Nature – Page 11 – tim mcmurdo

sometimes cheating is a requirement

Posted on August 1, 2011July 5, 2015 by Tim McMurdo

The panographic image you are looking at was created in Photoshop CS4 by stitching together several images using their automated engine. I've passed by this grove of trees on the edge of a wood many times during the day and have often thought that it would make a great subject for a photo if I could get the light just right. That in mind, I paid the stand of trees a visit Sunday morning just before dawn and set up my camera on a tripod. With the camera only two feet above the ground, I took a series of captures from several locations. Here is one of the untouched images for you to see.

With the individual photos shot, I decided that the scene would look great as a pano. So, I found a good location and shot a series of images by swiveling the camera just a few degrees between shots. If you are going to try this, you need to ensure that your tripod is nice and level or your horizon will really be out of whack. Also, you will need to set your camera and lens to manual.

Here is the resulting stitched image with some minor adjustments for color and contrast.

This pano is nice enough, just a bit spooky. I like the image but, it seemed to be missing something to make it really special. I uploaded this to flickr and asked for feedback on what would make it a better image. Through the discussion, what I decided was that the picture needed some deer. I had some photos of deer grazing not far from here and because I would be silhouetting them, lighting would not be an issue. Back to photoshop.

I think the deer do the trick. Now the image has a real subject for your eye to focus on. Yes, this might be cheating. After all, the deer were not in the original photos. However, I think that in this case, cheating was the way to go. And… is it cheating if you tell the world how and why you did it?

Have a great day folks. Don't let the heat get the best of you.

cloud bank

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Close to sunset last night, we had a much needed downpour of heavy rain that resulted from a line of thunderstorms moving through the area. This was the kind of storms that flash and bang like a Fourth of July party in Chinatown. I am a lover of good lightning storms. Bring them on! The more violent, the better. As long as no one gets hurt and nothing gets damaged, I am all for them.

An hour or so later, the storm had moved further east, leaving clear skies. The only exception was this gorgeous cloud bank that lazily moved eastward. As the clouds lingered, the last of the day's sun tried to peak through, giving us these magical god rays, fanning out from openings in the clouds. As much as the thunder land lightning got my blood going these rays were calming and serene. I thought about how strange that mother nature could pump me up one moment and just a few minutes later, she could completely calm me down. I like you Ma Nature. Keep up the good work. I am a big fan.

Have a fantastic Saturday folks, enjoy your time off.

maximize your color

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

This image was taken last night during civil twilight from our local marina located at Buck Creek State Park. What you are looking at is the final image after post processing. The "blue hour" after sunset is the perfect time to capture brilliant colors. The reds and blues that result from the sun setting behind the horizon can be spectacular. This kind of display begs for you to get the most out of your colors. Don't settle for ordinary colors.

This is the image SOOC (straight out of the camera) and though the colors are there, they are somewhat subdued. I want to maximize the color and make it explode out of the image. How do I do that?

I get over the top colors by making color adjustments in my photo editor. I use Apple's Apurture for my relatively straight forward image adjustments. However, when I need something more complex like multiple layers and localized adjustments, I turn to Photoshop, a tool that I use professionaly as well as on my personal work. In thi simage, I want the blues and reds to come to life. Adjusting two seperate colors in different areas of the image requires multiple layers and layer masks… that means Photoshop.

First step is to copy the original layer twice, once for the blue and once for the red adjustments. I will save the original layer image unchanged in case I need to go back to it. In the image above, I have adjusted the reds so that they are stronger than in the original. I repeat the same process with the blues on a separate layer.

Notice that as I adjusted the reds, the entire image is changed. The blues are more purple and there is now a lot of red in the white boat that I don't really want. By placing the red layer on top of the blue layer and by adding a layer mask to the red layer, I can "paint" out the areas of the red layer that I don't like. This will allow the blue layer to show through from beneath. Using a soft brush with low transparency settings, I can slowly build up the blues that I need in the final image.

Once again, here is the final image. Notice the vibrant colors. I was able to showcase Ma Nature's color show without ruining the whites and greens that I wanted to remain untouched. Don't be afraid to maximize your colors when the occasion calls for vibrant hues. Go ahead, don't settle, knock your viewer's socks off.

morning walk

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

I have a problem. A sort of addiction. I crave the sunrise. Every chance that I can get, I drive to the same location at the lake and sit quietly while the sun peaks its head over the horizon. I've reached the point where I get really bummed when I can't go or when I do and the sunrise isn't up to par. Today was one of those days. I got up and out of the house, drove over to the lake, parked and waited. Clouds, too many clouds.

