Several years ago I spent a few days visiting Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Many who have visited these parks have spent some time along the Mormon Row area of Grand Teton where several older homes, barns, and other buildings are located. Most of the days of this visit were cloudy and gray, not ideal conditions for photography but one should never pass on the opportunity. This is the original image of one of the cabins taken during that visit.
I use Adobe’s PhotoShop and LightRoom to process most of my photos but try to go lightly with my editing. Usually this means some cropping, maybe some minor adjustment to saturation, and possibly some adjustment to brightness and contrast. At that time I was also using a plugin called NIK Silver Effects. This photo seemed like a good candidate for some editing. I decided to apply a blue filter along with my normal processing and arrived at this view.
When I asked several friends for their preference the choices were balanced. Some liked the original while others liked the filtered image because of the blue skies and some added clarity of the cabin details. Others preferred the original image.
A few months later I decided to make a tabletop book with some of my photos, focusing on older objects like cabins, barns, steam trains, and other similar things. Rather than using the photos in their original form I decided to use sepia toning along with some borders. My goal was to create something like a stack of old images that you might find hidden away in an attic or closet. Images that were in fairly good shape but with some possible fading and borders or edges that were not neatly cut. I though this image would fit the book well and the result is shown here.
So, you now have three treatments of the same photo. Which do you prefer? And, if you are willing to share, why?
I hope you enjoy looking,
These cat photos were all taken at the St. Louis Zoo then resized and placed on a single background using Adobe’s PhotoShop, one of my favorite tools, along with one or two plug-ins. I enjoy showing the beauty of these animals along with the differences between the various species.
the bunny was definitely wild, and I felt privileged for it to stay long enough for me to take this photo. The year after this image was made, I used it with a top and bottom border to wish every one a “Happy Easter” online.
This was a winter photo and later that day I saw a hug number of both Brown and White Pelicans at rest along the Illinois River. I didn’t know that pelicans flew in v-formations, much like geese and ducks, until that day. The clear, blue sky provided a great background for this photo.
If you look closely, you may see what I was trying to capture – the heart shaped image created when two swans pass closely to each other going opposite directions. While the timing of my photo was a few seconds off, it was the best of several taken in rapid succession.
I captured this image near The National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming during a visit to Yellowstone National Park. There is a visitor’s center there where migrating waterfowl sometimes visit which allowed be to take this photo. Like the pelicans, this is a wild bird, not a bird in a cage or similar environment. It is not something we see in the Central U.S., but it is almost as beautiful as the male Wood duck.
I was able to capture this image while on a swamp tour several years ago. This was before a major hurricane in the area, so I am almost positive that neither the animal nor the log survived. Even so, the almost hidden raccoon made for a nice shot.
The duckling here is innocent. Quite young, it has not been exposed to the beauty and dangers that may enter its life. Instead, the most important thing now is to simply swim fast enough to catch its mother who is a bit ahead. Living its life in a protected, not natural, environment, it does not need to worry about the source of its next meal, predators from above or below, or even the humans who watch it or take photos. As the duckling ages, it must learn of these dangers and how to keep safe. How does it gain this knowledge? It must be taught by the older ducks, the hen who gave it life or others. But this happens without voice, at least as we humans define it. It must learn when and why migration occurs. It must learn how to avoid predators. When the time comes to breed to ensure the flocks future. Yes, the duckling is innocent now but soon in will be knowledgeable and know how to survive.
The wood duck drake is often described as one of the most, if not the most, beautiful waterfowl species. The multiple colors stand out bright against the environment. The drake here is also in a controlled environment, not in its natural habitat. How does the drake know that it is safe? Why does it come close enough to be photographed? There are no trees or other places to hide in the face of danger. Yet the wood duck or perhaps its offspring return each year to share their beauty with other waterfowl and even we humans. If it does not survive the winter, how do others know to come in its stead? While scientists may give us answers, are they correct? Or are we simply attempting to fit animal behavior into our human model? Why does the drake sport these beautiful colors while the hen does not? And how do they know where to go in the winter? The beauty is there for all to behold, but it creates so many questions that perhaps the best answer is to simply enjoy.
I have always had problems defining why we find sunsets so intriguing. Yes, they are often beautiful, but they can also present danger. But to me, this sunset image from Bosque del Apache to be very peaceful. The sun sets over the mountains, miles to the west. It reflects off the shallow water stirred by a light breeze. The sand hill cranes feed in the flooded fields seemingly without any threat. Later in the evening, the cranes will be joined by others, ducks and geese. And all will rest peacefully through the night. Then early the next morning the peace will be disturbed as the birds take flight, almost as one, to move to their daytime resting places, near and far. Unlike the duckling or the wood duck, these are birds are in their natural environment. Danger and risk are there. But at this time of day, all seem at peace.
The Grand Tetons offer many different things to those who see them – safety and danger, homes and escapes, beauty, peace, a place to feed, a place to give life, and a place for life to end. To me this photo represents serenity, or calmness. The mountain in the distance is solid. It stands up to storms and rain. It tells us that some things are reliable and dependable. The river and reflection on this day show how things can be calm even as the world is in turmoil around us. Yes, on other days or at other times the water may be rough but after a few moments or days, it will return to the serenity of the moment to be enjoyed by others. Although one cannot see wildlife in this image, we know they are there, hidden away and safe. Perhaps they too are enjoying the pace and serenity of this wonderful place.
As we reflect on things around us, we are given moment ourselves. Time to look at where we have been, and possibly where we are going. To think about what we have done and what we might do. I don’t really see this photo as a “selfie” or even a goal. I know where it was taken but I don’t know why. When I look at it, I remember the day it was taken, a simple reflection in a window. It highlighted a hobby or maybe a wish. But it has never been shared. It was a time to think, alone in a park. Perhaps it was a simple pause in my photography that day or a memory created for the future. I really don’t know.
An Old Man's Thoughts, Memories, & Opinions 