The End of the Path (Level 7 – Challenge)

I love this image on a purely emotional level. It reminds me of the places I visited with my family on the weekend when I was growing up in the British West Indies. This one reminds me of the many beaches on the island of Bequia, where I spent much time as a kid. I remember playing on the beach in front of the bank house with my younger brothers.

Ok. I just started tearing up. The memories of good carefree times in the sun are strong. Whoa!

Based on the EXIF date and what Trey wrote on his site, this image was shot in the Virgin Island (Virgin Gorda) around 7 PM in the evening around sunset. I think it's an HDR but I have no way of knowing for sure. Isn't it great when the sun rises and sets around the same time every day of every year?

I love the way the sun lights the bridge and the beach-plum tree. So golden. So glorious. I can see myself playing on those rocks enjoying the quiet sounds of high tide.

Image by Trey Ratcliff,. One of the images I used for the Level 7 assignment in the Arcanum.

Apprentice is to find 10 photos from at least three different photographers they admire and share them with the community specifically in the “Level 7 – Challenge” category. Additionally, they should talk about why they find the photos interesting or inspirational.

Arcanum Level 5 Preparation

I captured 40 images, of which only 14 were presentable (from my perspective). For the Level 5 assignment, I submitted the ten to the Arcanum Cohort to review. I captured elements of the Kingston Village Historic District, Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, and the middle section of Princeton University.

I was sick of complaining about the shitty weather. I may hate winter with the core of my very being, but as my wife said yesterday, "It is what it is." To level up in the Arcanum, I needed ten new images.

So I cleared out my driveway and headed off "somewhere." I planned to visit every place I usually visit in the spring and summer and see what it looked like in the winter. It sucked. I don't often do black and white. I don't think in black and white. I love the colour — lots of it.

I spent two and a half hours walking around my "neighbourhood." These locations are all near my home. It takes about 10 minutes to drive from one place to the other. Tripod, Nikon D5100, and Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens. I had my iPhone streaming Spotify music to my Harmon Kardon Bluetooth headset. Trance music helps my creative process. Check out Armin Van Buren and Paul Oakenfold.

I captured 40 images, of which only 14 were presentable (from my perspective). For the Level 5 assignment, I submitted the ten to the Arcanum Cohort to review. I captured elements of the Kingston Village Historic District, Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, and the middle section of Princeton University.

The Mill was built in the 1800s. After combining the images in Photomatix, I cropped the result and added a perspective correction. I then pulled the image into Nik's Viveza and adjusted the saturation on the red parts of the house.

The Kingston Millhose | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

The Millstone River between Kingston and Rocky Hill along River Road divides the KKingston Village Historic District in Princeton Township (Mercer County) from the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park and Historic District.Kingston Greenways

Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

With white and grey everywhere, why not leverage it? Three images HDR (Photomatix). I pulled the HDR into Nik's Silver EFX Pro and applied one of the presets for the final result.

Footbridge over Delaware and Raritan Canal | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100
Footbridge over Delaware and Raritan Canal | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

I drove from Plainsboro back through Kingston and down to Faculty Road near Princeton University. I had not walked this trail before, and I thought perhaps I would find something interesting. I was disappointed. I'm sure it's a beautiful spring, summer, and fall trail. Single image pulled into Nik's Color EFX Pro.

The Leaf | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

I drove from Faculty Road and parked on William St. on the northwestern end of the Princeton University campus. Why not get some architectural images? I have lived in the area for fourteen years. Nothing changes. Even the new buildings are built to match the architecture and feel of the old buildings. Unless you see it being made, it's hard to tell what is new and what is old. This is a three-image HDR (Photomatix). I pulled the result into Nik's Silver EFX Pro and adjusted the perspective in Adobe Lightroom.

Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

The image HDR, treated in Nik's Silver EFX Pro, then cropped to focus on the door itself. Many of the older Princeton University campus buildings have these doors, seemingly placed randomly on the perimeter. I have no idea where they lead.

Door along Streicker Walk | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

I walked up Streicker Walk to McCosh Walk toward McCosh Hall. Three images HDR, Silver EFX Pro, cropping.? There was a metal post near the doorway just as you entered the arch. I spent some time with Photoshop's content aware-fill and clone stamp tool to remove the post. I think I did a decent job there.

Archway at McCosh Hall at the end of McCosh Walk | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

Three images HDR (Photomatix) pulled into Nik's Silver EFX Pro. Lot of cropping and straightening. This is an image taken from inside the courtyard of East Pyne Hall facing toward the church.

Three image HDR (Photomatix) pulled into Nik's Silver EFX Pro. Lots of cropping and straigtening.8BIM

It took me over two hours to complete my "walk" about. I returned to Washington Road and stopped for a "quick" photo. I photographed this door in the summer. The stone is usually covered with ivy.

Door on the side of the Firestone Library | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/5.3 | ISO 100

Photographic Binge Eating

You know that type of photo: amazing locations, wonderful light, colorful sunsets, starry skies, waterfalls, ocean waves, tropical beaches, brilliant colors. Most of them revealed a mastery of technique, accurate choice of location, delightful composition, masterful post-processing. Each one of those photos could have won a contest, get printed on a calendar or poster, graced the pages of a magazine or got a million likes on social networks. There was even a photo that was almost identical to Peter Lik’s Phantom, the most expensive photo ever sold.

And yet, after having seen the slideshow roll around three or four times, I was disgusted and wanted to throw my jug of beer at the screen. I even contemplated giving up landscape photography and picking up some other genre. That much beauty had left me numb and a feeling not unlike how you feel after binge eating a ton of chocolate or sweets.From “Will the Real Landscape Photography Please Stand Up?”

One of the Arcanum assignment involves doing an analysis of 10 images from at least three photographers I admire. After looking around on 500px I felt exhausted and dejected. My images are shit compared to what I found.