Gary Muth.... is a self certified master photographer and artist living in his own reality. Enjoy my works, maybe learn a few tips.
Panorama Made Simple
I made three exposures of the Jonathan Hager house making sure I had some over lapping of the scene.
1) Load raw images into Adobe Camera Raw. Don't worry about making any major post processing yet, you just want ACR to make a raw conversion. Select the three images. On the tool bar above go to tools > photoshop > photomerge...
2) Your images will be automatically converted and appear in the photomerge box in photoshop. Select auto layout and click ok.
3) The photos will now be automatically merged together, but may not be even around the edges. Use the crop tool to make a long rectangle format image of your panorama. Now merge the three layers.
4) You are now ready to finish your image any way you choose.
Winters End in Gettysburg
Winter is now coming to an end in Gettysburg. View of the McLean farm from the battle of Gettysburg.
Post Process it Right.
Using the new Aurora HDR Pro to post process some older images I shot in Nevada a while back. The presets work great but you came make your own presets to satisfy anyones taste. The HDR detail tool really adds sharpness and makes your images pop.
Yosemite
Trying to find new and interesting angles at America's most photographed park isn't easy. Here's my best effort with some varying focal lengths.
Upper West Side Columbus Ave.
One thing I especially like about the new Aurora HDR Pro software is the fact that one can take mediocre images and make it interesting easily. Trey has added some great pre sets that make any photo pop.
Big Price vs Low Price
Don't fall into the, "If I only had a better camera I could do that too"syndrone. The images below were taken with two different cameras by two different camera manufacturers. One was a high end top of the line professional camera with a price tag of over $6000 and the other was a low end point and shoot priced at $400. Knowing how to use your equipment and proper camera techniques will level any playing field. It's not about how expensive your camera is but what you do with the camera you have. Today digital media has developed to the point where you can actually make and sell pictures made from your iPhone. Can you tell the difference? No...me neither, the only difference here is resolution. The point and shoot picture is most satisfactory for internet use and prints up to 16x20 but the resolution will break up quicker upon enlargement and will need extra care.
For anyone interested, the top image was the point and shoot.
Waterfall Workshop 2016
I am hosting our waterfall workshop this year on May 11th. This year we will be doing seven waterfalls. They are Lockport falls, Royalton falls, Medina falls, Clarendon falls, Holley falls, Akron falls and finish with Niagara falls. Ten hours, hands on training on proper techniques. Transportation and lunch is included. Must have a camera with manual exposure adjustments and a tripod. Seats are limited, email, muth_gary@yahoo.com if interested.
Tunnel View for the Billionth time
This is called the tunnel view at Yosemite National Park. I was looking for a dramatic image of this magnificent scene so I shot in B&W. The overlook was crowded with many tourists, like me, trying to get that epic image that Ansel Adams has made so iconic. One could only hope he would be flattered that so many people want to emulate him. They say copying is the greatest form of flattery. I would guess this image is only one of the billions of images taken from this spot.
Feeding Nuthatch
Our resident nuthatch prefers C&S High Energy Suet Cakes during the cold winter months. While feeding this guy still has time to ham it up for the camera. Quick shot in our backyard with Nikon D3 with 70-200mm 2.8 lens. Iso 800, 1/800 at f-4, -0.33 exposure compensation. Raw conversion with Aurora HDR Pro with additional exposure and color adjustments in Photoshop CC.
Too Late Almost
I had plans to visit New York on January 23rd but winter storm Jonas made me wait until the weekend after. One, glad I did because the streets were clogged with snow. Two, regrets because by the time I got there the park was trampled. Here are a few I got in Central Park on the 31st a week later.
On Broadway
This interesting building was on Broadway and 73rd St. in NYC. What I love most about the Canon powershot hs50 sx is the zoom. The small lightweight camera zoom is perfect for travel photography. Saves me from carrying a lot of gear. I was very unhappy when Canon butchered the new model. As a real photographer I would gladly give up all the gimmicky gadgets meaning the scene modes, face detection, and so on and keep the real stuff like raw format, flash mount, faster focusing. Just my opinion.
