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Catching Some Air - Aviation Photography

It's not often that I have extra time these days, but every once in a while a few minutes pop up. Now, pair that with the right location and photographic fun ensues. Take these for example. I had some time to burn on a recent trip to Alaska waiting for a late-night return flight out of Anchorage where there is a publicly accessible area just past the end of the runway - similar to Gravely Point at DCA. Brad Kehr specializes in landscapes and does weddings, portraits, and events. He enjoys exploring life and sharing what he finds through the lens. You can catch his website at  www.bradkehrphotography.com , follow him on Twitter ( @bradkehrphoto ), Instagram ( @bradkehrphotography  and  @bradkehrphotography.landscapes ) or find him on  Facebook .
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MidWeek Edit: A Meditation

Here in Midweek Edits, I take a look back at a random BKP favorite and re-imagine it. This week's shot is from the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Orthodox Jews regularly go to the last remaining part of the Jewish temple to pray. I love this shot, because I think it captures the history and complexity of the moment. These two Orthodox Jews are likely reading from the Torah in their meditation. The dense, white beards and the scroll speak to ancient history of the Jews. Yet, the very words they are reading point to and are fulfilled in the Christ - in Jesus as seen in the Gospel of Mark. You can get a print of any of the MidWeek Edits found here.

A Meditation - SOOC
As you can see, the SOOC needed some fill light. But, this was not a situation for a flash. Instead, I exposed, as best I could, for the scroll and to minimize blurring from handshake. I shot it with a Canon 40D and EF 24-70mm lens at 70mm, f/2.8, and 1/60sec with an ISO of 400. The result is fine, but I felt it lacked some definition in the detail. So I upped the exposure in Lightroom and adjusted the whitebalance to compensate for some of the yellow light sneaking in from a bare bulb.

A Meditation - Original Edit
As you can see, this brought in cooler blue tones which emphasize the text and the definition in the beards. Yet, I felt like I lost touch with the subjects, because the cooler tones put them at a distance. And, I wanted to bring more intimacy into the photo. So in re-imagining it, I started by leveling the exposure using a graduated filter to open up the upper left side of the image by 1.5 stops - through the two faces. Still in the graduated filter function, I added a touch of brightness. Taking a step back, I realized this was precisely what I was looking for. With a final slight burn in the upper left corner and a dodge across the scroll, the simple edit was finished. Goes to show that less can be more.
A Meditation - Re-imagined.
And, as usual, a bonus Black and White edit.

A Meditation - B&W
Thoughts? Questions? Leave them in the comments below.

Brad Kehr is a photographer specializing in weddings, events, portraits, and landscapes. He enjoys exploring DC and sharing what he finds through the lens. You can catch his website at www.bradkehrphotography.com, follow him on Twitter (@bradkehrphoto), or find him on Facebook.
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