#azimuth 286

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A Day After the Rains, A Beautiful Day (Black & White, North Cascades National Park Service Complex) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While I stood at the Diablo Lake Overlook, I had time to both take in this amazing view as well as capture numerous images. I found angling my SLR camera brought out a much better view with the sweeping look across this portion in the North Cascades National Park Complex. Here I decided to try out this "Ansel Adams Look" I'd read about in Jason Odell's book on Capture NX2. The idea is to work with the LCH editor, making some adjustments, and then use a Black point and White point before converting to black & white. I added a reverse graduated neutral density filter to complete the image.

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A Vista View of the Summit Area of Cinder Cone (Lassen Volcanic National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While hiking along the Cinder Cone Trail with a view looking at the summit area with its volcanic past and then to more distant peaks and ridges. This was located in Lassen Volcanic National Park with a view looking to the west-northwest. I had a few thoughts in composing this image. One was to go wide-angle with the focal length and view, so that I could capture that almost panoramic feel to the setting on the mountain peak itself. Another was to angle my Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera slightly downward and raise the horizon into the image. I felt that would help bring out more of a sense of grandeur with both the peak area itself, as well as the more distant ones. One can see Lassen Peak just beyond the far summit area off in the distance.

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Discovering a True Northwest at Capitol Reef National Park by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A setting looking to the northwest while taking in views across Utah high desert present and walking the Chimney Rock Trail in Capitol Reef National Park. My thoughts on composing this image was to take advantage of the high ground I was on and angle my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward and create more of a sweeping view looking across it. That would in turn raise the horizon higher into the image and perhaps create more of a sense of grandeur in the image captured.

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Forever Shenandoah National Park by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A setting looking to the west while taking in sunset views at the Skyland Lodge. This is in Shenandoah National Park.

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Below the Rocks, the Waters Flow Over by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: I captured this image while exploring Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. The walkway I was on allowed me to compose an image looking across the waterfall of the Kaministiquia River.

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A 5-Star Day in Shenandoah National Park by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While at the Skyland Lodge with a view looking to the west as the sun set off in the distance behind some nearby trees. This location was in Shenandoah National Park. In composing this image, I wanted the sun in the image center. The rest was metering the image to not blow any highlights from the sun and lights, while keeping the remaining foreground area in shadows and silhouette.

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Throughout Our Lives We Need to Ask by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: Throughout Our Lives We Need to Ask What things excite you, makes you come alive? We need to go out and do them! While there is a need for consistency in life Whatever adds that smile to your face That glean to your eye Do it! Share it with others Experience what excites others Make the world a better place for all! Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one early afternoon in Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park. This is from an overlook with a view extending to the northwest to the waterfall itself with the Kaministiquia River. In composing this image, I attempted to capture a look across the waterfall while centering the waters coming down across the image center. I wanted to include some of the nearby trees as well as distant shoreline. I later worked with FilmPack 8 and used one of the presets along with a sky replacement for the overcast skies that day, using an image captured with my Nikon D850 SLR Camera from out in west Texas.

[thorsenmark]

Enjoying Another Sunset with a Robin in Shenandoah National Park by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: From a deck overlook at the Skyland Lodge in Shenandoah National Park. The setting is looking to the west to some nearby trees and then to the sun setting off in the distance. The rest of the image was attempting to compose the image with the robin on the electric wire and that of the sun setting.