Tropical waterfall… in Vegas ?

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas right? Wrong, not when I have a camera in my hand. Vegas, for all its shortcomings and gaudy facade, actually has lots of beautiful things to see (and take pictures of).  Take this waterfall for example, it is not so hidden away in t he gardens of the Palms resort.  The gardens are actually quite nice with several ponds and waterfalls throughout. It seemed to me that most of the people there just walked by and didn’t spend any time really looking at it. Yes, it is man made as an attraction to get people to come to this casino so it can take their money.  But, to me it looked like much more. than just that.  I used a circular polarizer filter along with a neutral density filter so I could slow the shutter way down to get that silky look on the water. The polarizer blocks all the UV and glare and really brings out the colors.  I fired off a few shots, bewteen almost getting my tripod knocked over by people rushing to get to the buffet. I love the shot, it is one of my favorite. Most people that see the shot think it was shot in Hawaii or some exotic tropical getaway.  Most are shocked to learn that it was taken in Las Vegas, the city of sin and glitter. Many have been in the exact same place and never even noticed it was there.  As a photographer I find myself looking at everything in a different way, there is beauty out there everywhere if you look for it. I hope you enjoy the shot and if you are ever in Vegas take an extra second to look around and see the hidden beauty

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WHY I LOVE SPRING

I love spring more than any of the seasons.  For many reasons, but mainly the blooming of spring flowers. I love visiting botanical gardens when everything is starting to bloom. The colors are so vibrant, everything looks so healthy and ready to reach its full potential.  And the smells! After not smelling anything good the whole winter, the aroma fills the air with sweetness ( and some pungence) .  I love when the wind blows and brings a different scent with each few steps. The sounds of bees buzzing around working their little butts off collecting nectar and pollinating.   Here are a few spring shots to enjoy.

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Sailboat at Sunset

I shot this photo a few years ago while on a vacation in the Bahamas. This gorgeous sailboat was sitting a a harbor new Port Lucaya in Freeport Grand Bahamas. The sun was setting and the water was glistening like diamonds across the bay. The lighting made the boat pretty much a silhouette with the only real color coming from a red flag on the back.  This was the only time I saw the boat while we were there

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Daddys little girl

This is an experimental piece that I am working on. I shot the original portrait, which is a friend and his newborn daughter, a few years ago.  The original was done in duotone and was a very powerful shot. I wanted to take the shot a whole different direction so I textured it and added a couple of overlays. It is still a work in progress, but I like where it is at in this state. Let me know what you think

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Cafe Habana

This is a piece I just finished. It is actually a composite of 3 different shots put together to make one. The shot started out as a weather worn grungy front entrance to an abandoned warehouse. I added the sign and the texture from other shots.  The sign was shot at the entrance to an actual roof top bar named Cafe Habana in Traverse City, Michigan. I liked the dark grungy feel of the finished shot. I hope you enjoy it

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Red rose with morning dew drops

This shot was taken early in the morning on a sunny spring day at a local botanical garden. I loved the richness of the shot and the dew drops really set it off. I did not have my macro lens with me, so I had to shoot it with a 28-75 at f2.8. I think it turned out pretty well. I hope you enjoy it

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The rosary

I shot this photo last December at a beautiful Catholic wedding. The rosary that is in this photo has been passed down through several generations of the brides family, always to the next generation bride on her wedding day. The brides mother wore it on her wedding day when it was given to her by her mother and so on. This bride mother wore it on her wedding day and later that night had given it back to her mother to keep safe through the reception. They are Lebanese and they dance the night away at weddings. After the wedding she forgot about the rosary but would ask about it occasionally and her mother would tell her she would dig it out (but never did). As a little girl the grandmother showed her the rosary and told her that someday she would wear it at her own wedding just as her mother had done. Through the months of setting up the wedding, this brides mother was so busy she didn’t even think about the rosary…  but the grandmother did.  Right before the wedding as the bride was getting ready, the grandmother brought the rosary to her. She was surprised and very emotional that she would would be wearing the rosary that she had looked at so many times as a little girl. Right before the ceremony started her mom and dad came in to see her. When the mom walked in and saw the rosary she immediately became very emotional and started crying. The dad cried, everybody cried.. Hey, its a wedding that what people do. I thought it was a very powerful shot, the family loved it (especially mom and grandma). Someday when the bride has a little girl, she will show her the rosary and tell her that she will wear it at her wedding someday.  I hope you enjoy the shot and hopefully the back story will allow you to appreciate it even more

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Portrait of a sunflower

This photo was shot last year at a local botanical garden here in Illinois. The flower was in full springtime bloom and it was looking pretty good.  The shot was pretty decent, but I felt like it needed some photoshop lovin’. I enhanced the portrait with some adjustments and the added some textures and overlays. I am pretty happy with the final product. It doesn’t look so much like a photograph anymore, but more like a painting. I hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I enjoyed creating it

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Japanese botanical garden

Reflections on still water

This is one of my favorite shots. It was shot in late spring at Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois. Anderson Gardens is a botanical type gardens, but much more.  This shot is of a traditional Asian wooden bridge that crosses a narrow section of a koi pond. The pond is full of beautiful koi swimming around. The water was so still that day that the reflection of the bridge is clear as can be. The whole scene was so serene with only the sounds of water gently flowing over a nearby stream and some birds. I have visited this place many times, it is absolutely gorgeous any time of year. There is now an excellent cafe on the grounds now. There are also several quite areas for meditation and self reflection. Autumn is my favorite time to visit, but I go there all year long. I hope you like the shot.

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Antelope slot canyon in Paige, Arizona

I sold a print of this shot to a nice lady located in the United Kingdom today.  This shot is very special to me for many reasons. The day I shot it was amazing. I spent the afternoon with the nephew of a Navajo chief, who guided mt through the canyons. These canyons are located on ground that is sacred to the Navajo people. This young man was a very impressive person to say the least. He was approx 20 years old and was born and raised on a reservation.  The reservation was very primitive, they did not even have running water. From those humble beginnings, he has graduated college with multiple degrees. He speaks over 15 languages fluently and is now a representative for the Navajo nation that travels the world. He has met and spent time with many of the worlds most powerful leaders, he had just returned from China where he spent 2 weeks representing the great Navajo nation.  At one point, this young man began playing a Navajo prayer on his wooden flute with his back arched like the kokopeli that is representative of the south west. The song was so beautiful, it sounded similar to Amazing Grace but definitely its own song. As he played, the other Navajo’s in the canyon stopped and prayed to their gods. I felt very honored to witness and be a part of it.  It is a day  I will remember forever and I can’t wait to go back. I hope you enjoy the shot as much as I did taking it.

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