Wish You Were Here

Sometimes it's just fun to just play around with Photoshop...

Under the Lights

Every year I debate with myself as to whether or not I should photograph the Fiesta Dancers. As you can see, I talked myself into it.

It's not that I don't like making images, it's working within a crowd of people and lugging the equipment needed around. But enough whining from me. As they say, if you wanna dance you've got to pay the piper.

This year I wanted to try and use my SB-800 flash unit if he situation would allow and it didn't. I don't think that was too much of a problem as the dance organizers used a different company to provide the stage lighting and there was plenty of it.

Into the Wind

A hazy day off the California Coast finds a lone sailboat off the point riding with the wind.

Fiesta Dancers

Well it's that time of year again.

Photographing the Fiesta Dancers is always a challenge, but fun. This year I'm planning of using some off camera flash. I've not quite worked out the details on how I'm going to do this. It all depends on proximity and the size of the crowds.

Live Bait

When using the reflective qualities of water as part of your composition keep in mind that during the morning hours there's typically no wind, this will mean less ripples and smoother more reflective surfaces.

Turn it up!

One of the last local music stores is calling it quits. I had read about it and heard a couple of rumors that they were blowing out their inventory at 99 cents a CD.

I admit I haven't set foot in the store for years (or any other music store for that matter)... but made it a point to go there out of a sense of nostalgia and to see if the rumors were true.... 99 cents a CD is a great deal.

I left the store without buying a thing. It's not really the fault of the store... they just can't compete with the internet and the rumors were just that, rumors. Sure they had some deals, but nothing I was interested in...

The stuff I'm interested in, is the stuff I can't buy from iTunes, Amazon, Yahoo Music, Rhapsody, etc. But that's what eBay's for....

I left the music store knowing that I'd probably never set foot in another one again. Was I sad? Not really, I remembered all the time and money I'd spent in music store... sure, there was a bit of nostalgia, but that passed and paled in comparison to how much more is available online.

Yeah, there will always be that album that never made it to CD (Phantom, Rocker, and Slick) - but I have that on vinyl and can digitize that myself and add it to my personal collection on my iPod and Zen Jukebox.

I guess the point is all things must pass, and from my point of view the music world is better for consumers.... you can find almost anything now.

Did I mention the the music store only had a handful of overpriced Blues CD's? It's no surprise really.

Let me just say thanks to all those music stores! You were great and have a special place in my heart. You played a big role in the lives of many, and for that, the world is grateful!

The Photographer

It's always nice to see other photographers out practicing their craft. This one was even using a tripod, so you knew she's serious about what she's doing.

Working with and around other photographers can be very rewarding, as often times they will notice things you may have not too much about or just didn't see. It's also a great way to pick up some tips and tricks.

Hold On

It wouldn't be Summer without the sailboat races. Though the fog was rolling in, I was able to take more than a hundred shots and enjoy the afternoon. During post processing it became apparent that it's time to clean my camera's sensor again. grrr

Summer Flare

As Summer begins to fade into Fall the change is subtle, yet it's there. A slight shift in the position of the sun and shadows it casts, or the length of the day. All in all little things that add up. Since really is the key and core of photography, these small changes are important things to take note of.

Fishing Time

Heading out to chase down the catch of the day, this little fishing boat leaves the harbor with high hopes. A nautical cowboy out to sea to bring in the herd.

Construction Zone

When you put it all together, light, subject matter, and composition, are you left with a compelling image? I guess that's up to the viewer to decide.

Chasing Dreams

Running down the road, following detours along the way, vast worlds open up. You're in the place you're supposed to be....

Wedding Photography

I just saw an amazing slide show of some phenomenal wedding photography by Mark Ridout that I thought I'd share. Beautiful work.

Beach Umbrella

How do you say Summer? Visually that is... Well, along the California coast an image of a colorful beach umbrella us one way.

When you think of Summer, what do you visualize?

Gone Fishing

In the still morning waters the little fleet of fishing vessels await their crews. Soon they will head out to sea and try to catch the glory of the day.

Group Think

It's rare to get a group of people to agree on anything. I've been sitting in on a series of technology upgrade meetings and judging by the discussions going on I often wonder if people even know what the meeting is about. Thank God we're not in charge of things like sunsets.

I can just imagine trying to get a consensus on how many people think that "setting in the west" is a good idea.

Summer Swim

Animals are fun to photograph. Just don't ask them to pose for you. A little patience is required. I was happy that I was able to get a couple of different critters in this shot and was able to have just a few elements in it. I was trying to limit the visual clutter.

