Nubble Light

Cape Neddik Light House (Nubble Light) 

The lighthouse is probably the most visited in Maine. Being it is so close to both New Hampshire and Massachusetts.  I've been here a couple times now and finally got to stay for a sunset. The golden light was brilliant offering me a little reflection on the water. As well as some shades of pink as the sun set. I made this image with my Canon 5d Miii and Tamron 15x30 Di VC USD lens on top of my Sirui N3204x tripod and K-30 ball head. Image carried with Lowepro Flipside 500 and Peak Design Slide Stap and Capture Pro. Viewed in On1 Photo 10 and Lightroom CC. 30mm ISO 200 F/8 shutter speed I/150 of a second In Manual mode. Please check out some upcoming workshops in June at Cape Ann and a Local waterfalls shoot.  

Parenting

A family of geese.  

So yesterday after Amelia's doctors appointment, we stopped to feed the "duckies". I was hoping to see some geeselings and we found these little older ones. To Amelia they were babies. Well anyhow this shot was at 24mm. So they got pretty close. I had Amelia sit on my lap so I could protect her if I needed too. But this strange thing happened. When I pulled Amelia close the mother (I think) relaxed. We were literally 2 feet away from each other. Naturally when the camera was out she got a little tense. So I kept it short and sweet. She chased several other geese and ducks away. Even after the kids had enough bread to sink them like submarines as they went in the water. Wildlife and nature is about respecting  each other's habitats. People so often think it's our rights to violate animals spaces. Now this was at a park where hundreds of people go every day. But that didn't mean I shouldn't respect the geese and their babies spaces. It meant we needed to respect each other.  Image made with a Canon 5dmiii and 24x105 l series lens. Aperture priority mode f/5.6 ISO 800 resulting in a shutter speed of 1/800 of a second at 24mm. Camera Carried on my Peak Design Slide strap. Edited in LRCC and On1   

Great Monday's

Titmouse at the stick.  

It is always nice when my days off start. Being Monday, it's the start of most people's work week most won't agree. My Monday started out fantastic and is ending even better. I had a very successful morning shooting song birds on the stick. I had the most variety I've ever had. And I had wonderful light being created from the sun. Yes! The sun! This image was made with Canon 5d Miii and Tamron 150x600 at 600mm f/7.1 ISO 1600 resulting in 1/1000 of second shutter speed. I had it mounted on my Sirui N3204x and PH-20 Gimbal head. I also used a Peak Design Leash for safety.  

The Best Wurst

From Thunder in the Valley

Sonia and I have come to enjoy vendor type food. Especially food trucks with specialty food. Well at Thunder in the Valley, they had three food vendors. Wursthause German food filled the air with delicious aromas all morning. I knew where I would be having lunch....twice. I got this amazing spicey bratwurst sandwich with home made kraut. I look forward to seeing them next year. Thanks for the yummies!  

Happy Birthday!

Bubba enjoying a bone.  

Happy 7th birthday to the most amazing dog I have even known. Thank you for incredible love and loyalty. ❤️ 

Blue?

Blue Jay saying hello at the stick.  

Does the weather have you blue? Day after day of endless rain? Find a way to make your day sunny. I fill the feeders just about every morning during this wet spring weather we have been having here in Massachusettes. In turn I get visitors that like to scream at me! Actually blue jays are very timid when it comes to people taking their pictures. Sparrows, chickadee, nuthatch, titmouse and woodpeckers will patiently eat while I take many images of them. Not these guys. They boogie on out of here. In this case I think this is a female blue jay hung around for about 10 frames. Image made with Canon 5d Miii and Tamron 150x600. On top my Surui N3204x Tripod with PH-20 Gimbal head. Peak Design Leash strap. 

Kane's Krusade

Image from Thunder in the Valley

 http://www.kaneskrusade.org/

During the Thunder in the Valley Festival this past weekend, I met a couple really sweet dogs. And some amazing people who love them as much as I do. Bikers who want to stop abuse and this charity Kane's Krusade. Here is there missions statement. And a link to their page is above.  

 "We keep dogs with their families by directly addressing the root causes of surrender - economic, behavioral and tenant/insurance issues."

Many of my friends know I'm an animal lover and think causes like this need our attention. So please visit their page!

Getting My Feet Wet

Sanderson Brook Falls.  

So I went out chasing waterfalls again this morning. I'm having a workshop June 11 at two waterfalls, Sandersonbrook Falls and Goldmine Brook Falls. So I wanted to scout out Sanderson and get a good look at what it has to offer.  Both falls are really different and offer a unique variety of compositions. You could spend hours on the brooks that the falls feed. Loads of photo opportunities. And neither falls are difficult to access. They take a little effort but nothing extremely dangerous.   

So I wanted to get my feet wet. Actually after my incident a few weeks ago, I kind of wondered how my confidence levels would be affected. Honestly I was s little more focused on making sure everything was safely attached to my tripod that was securely mounted to the earth beneath it. My Peak Design Leash was around my neck at all times. That alone made any anxiety I was anticipating nonexistent. Image made with my Canon 5d Miii and Canon 24x105. Using a Marui CIrcular Polarizer. This is at 52mm F/11 ISO 100 resulting in a 6 second exposure. I confidently mounted my camera on my Sirui N3204x tripod and K-30 ball head. I carried my gear in Lowepro Flipside AW500 and my Peak Design Capture Pro, and Leash Strap. Processed in On1 Photo 10 and LRCC. 

Charities

Bikers Against Child Abuse. 

So this past weekend at Thunder in the Valley, there were a lot of great causes. One that made me happy was this one BACA and BAAC (Bikers against Animal Cruelty) Honestly child and animal cruelty is just plain against  anything I believe in. Kudo's to these guys for making a difference in an childs and animals lives.   

