PHOTOGRAPH INFO

We're having extraordinarily cold temperatures this week, the same as much of North America. The thermometer read 0 degrees F this morning before the sun came up.

Post-processing: Shot with the Canon EOS 5D and the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens at 24mm, ISO 100, shutter speed 1/500s, aperture f/20. Curves adjustments for contrast and saturation.

It's time once again for The Photobloggies, the annual awards that celebrate photoblogging around the world. Nominations are open until February 15th. Nominate your favourite photoblogs!

Thank you for visiting Durham Township!

--Kathleen

It's been ssso cccold here! Still no snow, but ssso very cccold.

This photo portrays that feeling very well. Even the sun looks cold.

Love it, Kathleen. Great graphic shapes, simple clouds, the white lines leading away to the hill on the horizon, the tree line getting lost in the shape of the hills on the left, the lens flair, sun in the corner, terrific.

(The two white lines suggest a limed field, a fitting note after superbowl sunday!)

Thank you more,

Kathleen,
It seems everything you do is just so good. How do you maintain such a high level? I live in Levittown Pa., rarely do I venture as far north as Durham. I am starting a historical picture and text blog of Levittown, I doubt it will approach the quality of your site, but I will attempt it anyway. Long live Levittown!

No pun intended, but it is a cool picture, and indeed the sun does look cold. You'll have to go back to this same spot in July or August and shoot it again!

Those clouds visited my countryside last autumn. They still look like Eva Cassidy.

Not so cold here in the Netherlands, but I really like this composition. The tones are just great. Well captured.

Well, like you said, it really looks cold too. So this shot hits the spot!

Stunning, one of my favorites yet! I grew up in Hershey, PA, now live in Texas. I remember those PA winters fondly.

As a novice, can you tell me how you are able to shoot into the sun like that - and get the star effect? Is it some kind of filter? Thanks.

You pictures are amazing. You definitly catch the beauty of our area. Just beautiful..

Excellent picture, Kathleen. One thing I always enjoy about your photos is the balance of the sky, and oftentimes the darkness. In this one in particular, the sky seems really deep and rich, and I think it really contrasts well with the ground colors and brightness. Is this a curves adjustment alone, or do you work with the blue luminance or other adjustments to get that kind of "dark sky"?

Justin: There's no rhyme or reason to the darkness in the sky. Sometimes it's a circular polarizing filter, sometimes it's the natural vignette of the lens I'm using, oftentimes it's a simple curves adjustment.

Occasionally it's a color balance thing where I'll push the 'highlights' sliders all the way to the left, or a selective color thing where I'll push the blues into the black.

I favor relying the lens or a polarizing filter, because I'd rather get what I want from the start. Pushing buttons in Photoshop bores me. :)

Thanks for the question. :)