Starry starry niiiiight... (warning, pho to!)

“

It was a cold, clear night and the stars were shimmering in the night sky. Ha ha! I can't cry wolf this time, you guys are on to me! The original shot is from Lakes Basin in Kings Canyon National Park, taken late in the evening. Jim and I watched the sunset from this vantage point, it was awesome! But the lighting also lends itself to a full-moonish nighttime shot as well. So I did. I'm so manipulative.”

“That's amazing. Surreal really.”

“Beautiful, but I'm skeptical now, Buck. You added the night sky part, didn't you?”

“that is soooo awesome it looks almost fake!

U didnt "photochop" that did u”

“hey buck...
not bad, but you forgot to add the twinkling stars and a darker background on the lake... :-)”

“But... but... but... pinkbubelz, the full moon washed out the lake reflection! ;^Þ”

“buck you faker :P :D”

“Oops, I hit a wrong key.

I meant to say the first photo IS NO FAKER THAN THIS ONE! I swear.”

“the stars are fake”

“Buck--the full moon wouldn't cause the reflection from the direction you have it on the lake... We gotcha redhanded!”

“The truth is now out... :-)”

“The stars look like they were made with Wite-Out!”

“Those three larger ones to the left of the peak are definitely U.F.O.s.”

“The first shot was really a late evening shot in Lakes Basin from where we watched the sunset. I just spilled a bucket of black paint in the sky and used that little pencil thing in Photoshop and just dotted some stars real quick. The second shot was actually an early morning, pre-sunrise shot of Bench Lake, and I did the same thing. I did both of these very quickly and crudely (my Photoshop skills are very minimal). I bet if someone reeeeeally wanted to take their time and do it right, you could make some cool stars... even match the sky astronimcally correct. As for me, I was just goofin' around while I was scanning.”

“LOL-- so... we are to be skeptics of your photos from now on?!”

“MarkO is correct... in fact on that night at Bench Lake I was abducted by three different UFOs. It was a hotbed of UFO activity. But I've seen worse. I was very very sore the next day.”

“pinky, the photo itself is real (minus the obviously painted sky and stars)... but yes, if you see something in my photos that is not physically possible to do with film or camera or lenses, such as this, then be skeptical, ha ha! Otherwise my photos are straight scans.”

“Also, pinky, you might wanna be wary of my UFO stories too. :Þ

But I do have one serious Bigfoot story, even though I joke around about Bigfoot a lot.”

“LOL... I'm just fooling with ya....

What kind of scanner do you use? a digital negative scanner? I'm thinking of getting one myself...

Have you ever done any polaroid transfers with your slides?”

“Now if I were Bill Clinton, I would assure you that these photos are indeed real.

"I DID NOT FAKE THESE PHOTOS, MISS PINKY!" (pounding fist on podium)”

“LOL... I play with photoshop and have altered a few pix, but mostly editing people (i.e. removing blemishes, that sort of thing... also use it to "spot" the dust specks off.)

Haven't had a chance to make my own sunsets, etc, but I'm a painter and like watching the lights and darks.... Still trying to figure out how I can manage to pack some painting materials with me on a hike without having it weigh 20 lbs!”

“I was very very sore the next day.”
Buck
11:32:50 AM


Did you get butt slammed by aliens?”

“Treebeard, I just don't wanna talk about it, okay? A little courtesy is all I ask. Next subject please. How 'bout that John Kerry, eh?”

“Buck, I think you should talk about it. It's the only way you can fully recover from your ordeal.”

“People just laugh though, and it hurts.”

“Sure, I believe in inalienable rights and all, but THAT'S going too far, IMHO.”

“They aren't laughing at you, they are laughing with you.”

“And sheesh, a little foreplay first might help. I mean, come on, we all know a little feather action goes a long way before a major prodding.”

“I guess I have 10 minutes to edit these messages if I want...”

“Fraud!!

I feel soooo used.”

