World Photography Day 2011 - Downtown Hampton HDR

Today's blog is in celebration of World Photography Day. It features an HDR image of Downtown Hampton, Virginia on the Hampton River. I shot three images right after sunset, 1 correctly exposed, 1 over exposed by a stop and 1 under exposed by a stop then blended all three images into 1 image in Photomatix Pro. The benefit of HDR and blending more than 1 exposure into a final image is that you don't lose any detail in the shadows or highlights and you have much more exposure latitude, than in any one image. The down side is that the image saturation and hues can look a little unrealistic if not adjusted for the final image.

As always your comments are always welcome!

Copyright Notice

All images appearing herein are the exclusive property of B. Payden Photography, LLC. and are protected under the United States (USC Title 17) and international Copyright laws.

The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Bryant L. Payden Jr.

Use of any image in any manner or in any medium is a violation of the United States (USC Title 17) and international Copyright laws. All images are Copyrighted © B. Payden Photography, LLC.

www.bpaydenphotography.com
bryant@bpaydenphotography.com
757-771-5857

"Angels Prayer" Congressional Cemetery - Washington DC

Regular visitors to my Blog will notice that I haven't posted anything new in almost a year. I have been very busy the past year and am now getting back to the basics. I am going to start posting more consistently to this blog and not devote all my energies to my latest art project "The Poetry of Motion." I look forward to interacting more with my fellow photographers, friends, fans and followers. Now onto today's post.......

The image above was shot on a spring day at Congressional Cemetery in SE Washington DC. I had just finished a photo job in Forestville, MD and was feeling creative and wanted to find something close in DC that I hadn't visited and shot numerous times already.

My navigator under "historic places" suggested Congressional Cemetery and it was only a few miles away! The wedding photographers I had trained with back in 2005-2006 visited Congressional many times and told me what a lovely old cemetery park it was. I had completely forgotten about this hidden gem that had been recommended to me over 15 years ago.

As i drew closer I could feel the creativity building inside me and couldn't wait to arrive. When I did arrive I found the park staff had already closed and were leaving for the afternoon, upon seeing my photography gear and seeing my keen interest in history from the questions I was asking they gladly unlocked the office and spent several minutes talking to me and giving me as many historical brochures as I could carry away. They explained to me that they were leaving but invited me to spend some time shooting in the park as it was still open until sunset.

The Cemetery is full of historic residents and is still open for funerals today. The park is a quiet contemplative respite in the middle of our nations Capital and was like a breath of fresh air after the city's pressures. I leisurely strolled the grounds and saw many beautiful and historic markers for both politicians, presidents, and the common man. This angel marker was particularly poignant for me as it overlooked two small markers for children that had passed. One marker was a cherub in repose and the other was a baby lamb. I adjusted my tripod and camera settings and snapped a few images, quietly contemplated the sadness this unknown family must have felt, losing two small children, and then respectfully moved on.

Upon arriving home I completed my post production work on the images from that beautiful spring day, marked my favorites and moved on to other work and shoots. I came back to this image several months after shooting it, adjusted the image a little and decided I wanted to share it with the world. When I visit an old cemetery with my camera, it's not a sad or depressing visit, to me I think it's respectful to quietly reflect on those that had gone before us, whether we knew them or not, they are still remembered and thought of. To me it's a celebration of life. I love the quiet contemplative feel of this sad angel mourning the two children, I hope this image portrays a little of the quiet respectful contemplation I felt that day sharing that moment with them and their memory.

I invite you to visit Congressional Cemetery if you find yourself in DC and need a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Copyright Notice

All images appearing herein are the exclusive property of B. Payden Photography, LLC. and are protected under the United States (USC Title 17) and international Copyright laws.

The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Bryant L. Payden Jr.

Use of any image in any manner or in any medium is a violation of the United States (USC Title 17) and international Copyright laws. All images are Copyrighted © B. Payden Photography, LLC.

www.bpaydenphotography.com
bryant@bpaydenphotography.com
757-771-5857

New Wedding Enhancements

The two Photoshop enhancements above are part of our regular wedding packages. We do several custom enhancements on every wedding we shoot. Call us today or visit our website below to see what we can do for your wedding.

Copyright Notice

All images appearing herein are the exclusive property of B. Payden Photography, LLC. and are protected under the United States (USC Title 17) and international Copyright laws.

The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Bryant L. Payden Jr.

