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USS Arizona Memorial – Island of Oahu, Hawai’i

 Architecture, Hawaii, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Pacific Ocean, Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona Memorial  2 Responses »
Dec 062010
 

The USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, Island of Oahu, Hawai'i. Shot with a Nikon D3x and Nikon 24mm PC lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f11 for 1/25 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to todays post. Sixty nine years ago on December 7th, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and other military installations on the island of Oahu. The attack was the culmination of nearly ten years of deteriorating relations between Japan and the United States. The attack to immobilize the Pacific Fleet was integral to Japan’s continued expansion into Asia and the western Pacific. Opposed to Japan’s expansion the United States exercised diplomatic pressure and severe trade sanctions all to no avail. By the summer of 1941 both countries were entrenched in their positions and retreat was impossible without loss of national prestige. For Japan war was the only option.

At 7:55 am, December 7th, 1941, the first wave of the Japanese attack arrived at Pearl Harbor. At 8:06 a 1,706-pound armor-piercing bomb dropped through the forward deck of the USS Arizona and into the ammunition magazine. The incredible explosion ripped the ship apart and ignited a firestorm. She sank within 9 minutes along with 1,177 members of its crew. As the attack continued the USS Oklahoma sank with 400 members of its crew. California and West Virginia sank at their mooring quays, and the USS Utah sank along with 50 members of its crew. The devastation to the fleet continued as the Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Nevada suffered significant damage. Twenty one vessels were sunk or damaged and American dead totaled 2,390. It was the United States Navy’s greatest defeat.

Today the USS Arizona is the final resting place for many of the ships 1,177 crewman. The 184 foot long memorial structure spans the mid-portion of the sunken battleship. Designed by architect Alfred Preis, the memorial was completed in 1961. As a special tribute to the ship and its crew, the United States flag flies from the flagpole, which is attached to the severed mainmast of the sunken battleship.

December 7th, 2010 marks the 69th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The site has undergone major construction over the last 4 years and includes a redesign of all the facilities including new exhibits and visitor services. Today World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument includes the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Oklahoma Memorial, and the USS Utah Memorial.

The image was shot from Ford Island at sunset. Heavy clouds had blanketed the site and rain fell off and on for most of the day. As I set up I did not think there would be any light from the setting sun. But as if on que the clouds cleared from the horizon and a beautiful shaft of sunlight illuminated the memorial. It was gone in 30 seconds. As the light faded I was reminded of Alfred Preis’s words in describing the memorial “wherein the structure sags in the center but stands strong and vigorous at the ends, expresses initial defeat and ultimate victory….The overall effect is one of serenity”. Like a shining beacon this last light of the day reminded me of the severe cost of war and that we must never forget those who stood in harms way and made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Bob

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Turtle Beach Sunset, No. 2 – North Shore of Oahu, Hawai’i

 Hawaii, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Lightroom, North Shore, Pacific Ocean, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Singh-Ray Filters, Sony α900, Split Neutral Density Filters, sunset, Twilight Photography, Zeiss Lenses  1 Response »
Nov 262010
 

Turtle Beach Sunset No. 2, North Shore of Oahu, Hawai'i. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for 5 seconds.

Hi everyone and welcome to todays post. I have been away for a week and have returned to wild, wonderful, and cold West Virginia. Cloudy, with a cold drizzle of rain to be specific. In honor of this tacky weather todays post is a recent image from one of my shoots on the North Shore of Hawai’i. This was shot at Turtle Beach which is ideally located to take advantage of beautiful side-lighting during sunset. There are also some beautiful  beach rock formations that extend into the ocean. At the time I made this image the sun had already set and I was approximately 15 minutes into civil twilight. This is a peak time to capture the beautiful tones of sunset and the motion blur of the ocean with a longer exposure. The tide was moving in and this became a timing shot to capture the water entering into the crevice in the bottom of the image. I would wait for the crevice to fill and then time my exposure as the water was receeding. This gives you the nice lines of motion in the water as well as some of the mini swirls. I also used a Singh-Ray 3-stop, soft, split neutral density filter to balance the sky and foreground. The filter was dropped in to the holder and extended just below the horizon line. The soft edge filter allows for a nice, even transition without creating a distinct unnatural line. The image was processed in Adobe Lightroom and finished in Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

