Nick Dibernardo Photography

Topez & County Park

2011-05-19T19:21:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone, first of all I'd like to apologize for the lack of post. It's not that I'm not shooting it's that when you combine work, full time student and fatherhood it makes for a busy life. Well I'm on a trial with Topez's new LensF/X. I sampled one of there blur settings with this old image of the bridge at Lancaster County Park.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

The Little Things, Hibiscus stem

2011-04-02T13:26:00.002-04:00

One of the reasons why I like shooting flowers is that each flower is different in it's design when it's budding. This makes for numerous macro opportunities. This image I kept a real narrow depth-of-field, f-8, the only part I wanted sharp were the five red pollen dots. Since the blossom is just starting the best part is the pollen stem.

Enjoy

Nick

The Little Things, Aquilegia Blue-White

2011-03-29T17:57:00.002-04:00

Here's another macro image from this weekend. Once a again it's a nice clean sharp image with no background distractions. A simple subject like this becomes spectacular with a clean background.

Enjoy

Nick

The Little Things, Anome

2011-03-27T14:51:00.002-04:00

Saturday I was working some flora macro shooting. One of the keys that I keep in mind is having a non-destracting background. To acheive this all about controlling your depth of field. I did this by keeping my aperature at f-16. The background is blurred and while processing the lighting levels I darkend further enhancing the subject.

Enjoy

Nick

Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T13:14:00.001-05:00

Hello Everyone,

I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thank you for all of your support.

Nick

The Little Things, African Violet

2010-12-14T17:38:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone

As a photographer and in any business it's important to have goals. Sometimes the accomplishment can be monetary value

or a confidence booster. One of my goals for this coming year is that I want to increase my floral/macro collection. I came up with the name 'The Little Things,' to ensure the focus is on macro images. Here on this African Violet I used a small depth of field, low f-stop, to blur the background. Background control is very important with a close up shot like this, also I used a little Topez Buzz.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Gone fishing

2010-12-10T19:06:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone

Here's another image from the small mountain stream near Worlds End State Park. While capturing the whole falls and stream a fisherman aka my father in law came in to cast a couple of times for some native trout. This image is all about being in the right place at the right time. The hardest part was getting him to get into the shot.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Standing Guard

2010-12-05T08:19:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone,

These rock formations are along the Loyalsok creek by the entrance to Worlds End State Park. They mysteriously appeared during the Sullivan County bowhunters festival this past September.

Enjoy

Nick

Worlds End State Park

2010-12-01T06:58:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone, sorry for the delay in posts, it's been pretty busy around here. This past weekend I was up in Sullivan County and Worlds End State Park. This mountain stream is outside of the park. The water level on all of the creeks and streams was amazing.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

The Little Things

2010-09-24T13:08:00.002-04:00

Hello Everyone, while shooting a barn scene this summer. I happened to look into a grassy area by a fence pole. That's where I found this little guy. I was able to get a few shots off. He didn't seem to be in a rush to go anywhere.

Enjoy

Nick

Windmill & Barn

2010-09-22T13:27:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone, these past couple of week's I've been going over past images from the summer to see if there is anything I missed. This shot came from an outing with Ed Heaton around Strasburg. We both processed our images in B&W. I feel that it gives a look from a different century. A time in place where things moved a little slower.

I also want to give a thank you to all my viewers of this blog. I never realised how many view's I've been getting till I checked out the stats to this page. Thank you and your comments are always appreciated.

Hope enjoy

Nick

Kelly's Run

2010-09-18T17:19:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I hiked parts of Kelly's Run nature preserve near Holtwood. Part of the plan was to scout out area's to shoot for fall color's the other part was to see how low the is the water. Now we've had a hot and dry summer so I knew the water levels would be low, but I didn't think they would be that low. This scene was hidden between a couple of boulders and it was the only 'white' water I could find. This gorge has nice tumbling water down a gorge and if it isn't for the steep hike in and out I'd shoot more often. Hopefully we can get about 3-4 inches of good soaking ran so these creek's can fill up again. Enjoy

Nick

Hot Air Ballon

2010-08-30T16:11:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone,

This is the first image of a couple of Hot Air Balloon image's from Sunday. Ed Harding & I spent about 45 minutes stalking this ballon. At first it was to far, then the light was bad, or a distracting background. Finally we reached a spot were the balloon seemed to stand still for a minute while low to the ground. Giving us ample time to shot off a couple of images. One of the amusing things about this is about 10 Amish buggies went by and neither of us took a shot at them.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Warm Light on Farm

2010-08-29T13:13:00.002-04:00

This morning I met up friend & photographer for a sunrise. Like a couple of days ago there was no cloud in the sky and a little bit of mist. This shot here is a 5shot HDR image. I used Topez Simplify to enhance the warm light and mist.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

