OK, so yesterday Rey shared his perspective and pics on our early Saturday morning when the rest of the world was sleeping sub-zero photo walk through Boston. In case you missed it, you can read it here.
He told you that the plan was for him to pick me up at 7am, which would lead you to believe that he would arrive at, hmm, about 7am. So of course when he texted me at 6:30 and said, “I’m here”, my immediate thought was “I guess I should get up now”. Racing to assemble gear and warm clothing quietly in a dark house is a challenge I invite everyone to enjoy, before coffee.
But once we landed on the streets of Beantown, we were in business.
A quick note on my gear. Everything here was shot using a:
Nikon D90 DSLR
Nikon 18-200 VR zoom
My trusty circular polarizer filter, and
My much derided monopod. More on that later.
Editing done in Corel PSP.
First stop, the waterfront overlooking Boston Harbor:
This brick building overlooks the Harbor, and it’s many curves and textures just shouted out for an HDR image. Through the last arch you can see the Harbor and on the far shore, the tower of Logan International Airport.
Because of the bright early morning light, which was still pretty low on the horizon, the interior was full of contrast: extreme light and shadows. You can see this in Rey’s treatment which creates a very moody, even foreboding feeling. The HDR process “tamed” the contrast and gives a totally different look. I think they’re both good images, and demonstrate how technique and post-processing can have a significant difference on the result.
From the waterfront we headed to the Financial District:
The “urban canyon” on the left above is a three image HDR, with perspective correction to really accentuate the depth. On the right is an older building which I tried to present as it might have been photographed when new, in B&W, with no perspective correction and adding a period edge.
I have gotten into the habit of bringing a monopod on every photo walk. Much as you’ve probably heard said about tripods, using one does cause you to take more time to compose an image, and although not as stable as a tripod, I find I can shoot longer exposures than by hand holding. For the HDR’s, the monopod was helpful. And besides, when you carry a DSLR with a beefy lens on the end of a monopod, people really think you know what you are doing. Ok, so now you really know why I use one.
Next stop, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, where you must go if you are hungry, and should go even if you are not:
Don’t miss the Daily Specials…
ISO boosted to 640 to capture these in available light.
We meandered back to the car catching various scenes along the way:
When we returned to the car, we were greeted with a parking ticket (our meter had expired 8 minutes earlier). A small price to pay for a fun morning and some memorable images.
And here’s my parting shot for you:
Yes, that’s Rey. And no, don’t ask.
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This is so interesting, seeing your two perspectives on the same morning’s shoot! You got some great shots too! You both did. Again, I really like that brick archway. Love your treatment of it in color with the tiny scene in the distance. And I quite like your biker shot, although shots like that usually don’t appeal to me. The focus and movement is nice, as is the desaturated look. Great job on all and thanks for sharing!
I enjoyed the contrasting pictures and stories from your walk with Rey. You both came away with some great shots, and surely it sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday morning. I really like the gull shot, and I’m intrigued by all the possibilities of that arched area.
Thanks for sharing your Saturday morning photo walk. You got some great shots. Enjoyed them all, especially the two versions of the brick building with the arches. It’s interesting, as you said, how a similar scene can look so different depending on pp.
Enjoyed reading your post along with Rey’s and the two contrasts. Great shots by both!