesting perspective.
For more about my workshop experiences, you can read this post.
Technical Details:
Camera: Canon Rebel XT
Exposure: 326sec at f/8.0
Focal Length: 10mm
ISO: 100
WB: Daylight
Lens: Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Date: September 26, 2009
(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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Moonlight by Bridge
Moonlight by Bridge, by Suprada on Flickr.
Moonlight by Bridge, CA.
This is a photograph of the Bixby Bridge, officially the “Bixby Creek Arch Bridge” on Hwy 1 near Big Sur. This photograph was taken during the night photography workshop with Harold Davis.
The previous evening was a very foggy evening. All of us had our fingers crossed and we were rewarded with a great night. We reached Bixby bridge when there was still light and setup. As the night proceeded and it got darker, the moon made her appearance. I was totally taken in by the moonlight on the surf pounding on the shore. And the cars making their way across the bridge made those very nice trails in this long exposure.
For more about my workshop experiences, you can read this post.
Technical Details:
Camera: Canon Rebel XT
Exposure: 254sec at f/8.0
Focal Length: 10m
ISO: 100
WB: Daylight
Lens: Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Date: September 26, 2009
(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
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Wharf Reflections
Wharf Reflections, by Suprada on Flickr.
Wharf Reflections, Monterey Wharf, CA.
One last photograph from the first night of my night photography workshop with Harold Davis. I was attracted to the reflection on one of the wharf windows. There was also a light inside which made this fascinating.
This is one of my first photos to use the LAB color space and editing techniques taught introduced to me by Harold Davis’ workshop. After the workshop, I got hold of a copy of Dan Margulis’ “Photoshop LAB Color: The Canyon Conundrum and Other Adventures in the Most Powerful Colorspace” book. As I am reading through the book and applying some techniques, I am quite blown away by what I can achieve. I love how I can subtly enhance color / sharpening etc. I will continue experimenting in the LAB colorspace.
For more about my workshop experiences, you can read this post.
Question: How many people do you see in the photograph?
Technical Details:
Camera: Canon Rebel XT
Exposure: 15sec at f/4.0
Focal Length: 40m
ISO: 100
WB: Daylight
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
Date: September 25, 2009
(2 votes, average: 2.50 out of 5)
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The Wharf
The Wharf, by Suprada on Flickr.
The Wharf, Monterey Wharf, CA.
One more photograph from the first night of my night photography workshop with Harold Davis. This was a shot of the Monterey wharf. The tungsten lighting in the original looked horrible, but I love how the photo works in black and white.
For more about my workshop experiences, you can read this post.
Question: How many people do you see in the photograph?
Technical Details:
Camera: Canon Rebel XT
Exposure: 10sec at f/4.0
Focal Length: 17m
ISO: 100
WB: Daylight
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
Date: September 25, 2009
(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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Boats at Night
Boats at Night, by Suprada on Flickr.
Boats at Night, Monterey Wharf, CA.
Last weekend, my friend Yi and I took a Night Photography workshop with Harold Davis at Carmel.
Before I say anything else, here is a plug for Harold’s workshops. Harold is a great teacher, knowledgeable, gentle and approachable. If anybody is even remotely interested in this exciting area of night photography, they should consider taking Harold’s workshop. Though I have dabbled in night photography, taking his workshop opened up new areas and new ideas about the kind of shots to take and about post processing. It also gave me a kind of framework against which to plan future night photography forays, a kind of system to the madness, one can say.
We met on Friday evening at 6.00 PM at the Carmel Photography Institute, introduced each other and were introduced to Harold. After an introduction from Harold and what to expect, we set out for that night’s shoot at the commercial Monterey Wharf. It was a foggy night, and the wharf was a good area to get introduced to night photography, kind of lit and safe. After shooting there for a couple of hours, we went home. This photograph was taken at the Wharf. because of the long exposures, you can see the boat move and blur, causing the dreamy effect.
We met the next day, Saturday at 10.00 AM at the CPA. Harold showed us his post processing method and worked on each of our photos to show us how to achieve the result we wanted. It was mindblowing. We had the post processing session till 1.00PM, after which all of us decided to head out to Point Lobos for some daytime shooting. I must mention that Jack, very kindly ordered lunch for us, which we ate at a picnic lunch in Point Lobos.
It was my first time at Point Lobos. It was foggy and sunny, the cliffs were glowing in an ethereal way – I’ve never seen something like that before. It was then I concluded that, if there was heaven, it should be like Pt. Lobos that day. Photos of that coming up in the next few weeks. We were there till about 4.00 in the evening, and then headed back to the CPI, after a brief stop at the Carmel Mission. After about an hour of more post processing, we ate dinner at a Chinese place and left for our night shot.
We spent some amazing time at the Bixby bridge, shooting till it got really Dark. Then 7 of us headed to Pfeiffer beach, hole in the wall rock for some more night shooting. It was awesome. We were there till about 10.30 – 11.00 PM that night.
The next day, Sunday, we reconvened at 10.00 AM at the CPI for more photography talk, and more post processing. By the time we were done at 1.00 PM, I was totally exhausted 
A long week at work plus a night photography workshop can do that!
So that was my amazing weekend.
Technical Details:
Camera: Canon Rebel XT
Exposure: 30sec at f/4.0
Focal Length: 17m
ISO: 100
WB: Daylight
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
Date: September 25, 2009
(2 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)
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