Nat Coalson's Photography Blog

Near Crested Butte, Colorado.

Here’s one shot from my recent journey through Cape Cod. This is Nobska Point Lighthouse, in Falmouth Mass.

This is the first photo on which I’ve used Lightroom 3, Photoshop CS5 and the new and improved “HDR Pro”.

The HDR Pro script in PS CS5 did a pretty good job of making the blend, which I then finished processing in Lightroom as a TIF. In Lightroom, I also used the Lens Correction feature, which works great.

What do you think? Comments and critiques always welcome!

I believe that taking control over the creative process as well as the technology is very helpful when learning to create better photographs. It’s ironic… once you’ve got everything under control, you can really let loose creatively. The results can be profound.

If you think about the work as its own entity and evaluate it as objectively as possible you will learn from your previous work and your future work will be better for it. Learn to separate yourself from the photograph. Learn more from mistakes than successes.

One way to do this: Do a critique of your image. Take a couple of minutes and write about a photograph. Describe it, as if you were telling someone on the phone about it. Include as much technical information as possible. Describe the photographics. Describe the feelings the photograph conveys to you. Describe what you like and what you don’t like about the image.

For example, the photograph of the windows below, by Cari de la Cruz:
5 windows with white frames on the side of a blue wooden-sided building
In the closest widow is a reflection of a distant shore with buildings and palm trees

Photographics:
Overall well-balanced, center of interest is well-positioned
Strong converging lines
Picture space divided equally into 3 large triangles
Smaller triangles and trapezoids/distorted squares throughout
Low key image, overall low contrast
One small bright area of high contrast
Soothing blue tones

Nice, calm mood… but geometric boxes like this can create sense of being closed-in, claustrophobia etc.
The long vertical rectangles at frame right and left create a stable, almost “locked in” kind of feeling
The scene in the reflection creates an oasis, a glimmer of hope… the “light at the end of the tunnel”. This comes across as the main subject and theme of the photograph.

Read more…

Moonrise in Bisti Badlands

This photograph was made in Bisti Badlands, New Mexico, May 2008.

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Badwater, Death Valley

Badwater, Death Valley National Park, California, USA, February 2008

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I’ve just released a new collection of abstract photographs titled “Drydock I”. This is one of the images, all of which depict closeups of boat hulls.

See the new work here

February 2008

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I’m still processing images from last fall; here’s one from a fern grotto on Kebler Pass, near Crested Butte Colorado.

Photograph made at South Point, Hawaii November 11 2007. The southernmost point in the United States, on the Big Island.

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I just returned from a wonderful week shooting the fall colors in Maine. New gallery is online now!

I’ve been in Maine for a week, heading home today… here’s one selection from among 1500 photographs made in the last 5 days. This was on one of the nature trails around Jordan Pond in Acadia NP.

Canon 30D, Tamron 18-200 XR Di II. In the interest of extreme minimalism in gear, I’ve been using this single lens for the past month; so far I like it… it’s nice to travel light, and the images from this lens are very good – though I miss the IS from Canon 28-135. Tamron has announced a new 28-300 lens with VC (Vibration Compensation) but have delayed shipping of the Canon-mount version due to reported technical problems. We’ll see where that goes…

Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico. Canon 10D handheld, 75-300 lens.

To see more of my work please visit
www.NathanielCoalson.com

Close-up photograph of a rusty car fender, Cranbrook, Alberta, BC. Canon 30D, 28-135 IS lens.