First light on the Railroad

2010-08-28T11:15:00.002-04:00

Here's another image from yesterday morning. We met at the Strasburg railroad. The light from the day was just starting to light up the tracks. Also I liked the silhouette of the water tank.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Country Sunrise

2010-08-27T13:10:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone, this morning I met up with Ed Heaton and did some farm shooting in Lancaster County. There was some area's of fog out all in all with the cool temperatures it made a nice day out. This shot was taken just as the sun was coming up over the horizon. I wished the hot air balloon was a little closer but I felt it added a little bit to what already is a nice scene.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Reflections

2010-07-28T10:12:00.002-04:00

Hello Everyone, here's an image taken from a recent trip to Longwood. One of the things I looked for when shooting the water lilies are reflections. To better promote the subject. Also simplicity, there is nothing that takes your eye away from the subject.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Longwood #2

2010-07-17T13:51:00.002-04:00

Another image from Longwood Gardens. I drifted away from the water lilies for a bit. I wasn't to happy with allot of the blossoms. Because of the direct sun and high temps. the blossoms were not very good. I did mess around with this group of cone flowers for a bit though

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Waterliley

2010-07-16T21:56:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone, I met up with some friends at Longwood Gardens the other day. It was a good time catching up with some that I haven't seen in a while and meeting some new people. Here's my first image. I did alot of simple shots with a reflection this one seems to be one of my favorites.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Gladiola

2010-07-08T19:09:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone here's an image from some of the Gladiola's that are blooming in the backyard. I liked how all the pollen stems are standing together.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Red & Yellow

2010-07-06T10:36:00.003-04:00

With these hot temperatures that we are having I spent most of this weekend trying to keep cool. I made a couple of floral arrangements from the flowers in the backyard and shot them inside. The first one I used a little buzz for a painting effect. Really makes the colors pop. The second one I set up for a long exposure. I moved my lens in and out of focus for a soft type of look.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Black & White

2010-06-30T14:30:00.002-04:00

Every once and a while I'll shoot flowers in Black & White. I like the 'old school' feeling. Like it was taken back in the 1930s. But it was just today.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Fireworks #2

2010-06-26T14:48:00.002-04:00

Enjoy

Fireworks

2010-06-25T22:55:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone, every year on the Friday before the fourth of July Lancaster has fireworks downtown. This year I had a really good vantage point. Fireworks can sometimes be a little tricky but if you prepare enough a head of time it can go really smooth. The metadata on this image is a 30 second shutter at f-11.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Soft Stream

2010-06-25T12:34:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone, here's my quarterly shot of these falls in Tucquan Glen. I went down on Sunday with Ed Heaton for the Rhododendrons. We were too late and I'm not going to hike a mile and a half one way with camera equipment for nothing. I wanted to do things alittle different. I took a couple of steps back to concentrate more on the water, also I used my Tiffen soft f/x filter & applied a buzz during editing. Same scene that I've shot before just a few adjustments. I probably won't be back down there till peak fall foliage so I made most of my time.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Stand Together

2010-06-21T16:36:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone with a newborn in the house it's alittle more difficult to get out and shoot. I think that's why we have a garden. In between naps I did some macro work with the Lily's out back. Here I wanted a blurred background and the mouth of the flower blurred. So kept my Depth-of-Field so narrow that only the tips of the first couple of stems are in focus.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Winding Road #2

2010-06-09T18:24:00.002-04:00

I want to share this other image I took while scouting out some area's in Lancaster County. This was right before the amish buggy came barreling down behind me.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Skyline Sunset

2010-06-08T11:47:00.002-04:00

Last night I jumped up on my roof to capture the sun reflection in the Marriot as it set. This reflection will only last about a month and the clouds and sky have to be perfectly set up for it. The only problem I had was the wind. That's why all the tree's have a little blur to them.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Winding Road

2010-06-07T08:49:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my wife & I went out on a little scouting trip of some back roads in southeastern Lancaster County. We came up on top of this hill and both liked the view of the farm and hills around it. When we were wrapping up a amish buggy passed by us and I decided to take a quick one.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Dayliley #2

2010-06-03T18:43:00.001-04:00

Spent some this afternoon capturing some of the Daylilies in my wife's garden. I had some great late afternoon side light then back light.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Gulf Pelican

2010-06-03T13:05:00.002-04:00

I wanted to post this blog on account of what's going on in the Gulf of Mexico. Even through the oil is still leaking we will be losing alot of wildlife. Images of oil soaked Pelicans are very common now but we will rebound. I don't want to write a political blog. I just feel it's important to understand what we are losing.
Hope you enjoy
Nick

