Day 115: In the Shadow of a Tall Tree

Guess what?! It didn't rain today! Well, almost. It started raining this evening as I was leaving class. But it was absolutely beautiful out all day. I worked this morning then headed up to campus. After going to the library to put some money on my I-Card so I could print some things out for class, I headed back to the library to try and find a book that I need for one of my final papers. They didn't have it so I went back to the grad lounge and did some reading, then I realized I should see if the library had some other books that might be helpful. So I went back over to the library, but all of the computers were filled, so I walked back over to Leonard (where the grad lounge is) to get on a computer and check the online catalog. Then I went back to the library and got the books I needed. Whew.

After all of that walk to and from and to and from the library, I decided I would go put the books in my car because I knew it was supposed to rain, and I didn't want to carry them through the rain after class. As I was walking to my car I noticed this and thought it might make a neato photo.

1/50 sec. exposure at F/9. ISO 100.
Click image for larger version.

I just thought it was really cool how defined the shadows were on the ground. There were some other trees doing this that had started to bud, but I liked the definition of the lines that the branches create. I tweaked this one in Aperture a bit to make the shadows really dark.

This next one is an HDR composite of essentially the same photo (but, of course, of three different exposures).

Photo composited in Aperture using Photomatix HDR Plug-In.
Click image for larger version.

It almost looks like the shadow of some crazy monster that's attacking IUP's campus. Looking at both photos, I think I like the first one a little better. The darker tone of the image gives it just that--a darker tone. It seems much more ominous and foreboding. I don't know. Just talking at this point.

I'm off to bed now. Of course it's supposed to rain for the next million days straight again, so I'll try and get creative, but I can't make any promises. Only another week and a half of classes left, so hopefully that will 1) allow me to get out and take more photos, and 2) let me actually finish setting up the etsy shop. Stay tuned, guys and gals (and everything in between)!