April 10, 2008 HDR Thriller (scenery)

Kurobe Dam, into Flickr uploaded by /\ltus. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

There is a kind of power in super-engineered structures like dams, and this shot of one in Japan certainly brings that out. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK.

April 9, 2008 HDR Thriller (wave)

Don´t cross, uploaded into Flickr by caese zzZ (in moving). Click on pic to see it in FLickr.

Pretty neat shot here. Despite the noise mush that sometimes happens in HDR processing, the detail enhancement still makes for a very watchable scene. GOTTA SEE THIS IN LARGE ON BLACK for best effect.

April 8, 2008 HDR Thriller (pleasure)

Life's luxurious pleasures..., originally uploaded by maapu (ignorance is bliss). Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Back from a vacation...but definitely not from the above spot (I wish though)!

Tha above is from the Maldives. GOTTA HAVE A LOOK IN LARGE ON BLACK...the lush textures and colors for a completely meditative spot. Add this to the list of places to go, and that list is getting rather long.

April 1, 2008 HDR Thriller (honeymoon)

Day 13: Cinque Terre - More Manarola, uploaded into Flickr by aaronsigfin.

This great shot (HAVE A LOOK IN LARGE ON BLACK) came up with the search word "honeymoon"...chosen while listening tonight to Aimee Mann's Red Vines (link to listen below)...cool song with both a hook AND classic Mann poetry:

Red Vines (Listen Here)
They're all still on their honeymoon
just read the dialogue balloon
everyone loves you--why should they not?
And I'm the only one who knows
that Disneyland's about to close
I don't suppose you'd give it a shot
knowing all that you've got
are cigarettes and Red Vines...

March 30, 2008 HDR thriller (almost)

the path throught the arcades HDR*. Uploaded into Flickr by David Giral. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

This shot isn't much UNTIL YOU SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK. It's a collection of trendy shops today, but with HDR photography like this, it's not hard to imagine Monpazier, France from centuries ago. The town was founded in 1284, evidently, as the photographer says on the Flickr page, by the King of England as a fortification to defend conquered lands. In large it almost puts you right there.

March 29, 2008 HDR Thriller (texture)

Half Dome at Sunset, uploaded into Flickr by Mellard. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

I have seen a lot of shot of Yosemite's Half Dome, but this one is pretty unique...especially the light, which you've GOTTA SEE IN LARGE ON BLACK.

March 27, 2008 HDR Thriller (thread)

HDR Group Challenge, originally uploaded by slinky2000. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

"Thread" is the word today...thought this was the best by far...cool composition showing relationships of light and dark on many levels. GOTTA SEE THIS IN LARGE ON BLACK.

March 26, 2008 HDR Thriller (pure)

Far Cry, uploaded into Flickr by Lumase. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Yowza...like a photo with some depth? Stop right here in the Italian Alps for a second. GOTTA SEE THIS IN LARGE ON BLACK. No way to know for sure if it's true, but the photographer said:

"Years ago a young hiker disappeared in this valley.
No traces of him. Neither backpack, nor any kind of object. A pure nothingness. Disappeared. Just as if he went through a door to somewhere else"

March25, 2008 HDR Thriller (strange)

Sunset reflecting in the windows, originally uploaded by Amundn. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Quite an HDR shot here. TRULY AWESOME IN LARGE ON BLACK.

As the photographer, Amundn, tells it, the orange windows are refecting a sunset, and there is no inside illumination (nor fire!). Eerie and wonderful colors.

March 24, 2008 HDR Thriller (peak)

Yakima Peak Fake Miniature - HDR and Tilt Shift, uploaded into Flickr by Kell Bailey. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

This is an HDR processed image, and a good one at that, but it's also a tilt-shift processed one too. That's what gives this shot its miniature look. I kinda wanna know where the model train is, but this is a real place...but you might not believe that if you SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK.

