Uploads from jwvraets, tagged ice

Shore Ice, Sauble Beach - (HDR/Tone-Mapped)

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:51:51 -0700

jwvraets posted a photo:

*** For best viewing experience, please click anywhere inside the image to view on black ***

How quickly we forget. Just a few weeks ago we stopped off in Suable Beach, Ontario, a small summer beach community on the Eastern shore of Lake Huron. But at this time, the shoreline was still covered in ice and the skies that hint at the storms that frequent this area in the winter. This particular stretch of shore ice was somewhat different than the more typical masses. Here small nodules of ice about 5-15cm (2-6 inches) had piled up interspersed with pieces of driftwood. Something to think back on when the temperatures start to soar. - JW

Tech Details:

This image is based on a single image processed using HDR software to produce a pair of tone-mapped versions, each using a different tone-mapping model. Hence the image(s) is (are) tone-mapped and not strictly HDR.

The original image was taken using a hand-held Nikon D7100 fitted with a Nikkor 12-24mm lense set to 12mm, ISO100, Aperture priority mode, f/8.0, 1/1000 sec. HDR processing using a single image (hence not really HDR but just Tone-mapped) in Luminance/Qtpfsgui, to produce two different versions emphasising, in one version, detail (Mantiuk), and in the other, colour (Fattal), and then blending the two versions to get something I feel is close to what I saw. PP in GIMP: loaded the Fattal layer as the bottom layer and Mantiuk as the top layer, set the top/Mantiuk layer opacity to 70%, created new layer from the visible result, on the new layer applied minor tone curve adjustment to set the white point, added a small amount of contrast, corrected colour (remove slight green cast),slight saturation boost, dodged ta few high points on the ice slightly to help them stand out more, sharpened, added fine black and white frame, added bar and text on left, scaled to 1800 wide for posting.

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D7A_0419_saubleshoreiceTMscrn70pcadjbarsigx1800_pregamma_1_mantiuk06_contrast_mapping_0.1_saturation_factor_1.2_detail_factor_4
==============================
Luminance HDR 2.3.0 tonemapping parameters:
Operator: Mantiuk06
Parameters:
Contrast Mapping factor: 0.1
Saturation Factor: 1.2
Detail Factor: 4
------
PreGamma: 1

Cedar, Warner Bay

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 06:11:55 -0700

jwvraets posted a photo:

The cedars on the Bruce Peninsula along with the rocky shoreline form an iconic landscape. This view looks almost due South from the shore of Warner Bay (off Lake Huron) near Tobermory, Ontario and captures one of the isolated, weather-beaten cedars found here. This section consists of soil-poor limestone shelves and anything that lives here struggles against the limited nutrients, cold, and the extremes of cold and heat. This image was taken during 'golden hour', hence the deceptive warm colour. Trust me, it was not warm, but the view was great. - JW

Tech Details

Taken using a hand-held Nikon D7100 fitted with a Nikkor 18-105m VR lense set to 18mm, ISO400, Aperture priority mode, f/9.0, 1/500 sec. This image was shot in 'jpeg' not RAW format. PP in GIMP: apply sight tone curve adjustment to brighten up the light areas slightly, spot dodge the highlit snow at the base of the cedar, crop off left to remove distracting tree and shadow, sharpen, add fine black and white frame, add bar and text on left, scale to 1800 wide for posting. Basically a slightly tweaked but nearly straight-out-of-the-camera image to show what the D7100 can do with jpegs.

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D7A_0183_warnerbaygoldcedarbeachcropadjbarsigx1800

Golden Hour, Warner Bay

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 06:09:34 -0700

jwvraets posted a photo:

We had an opportunity to visit friends who live on Warner Bay, just outside Tobermory, Ontario on the weekend. Warner bay faces (more-or-less) Southwest into Lake Huron. In the past, I have have photographed here before and on this trip I had expected the shore ice formations I was familiar with from the past. Sadly, the combination of exceptionally low water levels and a cold, but not traditionally cold, winter prevented it from forming, and my hopes of getting some of the late winter, just about springtime, photos I had hoped for, did not work out. However, even less than ideal (in my mind) conditions still provide some wonderful images, particularly as the sun gets low and you enter the 'golden hour'. This is the first of several I will be posting. - JW

Tech Details:

Taken using a hand-held Nikon D7100 fitted with a Nikkor 18-105m VR lense set to 21mm, ISO400, Aperture priority mode, f/9.0, 1/320 sec. This image was shot in 'jpeg' not RAW format. PP in GIMP: apply sight tone curve adjustment to brighten up the light areas slightly, sharpen, add fine black and white frame, add bar and text on left, scale to 1800 wide for posting. Basically a slightly tweaked but nearly straight-out-of-the-camera image to show what the D7100 can do with jpegs.

