A few nice beats software images I found:
Kelsey Trail
Image by deborah.soltesz
Kelsey Spring Trail
2009-04-29: With most of the roads open around Flagstaff and a warm day in store, we decided to hike one of the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness trails. We grabbed Deb Lauman and headed down Woody Mountain Road. Skimming Flagstaff Hikes
and the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness map, we decided to hike Kelsey Trail, which offered the potential for wildflowers according to Flagstaff Hikes. Flagstaff Hikes (5th edition) refers to Kelsey Trail #3 as Kelsey Spring Trail (from the trailhead to the spring) and Kelsey-Winter Cabin Trail (from the Kelsey Spring to Dorsey Spring). The trail sign at the trailhead is labeled Kelsey Winter Trail, and other trail signs are marked Kelsey Tr. No. 3. Additionally, the book refers to Little LO Trail as Geronimo Spring Trail. I haven’t looked at the 6th edition of the book yet, which includes 97 trails (the 5th edition lists 146), so I can’t speak to the differences between the two editions.
From Kelsey Trailhead and early on in the trail there are great views of Sycamore Canyon. A beaten path heads along the rim of the canyon, heading left from the parking area. We headed down the trail, which dives quickly into the canyon through gorgeous ponderosa pine forest. The trail is well maintained and well marked with signs at the springs and trail junctions. There is evidence of very old tree blazes marking the trail, but these are no longer necessary to follow the trail. Kelsey Spring is approximately 0.5 mile from the trailhead. A pipe from the spring feeds a water trough. The spring was running, and bees and butterflies were flitting around the wet, marshy area surrounding the spring, and the wild flags were beginning to bloom.
Around 1.2 mile from the trailhead is a second spring, Babe’s Hole Spring. Based on the map, it’s approximately a 700′ elevation drop from the trailhead to Babe’s Hole Spring. The spring is marked with a sign, and theres a covered stone well protecting the spring. There appear to be irises growing here, but none were blooming yet. The spring was running. Another 0.10 mile from Babe’s Hole is the junction of Kelsey and Little L O Trails. Little L O continues another 0.75 mile to bottom of Sycamore Canyon. Hoping for more views, we decided to continue along Kelsey Trail, which runs along the side of the canyon. We stopped at the top of the first rise and ate lunch in the remains of an old campsite.
Hiking report
All the photos from this hike
The New Camera
This was my second real use of my new Pentax K20D. On the first hike using the camera, I’d shot photos in JPEG format, and was fairly pleased with the results. After a few more experiments at home, I decided for this hike to try shooting photos in RAW format instead of JPEG, and was incredibly pleased at the dynamic range I had to work with, collecting images nearly as good as generated HDRs (but without all the work of generating the HDRs). I took a few exposure bracketed shots using my Gorillapod tripod and the camera’s wireless remote, and was simply thrilled (my last camera, annoyingly, didn’t have a remote).
Once at home, I pulled the RAW photos off the camera and started trying to figure out how to work with them. With my previous cameras, I’d been shooting JPEGs and using a combination of Picasa, Microsoft Pro Photo Tools, Autopano Pro, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Image Composite Editor, and Photomatix. However, if I want to continue shooting in RAW (Pentax PEF) format, I need to adjust my workflow a bit. While Picasa can read the raw files, it simply doesn’t have the processing tools to create a decent final JPEG product for the web, printing, etc. Currently, I’m still struggling with the workflow, mainly with issues related to editing the metadata and problems with metadata and geotags being read correctly by some of the software packages. As I write this, the metadata in Gallery are pretty messed up, but I haven’t determined if there’s something wrong with the files, the Picasa export, or Gallery’s import of the images. Picasa doesn’t seem to be picking up metadata and geotags correctly where the image files have the full blown camera metadata. I may have to drop Picasa and use an alternative upload tool for Gallery.
@schussman recommended Adobe Lightroom, so I downloaded the 30-day trial and used it to process most of the photos from this hike. I really liked Lightroom’s processing tools, which make it pretty easy to apply the same processing settings to multiple photos, and therefore, allow me to process a group of images quickly and get them out to the web. It keeps a really good history of all the processing steps for image, and the RAW image itself isn’t changed, so I can go back as many times as I want to tweak the processing settings. Lightroom has a nice directory browser (which will also show the contents of subdirectories), and the ability to create catalogs and collections (I didn’t play with that). There’s also a full metadata editor, a few gallery building options, a fairly powerful batch exporter, and I think there’s ways to manage the workflow between Lightroom and Photoshop (I haven’t played with that yet either). I don’t know if I want to pay the 0 price tag for Lightroom, but I’ll keep using it until the trial’s up… perhaps I’ll fall in love, and won’t mind shelling out the cash. The camera came with similar software from Pentax, which I also intend to try out.
5-frame HDR shot with a Pentax K20D. HDR generated and tone mapped in Photomatix. Metadata refined in MS Pro Photo Tools and Adobe Lightroom.
