Author: Alik Griffin

  • Manai Falls at the Takachiho Gorge

    Manai Falls at the Takachiho Gorge

    Takachiho Gorge really surprised me once I saw it in person. It’s a bit remote, but renting a rowboat to shoot Manai Falls between the old lava walls was well worth the drive.

  • Yutoku Inari Shrine, Japan

    Yutoku Inari Shrine, Japan

    Here’s my bracketed shot of Yutoku Inari Shrine, processed with Photomatix, Color Efex Pro, and Photoshop. I’ve also listed the shrine’s festivals.

  • Front View of the Pasadena City Hall

    Front View of the Pasadena City Hall

    If you haven’t been there before, Pasadena is a small town with a lot of vibe. It’s where the annual Rose Parade is held. The Pasadena City Hall is the center of the city. Many films and TV shows have been shot here, and if you watch The Big Bang Theory, this is the view…

  • Another Beautiful Sunset at Victoria Beach – Laguna Beach

    Another Beautiful Sunset at Victoria Beach – Laguna Beach

    This sunset photo is from Victoria Beach. Sunsets and beach photos work well with a 2.35 crop like this. It really seems to feature the horizon well. This is an HDR beach photo. There really isn’t a way to shoot a picture like this without multiple exposures unless you use an ND gradient filter. I…

  • The Creole Cafe of Old Town San Diego

    The Creole Cafe of Old Town San Diego

    This is a Night HDR photo. It’s more difficult to shoot HDR once it’s completely dark. The color balance is really hard to get right since there is no point of reference. You have to experiment a lot and go for more of a look. I guess that’s true for a lot of HDR photography. 

  • HDR Photo the Horseshoe Bend of Glen Canyon

    HDR Photo the Horseshoe Bend of Glen Canyon

    Horseshoe Bend rivals the Grand Canyon, even if it’s smaller. I shot this with my 5D II and 16-35mm using Photomatix, though today I’d just use Lightroom’s merge or skip bracketing entirely.

  • HDR Photo of The Pasadena City Hall

    HDR Photo of The Pasadena City Hall

    The Night HDR photo of the Pasadena City Hall’s courtyard. A pretty awesome place.

  • Yosemite’s Half Dome From 2012

    Yosemite’s Half Dome From 2012

    Earlier this year, I went to the Yosemite Half Dome. Back then, I was still more of a hobby photographer, not really taking it seriously, just shooting for fun. Unfortunately, I didn’t shoot a single HDR photo.

  • Utah’s Million Dollar View

    Utah’s Million Dollar View

    As you drive into Utah coming from Arizona, you’ll come across this spot called the Million Dollar View. It’s technically a little higher than this, but these are some of the mountains in that view. I just got down and got a closer look. For a point of reference, Lake Powell is a few hundred…

  • The Whaley House of Old Town San Diego

    The Whaley House of Old Town San Diego

    The Whaley House of Old Town San Diego is the most haunted house in the United States. It’s also the oldest brick house or the first of its kind in San Diego.