The beauty of winter
We have had more than our fair share of snow here in New England and everyone is getting quite tired of digging out after the weekly snow storm. The most recent one was two days ago. This morning I got up early in the hope to catch some nice light after this past snowfall. I did not get disappointed. Morning fog lingered over the field, bathed in beautiful warm light. Moments like these let me forget about the cold and make my heart beat just a bit faster.
Nik Software
One of my New Year’s resolutions has been to work on my image processing skills, something that can still use a lot of improvement. Last year I took advantage of a discount to purchase the Nik Software Complete Edition. At first I was quite reluctant. I have been using Lightroom for most of my work and was wondering if I really need another software program. But I had heard quite a bit of good news about Nik, especially the Silver Efex Pro, that I finally decided to give it a try. At that time a free upgrade to HDR Efex was also available and I already posted my experience with it here. Lately I have been taking some of the free webinars Nik is offering and started working on some of my images again. All I can say is that I am absolutely kicking myself for not using their software earlier. I still have quite a bit to learn, but it is easy to use and just some small adjustments with Viveza 2 made quite a difference in my images. The U-point technology is great and saves a lot of time and headaches. The only downside is, that I am now sifting through my images again to see what I can do with them in Nik 🙂
So, in case you were pondering whether or not you should get it, all I can say is that I highly recommend it. They will also be releasing a new version of Nik Silver Efex Pro in February and from what I have seen in the webinar it looks great. I will certainly upgrade to it.
Kenya exhibit
I am very excited about my upcoming Kenya exhibit (and I admit a bit nervous too)! If you are in the area, I would love to invite you to attend the opening on March 3rd. The exhibit will be on display for the month of March. A portion of any sale will be donated to Give International to help fund projects in Kenya.
Puppy photography
I work with dogs several days a week and when this 9 week old Samoyed puppy walked in, I just knew I had to photograph it. Fortunately for me, it was just the best model anyone could wish for. It patiently laid down on the couch while I was taking pictures. What more can you ask for? It just does not get much cuter. (You can click on the image to see a larger version)
January Desktop wallpaper
A year ago I was getting ready for an amazing trip to Kenya. It was an incredible experience which was enhanced by wonderful travel companions. I took this picture on our last day in the Masai Mara. A storm was approaching in the distance and the sky just looked incredible. Someone mentioned this would make a nice desktop wallpaper, so I thought I would share it with you this month. It is available in two different sizes: 1024 x 768 and 1280 x 800 (wide).
Oh right, in case you are interested in a last-minute trip, rumor has it there are still 2 spots available for this year – wish I could go! More information here.
December desktop wallpaper
This is my first attempt at sharing a desktop wallpaper calendar with you, so I hope it works. It is available in two different sizes 1280 (wide) and 1024 .
This image was taken on Crescent island during my safari to Kenya in January 2010. I hope you will enjoy it!
The gift of photography
In a recent blog post by Jay Goodrich he asked “why do you photograph”? (you can read his post here) My answer to that was that I love being out in nature and photography has taught me to enjoy the natural beauty around me even more. I also enjoy the fact that it brings together like-minded people. But the “why” goes back a lot further, to my 15th birthday to be exact, when my father decided to give me a Minolta SLR. I had not asked for it, it was his decision. My family liked traveling and hiking and my father always enjoyed photographing our outings. He probably thought I would like it also and he was right. The camera went everywhere we traveled. I did not switch to digital until about 7 years ago, when some mishap during a return trip from Spain ruined most of my film. At that time DSLR’s were still way out of my price range and I decided to purchase a Panasonic Lumix with 5 mp, which at that time was great! But it was a point-and-shoot, and even so it was a pretty sophisticated point-and-shoot, it was not like working with a SLR camera. I became a bit frustrated. A couple of years later I stumbled across Art Wolfe’s “Travels to the Edge” and my passion for photography got a renewed boost. I remembered just how much I enjoyed being outside, photographing and traveling. DSLR’s finally were in an acceptable price range and I purchased my first one – a Canon Rebel. Finally a SLR again! Since then there has been no stopping me. Being fortunate enough to participate in two workshops with Art Wolfe has taught me to see the world around me with new eyes. I used to photograph because I liked to travel. Now I travel because I love to photograph. The image above was taken on Second Beach on the Olympic Peninsula. I was the only person on the beach at that time. It was an absolutely incredible experience to be on this beach by myself without any sign of civilization. Just stunning nature around me. I don’t think I would have been there had it not been for my love for photography. Yes, I might have visited this beach, but maybe not remained there to see the final glimpses of light. A camera is a great gift you can give someone, even if it is just a point-and-shoot. They will start to explore, examine and you never know what it might lead to.
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! As you can see, the local squirrel population is also celebrating.
Myrtle Falls
I took this image of Myrtle falls in Mt. Rainier National Park beginning of August. This waterfall is often photographed with Mt. Rainier in the background. It was a slightly overcast and hazy day and the view of Mt. Rainier was rather unattractive, so I chose to concentrate on the waterfall itself.
Nik HDR Efex Pro
I recently purchased the complete edition of the Nik Software which also included their new Nik HDR Efex Pro. On my visit to Mr. Rainier the beginning of August I had made three different exposures of this image at Reflection Lake. The perfect opportunity to give this software a try. I have never used any HDR software before but I must say that this one seemed very easy to use and yields a very realistic image.
Beate Dalbec's Blog 