Use of any image in any manner or in any medium is a violation of the United States (USC Title 17) and international Copyright laws. All images are Copyrighted © B. Payden Photography, LLC.

www.bpaydenphotography.com
bryant@bpaydenphotography.com
571-991-6695

Limited Edition Canvas Art Print - "Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis"

"Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis"

B. Payden Photography is pleased to announce a limited edition numbered fine art Gallery Wrap Canvas print of "Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis" to commemorate the last show at Metz by the Manassas Ballet Theatre and to celebrate their new future at The Hylton Performing Arts Center. This limited edition Canvas art print will be limited to 25 prints that will be numbered and signed by the artist and is being offered for a special price of $150.00. If you sign up for our newsletter at our website we will email you a coupon to take an additional 10% off our already low price.

Our Gallery Wraps offer a striking way to present your images. We print your image on a special Canvas material and wrap it completely around a 1.5" stretcher bar. The outer edges of the stretcher bar are covered with the image. Our Gallery Wraps are delivered "ready-to-hang". Backing material and a hanging device are added to the Gallery Wraps, including a saw tooth for this 8x10 image. Turnaround time is typically 7-10 days.

Below are several sample images of our gallery wraps, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us!

To order this print please visit our Virtual Gallery here: www.bpaydenphotography.com

www.bpaydenphotography.com
bryant@bpaydenphotography.com
757-771-5857

Skyline Drive - Infrared

This image was originally recorded in 2006 on Fujichrome Velvia 100 slide film. I recently processed the image in Photoshop to simulate a print made with infrared film. I love this effect and have always loved infrared film, unfortunately both of my film cameras, 35mm and MF, can't utilize infrared film due to Canon and Mamiya's use of infrared in their focus assist systems. In Photoshop I was able to adjust the image to reach the desired effect and am going to print this image as a 16x20 for my office.



Copyright Notice
All images appearing herein are the exclusive property of B. Payden Photography, LLC. and are protected under the United States (USC Title 17) and international Copyright laws.

The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Bryant L. Payden Jr.

Use of any image in any manner or in any medium is a violation of the United States (USC Title 17) and international Copyright laws. All images are Copyrighted © B. Payden Photography, LLC.

Bryant Payden
www.bpaydenphotography.com
Bryant@bpaydenphotography.com

Manassas Ballet Academy - Recital 2010

This past weekend the Manassas Ballet Academy presented their Recital 2010 at Metz Middle School in Manassas, Va. The Ballet Academy is the official school of the Manassas Ballet Theatre. As the official professional photography provider for the theatre I have been fortunate enough to capture many wonderful images of both the professional company dancers as well as the academy's students pictured above.

Copyright Notice
All images appearing herein are the exclusive property of B. Payden Photography, LLC and are protected under the United States (USC Title 17) and International Copyright laws.
The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Bryant L. Payden Jr.
Use of any image in any manner or in any medium is a violation of the United States (USC Title 17) and International Copyright laws. All images are copyrighted © 2010 B. Payden Photography, LLC

Bryant Payden

bryant@bpaydenphotography.com

http://www.bpaydenphotography.com

B. Payden Photography, LLC is pleased to announce our latest photo project "B. Payden Photography 365" For the next year we will post one image from our archive into our new blog and discuss the image briefly. This project is both to stimulate me creatively to get out and shoot more self assignments to share with our fans and clients and also to give our fans and clients a more in depth view into our studio. Please take a few minutes and follow the link below to view our new blog-photo project. Any comments and thoughts are appreciated!


www.bpaydenphotography365.blogspot.com

Bryant Payden
www.bpaydenphotography.com
bryant@bpaydenphotography.com

Manassas National Battlefield Park - Winter 2009

This December the Washington DC Metro area received an unexpected and unusual winter snowstorm. Manassas received 18 inches and I headed to the Battlefield to record some winter Black and White and Sepia images. Below are a few examples from this winter shoot. For more art work and to view my full portfolio please visit my website: http://www.bpaydenphotography.com

The Stone House - B&W

The Stone House - Sepia

The Stone Bridge - Sepia

Copyright Notice
All images appearing herein are the exclusive property of B. Payden Photography, LLC and are protected under the United States (USC Title 17) and International Copyright laws.
The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Bryant L. Payden Jr.
Use of any image in any manner or in any medium is a violation of the United States (USC Title 17) and International Copyright laws. All images are copyrighted © 2008 B. Payden Photography, LLC

bryant@bpaydenphotography.com

http://www.bpaydenphotography.com

Sports Photography - 757Gamday.com

As part of my expanding photography business, we have started shooting freelance for http://www.757gameday.com/ We are covering High School sports in the Hampton Roads Region. 757Gameday is a part of http://www.gamedaymagazine.com/ Visit their sites to view my latest shoots in this exciting partnership.

