Monthly Inspirational Photos: 2011

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Occupy Wall Street Zuccotti Park Images and one of a kind HDR photos

Thank you for visiting this blog. These one of a kind digital photos feature beautiful photographs and HDR images from Zuccotti Park, in Lower Manhattan NYC.

At the time of this blog posting, one can turn on the television set on any given day, or read in the newspaper about the daily developments occuring at Zuccotti Park, formerly named Liberty Plaza or Liberty Park. Since September 17th of this year the half acre plus park has transformed in to a daily operations center, protest camp and living quarters for many of the protesters referred as a collective group with the theme "Occupy Wall Street".

More recent and public concerns have been focused on the sanitary conditions of the park. Zuccotti Park normally is inspected and cleaned every week night but the grounds have not been cleaned since Sept 16th.

The images below were taken October 6th and represent some of the individuals who were present at Zuccotti Park this morning.

Occupy Wall Street Zuccotti Park HDR - Oct 6th 2011

Occupy Wall Street Zuccotti Park HDR- The above and below images were taken on Oct 6th 2011. The photographs capture the expressions and intensity on the faces of a collective group of people at Zuccotti Park on this morning.

Occupy Wall Street Zuccotti Park HDR

Occupy Wall Street Zuccotti Park

Occupy Wall Street Zuccotti Park HDR Black and White

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Sunday, October 2, 2011

Beautiful HDR and Images NYC and California Coast to Coast

Thank you for visiting this blog. These one of a kind digital photos featuring beautiful photographs and HDR images from Yosemite National Park are also found at http://www.inspirationalpics.com/.

Below are some beautiful images from NYC and California and are more examples of the HDR processed photographs that were mentioned in previous blog posts which give these images the extra "pop" and tones and colors.

I will start with the NYC photographs.

NYC Photos

View of NYC HDR

View of NYC HDR- This image was taken up from the 50th floor of the OLP Tower in NYC and captures the architecture and buildings and beauty of NYC. To the right and not in the picture would be the Brooklyn Bridge to put things in perspective and if you were to look (again not in the picture) to the left another 40% you would be able to see the Statue of Liberty on a clear day.

Brooklyn Bridge NYC HDR

The Brooklyn Bridge HDR, built in 1883 is a beautiful bridge. It connects and spans from Manhattan over to Brooklyn is one of the world's longest suspension bridges at nearly one thousand six hundred feet long. This bridge is one of my favorite to photograph. I also took this photograph from the 50th floor looking down.

Times Square NYC HDR

Times Square NYC HDR- This image captures the vibrant colors, the beauty, and action. This photograph represents a tyical scene on a busy week day in Times Square a paradise for shopping, restaurants, photographers, and people watching.. Every New Year's Eve Times Square thousands gather at the site for the the annual ball drop to celebrate the New Year together. The Theatre District is an extension of the Times Square and one can spend days site seeing.

Musician NYC HDR

Musician NYC HDR- People of NYC- On any given day in NYC you can stroll the streets and find people. Lots of people, all types including this image of a man playing a flute, sitting in a comfortable chair while protesters gather near One Liberty Plaza to demonstrate against the Gov't and Wall Street and voice their opinions. The momentum seems to carry forward as hundreds of arrests are starting to take place, more recently over 700 who were arrested on or near the Brooklyn Bridge.

California Photos

San Francisco Exploratorium HDR

San Francisco Exploratorium HDR - This photo captures the beauty of the Exploratorium, one of the most popular of icons of San Francisco. This museum mixes both the art and sciences together with over 400 exhibits for locals and tourists to see. The water surrounding the structure is complete with birds, geese, ducks and a sanctuary for wildlife and nature.

San Francisco Street Scene HDR

San Francisco Street Scene HDR- The streets of San Francisco, unlike NYC, do not have a subway system. So navigating San Francisco can be a frustrating experience where parking is hard to find if you are driving, expensive, and getting from one district to the other can be challenging and time consuming. However, the city is beautiful and there are plenty of site to see. This particular photograph is simple. I like the tall palm trees and the colors, and the scene when I took this. Often you will see small restaurant settings like this (maybe not with palm trees lining the sidewalks) depending on which area of the city you are in.

