I’m not as much about Halloween anymore as I am about the Fall colors. I read a blog post just now commenting on how Halloween is “an adieu to Fall.” Really?! Fall is 3 months you know and we’re only really 1 month in. Come on. Go outside, kick some leaves up and have fun today. Happy Halloween Fall!
1964
No, not the year of the British Invasion. It’s the year that D-Hall was built on JMU campus. I saw this picture and thought, this is probably not too far from what it looked like then especially the concrete tables built into the landscaping (perhaps didn’t have handicap ramps either). Love it.
The controversy over D-Hall was that it wasn’t consistent with the rest of campus. It was round and didn’t use bluestone in its construction.
The Soul
Everybody needs something in their life that’s stress-free. You know, that activity that satisfies the soul. I didn’t realize how much just shooting does that for me. I was able to get out the other day and just shoot for nothing more than the fun of it. That’s good stuff. For me at least
The dome of the Handley Regional Library in Winchester, VA. | Order a print of this image.
.
D-Hall
What do you remember from college? I was on my alma mater’s campus today during the annual parade of champions marching band competition, but I was more focused on what I remember from my days at the school – D-Hall. I worked in food services throughout my entire college career and have some great memories – from farm parties, bowling leagues and overnight camping trips. What a blast! I wanted to capture a few images of the building I called “my office” before it’s demolished and replaced by a more up-to-date facility next year. Check out this page for an image of the construction of D-Hall.
D-Hall is the circular building with Bridgeforth Stadium top left and the iconic Wilson Hall (from behind) top right. | See more like this in my online gallery.
Meanie
We put a birdhouse right outside our kitchen window and it’s been fascinating to watch the action and interactions. Turns out that the woodpecker is a big ole meanie!
I know it may not look like it here, but that woodpecker started it. I saw it.
Real World
As fun and exciting as it was to be at the UCI Road World Championships for the past week, I’m facing the harsh reality that the real world picks back up tomorrow. I’ve got plenty of images to edit and am pretty pleased with how everything went. Check that one of the bucket list. Spring classics are next…
Peter Sagan was my favorite all along. | Check out more of my Worlds images here.
Surreal
Everybody needs those stories that they can tell for years and years to come. It’s going to be pretty cool to watch professional road racing next year and when they identify the world champions, I can say I was there. Looking forward to tomorrow, rain or not here I come. The whole thing has kinda been surreal.
#Richmond2015
I wouldn’t have missed this for the world(s). Ha – see what I did there?
Even at level that they’re competing, they still have fun. Gotta love it! More photos here.
Wheelhouse
When the UCI Road World Championships come to the United States, there’s no excuse not to go. I’m a cyclist of 30+ years and a photographer. This is where I’m supposed to be right now.
I came to Richmond with the goal of getting images that I’d want to hang on my wall. I’m off to a good start – Lots of images to come. I’m posting them here.
NSV
That would be the Northern Shenandoah Valley. I’d love to come up here and shoot aerial during the sunset, but there are too many people and I don’t want to disrupt their experience with the noise. I don’t want to be “that guy.”
Just some much-needed alone time at Bears Den in Bluemont, VA. Awesome place.
PMS
That’s my high school. No, not PMS, the school in the images. Although it IS now called Wilbur S Pence Middle School. Local folks call it Pence – Pence Middle School. Fun, huh?
I graduated with the class that was the last to attend all four years in this building. Coincidentally, my mom graduated in the class that was the first to attend all four years in this building. Cool.
I’m Back…
It felt like a surgical scene as I was reassembling the drone last night, but I’m back. It’s back. My nerves are going to really keep me in check for a while after that incident. Perhaps that was a good thing.
I think I’ll need to go through all the settings again. The rebuild must have sent everything back to factory default. I typically shoot at 100 ISO, but this one was shot @ 1600!
Statistic
Let’s lead with this…
Just 8 frames later was how quickly I lost the camera.
I now join the ever-increasing number of UAV pilots who’ve crashed their aircraft. I should make it clear that it was 100% pilot error. Luckily it did NOT involve any other people, buildings, or vehicles (including aircraft). I can tell you that it had everything to do with me being rushed in the moment trying to capture the perfect lighting on an incredibly cinematic scene. And guess what, I got the shot! I suppose that’s the photographer’s mantra (after “ƒ8 and be there”).