Need proof? Here's the mountain, and just about any other you want to search for, on peakware.com.

March 23, 2008 HDR Thriller (Tibet)

HDR - On the way to Lin Zhi, originally uploaded by koolgary. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Tibet is high and beautiful. I hope things can be resolved there peacefully. Great depth in this HDR shot, and that's from the composition as much as the HDR processing. To gain the full effect, you GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK.

March 20, 2008 HDR Thriller (painting)

Quiraing HDR. Uploaded into Flickr by aleatoric_yersinia. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

I once mentioned in a previous entry that HDR photos sometimes look like Bob Ross paintings. Now I get a remarkable number of visitors who get to this site by Googling Bob Ross or the Joy of Painting TV series. I don't know if this one above looks like a Bob Ross or not, but it surely looks like a painting. A real Jawdropper that MUST BE SEEN IN LARGE ON BLACK to be appreciated.

But for you Bob Ross fans...HERE'S A POST that shows a challenging Bob Ross-like image that you can use as a model. Also...Ross videos are very hard to find on the web...must be a copyright thing...but here's one real Ross video I did find. And thanks for coming by.

And for the rest, some more fun...here's this shot without HDR processing, so you can see what effects HDR has had on it. A pretty big difference I'd say, particularly the sky.

March 20, 2008 HDR Thriller (mind)

2007-08-07 Whitby HDR, uploaded into Flickr by sayzey. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

I am back from a brief trip without posting ability, so its nice to get back to it.

Noise can result from HDR processing, and it can be a two edged sword...it can give a shot a dreamy look, but also make it appear too artificial. I think the photographer on this one admits to some noise problems with this shot and the halo next to the flagpole, but, on balance, it is still compelling and has that gaze-grabbing quality to it. I like it. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK.

March 16, 2008 HDR Thriller (chaos)

Chairs in Boats, uploaded into Flickr by Stuck in Customs. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

A remarkable shot that exemplifies how HDR can result in photos that have the character of an oil painting. GOTTA SEE THIS IN LARGE ON BLACK.

Boats rafted up just after sunrise in Naples, Italy. It's going to be a good day. I love how the chairs are stacked two to a boat. I can picture this scene later in the day when everybody is there for the fun. If this is chaos, let me have some.

March 15, 2008 HDR Thriller (preparation)

Pizza. Uploaded into FLickr by Bill Strong. Click on pisc to see it in Flickr.

At a street fair in Toronto. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK. I really like how a well-done HDR shot treats a scene like this, both foreground and background, and the combination of multiple exosures make the flags in the breeze a look like they are...well, snapping in a breeze.

March 13, 2008 HDR Thriller (Sombero Galaxy)

M104 Hubble Remix. Published by Astronomy Pic of the Day. Click on pic to see it in APOD.

I kinda keep touch with a cool photo site, Astronomy Pic of the Day, which is exactly what it says it is. I was just going through it the other day I SAW THIS PIC ABOVE POSTED ON APOD and said to myself, you know that galaxy...it has..well...look at the dust ring detail...it looks kinda like and HDR image. I was curious and found sure enough, it is processed in HDR! But to get the best effect, click the link at the end of this sentence, and then click the image that comes up to really superzoom it....LINK.

I know, I know...not real exciting, unless you blog HDR shots everyday...then it's sort of a tiny personal Carl Sagan moment.

Pretty cosmic...in HDR.

March 12, 2008 HDR Thriller (you and me)

Finnigh_HDR - 12041. Uploaded into Flickr by finnigh. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Been listening to the new Kathleen Edwards album just out...Asking for Flowers. Great songwriter, haunting voice. She is categorized by some as post-alt-country (whatever that is)...but I kinda think she has invented a new genre with the last song on the album Goodnight, California. Takes "post-alt-country" right into 6:28 of "post-alt-country-chill".

Have a listen here...Kathleen Edwards - Goodnight, California. Borrowed today's search word from the opening line.

