Old friend

Procrastination and laziness is a blogger's nightmare!

It's also a reader's nightmare, so a quick apology for the lack of posting in recent months. I promised you guys a new artwork to review this week .... and so here it is!

This is one of my own pieces, taken on a coffee table (Macro shot). The marble was rendered into HDR using Photomatix and sharpened in Gimp.
I used Photoshop elements to bring out a watercolour effect to finish it off.

I called the piece "Old Friend" for a special reason. This battle-scarred marble is the sole survivor out of a collection of marbles from my Junior School days. Just looking at the marble now brings it all back.

What do you guys think?

Until next time.....

Related posts

>Other artwork created by me
>More HDR artwork

The Number 11

As I'm sure that i've mentioned many times by now, I'm really interested in History and transportation, and I live in London. So it really shouldn't be any surprise to any of my readers why I decided to feature 'the Number 11.'

The Number 11 bus route in London was one of the routes to withdraw the popular iconic London Routemaster bus from regular passenger service, the last operating day for these buses being October 31st, 2003. The rest of the fleet were withdrawn in 2005.

Now, save for two heritage routes in Central London (The Number nine and Number 15), the entire fleet of routemasters were replaced by modern buses (in my opinion, there's really nothing special about the modern replacements except for the bendy buses....... they're just all the same with no spark!).

This particular routemaster bus is even more special than the others as it hasn't been refurbished with the rest back in 1990 (that's a story for another post -- stay tuned!).
The 1990 refurbishment was of the interior, leaving the outside exactly the same as when the fleet was launched in the 1960's.

This was rendered in HDR tone-mapping using photomatix, 3 exposures from a single jpeg file and post-processed using GIMP.
I lowered the saturation a little to make it a little more realistic after the HDR treatment while preserving the details and reflections of a tone-mapped image (as best I could!).
Afterwards, I sharpened the image to further increase the details and lines of the image.

Let me know what you think of the routemaster!........

By the way, If you liked this short summary about the routemaster in London, you'll love reading my other blog, Through the eyes of a Londoner! where I discuss the City and the things inside it in greater detail!

Until next time...

"The Number 11" is copyrighted Richard Ray..... all rights reserved.

Related Posts

> Other artwork created by me

> More London artwork

> More HDR artwork in this blog

Heritage Village --- GE Fan

"Heritage Village -- GE Fan" was created by the artist Edvin Milkunic from the United States. In his profile on redbubble, he has several pictures from the heritage site in St. petersburg, Florida, US.

I chose to feature the GE Fan on this blog as I really liked how he processed the fan, preserving the rustic old look of this object.

Please support this artist and see more of his pictures from the heritage site (and others) by checking out his redbubble portfolio and by checking out "Heritage Village -- GE Fan via his redbubble account.

Permission to share this artwork was kindly given by Edvin Milkunic. All rights reserved by the artist.

Until next time....

Related Posts

> More Guest artist's artwork in this blog

> More HDR artwork in this blog

"Enlighten Me"

"Enlighten Me" was taken inside the Natural History museum in London late last year. The Natural History museum is an architectural wonder, with stone facades and features modelled after the natural world.

I came up with the title after I sat and thought about the museum and the light radiating off the stonework. We naturally go to a museum to be enlightened, or, to put it another way, to gain knowledge. Thus, the title was my way to tie in what could be seen in the picture to what the purpose of a museum is.

Let me know what you think.

"Enlighten me" is Copyrighted, Richard Ray... all rights reserved.

Until next time......

Related Posts

> Other artwork created by me

> More London artwork

"My Kitchen"

"My Kitchen" was created by the artist James Rollins. The image was created using HDR tone-mapping via photomatix (check out his description notes for the full process information).

I really like this picture, the colours and textures are well brought out using HDR. The image itself, of a warm and cosy kitchen, looks like an old rustic period kitchen (it probably is!-- I haven't checked with the artist) from the last century.

Totally love it. I've only just gotten into HDR tone-mapping myself, and so I can't give an expert opinion on HDR processing and the like, but it's from artists like James Rollins that I draw inspiration from.

If you like this too, please support the artist by checking out "My Kitchen" via his redbubble account and definitely give his redbubble portfolio a look!

Permission to share the artist's work was kindly given by James Rollins. All rights reserved by the artist.

Until next time....

Related Posts

> More examples of HDR artwork in this blog

> More Guest Artist's artwork in this blog

"Taking a back seat!"

