Sean Duggan Blog

Memorial

 
Memorial  [Canon 5D]
June 14, 2009  Monhegan Island, Maine

This is very close to the tugboat shipwreck that was featured in the previous post. As with that image, this is also an HDR composite. Unlike the other file, however, which was made using 6 exposures from a tripod-mounted camera, this shot was made from 3 hand held exposures created using the camera's Auto Exposure Bracketing feature. As long as the shutter speeds are not too slow, for some shots this can be a viable alternative to using a tripod for HDR. The initial HDR blend was made in Photoshop CS4 and then the 32-bit HDR file was opened into Photomatix to create the final HDR blend. Some additional color "seasoning" was also applied in Photoshop. You can see the three source frames below.

It was raining lightly for the entire time of my visit to the island and I was constantly wiping rain drops off the front of the camera lens. For this shot, a drop was present on the lens and it reveals its presence in the form of a blurred area in the middle of the foreground rock and the clump of grass behind it. I may inspect other exposures of this scene to see if I have a shot with sharp detail of that part of the rock and grass that I can use to cover up the blurred area. The grass doesn't bother me so much, since that looks a little like motion blur from the wind, which is acceptable to me, but the blurred area on the rock is a bit annoying. Whether or not such a fix is viable will depend on a number of factors. If I do give it a try, I'll let you know how it turned out and how I did it.

Workshop News

My upcoming Creative Digital Darkroom workshop in Connecticut has fallen victim to the lagging economy and has been canceled due to low enrollment. Workshop enrollments have been consistently low for most of the year so far and this is a new venue so while it is disappointing, considering the current economic climate, it is not surprising.

I will be spending the rest of the summer on a family vacation, teaching my online class for the Academy of Art University and working on other projects and my next scheduled workshop will be in early October. It will be in Maine again and is a follow-up to the Real World Digital Photography class I just finished:

Real World Digital Photography II
October 4 - 10, 2009, Maine Media Workshops
Click here for More Info

There are already some sign-ups so if you are interested, please inquire about registration soon. October is a beautiful time of year in Maine. The trees are turning color and there is a wonderful crispness to the air.

Following that, I'll be in southern New Mexico in early November for a 4-day workshop on creative collage techniques in Adobe Photoshop CS4:

Creative Collage with Adobe Photoshop
November 5 - 8, 2009, Mesilla Digital Imaging Workshops
Click here for more info

Wreck of the D.T. Sheridan

The Wreck of the D.T. Sheridan  [Canon 5D]
June 14, 2009  Monhegan Island, Maine
(click in the image for a larger version)

This was taken a few days ago on Monhegan Island in Maine. It is an HDR blend of six source images. It was a thoroughly wet day when I was there and it rained consistently for my entire visit. Fortunately it was a light rain and not a downpour, but I was quite soaked by the end of the day. In addition to photographing the wreck with my Canon 5D I also made a few exposures with my Zeromage 6x9 pinhole camera.

The D.T. Sheridan was a tugboat that ran aground here in 1948. The wreck is broken into two distinct sections (the stern is in the foreground of this image) and is quite a ways above the current high water line so it either wrecked during a very high tide in a strong storm or over the past sixty plus years, storms have pushed the wreckage farther up the rocks. You can see a photo of it shortly after it ran aground, as well one of it in better days here.

Modern Cowboy

Alternative Transportation  [Canon 5D]
Santa Fe, New Mexico  May 1, 2009
(click in the image for a larger version)

On the final day of my Santa Fe workshop last month I was driving out Cerrillos Avenue to pick up some supplies for my drive south when I saw this cowboy and his dog riding into town. At first I continued on my way, which was in the opposite direction, but after stopping to photograph an old motel sign, I realized that this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. So I turned around and headed back until I caught up with the cowboy. I drove some ways ahead, found a spot to park my car and then waited until he arrived at my position. I followed him on foot for a bit, taking photos as he passed by new backgrounds. As he approached the gas station I saw the scene as a perfect juxtaposition of the old and the new, as well as a subtle commentary on our dependence on gasoline and the rising cost of fossil fuels.

Here's anotehr view of him and his faithful dog crossing an intersection:

I am in Maine at the moment and will be here for a few more days. Images from this trip will begin to appear on the blog in the next couple of days.