A few clouds lead to a brilliant sunrise but too many clouds just difuse the light and all the world gets is a dull glow the sky. Pretty, yes but, when I make the effort to wake up early and greet the sun, I expect to get some value for my effort. So you see, I do have an addiction. Averge sunrises are just not doing it for me any more. I need spectacular colors reflecting off of towering clouds and leading to lush reflections on tranquil water.

However, I remember my Father's wise words about birthdays. He says that it sucks to grow old old, but it is better than the alternative. A crappy sunrise is better than no sunrise. Besides, I have plenty of company… seems like there are a lot of people that like to get up early and meet the sun. Crazy sunrise addicts. Should be a 12 step program for something like this.

wild berries

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

I was on a walk around Buck Creek this morning, hoping to get a shot of the morning sun cast over a farm that I have been keeping my eye on. I took several images of the farm & liked none of them. I just didn't have the color that I wanted for a really impressive image. I will just have to get over there a little earlier tomorrow.

The good news is that the trip was not a total waste. I noticed along the way, that the wild berries on the side of the path are beginning to ripen. This can only mean that we are one step closer to Autumn and cooler weather. I like many things about the summer. Fresh produce like locally grown corn, tomatoes, berries and other fruits and vegatables. The ability to be outdoors, enjoying the sunshine. However, the brutal heat of this summer has really eliminated most of the outdoor time that I would normally enjoy. The experience has underscored my preference for the cooler temperatures and colors of the Fall. When I saw these berries, I smiled. Autumn is around the corner and can not get here soon enough for me.

pond walk

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

I am always amazed to see all of the wildlife that I can find when walking around a pond.

But, the most common critter seemed to be these strane orange and white/yellow round ones.

Have a great Thursday folks and be very careful out there in the heat. Here in Dayton, we should hit 95 with a heat index of 110 degrees. Air conditioning is such a great thing on days like this, along with plenty of water and ice cream.

the great herds of our ancestors

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Listen my son and I will tell you of the great herds of our ancestors, in the time before the yellow haired gods ruled our lands. Your great great great grandfather walked the lands of the north and lived the ways of our elders. In those days, to prove himself a man, a young warrior needed to walk the great herds. You have seen the long necked birds from the cold north called geese. They are common even today but, in the days of our fathers, the Canada Goose roamed the plains in herds of enormous size. As they moved from one grazing ground to another, their shadows darkened the ground from sunrise to sunset without break.

It was one of these herds that the young warrior must walk within. Approaching the geese from downwind, the boy would walk quietly among the big birds looking for the largest of them all. Once found, the warrior must pluck a single feather from the bird's tail feathers. Silence and patience were the key to the Young man's success. If the birds became startled, they would begin to run over the grasses in a huge stampede. The mass of startled and angry birds would run for hours, until exhaustion took them and forced them to collapse. All the while, they would trample anything in their path, including the warrior.

The stampedes of Time have trampled the great herds and they are no more. Also gone are most of the traditions so revered by our ancestors. In my dreams, the herds still rome and I am a young warrior on the verge of becoming a man. I walk the herds in my dreams… feather in my hand.

ted’s dry run

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

When I woke up this morning, the weather was nasty. The temperature had already reached 80 degrees and the rain had filled the air with with moisture. I took a deep breath and it felt like I was drinking water from a glass. After letting the cat out, I headed to the kitchen to make some coffee and put together some toast. This was part of my morning routine and my body could go through the motion on its own, while my brain wandered. The hot and humid weather reminded me of another time right after I got home from the war.

The summer of 1947 was a terribly hot summer and everyday that it would rain, the humidity would come out fighting just like it had this morning. If I remember right, it was a Saturday morning and I had nothing planned. I decided to head on down to the pond with my fishing pole. I didn't really care if I caught anything, the idea was to sit on the edge of the pond and dangle my feet in the cool water while I enjoyed the shade. So, I got my pole and tackle together and headed for the watering spot out near Stanton's Farm Road.

It wasn't long before I was settled in, watching my bobber floating on the still water. Soon, I caught sight of a turtle on a log. From where I sat, he looked like he was stuck in mid air. His feet were flying but he wasn't going anywhere. He looked likable enough, so I offered to lend him a hand.