TAGS:
= = = =
Warner Bay, Tobermorey, ice, shoreline, Lake Huron, golden hour, GIMP, Nikon, D7100, Nikkor 18-105mm VR

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D7A_0191_warnerbayadjbarsigx1800

Winter Beach, Grimsby – (HDR/Hybrid)

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 05:11:04 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

This was shot at dawn in Grimsby, Ontario looking East (well, obviously, I guess) along the beach at the foot of Maple Street on the South shore of Lake Ontario. At this time of year the sun rises in a nice alignment with the view along the beach. Fresh snow helped brighten an otherwise dark area that might have been lost in shadow otherwise. It was bitterly cold and it was all I could do to keep my fingers functioning. But I am happy with the result. - JW

Tech Details:

This is a 4 exposure HDR image made using HDR software to integrate three images exposed at EV+/-2 plus one additional one at EV-4 to manage the sun itseld, and then tonemap and post-process the result.

The original image sequence was made using a tripod-mounted (yes it was cold and my fingers were pretty much numb from handling all that aluminium) Nikon D5000 fitted with a Nikkor 12-24mm VR lense set to 12 mm, ISO200, Aperture priority mode, f/11.0, a three image auto bracketed sequence around an nominal 1/250 sec (+/-2EV plus one more at EV-4). HDR processing was done using Luminance/Qtpfsgui v2.3 to produce two different HDR images, one using the mantiuk '06 operator and the other using the fattal operator. Settings for the mantiuk shot are included in the file name and the fattal settings were simply the defaults. The reason for two versions is that with the Luminance 2.3 version, you get nice detail from mantiuk but much better colour from fattal and blending in PP gives you the opportunity to use the best of each in the final image. PP in GIMP: load mantiuk as the upper layer an fattal as the lower layer, blend the two using 60% mantiuk opacity, make new layer from the result, adjust using the tone curve tool to get good overall tonality, duplicate the result and edit it using the tone curve tool to increase contrast and saturation in the clouds and snow highlights, drop the contrasty layer to below the other layer, use a soft-edged eraser to delete the clouds and highlights from the upper layer to reveal the more contrasty ones below, create new layer from the result, do some additional clean-up, sharpen, add fine black and white frame, add bar and text on left, scale to 1024 wide for posting.

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2DSC_0914_lakeontsunriseshore4xHD60pcpatmlaystage2adjbarsigx1024_pregamma_1_mantiuk06_contrast_mapping_0.1_saturation_factor_0.5_detail_factor_1

Dawn, Lake Ontario – (HDR)

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 06:33:40 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

Yesterday morning was bitterly cold (by Southern Canadian standards, at any rate) and that generally makes for opportunities to capture low cloud banks over Lake Ontario. Those cloud banks form because the water is much warmer than the air and as a result the moisture rises from the lake much like fog in the more extreme cases, or like this, which is more common. That little bit of info is useful in that it helps to plan a photo shoot because low clouds at sunrise provide opportunities for nice sunrise shots. Perhaps a cliché , but cliches are such for a reason: they strike some primal chord. Hence, this shot of dawn over Lake Ontario at the North limit of Maple Street in Grimsby, Ontario. - JW

Tech Info:

This is a classic 3 exposure HDR image made using HDR software to integrate three images exposed at EV+/-2 and then tonemap and post-process the result.

