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Category Archive for ‘Goodyear’

Bye Bye Revisted

12

Oct
October 12, 2011 by Jason Hines

Happy Hump Day Everyone!

This month has been ridiculously busy for me so far and it’s showing no signs of lightning up. Fortunately, things should settle down a little at the very end of the month which will be just in time for my trip to Utah. I am still in the planning process but it looks like I will be spending a good deal of time in the Escalante area (weather permitting), but I’ll know more as we get closer to November.

Today’s shot is another from Phoenix Trotting Park. I had so much fun shooting here and would love to have the opportunity to go back and shoot some more. It is certainly not a hospitable location to shoot at and we were fortunate to be undisturbed during our time there.

HDR Photo from Phoenix Trotting Park

Camera: Nikon D90
Lens: Nikon 18-105
Processing: Photomatix Pro 4, Adobe Lightroom 3, Photoshop CS5, Topaz Detail

8 Replies Categories: Arizona, Goodyear, HDR, Nikon D90Tags: , , , , , , ,

Inside Out

1

Oct
October 1, 2011 by Jason Hines

Here’s a 9 bracket hdr shot I took from Phoenix Trotting Park back in April. We were fortunate not to be bothered the whole time we were there and I was able to get several great shots. This is another image I processed with Topaz Black & White Effects. I really like the results I have gotten so far with it and if you have tried it out yet, you might want to read my review.

Topaz Black & White Effects

Camera: Nikon D90
Lens: Nikkor 18-105mm
Processing: Photomatix Pro 4, Adobe Lightroom 3, Photoshop CS5, Topaz Black & White Effects

1 Reply Categories: Arizona, Black & White, Goodyear, HDR, Nikon D90Tags: , , , , , ,

Topaz B&W Effects Review

13

Sep
September 13, 2011 by Jason Hines

The Grotto - Topaz B&W Effects

Topaz B&W Effects



We all love black & white photos – the simplicity, artistry, detail and raw drama all combine to make photos of exceptional beauty and elegance. Black and white photography does a great job of enhancing contrast, shapes and lines in your photos but sometimes the editing process can just be frustrating and confusing.

I have been a Topaz user for some time and have been favorably impressed by the power and ease of use of their products. In fact, I routinely use Adjust, Detail and DeNoise in my post processing technique. Not long ago, I received an email update from Topaz informing me of their new product – I have been a B&W Effects and I immediately decided to give it a shot. I have been playing around with the software for a week now and I couldn’t be happier with it.

The Review


Topaz B&W Effects is a plug-in that is compatible with Lightroom, Aperture, Photoshop CS5, Photoshop Elements, iPhoto, Paint Shop Pro and more. Like all Topaz products, the interface is extremely simple and easy to use. Once you load the plug-in from the filter menu you can select from Traditional, Toned, Stylized, Cyanotype, Albumen, Van Dyke Brown & Opalotype effects and find the the preset you like!

Topaz B&W Review 1

Once you’ve found an interesting preset, use the sliders on the right to fine tune your image. The basic and adaptive exposure menus let you adjust all the basics like contrast, brightness, blacks, whites, details and shadows. Select the color sensitivity and color filter menus to adjust color tones, balance and hue of the overall image allowing you to a create a truly unique looking image.

Topaz B&W Review 2

One of the best things about BW Effects is the local adjustment panel. Choose one of the 5 tools – Dodge, Burn, Color, Detail, or Smooth – and set your brush size and opacity so you can selectively apply these effects anywhere in the image! To make things even better, Topaz has included advanced Edge Aware Technology that really makes it easy to brush only the things you want.

Topaz B&W Review 3

Topaz B&W Effects is one of the most versatile tools I have used for black & white conversion and enhancement. I find the user interface organized and simple to use whether you’re a casual photographer who’s interested in having some fun with your images, or a pro photographer who is looking for a truly unique look for your portfolio.

For a limited time, Topaz is offering 50% off the product price using the coupon code “bwandbeyond”. I also recommend checking out the full Photoshop bundle while your’re there and try out some of the other great Topaz Products like Adjust and Detail.

The Final Product With Topaz B&W Effects:


Monument Valley - Topaz B&W Effects


Other Photos Processed With Topaz B&W Effects



Roosevelt Bridge - Topaz B&W Effects

North Rim Meadows - Topaz B&W Effects

Phoenix Trotting Park - Topaz B&W Effects

Twelve Apostles - Topaz B&W Effects

17 Replies Categories: Arizona, Australia, Black & White, Goodyear, Grand Canyon, Great Ocean Road, HDR, Landscapes, Nikon D90, Product Reviews, Urbex, UtahTags: , , , ,

Friday Photo Spots & Sunrise From Trotting Park

22

Jul
July 22, 2011 by Jason Hines

Welcome to Friday Photo Spots. This post is part of a weekly series, Friday Photo Spots, which showcases some of the best photos of the week from around the photo blog community. This is just a sampling of some awesome photos I’ve come across in the course of the week. Be sure to visit their sites and comment if you like their images! Also, make sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you don’t miss any future posts!

Black & White

 

Black & White

 

Landscapes & Nature

 

Landscapes & Nature

 

Portraits

 

Animals

 

Interiors

 

Architectures & Cityscapes

 

Urbex

 

Miscellaneous

 

Last But Not Least…

  • David LaSpina wins The Sunset Photo of the Week Award this week with this incredible shot from Japan! The colors in this shot are amazing – you’ve got to check it out!

Sunrise From Phoenix Trotting Park

When we went, we made sure to get into Phoenix Trotting Park well before sunrise to avoid prying eyes. We knew we could be easily spotted if we used a flashlight so we crouched on the ground level and waited about 40 minutes before it became light enough to move around. We made it up to the third level of the park by the time the sun started peeking over the horizon and I managed to get several shots. This was one of my favorites. Thank you to everyone for your support – I hope you have a great weekend!

Sunrise

Would you like to be part featured in Friday Photo Spots?

The photos featured about come primary from people I interact with through comments as well Twitter and Facebook. I very much enjoy checking out the work of fellow photographers and I would love to list you in a future post. Thanks!

 

21 Replies Categories: Arizona, Goodyear, HDR, Nikon D90, Urbex

The Way Down

19

Jul
July 19, 2011 by Jason Hines

Back to Phoenix Trotting Park we go! I have several more great images from this place that I will enjoy sprinkling in from time to time. This is a shot of the elevator entrance on the third floor. I decided not to use the first post title that came to mind when I looked at this image – it had something to do with the bird, uhm, dropping on the floor. I decided “The Way Down” sounded much nicer!

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has commented on my site recently! I don’t always get the opportunity to respond to everyone, but I sincerely appreciate it!

Phoenix Trotting Park

Camera: Nikon D90
Lens: Nikkor 18-105mm
Processing: Photomatix Pro 4, Adobe Lightroom 3, Photoshop CS5, Topaz Adjust

12 Replies Categories: Arizona, Goodyear, Nikon D90, UrbexTags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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