Tucquan Trail

2010-06-01T13:17:00.001-04:00

Here's another shot from my trip to Tucquan Glen last week. Like I said in an earlier post I spent most of my time shooting the tree's and the trial's. Here I think is a nice simple shot with plenty of patterns.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Tucquan Trees

2010-05-28T18:14:00.002-04:00

Today I made a scouting trip over to Tucquan Glen. The point of the trip was to check out the progress of the Rhododendrons. Unfortunately they were not yet blooming. I didn't take very many creek shots. But what I did do is spend time photographing the tree's. Have a great weekend

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Dayliley

2010-05-27T20:49:00.002-04:00

This evening I spent some time shooting my brand new Day liley blossom. I was tinkering around with different approaches that you can take with flower photography. This image I used a narrow DOF to blur the stems of the pollen at the same time I used a flash to highlight the water droplets on the leaves.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Walking in a Spider Web

2010-05-25T13:03:00.001-04:00

I've been spending time shooting this Spider Web in my backyard. I can only crouch down so much till my knee's get sore.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Rose experiment

2010-05-17T17:08:00.002-04:00

This morning I went out to capture some images of my Rose bush. I really wanted to get some creative close up of the leaves in sort of a pattern detail. I also wanted water droplets. One of the main problems I've come across with this bush is background control. As well as over saturated colors. While processing the image I used a gradient tool with selective color to keep the background dark without losing the detail in the blossom.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

First Light in the Rocks

2010-05-12T11:15:00.002-04:00

This is another image from the outing at Holtwood. I concentrated on shooting just the reflection in the rocks because 1 I wasn't sure how long this light would last. and 2 Ed Heaton was shooting a wider version and I wanted something different. I ran this through as a pseudo-HDR image to bring out the shadows then added a Topez buzz for the painterly/colorful effect.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

New Falls

2010-05-10T21:39:00.002-04:00

Sunday morning I got together with Ed Heaton for a sunrise shoot. Well the sunrise was a little bit of a washout. We did manage to venture up a familiar trail to both of us at Holtwood. This set falls are up stream from an area that I've shot many times. But this is the first at this spot.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

From the side

2010-05-07T12:59:00.003-04:00

With my backyard blossoming everyday, I'm really saving on gas. This image I took this morning, with rain coming in I wanted to get it before the petals became damaged. I shot it from this angle because of the stems in the back as well as the pollen stems inside make this flower interesting to sit and stare at. Actually I don't know what this flower is called. I usually call everything a daisy but I know it's not that.

Hope you enjoy and have a good weekend

Nick

Ajuga Abstract

2010-05-05T12:13:00.002-04:00

This is a seven image multi exposed abstract image taken in my backyard. The Ajuga also known as a 'Bugleweed' is a great ground cover / broader plant for any ones garden. Grows approximately 12" in height but it covers a radius of about 24 inches. The Latin word is 'Ajuga genevensis.' It is a native European plant.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Before & After

2010-05-04T13:23:00.002-04:00

This past weekend we had some storms roll through the area. Although it was the same system that wrecked havoc on the plains and southern area's of the country. They weren't as damaging here. Yesterday afternoon while working around the house my wife informed me of a 'dark sky' approaching. Due to the wind already picking up I had only had a few seconds to take the shot. Later on in the evening I was outside in time to capture the light reflecting of the buildings of downtown Lancaster. Both images were in my backyard taken while standing on a lawn chair and about 4 hours apart.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Erbs Covered Bridge, part 2

2010-04-26T10:48:00.002-04:00

I wanted to share another image from Erbs Covered Bridge. This time I shot it horizontally. I wanted to get the entire length of the bridge as well as the white picket fence and the fisherman on the bank. And for an artistic approach I added a Topez Simplify for a painterly effect.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Erbs Covered Bridge

2010-04-25T15:25:00.002-04:00

Saturday morning I made a little trip up to Erbs Covered Bridge. I did some scouting of the area a couple of weeks ago of the creek and the bridge. My main goal was to get a solid shot of the bridge with a good reflection.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Rflections

2010-04-20T13:52:00.002-04:00

I'm a big fan of reflection shots. I'm also a big fan of making frequent visits to one spot because you become familiar with how the weather and seasons effect the area. Down around the Holtwood Dam I've been there so many times that it becomes challenging to come up with something new. But with the sun out on a late afternoon you can really capture the light hitting the trees on the bank from the water in the creek.

