Travel

So it’s time to start traveling with the aerial rig.  I’m starting to think that my galleries are getting a little saturated with Winchester images (makes sense, right?).  Anyway, I know this isn’t very far from me, but it’s a start.  I recently shot some aerial footage for the town of Front Royal and, as always, I grabbed some stills while I was up there.  Gonna see if I can snag a Disney panorama while we’re in Florida this year.

Front Royal

It’s been a while since I’ve “framed” one of my images, but this one fits the bill. My goal is to do this up and down the valley with as many towns as possible…a little local traveling. | Order a print of this image.

My View

I hope you’re able to get out there and enjoy the holiday weekend.  Our fireworks display in Winchester was tonight.  This was my first “official” shooting flight from my house and I’m diggin’ my view!  I wish I could have gotten just a little bit closer to the fireworks so they don’t come off looking so small, but I was already 1200 feet away from my launch site and at my max ceiling.  I suppose it’s not so bad because I didn’t have to leave my back yard.

My View

Before

This image makes me think about what it must have looked like before we came along.

Before

Prepared

Lately I’ve heard lots of people use the term “empty nest” when referring to our situation as our youngest just graduated high school. It’s usually with great enthusiasm that it’s mentioned.  After today I’m not so sure I’m prepared for it.  I just spent the day discussing how our daughter is being violently shoved into a position of incredible freedoms and enormous responsibility. I keep thinking that it’s going be rough for her, but I really should consider how rough it’ll be for me. She’s been on the same campus at the same time and has already integrated into a new group of friends. Me?  I’m  stressing about how she’s going to do, will she remember to eat, will she find all her classes, will she discover her passion?  Geez I’m not prepared.

One of the few traditions/superstitions @ Roanoke College is for students to avoid stepping on the seal outside the Administration Building. If they step on it they don’t graduate in four years.

Mission Accomplished

Well, I did it.  I said I would and I did.  I went into panic mode in the first 200 meters of the swim because I started the race cold and my heart rate skyrocketed.  And you can’t really stop and rest when you’re swimming in open water.  I found my stride at about the 1/4-mile mark and shaved about 20 minutes off my swim time of my first (and only other) Olympic some 20 years ago.  The run was a little slow because I was favoring my leg from the surgery, but all in all I’m pleased with how I did and how far I’ve come since the end of January.


  

Collection

How did we get so much stuff?!  Where does it all come from?!  I’ve been a little distracted lately as we move into a new home and deal with the enormous collection of stuff we’ve managed to cram into our house!  I had to take a break from the move recently and get back into shooting.  The new office space is coming together quite nicely though.  Perhaps I’ll share some images soon.

Collection

Our new back yard.

Commencement

You’d never finish anything if they keep calling it commencement.  Just a thought.

Congratulations to all graduates today – including my daughter!

Life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself.

– Mark A. Cooper
20150526-DJI_0323-Edit

Normally you’d see all the parents gathered around taking their own pictures, but I wanted something different. It took me a while and it’s far from perfect. This was one of those projects where I did it just to see if I could.

Remember

I spent the last three mornings scouting out a shot I’ve wanted to get for some time.  The flag was incredibly uncooperative the first day I arrived, which really ticked me off because I woke up at the butt-crack of dawn!  I wasn’t initially going to go out again today because I thought I’d see the exact same thing.  It’s typically not been very windy in the morning lately, but today I got the shot.  Man, did I get the shot.  If you’re into shooting sunrises, hitting the snooze button is not an option!

“Remember those who served.  All gave some, some gave all.”

Remember

Order a print of this image.

Tiny Planets

There’s only a couple mobile photography apps that I use regularly and they’re both Adobe.  Photoshop Express for Mobile and Lightroom Mobile both accomplish the same things and I like what they can do with the mobile JPEG.  Very once in a while, though, it’s fun to discover a new photo app that is just for fun.  I’ve done this effect with my desktop applications and it’s quite a process so when I found a mobile app that produces pretty nearly the same result, I jumped.  Tiny Planets – look it up.  You’ll be hooked.

You can check out more of my tiny planets here

A new twist on the Apple Blossom carnival (ha, see what I did there?).

A new twist on the Apple Blossom carnival (ha, see what I did there?).

School Days

My daughter makes it known (daily) that she only has about a week left in school before she’s finished.  She likes stating that she (as a senior) finishes before the rest of the school.  That means I only have 8 more school days of taking her to school.  I’ve been driving her to school for the past couple years.  That’ll be weird to not have to do that anymore.

