Spaziergang II…

And we come again to the Spaziergang, or walk, which I've talked about in my last post. Unfortunately, up until the moment of typing these words, my idea for a third walk or "spaziergang" is not yet fulfilled. We had some heavy rains recently (which is good and bad altogether) and the weather would have been good for going out. By my lack of sleep and the totally out-of-sync sleeping pattern made it somewhat hard to cope. Adding to that, I'm still (STILL) not decided on what lens I should be using! This is some story for some other day I guess, whenever I decide that is…

Stroll II

My Neighborhood

Voigtländer skopar 20mm f/3.5
Notice the f-numbers on
the left and right
which help on pinning the hyperfocus.

Just like the previous walk or stroll, I've decided to use one camera and one lens. The camera is, again, my modified or converted Canon EOS 7D, but the lens now is Voigtländer 20mm f/3.5, fitted with H-alpha filter. The previous stroll was done using my favorite Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens.
This lens, Voigtländer 20mm, imposes a kind of a challenge because it is semi-automatic, and that means few things:

• I can't use the autofocus (there is none).
• Depending on LiveView without autofocus (because of the filter on the lens front) and that might give me hard time in pinning the sharpness I need.

Thus, to solve the issue with these major obstacles, I've decided to depend on the principle of hyperfocus. It's kind of a lengthy a story to be explained here but many websites are dedicated to this issue and how to achieve an acceptable sharpness (a concept majorly common in landscape photography). Thus, I've anchored my f-stop at f/8 and rolled the focusing ring in accordance to that, as in the usual methodology of the hyperfocus principle. And first shot, as a test, was for my neighborhood as soon as I left the house. In the shot you see above, I've pointed the camera to the direction I've gone through in my first stroll. This stroll, however, is in the opposite direction to that and going through to reach the main road outside the block.

بَياض
(whiteness)

I have to say, the beginning was not quite "encouraging" or maybe I should say "exciting". The irony is, as I started looking, it seems the targets that I was finding are all fit for the 50mm lens rather than 20mm! Or could that be MY eyes are just adapted to the previous lens and not used to see (visualize) the new perspective of 20mm? I'm not sure really, but anyway I've started to shoot, or try to, starting with a flowerpot near one of the houses. The shot, Whiteness, underwent some cropping and perspective fixes later on in the processing stage as I wanted to make out an image that was divided into three equal bands of objects (just like a banner or a flag). The original color of the blooms was yellow. I did wish to capture some of the dew or droplets on these petals but that requires 50mm (and maybe an extension tube as well). Anyway, after shooting this I've tried to just forget about it and enjoy the ride and not be too technical until I reach home and check the photos up close and personal.

بَهيجْ
(gratifying)

Not far from Whiteness, I've walked along and reached the main 2-way road separating my block and the next block. This road ends with a traffic light that would lead out of the area, and in normal days in the past, this one would cause one heck of a traffic jam at such time I was out in. Luckily though, things were quiet. I really didn't have any aim when I shot Gratifying but I just loved these clouds and thought to myself that I must capture the moment here, thinking that the road itself might work as some sort of a leading line. However, this leading line is definitely NOT leading anywhere! The clouds and the light gaps are somewhat hovering around the beginning or the middle of the road and not in the horizon, where the road is leading to. However, Gratifying is somewhat special to me in some way; As I usually don't use split-toning with shots taken with the H-alpha filter (or any infrared or UV filters for that matter), I've decided to use split-toning with Gratifying and I think the result was astonishing and more "dynamic"; Color-wise. The light rays were done deliberately in edit.

هُيامْ
(ardent love)

Still on that road (pictured above), I've encountered some nice bushes with some blooms, and again, I did wish if I had my 50mm lens with me instead of 20mm! Anyway, there was no use in feeling sorry about that and the whole stroll was to be a challenge to force myself to work with the camera. This time, though, I've decided to break the hyperfocus principle, since I'm shooting up close to the flower (whose original color was yellow, and I think called yellow trumpets). I've rolled back the f-stop down to f/3.5 (the lowest for this lens) to blur the background as much as possible (though still not as awesome as f/1.4), and I had to re-focus. Re-focusing with a semi-automatic (or semi-manual) lens using LiveView is not an easy task, specially without a tripod to rest the camera upon. The hands can get quite busy and shaky! Anyway, to make sure that I don't miss a thing, I've taken several shots with a plan to check them out for sharpness at home. Despite the sharpness, though, I've decided to make the image softer when it processed as I think it adds a dreamy look better. Also, the red colors for the leaves did fit the scene better I guess more than the typical turquoise tint, which is typical for this filter. Of course this was done by swapping the channels (red and blue) and I've found a simple way to do that instead of using the usual Channel Mixer adjustment layer as I used to do with other infrared images:

1. Add an Invert adjustment layer on top.
2. Set the blend for the Invert layer to Hue (or Color).

Of course this won't give out a delicate control of the levels for the R, G, and B channels but it is just about enough to do a channel swap between the red and blue channels. I've tested this method with my old way of swapping the channels using the Channel Mixer adjustment layer and the result was a match.
Anyway, the final image of Ardent Love had to go other processes, the major of them being a crop to remove the excess in the background. After shooting this, I've kept walking and reaching to the "boundary" of my area, where the fun was about to begin.

