Retouched Digital Image

Original Long Time Exposure

The original photograph was taken at the 2008 Lighting of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse Fresnel Lamp. Located on the San Mateo County Coast in California, the unique lamp was first lit at sunset on November 15, 1872.

The time exposure of the 1871 lens lighting on a foggy night included transient image silhouettes of vehicles, people, and lights. To recreate an image of just the light, the tower, and the old watch house at its base as it appeared on a foggy night 140 years ago, the transient artifacts were removed, the darks and colors adjusted, and high speed exposure noise was removed. A remarkable image of a time long past emerged.

This page presents before and after images.
Mouse over each, and back and forth to view a larger version.

Camera Raw, Photoshop, Original Photograph