The original image sequence was made using a tripod-mounted (yes it was cold and my fingers were pretty much numb from handling all that aluminium) Nikon D5000 fitted with a Nikkor 12-24mm VR lense set to 12 mm, ISO200, Aperture priority mode, f/11.0, a three image auto bracketed sequence around an nominal 1/125 sec (+/-2EV). HDR processing was done using Luminance/Qtpfsgui v2.3 to produce two different HDR images, one using the mantiuk '06 operator and the other using the fattal operator. Settings for the mantiuk shot are included in the file name and the fattal settings were simply the defaults. The reason for two versions is that with the Luminance 2.3 version, you get nice detail from mantiuk but much better colour from fattal and blending in PP gives you the opportunity to use the best of each in the final image. PP in GIMP: load mantiuk as the upper layer an fattal as the lower layer, blend the two using 75% mantiuk opacity, make new layer from the result, adjust using the tone curve tool to get good overall tonality, duplicate the result and edit it using the tone curve tool to increase contrast and saturation in the clouds and snow highlights, drop the contrasty layer to below the other layer, use a soft-edged eraser to delete the clouds and highlights from the upper layer to reveal the more contrasty ones below, create new layer from the result, do some additional clean-up, sharpen, add fine black and white frame, add bar and text on left, scale to 1024 wide for posting.

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2DSC_0905_lakeontmapleiceHDR65pcfattaladjbarsigx1024_pregamma_1_mantiuk06_contrast_mapping_0.05_saturation_factor_1_detail_factor_1

Winter Coat #2 - (HDR/Tone-Mapped)

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 06:15:36 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

Once again, this is along the Lake Ontario shoreline at Grimsby Beach following a bit of cold weather featuring overnight winds blowing spray inshore and forming a coat of ice on shoreline shrubs and trees. You get some interesting formations in these situations, although with this year's 'winter', not very long lasting. - JW

This image was processed in HDR software but since it was a single image, only the tone-mapping portion of the software came into play. Hence the image is tone-mapped and not strictly HDR.

The original image was shot using a hand-held Olympus E-3 fitted with a Zuiko 12-60mm lense set to 21mm (42mm classic 35mm equivalent), ISO500, Aperture priority mode, f/9.0, 1/250 sec. HDR processing (to use the tone-mapped portion on the single image) was done using Luminance/Qtpfsgui with settings as shown below. Tone-mapping was selected primarily to enhance the the tonal range in the ice and bring out some tree trunk and rock texture. PP in GIMP: convert to B&W using Ilford Delta 100 simulation, slight tone curve adjustment to clean up the image, very slight overall contrast boost to make the image pop a bit, sharpened, added bars and logos by using the expand canvas function, scaled to 1024 wide for posting.

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12012-02-15--10.6.39V2154045_icetreesgimbeachTMbwilfdel100adjbarsigx1024_pregamma_1_mantiuk_contrast_mapping_0.5_saturation_factor_1.2_detail_factor_1
=================================
Qtpfsgui 1.9.3 tonemapping parameters:
Operator: Mantiuk
Parameters:
Contrast Mapping factor: 0.5
Saturation Factor: 1.2
Detail Factor: 1
------
PreGamma: 1

Ice On The Rocks - (HDR/Tone-Mapped)

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:42:31 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

In some areas along the shore of Lake Ontario at Grimsby Beach, large rocks and occasionally concrete pieces from demolition projects, are placed along the shoreline as a means of reducing the erosion of the shore. This helps protect housing as well as beachfron areas. After a recent wind of the Lake, spray coated everything along the shore and in the sub-zero temperatures, formed a coating on all it hit. Here we see some of the rocks in an eroosion control area made more interesting by virtue of the ice coating. - JW

This image was processed in HDR software but since it was a single image, only the tone-mapping portion of the software came into play. Hence the image is tone-mapped and not strictly HDR.

The original image was shot using a hand-held Olympus E-3 fitted with a Zuiko 12-60mm lense set to 60mm (120mm classic 35mm equivalent), ISO500, Aperture priority mode, f/9.0, 1/1000 sec. HDR processing (to use the tone-mapped portion on the single image) was done using Luminance/Qtpfsgui with settings as shown below. Tone-mapping was selected primarily to enhance the the tonal range in the ice and bring out some shadow area texture. PP in GIMP: convert to B&W using Ilford Delta 100 simulation, slight tone curve adjustment to clean up the image, very slight overall contrast boost to make the image pop a bit, sharpened, added bars and logos by using the expand canvas function, scaled to 1024 wide for posting.