Couple Embracing Golden Gate Bridge

Couple Embracing - San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge- Ok. So this is not an HDR processed photograph, but it happens to be one of my very favorites. This is a candid and intimate moment of an unknown couple with the beautiful bridge in the background and the sun is about to set. The rolling fog often obscures much of the bridge but makes for spectacular photographs. Depending on the moons position, the fog, and the sun and even the ships and sailboats out in the water really adds to the imagery one can see.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Yosemite Photographs- Inspirational HDR photography, Half Dome, Nature

Yosemite Valley- Yosemite Falls HDR

Yosemite Mirror Lake HDR image

Yosemite Merced River - Lower Yosemite Falls Area

Lower Yosemite Falls HDR - Near the John Muir Dedication

Yosemite's Half Dome- HDR Image

Yosemite Buck- Lower Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Buck- Lower Yosemite Valley August 2011

Baby Mule Deer- Yosemite National Park

Yosemite Trees- Near Awahnee Hotel and Merced River

View of Half Dome from Lower Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Big Cat- Off the Trail to the Upper Yosemite Falls View

Yosemite Young Mule Deer- Lower Yosemite Valley

                                      Baby Mule Deer- Lower Yosemite Valley

We hope that you enjoyed these beautiful and inspiring photos. Yosemite is one of the most beautiful places for a vacation or a long day trip. View more hi-resolution photography and galleries by visiting www.inspirationalpics.com

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

California Rodeo Pictures Bronc Riding, Bull Riding - Inspirational Photos

Thank you for visiting this blog. These one of a kind digital photos have now been added in the Action Sports Gallery found on the link at http://www.inspirationalpics.com/.

The photographs below are a small sampling which represent some of the world's most renown Rodeo professionals. From the few hours and angles that I had for this shoot and the sunlight conditions, I hope that you enjoy these photos. One regret is that I do not have the names of the individuals represented in these action shots.

Bareback Bronc Riding- Action Sports Gallery

Bareback Bronc Riding- After the initial jump out of the chute, the
cowboy aligns his spurs above the horse's shoulders, until the horse's feet hit the ground. If the rider fails, touches the horse, himself or his equipment with his free hand, he is disqualified. Dangerous, exciting, and the most physically demanding event at the Rodeo, this event always draws a good crowd and the coyboys are amazing to watch.

Bareback Bronc Riding - Action Sports Gallery

Saddle Bronc Riding - Action Sports Gallery

Saddleback Bronc Riding- Like Bronc Riding the Saddleback Bronc Rider must follow strict guidelines to remain qualified. From the first jump out of the chute the cowboy's feet must touch the shoulders of the horse on the first jump which is referred as a "mark out." Failure to do so or "missing the mark" results in a no score mark and disqualification. Judges score on the horses bucking action, the rider's control over the horse and the spurring action. The goal is to remain on the bronc for eight seconds and score high.

Saddle Back Bronc Riding- Action Sports Gallery

Bronc Rider - Action Sports Gallery

Bronc Rider Tossed - Action Sports Gallery

Bull Riding Event - Action Sports Gallery

Bull Riders - Like the bronc and saddleback bronc riders the bull rider must hang on with one hand only and the goal is the same at eight harowing seconds on the bull. If the rider's free hand touches either the bull or himself, the score is zero. Common scores are judged on the mere ability for the rider to stay on the bull and the cowboys are not required to "mark out."

Bull Rider - Action Sports Gallery

The Unpredictable Bull is just that. No one out there in the arena is out of dangers way unless they are on the opposite side of the fence from the bull. The bull is powerful, massive, explosive, and can change directions in micro seconds. No bull has the same bucking patterns.

Steer Wrestling - Action Sports Gallery

Steer Wrestling- Also referred to in rodeos as Bulldogging is a race against the clock for cowboys to compete against each other on time. Bulldoggers charge out of the chute on their horse with a hazer to keep the steer running straight without turning. The goal of the bulldogger or steer wrestler is to jump off the right side of the horse which is traveling about 30mph, wrap his right arm around the steer's right horn, all while holding the left horn with his left hand and bring down the steer. When the steer's four feet are pointing in the same direction and the animal is on it's side, the clock stops. This event is the quickest event in the rodeo and times are recorded in a matter of seconds.

Steer Wrestling- Action Sports Gallery

Cowboy and His Rope - Action Sports Gallery

Steer Wrestling - Action Sports Gallery

Cowboy Checking his Watch for Event Score - Action Sports Gallery

We hope that you enjoyed these photos and the professionals and world class champions that are shown in these images. View more sports action and hi-resolution photography by visiting www.inspirationalpics.com

Inspirational Pics - View my most interesting photos on Flickriver

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Beautiful HDR Photos Berlin and Munich Germany-

Thank you for visiting this blog. These one of a kind digital photos were recently taken in Berlin and Munich and then processed using HDR (high dynamic range) post editing techniques which can dramatically accentuate tone mapping and color saturation all depending on the scenery and blending of the lighting.

HDR photographs created in the final editing stages are best achieved by blending (in this case three images) with each image shot with varying exposure compensation settings (using auto exposure bracketing). The constant was the aperature settings for each. Camera settings were adjusted manually for rapid succession of shots to include one underexposured frame and one overexposured frame with final editing of all three images in their HDR format to add the extra "sizzle and pop".

I hope you enjoy the photographs. The first hi-resolution HDR image, shown below is street corner scene taken in Berlin taken just before sunset.

