Fan Palms
Nikon D80 18-135mm @ 31mm ISO 160 3-bkts Lr3, HDR Efex Pro; Color Efex Pro
Palm trees are prevalent throughout Southern California. This shot was made in Chino Hills, California. I was attracted to the symmetry and grace of the palms when I captured this image, then brought emphasis to the sky and balanced the blue of the sky against the warm tones of the buildings using Color Efex Pro.
Mother & Daughter Bonding
Nikon D80 18-135mm @ 50mm ISO 160 3-bkts f/11 Lr3; HDR Efex Pro
When history is written in the future, it might be said that women were pioneers in the 18th century, homemakers in the 19th century, professionals in the 20th century, and shoppers in the 21st century. It might also be said that men were still in the feudal age in the 21st century, desperately grasping for power and treasure, more prone to waging war than making peace.
Audacity
Nikon D80 18-135mm @ 135mm ISO 160 3-bkts f/11 Lr3, HDR Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro2; PsCs5
In the car culture of Southern California some car owners will go to any length to keep their pride and joy from acquiring any scratches or dings.
The f/11 setting helped keep the car and the signs in focus, I then added a layer in Photoshop with a Gaussian blur, then masked out the car and the signs to create a bokeh effect after the fact. Silver Efex Pro 2 was used to convert to black and white, and then to selectively reveal the color in the signs.
