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Quite the Scene

I can be a real geek sometimes; like this time. I had it in my mind I was going to take some epic photos and so I brought a bag full of gear including a huge lens and a tripod. Things didn’t turn out as I expected so there I was with all this gear in the middle of a public pathway as the sun was setting. I made the best of it and quickly setup for the shot. A couple came up and said they wanted to be on TV. Obviously I looked like I was from the local station. I must have been quite the scene.

Daily Image
Quite the Scene
Quite the Scene before me and of me when I took this in Sarasota

This is the image I got and so I didn’t come home completely empty handed. But to be quite honest I could have done better with less. I love gear and so this happens a lot. I always bring more gear than I need. However I can count on one hand the times I used everything I brought. It’s not about the gear; it’s about being present in the moment and working with what you have.

Lately I’ve started experimenting with slimming down what I take. By that I mean two or three lenses. Again, even the times I bring two lenses, I end up using only one. Recently I’ve left the house with just one lens on my camera. No bag, no filters, no tripod. I start out with a feeling that I forgot something. However as I start to take pictures I’m less encumbered and more attuned to what’s around me.

It’s not the camera it’s what between the ears. Taking good pictures requires a state of mind more than a heavy piece of glass. Some of the most amazing photographers on the web use inexpensive cameras. That’s not to say all the equipment is unnecessary, it all has a proper time, place and use.

more sunset images

I like the gear because I’m a geek but maybe I need a little intervention. I think of myself as being on a twelve-step program to be free of lens clutter. I’m not there yet, but at least I know it’s an issue. That’s the first step to recovery.

Now I’m off to read about the just announced Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM and 12-24mm f/4.0. I might need one of those in my kit.

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Queenstown Reboot

This is an image I took on my first day in New Zealand about two years ago. As you can see from the colors it was autumn in the southern hemisphere. If I recall I was so happy to see all the fall colors that I quickly processed the photo and posted it a few hours later.

Queenstown Reboot
This is an image from Queenstown that I’ve just reprocessed, I think it turned out better than the first time.

Now when I look back on that image I realize my tastes have changed. That’s a nice way of saying the other picture makes my eyes bleed. The colors of the original are amped up quite a bit and appear too bright and unrealistic.

And so as I was looking at some of my old photos the other day and I thought to myself, why don’t I reprocess this? Since I have the original RAW files I did, only his time I used different tools and techniques I’ve acquired over the years.

More New Zealand images from the Gallery

This is a three image HDR that I originally combined in Photomatix Pro, this time in AuroraHDR Pro. Last time I wanted the colors to blast so I oversaturated them, this time I wanted it to be a little more realistic. I think both versions have their pros and cons, (I’m being kind again). The old image looks pretty good as a thumbnail or on a phone, this one looks better on a large screen or print.

Each image has its place, but as I continue to evolve as a photographer and artist my taste change and so do my techniques. This is just another example of that. I plan on reprocessing a few more from that trip so stay tuned.

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Gardens Sunrise

Gardens Sunrise
Queenstown Gardens Sunrise in the heart of an amazing little city                                            Buy a fine art gallery print

A couple of years ago in New Zealand I was here for a Queenstown Gardens sunrise. It’s an oasis of nature in the middle of the city, except for one thing. The city is an oasis in the middle of the wilderness. If that sounded like a contradiction it is. Queenstown doesn’t need an oasis, it’s already surrounded by beauty and awesomeness on all sides. This park is just the cherry on top.

I was here on one of Trey Ratcliff’s photo adventures. This was our first day. There were about twenty of us and I really didn’t know anyone except one other guy I met on G+. So here we all were on our first morning doing our best to capture the light and such. Now fast forward to the end of the week. Now we are all best friends and feel like we’ve just been through the most amazing experiences together. Big change from beginning to end.

I’ve had this image in my backlog for almost two years. I tried a few times to process it but wasn’t pleased with the results. This time I have some new software called AuroraHDR made by MacPhun and the very same Trey Ratcliff. Now, what was once a challenge has become easy. For HDR images like this, I find it much easier to get the results I want. I guess the moral of the story is, the longer you wait, the better the software gets, the more you can do. That sounded kind of lame, but you know what I mean.

More photos from New Zealand

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Emerson Canopy

From a little park known as Emerson Point which has trails through the canopy of trees draped with Spanish Moss. About 10 minutes later the sun would set and the canopy became much darker. I usually linger to watch the sunset on the water over to the left and then walk back through these trees to my car. During the day and weekends there are a lot of visitors, but I typically come here at dusk and have the whole place to myself. If I ever get lost in the canopy on my way out, you'll know where to find me.

From a little park known as Emerson Point which has trails through the canopy of trees draped with Spanish Moss. About 10 minutes later the sun would set and the canopy became much darker. I usually linger to watch the sunset on the water over to the left and then walk back through these trees to my car. During the day and weekends there are a lot of visitors, but I typically come here at dusk and have the whole place to myself. If I ever get lost in the canopy on my way out, you’ll know where to find me.