Hope enjoy

Nick

Bank of the Loyalsock

2010-04-19T10:29:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I made a trip to Sullivan County mainly for the start of Trout season. I did allot of scouting out locations for future trips, and figuring my way around. Even though it was a fishing trip I did manage to take a few shots. Which with everything going on these days is getting harder to do. This is just outside of World's End State Park. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Snow Goose

2010-03-22T17:03:00.002-04:00

Here's another image from Middle Creek. I wanted to share this because of the last several weeks it seems the discussions among friends has been 'background control.' This was taken just when the sun was hitting the bird and the grass behind it. But by working through layers and levels I was able to darken the grass to keep the attention and focus on the bird who happened to be a good subject for a few minutes.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Goose in the fog

2010-03-20T17:59:00.002-04:00

This morning I got together with Ed Harding at Middle Creek Wildlife Management. Most of the Snow Geese are gone but there were still plenty of birds to photograph. This image I ran through Topez Detail I wanted to kept it soft to enhance the mood of the light fog. But also bring out the sun as it was rising.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Tulips

2010-03-18T19:53:00.001-04:00

This image I took at Longwood about a week ago. I really liked the composition. The out of focus Tulips and the two leafs on either side build a good frame to the one Tulip that I focused on. But the one thing I didn't like was the rest of the background, it was to distracting. Late last night I was reading Bob Lott's blog, he had the same issue with different flowers. So following his idea I cut out the background in layers then filled it in with a solid color. Bob used Topez but I just kept it to Adobe Photoshop. I still used the same post-processing that I would use with any other image. Thanks Bob,

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Empire Tulip

2010-03-08T17:58:00.002-05:00

These tulips at Longwood really caught my eye. Except for the foot traffic increasing I could have spent a few hours. I like the details in the stems and the color scheme.
Hope you enjoy
Nick

Compostion 1 of 2, Rule of Thirds

2010-03-03T12:33:00.004-05:00

"Great Photographs are created, not by following some recipe, but by careful process of thinking and planning." --Unknown.

This month and next month I want to discuss composition. This month I'm discussing rule of thirds. Next month will be lines. For everything we do in life there is a set of rules without rules there would be chaos. But also there is a time and a place 'break' the rules. In photography we have the 'rule of thirds.' Which states that an image should be broken into 9 equal parts spaced by 2 equal horizontal lines and 2 equal vertical lines. And important compositional elements should be placed where these lines intersect. This creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition then just centering it up. Now there is a time and a place to break this rule and that is if the image is a stronger image and you purposely broke the rule to enhance your composition and increase your creativity. Go ahead and break it. My bridge reflection here I purposely broke the rule to have an equal amount reflection and sky. My creek image I did place it off center to make the eye move along the stream. I feel one of the pitfalls that is easy for anyone to fall into is being 'bound' by the rules. Don't be afraid to break them in order to enhance your image.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Hans Herr House

2010-03-01T16:42:00.002-05:00

This afternoon on our way home from Longwood Gardens, my wife and I made a quick stop over at the Hans Herr house. With it being so close by I've never made it out to the site. But I really wanted to get over while there is some snow on the ground. Hans Herr is one of the original settlers to the Lancaster County area. This year is marking the 300th anniversary of there settlement. Due to the high winds and snow I underexposed for a fast shutter. Then I processed it as an HDR image and added Topaz Simplify for the paint.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Falls

2010-02-24T12:02:00.002-05:00

Another image from my trip down Tucquan Glen. I've worked on this composition during the summer time. But never really like the results, for some reason the final results never pleased me. Mostly because of the lack of color around the rocks. Nothing is wrong with the scene even during the summer. I do like this scene with the element of snow in the image. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Tucquan Glen, revisited

2010-02-22T20:49:00.002-05:00

I've tried making it down to Tucquan for the last couple of weeks. One of the problems has been parking another is that the snow is at least knee deep on the trails. With the snow melting a little bit I was able to park but had to spend 45 minutes to dig myself out. With hip waiter's on I trudged through the creek. It was definitely wroth the trip. I've got two season's of this scene and will be getting a spring and summer shot in time. Hope you enjoy

Nick

Red Reflections

2010-02-03T13:14:00.002-05:00

With the temps about to climb back up into the 40s in the next couple of days. I made sure to take full advantage of last nights snowfall. I spent the morning in Lancaster County Park. With the snow on the trees and the calmness of the Conestoga River really enhanced my favorite covered bridge in the county.
Hope you enjoy
Nick

Light: Quantity & Quality

2010-02-01T18:57:00.002-05:00

"Learning to capture Light will make

extraordinary images from ordinary subjects." -Ed Heaton

Hopefully Ed you don't mind me using your quote for my next little segment. This month it's all about lighting. This is subject that I'll admit that I'm no expert in, I take away when I should add and add when I should take away. To understand Light you have to understand that it falls into two categories: Quantity & Quality.