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North Shore Twilight – Sunset Point, North Shore of Oahu

 Hawaii, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Nikon D3x, North Shore, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Twilight Photography, Water  No Responses »
Nov 142010
 

North Shore Twilight, Sunset Point, North Shore of Oahu. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a 24mm PC lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f11 for 25 seconds.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. This image was taken at Sunset Point on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawai’i. Recent posts on this site along with a series of comments have focused on the act of “seeing” versus “looking”. On the surface they may seem to mean the same thing but they are distinctly different. To get the point across we can “look” into a forest but not “see” the deer standing in the forests edge. Seeing in my mind is a conscious act of mindfulness. It is about slowing down and really exploring what is before you. I can tell you I am very guilty of running from one image to the next like a kid in candy store. Digital almost forces us to do this. Shoot, shoot, move on…. In my 4 x 5 days this was just not an option. I carefully considered the shot, composed, waited for the right light, and carefully took my spot readings and calculated my exposures. I felt good if I got a few good exposures in the morning and the evening. The long and short is that I had a defined process that was carefully crafted. But digital does not mean we have to abandon this notion. In fact I have returned to my roots so to speak and I am refusing to just fire the shutter at anything that strikes me. I am slowing down now to consider what is before me. I feel that the quality of the resultant images is better – that I am crafting a better photograph.

This image is a direct result of just watching. I had scouted the location several days before and I was intrigued by the spit of rock jutting into the ocean. But I also knew that the point of rock was looking directly into the setting sun so I imagined a twilight image instead. So I was looking, but at the same time seeing and imagining what could be. When I returned I shot in other parts of the beach and waited for twilight. As I set up for the shot I watched the clouds move across the horizon and I could see the potential for relating the foreground shape to that of the clouds. The upper band of clouds were vertically aligned relative to the horizon and I knew with a long exposure they would drag out and provide a repeated shape mirroring the rock formation. At a 25 second exposure, indeed they did. So what I imagined at first became something else because I allowed myself to slow down and see. It is a challenge I now put to myself and to all of you. Lets just slow down, take a deep breath, and see the potential. Beauty lies before us if we just open the door and let it enter.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Bob

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Turtle Beach Sunset – North Shore, Oahu, Hawai’i

 Adobe Lightroom, Hawaii, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Lightroom, Nikon D3x, North Shore, Pacific Ocean, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Singh-Ray Filters, Split Neutral Density Filters, sunset, Water  4 Responses »
Nov 072010
 

Turtle Beach Sunset, North Shore of Oahu, Hawai'i. Shot with a Nikon D3X and a Nikkor 24mm PC lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for 8 seconds.

Hi everyone a welcome to today’s post. I arrived home in West Virginia to some cold temperatures. Two weeks in the 80′s with nice ocean breezes is a far cry from lows of 26 degrees with a high somewhere around 50. So in order to keep myself mentally warm today’s post is a sunset shot from Turtle Beach on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawai’i. Driving up on 99 from Honolulu, Turtle Beach is one of the first beaches you reach, and is so named for the Green Sea Turtles that sun and swim in the shallow waters. The beach also features some interesting rocks and reefs that extend into the ocean from the shoreline. Sunset here is very nice with beautiful side lighting. On this day the tide had receded leaving water in the pockets and folds of the rocks. Mats of intense green seaweed were left exposed on the rocks providing a an opportunity to play with a triad of colors: the red rocks, the green seaweed, and the blues of the ocean, sky, and clouds.

I used two Singh-Ray filters for this shot: A Daryl Benson 3-stop Reverse Graduated Neutral Density filter, and a 4-stop Neutral Density. The Daryl Benson was used to hold back the brighter sky to balance the exposure with the foreground and the Neutral Density was used to slow down the shutter speed to allow the ocean waves to blur in motion. The exposure was long enough to allow the ocean to roll in and out leaving the ghost silhouette of the reefs beyond the rocks.

The image was processed in Adobe Lightroom and finished in Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

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Kala, Street Artist – Lensbaby Portrait

 Adobe Lightroom, Black and White, Flash Photography, Hawaii, Lensbaby, Lensbaby Photograph, Lensbaby Photography, Lightroom, Photography Technique, Portrait, Sony α900  No Responses »
Sep 232010
 

Kala, Hawaiian street artist. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Lensbaby Composer. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f4.0 for 1/500 of a second, with off camera fill flash set to high speed sync..