أَطْيافْ
(apparitions)

I then started to cross the road (a busy one) to read a junction of a bridge that overlooks a tunnel. The tunnel is an extension to a highway (Kuwait is small so our highways are not like the highways in bigger countries). I have to say though that the scene and even crossing to that location was quite "phobiac"; That is, it kicked my phobias to life. The junction itself is like a U-turn and it was busy at the time of me walking there. Looking at the cars passing under me made my knees go soft just a bit and for some reason I started clutching on my camera fearing that it would fall off down into the tunnel; This is while it is already wrapped around my neck with the strap! Anyway, enough with my phobias. This is not my first time in this corner in fact, but I've been here in this place many years around dusk time (blue hour) with a tripod even! This time though, no tripod, but just a camera and a lens (and no ND filters like the other time). I've started to shoot several shots (all bracketed in case I need them in HDR) and I didn't mind the movement of the cars of course, as this was part of the plan to add some motion blur and make the image "alive". Despite being one of the earliest shots in this stroll, I didn't process this image earlier when we I got back home. Anyway, there was no HDR involved but I've stacked about 5 to 6 images and blended them together, which made the cars look like ghosts (hence the title). Which inspired me for such a title further is the overall bluish streak or tint which occurred unintentionally, but I've increased its impact through vibrance once I've noticed it.

يَوْمِيًّا
(daily)

مِنْ-إِلى
(from-to)

Just before I leave the junction I thought it would be a such a loss if I didn't take some more images in hope to create something. Composition-wise, there are some good chances in that place, but the rest is left to the quality of light, and in that situation I was shooting with a filter and with a not-so-wide lens. However, I still tried to make the best of what I have with Daily where a kind of guide or leading lines are formed but the problem is, there is no real destination or some target in the horizon to point to! The cars in the tunnel kind of helped to add a direction as well but the cars on the left were kind opposing this general direction. Philosophically speaking, it is kind of a reflection of life and its currents I would say. In the same manner, From-To was shot as well but in portrait orientation and stitching 2 (originally 3 but had to discard one) images together. The leading lines here, as I think, have less impact on the viewer because the bar is quite close to the side of the image and causing to be more of a frame rather than being a leading line. In this image, I've swapped the channels, and it is worth noting that since I've realized how to swap the red/blue channels easily using the invert adjustment layer, it became almost like a standard practice to try and swap the channels on any image I work on (even normal ones that are not infrared or taken by any filter). 

خَرَسانَة
(concrete)

Leaving the junction (with some hard movements because of the narrow spaces there), I've headed back to the area away from the busy road and started walking on some asphalt road around some backyards of the houses on the edge of the area. Probably it serves as a walkway for jogging as well, don't know! Anyway, as I've explained before, it was rainy the day before so the place was full of "ponds" (if I can call them so). Unlike other moments when I started this stroll, where I wished to have my 50mm with me, this time I wished if I have my polarizer with me to enhance the reflections off the pond. I have to admit though, the subject matter here is not quite interesting; Not to me at least. But I couldn't let go of a chance to shoot reflections here. I think this shot proves that however digital you go, you would still need filters at some point! I've shot this in brackets (of course) and in fact the photo you see here is tone-mapped from HDR, but I didn't like the idea of going crazy with processing the image. I might try that later (just might!). I was trying to enhance the reflections further by tone-mapping the HDR but nothing can replace the good ol' polarizer.

اِرْتِباكاتْ
(confusions)

غَوْرْ
(depth)

Shooting reflections continued at this point as I kept walking along the fence that separates the area from the main road bordering the area, as I was hoping that I would capture some good reflection. Despite going all the way down almost kneeling on the ground, but that just was not enough. Probably, as well, the composition and the subject matter were not quite interesting, I'd say. Anyway, to make some interest out of these "boring" images like Confusions and Depth, I've sorted out to an old trick: Changing perspective. And this is done mostly by rotating the image for 180^{^o}. Done it before and it worked, so hopefully it does here, though I didn't get much feed back on these. Currently, my participation and involvement with the social media is ebbing low. In fact, I don't think anyone cares what I post, and I don't care either.

