Sunset in Cape Meares Lighthouse

Curves, lines and textures are enhanced by shadow patterns in beautiful warm light. The result is a staircase with personality and a First Place Award at the Santa Maria Fair photography competition.

A slight boost to the gold tones was applied to the print file, for much the same reason that a clarinet solo is given a bit of extra amplification when recording an orchestral work. In the concert hall, we have visual cues that direct and focus our attention on the clarinetist. A judicious boost in amplification in the recording compensates for the loss of audio "command" relative to the full orchestra. Manipulations of color, contrast and luminosity can be used to similar purpose in photography, where three-dimensional views are reduced to two dimensions.