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. The images today are of my friend Kala, an Hawaiian street artist who weaves coconut palm fronds into intricate baskets, hats, flowers, and whimsical animals. Born on the big Island of Hawaii, Kala has led an interesting life full of ups and downs. Not unlike most of I suppose but he has been to some depths many of us have not experienced. Today he lives a calm life, almost zen like, where he really has no worries. He is a very intelligent man and I enjoyed talking with him about everything from Hawaiian culture to football. As he talks his hands work the palm fronds, in and out, over and under, until another work of art is finished. He was taught by a master weaver and exhibits the skill and dexterity of many years of practice. You can find Kala most evenings sitting on the wall, near the Marriott in downtown Waikiki. On most nights, Von is there as well and the two carry on a lively banter. It has a calming affect. Time just seems to slow down and it invites you to do the same. To spend time with them watching the sun set over the ocean is special and every night I found myself ritually joining them on the wall. It was not long before I realized that I was not alone in this ritual. Across the street, locals and visitors alike walked out on the beach to experience the end of the day. Like clock work we all just stopped what we were doing and collectively experienced the sunset. The sound of the ocean, the cooling breeze, and the setting sun works a mysterious magic on the soul. All thoughts just seem to melt away if only for a brief moment. But the restorative benefits are exponential. As the light fades life begins again. As the street lights come on the sounds of the street resonate with activity. Night begins and we are all pulled into its reality.

Kala, Hawaiian street artist. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Lensbaby Composer. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f4.0 for 1/200 of a second, with off camera fill flash set to high speed sync.

Each of the images explores a different way of seeing. They were all shot with a Sony α900 with a Lensbaby Composer and the f4.0 insert. I have spoken before about the use of the Lensbaby and its ability to provide selective focusing. It is a lens that can blur out background noise. The effect is pronounced and varied. In two the shots the background is reduced to a kind of random bokeh pattern. In the vignette the background is simply softened. It is a lens that takes a little practice but one which can pay off with beautiful images. The f4.0 insert is my usual choice as it gives me the right amount of subject sharpness and fade. When I shot these I was looking for a different angle, another way of seeing Kala, and perhaps find a way to incorporate his work into the image. A small bucket with his woven flowers provided a starting point and I worked the subject from a low angle. I was lying on the ground and shifted in and out looking for a pleasing composition. I moved the flash around and fired a few test shots to see if it was going to work. In the first shot Kala just leaned over towards the bucket and I caught something in his face that was both serene and intense. The flash was set low and off to my left. The Lensbaby’s focus was dialed in just beyond the bucket of flowers. In the second image I readjusted the Lensbaby’s focus to the flowers which put Kala out of focus. Two images captured with the same lens providing different points of focus and interpretation. The third image shown below is a vignette. A simple isolation of a craftsman’s hands cradling his art.

Kala, Hawaiian street artist. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Lensbaby Composer. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f4.0 for 1/125 of a second, with off camera fill flash set to high speed sync.

The primary processing work was done in Adobe Lightroom 3.2. For most of my work Lightroom is a first step in optimizing the RAW files with final finishing in Photoshop. For these images I did all the primary work in Lightroom using a processing preset. Lightrooms presets provide many options for creatively developing your files. After some experimentation I settled on a preset called “Color Creative-Aged Photo”. I really like the split-tone effect of the final images. The images also received some small curve adjustments and sharpening. They were exported to Photoshop where I did a little dodging and burning and added my typical white border.

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Von, Hawaiian Street Artist – Lensbaby Portrait

 Flash Photography, Hawaii, Lensbaby, Lensbaby Photograph, Lensbaby Photography, People Photography, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Portrait, Sony α900, Street Portrait  No Responses »
Sep 182010
 

