A Passing Shower - landscape photography

Fruit Road near Edwardsville, Illinois
Photograph by Tom Atwood

Some days the sky has a lot of energy. Brief storms blow up and blow away. The rain pours, soaks a field, and suddenly gives way to sun and rainbows. Every direction is a picture.

Shutter: 1/80; Aperture: f/13; ISO: 100; Focal Length: 18 mm

Polarizing - landscape photography

Blacktop Road near Lebanon, Illinois
Photograph by Tom Atwood

There is a lens filter, known as a "polarizing filter," that brings out deep colors in color photos, and as you can see, also adds unusual contrast to black & white images, especially to clouds and a bright blue sky.
Almost other worldly.

Shutter: 1/200; Aperture: f/8; Focal length: 18 mm; ISO: 100

We're Back

Self Portrait

After a year or so away, Photo of the Day returns with more portrait and landscape images from Tom Atwood Media, including this photo which is both: a self portrait and landscape taken on the Big Thompson River in Rocky Mountain National Park at moonrise. 

Shutter: 20 secs; Aperture: f/3.5; Focal Length: 18 mm; ISO: 200

Impressionism

Mississippi River at the Chain of Rocks
Photograph by Tom Atwood

This is about as abstract as I get. Generally in landscape photography the goal is to create a a fairly accurate representation of reality. But capturing the energy of the Mississippi River at the one point where it becomes unnavigable, the "chain of rocks," is impossible in a short freeze frame. So, a longer exposure (6/10's of a second) is needed to reveal the river's movement over the anticline exposure. It also gives the overall image a surreal appearance, enhanced in editing by desaturating the photo. Shutter: .6 seconds; Aperture: f/22; ISO: 100; Focal length: 18 mm