Lead Sled

Lead Sled, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Formerly cloaked in absolute secrecy and for decades regarded to be the fastest jet powered aircraft the world has ever known, this SR-71 Blackbird now sits quietly in front of the Castle Air Museum in Atwater California. I've seen Blackbirds in mueseums before but never outside and never in a setting where I could freely use my full size tripod to create an HDR image. This is one of my favorite aircraft.

Time will never fade

Time will never fade, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

The Old Post Office Pavilion in Washington DC was built in 1899. It features a spectacular atrium that towers over a food court on the first level. This vertorama consists of 4 images stitched together.

Anyone Out There?

Anyone Out There?, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

My personal blog, www.bigpixelpushing.com is now over a year old. I want to thank all of you who visit and enjoy my photography. Having a blog has been real commitment in both time and effort. When I first started Big Pixel Pushing, I typically posted a new image every few days.

I began to wonder if I could manage to post one image per day, everyday without fail. Weekends and holidays included. Sounds easy I know. But keep in mind, there are quite a few steps involved in posting what is hopefully an interesting and compelling image. First I have to take a lot of images or image sequences if I intend to make an HDR. Next I have to sift through all these images to find one I think would make a good post. I then have to process the image sequence. This consists of making an HDR merge, tone mapping, post processing, watermarking, posting and finally writing a description.

A few months ago I decided to try. So for almost 100 days in a row, I processed and posted a single image each day. Now I know that I can do it. It can be done. However, this diligence left very little time for anything else in my life and therefore is not sustainable.

I decided to take a break from photography and posting. I got a handful of questioning emails. A few were concerned (thanks), but more were pissed which was interesting and unexpected. While the site gets a good amount of traffic, (in August there were 48,080 page views and 18,953 unique visitors) it gets almost no comments.

I love blogs and read several everyday. I comment on blog postings when I think I have something relevant to say.

You would think with several hundred people visiting this site each day that someone would share an opinion, link, comment, critique, technique, event, or just say hi.

So this seems to be a very one sided arrangement. I post, you view. Ok by me but in the future I’ll be posting when the mood strikes and time allows.

Thanks for reading,

Greg
greg.jones.design@gmail.com

So beautiful, you won't believe it's still a low priced car!

So beautiful, you won't believe it's still a low priced car!, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

With new handy control gear shifting, new saftety signal speedometer, high torque engine, auto-mesh transmission, new steel Amola coil springs and longer wheelbase. Now on display at new lower delivered prices. Original price in 1939: $849.00

Jet Age Indian Head

Jet Age Indian Head, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Now this was interesting. A 1950's era Pontiac with a hood ornament that was shaped like a very stylized jet aircraft with a semi-transparent Indian head nose. The light from the sunset was illuminating it which was cool.

Walk on water

Walk on water, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

It had been raining really hard for about an hour in Chicago's Millennium Park. Me, my backpack, tripod and camera were huddled under the umbrella I decided to bring with me on a whim. As the rain tapered off to nothing, I saw this little boy go running through what had been a very still giant puddle that had accumulated between the two lighted towers of the Crown Fountain. I thought the reflections were particularly interesting. It took some strategic maneuvering by his dad to recapture and return the kid to dry land. Walk on the water whenever you have a chance. That's my advice.

One Mean Bean

One Mean Bean, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I've often said that HDR was designed with reflective objects in mind. Reflective materials just seem to soak up HDR goodness. Cloud Gate or "The Bean" as it is more commonly known, is no exception.

Learning to Fly

Learning to Fly, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I shot this in August of 2009 when I was just learning how to shoot HDR. I wasn't sure of my workflow then but I knew I loved the results.

Super Cruising at the Udvar Hazy Center

Super Cruising at the Udvar Hazy Center, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

The Mach 2 Air France Concorde takes center stage at the Udvar Hazy Center in Washington DC.

Starship Enterprise.... Kinda

Starship Enterprise.... Kinda, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

The Space Shuttle Enterprise in the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar at the Smithsonian's Udvar Hazy Center Museum. Wow that was a mouthful. It's really quite amazing to walk into this hanger and see a space shuttle parked right in front of you. Even if that shuttle has never been in space. This was a test vehicle and was flown off the back of a specially modified 747. Astronaut and Enterprise test pilot John Young once mentioned that the Enterprise had the gliding characteristics of a brick. More Udvar Hazy Center images here.