Richard Lionberger Photography: Blog https://www.rllphoto.com/blog en-us (C) 2023 Richard L. Lionberger rlionberger@gmail.com (Richard Lionberger Photography) Sun, 12 Feb 2023 21:15:00 GMT Sun, 12 Feb 2023 21:15:00 GMT https://www.rllphoto.com/img/s/v-12/u136196513-o128280348-50.jpg Richard Lionberger Photography: Blog https://www.rllphoto.com/blog 120 103 A Walk in the Forest - Triptych https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2023/2/a-walk-in-the-forest---triptych This is a Triptych consisting of a series of three images of the forest, all taken on the same day during a hike.

I'm pursuing mini-projects in connection with a workshop that I'll be participating in with Alain Briot in a few weeks. As he has pointed out, often we get bogged down and don't complete projects because they just get too time consuming, especially for a recovering perfectionist. In contrast  I finished this mini-project in about one and a half hours from beginning editing the images to completion and publication here. Just getting the project finished gives a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.

A walk in the forest reveals so many forms, shapes, textures and feelings. To me these images are representative of those.

Trees 1-1Trees 1-1 Trees 1-2Trees 1-2 Trees 1-3Trees 1-3
 

The images may now be found on the website in the Mini-Series titled Trees 1. 

https://www.rllphoto.com/p498816434
 

]]>
rlionberger@gmail.com (Richard Lionberger Photography) b&w black and white forest trees trees in forest triptych https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2023/2/a-walk-in-the-forest---triptych Fri, 10 Feb 2023 19:03:54 GMT
Urbane II - Toronto Skyline https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2022/10/urbane-ii---toronto-skyline Urbane II Toronto Skyline with CN Tower and Rogers CentreUrbane IIToronto Skyline with the prominent CN Tower This is a long exposure image of the Toronto Skyline that I made during the September 2022 Julia Anna Gospodarou juliaannagospodarou.com
workshop in Toronto. As I hope you can see from the image, the workshop was worthwhile. I learned many new and useful techniques from Julia - and would not have been able to process this image to this final result without Julia's mentoring. I call the image Urbane II. Urbane I was a similar image that I ended up discarding and starting over with this one. 

The image features the prominent CN Tower, which is iconic landmark in Toronto, as well as the Rogers Centre just to the left of the CN Tower.

The exposure was 3 minutes and 46 seconds at ISO100 and f8 using a Nikon Z6II with a 28-75mm 2.8 lens at 45mm.

A long exposure was necessary because there were many water taxis going back and forth from the island where I was located to downtown Toronto. The exposure was long enough and the water taxis were going fast enough that they weren't in one location long enough to register in the image.  

]]>
rlionberger@gmail.com (Richard Lionberger Photography) B&W black and white CN fine art photography long exposure moody no people Skyline Toronto Tower https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2022/10/urbane-ii---toronto-skyline Fri, 28 Oct 2022 01:54:12 GMT
Portland Head Light https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2022/9/portland-head-light Portland Head Light Ocean view at Portland Head Light in Portland Maine in evening light. This long exposure ocean view includes the Portland Head Light at Portland Maine, which I understand is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world. The sun was setting behind me over my right shoulder. There was intermittent cloud cover and the clouds were moving right to left at a moderate speed. The lighthouse is located in a park where there are several good vantage points for photographing it. The original of this photo and a couple of others are included below. 

The intent is to present the vastness of the sea and the dichotomy of the apparent tranquility and calm to the danger of the sea as represented by the lighthouse to help keep ships off of the rocks.

Following is info about the exposure:

Date: July 16, 2022

Time: 6:21pm

Subject: Portland Head Light

Camera angle (vertical axis): level

Camera angle (horizontal axis): level

Distance to subject: about 600 feet

Weather: Partially cloudy

Blue sky/clouds ratio: 40/60

Cloud Speed: Medium

Filters:  17 stops ND filters ( polarizer + 15 stop Lee stacked) 

Lens Type: Moderate Wide Angle

Aperture: f/8

ISO:  250

Focal Length:  28 mm

Exposure: 234 sec = 3 min: 54sec

Post processing involved mostly dodging and burning to emphasize particular areas.

________

 

This is the original photo:

 

20220716-02708220220716-027082 Here are two other views of the lighthouse:

20220716-027075-Edit20220716-027075-Edit 20220716-027030-Edit20220716-027030-Edit

]]>
rlionberger@gmail.com (Richard Lionberger Photography) B&W black and white calm fine art fine art photography lighthouse no people ocean shoals smooth water tranquil https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2022/9/portland-head-light Fri, 09 Sep 2022 16:27:31 GMT
Silky Flow and Stone https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2022/9/silky-flow-and-stone Silky Flow and StoneSilky Flow and StoneBig Thompson River - Rocky Mountain National Park This is the Big Thompson River in Rocky Mountain National Park during Spring runoff in May 2022. It is my first reasonably successful long exposure photo using a neutral density filter.

I think the image presents the dichotomy of smooth and silky flow through and around hard, fixed, stone boulders. Maybe it's a metaphor for life.

