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Luckily, the light was literally spot-lighting it at that time, so I took 3 quick bracketed shots with my Nikon D7000 (2-EV spacing).

Later, in Lightroom, I found that the dynamic exposure range from the highlights to the shadows was too great and elected to combine the 3 images into an HDR using Nik HDR Efex Pro. Then, with another Nik program, Silver Efex Pro, I converted it to a black and white, tweaked the micro contrast and was done – – – well, except for some minor sharpening and noise reduction in Lightroom.

I was going through my images and came across this image of a huge approaching thunderstorm hovering just above and behind my home in Colorado. I had, of course, already done the basic editing by adjusting exposure, color, and contrast but felt it needed something more to really bring out the drama of the scene.

I decided to run it through Nik’s HDR Efex Pro even though I only had the single exposure. HDR Efex did a wonderful job of dramatically increasing the texture in the clouds to reveal the turmoil that was taking place a few thousand feet above us.

So, every once in a while it’s worth our time to take another look at our images and consider what some of the newer software might be able to do for us.

After 30 years and 135 missions, todays launch was the last.

I remember when I was just a kid, watching those first flights into space and then the incredible first landing on the moon. Almost everyone would stop what they were doing to watch those exciting launches and then wait anxiously during the re-entry blackout, listening for that first crackle of a voice over the radio signifying a successful transition through one of the most dangerous parts of the mission. Oh man, those were exciting times!

Like many people, I dreamed of being an astronaut. I was an Air Force pilot and dreamed about becoming a test pilot and then getting into the space program. Unfortunately, those dreams were never realized but I did get a front row seat at a shuttle launch, one time.

A good friend got VIP tickets to the maiden voyage of Challenger. We got a tour of the launch facility and then close (closer than the public) seats to the actual launch pad, but even those seats were still a couple of miles away as I recall. Watching that launch was one of the most incredible experiences of my life – what a beautiful sight. It takes a huge amount of raw power to accelerate the space shuttle to a speed of about 17,000 mph to reach orbit, and even at a couple of miles you could literally feel the sound penetrate your body.

(Of course the Challenger tragically broke apart during the launch on its tenth mission, killing the entire crew.)

I hope your day is filled with fun and family and appreciation – an awareness of our history and how it affects who we are as a nation.

We have much to be thankful for and much of that rests on the sacrifices made over the last couple hundred years by our men and women in the military. So be sure and tell one of them “thank you for your service to our country.”

We had a great time boating, snorkeling, and seeing the sights of the Keys. One quiet evening on the Gulf side of Key Largo, I saw this skier taking advantage of the last few rays of light right after sunset. There wasn’t much wind at the time and just some lingering swells that looked silky smooth on their surface.

Shot with a Minolta SRT-101 as a color slide and then scanned recently to this digital image.

Monument Valley in Arizona has some spectacular monolithic rock outcroppings and it’s best to be there at first light. I was there at dawn that day and got some nice photos of those big rocks, but they were much like those taken by so many other photographers.

A bit later in the morning as I was driving through the park looking for more subjects, I was lucky to see this hot air balloon just filling and getting ready for lift off. I skidded to a stop, jumped out of my car and fired off several shots as that colorful balloon slowly and majestically ascended right next to those huge rocks. Wow, what a sight, but I’m sure the view was even better from inside the gondola as it soared over the valley.

I found this scene in a small public park in Buena Vista, Colorado

At first, I thought he looked very sad, but of course they tell us animals don’t feel emotions. So, then it occurred to me that maybe he was just bored – - – or possibly hungry and was just looking at one of the animals in a cage across the way and thinking about lunch!

Crested Butte is a great little town to spend time at any time of year. But, in the spring, the county road CO 12 is finally open again, giving you access to a beautiful drive through the mountains. After you go over Kebler Pass, you’ll see a turn off to the left taking you to a high mountain campground right next to this beautiful little lake.

The morning after my stay, I was treated to clear skies and this great reflection in calm water.

Now, get out there and have some fun – - oh, and don’t forget the fishing gear!

At the time, I was just too lazy to walk up closer so I used a telephoto lens for this shot. The “unplanned” result was this compression of distance, making the clouds look like they’re right on top of the shack.

This is a single-image HDR using Nik HDR Efex Pro. That is what helped to really bring out all of the texture in the image, especially the clouds.

This sign is on the side of the building: “Biker Parking Only – All Others Will Be Crushed”. I think they’re kidding . . . but you never know for sure.

Note the motorcycle reflection in the window.

It’s also where motorcycle enthusiasts (aka: Bikers) converge on most warm weekends to “rehydrate” themselves before or after (maybe both) their ride. The Grill has a large open air covered patio where they also provide live music on many weekends.

So, come on out to Sedalia for some good food, live music, cold beer, and a good time at the Sedalia Grill.

Sedalia is a small town just off the beaten path between Castle Rock and Denver. It’s a gateway to adventure – hiking, fishing, off-roading, sight seeing are all nearby whether you’re headed to Deckers and the South Platte or Rampart Range Road and Devil’s Head.

On most weekends, if the weather is nice, lots of people take the opportunity to get out and enjoy the beautiful Colorado scenery from the breezy seat of a motorcyle. Invariably, many of them will gather at a local watering hole in Sedalia called the Sedalia Grill, to enjoy great barbecue, ice cold beer, and usually some live music.

So, if you’ve got a motorcycle, drive it out to Sedalia on the next warm Saturday afternoon and have some good old small town fun. If you don’t have a motorcycle – it doesn’t matter – come on out, check out the bikes, and join in the festivities.

The early morning light allowed a shallow depth of field (DOF) which helps frame and emphasize the sharpness of his face and whiskers. The long focal length of the telephoto lens (300mm) also contributed to the shallow DOF and helped me get “virtually” closer to this guy so I could fill the frame from a distance of several feet.

The campground sits right next to the Rio Grande River, just below the dam that holds back the Rio Grande Reservoir. It is 30 miles from Creede and also right next to the Weminuche Wilderness Area. Personally, this area in southwestern Colorado is my favorite part of the state.