Posted on August 7, 2024, 11:26 am, by QT Luong, under
Techniques.
http://www.terragalleria.com/blog/under-over-water-split-shots-challenges-and-solutions Under-over split shots are some of the most technically difficult photographs I have attempted. In this piece, I review the challenges and solutions behind my latest attempt on Ofu Island in American Samoa, including even an instructive experiment with AI. If you are curious about everything that goes on behind those types of photographs […]
Posted on September 29, 2023, 3:01 pm, by QT Luong, under
Techniques.
Creating photographs of autumn colors in black and white may sound like an absurd idea. Besides the paradox, isn’t black and white photography best deployed in those instances where the subject lacks strong colors? And isn’t black and white’s ability to exaggerate drama – unfettered from the need to present a realistic rendition of a […]
Posted on March 29, 2023, 10:28 pm, by QT Luong, under
Techniques.
With its live oak and chaparral-covered foothills, Almaden Quicksilver County Park, located minutes from the suburbs of San Jose, at first resembles the other nature preserves ringing the Silicon Valley. However, at their height, mercury mining operations that took place there (quicksilver is another name for mercury) made the site the second-most productive mercury mine […]
Posted on November 12, 2022, 1:59 pm, by QT Luong, under
Techniques.
In terms of facilitating the creation of landscape photographs not possible before, high-sensitivity digital sensors rank high among other technological advances, as they have facilitated a new field sometimes called “astro-landscape photography”: photographs of landscapes with stars captured as points of light as the eye sees it. This article details all the technical knowledge that […]
Posted on July 8, 2018, 3:15 pm, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
In this post, I revisit a firefly photograph in some detail, first comparing it to a similar image made with a different technique, then showing its components images to highlight firefly specifies within. Single exposure v. Digital composite I mentioned previously that there are two approaches to photograph fireflies together with the forest, a carefully […]
Posted on June 24, 2018, 5:12 pm, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
One of nature’s most wondrous light shows occurs during the synchronous fireflies mating season, when the bugs flash at once in a silent symphony of sparks. Synchronous fireflies exist only in a handful of places in the world, with Great Smoky Mountains National Park being the most well known. In this article, I explain how […]
Posted on June 17, 2018, 11:22 am, by QT Luong, under
Gear.
In the past few years, progress in LED lighting has resulted in devices that offer significant advances for night photography. Find out why you should photograph at night with stationary lights rather than light painting, and read my review of my new preferred lights for that purpose. Cannonball concretions, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, 2013. Canon […]
Posted on June 21, 2017, 6:29 pm, by QT Luong, under
Techniques.
I have often been asked about the processing I apply to my digital images. For the first time, I will provide two examples. The first one exemplifies the light processing typical of most of my images, while the second one illustrates how just a few processing steps can transform a difficult capture. My processing tools […]
Posted on August 14, 2016, 11:50 pm, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
Twenty years ago, I photographed Lehman Cave on a private tour. Last month, I participated in a regular tour. A comparison of photos from both occasions shows how much camera technology has changed for the better. Accessed by way of Hwy 50, “the loneliest road in America” in the middle of the American West (some […]
Posted on September 3, 2015, 1:35 pm, by QT Luong, under
Books.
The history of night photography stretches back to the early 20th century, all the way to Alfred Stiegliz. However, it is only in the last decade that, ignited by advances in digital cameras, natural landscapes (as opposed to man-made structures) have become a popular subject for night photography. Making a natural landscape photograph that captures […]
