Special Edit

I love shooting horse races. Being near Saratoga raceway, I go every summer and manage to get a Pass to the backstretch. I've been doing this for many years and gradually have realized that there is a special way to display these beautiful animals and the riders that goes beyond the ordinary photographs taken by the camera.

The majority of these photographs of been taken with the Nikon D 7200 with a sigma 100-600 mm Lens. Shutter speed and depth of field are set to try to capture the action and exposures for the proper ambient light exposure.  Also, I have learned that it is best to be about 1/8 mile-1/4 mile from the starting gate.  The horses are better grouped then, not bunched up yet not to spread out.  Also post rain and a muddy track adds to the drama.  My camera fires about 7 frames a second which helps capture the right grouping.

The magic however occurs in the editing as you can see from the original photograph followed by the specially edited photographs. All of the specially edited photographs were simply edited in my iPad using Google's wonderful program Snapseed

With Snapseed I am able to bring out details, color and dynamic range that are not available with traditional editing techniques. I use HDR mode and then the various structure and ambience modes elsewhere in the program. I play around with the sliders until I simply like the effect that I see and finish the photograph

I have printed several of these images on 16 x 24 reflective aluminum done by Bay photo. They look outstanding.

If you haven't downloaded and played around with Snapseed on your smart phone, iPad or android pads I would strongly recommend you give it a try. Photographic enhancement which for me brings out "the joy" within the image, is easily available.

Also just like we rarely if ever use silver coated tin plate photography anymore as image making progress has led us to digital imaging and more advanced, unique cameras including smartphone cameras, we are seeing a very interesting camera coming out in 2017, the pocketable Light L16 Camera with a total of 16 lenses and 52 MP!   I hope to get my hands on one!  Enjoy, Jeff

The Red Filter

Black-and-white film photographers have been using colored filters for decades. In color photography, a black and white colored filter can be used as well. This is the same image taken from Thatcher Park today. They were both taken with TrueHDR but the second one was cropped to make it more appealing and a red filter was placed over the image "digitally". The red filter on a color image darkens blues and greens and creates more contrast. Thus a punchier look. The filter can be placed of course on the camera but the advantage of digital is you can place it in the processing of the image.  Enjoy, Jeff

 

Coke Relieves Fatigue

Coca-cola really relieved fatigue prior to 1904 when the "happy " ingredients were caffeine and cocaine! This signage is on Broadway, Schenectady, NY.  This shot was done with the iPhone 4 at sunset using True HDR and several further filters within the App.

Enjoy Jeff

Paris and HDR

Taken with a Fuji X10 with 3 exposures, 1 stop apart, processed on Photomatix Pr0 4.2. The X10 allowed the HDR because it takes the 3 exposures with one shutter opening, thus the advancing motion of the boat is not a problem. Enjoy, Jeff

Magic Light and a Rainbow

Good photography often involves opportunity, timing and having a camera at that moment. While golfing this evening there was a little rain and I knew there would be a potential rainbow shot. But this! Wow, I did not expect! Shot with the iPhone 4 using True HDR App I was blessed to see this forming and capture it. Enjoy, Jeff

HDR Albany, NY

True HDR App. Taken tonight in downtown Albany. Handheld iPhone .

Love it. Jeff

HDR Wing with iPhone 4G

True HDR, probably the best HDR app for the iPhone 4 and 3Gs. Handheld, one exposure was taken of the lighter sky, the second of the darker wing and the program combines the two in a few seconds to create a true High Dynamic Range Image that preserves details in either end of the histogram. In Photoforge I boosted contrast using Curves and added a white frame in PS express. I know, I like the iPhone! It really allows for those creative fluids to come out and mix. What fun! Jeff