Von, Hawaiian Street Artist, Shot with a Sony α900 and a Lensbaby Composer. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f4.0 for 1/2000 of a second with off camera fill flash set to TTL mode.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. On my various trips to Hawaii I have had the good fortune to meet and spend time with some fine street artists in Waikiki. Meet Von, a carver of traditional Hawaiian weapons, ukelele player and crooner, and weaver of interesting stories. Every night Von would appear and set up his display along a wall adjacent to the Marriott. I was introduced to Von through my friend Kala, who weaves coconut palm fronds, and shares the same location near the hotel. Now I will admit to you that photographing people is something that sends me into a cold sweat. But I am trying to overcome this fear and the only way is to simply ask. My approach is to spend time with the individual first, to get to know them, and watch what they do. I am trying to build up a comfort level, and courage on my part to ask permission. When Von referred to me as “bra”, the Hawaiian term for brother, I knew I was in the fold and he consented to let me take some photos. He is one of the most heroic individuals I have met on Hawaii and I could imagine him as a warrior in the time before the arrival of Europeans to the Hawaiian Islands. His weapons are carved from Koa wood, a traditional, and scarce material that grows high on the slopes of the mountains. The shape and size of the wood blanks informs Von of what the weapon will become. Each blank is hand carved and receives hours of sanding till the wood is smooth and the iridescent sheen of the Koa shines in the sun.

The photograph was made with a Lensbaby Composer with the f4.0 insert. This is a good general insert for street photographs. I focused on Von’s face and asked him to continue to work on the spear. After several takes he looked up at the point and this was the shot. I used an off camera flash set to high speed sync and TTL mode. I shot in manual mode and under exposed by 1 stop to darken the background. The RAW file was processed in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. The black and white conversion was toned with a dark brown. The combination of the Lensbaby’s selective focus and the duotone processing of the file gives the image an old world look which I thought was appropriate for my old world friend.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

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Byodo-In Temple, Garden Buddha

 Architecture, Buddhism, Byodo-In Temple, Hawaii, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Sony α900, Zeiss Lenses  No Responses »
Mar 212010
 

Garden Buddha, Byodo-In Temple, Oahu. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-700mm lens at 30mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1/6 of a second.

Hi everyone. I was revisiting some files I shot earlier this year and found myself back in the gardens of the Byodo-In Temple on Oahu’s windward side. This is the garden Buddha that greets visitors just after crossing the bridge from the parking area. It is a perfect place to stop and reflect for a moment before continuing along the path to the temple. It is a beautiful view of the main temple and the Ko’olau Mountains.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

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Waikiki Twilight Redux-Photoshop Layer Blend

 Architecture, City Photography, Hawaii, Photography Technique, Photoshop Technique  No Responses »
Feb 052010
 

Image 3: Waikiki Twilight Redux. Photoshop blend technique of two exposures.

A few days ago I posted a twilight image shot in Waikiki Beach in downtown Honolulu. You can refer back to that image which was posted on January 29th for comparison to todays post. The January post was quickly processed in Lightroom and Photoshop on my laptop and posted for the blog. Todays post takes the same image and shows a simple and quick method to extend the image dynamic range. Image 1 shows the original Sony RAW file. This image was exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 60 seconds. In Lightroom I made a virtual copy of this file. In the original file I opened up the image by +.50 of a stop an used the fill and recover sliders to slightly open up the image. It also received a bit of capture sharpening. In the Virtual image I opened up the exposure by +1.80 stops and used the fill and recover sliders. The goal here was to bring out more detail in the buildings and the trees surrounding the hotels. Image 1 shows the original RAW file and Image 2 shows the Virtual copy after Lightroom processing. Each file was then exported to Photoshop. The Original was named with “D” for dark and the Virtual was named with an “L” for light. The next steps are performed in Photoshop.

Image 1: Original RAW file processed in Lightroom.

Image 2: Virtual Light image processed in Lightroom.

Step 1: Open the Virtual Light copy in Photoshop. Duplicate the Background and name it Light Layer.

Step 2: Open the Original Dark copy. Select the image and hit Command C to copy it to the paste board.

Step 3: Go back to the Virtual Light copy, make sure the Light Layer is selected and hit Command V to paste the Dark copy into the layer stack. Rename this as Dark Layer. Make sure the Dark Layer is on top of the layer stack.

Step 4: Now comes the mysterious magic of Photoshop. Make sure you select the Dark Layer and hit Option-Command 2. In a few moments you will see the Marching Ants. With the Marching Ants active select Add Layer Mask. Photoshop will create a perfectly blended Black and White Mask linked to the Dark Layer. Select the mask and go to Blur > Gaussian Blur. Set the amount to between 3.0 and 6.0 for high res images. For this file I set it to 5.0. Note: You must do the Gaussian Blur otherwise the effect will appear overdone.