The exposure details were as follows:

Date: May 14, 2022 
Time: 10:30 am
Subject: Big Thompson River Rapids
Camera Angle: tilted down
Distance to Subject: 6 to 10 feet
Weather: Partly cloudy (sun behind cloud)
Speed of Water Flow: rapid
Filters: Lee 10 stop Big Stopper
Lens Type: Wide Angle
Aperture: f22
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 24mm
Exposure: 54 seconds

I had been hiking to Emerald Lake earlier in the morning and was driving home when I saw this scene beside the road. The most tricky part of getting the image was managing to set up my tripod and camera on one of these boulders in the middle of the river without falling in. To do that I had to first climb through a barricade and then step or jump from boulder to boulder in the river. In my defense, I was not the first or only person doing that on this day, although I was probably the oldest (by about 40 years). Installing the Lee Big Stopper without dropping it was also a challenge while balancing on a boulder.

One thing that attracted me to this scene was that there weren't any large logs or other significant debris in the river. It seems that there usually is.

Putting aside for a moment the questionable judgment of even trying to get in position for the shot, there were a lot of mistakes during the exposure. On the first attempt I forgot to set the camera on Manual and Bulb. Also, I used the smallest aperture of f22. Now I know that it would be preferable to use a mid range aperture such as f8. In addition, this was using a DSLR before I switched to mirrorless, and I forgot to close the viewfinder. There was a serious magenta cast in the original that looks like it might have been from a light leak. I was able to remove the magenta cast in the conversion to black and white.

Here is the original image.

20220514-02670220220514-026702 All in all, I think the image turned out well, and I'm pleased with it. Since taking this photo I've switched to Formatt-Hitech IRND filters.

]]>
rlionberger@gmail.com (Richard Lionberger Photography) b&w black and white boulders fine art fine art photography life metaphor long exposure monotone moody no people rapids river silky smooth https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2022/9/silky-flow-and-stone Wed, 07 Sep 2022 13:54:30 GMT
Cypress Passage https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2020/12/cypress-passage Marsh KayakingMarsh Kayaking This photo was recently awarded first place in the black and white category 2020 Best of the Best Competition at the Aurora Society of Photographers in Aurora Colorado. The judge for the competition was Russ Burden http://www.russburdenphotography.com

I took the photo in October 2012 at Caddo Lake near Jefferson Texas. In looking through old photos for images to possibly submit in the club's competition I happened on it and realized that I hadn't previously submitted it in a competition.
 

]]>
rlionberger@gmail.com (Richard Lionberger Photography) b&w black and white cypress kayak lake people https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2020/12/cypress-passage Thu, 10 Dec 2020 21:35:55 GMT
Foggy Morning at Sprague Lake https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2018/10/foggy-morning-at-sprague-lake Fog Lifting Over Sprague LakeFog Lifting Over Sprague Lake

 

This image was awarded an honorary mention in the Club Scenic category at the Mile High Wildlife Photography Club on October 16, 2018. The image was made at Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The image also was awarded First Place in the Photography category of the 2019 Denver Bar Association Docket Art Contest.

 

]]>
rlionberger@gmail.com (Richard Lionberger Photography) black and white landscape moody sprague lake https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2018/10/foggy-morning-at-sprague-lake Wed, 17 Oct 2018 22:58:05 GMT
New Post - Evening in the Mountains https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2018/10/new-post---evening-in-the-mountains SunraysSunrays

This image was awarded 2nd place in the Club Scenery Competition at the Mile High Wildlife Club on October 16, 2018. 

It's an image shot looking West from Mt. Evans on an August evening. The image was made using the HDR technique, converted to black and white and toned.

]]>
rlionberger@gmail.com (Richard Lionberger Photography) b&w black and white moody mountains sun rays https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2018/10/new-post---evening-in-the-mountains Wed, 17 Oct 2018 22:52:48 GMT
Donnie J https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2016/2/donnie-j

]]>
rlionberger@gmail.com (Richard Lionberger Photography) B&W and black boat harbor no people pelicans port shrimp white https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2016/2/donnie-j Tue, 02 Feb 2016 02:19:56 GMT
Grand Mosque Domes https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2016/1/grand-mosque-domes A black and white treatment of the domes at the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

Grand MosqueGrand MosqueGrand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

]]>
rlionberger@gmail.com (Richard Lionberger Photography) B&W and black domes mosque white https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2016/1/grand-mosque-domes Sun, 17 Jan 2016 15:23:11 GMT
White Sands Stormy https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2015/11/white-sands-stormy Stormy skies at White Sands National Monument on a photo expedition a few years ago with daughter Janet (shown).

White Sands StormyWhite Sands StormyWhite Sands National Monument, New Mexico

]]>
rlionberger@gmail.com (Richard Lionberger Photography) 1 Desert Dry Dune Sand Storm alone arid climate b barren black and white black white bw deserts dunes empty individual one person silhouette silhouettes single solo storms stormy vertical verticals w white sands national monument https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2015/11/white-sands-stormy Sun, 29 Nov 2015 15:54:47 GMT
Welcome https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2015/6/welcome Welcome to my new and updated website. This is my first blog entry. I hope to add a blog entry each time new photos are uploaded to the website and when I see other photos and websites that may be of interest.

]]>
rlionberger@gmail.com (Richard Lionberger Photography) fine art photography fine art photos nature photography rll photo rll photography website https://www.rllphoto.com/blog/2015/6/welcome Sun, 07 Jun 2015 14:34:12 GMT