Stone Arches

Stone Arches, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

The Rockville Bridge, at the time of its completion in 1902, was the longest stone masonry arch railroad viaduct in the world. Constructed between 1900 - 1902 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, it has forty-eight 70-foot spans, for a total length of 3,820 feet (1,164 m).

In hindsight, I think the other side of the bridge may be more interesting. I'll have to check that out next time I'm in Central Pennsylvania.

This shot was made from three exposures, -2, 0, +2, merged in Photomatrix. I think added the texturing and border in Photoshop. I also toned down the colors to make it a bit less vibrant, which I think fits. A lot of the yellow/orange color your seeing actually comes from the texture layered over top of the shot.

Ben

Ben, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

This is a shot of Ben Franklin as he sits on his throne watching over all the visitors to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. I used to love going to the F.I. as a kid with my grandparents. Recently, I went as an "adult" with my wife, sister, and brother-in-law. It was still pretty fun. Maybe someday I'll take my grandkids.

In any event, this is taken from a single exposure. The saturation was boosted as were contrast and black levels.

Shrooms

Shrooms, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

This was one of the, if not the, first shot I took with my Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens when I bought it. I believe I attached the lens in the kitchen while I happened to be cooking some mushrooms. I don't remember what the mushrooms were for. Steak if I had to guess. I'm sure they were delicious.

This shot was taken wide-open at f/1.8, hence the very shallow depth of field. It's also an HDR shot, created from three exposures, -2. 0, +2. I think it's actually fairly interesting for a shot that was taken strictly for purposes of screwing around with a new lens.

The Stone Barn

The Stone Barn, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

A stone barn at Ft. Hunter Park, just north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Pretty solid structure if you ask me. Doesn't look like it's going anywhere for a while.

I really like the way this one came out. I had to blend two different images together to get the sky the way I wanted it to look behind the building. The building itself is an HDR image from three exposures. The sky is just one exposure, edited in Photoshop to bring out the contrast in the clouds. I love the colors here. Hope you do too.

1937 BMW 328

1937 BMW 328, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

1937 BMW 328 from the Simeone Foundation in Philadelphia, PA. From the Foundation's website: BMW 328s were commonly ordered by wealthy Germans to compete against each other at the Nürburgring. Since the cars were virtually identical, the winner could claim bragging rights as “the best driver.”

The Nürburgring was opened in 1927, the same year that Mercedes and Benz were joined. This marque, along with many others would find fame on the legendary 18-mile circuit, built to be a showcase for German engineering and driving talent.

This shot is another in my series of classic cars (all from the Simeone Foundation) that I processed from multiple exposures. Textures were added to give the worn, classic, historic, etc. feel, similar to the 1926 Kissel and 1938 Jaguar. If you care, the reason I used the heavy texturing and processing is because I wasn't happy with the shots as taken. In hindsight, my framing, pov, and focus could have been better on many of them. Treating them to make them look "worn" feels natural to me for the subject and creates a good look, all while hiding my perceived shortcoming with the original shots. Of course, everyone will have different opinions....

View On Black

1926 Kissel 8-75 Speedster

1926 Kissel 8-75 Speedster, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

If you couldn't tell from the description, this is a 1926 Kissel 8-75 Speedster. This particular car (of which I believe there are only 4 left in the world) is owned by the Simeone Foundation and located in Philadelphia, PA.

This shot was taken from three different exposures and combined in Photomatrix. I wasn't happy with the noise in the shot, so I first converted it to black and white in Photoshop, and then added two textures. It's the textures that are giving it the brownish/yellow tint and also the crease lines and border. I was really happy with the way this came out in the end. I think the textures work perfectly for this old car giving a worn look to the shot.

I'd love to hear what you think.

Hot Potato

Hot Potato, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

And for something a little different today. . . .

It was amazing. I was on my way home from work when I saw a forest fire raging out of control in the local National Forest. Before I could even run to get help, out of the blue appeared this brave Potato. Within minutes, the fire was under control and everyone was safe. It was amazing. Not a single life was lost or a single hash browned.

Seriously though, this shot took a little bit of setting up and a little bit of luck. The cardboard I used for the fire burned a little hotter and a little higher than I expected, so there was a little worry for a minute or two that I would burn the house down. Luckily, I had a garden hose nearby and no one was hurt.

I'm not sure what the neighbors were thinking if they happened to see me in the backyard playing with toys and setting fires at 8:30 pm on a Tuesday. I think it was worth it though, I really like this shot.

What Lies Beyond

What Lies Beyond, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

So obviously I lied about stopping my experiments with textures and processing (overprocessing?). While I do realize that these images aren't "photography" in it's purest sense, I really like some of the images I've created, this one in particular.

I'm always curious to see what you out there think. What works, what doesn't, so keep the comments coming. Thanks for looking and sharing.