“Seems like you got me on that second one over the weekend, Buck. Coincidentally I just got back from camera shopping and bought my first non disposable camera since the 60's. Once I have developed some skills, in about 20,000 years, I will get even.”

“Cool pics, Buck (even if they are touched)

so did you get touched? that why you are sore?”

“Buck, I love that lake on the 1st picture.
Can you post that same picture showing it befor you added to it? I would love to see it as you took it. I do love it like that too!”

“Sure, no prob, madeintahoe... here's the original shot



I don't care for how it came out, which is why I farted around with it and added the night sky. The pink sky is blown out even though I used a GND filter. I bracketed this scene so I do have some darker versions that held sunset colors, but the foreground is also darker. But this is the same image I used for the funky star scene above.”

“What kind of scanner do you use? a digital negative scanner? I'm thinking of getting one myself...

Have you ever done any polaroid transfers with your slides?”


Oops, sorry, I missed this question, pinky. I'll answer it for you. The scanner I use is none of your damn business. Take care!

Kidding. I use a Nikon Coolscan IV (they've since come out with better, dang it). As for the Polaroid transfer slide question... ummm, what? I have no idear what that is or what you're referring to or what you mean or anything of that nature that you speak of. I guess you can safely take that as a resounding "no".”

“As usual.”

“Buck-- you can use the Polaroid Transfer method to "print" your slides into artist prints... here's a link as to how to do it. It's easier if you have the little machine (I just recently got one) but that's not the only way to do it:

http://www.polaroid.com/global/printer_friendly.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441759987&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574488338439&bmUID=1097675138070&bmLocale=en_US&PRDREG=null

and here are some examples of what a Polaroid transfer can look like:

http://www.polaroid.com/global/detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441761314&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574488338493&bmUID=1097675683888&bmLocale=en_US&PRDREG=null



Just for fun, you might want to enter the Krappy Kamera photo contest (you have a great eye!)

http://www.polaroid.com/global/detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441763029&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574488338444&bmUID=1097675138069&bmLocale=en_US&PRDREG=null


Here's another process called "Polaroid emulsion lift".....

http://www.polaroid.com/global/printer_friendly.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441759990&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574488338439&bmUID=1097675138071&bmLocale=en_US&PRDREG=null

With Emulsion lift, you can also do some wild things with your pictures as well....

http://www.polaroid.com/global/detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441762449&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574488338493&bmUID=1097676472937&bmLocale=en_US&PRDREG=null


Hey, I feel your pain regarding the fast-changing world of electronics. I bought a Nikon D100 only to see that they had a new camera out (for 2/3 the price) a few months later... Now they are already on the Nikon D2H or something like that... (haven't even had my D100 for a year yet!)”

“Buck, I love that picture! Thank you for posting it
I love that lake looks like such a great setting. I do love your funky fun stars one too!
Did you like lakes basin better then milestone basin upper kern river? I know that is a hard question..because anyplace in the Sierras is beautiful, just each one a bit different I think
Thanks for posting the picture”

“Thanks for the links, pinkbubelz®! That's pretty cool! It looks similar to the stuff you can do in Photoshop with the various artsy filters, but much better!

madeintahoe®, what kind of question is THAT? ha ha! Garsh, I honestly can't say which I'd prefer, Lakes Basin or Milestone Basin. It's tough to beat that Great Western Divide no matter how you slice it! Especially near the headwaters of the Kern. There are so many lakes and lakelets and soaring peaks and wild basins and it's all golden trout. I love it up there and it was one of my all-time favorite backpacking trips... but it was also my first true weeklong High Sierra trip so it has special meaning to me beyond just the beauty. But Lakes Basin is so spectacular as well, and getting there via the route we took was crazy awesome! I dunno. I guess if I were forced to choose one or the other at gunpoint, I would probably go to Milestone Basin first. I say "first" because I would no doubt then go to Lakes Basin when I got a chance. But... there are BAZILLIONS of basins like these and I go crazy thinking about them all... AHHHHhhhhhhh...... I...... must........ hike.........”