©2009, B. Payden Photography, LLC. All rights reserved, no unauthorized use without the written permission of Bryant Payden.

Craigslist Ad-Weddings

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Aerial Photography Series-Chamberlin Hotel and Ft. Monroe

Chamberlin Hotel and Ft. Monroe

This image is the first in a series of Aerial photography projects that I am working on. This images was recorded from a R44 Raven II Helicopter owned by Hampton Roads Helicopters, Inc. We were at approximately 50o feet above Hampton Roads shooting this image of the Former Chamberlin Hotel on the grounds of Ft. Monroe. The moat and fort are visible to the right of the Chamberlin in the background.

The image was recorded with a Canon EOS 5d with an EF28-80mm F/3.5 lens at ISO200 at 80mm-F/5.6-1/800sec.

http://www.bpaydenphotography.com/ bryant@bpaydenphotography.com

Copyright Notice
All images appearing herein are the exclusive property of B. Payden Photography, LLC and are protected under the United States (USC Title 17) and International Copyright laws.
The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Bryant L. Payden Jr.
Use of any image in any manner or in any medium is a violation of the United States (USC Title 17) and International Copyright laws. All images are copyrighted © 2008 B. Payden Photography, LLC

Wythe House, Colonial Williamsburg

George Wythe (1726-6/08/1806) was born in Chesterton, Virginia, present day Hampton, Virginia. His illustrious career included careers as a lawyer, a judge, and a prominent law professor at the college of William and Mary. Wythe taught such notable Americans as Thomas Jefferson, Henry Clay, James Monroe, and John Marshall. Thomas Jefferson once refereed to Wythe as a "second father" and the two remained close friends all their lives. In 1774 and again in 1775 he was elected to the Continental Congress and was a signer or the Declaration of Independence. In 1777 he was elected speaker of the house for the Virginia House of Delegates, and in 1778 he was named one of three judges to the Chancery Court of Virginia, and became chancellor in 1789. He was also one of four prominent Virginians that designed the seal of Virginia with the motto "Sic Semper Tyrannis" that is still in use today. Wythe was poisoned in Richmond, Virginia in 1806 with arsenic along with his freed slave Lydia Broadnax and her son Michael Brown by Wythe's grand-nephew George Wythe Sweeney. Wythe and Brown both secummed to the arsenic while Lydia Broadnax survived the poisoning and was very vocal in laying the blame for the poisoning at the feet of George Sweeney.

The Wythe House' pictured above is believed to have been designed in the mid 1750's by George Wythe's Father-in-Law Richard Taliaferro, and is arguably one the best looking Colonial homes in Williamsburg. Richard Taliaferro's daughter Elizabeth and her Husband George Wythe lived in the house for more than thity years. The house is located on Palace Green in Colonial Williamsburg next to the Bruton Parish Church. Colonial Williamsburg acquired the house in 1938 and the house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970.

To learn more about this fascinating American I recommend the Book: "I am Murdered - George Wythe, Thomas Jefferson, and the Killing that Shocked a New Nation" by Bruce Chadwick.

©2009, B. Payden Photography, LLC. All rights reserved, no unauthorized use without the written permission of Bryant Payden.

Winter on Back River

I recorded this image in January 2009 in Poquoson, Virginia. There was a thin film of ice on the shallower edges of back river due to a three day cold snap. I found this Carolina Skiff at the end of a country road and thought it made a wonderful black and white image.

Technical Details- Canon EOS 5d - EF 17-40mm f/4L USM-ISO 200, 40mm, f/13, 1/320sec

©2009 B. Payden Photography, LLC

http://www.bpaydenphotography.com

bpaydenphotography@cox.net

Downtown Norfolk, Virginia Skyline

Image recorded December 2008, of the Downtown Norfolk Skyline, from the Portsmouth, Virginia waterfront.

(Canon EOS 5d w/ EF17-40mm F/4L @ 33mm, ISO 200, F/14, 1/400sec)

©2006 B. Payden Photography, LLC. All rights reserved, all uses prohibited without the express written permission of Bryant Payden.

Sunset on the Blue Ridge Mountains

This image was recorded in 2006 on Skyline Drive right at twilight. I shot this with a Canon EOS A2 camera on Fuji Chrome Velvia 100. The twilight sky was this exact shade of blue and purple and I choose the Fuji slide film to better record the latitude of the shadow detail and the vibrant colors. I scanned this image from the original slide. It is easy to see how the Blue Ridge Mountains got their name when you see beautiful colors like this along the drive.