Kelsey Trail
Image by deborah.soltesz
Kelsey Spring Trail (HDR)
2009-04-29: With most of the roads open around Flagstaff and a warm day in store, we decided to hike one of the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness trails. We grabbed Deb Lauman and headed down Woody Mountain Road. Skimming Flagstaff Hikes
and the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness map, we decided to hike Kelsey Trail, which offered the potential for wildflowers according to Flagstaff Hikes. Flagstaff Hikes (5th edition) refers to Kelsey Trail #3 as Kelsey Spring Trail (from the trailhead to the spring) and Kelsey-Winter Cabin Trail (from the Kelsey Spring to Dorsey Spring). The trail sign at the trailhead is labeled Kelsey Winter Trail, and other trail signs are marked Kelsey Tr. No. 3. Additionally, the book refers to Little LO Trail as Geronimo Spring Trail. I haven’t looked at the 6th edition of the book yet, which includes 97 trails (the 5th edition lists 146), so I can’t speak to the differences between the two editions.
From Kelsey Trailhead and early on in the trail there are great views of Sycamore Canyon. A beaten path heads along the rim of the canyon, heading left from the parking area. We headed down the trail, which dives quickly into the canyon through gorgeous ponderosa pine forest. The trail is well maintained and well marked with signs at the springs and trail junctions. There is evidence of very old tree blazes marking the trail, but these are no longer necessary to follow the trail. Kelsey Spring is approximately 0.5 mile from the trailhead. A pipe from the spring feeds a water trough. The spring was running, and bees and butterflies were flitting around the wet, marshy area surrounding the spring, and the wild flags were beginning to bloom.
Around 1.2 mile from the trailhead is a second spring, Babe’s Hole Spring. Based on the map, it’s approximately a 700′ elevation drop from the trailhead to Babe’s Hole Spring. The spring is marked with a sign, and theres a covered stone well protecting the spring. There appear to be irises growing here, but none were blooming yet. The spring was running. Another 0.10 mile from Babe’s Hole is the junction of Kelsey and Little L O Trails. Little L O continues another 0.75 mile to bottom of Sycamore Canyon. Hoping for more views, we decided to continue along Kelsey Trail, which runs along the side of the canyon. We stopped at the top of the first rise and ate lunch in the remains of an old campsite.
Hiking report
All the photos from this hike
The New Camera
This was my second real use of my new Pentax K20D. On the first hike using the camera, I’d shot photos in JPEG format, and was fairly pleased with the results. After a few more experiments at home, I decided for this hike to try shooting photos in RAW format instead of JPEG, and was incredibly pleased at the dynamic range I had to work with, collecting images nearly as good as generated HDRs (but without all the work of generating the HDRs). I took a few exposure bracketed shots using my Gorillapod tripod and the camera’s wireless remote, and was simply thrilled (my last camera, annoyingly, didn’t have a remote).
Once at home, I pulled the RAW photos off the camera and started trying to figure out how to work with them. With my previous cameras, I’d been shooting JPEGs and using a combination of Picasa, Microsoft Pro Photo Tools, Autopano Pro, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Image Composite Editor, and Photomatix. However, if I want to continue shooting in RAW (Pentax PEF) format, I need to adjust my workflow a bit. While Picasa can read the raw files, it simply doesn’t have the processing tools to create a decent final JPEG product for the web, printing, etc. Currently, I’m still struggling with the workflow, mainly with issues related to editing the metadata and problems with metadata and geotags being read correctly by some of the software packages. As I write this, the metadata in Gallery are pretty messed up, but I haven’t determined if there’s something wrong with the files, the Picasa export, or Gallery’s import of the images. Picasa doesn’t seem to be picking up metadata and geotags correctly where the image files have the full blown camera metadata. I may have to drop Picasa and use an alternative upload tool for Gallery.
@schussman recommended Adobe Lightroom, so I downloaded the 30-day trial and used it to process most of the photos from this hike. I really liked Lightroom’s processing tools, which make it pretty easy to apply the same processing settings to multiple photos, and therefore, allow me to process a group of images quickly and get them out to the web. It keeps a really good history of all the processing steps for image, and the RAW image itself isn’t changed, so I can go back as many times as I want to tweak the processing settings. Lightroom has a nice directory browser (which will also show the contents of subdirectories), and the ability to create catalogs and collections (I didn’t play with that). There’s also a full metadata editor, a few gallery building options, a fairly powerful batch exporter, and I think there’s ways to manage the workflow between Lightroom and Photoshop (I haven’t played with that yet either). I don’t know if I want to pay the 0 price tag for Lightroom, but I’ll keep using it until the trial’s up… perhaps I’ll fall in love, and won’t mind shelling out the cash. The camera came with similar software from Pentax, which I also intend to try out.
5-frame HDR shot with a Pentax K20D. HDR generated and tone mapped in Photomatix. Metadata refined in MS Pro Photo Tools and Adobe Lightroom.
