Just Playing Around Here with Lightroom 2.2

Not getting out here lately, so I am here playing around with some features of Lightroom 2.2 based on some online classes I have been watching. This is done with post cropping vignetting. The top one was taken in Gunnison County last fall and the lake is Spraque Lake in RMNP, one of my favorite spots in the park.

A Cabin in the Woods

Nikon D2x Sigma 24-60mm Ridata Pro 150x media

Taken in the west side of the Rocky Mountains. Notice the trees in the background. They have been killed by the Pine Beetle infestation here in the Rocky Mountains. If you go to the west side the Rocky, don't expect to see any green trees. They have been pretty much all killed or in the process of being killed by the pine beetle. It is just a lightening strike away from a massive forest fire that will basically wipe out the western side of the Rockies as far as trees goes. Just imagine from the Colorado-Wyoming State line all the way to past Vail south with no trees. Basically what we have now, just standing dead trees.

Big Horn Ram Sheep in Grant, Colorado

This is part good and part rant so pardon my ranting. Ok for the good, I was out today riding around with no specific goal to obtain or anything. Had my camera's in the truck just in case something looked good to shoot. I was going down US 285 from Denver to Fairplay and before I got to the turnoff for Guanella Pass in Grant, this guy with a a whole bunch of ewes and a couple of young rams from what I could see were eating some snow for their water. Now for my rant, while shooting these guys and we were minding our own business, me the photog and them the sheep. All of sudden a Harley with straights guns the motor just as hie passing the herd and spook's the crap of them. The only reason the biker did was because he had to slow down while other cars were slowing down to see the sheep. This is not the only other time I have had problem with Harleys or other bikes with straights and I am sick of it as a photog. I love shooting wildlife in their environment and do not mind sharing that with other people either, but when other people are totally disrespectful of what is there that everyone is observing and they gun their illegal modified engines (straight pipes), it just totally rubs me the wrong way. I have worked along time to get my craft where it is and I am always working on to improve it and when inconsiderate A$$HOLES disrupt things I love and puts more stress on animals that are already under stress from weather illness, predators, I have to draw a line.

Well till later

Snow Pictures for Folks Down South

Here are a couple of pictures taken of some crab apple trees around the house after the last snow we had this week (Tuesday night). By later that Wednesday morning, it was all gone. When it snows, it is so fry that is comes as a powder snow. You can just blow on it and it comes off. Now when it melts, it still makes things just as wet and slick. We are suppose to get some more snow today and this weekend. I need to get my butt up in the mountains and get some shots. Maybe I will do that this weekend.

Till later

Snow and More Snow

No pictures today since I have not been out and about getting any. This is from last year up in RMNP.. We had over 5 inches of snow here in FTC today and a lot less in Denver. And it is just frigid cold, it was ZERO when I left for work on the truck thermometer display and the bank had a big ole -1 on it. And that is without the wind (which was basically zero thank goodness).

Have a good one

Till later

Home Again for a Moment

State Capitol Building in Jackson, Mississippi. It is often seen in Marshall Ramsey's cartoon in the local paper with screaming eagle on top. No luck today. It is a beautiful building. I took these shortly after getting my first DSLR (Nikon D100). Would love to get some shots of it inside once again.

Till later....

In A Sea of Clouds

Nikon D2x Sigma 24-60mm Ridata Pro 150X

Today is from the Great Smokey Mountains area. I was up high on a mountain highway and above the clouds that morning as the sun was coming up and the mountains were just engulfed in rolling clouds. In a few miles of traveling down the road, passed thru these clouds and to just another view.

Longing for Home and those Huge Oak Trees

Nikon D2x Sigma 24-60mm Ridata Pro 150X

Nikon D2x Sigma 24-60mm Ridata Pro 150X

Oh for a familiar sight. Sometimes I miss being back in Mississippi. Yes, it has its faults and it has is pleasures. One of those pleasures is the satisfaction of being able to go to such historic places like Windsor Ruins. I was emailing with a friend there back home that did some work for me before the holidays and was talking about places to take pictures. There are tons of places to take photos and when I back home to either visit or to once live there again, I will be visiting Windsor Ruins once again. This was taken back in 2006 while I was driving around and decided on the spur of the moment to find this place once again that I had visited once before with my mom and sister. My sister never liked going to places like this, but I just loved places like this. I just love history. Guess it goes hand in hand with my love for photography.

Will someone buy me a 85mm PC-E Tilt shift lens for my Nikon, so I can get these right next time..

Till later

Changes

It was time to make a few changes to the blog. Basically it is all new except for the content. Switched over to a different template and modified to taste. Allows me to post the photos in a better size and I think they show up better againest the black background with the white borders.

Future improvements might include the photos being in frames from photoshop.

Till later

Water and More Water

American Falls from the Canadian Side

American Falls from the Canadian Side in B/W

Well today I think I will delve into the archives from back in 2006 from when I went up to Niagara Falls from when I was living in Cleveland, OH. Above are the American Falls from the Canadian side since that is the best place to view the falls from. Even the view for the Horseshoe Falls are outstanding from the Canadian side (The best view in my opinion). In the winter, the spray from the falls coat the trees that are near the falls with ice several inches thick, think more than 6". It is a great sight and the wait for them to light the falls is worth the wait. Get there before they light them, them watch the show.

Till later