©2006 B. Payden Photography, LLC. All rights reserved, all uses prohibited without the express written permission of Bryant Payden.

Sandy Bottom Nature Park - Hampton, Va.

Sandy Bottom Nature Park

Sandy Bottom Nature Park is the jewel in the crown of Hampton’s extensive parks and recreation system. The park comprises 456 acres of reclaimed land from borrow pits and a former garbage dump that has been returned to its natural state. The park features a 10,000 square foot nature center that features exhibits on environmental education and wildlife management. The park also features two lakes, wetland areas, many hiking and biking trails, tent cabins, primitive campsites, picnic areas, and a children’s playground. Numerous nature programs and guided hikes are offered by the nature center and are an ideal way to explore the nearly six miles of hiking trails and view the abundant wildlife of this premier park facility.

Due in large part to the reclamation efforts of the City of Hampton, to return this area to its natural state, wildlife is now abundant. Visitors can often see many species of breeding and migratory birds as well as reptiles, amphibians and mammals.

©2008-2009, 757RealEstateInfo.com and B. Payden Photography, LLC. All rights reserved, all uses prohibited without the express written permission of Sandra Payden and Bryant Payden.

Fall in the Blue Ridge Mountains

As an avid hiker and explorer of Shenandoah National Park-Skyline Drive, I recently availed myself of a hike in Whiteoak Canyon to the lower Whiteoak Falls. During a family get-together at Graves Mountain Lodge in Syria Virginia, I was pleasantly surprised to find several nearby trails leading into the park. This year my Family and I hiked the 4 ½ mile Lower Falls part of the Whiteoak Canyon, from the Park Boundary in Madison County off Weakley Hollow Rd. to the lower falls and back. It was a somewhat strenuous and steep hike, but well worth it for the fall colors in their splendor. The spectacular view of the falls was made even more beautiful as the sun dipped behind the ridge line of the Canyon. Skyline Drive is particularly congested in the fall as many people enjoy viewing the beautiful fall colors along this stretch of the Blue Ridge. Myself I prefer to find more off the beaten path parts of the park. Below are several images from this hike, I hope you all enjoy and take the time to explore this most beautiful National Park for yourself.

St. John's Episcopal Church - Hampton, VA.

Founded in 1610, St. John's Episcopal Church is the oldest Anglican parish in continuous use in America. The current church is the fourth building to house the St. John's congregation and was built in 1728 in the shape of a Latin cross. The building features Flemish bond brickwork and is a superb example of colonial brickwork and the only surviving colonial structure in downtown Hampton. The Church also features many beautiful stained glass windows including one depicting the baptism of Pocahontas given in 1887, in part, by Native American students from the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, now Hampton University. The churchyard features many interesting headstones and memorials and is well worth a contemplative walk around the beautiful grounds.

©2008-2009, 757RealEstateInfo.com and B. Payden Photography, LLC. All rights reserved, all uses prohibited without the express written permission of Sandra Payden and Bryant Payden.

bpaydenphotography@cox.net

Norfolk Botanical Gardens, Norfolk, Va.

Todays Norfolk Botanical Garden began in the mid 1930's with an idea by Frederic Heutte, a young horticulturist and Thomas P. Thompson, Norfolk City Manager from 1935-1938. Heutte had a fondness for Azaleas and believed Hampton Roads to have an ideal climate for growing this southern signature plant. Heutte and Thompson envisioned an azalea garden to rival those of Charleston, South Carolina. Their vision began to be realized when the city of Norfolk set aside 75 acres of wooded land and 75 acres of reservoir for a city garden.
Beginning in 1938, through a Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant more than 200 African-American women and 20 men began working to clear the site and their contribution to the garden is today wonderfully honored. In 1958 the Old Dominion Horticultural Society took over maintenance of the gardens and changed the name to the Norfolk Botanical Garden. Today the gardens include an arboretum and are 155 acres with over 20 themed gardens that can be viewed by boat, tram, or on foot. The gardens are on the National Register of Historic Places and are a Virginia Historic Landmark.

Copyright Notice

All images appearing herein are the exclusive property of B. Payden Photography, LLC and are protected under the United States (USC Title 17) and International Copyright laws.

The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Bryant L. Payden Jr.

Use of any image in any manner or in any medium is a violation of the United States (USC Title 17) and International Copyright laws. All images are copyrighted © 2008 B. Payden Photography, LLC

http://www.bpaydenphotography.com/ bpaydenphotography@cox.net