Special thanks to JoesSistah's for the textures, they're beautiful.

Lights

Lights, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

Took this shot of a street lamp in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. After much work in Photoshop, this is the result. I like it, but do you?

King of the Hill

King of the Hill, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

I saw this whist driving through Northeastern Pennsylvania coal country. It's a giant pile of red dirt that looked like it belonged on Mars, except for the rolling hills behind it. I'm not really sure what that is sticking out of the top or why its there.

I added some texturing because I'm in a texturing phase and it makes me happy. Also, I like the experimentation in photoshop. One more thing. I'm not sure how I get the white out of the rounded edges. Obviously, when you view this shot against a white background, it doesn't matter, but here it looks silly. I'll get right on that.

Tug

Tug, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

This shot was taken on the dock next to the Celebrity Solstice cruise ship. My sister and her husband thought it would be funny if we read "tug" as a verb (and a suggestion) instead of a noun. I digitally cross-processed the shot, reduced the saturation, and added some texturing as I'm want to do.

Also, I thought this would be a nice change from some of the other shots I've posted here.

30 Rock

30 Rock, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

During my last visit to NYC for my sister-in-law's birthday, I had a chance to meander around the city a bit. I couldn't pass up the chance to check out Rockafeller Center and take a picture with all of the other tourists in Rockafeller Center taking pictures, so I did.

This shot of 30 Rock is an HDR image created from three exposures at -2, 0, +2 exposure values. I wish I had a wider angle lens for this shot so I could have gotten more of the bottom of the building in the bottom of the frame, but I don't. Maybe when I get a new lens I'll have to head back.

Please feel free to post any comments, positive or negative, either here or by clicking on the photo. Thanks.

Darth Tater

Darth Tater, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

I was very lucky to capture this candid shot. I had to use a telephoto and hide in the bushes across the street, lest I be captured. When commenting, please consider the danger I was in when taking such a wonderful photograph of such a dark and dangerous individual.

Really though, this was more experimentation with nighttime shooting, a tripod, and my 50mm 1.8 lens. I like this shot of Mr. Potatohead.

From Within

From Within, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

This is one of the first shots that I took with my 50mm lens when I got it a few months ago. Shot at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Great place to walk around and look at flowers, but a little pricey in my opinion. I like the color and framing of this photo, and I think the HDR looks nice, if not a little overprocessed.

Hope you like. Please feel free to comment either here on by clicking the photo on Flickr.

Guardian

Guardian, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

This is a shot of one of the many old and stately elm trees that line Allen Street going up into Penn State's campus in University Park. Unfortunately, there has been an outbreak of elms yellow disease that has been slowly killing off most of these trees that have been around for over 100 years. It's sad and will take away from some of the beauty of campus. Read more here if you're interested.

Following some of the comments about the "distracting" background, I softened it a bit in photoshop. I think that made it better. Thanks for the comments.

Amidst a Crowd

Amidst a Crowd, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

Taken in Times Square, NYC at 3am on Sunday morning, April 26, 2009. I wonder if the flowers get confused about the time of day with all that light all the time.

Maple's Mood

Maple's Mood, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

Took a few shots today of the Japanese maple outside of my house, now that it's opened up for the season. I liked the contrast that was already there and thought maybe a moody paper texture would enhance it. I ended up using a stained piece of cardboard as the texture. I like the way it came out.

Now that it's rained for 8 straight days, the plants in the yard are growing monstrous.

Shadows of You 1

Shadows of You 1, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

I've been working on my texturing techniques. I find that they can really add to certain pictures and turn an otherwise ordinary picture in to a work of art (or at least something more unordinary). I think this one came out really well.

I also made a second version using two different textures. I'll post that soon and you can tell me which you like better.

'53 Jaguar C-Type

'53 Jaguar C-Type, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

This is a shot of a 1953 Jaguar C-Type that is in the collection of the Simeone Foundation in Philadelphia. This particular 1953 Jaguar C-Type came in third in the 1953 Sebring 12-hour race driven by Johnson and Wilder.

Please click on the picture to comment. Thanks!

Back Again, Different Fomat

If anyone still reads this blog (and you should, because the content posted on here is all fantasticly entertaining and witty), I am now going to be posting more regularly. More specifically, Flickr is going to be posting more regularly for me. Let me explain:

Work has generally sucked all creativity from me as far as blogging goes. This has resulted in semi-annual posts on this blog, as opposed to daily, which is what I used to strive for. Work has not, however, sucked all creativity from me. I have been working on my photography recently, both shooting and post-processing. I'm going to be posting that photography on this website for you to enjoy, critique, etc.

Please comment on my pictures and help me get better. Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated. It will only help me improve. Please click on the photos and comment on the Flickr page, where I'll be sure to see your comments.

Thanks everyone, and I hope you enjoy (also, I'll try to post here occasionally with my former attempts at entertainment).