Last week I got my hands on a pre-release version of the new Topaz Clarity I've been having a lot of fun playing with this new software (a plug-in for Lightroom & Photoshop). As its name suggests, it boosts image clarity and brings out details that you may have not otherwise noticed.

To test it out I pulled out some photos from a trip I took to Venice in 2009. Its always great fun for a photo geek like me to reprocess old images. Its amazing how far technology has come in the last 3-4 years!

The image above is one of my all-time favorites from Venezia (Venice). I captured this image sitting in a butterfly position on the edge of the Grand Canal, near Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square). I LOVE the angle I captured - its unlike any other Venice photo I've seen (which is no small feat considering how many people photograph Venice each and every day)!

Now that you know a bit about this photo and why I love it, lets consider the processing.  The top image is the one that has been in my portfolio since 2009. I processed it in Lightroom, whatever the current version was at the time.

The bottom image was processed with today's technology - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 and Topaz Clarity  Right away I notice a few differences - the colors pop a bit more, and, thanks to Topaz Clarity  there is more detail in the clouds, water, and the reflections in the bottoms of the gondolas. I didn't do anything crazy with Topaz Detail, I simply applied the Landscape preset "Color & Contrast Boost II."

This software has several controls that you can use to increase or decrease the effect of the preset (or create your own preset). For most images a preset is a starting good point, but I liked what it did to this image and ran with it.

So, what do you think? Do you have a preference between the two images? I definitely like what Topaz Clarity can do and am looking forward to its official release tomorrow!

If you'd like to add Topaz Clarity to your toolbox it will be released May 22, 2013. It will retail for $49.99 but will be available at a special reduced price of $29.99 through May 31, 2013 with the promo code "claritynew".

Yesterday, as part of a product shoot for a client, I was able to capture a few pictures of beautiful Godetia - lovely flowers that come in shades of red, orange, and pink. As I was messing around with the focus ring on my lens I rolled the barrel in the opposite direction and was captivated by the effect. It turned my image into something like an impressionist painting. Its not my usual style, but I thought I'd share it with you anyway.

Sometimes it feels good just to play, to see what my camera can do outside of its (and my) usual routine. What do you think of the results? This image was captured with an Induro AKB1 Tripod mounted Canon EOS 7D and Canon 60mm Lens. Minimal processing was done in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 and the border was added in Nik Color Efex Pro 4.

Have a great weekend! Don't forget to call your mom and/or give her a hug if she lives nearby!

Just a quick post to wish you a good week. Its raining in my neck of the woods, but I love it! I hope you have a bright and sunny day wherever you are, even if the sunshine is only your state of mind!

This photo was captured with an Induro AKB1 Tripod mounted Canon EOS 7D and Canon 60mm Lens set at 0.3 seconds at f/11, ISO 100. The Calla Lillies pictured above are from one of my commercial photography clients, J.R. Organics Farm. See more photos of these beautiful, graceful Calla Lillies here.

When you capture a photo, especially a wide-angle, take a good look at it.  Zoom in once you load it on your computer...chances are your camera caught something that you didn't realize was there.

The details that my camera captures constantly amaze me.  Sometimes its a rotten surprise, someone or something that you didn't want in your otherwise beautiful image.  Other times, a zoomed in glance shows wonderful things...like Hearst Castle and a flashback to great childhood memories. :)

Let me explain: the photo below was taken a couple of weeks ago while my mom and I were camping in San Simeon. It had been a foggy, but fun morning.  Mom & I had driven nearly up to Big Sur and back, stopping to photograph whenever the mood struck. As we were heading south, at around 2pm, we pulled into the Piedras Blancas beach lookout. The fog was FINALLY starting to lift and it was gorgeous!

I took a path out to a lookout point out on the rocks and looked back toward the beach. I set up my tripod and took this long-exposure photo (30 seconds at f/10, ISO 100, 50mm). 

At first glance I knew I liked this photo, the colors popped out at me, especially the turquoise cotton candy-like water; but it wasn't until I got home and started editing that I noticed a few things. In the upper left there is a building on the hillside barely visible in the haze of the lifting fog.  I zoomed in and noticed it was Hearst Castle!

As I continued to examine the photo I also noticed a big drainage pipe on the beach on the right hand side. Now, you may think that isn't important, or maybe it even detracts from the photo, but for me it was a "ah-ha!" moment.

When I was a kid my parents would tow our camping trailer up the coast on the weekends. We'd find a lovely spot and set up camp. Piedras Blancas was OUR beach. We'd spend the weekend playing in the sand and splashing in the waves if it wasn't too cold and fall asleep at night to the sound of crashing waves. It was heaven.

One of the things we explored while camping here was the drainage pipe (shown above).This pipe runs underneath Highway 1 and is quite large.  We would use it to cross underneath the highway to go for walks in the open land on the other side. The pipe was dark and scary, but it opened up to a new and beautiful place. It was kind of a portal for adventure!

