The big downside to landscape photography is the incredibly early start times for the day, especially for shooting the sunrise. On a good day I could be up as early as 3 and as late as 9 that same evening just to shoot the sun. Am I dedicated or crazy?
I’m pretty excited to be heading into that time of year when the sunrise isn’t at some ridiculously early hour of the morning! | Order a print of this image.
I get an extra 3 hours to post today. Woohoo! The downside is that I’ll only have 21 hours on Monday. Boohoo. We were all dragging today after 5 hour flights and being up 18 hours we wanted to remain active to avoid going to sleep too early. It was Laguna Beach or bust. I’ve always seen the big waves in pictures or TV, but it was cool to see them in person. We were also pretty distracted by the $15,000,000 homes up on the cliff. Yep. Six zeros and seven figures!
The view from the homes that don’t overlook the Pacific Ocean. The less expensive houses. These houses are only worth $5,000,000.
Those scenic view overlooks along the highway take on a whole new look when you bring a drone to the party!
One of my responsibilities at TV3 Winchester was to train the production staff and one of the first ways to demonstrate the “rule of thirds” was to show somebody a camera framing that was not quite right. I would then indicate that maybe people at home couldn’t vocalize what was wrong, but they would know it. Kinda like this image. Something’s not quite right about it. It looks normal at first, but as Mufasa from “The Lion King” would say “look harder…”
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While my laptop is on the fritz (my GFX processor has all but blown up), it’s next to impossible to do anything creative while I’m traveling. I shot some amazing images this evening at James Madison University (my alma mater), but am essentially “flying” blind in post. I have absolutely no idea what this actually looks like (until, of course, I post it and look at it on one of my mobile devices. So, here goes…
Every city has one. Ours just got a major facelift over the past couple years and it’s really been revitalized. Lots of stuff going on down there. Only thing it’s missing is the view from up here.
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Free photo contest! When I first started, I joined any and every photo contest out there. Not so much anymore. It just seems to me that photography is so very subjective (as is any art) and it really depends on how the “judge” is feeling that day. Sure, anybody can evaluate an image based on a set of established criteria (framing, composition, use of leading lines and so on and so forth), but that removes all beauty from the work and it becomes sterile. Anyway…
But this contest is totally random. You submit an image to be eligible for a random drawing. The photos aren’t really “judged” at all. They’re there for the viewing pleasure of all – minus all “objective” judging criteria. I’m in. You should be, too. Enter the contest here and support Virginia State Parks.
The Shenandoah Valley’s very own version of the Horseshoe Bend (like the one in the Grand Canyon).
Shhh, don’t tell anyone. You’re not really allowed to fly over 400 feet, but I just really wanted to see what it could do. It’s kinda like the sports cars (or most cars for that matter). If the speed limit is 70 here in the states, why make a car that can do 184?! Somebody, somewhere is going to put it to the test. It just has to be done.
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Sunsets have never been easier. Granted, it’s not the highest quality sunset image that I could take, but it gets me above the power lines and mess of the city and gives me a clear shot at one of the best parts of the day.
Was able to grab the gear and catch the sun setting over Winchester. That’s the elementary school (bottom) where both my kids attended.
So after this two-week vacation, our next 1-week vacation is going to feel way too short – OR – all our vacations from now on will have to be at least 2 weeks long!
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Yeah, I know that’s not the title, but that’s not what I’m going for here. With so much attention to the sunRISES lately, I needed to turn around and give some time to the sunSET.
We’ve renamed the Florida state nickname to the “Funshine” state. Just so you know. That is all.
A protected wildlife habitat that we pass every day on our walk. | Order a print of this image.
I’m setting up, and adding to, my Flickr account. I’ve had it for several years and have done nothing with it. Shame on me. Anyway, it’s there now and is being populated and organized as we speak. I randomly started with images from Austria (maybe because I was talking with a friend about the trip the other day). As I’m skimming through – and skipping most (I really wish I knew how to take better pictures back then) – I stop at this one and immediately begin processing it. There was just something about it that stood out from all the rest. When I finished and uploaded it to my galleries I realized that I had processed it before. The difference illustrates how, on different days, you can see and image completely differently.
This is the building used for the Von Trapp residence exteriors in the movie. | Order a print of this image.
I think my circadian rhythms automatically sync to the sunrise whenever I travel. It doesn’t matter when I go to bed the night before, I’m always up before the sunrise the next day.
A few short hours and I caught up with the sun on the other side of yesterday.
It’s refreshing to have the opportunity to slow down and take notice of the very mundane stuff ‘cuz the mundane stuff can be cool. This is the stuff you drive past going to work everyday. It’s the stuff you miss while you’re frantically running your errands for the week. You may even run right past it on your daily jog. Slow down, or even stop, and just take it in. There’s so much fascinating stuff out there. How can I ever get “blocked” as a photographer when stuff like this exists around every corner. It may not be interesting to anybody else, but it is to me. So there. You see me with my camera pointed at something, anything, and you wonder “what the heck?” Well, now you know.
I’ve been walking by these trees for about 3 months now every morning while I walk my dog and have been fascinated with them every time.
Looks like the desert camo that the military wears these days, doesn’t it?
Everybody’s got one, right? Where’s yours?
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“The long and winding road that leads to your door
Will never disappear
I’ve seen that road before it always leads me here
Leads me to your door”– Lennon–McCartney
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Even though we really just breezed through and didn’t really get a chance to go to any of the lookouts, it really was a unique experience. It really did feel like we were out in the middle of nowhere.
The seriously wacky other-worldly landscape of the Badlands in South Dakota.
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The middle of nowhere. The middle of the country. The middle of the road. And just past the middle of our RV trip.
Took a little digging, but I found the exact spot we stopped for some photos!
There in the darkest night of the soul
There in the sweetest songs of victory
Your grace finds me
Yes Your grace finds me– Matt Redman, “Your Grace Finds Me”
To me, when I see this, I see a perfect desktop background image. Order a print of this image (or download it for your desktop).
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