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12012-02-15--10.15.11V2154077_icegimbeacheastTMbwilfdel100adjbarsigx1024_pregamma_1_mantiuk_contrast_mapping_0.5_saturation_factor_1.2_detail_factor_1
=============================
Qtpfsgui 1.9.3 tonemapping parameters:
Operator: Mantiuk
Parameters:
Contrast Mapping factor: 0.5
Saturation Factor: 1.2
Detail Factor: 1
------
PreGamma: 1

Ice, Grimsby Beach - (HDR/Tone-Mapped)

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:29:00 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

Although winter in the Grimsby, Ontario area has been a bit of a 'no-show', there was some wind last night and that caused spray from Lake Ontario to blow inland a short distance and coat nearby shrubs and branches with a coat of ice. Admittedly, this is not the nicest of formations I have seen over the years, but I was there so I got what I could. As for the B&W treatment, the colours were somewhat dull and the ice had a rather odd reddish-orange tint to it, so I decided to go this way instead of colour. In a few more months I will be swimming here again, but right now, mild winter or not, it is a raw, damp, cold place. - JW

This image was processed in HDR software but since it was a single image, only the tone-mapping portion of the software came into play. Hence the image is tone-mapped and not strictly HDR.

The original image was shot using a hand-held Olympus E-3 fitted with a Zuiko 12-60mm lense set to 12mm (24mm classic 35mm equivalent), ISO500, Aperture priority mode, f/9.0, 1/400 sec. HDR processing (to use the tone-mapped portion on the single image) was done using Luminance/Qtpfsgui with settings as shown below. Tone-mapping was selected primarily to enhance the the tonal range in the ice and bring out some sky texture. PP in GIMP: convert to B&W using Ilford Delta 100 simulation, slight tone curve adjustment to clean up the image, very slight overall contrast boost to make the image pop a bit, sharpened, added bars and logos by using the expand canvas function, scaled to 1024 wide for posting.

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12012-02-15--10-12.49V21154066_icegrimbeachTMilfdel100adjbarsigx1024_pregamma_1_mantiuk_contrast_mapping_0.5_saturation_factor_1.2_detail_factor_1
=============================
Qtpfsgui 1.9.3 tonemapping parameters:
Operator: Mantiuk
Parameters:
Contrast Mapping factor: 0.5
Saturation Factor: 1.2
Detail Factor: 1
------
PreGamma: 1

Waiting For Spring

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Sat, 14 May 2011 08:17:12 -0700

jwvraets posted a photo:

If you really want to feel cold, stand on the shore of Lake Ontario, in the breeze off the lake, at a temperature of -25C (-13F) while your fingers (hands actually) have lost all sensation because you decided it was a good photo op. People with cameras - you have to wonder.

This is in the Winona area, now part of the amalgamated City of Hamilton, Ontario and shows what, in more pleasant weather, would be a sitting area with a rather lovely view across Lake Ontario, Northward to the Toronto skyline. The extremely low temperatures had frozen many layers of light spray off the lake onto everything, creating a surreal landscape. In this case, the chairs are actually metal tube and mesh but have gained about 10-15cm (4-6 inches) of ice to give the illusion of a nice soft padded chair. Anyone for a chair with a view? - JW

Taken using a hand-held Nikon D5000 fitted with a 55-200mm VR kit lense set to 135mm, ISO200, Aperture Priority, f/7.1, 1/800 sec. PP was done using GIMP: tone curve adjust to compensate for slight underexposure (due to me forgetting the basics and not dialing in about an EV+2/3 to compensate for the reflectance of the white/snow), slight saturation boost to the yellow channel, sharpen, add border and scale to 1024 wide for posting.

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DSC_3594_chairsiceadjbordx1024

Ducks and Geese At Port Dalhousie - HDR/Tone-Mapped

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:57:24 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

This is a single-image HDR processed photo so it is Tone-Mapped and not strictly HDR.

Last Sunday while wandering around Port Dalhousie looking for some places to shoot, I looked down into the marina area at the exit from the now long abandoned Welland Canal lock from the second generation of that canal (now on the third and slightly different route). The ice had left this section but snow remained on the banks and a group of ducks and geese were swimming about. I took a single image with the intention of seeing what a single image HDR processed version would look like. I was pleasantly surprised. It produced a somewhat silver looking effect in the snow and water while retaining colours nicely in the birds. - JW

This is a single-image HDR and hence 'Tone-Mapped' and not a true HDR. The original image was shot using a hand-held Nikon D5000 fitted with a 55-200mm VR kit lense at 200mm, set to ISO200, Aperture Priority, f/5.6, 1/50 sec with a bias of EV+0.67 to compensate for tendency to underexpose against the white ice. HDR processing was done using Luminance/Qtpfsgui with settings as indicated below and as embedded in the file name. Additional PP was done using GIMP: curves adjust to balance out the tonal range, sharpen, crop, add border and scale to 1024 wide for posting here.

