Started working on this piece a few days ago. Started out as a photo I shot last year in Boston. Trying out some new actions, brushes and textures, this is what I came up with.. Still have some more work to do on it, but I like it so far.
I originally shot this one a few years ago, just got around post processing it this week. Playing with some new texturing processes in photoshop, I like the final version. Let me know what you think.. I would love some feedback on my prints.
This is a print that I just finished this week, it features a very wide angle panoramic view off of Islamorada in the Florida Keys. This is oceanside about mile marker 88 behind one of my favorite restaurants The Lazy Days. The original had some boats in it, but I thought they were kind of distracting so I cloned them out. I also used some textures, overlays and brushes to make it a unique piece. Let me know what you think about it.
New print featuring a beautiful young white Egret against a textured background. I photographed this beauty a few years ago in Islamorada in the Florida Keys. I love these birds, they are so graceful and so elegant. Let me know what you think
Antelope Canyon is one of my favorite places to visit and to shoot. I see something new each time I visit. THis is an area known as “The Faces” as it looks like two faces facing each other. It looks great in color, but I decided to do a black and white version of it also. Let me know what you think.
This is a new print that I have been working on. It features a vintage looking sailing vessel similar to a Cutty Sark under an ominous looking sky. The original shot was taken in San Francisco on the Bay.. Let me know what you think.
I visited Napa Valley a few years ago while spending a week in San Francisco. Napa is actually not that far from the city by the bay. As this was the first time I had visited there, we went with a small group of people and a guide that has been there many times. We hit five great vineyards that day and tasted at each one. If anyone has not been to a wine tasting, you really should give it a try. It is a very relaxing time and a great way to meet people from all over the world. I quickly made a good friend with a young man who was from Vietnam, who was working in the IT field in San Francisco. My three favorites that day were Domain Chandon, Whitehall Lane and V. Sattui, which is where these shots were taken. V. Sattui is the oldest vineyard in the valley and is the only vineyard that is grandfathered to have a deli on grounds. Many years ago when Napa was gaining popularity, there was a battle between the local bed and breakfasts/ hotels, restaurants and the vineyards. Many of the vineyards were serving food and lodging, which was a source of contention to the other local businesses. In the end, the wineries were relegated to do what they do and the other businesses do what they do. V. Sattui was somehow grandfathered and allowed to keep their deli. We had a great lunch including antipasta, olives and a bottle of wine in their garden. The Sattui family also has olive vineyards in Italy and import fine olive oils and olives. They are very traditional in their methods and use only the finest barrels that are a specific wood from a specific forest. Whitehall Lane is the opposite, they are very modern and use stainless steel to ferment and age.. It was a great day, I can’t wait to get back there later this year.
goodbye sun, hello moon
heading to brighten another place bright.
It slowly went behind the sea
and shimmered on waters, in front of me
The sky changed colour from blue to red,
and slowly the sun dipped its head.
And as the sun dipped behind the bay
stars of afar began to display.
It took a while to make a mark
the moon appearing in an arc.
A carpet of stars appeared from up high
twinkling as I passed them by
and water in the bay, reflected the light
of the new moon that lit up the night.
A hoodoo is a spire of rock that protrudes from the ground up. The word “hoodoo” is derived from a traditional African American spirituality and relates to working with roots. Hoodoos are found throughout the world, but nowhere more visited than those in Bryce Canyon in U\southern Utah. This small, only 56 sq miles, national park was named after the Mormon pioneer Ebenezer Bryce when it became a national park in 1928. It is a very unique place, from the plateau you view 3 states with up to 200 miles of visibility. Pictures cannot do it justice, the formations are so chiseled and un-uniform that it is hard to photograph. So far this has been my only visit and we only had half a day to visit this park. It is actually just up the road from Zion National Park and about 5 hours from Moab and Arches National park. You can view the hoodoos from the top or hike down to the bottom for a whole different perspective. We were on a time crunch and there was some construction /repairs due to some heavy rains so I did not get to hike down. Planning a trip later this year for a week to hit all the parks within 5 or 6 hours. As a side note, 2 amazing things happened that day while I was there. The first one happened while sitting with about 30 other during a park rangers presentation about the mountain lions and big cats in the area. About middle way through, a little girl shouts “look at that big kitty”. We all look over and some type of big cat was literally within 30 feet of us in the brush, The commotion must have startled it, because we didn’t get a good look to see exactly what it was. Very exciting! The second one was when I was first walking into the park through the parking lot. I saw a car that was exactly like a car that I had sold to a teacher that lives in Indiana about 5 years prior. As we got closer, I saw that it had Indian license plates on it. My girlfriend said I was nuts, that it was not the same car.. An hour later someone calls out my name, I turn around and there is the guy that I sold the car to, what are the odds of that? We talked a bit and he told me that he had suffered a minor brain aneurism a year before which he had fully recovered from. This is a young guy, not even 30 yet. He said that he promised himself if he pulled through it that he would change the way he lived his life and would visit every national park in the U.S, something he had always dreamed of doing. So he packed up the car with his tent, sleeping bag,etc.. and hit the road. Sorry to be so long winded , but for only a half day trip it was a great day to be alive.