Quantity has to do with exposure, or intensity of illumination. We control that with aperture, (the amount we let in) and shutter the speed that we record the light. Quality is the mood of the light, warm or cool, harsh or soft.

We used to have to use a gray scale card to measure light. Some still use a hand held meter, but thanks to the digital age most of it is taken care of in camera. But a helpful hint, something I'm doing alittle more is to carry an 18%gray card with me to get a better reading. Because even with all of the camera technology they can still miss true light.

Quality is measured with the way the light comes in: Side lighting, Front lighting and Back ligthing. On a bright sunny afternoon it's a harsh light with no shadows, but morning and late afternoon there are long shadows and warmth. Cloudy days give a soft diffused light which is perfect for a long shutter. And just because the sun goes down doesn't mean you have to stop shooting. If you live in a city there are endless possibilities of night shots. The images above are images I used for side lighting with shadows. I like to keep the light on the side for the shadows. To me they add an extra dimension.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Dramatic Sky

2010-01-30T14:17:00.002-05:00

Over the last year I've taken a keen interest in clouds. Especially when a storm is moving in or clearing out. The lighting combined with the clouds for usually a brief moment can provide a spectacular scene. Last week we were socked in with rain. This scene lasted about two minutes then it was all blue sky's. And I was lucky enough to be outside.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Flower Close up

2010-01-18T16:12:00.002-05:00

My bought these bulb type flowers at Market a couple of week's ago. I keep forgetting there name's. The last several day's it has felt like spring has sprung with all of these flowers popping out. I spent the shooting this one try different backgrounds, types of light and techniques. Here I a 30 sec exposure at f-45. During the exposure I rolled the lens in and out of focus to get this soft look to it.

Hope you

Nick

Fern Macro

2010-01-16T14:23:00.003-05:00

I've really enjoyed some of my macro experiments. Most of the time though it doesn't work out but it's an on going learning experience. Fern's are a fascinating subject especially in the woods if you can avoid poison ivy that grows around them. I've really become a fan of the spores that grow on the back of there leaves. This leaf I cut out of my backyard and set up a little studio in my office to shoot it. It was too cold outside. Hope you enjoy

Nick

Seeing & Photographing

2010-01-04T13:50:00.003-05:00

"Seeing is not enough; you have to feel what you photograph."

--Andre Kertesz

One of my goals throughout this year I want to do a lesson/blog. Not only does it keep my own mind sharp but also it helps other people out. I plan on doing this once a month. As a Photographer you need to see what your photographing and determine the best way to translate it in to an image. Now there's a number of things that I'll get into later on this year that you have to take into consideration: exposure, lighting, depth of field, etc. Seeing what your photographing is important but you also have to feel what your shooting. Shoot what moves you: people, wildlife, sunsets etc. Being prepared helps with being in the right place at the right time as well as being familiar with your subject helps bring out a great image. Go out and scout and area out ahead of time. Also what plays along with seeing is how to best bring out your subject: framing converging lines etc.

One of my favorite shots to take during the fall foliage season is a shot with leaves on a rock with the water going around them. If there was no water the shot is a very good one. Everyday I go out to my back yard and look at the Lancaster skyline. It's a familiar scene about a month ago the dark clouds provided a great background to the direct light.

Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T14:45:00.004-05:00

Greeting's everyone, I want to thank everyone for there support this past. Ansel Adams once said 20 images a year is a good year. So this year has been a good year. And I'm looking forward to a succesful 2010. click here for a gallery of 22 images throughout the year. Hope you enjoy and I'll see you next year!!

Nick

Farmland Vista

2009-12-27T13:02:00.002-05:00

It's amazing that just a week ago this was covered in a blanket of about two feet of snow. The last couple of day's I've been scouting out new area's in Lancaster County. This shot is off of a backroad just out side of Intercourse. Hope everyone had a good Christmas, enjoy

Nick

Longwood Christmas

2009-12-14T21:20:00.002-05:00

This past week I made a night trip out to Longwood. I was hoping that being the middle of the week and being cold and windy the crowds would be small. Boy was I wrong, it was too busy in the conservatory so I spent most of my time outside. I loved the light on the clouds on that full moon night. Also was satisfied with this pano. Hope you enjoy

Nick

Penn Square, Christmas

2009-12-08T21:41:00.002-05:00

Here's a shot I took while out in the city this evening. Actually I was out hoping for wet road surfaces. Nothing beats city light reflections on wet roads. But the timing for this shot was also perfect. Hopefully I'll be out again soon when it's wet out. And for the two ladies that I took a picture of give me a holler it's ready. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

First Snow

2009-12-06T23:25:00.002-05:00

We had our first snow yesterday. Wasn't much but it was enough to work with. I went out to County Park and took a few frames of my favorite covered bridge. This subject never disappoints. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Mississppi Sunset