Couple of good listening porches in the photo above. HAVE A LOOK IN LARGE ON BLACK.

March 10, HDR Thriller (pink)

San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge Sunset. Uploaded into Flickr by zachwsu. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Trying out a color search today that yielded a terrific HDR shot of the Golden Gate here. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK. Refections on sand, the headland on the right, and the bridge all make this look so much like a painting instead of a photo.

March 9, 2008 HDR Thriller (storm)

Winter is Coming, uploaded into Flickr by Stuck in Customs. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Another HDR jawdropper from StuckinCustoms. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK. Where is it from?...a place called Stadarskali, Iceland. The Icelandic landscape, so recently (at least in geologic terms) wrought by volcanism, is so...so..out of the ordinary. The earth at work.

March 7, 2008 HDR Thriller (glimpse)

A glimpse of the bastide through the arcades IV HDR*. Uploaded into Flickr by David Giral. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

This one is calming for some reason, at least to me. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK. The archetype of an old town in Europe, Giral's photo here is from Monpazier, France. I could stare at it a long time. The colors. The history. The search word is quite ironic today, because if I were here, I could sit in this place or under that veranda on the right, with a good cafe, for hours.

March 6, HDR Thriller (unfinished)

The Ka'baa... (HDRi), uploaded into Flickr by _Nomad_. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Astounding, this one is. I know very little about Islam, but I am aware of the Hajj to Mecca that moslems are required to partake in some time in their lives, if they have the means. Thought this was a terrific shot of the Hajj's centerpiece that gives a dizzying perspective of the faithful whirling around the Ka'baa shrine in the middle of the Grand Mosque. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK. And what you see here is just a very small part of the mosque. To see it in relation to Mecca itself, DEFINITELY HAVE A LOOK AT THIS (another HDR shot by the same photographer). Now that's a mosque!

While there is something very intriguing about a religion where all the followers at some point journey to one place on earth, you might think by looking at the photo it could get a bit dangerous, and you'd be right.

March 5, 2008 HDR Thriller (scenic)

Cliff top village., uploaded into Flickr by tassie303. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

First, this is a great HDR shot...YOU GOTTA SEE THIS IN LARGE ON BLACK. Do you think all of the folks who live here appreciate it? I mean REALLY appreciate it...every single day...are they getting up just to see the damn dawn...every day of their lucky little lives? I don't want to know for sure, but I suspect there's gotta be one sniveling, sorry-ass Tuborg-drinking reprobate who doesn't value this place. As for the people who do appreciate living in this town and have an extra measure of joy added to their day because of it...I salute you!!!

March 4, 2008 HDR Thriller (stone)

ayutthaya-B-head_0204. Uploaded into Flickr by Water Bowl. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Just your average ancient stone Buddha peering through a banyan overgrown temple. Part art, part history, and all eerie. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK.

March 3, 2008 HDR Thriller (ominous)

Church ..., uploaded into Flickr by asmundur. Click on pic to see itin Flickr.

An easy selection today. There are a lot of elements here beyond just HDR processing, but HDR really allows asmunder to take advantage of an amazing lighting condition. And, of course, it's from Iceland. When am I ever going to get there already! A MUST SEE IN LARGE ON BLACK.

I think other shots from asmundur have popped up before, too...Like this one.

March 2, 2008 HDR Thriller (wave)

Nova Scotia Coast, uploaded into Flickr by Tim Moffatt. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Pretty cool view of the Nova Scotia sea coast. A MUST SEE IN LARGE ON BLACK.

March 1, 2008, HDR Thriller (fair)

Wheel of Doom, originally uploaded by NY_Doll. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Back after a brief time away. Here's an unusual shot that mesmerizes. Like it either ON BLACK or LARGE ON BLACK.

