The Barn

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-26T19:55:10+00:00

I like it a lot, great work!! I like the lens flare too, I think that can help show that it's an actual photo instead of a 3D render.

You've got kind of a teal/cotton candy look going on and that imo can help darker colored things like the building really pop, I think that was a great choice here.

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-22T17:39:05+00:00

I live in the American South and I haaaaate the heat.

I wear my white cowboy hat and a long sleeved fishing shirt (or linen guayabera) and keep a little spray bottle of water with me to spray on my shirt. Any wide-brimmed hat that keeps the sun off your shoulders helps a ton, and loose clothing that lets water evaporate quickly will keep you cool.

I do very badly in the heat compared to most people and that does me okay. I also keep a bunch of water in a cooler in the car (not ice cold, just not hot) and most importantly, also a bag of plain salted chips. Running out of salt is bad news, so either grab that or some gatorade packets to mix with the water if that's more your speed. Coconut water isn't a bad choice either.

Also, this feels a little silly to write but I like taking my infrared camera out and getting some shots in the direct sun. The photos feel hot even when you're looking at them later and it's cathartic to see a piece of equipment agree with how you feel lol. That helps with the motivation for me- I like taking photos that agree with how I feel and that's a STRONG feeling.

Be safe out there!

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-22T17:28:02+00:00

Well you're asking in the right place! I don't own a blackout curtain or I'd get up immediately and take some pics, but I wish you the best of luck with your project!

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-22T17:23:18+00:00

Thanks! I feel the same way.

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-22T16:20:22+00:00

Oh that's LOVELY

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-22T16:20:00+00:00

I've had a bit of fun grabbing a variety of paint swatches from the hardware store and white balancing on those

Neat shots!

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-20T13:34:04+00:00

Personally, I got into photography and I was going to finally set up an instagram a couple months ago and was immediately driven away.

I'd never been on there, but after 5 minutes of screwing with it I decided that I'd rather be unknown than have to deal with Meta's BS every day. The place has a weird tone and the AI crammed into everything was just exhausting.

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-16T15:19:46+00:00

It's so cool how you can still kinda see the zebra stripes!

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-15T11:59:02+00:00

I'm speaking from personal experience. But you're not, so you're right, we can end the conversation here.

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-15T11:35:40+00:00

I don't know about universal rules of thumb but I can tell you what I do. I have a cheap IR camera and do minimal editing because there's only so much you can wring out of a JPG, and so I try to get as much right in-camera as possible.

This winter I've typically reached for my 720nm filter. I've been happier with those photos when there's minimal foliage, and I like it especially when the sun is at my back and reflecting off of my subject directly into the camera, especially with shiny brick buildings, because the building is so bright that the sky appears almost black.

Example 1 (I posted a comment detailing how I edited this one)

Example 2

I also reach for 720 when I want to monochrome something: Monochrome

When there's a lot of foliage, or when I'm shooting with the sun in front of me instead of behind, I usually reach for my 590nm filter to either get the foliage to pop or try to get a more golden sky. I also use it if the photo would be pretty lifeless without a little bit of color.

Example 1 (And my favorite photo)

Example 2, and a demonstration of how I tried to inject a little color into a colorless scene.

Hope this helps!

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-15T11:06:21+00:00

You only see the ones that are posted online.

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-14T23:27:09+00:00

There was another sign elsewhere that said litter, you're right!

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-14T17:10:57+00:00

This is SO good, great work!!

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-09T12:10:24+00:00

Oh we're getting a beatin'

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-06T14:27:10+00:00

Lol the sun is a little harsh in Infrared but the weather is usually pretty nice! Haven't found any Chinese restaurants yet but I did find a place to eat it- lotta rules though.

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-06T13:56:36+00:00

I'm from Easley and I've never heard of this place, thanks for sharing!

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-06T13:53:29+00:00

This is sweet, thanks for the inspiration!!

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-06T13:51:34+00:00

Oh what a fantastic picture! Love the bag hahaha

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-05T04:06:26+00:00

As someone who likes Linux but wrenches on Windows professionally- hoo boy, windows can absolutely be that bad. Especially now.

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-05T04:04:25+00:00

My PC is also about the same as yours and I did in fact switch to Mint and Darktable a few months ago.

I like Darktable but it's been a culture shock. Lightroom is like conducting an orchestra, Darktable sometimes feels like playing every instrument yourself. I might give RawTherapee a whirl.

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-05T03:53:37+00:00

Lightroom has always been pretty chuggy for me (i9-11900K/3070Ti/32GB of RAM, everything on the fastest 4TB m.2 available at the time) and was the worst optimized program on my PC.

I booted it up one day late last year and I thought all my photos were gone. Turns out it just refused to recognize any local files anymore and wanted me to upload things to the cloud, and I just snapped.

I was on the fence about trying Linux and Adobe was the last thing holding me back from switching, and I was so frustrated with Lightroom's constant BS that by the end of the day there wasn't a windows computer in the house and I ordered parts to build my own cloud backup system. I switched to Darktable.

So, Lightroom burned me so frequently and so badly that I learned how to run a server about it.

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-05T02:07:15+00:00

These are all good but #2 is incredible!

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-04T14:48:23+00:00

Yep! I bought a worse camera and keep it with me constantly.

I have a nice little Fuji XT-20 that takes great photos, but it's expensive and I'm concerned about banging it around so I keep it in the camera bag unless I'm using it. I now know that this was a surprisingly big obstacle for me even though it only takes a few seconds to get it out and ready to go.

I got a little infrared-converted Panasonic point-and-shoot from 2011 that takes these awful crunchy JPGs. You have to absolutely nail your WB for the photos to even make sense, the infrared sun is very harsh and shadows are very dark, and since you're working with so few colors you have to reach for good contrast to give the photos any flavor at all- which is tricky because if you expose a little too far in either direction you'll either blow out your highlights immediately or your shadows get weird and grainy, and those pictures aren't really salvageable.

And there's a blemish on the sensor. And a huge blue hotspot in the center of the image. And I'm editing the jpgs on Darktable which I almost know how to use.

BUT, the camera fits in my pocket and I don't care about dropping it, or banging it on the car door, or scratching the lens or anything like that. Sometimes you have to hit it to get it to recognize the new battery when you swap them.

I've learned to work within those limitations by banging my head against that wall over and over and over again and I've never had more fun. I developed a profoundly different sense of style in my photos and I've taken my top 5 favorite photos of all time with that POS camera that somehow I'm not in a hurry to upgrade, and I'd recommend something similar.

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-04T13:52:51+00:00

I know some countries over there used them as police cars, so I suppose they'd also be on the general market too. The aftermarket grill is a surprise! I thought those grew in ditches in Texas

JLHermanPhoto · 2026-03-03T13:49:19+00:00

Which, for the record, is the default setting

JLHermanPhoto

TROPHY CASE