Upcoming Workshop in Connecticut

The Creative Digital Darkroom
July 5 — 11, 2009
CT Media/Photography Institute
Farmington, Connecticut

Riding in Front

Motorcycle Headstone [Canon 5D]
Madrid, New Mexico  April 29, 2009
(click in the image for a larger version)

The 3rd day of the Santa Fe Creative Eye class was spent in the digital lab, using Lightroom to sort through all the photos we had taken the day before at Ghost Ranch. In addition to learning how to organize photos, apply keywords and filter images searches based on a variety of different criteria, we also delved into the Lightroom Develop module and explored the many ways to use that program to improve and enhance digital photographs.

The photo above was taken after class that day on a location scouting trip I made to the cemetery in Madrid, New Mexico. Along with many old graves with simple (and in some cases, very weathered and falling apart) wooden crosses or headstones, the Madrid graveyard also has many very unique and ecclectic markers that reflect the creative and irreverent nature of the town and many of its inhabitants. The motorcycle-themed grave marker in the image above was inscribed on the opposite side with "Riding in Front". The photo was taken just minutes before the sun slipped behind the distant hills. Minor adjustments were made in Lightroom.

If you're interested in spending a creative week in a beuatiful location improving your digital photography and digital darkroom skills, I have an upcoming class that is very similar in content to this New Mexico workshop: Real World Digital Photography 1 will be offered at the Maine Media Workshops June 7 to 13. Click the class title for more information.

Other Upcoming Workshops:

The Creative Digital Darkroom
July 6 — 11, 2009
CT Media/Photography Institue
Farmington, Connecticut

Real World Digital Photography 2
October 4 — 11, 2009
Maine Media Workshops
Rockport, Maine

The Creative Collage with Photoshop CS4
November 5 — 11, 2009
Mesilla Digital Imaging Workshops
Mesilla, New Mexico

Destination

Destination
[Canon 5D with a Lensbaby Composer, 2.5 seconds]
Honolulu, Hawaii  March 30, 2009

Another image from my Lensbaby Composer walkabout along Waikiki Beach a few nights ago. The blur in this photo, however, is caused as much by the handheld exposure time of 2.5 seconds as it is by the optical qualities of the Lensbaby. This image may be considered too blurry by some photographers' standards, but I really like the way this turned out. It has a dreamy, almost storybook quality to it that I feel works well for this scene. Although sharp focus is one of the most desirable technical qualities for many types of images, the more subtle and ambiguous qualities offered by the creative use of blur can also result in memorable and evocative photographs. By softening the sharp specifics of the scene, the image enters the ream of metaphor and symbolism, becoming more a photograph of an idea, or a dream, or a hope, than a photograph of a specific place.

Next Workshop...Santa Fe, New Mexico, April 27  May 1

Waikiki with a Lensbaby

By a Glittery Shore
[Canon 5D with a Lensbaby Composer, 0.8 seconds]
March 31, 2009 Honolulu, Hawaii

I'm in Honolulu this week teaching a series of three short workshops for Pacific New Media at the University of Hawaii.  I have the new Lensbaby Composer with me and took it out for an inaugural outing the other evening when I went for a stroll along Waikiki Beach. I've been a fan of the Lensbaby since the first version and have followed it's development an evolution over the years. The design improvements in this new incarnation are very impressive and the Composer is the easiest to use Lensbaby yet. I'll have a more complete review of this very unique lens once I return from Hawaii (and after a few more Lensbaby outings).

A Note on This Image: In addition to the blur effect created by the Lensbaby Composer, this is also a handheld shot with a shutter speed of almost 1 second and this is also contributing to the blur effect. Depending on the level of blur that you choose to create, in Lensbaby shots with shutter speeds more sutiable for handheld photography there is usually a sweet spot that is in focus.

Join Me in New Mexico

My next workshop is coming up at the end of this month at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops in  Santa Fe, New Mexico. It's called The Creative Eye: Digital Photography & Digital Darkroom Essentials and it runs from April 27 through May 1. Click on the title of the class for more information.

Basement Windows

Basement Windows [Canon 5D]
St. Thomas, Nevada  March 5, 2009
(click in the image for a larger version)

Another view from my afternoon stroll through the ruins of St. Thomas. This is the only covered basement among the ruins...filled with dried silt and dirt.  See a previous post for more detailed information on this location.

Next Week in South Florida:
My next class on Selections, Masking & Creative Collage will begin on Monday, March 16, in Delray Beach, Florida There's still room if you want to sign up.