February 25, HDR Thriller (enjoy)

Weekend ahead! Enjoy it!, uploaded into FLickr by Giorgos ~. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

The Greek Islands are on the "go to" list for sure. HDR processing here really does a pretty remarkable job enhancing the detail in the rock texture. I know some geologists who might really like ths one for that reason. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK for the full effect.

February 23, 2008 HDR Thriller (lookout)

Rock City, Tn-B&W HDR, uploaded into Flickr by Web Cowboy. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Wow, that black and white can up and grab you sometimes. A MUST SEE IN LARGE ON BLACK. A very cool shot, but I am not sure what the waterfall is actually falling "into" or "onto".

February 20, 2008 (flu)

And then the night comes, uploaded into Flickr by Nina_999. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

The Flu bug has hit me hard, so this will be a quick one. Liked this shot (from Finland), but am sorry there is not large verson available.

February 19, 2008 HDR Thriller (inside out)

Japanese Cooking, a Flickr upload by /\ltus. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

I've not done this before in 238 posts...I am reprising a photo. This one appeared in a post from the very first month I started this blog using the term "warm". It showed up again in this search, and I somehow regard sort of like an old friend. So I am going to post it again for those who may not have seen it the first time around. Definitiely A MUST SEE IN LARGE ON BLACK. I think this is just a sensational shot that shows so much of HDR's positive qualities. Look at the soil texture, at the wood grain, the embers, the pot texture, the pot shadow. It's all very real and very zen.

February 18, 2008 HDR Thriller (light)

chasing shadows, originally uploaded by tudor tigau. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Magical. Every now and then a true jawdropper comes through that is a perfect example of why I do this blog. This shot is definitely in that club. TRULY AWESOME IN LARGE ON BLACK! Where's it from?...from Romania in the Transylvania region. A perfect use of HDR and extremely well done...thank you, tudor tigau.

February 17 HDR Thriller (Kosovo)

when sun comes up, uploaded into Flickr by azem. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

It's one of those days where a search word presents itself...today it's because Kosovo declared its independence. I have no special connection to Kosovo, but I figure that there are a lot of people for which this is supremely important and who are doing some heavy celebrating tonight. The search produced just one pic, but, boy, is it a good one...and good for Kosovo. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE to fully appreciate it.

February 16, 2008 HDR Thriller (hallelujah)

It's raining light, Hallelujah!, originally uploaded by Paco CT. Click on pic to see its Flickr page.

Sometimes you see a photo, and you are just glad that someone was there to capture it before it was gone...VERY POWERFUL IN LARGE ON BLACK.

The search word tonight came from listening to the late great Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" (the now defiinitive version of this Leonard Cohen classic ). Embedded below if you care to listen. It'll have to hold you a couple of days too, because I am heading out of town...likely w/o access to the web for a bit.

Jeff Buckley-Hallelujah.flv
Uploaded by Rock-90s

February 15, 2008 HDR Thriller (busy)

Guildford..24 Nov 2007, uploaded into Flickr by strussler.

Missed a day, but back today with a quick post...one with an unusual perspective. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK. Usually there is extraordinary depth in HDR photos. For some reason, this one seems foreshortened...appearing to bring the background right up into the foreground. I think it's because the level of detail does not recede with distance in this one. I like it.

February 13, 2008 HDR Thriller (country)

Foggy winter morning, Broughton, Cambridgeshire, England. Uploaded into Flickr by mmayson.

Very well done image here. I really love the light and the sky. HAVE A LOOK IN LARGE ON BLACK, and see the rather odd placement of the cemetary stones all over. The combination of HDR treatment plus the fog gives the church the look of an illustration rather than a photo.

February 11, 2008 HDR Thriller (sea)

Haystack Rock. Uploaded into Flickr by johopo (John). Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

With all of the closed-in shots I've been selecting lately, I was really needing a majestic landscape. Got a nice one here, I think. But you really HAVE TO SEE IT IN LARGE TO GET THE HDR EFFECT. I have been to Portland (a nice place), but never got to Cannon Beach to see this, so this will have to do for now.

