Uploads from Rob Overcash Photography, tagged arizona

Sonoran Sunset ...

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:11:45 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Going back to the desert, and archives, with this shot from early January 2009. There's no sense of scale -- the saguaro in the foreground is around 10m (30-feet) tall -- and the desert floor is a bit of a mess, but I love the light and sky in this one. Clouds are rare in the Valley so you have to take advantage.

DRI (dynamic range increase) using a single RAW image file.

f/11.) | 1/250 sec (+1.67 EV) | ISO 200 | tripod mounted (and I think cirpol used)

Bending the light [HDR] ...

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 08:07:45 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

From the archives ... This is Chicken Point, along the Broken Arrow 4x4 Trail in Sedona, AZ (March 2009). Despite looking like sunset, this series was taken around 1pm with the sun completely shrouded by the rock formation on the right.

6 exposure HDR merged/tone mapped in Photomatix Pro 3.2 then further post processed in CS4 to bring back contrast, tone down the HDR effect and modulate saturation.

f/8.0 | 1/13 to 1/400 sec | ISO 200 | tripod mounted

180° pano of Meteor Crater site

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:51:24 -0700

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Must be seen at 2400px wide!

1x4 (@ 24mm each) pano, auto stitched in PS CS4 then further processed (including adding back features to avoid crop being too tight).

From wiki:

Meteor Crater is a meteorite impact crater located approximately 43 miles (69 km) east of Flagstaff, near Winslow in the northern Arizona desert of the United States.

Meteor Crater lies at an elevation of about 1740 m (5709 ft) above sea level. It is about 1,200 m (4,000 ft) in diameter, some 170 m deep (570 ft), and is surrounded by a rim that rises 45 m (150 ft) above the surrounding plains. The center of the crater is filled with 210-240 m (700-800 ft) of rubble lying above crater bedrock.

The crater was created about 50,000 years ago The object that excavated the crater was a nickel-iron meteorite about 50 meters (54 yards) across, which impacted the plain at a speed of several kilometers per second.

The meteor hit the ground at an 80 degree angle from the north or northeast and it is theorized that the bulk of the remaining unvaporized 150,000 tons of the meteorite is under the crater's south rim which shows signs of uplift. The last major mining effort to recover the meteorite in that area was abandoned in 1929.

The impact produced a massive explosion equivalent to at least 2.5 megatons of TNT – equivalent to a large thermonuclear explosion and about 150 times the yield of the atomic bombs used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The explosion dug out 175 million tons of rock.

The shock of impact propagated as a hemispherical shock wave that blasted the rock down and outward from the point of impact, forming the crater. Much more impact energy, equivalent to an estimated 6.5 megatons, was released into the atmosphere and generated a devastating above-ground shockwave.

much more

Chicken Point

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:18:18 -0700

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Explore #142

BIGGER is better ... I hear

The view from Chicken Point, along the Broken Arrow Trail in Sedona, AZ.

6-exposure HDR (+/-2EV), generated and tone mapped in DPHDR then blended with the -1EV file in CS4 (to sort out the sky) with final post processing from there.

Note that the rock formations to my right (right of frame) completely shrouded the sun -- which was on the other side -- and they were 100% shaded (camera side was completely in the shadows). I look forward to returning at sunrise to get shots with the sun on the rock face.

Picture in Picture ...

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:11:01 -0700

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Explore #49

View of San Francisco Peaks (Flagstaff, AZ) from the Meteor Crater observatory building.

Skies of fury II

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 07:42:49 -0700

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

B I G G E R really is better

Alternative composition to the previous shot in my stream, taken slightly earlier ... thus slightly more muted (less rich/saturated) colors.

As with the other ... circular polarizer + 0.6ND soft grad filter; 3-exposures digitally blended (manually) and processed in CS3

Fire in the sky ...

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 06:42:56 -0700

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Explore front page, #11

click L to see bigger, better version on black

Taken at Wild Horse Pass Resort in Arizona, just south of the Phoenix Metro Area. The mountains visible on the horizon are the Estrellas.

Circular polarizer + 0.6ND soft grad ND filter; 3-exposures digitally blended (manually) in CS3.

Speed of light ...

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:13:52 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Explore #23

Must be viewed large to appreciate

Phoenix Metro Light Rail passing over Tempe Town Lake.

This is the same bridge as the previous shot in my stream, taken from the opposite (east) side; you can just see the old Union Pacific rail bridge in the shadows to its left. Note the colors have changed, as they modify the lighting program after it's formally dark. Up and through dusk they have green and purple lights "run" up and down the bridge, fading in and out. After dark they transition to a rainbow effect (seen here).

Digital blend of 3 different exposures done manually (masks) in CS3: a main exposure, one for the light along the bridge and one for the water.

EXIF: f/11, ISO 400, shutter speeds between 5.0sec (under-bridge lighting) to 25.0sec (main exposure and water)

Opposites ...

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:50:24 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Explore #2

Coexistence of past and present ... old and new ... dark and light ... coal and electric ... left and right ...

Definitely better bigger and on black

Tempe Town Lake. The bridge on the right is part of the new Phoenix Metro Light Rail system and spans 1530-feet. The bridge on the left is the historic Union Pacific steel truss bridge constructed in 1912 (and still active today).

This is a digital blend of 3 exposures done manually (masks) in CS3; a main exposure with passing light rail overhead, another for the light under the light rail bridge and a third for the silky smooth water.

Early morning service ...

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 06:55:12 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Explore #283

This is the Elvis Presley Chapel, a movie memorabilia museum showing the movies that were filmed at Apacheland -- an area east of Phoenix near the Superstition Springs Mountains, seen here in the background -- and serving as an active wedding chapel.

