I took this on my last photo walk around Phipps Conservatory over the summer. There are so many wonderful places to take sunset photos around the building alone that it never gets old going there. I actually had no intention of taking this HDR, but I was walking along the sidewalk with my girlfriend and she was like, “look at that tree and the lamp post.” For some reason, I really liked the way the two almost mirrored each other. So I snapped a quick HDR and moved on. So here I am five months later, finally editing this photo. I wasn’t too impressed when I loaded it on my computer, but something was telling me not to delete it. I am glad I didn’t.

Here is another shot of Phipps Conservatory’s outside garden. It is free everyday for the public and a really nice place to relax. This garden is located in the heart of Oakland, which is a close neighborhood of the city. However, it doesn’t feel like you are in the middle of a city when inside this garden.

My Birthday is tomorrow and my girlfriend got me a year’s membership to Phipps Conservatory. I thought that was pretty cool and thoughtful. We love going and I enjoy taking photos there. So now I can go whenever I want. This was taken on my day off yesterday in the outdoor garden at Phipps. It does not require admission and is really pretty inside. It was only my second time in the garden and the first with actual plants and flowers in bloom. Last time I was there, it was closed for an event.

This is yet another shot from Phipps Conservatory. I have never shot this little garden before and the lighting was perfect. I originally had planned to go in, but it was closed for an event Phipps was setting up for. It is free for anyone. I was happy enough to capture the closed gates though.

On another note, I leave for Florida on Saturday. I am really excited to get some sunset and beach shots. I really need a vacation. This year has been absolutely crazy for me. I hope it slows down soon so I can devote more time for photography.

Another shot from Phipps Conservatory taken a few weeks back. I shot this same scene last year, but it did not turn out how I wanted. So when I went back, I made sure that I got this shot. I ran this through Color Efex, giving it a much warmer tone. This is directly above the entrance. When you walk into Phipps, it is a two story, glass entrance with a giant Chuhuly glass sculpture hanging. It is absolutely beautiful. The architecture and beauty of this place is extraordinary. If you live, or stopping near the Pittsburgh area, I highly recommend this place for anyone – photographer or not.

This was the first shot that I captured while taking photos around Phipps Conservatory last week. I’ve taken so many shots of the entrance that I didn’t think this one would stand out. I really liked the way the sunlight was hitting the building and lamps – so this one turned out to be a keeper.

On another note, I will be featured in Pittsburgh Magazine again. I will talk more on that later on. My photograph will be the backdrop for an article regarding the next Batman film and how it is being shot in Pittsburgh. Pretty exciting stuff. I would really like to get down there while Batman is filming one night to get a glimpse of the action!

Here is another photo that I took while shooting the outside of Phipps Conservatory. I liked how these flowers added some interesting foreground material to the scene. I think that the wide-angle lens gave the flowers an interesting effect.

Phipps Conservatory is great – inside and out. Now that I have a camera that does auto bracketing, I want to go inside and shoot some hand-held HDR’s during the day. I was never able to do that before without AEB.

I am not happy with the sky in this shot. For some reason, I was not able to get rid of the halo surrounding the tree. Can you see it? Any tips for getting rid of extreme halos? I know the masking technique very well, but seems to be tricky with trees…How do you get rid of halos that surround trees?

Since those last few shots were a bit dark and dreary, I thought that I would brighten up my site with a bit of bokeh and colors. I took a ride out to one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh for sunset; Phipps Conservatory. Even after closing, Phipps offers spectacular shots around the building. Not to mention, the sun sets directly behind the greenhouse, making for great sunset shots. I’m not sure what this type of flower is called, but I like the color.

Here is a view looking out from Phipps Conservatory in Oakland, taken a couple of months ago in the beginning of summer. I never liked this shot because of the purple but just recently took another look at it. I fixed some of the colors on it to make it a bit more natural and decided it was worthy of a post!