Someone once said you can’t go home and have it be the same. So true. I’ve been going back periodically to visit and documment my home town of Macksville, Kansas for several years. I become melancholy after being here for a short while, knowing the town I grew up in will never be the same. The town viewed and experienced through the eyes of and 18 year old are long gone. As time has passed the town has decayed. Gone are the stores and restaurant I worked in and sat end talking endlessly with friends. Many have closed and buildings have be shuttered or torn down. I still love to explore as my curiosity is greater than ever. As a photographer, I try to capture what was, but I never will. Life was simpler then.
HDR photography is not always a product of three to seven separate images. Nor does it have to be overdone to loose the effect and value of the hdr. The image above was taken during a visit to my home town in Kansas. Having been there previously I knew there was the likelihood of a potential nice landscape image at sunset, not to mention a high probability of catching a fish or two.
Shortly before this image was captured on a nearby field they started burning some native brush. This gave the perception of a gathering storm and gave texture to the sky. As I was ready to start shooting the big fish struck. My host Glen quickly came over to reel in the fish. With a slight reposition to the right I was able to capture this image as the fishing rod was bent over lined up with the cloud formation from the fire.
In postproduction I brought the files into Lightroom. I made two virtual copies and then adjust them to give three distinct images for the highlights, midtones and the shadow detail. After merging them and adjusting them in Photomatix we had the sunset, fishing shot and a thank you print for my host.
Images from 2012 Macksville Journey