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DSC_5130_portducksadjbordx1024_pregamma_1_mantiuk_contrast_mapping_0.1_saturation_factor_1.2_detail_factor_2
===========================
Qtpfsgui 1.9.3 tonemapping parameters:
Operator: Mantiuk
Parameters:
Contrast Mapping factor: 0.1
Saturation Factor: 1.2
Detail Factor: 2
------
PreGamma: 1

Grimsby Tankard (Ontario Curling Championships): The Cute Team - HDR

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 14:32:59 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

The Ontario Curling Championships, also known as 'The Tankard' is being held this week in Grimsby, Ontario and I have been pretty much tied up with that. This is an image from a game yesterday and I thought I would do a quick post just to get it online before my wife and her friends give me a hard time. You see, this is the team all the women seem to be drooling over, the 'cute guys' and the 'one with the muscles' (Tyler Morgan - left front). So based on orders from on high, here they are in action. - JW

This is a single image HDR, so actually 'Tone-Mapped' rather than true HDR. I will leave the details until I get back on line again but here you go - details for HDR, below.
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DSC_4195_balsdonfriaftadjbordx1024_pregamma_1_mantiuk_contrast_mapping_0.1_saturation_factor_1.2_detail_factor_5
============================
Qtpfsgui 1.9.3 tonemapping parameters:
Operator: Mantiuk
Parameters:
Contrast Mapping factor: 0.1
Saturation Factor: 1.2
Detail Factor: 5
------
PreGamma: 1

Sheltered In The Jaws Of Winter

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:57:37 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

One of the interesting effects of the recent cold snap her in Grimsby, Ontario is that the ice bordering Lake Ontario not only developed some wonderful shapes, but the edges nearest water developed masses of icicles from the water splashed by the waves. In this case a lip had formed and from that lip hung many icicles. In what would normally be open water below the lip, a group of ducks were resting on a thin layer of ice that formed in the extremely low temperatures and in the absence of waves due to the still air. In the distance you can make out a fog bank about 1.5 - 2 km away. This fog was formed by 'Sea Smoke' rising from the relatively warm lake water and then (typically) being trapped from above by an inversion layer.

This image was taken at Grimsby Beach on January 24, 2011 at just after 9:00AM and even then the sun was just weakly coming our from behind the cloud layer adding a soft warm pastel tone to the image (God bless the 'Golden Hour'). - JW

The image was taken using a tripod mounted Nikon D5000 fitted with a 55-200mm VR kit lense set at 86mm, f/7.1, 1/1000 sec (aperture priority), ISO200. PP was dome using GIMP: image leveled and cropped, slight curves adjustment, slight saturation boost using a multi-layer technique, sharpened, border added and scaled to 1024 wide for posting.

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DSC_3693stdrotadj50pcsatbordx1024

Ice Floes At Grimsby Beach

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:22:00 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

This is another image from that cold shooting trip a couple of days ago (i.e. -15.5C/+4F). These ice floes have been temporarily locked into place by a thin (about 1cm - 3/8 in -) layer of ice that has formed on the surface of Lake Ontario due to a combination of extremely cold air and an absence of wind (so the surface does not get disturbed during the freezing process). The resulting thin sheet of ice is crystal clear.

If you look at the ice floes, you will see they are covered by sheets of thin ice as well. These have collected on the surface due to early, gentle wave action that was just enough to break up the ice surface and deposit the broken pieces on the ice floes while not being vigorous enough to smash the pieces into smaller fragments.

In the background lies a fog bank, the result of the moisture rising from the surface as 'Sea Smoke' and being trapped under an inversion layer.

