Jupiter Beach

Jupiter Beach, Florida

 Still on the subject of water.

I drove down to the everglades about 18 months ago and met up with my friend Doug Eng in Jacksonville. Together we toured the east coast of Florida ending up on Jupiter Beach one morning at sunrise.

Well, it was quite the sunrise that morning with the water pounding the shore - the waves were jumping as high as 5-6 feet. I was entranced by the continually moving water and captured maybe 200 images that morning - mostly at a shutter speed of 2-3 seconds.

Jupiter Beach, Florida

I really liked the surreal feel that the water takes on when it is allowed to circle back on itself due to the long exposure - more or less allowing the sea to make a statement on its own. So much to see inside this image.

I converted top black and white above. 

Captured with a phase one P65+ on a Mamiya 645DF using a 75-150MM lens.

Death Valley

Death Valley Sunrise

'Let the subject generate its own photographs. Become a camera'........Minor White



We all have our favorite spots to capture images, our own personal secret garden. Today's image was captured at my 'secret garden' in Death Valley.

Racetrack Playa

Sailing Stone, Racetrack Playa, Death Valley

Yesterday we went to Racetrack Playa to see the 'sailing stones'. Racetrack is situated above Death Valley in Inyo County, California. Rented two four wheel drive Jeeps and headed out mid-day on the 72 mile trek - the last 28 miles being on rocky roads.....

The 'sailing stones' seem to move across the surface of Racetrack leaving a track behind, apparently not caused by human hand. They move across the Playa surface approximately once every two years leaving a track that they say lasts for two or three years.

The general consensus, although no one has ever seen them moving, is that strong winds with speeds up to 90 miles per hour move the stones across Racetrack. Another theory is that rain accumulates, which at lower temperatures turn to ice, and coupled with the strong wind, causes the larger rocks to slide across Racetrack.

If you can get out to Death Valley this is a day well spent.....

Rhyolite

Rhyolite, Nevada

                          

West End

Death Valley, West End

Captured with Alpa SWA12, Phase One P65, 120MM Schneider

Artist Palette

Artist Palette, Death Valley

'Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better'.....Albert Einstein

I am off to Death Valley on Thursday for 7 days -  truly an amazing place to spend time....

Iceland Industrial

Iceland Industrial

One of the best things about shooting in Iceland is the freedom one has to get close to industrial subjects - meaning for the most part is there is not much security or fencing involved.

This image was captured rather close to Reykjavik last August - one of the first captures I made on that trip. We basically had the freedom to roam about this industrial site without ever seeing a person that was not traveling with us.

If you are considering a great Icelandic experience take a look at  'Focus on Nature'. Einar and company run several workshops every summer with some rather interesting instructors.

This image captured with a Phase One P65 - 45MM lens - hand held - also converted to Black and white using Lab mode conversion, below.

Iceland Industrial

Badwater Sunrise

Badwater Basin, Death Valley

"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in"...............John Muir

Helicon Focus

Pescadaro Beach , California

There is only one way I am aware of (without using swings and tilts on a view camera) to handle depth of field issues like the image posted today. This image was blended from 6 separate high resolution (60MP) images in Helicon Focus Software. Each image had a different point of focus from near to far.

When capturing you would find the farthest and nearest point of focus and simply 'bracket' the focus from one to the other. Load these images in Helicon Focus and it resolves focus and returns an image sharp from front to back.

Give it a try - works well..

PS: Thanks to Dr. Mark Dubovoy for teaching me this workflow. 

Abandoned ireland

Abandoned Ireland

I was pleasantly surprised by the abandoned buildings still standing in Ireland. They seem to cherish these old structures, and, rather then take them down, these buildings, in many cases, are incorporated into much newer buildings. Most of them actually perform a function, whether it be to house a tractor or winter feed for the animals.

Driving down a road barely big enough for the car I noticed today's post set back on the right - of course I might have missed it had I not been driving on the wrong side of the car. Then, of course, there is the challenge to find someplace to park....Try as I might there was no way to get inside...
 

Red Rocks

Red Rocks National Park, Las Vegas, Nevada

Arrived Vegas yesterday, rented a car and headed out to Death Valley for a couple of days. Bought a new camera, an Alpa SW, and thought I would take it out for a test drive in the desert. Since I had to be in Vegas on Thursday this seemed a perfect short adventure.

On the way out of Vegas saw a signpost for Red Rock National Park and headed off in that direction. Never really knew there was a National Park so close to Vegas. Another one crossed off the bucket list.

Lots to learn about this camera still but here is the first image. More the camera in tomorrow's blog - have to run and off and catch the sunrise at Zabriske Point.

Death Valley

Death Valley Junction, California

'The creative process is a process of surrender, not control'......Julia Cameron

There is an ongoing conversation amongst photographic artists about why they choose an image to capture - mostly having to do with pre-visualization. Personally, I find this a difficult thought pattern. Yes, I can go back and look for images that fit into a particular project I am working on, but, for the most part I capture images that appeal to me for one reason or another, sometime personal, sometimes pure beauty, sometimes it is simply a gut reaction.

There are times when I look at a particular capture and feel absolutely nothing, and possibly can not even remember why I thought to make the capture. And then months or even years later I wonder at my complete understanding of the image and how could I have missed that originally. Not sure I fully understand this internal process but will pay more attention in the future.

Long story shortened certain forces came together this morning and I took another look at this image today and thought to make the center color and keep everything else black and white. Without being overly wordy it really struck a chord today.....

One other point is that I usually have trouble writing about my images but today it simply flowed...

Dunguaire Castle

Dungaire Castle, Kinvara, West Galway, Ireland

Located on Galway Bay just outside the town of Kinvara (or Kinvarra), West County Galway, Ireland.