Gold and Brick

Gold and Brick, originally uploaded by Jersey Rich.

I discovered this building while walking to work in Philadelphia. The early morning light was being reflected onto the face of this building. What really caught my eye was the old weathered doors and the red brick. I have no clue was this building once was. The pain on the wall was very faded and I'm sure it changed owners a few times. The cobblestones leading to the door were also interesting. The image was processed using GIMP and Corel Painter Essentials. I hope you enjoy the image.

Red Square

Red Square, originally uploaded by Jersey Rich.

I like shooting odd angles and the buildings in Center City Philadelphia give you plenty of opportunity. I was also looking at combining several different elements. I used GIMP to brighten the reds of the awnings. I also increased color saturation, and brightness and contrast. Added a black to transarent gradient to the bottom and extending upwards.

Calm Within a Storm

Calm Within a Storm, originally uploaded by Jersey Rich.

As I was shooting some shots of a natural spillway from a lake I spotted a red leaf that somehow managed to stay where it was. The sun was above and to camera left. It was partly cloudy and when the sun came out it lit this leaf up. It looked so calm that it wasn't even moving.

I try my best to not worry about the camera settings when I shoot. I try to focus my attention on the entire image. I'll often shift the camera around several times before snapping an image. This one of about 50 shots. I played with exposure compensation and prefer to have the image slightly on the dark side so as not to blow out the details of any lighter areas. I also shoot with max color saturation and contrast.