الصاعِد
(the ascendant)

As I walked on, I reached a pedestrian bridge that connects my area with the adjacent one. I've shot a panorama on such a bridge but on another location in the area, back in 2013. Essentially the design is the same, except that near this bridge there is a tree. I liked this tree so much (yes, I'm a tree hugger) specially that it is by the stairs of the bridge. It happens then as I was trying to find a proper angle to shoot this tree, a man passed by. Usually I wouldn't bother with people (street photography is not my thing) but since the man was giving me his back and not looking at the camera, I thought that it would be a good idea to snap the shot. Of course I didn't have my enough with a single shot, but after sorting the images and checking the movement of the legs and the distance of the man, I finally picked what it became The Ascendant (yeah my interest in astrology is getting the best of me here). In the processing phase, I've swapped the channels apparently (in case you couldn't tell so far, everything is reddish in hue instead of blue), and also tried to darken the atmosphere while focusing (dodging) the periphery of the man to grab the focus; Aided with some slight vignetting. At this point, still, the main aim was not achieved! And that is, shooting the tree beside the stairway.

المُسْتَظَل 1
(sought for shadow 1)

I was in dilemma as no specific angle did give the perspective that I really like about this tree, and thus I've decided to go for a hand-held panorama. Such kind of panoramas are always risky at some point in that some angles might be missed and some details won't be there for stitching. Anyway, despite shooting for HDR, I didn't really use the HDR technique here but simply edited the RAW files. At this point I think I got what I was looking for (of course the results were not obvious until I got back home and started to edit the photos). In case you are wondering about the name here, this is just the nature of Arabic where one word can replace a full phrase or expression in English.

المُسْتَظَل 2
(sought for shadow 2)

Of course I had to try out and swap the channels as usual and honestly I was puzzled a bit as to which one is better-looking. I like them both. I sought some opinions from family members and friends and they do prefer the second version (with channels swapped) and on Instagram (yeah, I'm posting back to some extent) the trend seems the same with slightly more likes to version 2 than to version 1. However, the dreamy look that I've worked on in the processing phase, is more pronounced in version 1 as I see it, and that is probably related to the nature of colors, as red might be rendered sharper to our eyes as I believe. Just an opinion. And probably the intriguing part of this image is not the tree itself as much as the small portion of shadow cast on the stairway (and hence the name). I have to say though that it was such an overcast day and the sun was barely visible at that time (almost 8 a.m.), but with some contrast, shadows get pronounced more in the images.

مُضَلَّعاتْ
(polygons)

The fun then just began as I climbed up on the bridge, and I have to say, my retinitis pigmentosa did cast its hideous shadows here. One of the biggest problems for me comes when the environment becomes too much grayish, bright or too dark; In such situations my eyes start to play tricks on me and I don't know the limits of the objects, specially stairs. In such instances, I have to move slowly and sensing my steps with my foot before going up or down. Anyway, upon reaching the "post" after the stairs, I've noticed some interesting octagonal structures, and again, I did wish if I just have something else me here, and this time, my panorama gear altogether! Well, I had to work around this need by doing a hand-held panorama, but this time it was a bit extreme, as I started taking photos and bending my back backward shooting photos are more than 90 degrees. Luckily I didn't get any back pain afterwards! Anyway, the shoot was bracketed of course and this time I DID work with HDR and then tone-mapped from HDR. There were some features in these gaps that I had to clone out. Swapping channels did not change much with the looks and by this I kind of gone depressed because of all the "gray matter" here. Colors would be pronounced more with lively trees with leaves, usually. Anyway, I lie hope in the clouds to make some interest in such images despite the gray looks. Probably even more than I lie hope in the geometrical shapes.

صِراطْ
(straight path)

Then comes the best part from the bridge. Something that reminded me of the old days when I did a panorama on the pedestrian bridge on the other side of the area. Actually, Straight Path, was not a single shot itself, and it is technically a panorama indeed, even though it was not calculated for. The problem here is that the shots are in portrait orientation, and for such geometry, or more precisely, for such a vertical panorama (regardless of its length) one should consider shooting in landscape orientation. Anyway, I was not planning for panorama work at that moment, when I pointed my camera and tried to be at the center as much as possible (and still missed it, sometimes it sucks behind a left-handed). As I got to the processing phase with this set and trying to pick the best candidate to go on with the process, I realized that maybe a combination of two or more would be better in fact, as one shot included too much of the top (the octagons) and another had too much of the ground. Thus, in between the two, it sounded logical to strike a balance by merging the two to form one image. Of course, some cropping was due after all as it can be seen that the top portion is longer than the lower one. Also, I had to work selectively here with layers to sharpen and enhance the details of the bridge in isolation from the rest of the image (the background). After finishing with these shots on the bridge, I've shot the tunnel below again but I guess nothing much to be said about this one except that it was processed with split-toning like Gratifying above. Probably these two from the set are the only ones that had been processed with split-toning, so far. I'll post it below (To-From The Capital). 

