Another Wedding

On Saturday night I shot the wedding of my friends, Jed and Michelle. They were married at the Evergreen House in Baltimore, Maryland. It was a beautiful wedding. The venue was a lighting challenge - black ceilings and mirrored walls. I've been processing the pictures today. I only got pictures of myself in the mirrors a few times. Here are a few of the many pictures that I shot. Watch for more in the coming days.

Florida Images

Some images from our recent trip to Florida. Additional non-people images are posted on my website at Beyond Mere Words.com.

Me feeding the birds:


Charles with the underwater video/still camera:


One of my family portrait attempts:


Various shots on the porch:







Joe at the Naples Zoo:

The Sunshine State

We finally made it ... a week of doing nothing but ... well, nothing!!! I do carry my camera all over the place ... whether I use it or not. Here are some shots from earlier this week.

This one was shot by Joe. He was having fun playing with the light streaming through the beer bottle.



I've seen these sunsets so many times over the years but they are still beautiful EVERY time. Tonight I am going to climb up to someone else's deck to get a different view.



I'm trying to get some bridge shots ... but not your oridinary bridge shots ... something a little different. Joe suggested this shot. Great idea!!!

Finally got to take my camera out again ...

It has been ages but I finally got to take my camera out again ... I shot some engagement pics up in Baltimore today ... what a beautiful day to be out and about. No, this is not the happy couple ... but an interesting photo opp as we were walking around their neighborhood - Federal Hill.



I will post more pics from the shoot as I have time this week.

Connecticut

We went on a trip to Connecticut this past weekend to visit some friends. Of course the camera came along.

We had a picnic at a place called Short Beach on the Long Island Sound. Funny, I grew up going to Long Island, New York all my life ... I never really think of Connecticut as being the "Sound" but, of course, it is.



I also shot lots of images of our friend's little angel. How could I not?!

Black and White and Color

I went to see the Shaolin Monestary photo exhibit at National Geographic again. I was inspired to try something new with some pictures that I shot of Charles last summer at the Grand Canyon.

Pop

Working on some more pop to my images ...

Crack of Dawn

On Thursday night I met with my photo sharing group and somehow Lenore convinced me to get up at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning so that we could go to the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area near Poolesville to shoot sunflowers at sunrise. Since sunrise was around 5:50 am, she was picking me up at 4:45 (OK, closer to 5:00) so we could get there for the sunrise. We were the first photographers there - although we were joined by others. We even teased a few asking them why they were "late." Despite getting up so early, the light was wonderful and I got some good shots. Here are some of my images (as always, click on any image to see it bigger):



They all seemed to know which was the sun was going to come from and all turned that way ... except this guy ...



He just seemed to march to the beat of a different drummer.

There were plenty of bees ...



... but they did not bother us and made for some interesting images.



The state plants rows of sunflowers each year - which peak in July - to lure doves for hunting. We did see a few shot gun shells in the fields (no picture).
As we ventured farther into the field sometimes we would get lost in the rows ... surrounded by the sunflower plants. So I shot some macros.



I brought my new lensbaby but I still don't have the hang of it. I guess that I will have to practice practice practice ...



We shot and shot and shot ... from one angle and another ...





I can't wait to see Lenore's shots.



A little Lightroom Preset play.

And as we headed out, we saw a patch of thistles along the path ...



... and had to shoot just a little more. And yes, I cut off part of a leaf in these images but sometimes you need to do that ...



Here is a link to an old Washington Post article about the sunflower fields: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/13/AR2006071301937.html

And here is another link to the wildlife management itself: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/mb.asp

Catching Up

Some images from my Poconos workshop in mid-May. These images are HDR and Orton Effect combined.





Actually, the tractor was not in the Poconos. It was at a farm near Gettysburg, PA on the way back from the Poconos.

Still in the City

I'm still in NYC for work. I've gotten a few chances to take my camera out. Here is what I've shot ...

Twisty balloon sculpture on West Broadway near Ground Zero:



Self-portrait in the sculpture reflection:



Birdhouse in the city ... in a park near my hotel:



City Lights from the office window. I couldn't handhold the camera steady enought for a straight shot ... what a perfect opportunity for a swoosh shot or two:

New York City!!!

I'm up in NYC for work. While I don't have much time for photography, I do cart my camera around just in case I see something.

I am staying in Tribecca. The other day I woke up to what sounded like someone on a megaphone outside my window. When I looked out the window, I saw this ...





It was the Five Boro Bike Tour. 30,000 plus bicyclists riding around New York City and the starting line (of staggered starts) was just up the street from my hotel. I shot these (above) through the glass of my hotel room window. I am on the 3rd floor of a boutique hotel called the Duane Street Hotel (on the corner of Duane and Church Streets).

I shot these on the way to the office.





And here is the view from my office window. Other than the office and my computer, this is what I am seeing these days. Hopefully I'll be able to get out and shoot some more images soon.

Virginia Bluebells

I was hoping to make it to WV yesterday to do some scouting for a wedding I will be shooting at the end of the month, however, mt timing (as usual) was off. Instead, I took a quick ride over the Bull Run Park because my friend Nancy mentioned that the bluebells were blooming. They sure were. Here are some of my shots.



It did not take me long to see the bluebells in the woods. They almost carpeted the forest floor on both side of the very picturesque Bull Run.



Although I brought my macro lens with me, I shot these images with my Nikon 18-200 VR. This is my favorite lens ... although today I got a new lens which folks in the know tell me will be my favorite, a Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR. I'll keep you posted.

I haven't played with any panning recently - not since Death Valley. I thought that the bluebells might be an interesting opportunity. I was hoping for more blue but I guess all the foilage didn't want to cooperate with me. Here are my favorites from yesterday.