Throughout my secondary school days, I used to take this bus every day during the mid-week. I loved the freedom of getting on and off at any time while the bus was stationary (dangerous, I know -- hey, I was a kid!). The London routemaster bus really is iconic. It has been copied by other cities around the world, and some old relics have a new life in these cities!

Here is another shot of the routemaster bus, number 9 route. Top deck.

HDR tone-mapped in photomatix, 3 exposures from a single jpeg file, finished up in GIMP.

View and purchase via redbubble.

Until next time.....

"We take a right turn!"

This picture was taken on the top deck of the number 9 bus (routemaster bus - preserved on a heritage line in Central London) one afternoon last year.

Turning right at Piccadilly Circus, heading towards Trafalgar Square. The viewer at the window is looking towards Leicester Square.

HDR tone-mapped in photomatix, 3 exposures from a single jpeg file. Layered and edited in GIMP.

You are welcome to view / purchase via my redbubble account

Until next time.....

The Old 'A' stock!

London Underground Metropolitan line ‘A’ stock train waiting at Aldgate Station for the run to Uxbridge (calling at all stations, including Liverpool Street, King’s Cross, Baker Street).

HDR tone-mapped using photomatix, 3 exposures from a single jpeg file. Edited in GIMP.

If you like this, please view and purchase via my redbubble account.

Until next time....

Related Posts

> Other Artwork created by me

> More London Artwork

> More London Underground artwork

Starbucks by the Docks (HDR)

This is one of my earlier works that I decided to go over again in HDR. I used photomatix for the tone-mapping process and touched it up using GIMP.

"Starbucks by the Dock" is located in St. Katharine's Dock, which is just past the tower of London (just east). Well worth a visit!

I never wrote about the original uploaded work in this blog, so if you're interested, take a look at the original here.

I'm sure you'll agree with me, the new HDR version looks better! (well, I thing so anyway!)

Until next time...

Related posts

• St. Katharine's Dock

"Looking back with rose tinted glasses"

Only uploaded for sale a few hours ago, yet it has attracted several comments already!

I called this "Looking back with rose tinted glasses" as a play on words given the subject matter and the red tint overlay of the picture itself.
If you look closely at this picture, you may just pick out at least two other red objects captured in this scene.

Number 15 stopping on the Strand, London, 2010. One of only a few in service (running heritage routes in Central London).

HDR tone-mapped in photomatix, 3 exposures from a single jpeg file, overlayed, sharpened and tinted in GIMP.

View and purchase via redbubble.

Until next time.....

Abandoned (HDR)

Loyal readers of this blog will recognise the above photograph as I've commented on this picture before.

I've basically decided to rework my earlier artwork in HDR tone-mapping via photomatix. This is the final result. The funny thing with this particular piece is that initially I didn't like it when I finished it. But, a day later, I'm starting to warm to it. One thing I do like about it, is the depth it seems to have; it almost turns the trains and the buildings 3-D.

On the whole, I personally think that this is a huge improvement from the original image.

See my original blog post about this photograph here.

If you like it, please view or purchase via my redbubble account.

Until next time.....

Routemaster

This was really experimental when I took it. Usually it isn’t a great idea to shoot out of a window, especially when the window is part of an old routemaster confined to retirement in 2004, but now working the tourist routes.

I thought that i’d give this a once-over using HDR. Personally, I’m very pleased with the results.

HDR tone-mapped using photomatix, 3 exposures from a single Jpeg file, finished up in GIMP.

The Routemaster here is the Number 9 Bound for Piccadilly (Trafalgar Square immediately behind).

Personally, I love old routemaster Busses, and I always get on one when I have the chance!
(there is only two heritage routes using these busses in London now, and they only cover the tourist areas in London).

If you like this, please view and purchase via my redbubble account.

Cafe Rouge

This image was taken at some point last year but only just been worked on.

I have recently started experimenting with tone-mapping in photomatix and I managed to come up with this image after experimentation. I tried to turn the Brickwork more redder than it was to fit in with the overall theme of the cafe.


HDR, 3 exposures from a single image, tone-mapped in Photomatix and tweaked in Gimp (Colour layered, red and green).

Please view and purchase via redbubble.

Until next time....

London Town

This is my first attempt to do HDR processing on my pictures. I used Photomatix for the whole process.

I really like how this turned out.

The original photograph was taken earlier in 2010 but I held off editing this photograph until now.

If you like this, please view and purchase via my redbubble account.

Until next time....