Photo of the Day | Photography by Varina

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Havasu Falls, Havasu Canyon, Arizona (AZ), USA

Havasu Falls – The Swimming Pool

Jay Patel — May 22, 2013 — Leave a comment

Havasu Falls is a true paradise. We hiked ten miles into Havasu Canyon to get to the falls – carrying about 30-35 pounds of gear on our backs. The first time I visited, it rained and snowed while we were there, but I paid no attention to the weather. I crossed the river a few times, fell in and got wet and very cold, and even lived without coffee for 3 straight days (can you imagine?). I loved it so much that I did it all over again the following year. :)

This was a really easy shot. The lighting was very even so I didn’t need to worry about blown highlights, and I used a circular polarizer filter to bring out the brilliant colors in the water. In post, I had to ensure that I could see the details in every part of the image. What was the hardest part? Keeping the water off my lens! :)

In Photo of the Day arizona, circular polarizer, Havasu Falls

Spring Snowflake

Varina Patel — May 21, 2013 — 2 Comments

Flowers are a lot of fun to shoot, but really tiny ones can be a real challenge. For this shot, I used a very narrow depth of field to allow just one flower to be in focus. I chose to include a collection of soft flowers behind the main point of interest to provide a sense that this little flower was not alone. I was careful to make sure I got a nice, sharp shot – breezy conditions can create motion blur.

In Photo of the Day flower, spring, Varina Patel

Echoes in Yellowstone

Jay Patel — May 15, 2013 — Leave a comment

Here is an image from a workshop in Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming). This was the first day of the workshop, and we had gathered at Mid Geyser basin to practice using GND filters and work on composition.

This shot works well with a GND filter, since the horizon is nice and straight… but instead of using my GND, I bracketed 3 images and then blended them later using our iHDR workflow. Why? Because I let one of our students use my GND filter. :) I prefer to get the shot right in-camera if I can’t, but in a case like this, bracketing works just fine.

In Photo of the Day wyoming, Yellowstone National Park

Treasure

Varina Patel — May 14, 2013 — 3 Comments

I took this shot at Pebble Beach in California. This small beach is made up of tiny, multicolored pebbles instead of sand – and most of them are smaller than a pea. Large rocks along the shoreline have been scoured smooth by the waves, and they are carved with strange patterns and holes. I took this shot with a macro lens at f/8 for maximum sharpness.

Because I was so close, I was working with an extremely narrow depth of field. I took three separate shots with slightly adjusted focus points – and stacked them in Photoshop. That let me get all the little pebbles nice and sharp, and still show good detail around the edge of the round hole. I also filled a water bottle with sea water and poured it on the stones before shooting in order to bring out the colors in those pretty pebbles.

In Photo of the Day California, focus stacking, macro, pebble beach, Varina Patel

The Shelter

Jay Patel — May 8, 2013 — Leave a comment

Sometimes, unexpected conditions help me create a unique photograph. While wandering around a local park near Hilo (on the Big Island of Hawaii), we were stunned to see light beams streaming through the branches of this giant tree. The brilliant sunlight was being traced by the mist blowing from the pounding waves a hundred yards away. It was a bright, blue-sky day, but this small section of the park seemed to have its own micro-climate.

I used a small shelter as a point of interest. I often use a man-made structure like this to draw attention in a composition. I used our iHDR manual blending workflow to capture the details in both the highlights and the shadows.

In Photo of the Day forests, harsh light, Hawaii, sunbeams

Dragon’s Tears

Jay Patel — May 1, 2013 — Leave a comment

There is nothing like being able to walk right up to a lava tube and watch it rupture over and over again right before your eyes. The red hot lava comes flowing out creating some amazing, textures patterns and colors. The heat generated by some of the surface flow is so great that your hands and face start to burn if you get too close… but who cares when you have a camera and tripod in your hands? ;)

This is a composite image created with 3 different photographs – I used Layers and Masks in Photoshop to get the look I wanted. I used parts from different images to replace out-of-focus areas in the original photograph, so that the entire scene would be sharp. I used a long lens to get the shots, and had to move away quickly because of the intense heat.

In Photo of the Day Abstract, Hawaii, Volcanoes National Park

Ink on Parchment

Varina Patel — April 30, 2013 — Leave a comment

As we hiked down from a ridge overlooking Lanikai Beach on Oahu, I noticed a small cactus flower blooming beside the trail. The mid-day light was shining through the flower, creating a subtle glow inside. When I got close, I could see brilliant, red veins scribbled across the thin membrane inside the flower – so I pulled out my macro lens to take a shot. By the time I finished, I was sweating… but I had the shot I wanted.

I got in as close as I could for this shot – pushing my macro lens to its focusing limit, and cropping the finished image to get in even closer. The repeating patterns are particularly appealing to me. They remind me of writing… I think it’s poetry. Don’t you?

In Photo of the Day Hawaii, macro, photography, Varina Patel

Baume les Messieurs, Jura-Burgundy District, France

Cascades at the Bottom

Jay Patel — April 29, 2013 — 2 Comments

When we photographed these falls, there was so much mist and water flowing that it was very hard to get close without being splashed. I stood in the stream to take the shot, and ended up soaking wet.

I took this photograph on an overcast day with a circular polarizer. You might think this would be an easy exposure – but it wasn’t. All that water ended up being pretty bright – and the deep shade left me with very dark shadows – so the dynamic range was pretty broad. I used our iHDR manual blending workflow to restore the details in post processing.

In Photo of the Day france, waterfalls

Redwood National Forest, California, USA

Spring Bloom

Jay Patel — April 24, 2013 — Leave a comment

Spring is coming, and the question is – Where should I go shoot next? If you have not visited Redwood Forest National Park (CA) in spring, I would highly recommend you do so. I arrived at the park in pouring rain… and the next day, when I wandered into the woods I was greeted with by thousands of pink rhododendron in full bloom. Gorgeous!

It is difficult to shoot in a cluttered place like a forest, so for me, this was a exercise in composition. I calculated my hyperfocal distance in order to get as close to the flowers as possible so that they would stand out in the image. I selected a patch of flowers surrounded by green to create a fresh spring mood, and to make the flowers even more visible against a complimentary background.

In Photo of the Day complementary colors, Photography Composition, Redwood Forest National Park

Liquid Sky

Varina Patel — April 23, 2013 — 2 Comments

I took this shot of Lanikai beach from a high ridge that looked down on the palms from high above. The angle gave me an incredible panoramic view of the clean, turquoise waters and the coral beneath the waves. I chose a composition that eliminated the dry land, and left the palms framed by the ocean. Standing up there, looking down – this is what stood out to me. Those tall palms, swaying in the wind – and the brilliant backdrop of liquid sky. What a place!

In Photo of the Day Hawaii, island, oahu, ocean, pacific, palm, sea, trees, turquoise, Varina Patel, water