After the fire

The good news is that the Gap fire is nearly fully contained. Thanks to efforts of firefighters and their hard work, and some help from mother nature.

As far as I know, not a single home was lost.

PocketWizard Blog

One of the things on my wish list is a set of pocket wizards. I'll get there, I just need to sell a few more stock images. In the meantime, I just ran across the PocketWizard Blog and thought I'd pass along the link.

Dune Runner

Sand Dunes can be lots of fun to photograph. They are like giant mazes of shifting light, during the course of an hour their appearance can change dramatically .

What I came to realize was in order to give some sense of the massive scale of these things you needed to include a point of reference such as this boy running across the top of one of them.

P.S. (7/16/2008) I also just noticed that I posted this photograph before. Sorry about that for those who've seen this already.

Mast Reflections

Water is a great palette for photographers. It's like having a big mirror in which to compose your images. Water opens up worlds of photographic possibilities.

Moments Along the Coast

A quick little slide show of the California Coast.

Looking Back

I finished my Slideshow and used a lot of these old photos I took way back when, before I even thought about keeping the horizon level. Just one of the many things we learn along the way.

On the pier

A cool breeze and some tasty waves make for a perfect summer day.

iPhone 3G

This is a great ad. I'm still up in the air about getting one of these gadgets...

Putting it together

Last night I was fortunate enough to hear a talk from Macworld's Christopher Breen which was very interesting. Sure, the focus was on Apple where they've been and where he thinks they're headed, but it was also about where technology is going.

To some it up: little devices are going to be responsible for big changes. More thoughts on this later.

Footprints

It's nice to pause from time to time and contemplate where things are headed, just don't do it for too long or you'll never get anywhere.

Getty Images and Flickr to Wed?

What do Getty Images and Flickr have in common? Not much you say.

Well, it looks like all of this is about to change. According to the New York Times, the two seemingly non-related forces have struck a deal, wherein Getty Images will be farming for images on Flickr.

The partnership could prove interesting and rewarding for us photography enthusiasts.

Here's a link to the story.

Behind the Masts

Sun, Sky, and Water. Not a bad combo. Throw in some boats you have the makings of a nautical sunrise. Not to mention good subject mater for some morning photography.

Accidents Will Happen

It's been a long weekend of processing images and keeping up to date on the fires raging across California. Time to get back to work, so that I can get some rest.

Land's End

A peaceful moment along the rugged California Coast. Getting back to photography and communication. I think that having a few people in this shot add to it and give it a brief story element.

Without the people you just have a shot of rocks and water. Not as compelling.

Fire in the Sky

The Gap Fire rages on. No homes have been lost so far, which is good news. We are still praying for the best. Fire is an unpredictable creature.

There was a local fireworks show to celebrate Independence Day and I was able to try some new photography techniques, so we will see how I did.

I was saddened to learn that to local festivities were marred by three gang related stabbings, one of which proved to be fatal.

Holy Smoke

Forgive me if I'm not feeling festive. This image was taken yesterday afternoon, and if you hadn't guessed from looking at it, there's another wildfire burning in California.

This one's being called the "Gap Fire" and it's just getting started.

Last year we had the Zaca Fire at this same time and it burned for months.

We are doing our best to pull together as a community and help our friends and neighbors.

California seems to be one big smoldering ash heap. Hang tough! My prayers are with you all.

P.S. I had a friend ask where the best place was to photograph the fire from. She wanted to get up close and personal. My first thought was "as far away from it as possible", but I ended say I had no idea.

Photographing Fireworks

It's something you only get a chance to do a couple of times a year - photograph a fireworks show. It can be tricky and the results mixed, but there's lots of folks on the web sharing their techniques.

Scott Kelby is one of those kind and gracious people to post information on How to shoot fireworks. Check it out. Looks like he drags the shutter a bit more than I've done in the past, but I'm always game to try something new to improve my photography.

The Photography Channel

Here's a chance to see storytellers (Photographers) tell their stories. This is great. Check out The Photography Channel.

Nikon D700

News from Nikon: The D700 is out. I'm not sure this will be the next camera for me, but it's good to see digital camera technology marching forward.

'cross the sea of years

Going wherever the wind blows...

AT&T and iPhones

I've been reading through the muddled information that AT&T has released about the upcoming 3G iPhone. From what I can gather, it's not such a good deal after all. This pretty much kills getting one of these nifty gadgets for me. I can wait another year. Who knows what will be out be then? Probably lots of cool stuff...

One thought on all of this, AT&T could be helping its competition more than it realizes.

Get the Latest iPhone Details...

With the wind

Riding on a gentle Summer breeze...