Post Processing
I was given a camera by my family and encouraged to go out and take pictures. My Grandfather had a darkroom in his basement. There i was introduced to the joys of developing my own film and making the prints come out closer to the image i saw when i took the picture.
The Darkroom allowed us to correct flaws in the image and emphasis one element in the scene over another. This same process takes place with digital pictures but without the mess. Now as then there are a number of alterations that I make to my pictures..
1. Leveling the horizon. Unless you take care in shooting the picture the horizon is often not square with the frame and the subject looks as if it is sliding down hill.
2. Reducing the glare from the sky. Polar Screen Filters do a good job of darkening the sky. However we often don't have them along when we take a picture. Darkening the entire picture makes the subject too dark. A graduated filter can alter the sky and keep the subject lighter.
4. Brightening or Darking the overall picture or regions with in the scene.. Shooting in poor light the entire scene may be underexposed. it is possible to increase the exposure to compensate.
5. Cutting out regions of the picture to make a better composition.
6. Adjusting the color balance. and many, many other things.
2021 - Travels in the Eastern Caribbean, Year 10
Trinidad - January ...
The new year found me still in Trinidad. 28 months into my long visit due to medical issues and Covid-19
New Years Day Gam
The usual New Year's Day was hosted by Jesse James. It was a small and quiet one. Most of the cruisers have departed Trinidad for home when the Covid-19 hit. With the borders closed now for 9 months, no cruiser has been able to return. The remainder of the cruisers did our best however. A moment of silence was taken for our dear departed friends of the past year.
Bird Watching at TTSA
It is not often that bird watching comes to you. I was relaxing on the dock at Trinidad and Tobago Sailing Association (TTSA) after a day of boat chores. Looked up and saw a Lineated Woodpecker hunting bugs on a decayed limb not far away. Grabbed the camera.
A Long Year of Covid-19
Like everyone else on the planet, my life was greatly affected by the Covid-19 virus. The borders of Trinidad and Tobago closed in April of 2020 and did not reopen until this past July. Fifteen months of isolation. Yes, you could leave, but it was very unlikely that you would be allowed to return again. The policy did mitigate many of the early spikes in cases. But when the borders reopened the cased spiked. Then spiked again late this fall as the Delta variant became wide spread. Now we have Omicron. Even when the borders opened, many sections of the economy remained closed. Some are still that way.
There were many causalities of the lockdowns. To me, the most significant was the closing of Asa Wright Nature Center. I was a regular visitor and enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the center. I became close friends with many of the staff. I am told that the Nature Center is open to their usual protection and study of the many species of bird and animal there, however the lodge and access to the facilities by people like myself are gone. I am told that there are plans to reopen the lodge under a more high-end eco-center. But, the local staff that had been there for many years is likely gone for good and the warm and welcoming feeling may be gone too.
I continue to hunker down on my boat and try to avoid the virus. With the opening of the boarders, a few friends have returned. But, most of the regulars have not. Maybe next year. The marine businesses are barely able to stay alive and many have closed for good.
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