Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge, 4x5 Pinhole

'I have made all my films for my children with the exception of my first film because my oldest daughter wasn't born when I was making the film about the Brooklyn Bridge'..........Ken Burns

Mermaid Parade

Lou reed and Laurie Anderson, 2010 Parade Marshals

It's June - the Mermaid Parade is right around the corner...........One of my favorite events of the year....Brooklyn, Coney Island, Costumes and, of course, Nathan's Hot Dogs....

Memorial Day 2012

Add caption

There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America'.....Bill Clinton

Badwater Basin, Sunrise

Badwater Basin, Death Valley, Sunrise

Today's image was processed in Lightroom4 only. Lightroo4 seems to run a bit slow but the upgrade has added features that one just has to pay attention to, and, I am sure Adobe will fix that quite soon.

This image is part of a sequence I am working on for a show of my landscape images, both single frame and panoramic, for September in Carmel, Indiana. Then in October the show moves to Toledo for the second annual benefit show where all the proceeds are donated to 1Matters, an organization that assists individuals and families achieve domestic autonomy.

In all likelihood this image will be part of both shows.

Death Valley - Dante's Peak Sunset

Sunset, Dante's Peak, Death Valley

'Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves'...........John Muir

Iceland, Hraunfossar Falls

Hraunfossar Falls, Iceland

'I believe in God, only I spell it Nature'.......Frank Lloyd Wright

Iceland, Glacier Lagoon

Glacier Lagoon, Iceland

This is another image from the Glacier Lagoon in Iceland. As always in the background is the Jokulsarion Glacier. On this particular trip we spent two days exploring the Glacier and the Black Sand Beach about 300 yards behind where I stood for today's image.

A side note about Jokulsarion was part of several movies, A View to Kill, Die Another Day and Batman Begins. There a car chase scene that appeared in Die Another Day shot at this location - it was deemed the greatest movie car chase of all times - they used a Jaguar and an Aston Martin.

Image re-processed using Lightroom 4 and Photoshop CS6. I am enjoying the parametric quality of the development module sliders in LR4 - it allows for really good separation in the highlight and shadow areas.

Iceland, Sleeping Bear-berg

Iceland, Sleeping Bear-berg

A few of my last blogs talked about the Jokulsarion Glacier and Black Sand Beach in Southeastern Iceland. I mentioned that on the lagoon the icebergs collide and break into smaller pieces before floating out to the Atlantic Ocean. This one, which appears to be a sleeping bear is exactly what I was talking about.They come in all sizes and shapes and are just one of the marvelous mysteries of Iceland.

This 'bear' floated about 300 yards out into the Atlantic Ocean before the tides pushed  the structure back to just offshore of the black sand beach. Moments after making this image the iceberg split apart and was carried off into the ocean...

I re-processed this image in Lightroom 4 with its many added features in the development module, specifically the shadow, clarity and highlight sliders...

Florida, Mystic Sunrise

Mystic Sunrise, Florida

'No matter how slow the film, Spirit always stands still long enough for the photographer It has chosen'...........Minor White

Iceland - Black Sand Beach

Iceland - Black Sandy Beach with Vatnajökull in the distance,

Another image from Iceland. My last post was the Jokulsarion Lagoon. Today's post is very close by that location. As the icebergs are floating on the lagoon, they will, over time, collide with other icebergs and break into smaller pieces. With the tide current on any given day these structures start floating out into the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean waves then carry the icebergs back into land where you can find them on the black sand beach about 200 yards from the lagoon.

In the background of this image is Vatnajökull, which is the largest glacier in Iceland and covers more then 8% of the country. At one point this glacier existed right next to the Atlantic Ocean. Over the  years the glacier has receded causing the melting ice to form the lagoon...

Jokulsarion Glacier, Iceland

Sunrise, Jokulsarion Glacier, Southeastern Iceland

'I've walked a lot in the mountains in Iceland. And as you come to a new valley, as you come to a new landscape, you have a certain view. If you stand still, the landscape doesn't necessarily tell you how big it is. It doesn't really tell you what you're looking at. The moment you start to move the mountain starts to move'.........Unknown Artist

Gullfuss Waterfall, Iceland

Gullfoss Waterfall, Iceland

This image is from last July at the Gullfoss Waterfall in Iceland. Gullfoss is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland, and, apparently, on this day, a place to take wedding images in the rain.