2009-12-04T16:06:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since I've written and posted anything. Sorry for the delay. I took a brief break then for Thanksgiving went out to Iowa to visit some family. One of my favorite things about the midwest our there sunrises/sunsets. It was foggy and jus horrible conditions for the first several days. But the night before we left the Mississppi River was calm and the sky was perfect for a sunset. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Hay Bails B&W

2009-11-11T19:44:00.002-05:00

Now that I've processed a couple of black & white farm shots, I'm really enjoying it. I think because it gives a back in time feel to it. This was another trip I took around the county this week. This winter I really am planning on hitting up some of these areas especially when it snow's. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Veteran's Day

2009-11-11T12:58:00.000-05:00

While Stationed in Germany I had the privalege to visit General Patton's grave in Luxemburg. Who wanted to be buried facing his men. I'm sorry but this is the only picture I could find of the graveyard. And for those you ever get the chance to go to Europe I highly recommend visiting a WWII graveyard. It's a very sobering experiance. Have a great Veterans Day.

Nick

Lancaster Farmland

2009-11-09T20:35:00.000-05:00

Today my wife and I went out to scout out new areas for landscape shots. I want to do a series on sunrises & sunsets with barns and fields. As well as this winter I'd like to have a set in Black & White. This was in an Old Order Mennonite field. The farmer was still out there loading the bails. And he did give me permission to photograph the field. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Aster multi-exposure

2009-11-04T13:03:00.001-05:00

It's funny how when winter starts to come in I start shooting more flowers. The warmth of the conservatory at Longwood Gardens is very appealing then. But I still have a couple of blossoms left in my backyard. So I hurried to get a couple of shots before it's too late. I got this idea from one of Ed Heaton's blog or Image of the week can't remember and combined it with William Neil's abstract shooting. I used 10shots going around in a circle then brought them all together for one image. Hope you enjoy

Nick

Susquehanna Reflection

2009-11-02T20:59:00.002-05:00

Most of the leaves are gone but I still liked the late afternoon color. One of the rules of photography is not keep the horizon line in the middle of the frame. But I didn't want to lose the clouds in the sky or too much of the river. Plus what are rules for? To be broken. Hope you enjoy

Nick

Landis Farm Museum

2009-10-26T19:32:00.000-04:00

I really enjoy having and looking at a nice simple clean image. I went out to Landis Farm today hoping to capturing a fall image of a farm house I shot this past winter but most of the leaves one the trees had alread fallen down. Also I was hoping to get some late afternoon shadows which really weren't all the lived up to, but what caught my eye was the color here between the hut and the leaves. I shot this in HDR but kept closer to a single shot as much as possible. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Covered Bridge

2009-10-23T16:17:00.000-04:00

The other afternoon my wife and I took a visit to County Park. The leafs are just about peak. I've always have been trying to get a good shot in different seasons of this bridge. I think this 6 shot HDR will work. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Condrus State Park

2009-10-21T11:31:00.000-04:00

You might want to call this the end of summer. The other day I was shooting a sunset. The one thing I really wanted out of the whole thing was a reflection shot. With the wind and lack of clouds using the lake was almost out of the question. But keeping your eye open for things laying around the area that can lead to a more creative shot is very rewarding. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Sunset

2009-10-19T22:42:00.000-04:00

How do you photograph a sunset? Now what makes a good sunset shoot is clouds for the different colored light. And calm waters for reflection. But sometimes mother nature doesn't always work out the way we want it too. Today I went out to a new location in York county. Obviously by the shot here I didn't have calm waters and no clouds. I'm still working on a few shots. Because one other thing I forgot to mention is the use of things around the area that enhance the shot. Which I did have. Hope you enjoy

Nick

Peaceful Stream

2009-10-18T10:53:00.001-04:00

The best part of this weather we've been having is the water level's in these small streams. This is another image from Saturday's shoot. I really felt the urge to share just because of how the stream leads the eye. Also the mix of tree's with colored leaves worked well too. I used a feathered edge for effect. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Tucquain Glen

2009-10-16T14:14:00.000-04:00

This morning I got together with Ed Heaton for a little creek shooting at Tucquain Glen. Now with all of the bad misty/rainy weather that we've been having it is actually a perfect time to be out. The lighting is soft and diffused. Small creeks have plenty of water and color is a bit more saturated. It actually was a good morning and I think we both came out satisfied with the results. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

The Overlook

2009-10-13T19:37:00.002-04:00

Well as you can see we're still a couple of weeks away from peak fall foilage in Lancaster County. But patchyness has started to emerge. I was scouting out areas in the southern part of the County for potential peak shots. Looks like this one could warrent a second look. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Fall Foilage Abstract