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Afternoon at the Beach

This is Siesta Key Beach which is a short drive from my home in Florida. A couple of years ago this was rated the number one beach in the United States. Let's just stop and think about that for a moment. Somebody actually has a job to go around and pick the best beach. Really? I very much want that job. But I digress. There's always something fun going on here, I noticed they were setup for a duathlon the next morning and they also have drum circles that gather here every so often. I just thought it was cool how a bunch of friends decided to come here and play volleyball on this afternoon. In any case, I'll leave you with this scene while I go fill out an application for that beach rating job.

This is Siesta Key Beach which is a short drive from my home in Florida. A couple of years ago this was rated the number one beach in the United States. Let’s just stop and think about that for a moment. Somebody actually has a job to go around and pick the best beach. Really? I very much want that job. But I digress. There’s always something fun going on here, I noticed they were set up for a duathlon the next morning and they also have drum circles that gather here every so often. I just thought it was cool how a bunch of friends decided to come here and play volleyball on this afternoon. In any case, I’ll leave you with this scene while I go fill out an application for that beach rating job.

Click on photo to obtain a print.

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Jensen Beach Snack Bar

Its just after sunrise so I had this place to myself. Jensen Beach is on Florida's east coast and like the west coast where I live the wave are gentle. I expected them to be a little larger, not sure if that was just due to calm weather or what. I don't think there are any places in Florida where we get the waves like California or Hawaii. Even so there are a lot of surfboard shops. Maybe those surfboards are for novices like me. In any case this cool little beach town has a little bit of history and a whole lot of open beach for doing whatever, like maybe gentle surfing.

Its just after sunrise so I had this place to myself. Jensen Beach is on Florida’s east coast and like the west coast where I live the wave are gentle. I expected them to be a little larger, not sure if that was just due to calm weather or what. I don’t think there are any places in Florida where we get the waves like California or Hawaii. Even so there are a lot of surfboard shops. Maybe those surfboards are for novices like me. In any case this cool little beach town has a little bit of history and a whole lot of open beach for doing whatever, like maybe gentle surfing.

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Contours in the Field

I took this one afternoon near Queenstown in New Zealand just as the sun accentuated the rows in the field. Even after the sun recedes behind the mountains there is still another hour of light so I walked around looking for other interesting things to photograph. I took quite a few though not all interesting. Every week or so I find some other photo I forgot I had. Maybe with time I'm just able to look at it with fresh perspective. In any case, if this were in Florida (not that we have any mountains) then I'd be careful not to step on a snake, but as I understanding it there are no snakes in New Zealand, so you could just lay down in this field and take a nap. However you might wake up to a sheep grazing next you, but I suppose that's not so bad.

I took this one afternoon near Queenstown in New Zealand just as the sun accentuated the rows in the field. Even after the sun recedes behind the mountains there is still another hour of light so I walked around looking for other interesting things to photograph. I took quite a few though not all interesting. Every week or so I find some other photo I forgot I had. Maybe with time I’m just able to look at it with fresh perspective. In any case, if this were in Florida (not that we have any mountains) then I’d be careful not to step on a snake, but as I understanding it there are no snakes in New Zealand, so you could just lay down in this field and take a nap. However you might wake up to a sheep grazing next you, but I suppose that’s not so bad.

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Lookout

This is the lookout at Robinson Preserve and a favorite place to go and recharge the batteries. At this time of day the mullet are jumping in the bayou below and the only sound is the constant splashing as they try in vain to reduce the mosquito population. Thank goodness for the sanctuaries of silence and nature that can be found in this part of Florida.

This is the lookout at Robinson Preserve and a favorite place to go and recharge the batteries. At this time of day the mullet are jumping in the bayou below and the only sound is the constant splashing as they try in vain to reduce the mosquito population. Thank goodness for the sanctuaries of silence and nature that can be found in this part of Florida.

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Fort DeSoto Sunset

The northern beach of Fort DeSoto in St. Petersburg. The heron kept one eye on my while he fished for dinner, and I kept one eye on him as I lined up my shot. Maybe there's a message in that or, not so much. Just a simple image of the beach to get us all in the mood for the weekend. Have a great one everybody.

The northern beach of Fort DeSoto in St. Petersburg. The heron kept one eye on me while he fished for dinner, and I kept one eye on him as I lined up my shot. Maybe there’s a message in that or, not so much. Just a simple image of the beach to get us all in the mood for the weekend. Have a great one everybody.

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Jensen Beach

This is a sunrise over a very long and inviting beach I took a couple of weeks ago on the east coast of Florida. When I first arrived the turtle patrols were out looking for new nests and checking existing ones by GPS coordinates. I got there before sunrise on a Sunday so these folks are indeed dedicated to the well being of the turtle hatchlings. It was good to compare the beaches here to those on the west coast near my home, of course I'm partial but these beaches were inviting and unique in their own way.

This is a sunrise over a very long and inviting beach I took a couple of weeks ago on the east coast of Florida. When I first arrived the turtle patrols were out looking for new nests and checking existing ones by GPS coordinates. I got there before sunrise on a Sunday so these folks are indeed dedicated to the well being of the turtle hatchlings. It was good to compare the beaches here to those on the west coast near my home, of course I’m partial but these beaches were inviting and unique in their own way.

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