At these temperatures fingers freeze very quickly and shooting here was an exercise in minimizing finger contact with metal tripod components as well as the the rapid heat loss to the air. But it all turned out well. Life is good. - JW

Taken using a tripod mounted Nikon D5000 fitted with an 18-55mm kit lense set to 36mm, f/7.1, 1/320 sec (aperture priority mode), ISO200. PP in GIMP: restore tonal range to cover full range, slight curves to brighten ice highlight areas and deepen darker tones in the water and fog bank, slight overall saturation increase, sharpen, add border and scale to 1024 wide for posting.

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DSC_3619stdrotadjbordx1024

Edge Of The Ice, Lake Ontario Shoreline, Grimsby

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 07:06:52 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

This is another early morning image from yesterday during the cold spell. Temperature was -15.5C (4F) when I went out to shoot in the hopes of getting some of the sea smoke rising from Lake Ontario when the air temperature is much lower than the open water. This happens here only a few days in a winter, if at all.

The lake in this area had frozen over with a thin sheet of ice, possible only because the air was dead calm and no wave motion was present to disturb it. As a result, the sea smoke was present only well out (about 1.5-2 km) from shore. But at that point, the sea smoke rose in plumes and formed into a low lying fog/cloud bank out over Lake Ontario. The rising sun caught the fog/cloud bank and provided the pale orange glow.

Along the shore, the ice had built up, as it usually does, with a thick, raised li on the edge. This is caused by wave action splashing near-freezing water onto the existing ice, forming wonderful rounded formations with icicles on the face.

In the left background, you can see what now passes for a lighthouse but is nothing more than a marker, indicating the entrance to Grimsby's harbour for recreational boaters. - JW

The image was taken using a tripod-mounted Nikon D5000 fitted with a 55-200mmVR lense set to 135mm, f/7.1, 1/640 sec (aperture priority mode), ISO200. PP was done in GIMP: crop off a bit of distracting scrub along left edge, adjust overall tonal range to cover full range, some slight curves, clone out some debris on the ice along the left, slight saturation boost, dodge slightly on the sunlit edges of the ice, sharpen, add border, crop to 1024 wide for posting.

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DSC_3641rotadjbordx1024

Ice and Sea Smoke, Grimsby Beach

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:55:01 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

This morning was another in a string of very cold (at least by local standards) days with a temperature as I went out to shoot of -15.5C (4F). The cold weather over the past several weeks has built up the normal ridge of ice extending from the summer shoreline of Lake Ontario out about 15-20 meters into the lake, with a high lip built from water deposited by wave action. Fanciful shapes develop spanning large masses at one end of the scale through delicate icicle structures at the other. In the extreme cold, the huge difference in temperature between the frigid air and the water at roughly 0C (32F) causes mist to rise from the surface, and in the still air, these wisps drip as small plumes known as 'sea smoke". Along the shore here at Grimsby Beach, the sea smoke rises some 1-2 metes. However, about 2 kilometers out, huge plumes shaped like dust devils rise into a massive fog bank that appears to be a low level cloud system. Here you can make out some of the shoreline sea smoke in the cove. And yes, it is really cold handling equipment under these conditions as well as being a bit tricky moving around on the ice (watch you steps very carefully). - JW

Taken using a handheld Nikon D5000, fitted with a 55-200mm VR lense at 200mm, ISO200, aperture priority, f/7.1, 1/800 sec. PP was done in GIMP: adjust tonal range to fill full range, crop to square, slight curves, slight saturation adjust to bring out the sea smoke, sharpen, add border and crop to 1024 wide for posting.

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DSC_3661cropsqadjbordx1024

Ice Forming At The Mouth Of 'The Forty' - B&W

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 06:40:15 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

With winter firmly ensconced and a few weeks of cold January weather, the ice has formed along the shore of Lake Ontario, giving rise to some fascinating formations. This particular formation has formed at the mouth of 'The Forty', the creek that runs down the Niagara Escarpment, through the town of Grimsby, Ontario, into Lake Ontario. And it was cold!!!!! The combination of the high winds, extremely low temperature and hauling around a tripod with lots of exposed metal, got my fingers so cold I lost all feeling and had to abandon shooting just after this image. But the camera kept working and the image turned out so all is good, I guess. - JW

Taken using a tripod-mounted Nikon D5000 fitted with 18-55mm VR kit lense set to 32mm, ISO200, f/8.0, 1/1000 sec (aperture priority). Initial PP was done using Darktable to convert the image to monochrome, adjust the tone curves slightly and sharpen. The resulting image was then imported into GIMP to add a border and scale to 1024 wide for posting.

