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Taking photos when the weather doesn’t cooperate
Oh man, I wish I’d just stayed in bed. Now I have 30 minutes of hiking uphill in complete darkness through the Palatinate Forest and over an hour’s drive behind me and I’m standing here in the middle of the fog soup instead of above it as planned. And yet the weather models were all in agreement. Fog level, dawn, everything should have been fine. What now? Turn around, go home and give up or pull through and see what you can get out of it with a little creativity? In this BLOG/VLOG, I finally get to grips with the automatic focus bracketing of my Sony a7IV, go in the direction of B&W fine art with my images, show you how to get black and white images quickly and easily in LR/PS and prove to you that giving up is not an option and that you can always find something photographically interesting!
Photographing mushrooms in the forest
Fall time is mushroom time. And although I was told it wasn’t going to be a mushroom year this year, I was completely surprised when I saw mushrooms everywhere to my left and right on my jogging route. While I was running, I thought to myself that a visit to the forest with my camera would be worthwhile. At home I set up my equipment and saw the email that the Sony a7IV can now do focus bracketing. I have to try that out. So I quickly installed the update and headed into the forest before the sun went down. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Fokus-Stacking in Photoshop
Was ist denn das? Als ich joggend an diesem Baumstumpf vorbeilief, hatte ich direkt den Plan für die nächste Stunde im Kopf. Ich lief nach Hause, duschte mich schnell ab und fuhr mit dem Fahrrad zurück zu der Stelle im Wald. Ich wollte das Abendlicht nutzen, um diesen Baumstumpf samt Kameraausrüstung erneut einen Besuch abzustatten und ihn zu fotografieren. In diesem VLOG/BLOG widmen wir uns dem kompletten Prozess des Fokus-Stackings, von der Aufnahme vor Ort, bis zur Bildbearbeitung in Lightroom und Photoshop. Besonders interessant für die Fotografen unter euch.
Spooky atmosphere in the Allgäu nature
What was I thinking? I quickly discovered this small pond near our accommodation, but how do you get here? There doesn’t seem to be a path, at least not on any hiking map. Various map and outdoor apps don’t show anything either. And yet I’m now walking through the darkness. In the fog. There must be a way and I want to find it before sunrise. Read the blog to find out if and how I managed it.
On the go in dense fog in the Allgäu
I grab my rucksack and quietly close the door of the vacation apartment on the farm behind me. It’s still pitch dark outside and I’m completely unfamiliar with the surroundings, but I set off to take photos anyway. At last, after what feels like ages. I know that the area around the farm is partly untouched nature. So off into the unknown. There’s always something to photograph. But this time I don’t even know which direction is best, I have to let my intuition guide me. Will anything come of it? Let’s see what this landscape here in the Allgäu has to offer. This morning will show.
6 methods to create the Orton effect
Im heutigen VLOG/BLOG gebe ich euch insgesamt 6 Methoden an die Hand, wie ihr mit Lightroom oder Photoshop schnell und einfach den sogenannten Orton-Effekt auf eure Bilder legen könnt.
Der Orton-Effekt ist ein märchenhafter, malerischer Look der euren Bildern ein wenig Glow und Softness verpasst. Mystische Stimmungen werden so noch etwas verstärkt, Nebel oder Dunst wirken noch etwas kräftiger und geheimnisvoller, Strukturen im Wasser etwas weicher. Der Effekt selbst stammt aus der analogen Fotografie von Michael Orton. Dieser benötige zwei Bilder dazu. Eins scharf und etwas überbelichtet und ein weiteres überbelichtetes unscharfes Foto. Diese hat er dann in der Dunkelkammer übereinander gelegt, und so entstand der Look, der mit Orton-Effekt heute bekannt ist. Dank der digitalen Fotografie, müssen wir diesen zwei Aufnahmen nicht mehr tätigen, sondern können den Effekt ganz einfach, und vor allen Dingen auch präziser und feiner in Lightroom und Photoshop nachbauen.
Forest photography in the rain — ideal or torture?
What do you do on a Sunday morning at 6 a.m. in summer? Right, you’re standing deep in the forest in the pouring rain. Instead of wrapping myself up in my comforter again, the rain is dripping off my camera and nose. But I don’t want to moan, I chose this fate myself. Is rainy weather ideal for forest photography, or will the morning be torture for me? Read/see for yourself in today’s VLOG/BLOG
Always perfect drone photos
Today I’m reporting back from my home region. More precisely from Steinsberg Castle near Sinsheim. For this morning I had planned to take some wonderful drone shots at sunrise with surrounding fields of fog. In this blog, you can find out whether I succeeded and what I look out for when taking the perfect drone shots!
Simply indescribable | Photo trip to the Faroe Islands 3/3
I’m sitting at the breakfast table in our flat, sipping comfortably on my laptop. The weather maps for the next two days show good weather for our plans. One more click and our ferries are booked. It’s easy and pretty straightforward online. These are the Faroe Islands too. I’ve booked a ferry to Mykines and Puffin Island for us today and a ferry to Kalsoy for tomorrow. So the programme for the next few days is set.
Beindruckende Wasserfälle | Foto-Reise auf die Färöer 2/3
The next few days on the Faroe Islands are coming up and it remains exciting. Over the next 48 hours, we will visit the capital, go to old mystical and legendary places, photograph waterfalls in the rain, probably the most photographed place in the Faroe Islands, climb the highest mountain in the archipelago and drive to the far north-east. But read for yourself.
Von wegen eintönig! | Foto-Reise auf die Färöer 1/3
Die Spannung stieg. Die Koffer sind gepackt, das Foto-Equipment verstaut. Wir sind bereit für die Reise auf die Färöer. Vor dem Zubettgehen noch einmal schnell die Zug- & Flug-Daten checken, dann nochmal für ein paar Stunden aufs Ohr hauen, bevor es wirklich los geht. Ich öffne meine Mails “Ihr Flug wurde storniert”. Was? Das darf doch wohl nicht wahr sein. Steht unsere Reise auf der Kippe? Wie wir trotzdem auf die Färöer kamen und was wir in den ersten beiden Tagen dort erlebten, lest ihr in diesem Blog.
One picture is enough — photo challenge in the forest
Suddenly over 1000 followers! 1000 thanks to you all! I actually wanted to tell you about the Faroe Islands this week, but I’m still struggling through the videos and pictures. So you’ll have to be patient a little longer. But to make sure you hear from me again, here’s a short entertaining video today. Out and about with my daughter, I set myself a photo challenge. But see for yourself! 😉