Kelsey Trail
Image by deborah.soltesz
Kelsey Spring Trail
2009-04-29: With most of the roads open around Flagstaff and a warm day in store, we decided to hike one of the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness trails. We grabbed Deb Lauman and headed down Woody Mountain Road. Skimming Flagstaff Hikes
and the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness map, we decided to hike Kelsey Trail, which offered the potential for wildflowers according to Flagstaff Hikes. Flagstaff Hikes (5th edition) refers to Kelsey Trail #3 as Kelsey Spring Trail (from the trailhead to the spring) and Kelsey-Winter Cabin Trail (from the Kelsey Spring to Dorsey Spring). The trail sign at the trailhead is labeled Kelsey Winter Trail, and other trail signs are marked Kelsey Tr. No. 3. Additionally, the book refers to Little LO Trail as Geronimo Spring Trail. I haven’t looked at the 6th edition of the book yet, which includes 97 trails (the 5th edition lists 146), so I can’t speak to the differences between the two editions.
From Kelsey Trailhead and early on in the trail there are great views of Sycamore Canyon. A beaten path heads along the rim of the canyon, heading left from the parking area. We headed down the trail, which dives quickly into the canyon through gorgeous ponderosa pine forest. The trail is well maintained and well marked with signs at the springs and trail junctions. There is evidence of very old tree blazes marking the trail, but these are no longer necessary to follow the trail. Kelsey Spring is approximately 0.5 mile from the trailhead. A pipe from the spring feeds a water trough. The spring was running, and bees and butterflies were flitting around the wet, marshy area surrounding the spring, and the wild flags were beginning to bloom.
Around 1.2 mile from the trailhead is a second spring, Babe’s Hole Spring. Based on the map, it’s approximately a 700′ elevation drop from the trailhead to Babe’s Hole Spring. The spring is marked with a sign, and theres a covered stone well protecting the spring. There appear to be irises growing here, but none were blooming yet. The spring was running. Another 0.10 mile from Babe’s Hole is the junction of Kelsey and Little L O Trails. Little L O continues another 0.75 mile to bottom of Sycamore Canyon. Hoping for more views, we decided to continue along Kelsey Trail, which runs along the side of the canyon. We stopped at the top of the first rise and ate lunch in the remains of an old campsite.
Hiking report
All the photos from this hike
The New Camera
This was my second real use of my new Pentax K20D. On the first hike using the camera, I’d shot photos in JPEG format, and was fairly pleased with the results. After a few more experiments at home, I decided for this hike to try shooting photos in RAW format instead of JPEG, and was incredibly pleased at the dynamic range I had to work with, collecting images nearly as good as generated HDRs (but without all the work of generating the HDRs). I took a few exposure bracketed shots using my Gorillapod tripod and the camera’s wireless remote, and was simply thrilled (my last camera, annoyingly, didn’t have a remote).
Once at home, I pulled the RAW photos off the camera and started trying to figure out how to work with them. With my previous cameras, I’d been shooting JPEGs and using a combination of Picasa, Microsoft Pro Photo Tools, Autopano Pro, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Image Composite Editor, and Photomatix. However, if I want to continue shooting in RAW (Pentax PEF) format, I need to adjust my workflow a bit. While Picasa can read the raw files, it simply doesn’t have the processing tools to create a decent final JPEG product for the web, printing, etc. Currently, I’m still struggling with the workflow, mainly with issues related to editing the metadata and problems with metadata and geotags being read correctly by some of the software packages. As I write this, the metadata in Gallery are pretty messed up, but I haven’t determined if there’s something wrong with the files, the Picasa export, or Gallery’s import of the images. Picasa doesn’t seem to be picking up metadata and geotags correctly where the image files have the full blown camera metadata. I may have to drop Picasa and use an alternative upload tool for Gallery.
@schussman recommended Adobe Lightroom, so I downloaded the 30-day trial and used it to process most of the photos from this hike. I really liked Lightroom’s processing tools, which make it pretty easy to apply the same processing settings to multiple photos, and therefore, allow me to process a group of images quickly and get them out to the web. It keeps a really good history of all the processing steps for image, and the RAW image itself isn’t changed, so I can go back as many times as I want to tweak the processing settings. Lightroom has a nice directory browser (which will also show the contents of subdirectories), and the ability to create catalogs and collections (I didn’t play with that). There’s also a full metadata editor, a few gallery building options, a fairly powerful batch exporter, and I think there’s ways to manage the workflow between Lightroom and Photoshop (I haven’t played with that yet either). I don’t know if I want to pay the 0 price tag for Lightroom, but I’ll keep using it until the trial’s up… perhaps I’ll fall in love, and won’t mind shelling out the cash. The camera came with similar software from Pentax, which I also intend to try out.
5-frame HDR shot with a Pentax K20D. HDR generated and tone mapped in Photomatix. Metadata refined in MS Pro Photo Tools and Adobe Lightroom.