2009-10-12T21:35:00.000-04:00

This past afternoon my wife & I got together with my mom, sister and her kids. No offense to my family but usually I prefer to be by myself. But I won't resist taking my four year old nephew around. Here I used William Neil's abstract technique that friend & fellow photographer Ed Heaton helped me with. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Country Sunset

2009-10-01T10:21:00.001-04:00

This is down the road from the spot where I took the "Cornfield Sunrise." I was actually out scouting a spot for a sunrise when I decided to shoot this one. The most important part in this is the way I have the road and fence positioned to lead to the sunset. I don't think I would have shot it without them being there. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Cornfield Sunrise

2009-09-30T15:42:00.002-04:00

For the last week or so I've had trouble with my internet connection.The only time I have gotten online has been only to check e-mail. So I haven't been able to post anything on my website or blog. This pano I took a couple of mornings ago. I was going to a spot off Snake Hill Rd for you local people but saw some fog in the distant. So took a quick ride looking for a valley to shoot in. Came across this one spot, and panoramic just came calling. Hope you enjoy

Nick

Prince Street Garage

2009-09-15T21:49:00.002-04:00

This past evening my wife and I took a quick trip downtown to capture some more imags of Lancaster. We both wanted to work on getting the lights on the Prince Street Garage. They change colors every few minutes. I spent some time inside the garage. The Parking Authority won't let you walk around like you own the place. But on the sidewalk with the blurred traffic at the bottom providing the base. We have a solid subject. I hope you enjoy.

Nick

Falls in Holtwood

2009-09-13T14:45:00.002-04:00

This image I took when I was out with Ed Heaton last Saturday for the Amish barn raising. We went by the Historic Lock 12 area near the Holtwood dam. We've both have photographed this area extensively. So it was a welcomed challenge of finding some new angle on an old subject or a new subject. Hope you enjoy.
Nick

Movement & Patterns

2009-09-09T20:35:00.002-04:00

This week I've been working on my night shooting in downtown Lancaster. One of the things I've been concentrating on is to have blurred movement in the image whether it's people or traffic. This is accomplished with leaving my shutter open. Also I've been working on patterns in building lights as well as street lights. This image here outside of one of the more popular watering holes I feel provides a great example of when you combine the two. Unfortunately my gallery tab isn't working so to view the rest are on my website. Sorry for the inconvenience. I hope you enjoy
Nick

Tobbaco Barn

2009-09-07T20:12:00.002-04:00

This past Saturday I go together with fellow photographer & friend Ed Heaton. We had gotten together to shoot an Amish barn raising. Unfortunately there was no barn raising, they must have taken the day off. Anyway they did allow us to shoot there barn and with the light hitting and just the right time it made a great subject. I hope you enjoy.

Nick

Lancaster Sunset

2009-09-06T14:50:00.003-04:00

The other night I went out to a spot that I've been eyeing for a while as a potential sunrise/sunset location. The only problem was shooting over a fence and under electric lines. Lately we've had some really awesome sunsets where the clouds have had some great color but I think if you have a city skyline the opposite way you have great light on some buildings and reflections as well. Hope you enjoy.
Nick

Trees Abstract

2009-09-05T16:20:00.002-04:00

The last couple of months I've been working on technique done by William Neil. The whole process is actually simple once you get the hang of it. It's all about merging different shots but rotating the camera while shooting the scene. I think it's pretty cool technique. I'm still working on it so hopefully I'll have a few more. Hope you enjoy.
Nick

Rainy Lancaster

2009-08-29T13:10:00.008-04:00

Last night I meet freinds and fellow photographers Ed & Kelly Heaton in downtown Lancaster. Every time I've gotten together with Ed it's raining. This time I had to handle an umbrella along with the camera. It never really let up but it does give a magical auroa with the lights and the rain. http://www.photoshopshowcase.com/ViewFlashMedia.aspx?AID=246473&AT=3 for a small gallery. I processed a few of these in B&W to give a different feel. I hope you enjoy.
Nick

Ben Franklin Bridge "Sepia"

2009-08-23T16:01:00.002-04:00

I spent most of this weekend going through some of the shoots from this summer. Deleting shots that never worked out and doing some edits on others. I did two different edits for this shot of the Ben Franklin one was in color no color and the other copy I did with Sepia. Both came out good but the color no color I decided to work on a little more. Sepia obviously seemed to work right off the bat. Hope you enjoy
Nick

Senior Day

2009-08-20T23:04:00.002-04:00

This past week I spent a day shooting my cousins senior pictures at Longwood. Besides the oppressive heat it was very nice day enjoyed by everyone. I think the best thing out of it was the pushing of myself for better creativity with portrait shots.
Hope you enjoy.
Nick

Tucquan Glen

2009-08-14T21:40:00.008-04:00

The other day I made a trip back to Tucquan Glen. My goal is to shot this area during the fall and this coming winter. So I'm scouting out spots along the creek to get a solid plan. This is part of my ongoing portfolio of the Holtwood Environmental Area. I think the thing I like the most about this spot is that it's about 15min from the city of Lancaster but you feel as if your a thousand miles away. http://www.photoshopshowcase.com/ViewFlashMedia.aspx?AID=243607&AT=3 for a small gallery I hope you enjoy.