HDR Image- Berlin Germany- Objects Gallery

Berlin, Germany- One of the most fascinating places I have visited and a beautiful place to photograph, Berlin Germany has much history and hidden secrets. This happens to be one of my favorite off the beaten path images.

Soviet War Memorial - Berlin (Tiergarten)

Soviet War Memorial- Berlin, Germany- Erected in 1945 this park and memorial was dedicated to the fallen Soviet soldiers during World War II and is located at the 17 June Street very close to the German parliament - A bronze statue of a soviet soldier prominently positioned on top of the memorial wall which shares a resemblance to the Brandenburger Gate. The inscription on the side of this memorial reads, "ETERNAL GLORY TO HEROES WHO FELL IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST THE GERMAN FASCIST INVADERS FOR THE FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE SOVIET UNION". The memorial is maintained by the City of Berlin and a beautiful place to stop in an visit.

Marienplatz - Munich Germany - Objects Gallery

Marienplatz represents the heart of Munich - The square, originally known as Schrannen was later renamed Marienplatz (St. Mary's Square) as a way to ask Virgin Mary to protect the town from a cholera epidemic. Included is the heavy tourist popular Marien tower and the Rathaus-Glockenspiel, where people gather in front of the New Town Hall to witness the ornate mechanical clock with 43 bells and 32 life-sized automaton figures. The Glockenspiel chimes at 11 a.m. every day (as well as 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. in summer). The Neues Rauthaus, which houses the glockenspiel, is a beautiful buliding that was built from 1867 until 1906, and survived the bombing in WWII.

Victory Column- Berlin, Germany- Objects Gallery

Victory Column (Siegessäule)- Berlin, Germany- The Victory Column is a monumental structure located in the middle of Berlin's Tiergarten. The column is 226 feet tall and is crowned by a bronze statue of the goddess Victoria. Visitors can climb the 285 steps to a viewing platform at the top which has an observatory, offering great views of Berlin. Looking eastward, tourists can see the Reichstag, the Brandenburger Gate and the Fernsehturm. More below....

View from the top Berlindomer- Berlin Objects Gallery

Mother with her Dead Son - Neue Wache, Berlin Objects Gallery

The interior of the Neue Wache, showing the Käthe Kollwitz sculpture Mother with her Dead Son and the oculus, which exposes the sculpture to the elements.

The Fernsehturm - TV Tower, Berlin Objects Gallery

The Fernsehturm (German for television tower)- is the fourth tallest freestanding structure in Europe. The original total height of the tower was 365 metres (1,198 ft), but it rose to 368 metres (1,207 ft) after the installation of a new antenna in the 1990s.

Munich Germany- Objects Gallery

View from the Berlindomer- Berlin, Germany

Berlin, Germany- Objects Gallery

Berlin, Germany - Objects Gallery

Berlin Germany- Objects Gallery

Munich, Germany- Objects Gallery

Munich, Germany- Objects Gallery

The below photos were taken with a Canon EOS 7D camera in Berlin, but with no HDR post editing techniques. Enjoy!

Jewish Holocaust Museum- Berlin, Germany

Germany Statue- Objects Gallery

Germany Church- Objects Gallery

Jewish Holocaust Museum- Berlin, Germany

End of HDR Photos- Berlin and Munich Germany

If you have any questions feel free to email to inspirationalpics@rocketmail.com

Many one of a kind hi-resolution images are also viewable at http://www.inspirationalpics.com/

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This earlier posted Blog shows some sports action photography photos from the SAP open. Enjoy!!

Thank you for visiting my blog. May the 2011 year ahead be a special year for all of you. I wish you happiness, peace, joy and love. Don't forget your new years resolutions and spending time with your loved ones and those special to you. Here below are some more action sports shots- Tennis.

If you have any questions feel free to email to inspirationalpics@rocketmail.com

Many action sport images may be found in hi-resolution at http://www.inspirationalpics.com/

Gael Monfils - SAP Open Feb 2011

Gael Monfils (FRA), ranked #12 in the world, is an amazing professional tennis player and athlete. The below images are an example of the level of energy and effort you might expect to see when watching him perform as captured in this and other fast action photographs at the SAP Open on Thursday night in his singles match vs Robert Kendrick (USA). Gael when on to win the high energy match. I hope that I have more chances to see Gael perform again.

Gael Monfils (FRA)- Feb 10th 2011 vs Robert Kendrick (USA)

Unfortunately, Monfils withdrew from the SAP tournament after advancing to the quarter-finals after injuring his left wrist and being unable to play. Milos Raonic (CAN) went on to win the the SAP Tennis Open by defeating the defending champion Fernando Verdasco in the final.

Gael Monfils (FRA)- Feb 10th 2011 vs Robert Kendrick (USA)

Robert Kendrick (USA) playing against Gael Monfils (FRA) - SAP Open Feb 2011

Robert Kendrick caught in action with the camera at the SAP Open Thursday night vs Gael Monfils in San Jose, CA.