More Sunset……

As my weekend is drawing to an end, I thought I’d post another sunset image from Lake Chabot.  🙂

Lake Chabot at Sunset

 

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Ahoy

I’m back at Mare Island.  There were so many photo opportunities there.  Incredible!   Instead of my Nikon I used my Sony A7.  I really love that camera.  It’s so much easier to carry around.

 

Discovering the Art

Ever since I visited The Accademia in Florence where I saw Michelangelo’s “The David” along with other sculptures of his, I’ve always been reminded of a powerful quote by that amazing artist which is:  “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”

While I’m not a sculptor, I think of this quote almost every time before I delete an image off my computer and declare it unusable.  Maybe it looks too dark or is not properly exposed or maybe it just looks lifeless.  Sometimes there is art inside even if it doesn’t seem like it, but how do we reveal it???

The number one reason I’m able to “save an image” or actually “reveal what is hiding in the image” is that I always shoot in RAW.  Shooting in raw gives me a lot more information to work with in post processing and is the number one reason I can work with a photo and create so many different effects.  But honestly, I wouldn’t let that dissuade you if you don’t have a fancy camera.  Even shooting with the iPhone can prove to be an artistic mini journey with all the apps that are out there.  (If you want, you can check out my Instagram for all my iPhone photography which are all taken and edited on the iPhone.  No photoshop involved.)

Basically if I took a picture of something, I wanted to take that picture for a reason whether it be the color, light, sky, details, strong composition, reflection, etc.  So when viewing one of these seemingly bland images on my computer, I consciously ask myself what attracted me to the scene?  It’s usually not just an overall appeal…there is usually a component (or components) that compelled me to take the picture in the first place; therefore, those are the components I try to bring out in the editing process.

Ahh…the unique greenish-blueish luminescence of the church….the early evening glow in the sky….the light on the buildings, the details of the windows, the green grass lining the lake, the reflection….there is an image wanting to be seen and felt.  It just needs to be coaxed out sometimes.

(p.s. – I inadvertently deleted the original otherwise I would’ve pasted it here as well.  It was contrasty and a bit dark…I’m laughing!  I usually have the original in my PSD file.  Maybe I need ANOTHER post on not deleting things.  LOL!!!!)

Lake Merritt with the Crow Canyon Clickers