Selections, Masking and Creative Collage
Palm Beach Photographic Centre
March 16 - 19, 2009

I also have upcoming workshops in early April in Hawaii, mid April near Morro Bay, California, and late April/early May in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Check out my Workshops Schedule for more information.

A Reminder of Tree-Lined Streets

St. Thomas, Nevada [Canon 5D]
March 5, 2009
(click in the image for a larger version)

Another view from my afternoon stroll through the ruins of St. Thomas.  Before it was completely flooded by Lake Mead all of the trees were cut down do they would not be a hazard for boaters. A few skeletal stumps remain. See my previous post for more detailed information on this location.

There Once Was a Town...

The Path of Shells [Canon 5D]
St. Thomas, Nevada  March 5, 2009
(click in the image for a larger version)

There once was a town in Nevada named St. Thomas. It was located in an arid valley near the Colorado River about an hour's drive (in a modern car) northeast of Las Vegas. The life span of this small town filled the years from 1865 to 1938. In the mid 1930s as nearby Hoover Dam neared completion, the U.S. Government purchased the town and it's residents began to slowly dismantle their homes, pack up their belongings and move away. In 1936 the dam was completed and water began to fill the valleys, canyons, and flood plains behind it, creating Lake Mead, the largest man-made lake and reservoir in the United States. Two years later the rising waters had reached St. Thomas, gradually flooding the town, and on June 11, 1938 Hugh Lord, the last citizen, rowed away. Not long after, the town was completely covered by the waters of Lake Mead. It would eventually be submerged to a depth of 70 feet.

In the early years of this decade receding lake levels casued by years of severe drought and increased water useage by the nearby Las Vegas Valley began to reveal the ruins of St. Thomas. Today the town site is completely exposed, dry as bone and overgrown with thick stands of six foot high tamarisk brush. Narrow paths dotted with shells lead down into the former lake bed and every so often you come across the foundations of a home, a school, or a hotel. It is a strange and mysterious place, ruins from a not so distant 20th century, of a town sacrificed to the thirst and energy needs of an expanding population. In the coming days I will be posting a series of images from my visit to St. Thomas.

For the technically curious, the above image was processed mostly in Lightroom 2, with a little custom toning applied in Photoshop CS4.

National Park Service info on St. Thomas
Lake's Ghost Town Seen as a Warning  - Las Vegas Sun

Next Week in South Florida:
My next class on Selections, Masking & Creative Collage will begin on Monday, March 16, in Delray Beach, Florida There's still room if you want to sign up.

Selections, Masking and Creative Collage
Palm Beach Photographic Centre
March 16 - 19, 2009

I also have upcoming workshops n early April in Hawaii, mid April near Morro Bay, California, and late April/early May in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Check out my Workshops Schedule for more information.

Desert Highway

 
Desert Highway  [Canon 5D]
Valley of Fire, Nevada - March 5, 2009
(click in the image for a larger version)

I was in Las Vegas this past week at the PMA convention and trade show, leading a half-day hands-on Photoshop class on The Creative Digital Darkroom. On Thursday morning I headed out early to explore the Valley of Fire State Park, where the image above was taken (for the technically curious, this has had only minimal adjustments applied to it in Lightroom). More from the Valley of Fire and another very interesting nearby location in the days ahead.

Upcoming Workshops
And speaking of the days ahead, my next workshop in sunny South Florida is fast approaching and will start on Monday, March 16. There's still room if you want to sign up.  I'll be in another tropical location teaching three short classes in early April in Hawaii, and a third will be offered near Morro Bay, California in mid-April.  The beautiful and incredibly scenic Santa Fe, New Mexico will be the site of a digital photography and digital darkroom workshop in late April and early May. See below for dates, details and links to more information:

Selections, Masking and Creative Collage
Palm Beach Photographic Centre
March 16 - 19, 2009

**Early April Workshops in Hawaii:
Adobe Photoshop CS4: Restoration & Retouching Essentials
Adobe Photoshop CS4: Creative Digital Black & White
The Creative Collage with Adobe Photoshop CS4
More Info

Secrets of the Mask: Selections & Masking in Photoshop CS4
Lepp Institute of Digital Imaging
April 18 - 19, 2009

The Creative Eye: Digital Photography & Digital Darkrom Essentials
Santa Fe Photographic Workshops
April 27 - May 1