Just one image for now.. once I get my replacement memory I should be able to handle the extra load that the 3d structures impose, more to the point I should be able to run Photoshop at the same time without having to wait for the whole ding darn thing to be paged from the hard drive when I switch between apps.
I wanted to point out a feature of Google Earth that allows for some extra dramatic impact. You can click the little sun icon (if you have the newest Google Earth version) and you get a slider that lets you change the time of day. I admit this picture isn't great.. the light rendering engine isn't great, it's kind of a crude system. I'll try to do better ones once I get my memory.
I also want to point out that this feature could also be used for planning shots. I read an article in a photography magazine about using topographic maps to figure out what time of day you would want to take a picture of a certain geographical feature, like a mountain or a waterfall. The story got into some extreme fine detail, like picking a particular day of the year to get the shot so that the light has just the right angle, and then working out what time of day that angle happens.
I think Google Earth should be at least slightly usable for this. For example, the simple use is to figure out where the sun will be rising or setting. Not just when, but where, what specific angle, and you can figure out how to get a good angle on a certain subject. For instance, for my DC trip I've found out where the sun will be setting and what that will look like if I try to do a sunset shot of the Lincoln Memorial from across the reflecting pool.
If the rendering engine of Google Earth was more sophisticated you could play more with shadows, at the moment the full potential of this tool is unrealized. It seems to do a better job on terrain, like mountains, it may be a bit more useful there.
[This attachment has been purged. Older attachments are purged from time to time to conserve disk space. Please feel free to repost your image.]
