lake lines

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Last weekend, was a cold foggy one. My usual walk at the lake was not in the east bit comfortable. Still, it was beautiful in its own right. As I walked along the ridge overlooking the beach, I saw this scene:

 

DSC03113

 

What caught my eye was the way the tree broke the parallel lines of the beach. However, when I began processing the image, I was pretty dissatisfied. The lines were not as parallel as I had thought. There was ice floating in the water that was distracting. So I gave the problem some thought and opened up Photoshop.

 

DSC03113 PP 3

  

The first step was to re-crop the image to provide some better balance and focus on the tree. I then straightened the shorelines and removed the distracting ice. Finally, I straighened the tree line and applied some basic adjustments.

Sometimes our images need a little help to get them to be what we envisioned when we snapped the shot. Is it cheating? Is putting makeup on a pretty woman cheating?

 

 

sycamore reflection

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Icy Reflection 2

 

This image combines two favorites in one photo; sycamore trees and fog.  I am always looking for a good sycamore scene. The white trunks are gorgeous, especially in the winter. The problem is that I struggle to find scenes in which the tree contrasts nicely with the background.

When I wake up and see fog in the morning, I always run out with my camera. I am intrigued by the way the fog shrouds the landscape, hiding details or coyly revealing brief glimpses.

Imagine how excited I was to see both a nicely contrasting sycamore sitting in a foggy scene. The reflection…pure bonus!

 

this winter so far

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Winter Barnyard 1

 

It's been a strange winter for us so far. Plenty of snow and frigid temperatures well below freezing. However, this is Ohio, and if you wait a few minutes, the weather will change completely. 

 

The Great Flood of 2013

 

We've also had warm days in the 60s and torrential rain that led to flooding. Freeeze, flood, rain, snow, and ice…the only ingredient that we've really not had in great supply is sunsine.

I miss the sunshine.

 

to deborah’s house we go

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

To Deborah's House We Go

 

Monday, I turned down the wonderful snowy drive to visit my friend Debbie's home. Not because we are good freinds (though we are). Not because she is a fantastic conversationalist (she is). It's becasue Debbie bakes the most beautiful and flavorful bread you have ever dreamed of. I was on a mission to pick up a loaf of rye and of rustic white. Oh, how good that round of rustic white has been. We will cut into the loaf of rye tomorrow. Perhaps, I will take a picture of it. Just promise not to drool into your keyboard.

 

hard frost

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Frost on the Car

 

Although the days have warmed up fairly well, the nights are still very cold. I woke up and dressed early Sunday morning so that I could go to the lake and capture the sunrise. I have a new 2 stop graduated ND filter that I am itching to try out. One step outside and I quickly changed my mind. The temperature was hovering around 28 degrees F and I just don't like shooting in that kind of cold. Between the wind and the temperatures, I decided that just sitting in the warm car and watching the sunrise would be the way to go.

I must not be very dedicated to my craft.

 

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cold lake sunrise

a little color for a rainy monday morning

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Everyone Could Use a Little More Monet

 

Monday's are hard enough without having to deal with rainy skies. Here is a splash of color from my weekend. When the gray skies beging to get to you, just stare at these images for a feew minutes and let the color seep into your soul.

 

It's All About the Monet

 

Who new that Monet, Degas, Cassat, and a handful of other impressionist artists were so accessable?

 

Blue Dancer on Your Head

 

I know that you are more used to seeing muted colors from me, when you see me post color at all. However, I love great color when I see it. Driving down the street and being surprised made my Saturday morning. I hope it makes your Monday morning a bright and cheerful one. Have a fantastic week.

 

big sky

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Big Sky and Barn

 

As I was driving up to the farm, I was astounded to see this spectacular sky hanging over the barn.The contrasnts, the color and the sheer weight of it were all there. I stopped the car got out and just looked at the secene for a while when the clouds parted long enough to bathe the barn in color. I only took two shots and they were both wonderful. Tht doesn't happen very often and when it does, I walk away with a big grin on my face.