We had just finished quite a fairly miserable shooting day due to wind and lots of rain. Sitting in the car trying to stay dry looking over the falls we noticed this wedding party....Being a photographer, even in the wind and the rain,  how could you just sit there and pass this scene up - SO. my friend Michael Pressman and I grabbed our cameras and went and joined the wedding party - grabbed a few frames and jumped back in the car. No one said a word...

I just remembered this image today and decided it was time to let it out of the hard drive....those two are not even feeling the weather.....

Dancing with the Stars

The Viennese Waltz

 Finally heading back to New York tomorrow after almost 6 weeks in Las Vegas - certainly hope that New York is still there...

Opening Number, DWTS

Thought I would post a few new images from my time in Las Vegas - meaning new images of the live Dancing with the Stars show at the New Tropicana Hotel.

The Flying Waltz

Van Hagar, 2004

Van-Hagar, circa 2004

Found this one from production rehearsals in Los Angeles, circa 2004. The rehearsal was done at Sony Studio in Culver City, California.

Viennese Waltz - Dancing with the Stars

The Viennese Waltz, Dancing with the Stars

One of the my favorite moments in the Dancing with the Stars show at The New Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas is the Viennese Waltz with Ryan Di Lello and Iveta Lukosiute. This particular Waltz starts out in extremely low light which makes if very frustrating trying to make a photographic image. Add that to the light being dappled, and well, there were obstacles to overcome. I have photographed this dance approximately 20 times now, and, the image posted today is the first one that truly captured how I feel when watching Ryan and Iveta dance.

There are a few other magical moments in this Waltz but you will really need to be there to enjoy those moments - can't give too much away....

Dancing with the Stars will be at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas through July 7th....

The image was post processed using NIK software, Lightroom 4 and Photoshop CS6.


PS: This is not an HDR image. It is a single exposure.

Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel, Genesis

Peter Gabriel from the concept tour 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The original image was an Ektachrome transparency moved into the digital world using an Imacon/Hasselbald scanner.

Of late I have been using NIK software and Photoshop quite a bit and this image was re-processed with a new workflow - those who follow my blog know I am huge fan of re-working images in this manner - always something new to learn.

'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway' was a concept album (yes album - round disk with grooves) circa 1976 followed by a tour of the same name...

Valley of Fire - the Cabins

The Cabins - Valley of Fire

Another image from my day trip through the Valley of Fire State Park a few weeks back. All sorts of oddities, nooks and crannies in thios valley not to mention a few vistas that take your breath away. Unfortunately my visit was at the wrong time of day - the light is much better in the morning and, of course, at sunset.

These cabins were constructed in 1935 soon after Valley of Fire became a state park. Made of sandstone they were used for many many years by travelers visiting the park. They are now being preserved as a reminder of the work done by Thomas W Miller, the first state Park Commission Chairman. Almost 9,000 people visited the newly opened park in 1936. today over 200,000 visitors enjoy the Valley of Fire each and every year.

Dingle Peninsula, Surfer

Surfer, Dingle Peninsula 

Today's image is from last Christmas while exploring the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland. It was one of those cold, windy days in Ireland, not unusual for this time of year. We were just finishing a drive out on the beach when the surfer appeared....I was able to get off a couple of hand held frames before the cold, wind and sand drove me back into the car. Dingle is definitely on the list for a return visit -  hopefully in better weather.

The Pasodoble

Iveta, Dancing with the Stars

The Pasodoble is a theatrical Spanish dance. Usually the man is the bullfighter or matador while the women is the cape as in a Spanish bullfight. This dance is based on Flamenco dancing, the Pasodoble is arrogant and passionate - mostly performed as a competition dance as opposed to a social dance.

Today's image is Iveta Lukosiute performing with Dancing with the Stars at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas until July 7, 2012.

This image was processed using NIK Software and Lightroom4.