Nick

Swirling Dasies

2009-08-12T20:10:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I get bored shooting flowers. I think if all I do is take a basic shot. I then start to feel like I'm missing out on some technique to help enhance the image. Here with this shot I just put a little swirl into it in Photoshop. I do think it's easy to get carried away with special effects but at the same time there great when you need to add a little pop. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

WW II memorial (pano)

2009-08-09T16:54:00.002-04:00

This is image has been a long time coming. Over the past couple of months my computer has been taking a turn south. For the most part I could not perform alot of the actions in elements because I've been running out of RAM. I took this image this past April while with a group of friends in Washington DC. I really liked the composition from the get go. The only problem was I couldn't finish it. Well now the new computer is hooked up and I'm ready to go. Hope you enjoy

Nick

First Friday

2009-08-08T19:05:00.002-04:00

This past friday evening I made a short little trip to gallery row in downtown Lancaster for first friday. My main goal was to capture the life of the downtown area. I think this says it all with the movement of the people and the galleries. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Lancaster County Sunrise

2009-08-03T19:12:00.003-04:00

This morning they were calling for morning fog. A subject I try to shoot as much as possible. Also this barn I've been eyeing for a little bit as well. unfortunately I was in a bad spot, but found some better ones afterward. Also The haze on the horizon even waiting for the sun to get above that it didn't seem like it was going to work out. Even going through the whole post processing I wasn't happy with the results. But with the Topez Simplify filter I felt with the painted effect I was willing to share this shot. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Daybreak (pano)

2009-08-01T12:15:00.002-04:00

About a year ago I took this shot of this barn for a sunrise. I thought it was a ok, but always wanted to get back to it. This morning they were calling for fog then clearing up for a nice sunny day. So here was my shot to get back. This shot here is an HDR pano. At first I was just concentrating on the barn but when the sun started to come through the only thing I could think of was a panoramic opportunity. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

On the fringe

2009-07-27T18:47:00.003-04:00

Right now we are in the middle of some humid weather. I guess the only good thing about it all are the late afternoon thunderstorms. I've really have been interested in getting some good shots of storm fronts but can't say I'm at the right spot at the right time. Well here all I had to do was walk into my backyard and take this shot of Lancaster City. I'm still up in air over which one I like better. I'm leaning toward the Black&White. By the way there used to be a big tree blocking this view till a couple of weeks ago. Hope you enjoy

Nick

Lancaster Twilight

2009-07-21T20:51:00.002-04:00

When it comes to shooting in an urban area there is such a 'magical' time right after the sun goes down. The sky still has some color to it but at the same time all the city lights are coming on. The same holds true for the morning but you honestly would want to get up that early except for goofy photographers. This past weekend I ventured some more around the downtown area of Lancaster. Here's a shot of Penn Square my shutter was at 20 seconds at f-8. I was open long enough for the light to go from green to red. Click here for a small gallery. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Ben Franklin Bridge & Zoo, Philadelphia

2009-07-05T14:46:00.004-04:00

This past friday I met some friends for a sunrise shoot down near the Ben Franklin Bridge. Now the sunrise was a wash but the rest of morning was spent shooting around the bridge & the Zoo area's. Capturing some great patterns in the bridge and animals you don't see everyday in southeast Pennsylvania. click here for a small gallery. Hope you enjoy.

Nick

Suzie's Hole

2009-07-02T18:24:00.002-04:00

Well lets start off by saying it good to be back on the Internet. After a week of no Internet you feel isolated from the rest of the world. But that didn't stop me from enjoying some quality time with the camera. I spent most of the week shooting and scouting out new area's in and around the Holtwood Environmental Area. This shot here is done in the Pequea Gorge 'Suzie's Hole.' Hope you enjoy

Nick

flow of the glen

2009-06-23T20:54:00.002-04:00

Water is such a fascinating subject. There are so many different way's to capture the smoothness of a stream or falls. One way is shoot leading your eye down a stream. Capturing every drop in the stream is one continuous flow. This one was captured at Tucquan Glen late Sunday afternoon. Hope you enjoy.

Nick