Step 5: Make sure the Mask is selected. Go to the Brush and set it for soft edge, around 200 is good, and the amount to 10 to 15%. Select the background color as White. You can now paint on the mask. Remember that when painting into layers that white reveals and black hides. Painting in White on the black and white mask will reveal the Dark Layer. You want to keep the Brush amount low so you can build up the darkening effect. If you go overboard you can select Black and paint back into the mask. If you look at the original post from January 29 you will see the trees are very dark and the buildings did not quite have the sparkle I was looking for. Though not bad for a quick post it certainly was not what the image could be. The final result achieved through the layer blend really increases the dynamic range of the image.

Step 6: Once you are satisfied with the blending flatten the image and from there you can go through your normal Photoshop editing and processing routines. In this case I performed a high pass, edge mask sharpen, several curves adjustments and a mid-tone contrast layer for some added pop.

The end result shows a marked improvement in the image. There is detail in the trees surrounding the hotels and the buildings are more luminous. The HDR folks out there may of course scoff at this technique but I am not a fan of some of the over processed HDR images I see and prefer this simple method for blending. You can use this technique to process and blend two bracketed exposures or in this case process a single exposure. Many thanks to all who are visiting these posts and providing comments. Together we can advance our skills and find support for this great and all consuming passion.

Bob

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Byodo-In Buddhist Temple

 Architecture, Buddhism, Hawaii, Landscape, Religion  No Responses »
Feb 012010
 

Image 1: Byodo-In Temple. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 30mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1/6 of a second.

Image 2: Bridge leading to the Byodo-In Temple. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1/10 of a second.

Image 3: Peace Bell Pavilion. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 28mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 3 seconds.

At the base of the Ko’olau Mountains, on Ohau’s windward side, lies the Byodo-In Temple. Built in the 1960′s, this replica of the 950 year old Byodoin Buddhist Temple in Uji, Japan, was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. The temple is located in the Valley of Temples, a cemetery located in Ohau’s Kaneohe Region. To cross the bridge is to enter a peaceful and tranquil world. I just wanted to linger there for the rest of the day. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and feature a 2-acre Koi pond. The best time to photograph the temple is in the morning light. In the afternoon the sun will set behind the Ko’olau Range and the temple will be cast in shadow. For more information on the temple please visit their website at http://www.byodo-in.com/

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Waikiki Beach Twilight

 Architecture, City Photography, Hawaii, Landscape Photography, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Singh-Ray Filters, Sony α900  No Responses »
Jan 292010
 

Image 1: Waikiki Beach and downtown Honolulu. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 20mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 60 seconds.

Clouds drift over Waikiki Beach and downtown Honolulu. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 20mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1/6 of a second. Lenswas fitted with a Singh-Ray 2-stop split neutral density.

This is one of my favorite views of Waikiki Beach. The image was shot at twilight about 30 minutes after the sun had set. This is the optimum time to get this kind of exposure where the sky is a deep, beautiful blue that compliments the city lights. In order to get a shot like this there are a few rules to follow:

1. Scout the Shot: This is something you hear a lot from photographers but its true. I have been to this location before and pre-visualized this exposure.

2. Know your Astronomy: What I mean here is know where the sun rises and sets and at what time.

3. Set up Early: Get to your location ahead of time. This gives you time to set up, compose, figure out what filters you might need, watch the light, and take test exposures.

4. Be There: Shots like this happen everyday but you have to be there. Galen Rowell said there are only so many sun rises and sunsets. Get out and shoot.

To capture this kind of shot you need to wait till the sky and cityscape reach an equal EV, generally around 5. This means if you took a spotmeter reading on the sky and the city and the reading was approximately 5 you are ready to go. This generally occurs approximately 30 minutes after sunset. The exposure will typically be 45 seconds to a minute. The result is a beautiful cerulean sky complimenting the orange lights. I also set the color balance to about 4800 to 4900.

Image 2 was shot approximately 50 minutes before the twilight shot. This is why you get to your location early so you can capture the light on your subject as it changes.

Mahalo from Hawaii.

Bob

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