Long story short (here goes) reception officially starts at 7pm:
- Took a little longer with the bridal party that I had anticipated (family waiting for pictures at ceremony site). 6:45
- Arrive, sprinting, to waiting family. Have to set up aerial platform fast to capture that fading, but awesome, sunset. 6:50
- Finish setting it up and ready to fly. Guests now waiting for dinner. 6:55
- Line up shot and start flight.
- I continue flight to get more landscape while, at the same time, I begin lining up family shots. 7:05
- Last image I see in the display is tree branches
- Still have formal family photos to get (including me).
- I kinda don’t remember the next hour or two…
My brother and son immediately volunteered to go after it. We all put our heads together (and our smart phones) to determine its last known position and they went after it. It was about a kilometer from its ground station and 30 feet up in the tree! I just didn’t have the altitude to clear the terrain, but it was so close.
Just look at my face – that expression says it all!
This is about 10 minutes after the incident. Yeah, still not at the reception…
Henge
Bucket list item – henge road trip:
- Stonehenge (Witshire, England) – ✓
- Carhenge (Alliance, NE) – ✓
- Foamhenge (Natural Bridge, VA) – ✓
- …
What’s next – suggestions?
I’ve got a lot of traveling to do – this would be a fun RV trip. “Stonehenges” in the United States.
RC
I have so much more respect for the RC community now that I’ve had a chance to fly with some of them. And I’m talking strictly RC, not the new wave of folks who’ve purchased drones and are flying them around referring to themselves as RC folks. I’m talking about the RC enthusiasts that go way back to flying with gas-powered craft. I’ll equate it to talking with photographers who used to shoot on film and develop their own images. These RC guys (and gals) were around long before we started slapping FPV cameras on the bottom of multi-rotors. I only spent about 45 minutes around this group in Florida and gained a lot of respect. It was really cool to watch and listen as they literally flew circles around me (I asked them to – made for better images). For the record I am NOT an RC guy. I’m just a photographer that uses an aerial platform. I have so much to learn.
The RC field in Satellite Beach where I met some really cool RC folks. That’s an RC plane (top right) and that was as close as I was willing to get.
Cover
This one has cover photo written all over it. Or I might hang it on the wall. Either way I really like how it turned out.
Wildlife
Enjoying some quality time at the beach. I figured I’d shoot the sunrise a little differently this morning.
It’s been a while since I did a video here so enjoy.
The Real Magic
I honestly believe it’s true that ignorance is bliss. I spent the last week in Disney World where it was very apparent that they’re growing and expanding their offerings. It seemed as though there was no space that was not under construction. It could have been so easy for anyone to grumble their way through the experience, but kids don’t care if there’s a construction crane in the shot. They couldn’t care less that the disguised construction wall doesn’t look quite real. That stuff’s not important to the kids. It’s when their eyes light up when they finally get to meet their favorite characters from Up, Dug and Russell. It’s when they finally get to meet the real Elsa and Anna and they get a warm hug. It’s when the get so excited when Chef Mickey visits them while they’re eating breakfast. That’s the real magic.
Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom. | Order a print of this image.
It’s Only Tuesday, It’s Snowing and I Don’t Have My Selfie Stick!
I’m amazed that this is only our second day in the parks – we’ve done so much already this week and a great deal of it has nothing to do with Disney. Ya see, we’re selling our house and closing while we’re down here. Geez. Thank goodness we have a kick-ass realtor! Anyway, I’ve been itching to get up in the air to shoot some awesome photos, but I’m more than slightly concerned about the Disney no-fly zone. I’ve checked, and our hotel is outside the 3-mile radius, but still…ya know? And I’ve only taken my good equipment into the parks once – to Hollywood Studios for the fireworks. Didn’t get a really good angle, but still a great show. So most of my images have been with my GoPro, which isn’t a bad camera, but it won’t shoot RAW – BOO – anybody at GoPro reading this? 😉 And yes, Disney has now banned all selfie sticks. They even have pamphlets about it! BOO – anybody at Disney reading this? I can actually understand that rule, but I’m not the idiot who’d do something stupid with it. It’s everybody else :P.
I have an awesome photo in mind that I’m still going to try to get before the end of the week – fingers crossed! This one’s still cool though, right? Snow at Disney in July…
Tradition
Let me start by saying that this is, in no way, a judgmental post. I suppose It doesn’t really bother me that much, but I know it does bother some people. So take it with a grain of salt and calm down – I’m not on a soapbox here. No, this post is intended to simply show it from a new and pretty cool perspective.
You can usually spot these “graffiti” markings on the roads of Winchester just after high school graduation. Do you have this in your town?
Cedarmeade Studios 