Category Archives: HDR

Pictures and Videos of April Storms Rolling Through Atlanta

Over the past several days Atlanta has seen damaging storms roll through town. On Monday alone there were 20 confirmed tornados in Georgia. On Wednesday that same front turned around and came back through as a warm front, countered by a bigger cold front from the west. When it wasn’t storming the skies were perfect for photography. On Tuesday it was beautiful; here is a picture of the moon late that afternoon.

Moon-1

On Wednesday we had early storms in the morning. I set up my GoPro in the front window on timelapse and caught this strike of lightning over the trees.

Lightning 4-5-17-1

When the morning storms cleared the coloring was beautiful outside with the sun trying to break through the clouds. Here is a picture of the calm between the storms.

Calm Between the Storms-2

Wednesday night we got the 3rd round of storms which went late into the night. Again I set up the GoPro, this time doing timelapse video, capturing the storm from the time the sun went down until it came back up Thursday morning. Here is a condensed version of that video, showing the stormy phase of Wednesday evening and the beautiful sunrise Thursday morning.

And finally here is a picture of the sunrise Thursday morning.

Sunrise after the storm-1

Enjoy!

Carson Matthews

All images are available on my website. Please visit the link below for options to download. 
www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com

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Sunset Rock Highlands North Carolina

This weekend over Fall Break we made a quick trip up to Highlands North Carolina. On Saturday morning we strolled up to Sunset Rock to get the kids out of the house before lunch. The trail head is located just past Mountain Fresh and only takes about 20 minutes to hike. There is parking across the street from the Highlands Nature Center on Horse Cove Road. Sunset Rock offers a stunning overhead view of the town of Highlands. In the morning the sun behind you provides beautiful light over the town, highlighting the fall colors.

 

sunset-rock-highlands-nc-1-of-1
Full Res Image on CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com

 

sunset-rock-highlands-nc-1-of-4

In the evening the sun sets perfectly over Highlands. Below is a picture taken in November of 2015 over Thanksgiving.

 

sunset-rock-highlands-nc-1-of-1
Full Res Image on CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com

 

Pictures of the Chastain Park Playground

Yesterday we took the kids to check out the newly renovated Chastain Park Playground. You can read all about it at ChastainParkBlog.com. Here are a few of the pictures I got of the new playground, it’s truly one of a kind. More pictures are on my website www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com/ChastainPark

Chastain Park Playground (1 of 12)

Chastain Park Playground (2 of 12)

Chastain Park Playground (4 of 12)

Chastain Park Playground (8 of 12)

 

Thanks,
Carson Matthews

 

Pictures from Altama Plantation, Southeast Georgia

This past week I had the opportunity to visit the Altama Plantation, formerly called Hopeton, near St Simons Island, Georgia.  It is such a beautiful property with a rich history with records dating back as far as 1763.  It was most recently owned by the Jones family that also owned Sea Island.  One of the original owners studied water control in Holland and put that knowledge to work in a diking and drainage system that supported the rice fields of Hopeton. It was also home to sugar mills, and ruins still remain, two of the chimneys pictured below with the year 1899 engraved with cut bricks.  The ancient oak and pine trees are just stunning with drooping Spanish moss, and Gardenia’s like you have never seen before left over from prior owners gardens.  Wildlife is abundant, while only there for 24 hours we saw an alligator, wild hog, tons of deer, a water moccasin, a turkey, several hawks and a massive owl.  Coming from Atlanta it was simply amazing to be in a place like that.

I spent some time looking for information on Altama, and this is one of the best records I could find: Georgia’s Land of the Golden Isles

Below are pictures I captured while there.  All of these images are available on www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com/Travel/GoldenIsles

Altama Plantation

Altama Plantation

Altama Plantation Sugar Mill

Altama Plantation Sugar Mill

Altama Plantation

Altamaha River, Altama Plantation

Thanks for reading,

Carson Matthews
www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com

Twisted Tree – Chattahoochee Nature Trail

I love this tree along the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area trail.  I’m usually running when back there so never have my camera and certainly not my tripod.  I took both out for a hike on Friday afternoon and got a picture of this twisted tree.

How I did it:

ISO 100
17mm
f/9.0
5 exposures 1/30 sec – 1/500 sec
Shot on Tripod
Processed in Photomatix Pro 5 & Lightroom

View or purchase a high resolution image at http://www.carsonmatthewsphotography.com/Photography/OntheStreets/i-LzQ3Ncz/A

Twisted Tree - Chattahoochee Nature Trail Atlanta

Thanks,

Carson Matthews
www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com

The Bellwood Quarry – Atlanta Georgia

A couple of weeks ago I was given the opportunity through the Trust for Public Land to go and photograph the Bellwood Quarry on the west side of Atlanta. The Bellwood Quarry is part of Westside Park, a new City of Atlanta park that will be 351 acres along with a 45 acre lake once the Quarry is filled up.  This will be the biggest park in the city of Atlanta.  The Quarry will also serve a drinking water reservoir for the city of Atlanta.  Westside Park is part of the Atlanta Beltline Project.

The image below is available for purchase at www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com.  50% of the profits from sales of this photograph will be donated to the Trust for Public Land.

Bellwood Quarry - Atlanta Georgia

Bellwood Quarry Atlanta Georgia

Buckhead Lenox Road Skyline

We were leaving Phipps Plaza on Friday night after stocking up on winter clothes at Belk and I got a couple of pictures of the skyline looking west over Lenox Road.  There are a lot of great perspectives from Phipps Plaza of nearby Buckhead high rise buildings.  Here is how they were shot:

Nikon D800, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
ISO 500, 14mm, f/5.6
5 frames 1/10-1/160 sec
Processed in Photomatix Pro and Lightroom

Prints of these images and many more available for purchase at www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com

Buckhead Skyline at Lenox

Buckhead Lenox Skyline

PRUMC Soccer at the Atlanta International School

This past weekend our son’s PRUMC soccer team the Ninjas played their game at the Atlanta International School fields in Buckhead.  What an amazing venue for a soccer game!  The fields are all turf, the historic buildings hover over the fields, and on this day the sky was just perfect.  Here is a shot of the back of the school and some action shots.

Atlanta International School Soccer Fields

PRUMC Soccer

PRUMC Soccer

Washed up Seaweed on Sea Island Georgia

We went for a walk on the beach after a storm on Monday and found all sorts of creatures washed up on the shore.  I don’t have any idea what kinds of seaweed these are, so chime in below in the comments if you can identify any of these seaweed species.  Both of these are 5-image HDR shots taken with the lens resting on the beach sand (very carefully).

Print available for purchase at www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com

Georgia Coast Seaweed HDR

Print available for purchase at www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com

Georgia Coast Seaweed

Sunset over the Marsh in Sea Island Georgia

Last night I got this shot of the sun setting on 13th Street overlooking the Marsh in Sea Island.

How it was taken:
ISO 100
14mm
f/2.8
5 images 1/50 – 1/800 sec

Print available for purchase at www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com 

Sea Island Marsh Sunset