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DSC_3532_dtconvbwbordx1024

Beamer's Falls, Grimsby - HDR

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 06:15:40 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

As the creek named 'The Forty' (historically, watercourses feeding into Lake Ontario on its South shore, were named after their approximate distance from the mouth of the Niagara River) reaches the lip of the Niagara Escarpment in Grimsby, Ontario, it begins its rapid descent with Beamer's Falls. This is located just inside the boundaries of the Beamer's Falls Conservation Area. From this point on, The Forty passes through a steep-walled ravine, then through the downtown of Grimsby and onward to Lake Ontario,

The image was taken in the early morning and part of the challenge was handling the extreme lighting contrast covering brilliant warm sunlight to deep blue shade while retaining the reflections. HDR was the tool of choice. - JW

P.S. Note to self - scrambling down snow covered ravine walls on your own is not a smart idea, even if the photos turn out.

Taken with a hand-held Nikon D5000 fitted with an 18-55mm VR lense set to 26mm, ISO 200, f/5.0, Aperture Priority EV+/- 2 auto-bracket. The resulting 3 images were processed using Luminance/Qtpfsgui (manual alignment) and tone-mapped using the setup as indicated in the information below. The resulting image was then further processed using GIMP: repair artifacts using portions of the original images, curves adjustment, selective colour balance adjustment particularly to the blue shaded areas, sharpen, add border and scale to 1024 wide for posting.

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DSC_2839_xmas05v02adjcropbordx1024_pregamma_1_mantiuk_contrast_mapping_0.1_saturation_factor_1.2_detail_factor_2
=============================
Qtpfsgui 1.9.3 tonemapping parameters:
Operator: Mantiuk
Parameters:
Contrast Mapping factor: 0.1
Saturation Factor: 1.2
Detail Factor: 2
------
PreGamma: 1

Leaves Frozen In Puddle - HDR

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 10:00:23 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

These leaves were frozen into a puddle along the South ramps to/from the QEW near the house here in Grimsby. I liked the near monochrome and the patterns/textures, with just a touch of colour. Sometimes you have t look down in the mud to see interesting things.- JW

Taken using a hand held Nikon D5000, kit 18-55mm lense at 34mm, aperture priority (f/8.0) auto bracket of 3 images at +/- 2EV, ISO 320. HDR processing used Luminaince, Qtpfsgui with parameters as shown at the bottom. Further PP in GIMP involved: curves to bring back a normal tonal range, some saturation boost, cleanup of artifacts from the tone mapping stage, sharpen, add border and scale to 1024 wide for posting

Luminance/Qtpfsgui HDR setup parameters embedded in the file name, below:
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DSC_2808_leaves01v01cropadjbordx1024_pregamma_1_mantiuk_contrast_mapping_0.1_saturation_factor_0.8_detail_factor_1

Ice Leaving Warner Bay

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:26:41 -0700

jwvraets posted a photo:

As I froze on my bike ride this morning I recalled an image fro a few years ago that I had intended to process. This is in Warner Bay (near Tobermory, Ontario) looking more-or-less west to Lake Huron. The last ot that season's ice was still there and, as evening set in, I found I liked the rock textures, underwater rocks and so on leading up to the small island and the sky. To manage the contrast range and make it look more like i remembered it, I processed in GIMP as follows:
Duplicated image and labeled top layer as sky, bottom as water, Added an alpha layer to the sky and adjusted it using curves, disregarding the impact on anything below the horizon. I then made the sky layer hide, while I did a similar thing to the water layer and made it look right disregarding any impact above the horizon. I then un-hid the sky layer and used the eraser tool to delete anything in that layer below the horizon (using a soft edged eraser at the horizon line and a hard edged one everywhere else below that). The result is good detail and "exposure" both above and below the horizon. Then I saved as a jpeg, scaled and here is the result. - JW

2007_04_01_232v4bordx1024

Gulls on Ice

nobody@flickr.com (jwvraets) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:30:11 -0800

jwvraets posted a photo:

A heavy ice cap forms on the point of land at the mouth of "The Forty" a large creek that flows into Lake Ontario in Grimsby, Ontario. Seagulls perch there in winter as they do here, settling in for the night.