صَدَقَةٌ جارِيَة
(perpetual charity)

At this point, I thought it is maybe time to get back home now (I think I've spent less than one hour a bit in this stroll so far). Here, I've encountered what we call here [ماء سبيل: maa' sabeel]. It is a drinkable water outlet (cooler) usually placed near homes for any passerby to drink, as a form of charity. This particular place and object got my interest. I have to admit here again that it might have been better to shoot this with 50mm. Anyway, this is not the main point of this image, but it was the working within HDR. Typically, I would just merge the slides into HDR and then tone-map them (using Photomatix). My typical workflow changed a bit when I noticed that I've captured a lamp post just behind the cooler and the idea got into my head: Let's light up the scene!
I'm not quite the expert with such a task but as I've read about HDR techniques (specifically by Christian Bloch), I've got the idea that working in HDR, is simply Paiting with light. Thus, after merging into a HDR image, I had to first work on some minor issues (but took a load of time!) with the perspective and cropping. The rest then was a matter of trial and error and a LOT of adjustment layers to light up the post AND mimicking its feathering over the surrounding area. Saying it is easy, but keeping it as real as possible is a hard task filled with trial and error. Needless to say here that I needed to change the scene from "morning-like" which is the original, to "evening-like," and some problems later on rendering and tone-mapping the HDR file itself. To be honest, I'm still not quite satisfied with Perpetual Charity but I can say that I did my best here, and I did enjoy working with it more than caring about the final results in fact! I don't often work in HDR images in that manner as I tone-map right away most of the time. 

ما بَعْدَ العاصِفَة
(after the storm)

Just before reaching home, I was passing through a wide space (used to be a playground of some sort for football (soccer) for the kids in the area but now it is merely a… little lake after the rain. When dry, this space serves as a junction and a parking lot. Anyway, as I approached this space, I've noticed some seagulls (yes, seagulls, my area is close to the seaside) and being frustrated myself because of not having a proper lens, I've started to capture the scene in hope that I get a trace of the birds in their low flight (hoping to crop the image later and make it look better). However, I ended up with something better, to me at least!
I've shot After The Storm with bracketed shots (randomly point the camera to the direction of the birds). Anyway, as I processed the image, I realized there is no trace for the birds! Anyway, I didn't process the shot in HDR but I've combined portions from the dark and the bright images manually, in addition to the crop. The light beams in this shot are real and not edited except for some contrast added to the whole scene (unlike Gratifying above where the beams were added in the process). One thing upsets me though about this shot, and that is the car and the boat on the right, taking so much space form the image and kind of "uncroppable"; If this is a word anyway. I wouldn't say it is something to participate with or to print despite the lovely light beams.
At this place there had been other shots as well for some tires and sand but I really couldn't find any interest in the composition (specially that the background was not blurred enough even at f/3.5, the lowest); Thus, I've forgot about these shots and didn't process them at all. I'll keep them just in case, as I usually do!

Finale

مِن-إِلى العاصِمَة
(from-to the capital)

يَتَدَلّى
(dangling)

So this was it with my second strolling out, and up until typing these words things are not clear about my third stroll that I've been planning for for weeks. Meanwhile, my mother is having health issues and it keeps my brain exhausted to even think of holding a camera. I literally don't know how I am typing this blog post (I'm gathering a bits of minutes here and there to type this).
I had plans to post something in my Arabic blog but that also is postponed still since I can't find a good topic to post there. As if this is not enough, I got myself entangled with my brother's studies as I'm trying to help him out (since his English is not good). With all such mess, I think I will be taking some time off from blogging here.
My mood swings had not been the nicest for a while and I have to say that each day is becoming a struggle to have my own peace of mind and to control myself. One way to cope with all of this mess in my life is to read Quran every now and then, specially in daytime under the sun (for sunbathing while reading) or late after midnight when everything is (almost) quiet outside. Sometimes I do even play some Quran from YouTube and wear my headphones to help me go to sleep. Some might say I'm too religious, but with the standards for I live, I am not really so. These interests or curiosities are merely a norm and people here are "supposed" to do or to inspect from time to time, as a way of straightening the soul; And how few of them do right now. I wonder also if traveling would enhance anything with my mental status. I surely need a change in scenery but of course traveling in such circumstances is hard to be done (even before COVID). There is so much mess in my life and I need a good broom to sort things out…