February 10, 2008 HDR Thriller (alley)

Day Or Night... Uploaded into Flickr by Orcinus O.. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

A "twofer" of great HDR Photos today...from the same photographer. Both were taken in the old city of Hvar, Croatia. The textures look almost too real...like they are part of a movie set. And as usual both are much better large:
PHOTO 1 (Above) IN LARGE ON BLACK
PHOTO 2 (Below) IN LARGE ON BLACK

Walking In The Wind... Uploaded into Flickr by Orcinus O.. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

AND...about Hvar, I found out that they are so proud of their weather that they guarantee it:

When it snows, accommodation in Hvar's hotels is free.
Also, from November to March, hotels offer special discounts:
-when it rains for more than three hours
-when it's foggy; or
-when the temperature is below 10°C (50 deg F)

I think that's a slap at London.

So just for fun I checked tomorrow's forecast for Hvar, Croatia:

Monday Feb 11: Scattered Clouds. High: 42° F. / 6° C. Wind NE 8 mph. / 14 km/h.

Looks like lunch could be on the house tomorrow.

Februrary 10, HDR Thriller (sweep)

Old Man Willow, uploaded into Flickr by Mark Grealish. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

This photo conjures things from dark corners. It may be one of those rare HDR shots that I prefer in a regular size, but it definitely needs a black background. Here it is IN REGULAR SIZE ON BLACK, and here it is IN LARGE ON BLACK.

February 8, 2008 HDR Thriller (square)

Another model of our local square, uploaded into flickr by stevacek. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Here's a pretty cool treat that comes up from time to time in these searches. FIRST, HAVE A LOOK IN LARGE ON BLACK. This is not a model with play figures. It's a real town square that is post-processed in both HDR and "Tilt-Shift" fake model processing. The Tilt-Shift processing artificially shortens the focal length, tricking the eye into thinking it's a short-focus toy model. Thanks, stevecek.

Makes me remember this previous post, my favorite Tilt-Shift HDR Shot.

February 7, 2008 HDR Thriller (landscape)

Grand Teton, uploaded into Flickr by James Neeley. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

There is a world of difference looking at the above shot and the LARGE ON BLACK VERSION. Definitely an entrancing gawker in large. And here's another related shot, also by James Neeley, that really shows HDR at work...just look at the incredible detail in the shadow area on the left side...I find it totally amazing that there is such detailed information stored in a dark (virtually unexposed) portion of a photo that only comes out when the HDR software teases it out.

The search word today was inspired by a pretty cool photo blog I saw...French Landscapes.

February 6, 2008 HDR Thriller (dramatic)

The Church... Uploaded into FLickr by gastronauten. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Pretty cool shot here of a church in Norway. MUST SEE IN LARGE ON BLACK. Getting a sky backdrop like this can make a huge difference between a good and a great shot. I like this one a lot, but I actually have a slight preference its sister shot because of the surreal foreground.

February 5, 2008 HDR Thriller (ray)

A ray of light, uploaded into Flickr by Giorgos ~. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

"Inside-the-church" shots are a frequent HDR subject. I am not always partial to them unless they are very well done. This one is obviously one. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK. Just terrific detail enhancement going on here.

Tick mark for that trip to Rome...but still I think Iceland is first on that "go to" list.

I am Somebody! I am Somebody!

Just a note to let you know that this blog is now being picked up via RSS feed by W3streams.com as their HDR Pic of the Day Blog. It's a pretty cool site of various categorized pics of the day. Check it out. Kinda makes me feel a bit like Navin R. Johnson...



"I am not a bum...I'm a jerk"

Februrary 4, 2008 HDR Thriller (spirit)

cote d'azur bormes-les-mimosas, uploaded into Flickr by delmez92. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Wow. One of those shots you just have to stare at....AMAZING IN LARGE ON BLACK! So many cool things about this photo, and the HDR processing hardens the detail to an amazing degree.

