Art by Wade

  I thought I’d share the basic steps I took to turn my camera image of the Tree Trimmer into the final image. I took this image while visiting Duke Gardens. I actually went back after first seeing the worker as I decided I really wanted an image of him cutting the top off the tree. I did get that shot, but decided that I liked him removing the next section better as there were fewer branches to obstruct the view of the worker. I spent about 30 minutes watching him work and taking pictures from different spots. Here is the image I started with, basically straight out of the camera, with no edits. As you can see, the image is pretty good, with isolation and pretty good contrast, etc. Next, I played around in Lightroom for a while and decided I liked the look of higher tonal contrast applied to the image. I used a preset for this, but the main changes were to bump Clarity, Shadows and Whites, while pushing down Contrast, Highlights and Blacks. As shown below. Here is the image w...

  Besides creating software and database applications for a world class lighting company, I’m also an amateur photographer. Everyone needs something they are passionate about, something that sparks your curiosity and gets you out of bed in the morning. For me, that is photography. When I am taking photographs or editing them later, time just flows and I lose myself in the task. This feeling of being in the zone is a wonderful feeling and can be enjoyed by anyone. Find your passion and hold on! Cheers, Wade About the image: My entry (image above) for Stripes in the Photography Scavenger Hunt  earned me an Honorable Mention from Sandra Parlow. I am honored to be selected out of the 273 images submitted. The image was taken at the NC Art Museum in Raleigh NC. I have taken many photographs of this building and was happy that this recent shot got noticed.

  Here are 15 random things about me: I married my high school sweetheart (5 years after graduation and after 3 years apart). I am the only child in my family with a four year college degree and both of my kids have finished college and ware working full time. I worked full time while in college (paying my own way) and finished with no loans and no debt. I love to watch animated movies such as The Incredibles and Up! I write software that helps my company’s factories track inventory and gather engineering data. I have worked as a baker’s assistant, stock boy, restaurant host, waiter, bus boy, meat cutter (butcher), frozen food clerk, dairy department manager, cashier, materials coordinator (part buyer), programmer, web master, IT department manager, real estate photographer, software developer and database developer. My first two cars cost less than $600 combined. They were an AMC Hornet and a Ford LTD. I once hid in the back seat of a yellow Ford Gremlin in order to sneak into a d...