Landscape – Page 43 – Decaseconds

Bowles Hall, a.k.a. California Hogwarts

2011-Dec-292011-Dec-29 adohertyh3 Comments

UC Berkeley’s Bowles Hall holds the distinction of being the oldest dormitory on campus, and probably the most durable; despite a huge variety of attempts to dismantle it or convert it to other purposes, the hall and its fraternity-esque traditions remain.

Designed by George Kelham, it also happens to be one of the most beautiful buildings on Berkeley’s campus. I’m a particularly huge fan of California Gothic and the way concrete is used in place of stone to similar, but cleaner, effect. The ability of HDR tone mapping to capture that texture without losing the detail in the windows is a great demonstration of the technique for a practical, as well as artistic, purpose.

Sunset Creek Grass

2011-Dec-272013-Jun-12 adohertyh3 Comments

On Christmas day, I had a chance to walk through a forest preserve outside Chicago. The sun was setting as I stopped by the side of this creek, and I loved the way it lit up the stalks.

It’s also refreshing to have proper clouds in my photographs; there are so few well-defined clouds in California that the sky can look a bit boring. That’s rarely the case in the midwest.

Pacifica Pier

2011-Dec-242016-Jul-15 adohertyhLeave a comment

On a chilly Christmas Eve, it can be nice to think back to warmer times. I thought I would continue from Brendan’s shot over Puget Sound and post a shot from the beach. A few months ago, I was lucky enough to go crabbing with some friends in Pacifica, CA. The pier was absolutely packed with fishermen and all of the contraptions used to get crabs. I was most struck, however, by the hexagonal cross section of the pier itself, and the great rust colors next to the water.

Sunset Over San Francisco, Round I

2011-Dec-222016-Jul-15 adohertyh1 Comment

Grizzly Peak, in the hills above Berkeley, is a great spot to get photos of San Francisco–if the weather cooperates. Though it was a bit foggy on this particular day, it afforded a great chance to see some interesting shadows. San Francisco itself is just visible beneath the sun.

This is also a great instance of just how useful HDR can be, as a technique; sunset images without tone mapping typically require the foreground to be completely silhouetted.