February 3, 2008 HDR Thriller (18-1)

Mystical station, originally uploaded by Jsome1. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

Sorry, Pats. I was rooting for ya to finish 19-0, but it just didn't happen. Liked the results of the search though...just 37 pics came up, and this was clearly the best, especially the arching girders above the train. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK FOR FULL EFFECT.

Of course, maybe 18-1 was better for me because there was just one pic that comes up with a "19-0" search.

February 2, 2008 HDR Thriller (blue)

Falling up through reflections, uploaded into Flickr by WarzauWynn. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

With multiple reflections involved, I'm not sure I fully know everything that is going on in this photo. Pretty neat. Please have a look: ON BLACK, and LARGE ON BLACK

The confusion it creates is a little reminiscent of this one from the archives.

February 1, 2008 HDR Thriller (green)

Green lake. Uploaded into Flickr by wili_hybrid. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

A mountain Lake near Uyuni, Bolivia. Pretty neat. A REAL SIGHT IN LARGE ON BLACK. Don't know much about Bolivia, except it's the place where Butch and Sundance went to start over. One of many memorable scenes in that movie has them getting off a train in Middle of Nowhere, Bolivia...well whad'ya know....a train, in the middle of nowhere in the same Flickr photoset.

Looked into this a bit more and found out that this train is from a strange Bolivian train cemetary...and it's located on the largest salt flats in the world (100km x 120 km).

Butch: Sheesh, all Bolivia can't look like this.
Sundance: How do you know? This might be the garden spot of the whole country! People may travel hundreds of miles just to get to this spot where we're standing now. This might be the Atlantic City, New Jersey of all Bolivia for all you know...
Butch: You'll feel a lot better after you've robbed a couple of banks.

The real story?

January 30, 2008 HDR Thriller (Save Me)

The Outpost, uploaded into Flickr by Kevin Macleod. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

It's one of those evenings to search for what I am listening to....Aimee Mann's "Save Me". This pic came up, and I was pretty mesmerized. GOTTA SEE IT IN LARGE ON BLACK. I think its best to quote from the Flickr caption to explain the shot:

"This photograph was taken from within an old military outpost in the Marin headlands. The outpost is part of a bunker installation set up during the second world war, designed to watch for Japanese ships coming from the east towards San Francisco. Ever since the end of the war, these bunkers have been all but abandoned, save for the taggers whose marks adorn every inch of this photograph."

And lastly...I could not resist embedding Aimee's live performance below. She is such a songwriting talent. Hope you enjoy it!!

January 29, 2008 HDR Thriller (glare)

The Secret Ukrainian Underground Restaurant, uploaded into Flickr by Stuck in Customs. CLick on pic to see it in Flickr.

Pretty cool shot here. Shows that characteristisc HDR dream-like vision so often achieved by stuckincustoms. REALLY COOL IN LARGE ON BLACK.

January 29, 2008, HDR Thriller (unite)

Chapel, uploaded into Flickr by iceman9294. Click on pic to see it in Flickr.

This is the United States Air Force Academy Chapel. What a cool building!! GOTTA SEE THIS IN LARGE ON BLACK. While this HDR shot is pretty oversaturated, the walls of the Chapel evidently do take on this violet color inside because of blue and red stained glass windows (see other pics of it from iceman9294 HERE and HERE).

Quite the architectural statement for the AIr Force I'd say. Designed by Walter Netsch and built in 1958 (I am mildly surprised by that date), it is now a National Historic Landmark. I would guess it's Mr. Netsch's most enduring masterpiece, but it is very unlike his usual designs...I found out that he was a prominent brutalist architect, and I realize now that I pretty much despise brutalist architecture, as it's the reason there are so many screwed-up, cold, concrete monoliths on various University and Government campuses....like this Netsch design for the library at Northwestern University...ugggh!!