HDR with the D7000 around Chasewater.

I thought i might blog my first experience with the D7000 while out and about on boxing day.

The sun was shinning brightly first thing, and gave me a good opportunity to get out and take a few shots with the D7000. My intention is to learn how to put a HDR image together using the new camera.

I had spent 2hrs reading the manual this morning and made very little headway. It is rather tedious reading through a 350 page manual while nursing a Christmas day hangover.
It needs saying that the best way to learn how the camera works is to get out with it and start pressing the buttons.  Previously i had a D60 which i loved to use, and found a sturdy and versatile accomplice. The D60 has helped me to understand the D7000 to some extent which was useful for getting started.

I will advise anyone to go and have a trawl through youtube videos to find tutorials which will definitely help. Whilst building my limited knowledge of HDR i looked in on many Youtube posts, some were downright awful and some very educational. One of them had a husband wife team showing their method for HDR. The lady however must have been on a bad day, and constantly gave her old man a ear bashing while operating the video camera. I guess the moral is that if you start watching and it does not captivate you change channel.

Here i am going to show my first effort at HDR along with a normal J-Peg of the same item.

Here is a bog standard image of a wooden bench (taken in RAW)

Now for the HDR image which used the above photo as well as one over exposed and one under exposed.

i used merge to hdr pro which is found under file in Photoshop. Simply select the three images you want to use and Photoshop will do the rest.

HDR image showing more detail in the dark areas.

I may well have messed about with this image a little to much in Photoshop. If you push it too hard, the photo begins to look more like a painting than a picture.

I think you will agree that there is far more detail in the HDR effort, even though its not perfect.

Just a quick tip i picked up from a youtube video which i think was useful for an armature like me.

When taking your HDR image, select the timer mode and set it to 2 second delay.Then hit the BKR button which will set the camera to take three images one exposed, one under and one over (you can change this, but we won't go there yet.) Now hit the shutter release and bang your three shots are done. the use of the timers stops one from getting any unwanted movement while depressing the shutter release.

After taking tips from other photographers, i have now decided to shoot all my images in RAW. This captures more detail, but also makes a bigger file (photo). I later convert to J-Peg when all photoshop work is done.

I did take a few other snaps while at Chasewater. I went down about three weeks ago and took some snaps of the pier. I took the same snaps again today, the difference in the water level is remarkable.

This was taken in early December.

Considering that it is less than 12 months since the work finished on the dam, and predictions were that it would take three years or so to fill, it ain't gone bad has it?

Looks like it has risen about a foot or so in three weeks.

The whole place has a bit of a buzz about it of late. I am sure if they kept visitor numbers, there would be a increase in the last 12 months over the previous year.

full car parks and  plenty of footfall all around the reservoir.

There are a few cows which roam around the top end of the reservoir. They are a friendly enough herd who even allow you to pat them. One of my Jacks got a bit too close behind one of them and just missed a flaying hoof. It is best advised to keep the dogs on a lead around the cows.

Big old girl, let me pat her and hold her horn.

At the top end of the reservoir stands a derelict house. I often wonder if it will ever become the attention of a developer, or even if it can?

derelict house.

And finally, i should have done more with the image below. These fish sculptures are on a putting/crazy golf course. I just think the concept of them being in water was worth more attention.

There should be no water, only golf balls around the fish.

Thanks for looking, your comments are very much appreciated.

Peace be with you.

Engine lane Brownhills and my shock visit.

Today I took the dogs a walk up Engine lane at the top of Brownhills. My objectives were to exerciser the dogs, but i also wanted to do a search for building long since lost. The said building has been mentioned numerous times on the very informative and entertaining Brownhills Bob blog. It appears on old maps, however there is no mention of its use.

I was shocked to find that the cycle way at the top of the lane had a thick chain across it. Obviously not for the convenience of cyclists, so why was it there? I know there have been problems with motorcycles previously, but that's a bit extreme.

Definitely no cycle way here! Notice national cycle route on gate.

I moved on into the wooded area where I think the long lost building may be, that was after negotiating some rather nasty barbed wire obstructions. It began to dawn on me that these obstructions were not haphazardly put there. They were there for a reason (probably not sanctioned) which i can not yet confirm. It would certainly bring a motor/cyclist down in a hurry.

If you look closely the barbed wire is looped out from the gate about 18 inches!

As we moved into the wooded area a cow let out a moo that was obviously only a few meters away. I nearly crapped myself when a large brown Heifer lifted its head only three meters in front of me. It was then i noticed that the whole heard were close behind it. I made a hasty retreat and put the dogs on a leash.  I couldn't see any signs warning of the livestock being on the land, which i thought was a bit naughty. Two guys walking their dogs were coming my way and I asked them how long the cattle had been on the land? They informed me that they had been there for some time. They also passed a not too complimentary comment about Ansell's riding stables taking over the place.

Stand off with cow, i lost.

The view of the cabins from road.

I returned to the part of Engine lane that the building may have been located and took some measurements under the watchful gaze of the cows. On my way back to the car I took a few snaps of the land now occupied by the riding stables.

This was wild scrub in the past, my only concern now is the amount of barbed wire there  is.

I personally don't mind what they are doing with that land. It looks a lot tidier now than before they set up camp there. If they are responsible for the chain then that is out of order, as is the looped barb wire. I am not sure it is them who put up the chain as i think it may be there to stop the cows escaping. It’s all a mystery to me, but i have no doubt someone will tell me what is actually going on.

A view up engine lane.

Answers below please?