"Mr. Turtle, can I offer you a hand into the water?" To my complete surprise, the turtle answered me back!

"No thank you" said the turtle, "that will not be necessary." Holy cow, a talking turtle!

"You can talk!"

"Yes, I can speak he said" between gulps of air. All the time, his legs never stopped. They just spun and spun like a whirligig. "It is a curse."

"A curse? It seems like a blessing to me, Mr. Turtle." By now, I had put my pole down, I wasn't interested in fishing anymore. "Why would it be a curse?"

"Well, now that I can speak, my big mouth keeps getting me into the worst of trouble. I just bet the catfish that I could cross the pond to the other side."

That threw me for a loop. Of course he could cross the pond, he was a turtle after all.

"Mr. turtle, that seems like a sucker's bet to me, of course you can cross the pond, you are a turtle."

"Oh no" said the turtle. "And call me Ted"

"Ok Ted, it is. And what seems to be the problem, you will surely win that bet."

Ted just turned his head and looked at me with a worried expression. "I can't swim and the catfish knows it!" His legs were still turning as fast as he could make them go. "But I got a plan!"

With that, Ted rocked his way off the log and into the water. I gasped, he could drown! But it wasn't to be. Ted's legs were spinning so fast that as he hit the glassy water, he shot across the surface like a skipping stone. Ted skipped eleventy seven times, enough to land him into the cat tails on the opposite side of the pond. I had never seen anything like it in my entire life!

I stood up to see if I could see Ted on the other side but, I couldn't spot anything other than some movement in the tall plants. I was a little disappointed. I wanted to congratulate Ted on winning the bet.

Unfortunately, I never saw Ted again. I just suppose that is the way it should be. Still, I give a chuckle when I think about Ted flying across the pond. Sometimes, I just bust out laughing to myself. When that happens, my wife looks at me like I have lost my mind. She doesn't know about Ted and his bouncing flight across the pond. She has no idea that what really makes me bust out loud is that, though I never found Ted again, I did see the look on the catfish's face when Ted skipped over his head and won the bet.

meet walter doogan

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Uh oh, after some research, I think that "Walter" is a female stag beetle.

Walter Doogan was a different kind of Beetle to be sure. He liked classical music, knit caps and sandals, while the rest of the bugs his age were listening to rock and roll and dressing like clones of each other. His mother called him eccentric but the rest of the world just called him odd.

His friends liked the way he marched to his own drum and were able to look deeper until they saw the generous and loyal friend that he was. To them, he was brave and unique in his willingness to be his own bug and ignore current trends. While he was being teased by others for not conforming to the current norms, his close knit group of friends admired the audacity of his difference.

Even so, his friends did think his penchant for climbing was a little strange, even for him. Walter would climb anything that was tall and towered into the air. He seemed to see the sky scraping heights as a sort of personal challenge. His conversation would revolve around his latest target for days ahead of a big climb. The building excitement always insured that Walter had an audience to cheer him on. The actual climb seemed to last forever as Walter raised one leg at a time and pulled himself up the vertical surface. moving onward at a slow and deliberate pace.

You have to wonder what drives Walter upwards? What inner fire motivates him in his quest to conquer the heights? We may never know the answer. We can guess that this is yet another part of the beauty that makes Walter different.

my morning walk

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

I have a friend named Deb that takes regular morning walks with her dog, Ash. Sometimes she shares a bird sighting, a favorite bloom or some kind of wildlife story. While I was walking by the lake and meadow this morning, I thought that this was a Deb kind of morning. The sunrise was spectacular and I hope this panoramic image gives you some sense of the color in the clouds as the sun rose.

This gorgeous mystery bird greeted me with it's call. I love the vivid yellow and red on the tips of its tail and wings. If you know what kind of bird this is, let me know. (I have been informed by some very kind and reliable sources that our mystery bird is a Cedar Waxwing).

I noticed this bird house overstuffed with large feathers. Did some kind of over achieving bird try to stuff her nest with big feathers? Was this some sign of domestic dispute? Surely these feathers must be large for the bird that fits inside such a small house? Usually I see small swallows living in these homes.

My last bit of interest was being scared silly by a huge deer as it leaped out of the trees and crossed my path, white tail flashing. I was so surprised, that I didn't have any sense to bring my camera up and take a photo. Next time I will try to be a little more prepared.

And that my friends, was my morning walk.