Who You Gonna Call
My recent trip to New York City I got a chance to photograph the famous apartment building that was possessed by Zuul the Gatekeeper of Gozer in the 1984 Ghostbuster movie. I took a few creative liberties and added some effects to the images.
Tips for Birding in Florida
Things you need to get right when photographing birds. Always have the eyes sharp. Make sure the bird is showing a frontal or side view. Always get a proper exposure. This white egret is very difficult to capture all it's details in the white feathers against the blue background, but when done right it looks awesome.
Race Day
This image is one I shot last year at Presque Isle Raceway in Erie. I wanted to re-work it with new Aurora HDR pro software.
Lucy.....I'm home
I just had to stop and grab this picture. I was in Jamestown,NY the birth place of the great comedian Lucille Ball and I saw this mural and just couldn't resist snapping a picture. Everyone my age grew up watching episode after episode of I Love Lucy. This mural depicts Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel driving in a convertible having a great time. Such great comedians and such great memories. The mural is huge and painted on the side of a three story building on Harrison Street right across from Friendly's Restaurant.
Who Stinks ?
Halyomorpha halys - brown marmorated stink bug. I used focus stacking for this guy. I took 55 images at varied focus depths and stacked the images in zerene stacker. The image was then finished off in Photoshop CC. Canon powershot SX50 HS w/ Raynor 250 ISO 80 f-8 @ 1/400 sec. Two SB600 speedlights @ 1/64 power, focus rail.
Using HDR for Depth and Detail.
You can use HDR photography to bring out depth and detail. This image was made using 5 bracketed shots at -1 stop intervals. I merged these images in Aurora HDR Pro and over saturated some of the colors to broaden the tonal value of my image. I finished it in Photoshop CC by creating a new adjustment layer in B&W and adjusting color tones individually until I got the desired result.
Foggy Morning at Martins Mill
Don't let the weather control when you shoot. Often inclement weather like rain or fog will add dramatic impact or interest to your photos. Just make sure you protect your equipment for the conditions you are shooting.
Martins Mill Bridge
I love to photograph covered bridges. It just makes good sense to find as many interesting angles of the bridge as you can. I walk the banks up and down the creek on both sides until I find the right place to plant a tripod. This Greencastle bridge was made in 1849. It is no longer in use and closed off to traffic. The early morning fog gives these images added appeal.
Sach's Bridge, Gettysburg
When I got to this bridge it was raining and getting dark quickly. I used my Nikon D3 with a 24-85mm at f-8, iso 200. I mounted the camera on a tripod so I could drag the shutter to pull in all the ambient light I could catch. I then used a micro fiber clothe to cover the lens and camera and also used it to clean rain water from the lens. I bracketed five exposures and merged them in Aurora HDR Pro and finished off the image in Photoshop CC.
Chambersburg Christmas Tree
Evening shot of the town square in Chambersburg, Pa. I used three -1 stop exposure bracket and merged them with Aurora HDR Pro.
Always Protect Your Gear
The falls attract many gulls because the food is plentiful. Occasionally you can spot a peregrine falcon in the gorge. Niagara Falls always has something interesting to offer. This image was taken from the Maid of the Mist. You will get very wet on that boat so make sure your equipment is well protected. I used large zip lock clear bag to cover my camera. Snipped a corner off just big enough to squeeze the lens through then capped the lens with a clear UV filter. Make sure to bring a micro fiber clothe to wipe the lens of water droplets frequently because the mist is fierce down there.
American Falls
Dramatic image of Niagara Falls. I prefer to shoot my falls images from low angles to show power and impact in my images. This image was taken from the Maid of the Mist boat passing by the American falls in the lower gorge. I converted it to black and white for more impact.
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