1. Bay Area

Fremont Nocturnal

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  • Rails and Trails

Elevated BART tracks and car trails, Fremont, CA

    Rails and Trails Elevated BART tracks and car trails, Fremont, CA

  • BART Lights

Fremont, CA

    BART Lights Fremont, CA

  • Mercury Lamp Maintenance Shed

    Mercury Lamp Maintenance Shed

  • Untitled photo
  • RR Crossing, Niles Plaza, Fremont, CA

    RR Crossing, Niles Plaza, Fremont, CA

  • All Aboard
Niles Train Station, Niles Plaza, Fremont, CA

    All Aboard Niles Train Station, Niles Plaza, Fremont, CA

  • Spark Stoves Barn, Palomares Road, Castro Valley, CA

I've seen this barn on my cycling trips on Palomares Road.  
The Spark Stove painting on the barn has always looked so 
interesting to me that I thought I'd try shooting it at night.

The moon on this night was 96% full (Waxing Gibbous moon) 
illuminating the left side of the barn.  

The front of the barn was lit by a street light at the 
intersection of Palomares Road and Paloverde Road.

    Spark Stoves Barn, Palomares Road, Castro Valley, CA I've seen this barn on my cycling trips on Palomares Road. The Spark Stove painting on the barn has always looked so interesting to me that I thought I'd try shooting it at night. The moon on this night was 96% full (Waxing Gibbous moon) illuminating the left side of the barn. The front of the barn was lit by a street light at the intersection of Palomares Road and Paloverde Road.

  • Patterson Ranch Road, Coyote Hills, Fremont, CA

Shot at ~8:45PM.  Lit only by moonlight and urban lights
behind the hills.

    Patterson Ranch Road, Coyote Hills, Fremont, CA Shot at ~8:45PM. Lit only by moonlight and urban lights behind the hills.

  • Abandoned Farm House, Fremont, CA

    Abandoned Farm House, Fremont, CA

  • Abandoned Farm House, Fremont, CA

Front lit by moonlight supplemented with spot light pointed to the ground
to cast a wider light.

Multiple pops of the strobe with blue gel to light the interior.

    Abandoned Farm House, Fremont, CA Front lit by moonlight supplemented with spot light pointed to the ground to cast a wider light. Multiple pops of the strobe with blue gel to light the interior.

  • Creek Flood Control Gates, Coyote Hills, Fremont, CA

3 pops of the strobe with green gel popped low to the ground from the left.

    Creek Flood Control Gates, Coyote Hills, Fremont, CA 3 pops of the strobe with green gel popped low to the ground from the left.

  • Power Lines, Coyote Hills, Fremont, CA

    Power Lines, Coyote Hills, Fremont, CA

  • Ambient light was provided by a parking lot light. 
Spot light with red gel to highlight the window.

Popped my strobe with blue gel filter on the 
tree branches and leaves.

From experimentation, it seems that a 60 second exposure
at f5.6, ISO 200 is about right for ambient light created 
by a street light.

    Ambient light was provided by a parking lot light. Spot light with red gel to highlight the window. Popped my strobe with blue gel filter on the tree branches and leaves. From experimentation, it seems that a 60 second exposure at f5.6, ISO 200 is about right for ambient light created by a street light.

  • Painted the Niles Sign using spot light with a 
blue gel filter.

I processed the raw image twice, once for the sign,
then a second time to draw out more exposure to
the background, that created the blue glow around the
sign.  Also increased noise.  

Then combined the two images, added a layer mask then
painted through the layer mask to expose the sign.

    Painted the Niles Sign using spot light with a blue gel filter. I processed the raw image twice, once for the sign, then a second time to draw out more exposure to the background, that created the blue glow around the sign. Also increased noise. Then combined the two images, added a layer mask then painted through the layer mask to expose the sign.

  • Another composition with the same processing.

    Another composition with the same processing.

  • Gateway to Niles, Fremont, CA

    Gateway to Niles, Fremont, CA

  • Joe's Corner Sign, Niles, Fremont, CA

First attempt at light painting.  Taken in the early morning.
The morning was dark, but there was a lot of ambient light from
street lights.

I used a portable spot light with a red gel filter and painted
the sign.

I didn't know what I was doing really, it was more trial and error.

I heard that Joe's Corner may be revived in the future as a coffee
house.

    Joe's Corner Sign, Niles, Fremont, CA First attempt at light painting. Taken in the early morning. The morning was dark, but there was a lot of ambient light from street lights. I used a portable spot light with a red gel filter and painted the sign. I didn't know what I was doing really, it was more trial and error. I heard that Joe's Corner may be revived in the future as a coffee house.

  • Old barn window.  

Second attempt at light painting.  The exterior was light painted
by a friendly assistant, while I popped a flash inside to paint
the interior.

Red gel filter on a spot light for the exterior.

Using my strobe flash off camera with a blue gel filter, 
I popped multiple flashes to light up the interior.

    Old barn window. Second attempt at light painting. The exterior was light painted by a friendly assistant, while I popped a flash inside to paint the interior. Red gel filter on a spot light for the exterior. Using my strobe flash off camera with a blue gel filter, I popped multiple flashes to light up the interior.

  • More light painting play.  Used the spot light with red gel filter.

    More light painting play. Used the spot light with red gel filter.

  • Trees at Coyote Hills.

Shot in the dark of night, lit from street lights.

    Trees at Coyote Hills. Shot in the dark of night, lit from street lights.

  • Coyote Hills.  Lights from Fremont, Union City and Hayward off in  the distance.

The evening looked promising, so I loaded my mountain bike into my truck 
along with my camera gear and drove to Coyote Hills. 

It's a couple of miles of riding to get to this location, mostly on paved 
paths or roads.

By the time I got to my location, it was fairly dark, windy and cold.

The wind was such that I needed to use my camera pack, hanging off the center 
column of my tripod to stablize it.

I needed to increase the exposure plus use fill lighting in Adobe Camera Raw 
processor to open up the shadows.

    Coyote Hills. Lights from Fremont, Union City and Hayward off in the distance. The evening looked promising, so I loaded my mountain bike into my truck along with my camera gear and drove to Coyote Hills. It's a couple of miles of riding to get to this location, mostly on paved paths or roads. By the time I got to my location, it was fairly dark, windy and cold. The wind was such that I needed to use my camera pack, hanging off the center column of my tripod to stablize it. I needed to increase the exposure plus use fill lighting in Adobe Camera Raw processor to open up the shadows.

  • Looking up towards one of the peaks along the
ridge of Coyote Hills.  Interesting cloud formation.

    Looking up towards one of the peaks along the ridge of Coyote Hills. Interesting cloud formation.

  • Rock outcrop at Coyote Hills.

    Rock outcrop at Coyote Hills.

  • Another rock outcrop at Coyote Hills.

    Another rock outcrop at Coyote Hills.

  • Sky Trails

    Sky Trails

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