You can see why this beach holds a special place in my heart, and how an ugly, old drainage pipe can spark great memories! I was really excited to see it when I zoomed in on this photo. This place has changed a lot since I was a kid. There were no lookout points with fences and paths, just a bluff with a trail down to the beach here and there. There were no elephant seals and only occasionally did we share our beach with other campers. Thinking back on the times my family spent at this beach makes me smile.

Sometimes it pays to explore your photos, look closely - you never know what you'll find!

Have a wonder-filled day!

Something beautiful to start your week:

"Science only adds to the mystery, wonder, and beauty of a flower." ~Richard Feynman

This photo of a California Poppy was captured at the Cambria Nursery during a macro photography seminar from High Sierra Workshops. It was shot hand-held with a Canon EOS 7D and Canon 60mm Lens at 1/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100. Processing was done in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, and Adobe Photoshop CS6.

Have a wonder-filled week!

A couple of weeks ago I shared a fun infographic on Facebook about what your Instagram filter choice says about you. Its a fun piece (check it out here), and it got me thinking about a conversation I had with a customer at an art show last year - is the easy access to photo editing tools like Instagram (which make a photo of just about anything look pretty cool) ruining the art of photography?

The gentleman I spoke to last year had very strong views on this issue and conveyed that it was far too easy for anyone to go make a piece of "art" with a smart phone and that it was taking something away from serious artists. While I agree that just having an iPhone and Instagram doesn't make someone an artist, neither does having a fancy DSLR and Photoshop.

Serious "art" aside, I think tools like Smart Phones, Instagram, and a host of other photo editing apps have done something far more important: we - you and me - are creating an unprecedented visual history of our generation. Anthropologists and archeologists of future generations will look back on the photos we made to get an idea of what life was like.

Previous generations recorded life on stone walls, papyrus scrolls, handwritten books, the printing press, photographs, moving pictures, etc. Now, with the digital age, we all have access to such amazing technology! We are able to easily record all the events of each day. We share on Facebook, Twitter, and all manner of social media what we ate, where we spent our money, and what we are doing for recreation - the amount of content we are generating for future historians is incredible!

So, do I think that smart phones and photo apps are ruining art? Absolutely not! There are still going be people who create pieces that tell a story, or evoke an emotion - they are the artists, regardless of the medium. It could be a canvas & pastels, a woodcarving, or a photograph from a smart phone OR several thousand dollar DSLR. The creator of the work could have spent two minutes or two years creating it. But if it tells a story, makes you think, or makes you feel something, does it matter how it was created?

And yes, maybe now there are more of us artists, but is that really a bad thing? Countless studies have shown the importance of the arts in schools, how those who are involved in art, music, etc. are often the critical thinkers and more well-rounded individuals in our society. I believe having a creative outlet as an adult is no less important and keeps our minds from stagnating.

My iPhone and photo apps (including Instagram) is just one way I stay creative throughout the day, even when I don't have my DSLR with me or don't have time to pull out my crafting supplies. It keeps my mind nimble, and more importantly the creative outlet keeps me sane.

What do you think? Instagram - love it or hate it?

Frogs always surprise me. Not in the "jump unexpectedly" kind of way (although that isn't outside of the realm of possibility), but in how photogenic they are. Frogs can be seriously adorable! And I'm not a fan of critters in general.

A couple of weeks ago while I was attending the Workshop Summit by High Sierra Workshops, I got to attend a Macro presentation. Toward the end of the presentation they brought out a Red-Eyed Tree Frog and invited the class to take turns photographing it.

What a cool frog!! His colors are amazing! Here are a few of my favorites - and be sure to scroll down to the end for a "before & after" of this first photo - you'll see why I cropped it. :)

This one may not fall into the "cute" category...but it certainly is cool! His eyes are amazing (and a little creepy)!

And, as promised - here is a before & after of the first image in this post:

Now you see why I had to crop it :) - I was shooting with a bunch of other crazy photographers, all pushing and shoving to get THE shot! Everyone was {mostly} good natured and decent about taking a turn and then making room for someone else.  I call that "workshop etiquette", but that is a whole new topic for a different blog post.

If you liked today's post you may enjoy this post from my old blog with photos from another macro workshop I attended a couple of years ago.

Until next time, my awesome loyal readers, have a wonder-filled day {afternoon/evening/whatever}!!!

Friday night I was scrambling to submit my entries to the San Deigo County Fair Exhibition of Photography before the 11:59PM deadline. It had been a hectic week...why should my Friday evening be any different?

At around a quarter to ten I hit a tech glitch in their system. I paid for four entries, but was only able to upload three of them! I was on the phone with them several times on Saturday, and then played phone tag on Monday, but at least they are working on it.  I am assured that my 4th entry will be submitted. Whew!

So, here they are:

Through the Arches (Balboa Park, San Diego, CA)

Behind The Prado (Balboa Park, San Diego, CA)

Well Played (Vintage Baldwin piano in the atrium of the Embassy Suites Hotel, San Luis Obispo, CA)

Deceptive Swell (William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach, San Simeon, CA)

What do you think? I'd love to hear some feedback on these pieces.

Wish me luck! I'll find out if I made it past the first round of judging by May 1. Until then I wait with my fingers crossed!