Hey, it's a aerial shot of a school that's not Handley! This is Blue Ridge Middle School in Purcellville, VA.

Hey, it’s an aerial shot of a school that’s not Handley! This is Blue Ridge Middle School in Purcellville, VA.

Fireworks

I think I’ve discovered a new, fun way for shooting fireworks.  I was just going through my Apple Blossom images and stumbled upon this one – at first I thought it was no good, but I like it.

Fireworks

The Bloom

There’s definitely a dichotomy when it comes to Apple Blossom.  I know people who avoid it like the plague and I also know people who go to every single event.  Regardless of how you feel about it here’s a little aerial eye candy to start your week.

note – make sure you click the little gear wheel and watch in HD

Parade

This was my 21st year of Apple Blossom Festivals.  I realize that’s still fewer than a lot of people, but when you want to shoot unique images, it starts to get difficult.  Every year I think to myself “self, there’s nothing new to shoot.  You’ve seen it.  Yep, that’s another fire truck.”  But this year I got to see a different vantage point.  Yep, you guessed it – here’s a bird’s-eye view of that same parade.

A fun new perspective on an annual event in Winchester, VA.

A fun new perspective on an annual event in Winchester, VA.

Low Light

Just out testing the low light capabilities of this aerial rig.  So far – I like it a lot (spoken in the best Lloyd Christmas voice possible).  I also had my first (and most likely NOT my last) encounter with law enforcement.  It was a really quick response (guess it makes sense if you look closely in the bottom left of the frame).  I hadn’t even depleted one battery yet.  It was a positive experience and I’m hoping that goes a long way in my efforts to represent this new technology.

The results of my late-night low-light endeavor. Well worth it all in my opinion.

The results of my late-night low-light endeavor. Well worth it all in my opinion.

Tipsy

I’m requiring my Beginning Photography students at Shenandoah University to recreate this image.  I had to create it so they had a reference.  I finished it and thought “well now that’s a blog photo.”  It’s not a difficult technique to pull off, but it’s slightly different than what we did in class – same technique just applied in a very creative manner.  Can’t wait to see the results.

Feeling a little tipsy - I wasn't even drinking!

Feeling a little tipsy – I wasn’t even drinking!

Prep

I wanted to get some “before” images and the sunset was perfect today.  Can’t wait to really test out the low-light performance of this rig.  The video is gonna be off-the-chart awesome!

The beginning stages of set-up and prep for the carnival at this year's Apple Blossom Festival.

The beginning stages of set-up and prep for the carnival at this year’s Apple Blossom Festival.

Walls

These walls could talk about the Civil War and burning of the bridge right outside that south-facing window.  I suppose they could also talk about all the furry little mammals running/flying around in this room.  Kinda gross, but this is the kind of Urbex stuff I’d love to start doing.

Walls

First Question

“How far can you go with that thing?”

It’s inevitable – people want to know how far this thing goes.  And I was bitten by that bug when I first started using these aerial cameras last year.  My answer has shifted now and is more in line with being creative and practicing common sense and a lot of safety.  It’s no longer about how far it goes, but more about what kind of imagery can I get from it?  Where can I put it to shoot totally different perspectives?  How can I differentiate myself from every other photographer out there?

By the way, it goes pretty far!

I'm standing on the front steps of Handley. Line of sight becomes an issue this far out so I didn't go any farther (but I wanted to).

I’m standing on the front steps of Handley. Line of sight becomes an issue this far out so I didn’t go any farther (but I wanted to).

Free

I don’t know if it’s writer’s block or what, but sometimes I struggle with my posts.  Or even figuring out what to write.  I’m sitting here staring at this image and am coming up short.  Maybe I have nothing to say or maybe there’s too much to say.  All I know is that I truly enjoy finding new images to make.  There is an endless number of possibilities and I’m constantly drawn to this place.

20150411-DJI_0119_20_21_22_23_tonemapped-Edit

I love how art is so subjective. I see what I see. You see what you see. It’s all up to the viewer. | Order a print of this image.

Graduation

Just over 50 days until we’re done with high school as a family.  Wow, that’s going to be a big piece of the puzzle that’s missing.  Moving on to act II and getting ever so close to that empty nest!

How many different ways can I shoot this iconic cupola? I'm determined to find out.

How many different ways can I shoot this iconic cupola? I’m determined to find out.