7-exposure HDR (-2EV to +4EV), processed and tonemapped in dphdr with final edits in CS3. It was almost pitch black when I arrived and within 15 minutes it was totally light out; amazing how fast the sun rises.

I've two disappointments with this shot:

1) I'd wanted to get there early enough to capture star trails in the sky, with just a hint of deep blue from the approaching sun, and ...

2) that I didn't position the camera more to my left so the bell tower would have more depth/dimension. When I first set up and took a test exposure of 10 minutes to see how adversely the increasing light levels would effect me, I was in a much better spot. I was going to just pack up and head home out of frustration, then decided to stay and see what I could make out of the sunrise (this shot, for which I'd changed positions). I will be back, later this week and much earlier than my 5:45am arrival for this shot. :)

This is not a mirage ...

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:08:08 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Explore #44 ... BIGGER is definitely better

Yes, this really is in the desert. And, yes, that's what passes for a city skyline out here, with those being about as "high rise" as you'll see (okay, so there are taller buildings in downtown Phoenix ... but not by much). :)

Tempe Town Lake (Arizona) just after sunset, shot from the north side toward downtown Tempe.

6-exposure HDR (-2EV to +3EV), processed and tone mapped in dphdr (Human Eye mode) with final processing in CS3.

EXIF: f/16, ISO 200, shutter speeds between 2.5sec and 30sec

Who says the desert lacks color? [HDR]

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:13:11 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

3 exposure HDR (+/- 2EV) processed and tone mapped in dphdr with final processing in PS CS3.

After shooting that abandoned couch, I turned the camera on my truck for a couple quick snaps before the sun was gone.

Worst seat in the house [HDR]

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:27:34 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Explore #79

better bigger

Sofa found dumped in the desert.

5-exposures (+/- 2 stops) HDR processed and tone mapped in dphdr then final processing in PS CS3.

Catching the Metro ...

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:24:40 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Explore #217

Early morning shot of Phoenix light rail

Guardians of the desert [HDR] ...

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:48:53 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Meant to be "Ansel Adams-like."

As commented on the other, this is a 3-exposure HDR to ensure wide tonal range (mostly to retain shadow detail). RAW files were converted to TIFs in ACR (only tweak being consistent WB), HDR blended and tone mapped in dpHDR, then back to CS3 for final post processing.

B&W conversion was done using a number of adjustment layers including B&W, Saturation, and Curves. I did not employ Gorman's technique, although it does have a bit of that feel (very high contrast, with dark darks and bright brights). This one was actually done entirely in RGB mode, not LAB with High Pass as it might appear. Finished with localized dodge/burn.

Note: Depending on the quality/calibration of your LCD this might look a bit dark, with muddy shadows and contrast creating slightly "hot" highlights. If your display can resolve a wide tonal range then you should see good detail in the shadows and no clipping.

Majestic

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:40:57 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Explore #41 (thanks all)

Saguaros set against the Superstition Mountains in AZ (east of the Phoenix metro area). Treatment intended to be Ansel Adams-like.

Daily Dose of Vitamin D ...

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:00:33 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Self portrait, taken early 2007 (I think), pulled from the archives to use as an editorial image for an international school magazine here in the UK on the importance of the sun as relates to Vitamin D, since they don't add it to milk (et al) as in the US.

Set up was simple: camera on tripod tethered to a laptop, so I could see from in front of the camera what it was seeing through the lens. Remote triggered in timer mode with lots of trial and error. :)

f/10.0 | 1/4000 sec | ISO 100 | tripod mounted

Sundown ...

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:27:40 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

It's fun to revisit photos, to see how you see things differently when looking at images with fresh eyes several months from the time they were shot. How you envision the processing now versus when taken. How you prefer a different image today from among the 50 taken of a particular scene to the one(s) you liked then. This is one of those.

Digital blend of two f/16 exposures: 1/13sec from the ground up and 5sec for the water. Shot with cirpol and 0.6ND soft grad.

Driving at night ...

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 07:01:44 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Another one from the archive, this was shot at around 11pm, with only the moon as a source of light.

Exposure is just over 1 minute (66sec) at f/8 and ISO 400. I bumped the ISO to ensure good exposure without using bulb mode since my remote wasn't working.

Taken on what I think is the 15th hole on Whirlwind Golf Course at Wild Horse Pass in Arizona, just SW of the Pheonix metro area. It was *pitch black* that night so I've no idea where I was exactly on the course. In fact, I couldn't see the flag's shadow and didn't even know it was there until going through the images in post.

Disco in the Desert at Dusk [HDR]

nobody@flickr.com (Rob Overcash Photography) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 07:55:15 -0800

Rob Overcash Photography posted a photo:

Explore #20

Went out to shoot the sunset recently, because we had a few clouds overhead (which is considered a weather event here in AZ!) and those usually make for nice, vibrant skies at dusk. Looking for a spot to set up I came across this cactus, which appeared to be in a disco pose à la John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever (or whatever). So I decided to throw on the 12-24 and capture the saguaro impressionist.

Because I didn't think a silhouette would show the cactus doing its best Bee Gees move, and I didn't have adequate lighting to illuminate while shooting directly into the sunset taking place in the background, I went with HDR.

This is a 7-exposure HDR ranging from -2EV to +4EV. I needed the extra stops over to get enough light and detail on the shady side of the cactus; going to -3EV went nearly black so 2 stops were enough. Blended and tone mapped in Photomatix Pro 3 then further processed in CS3. A lot of work for what is essentially a snapshot (random find).