No charity was less important than another on Sunday. In fact Thunder in the Valley is about all area bike runs. I won't try to list them all but they all matter. And like everything in life we can't always be part of them all. Even if I know a lot of the motorcycle community tries to be. So As it's never to early to start planning, I hope to see all of the charities come out and spend a day together.  A day to spread the word for their causes. Share in brotherly love. But mostly to relax as the year begins. Thank you to everyone who came out and joined us Sunday. I look forward to another great year!  

Birds

Red Bellied Wood Pecker

I came home from work and wanted to see what kind of birds might stop by. First was a Male Downey Wood pecker. The sparrows were all over the place. My Boyz went out and ran off the rodents. Then a gold finch couple came for a snack. Two Blue Jays were by. For such large birds they sure do fly away quickly. The albino pigeon along with some morning doves cleaned up some suet. A female Cowbird stopped also. The Downey and two Hairys messed around on the stick. Then he came! I've been waiting for this guy to come by. He stayed but a few minuets. I made the most of them. Canon 7d with Tamron 150x600 at 600mm (960 equivalent)  at F6.3 ISO 640 shutter speed 1/125 of a second. Mounted on my Sirui N3204x Tripod with PH-20 Gimbal Head. Browsed in On1 Photo 10 and tweeted in Lightroom CC. I use Lowepros Back packs. Peak design Acessories. 

Stuck in Manual?

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Nuthatch at the Log

I have used the term stuck in manual as apposed to stuck in auto many times in conversation about whats better manual or auto modes. The truth is there is no "better" mode. I say stuck in manual because often times many shooters get so caught up in the latest thing they forget their camera is a tool. Many tools inside of a tool to be exact. To me a truly skilled photographer will use whatever they need to get the job done. Sometimes its Aperture Priority, Shutter priority or full manual mode...even fully auto mode.  There are situations where the camera is going to make the best decision. I have not use fully auto in many years. But I would if I was stuck. Being proud isn't worth missing the shot of a life time. Or someone else's life time. Today I grabbed my Canon 7d and Tamron 150x600 lens. I mounted it on my Sirui Tripod and PH-20 Gimbal Head. I went to manual mode and took this shot.600mm (960 equivalent) ISO 640 F6.5 Shutter speed of 1/250 of a second for perfect exposure. I also manually focused this lens while hunting for this little guy. Imported to Lightroom CC. Zero editing. Challenge yourself  If you are stuck in manual try other modes and know what your camera is capable of in various lighting. If you are stuck in auto try your skills in manual mode. Happy weekend everyone!

Working Compositions

Goldmine Brook Falls

The other day I was inspired by my friends who were working waterfalls and water ways in the Smoky Mountains. My friend David Akoubian had posted various compositions of one place they had visited. I always work an entire area. Seeking larger  composition as well as close up shots. Different focusing distances and even exposures. Here I choose to use a black and white conversion because the colors were not popping and lacked the awe factor the normal spring greens offer. Try different things. Move around. Bend over. Get up high. Try longer shutter speeds as well as faster speeds. You never know what you will find in a waterfall! :) 

Goldmine Brook Falls

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Goldmine Brook falls Chester ,MA

Well to add value to the name Goldmine Brook Falls, I dropped my camera and lens from pretty much the worse place I could 15 feet onto a rock and watched them both go swimming. Needless to say I managed to find the camera and recovered the cards. So lesson to be learned never, ever leave your strap at home. EVER! Well the camera gods claimed another victim today. But I didn't drown in either the brook or my tears as I went in for the pieces. But what I did get was some relaxation. Things are replaceable, lives aren't. The place really is a Goldmine of sort, as it is literally right off the road. The road noise is minor to the sounds of water ripping through the rocks formations. The greens aren't nearly as green as they will be in June but still pretty. Image made with a now deceased Canon 5d Miii and Canon 24x105 lens. 

Artistic Macro

Back yard macro. Canon 5d Miii and Tamron 180mm f3.5 Di LD IF Macro Lens 

Explore everything. Dissect everything. Make it all your own. View it from every angle and make it special with your own vision. I spent an hour looking at the blossoms forming on our anniversary cherry blossom tree. Sonia and I planted as part of our journey together. It has grown into a very special tree in ways that are obvious and some not so obvious. As your skills and a photographer blossom you will see things is ways you had not in the past. Just like in a marrige. The way you see things matures and really makes your artist vision start to unfold.  These two leaves when I exposed them with the light coming through the branches really made me want to show the veins. The tiny, seemingly meaningless parts of life that have the greatest impact. Canon 5dmiii Tamron 180 macro. On top of my Sirui N3204x tripod and. K-30 ball head. Edited in Lightroom CC Nix silver effects. 

Shooting when you can!

Springfield, Massachusetts Canon 5dmiii Tamron lenses 15x30 F 2.8 Di VC USD  

One of the things I stress to my students in to shoot when ever they can.  It was bestowed upon me as a virtue when I was first starting out. Back then we really had to take our time and make sure we were dialed in and got the shot or we wasted film. But today in the digital world, we can shoot until our hearts content. However I recommend to make those shots count. Random shooting without purpose will not benefit your skills. Take your time! Look at your compositions. Make sure you have the technical settings and proper. No think hey it doesn't matter if I make a crappy image. It does! It's ok to make  so bad shots. We all do it. But have a purpose.  Have an intent as to some aspect of your skills you are working on. When I am practicing I pick one thing every time I have a camera in hand. And even if it doesn't work I have learned from it. Like the great 300 always move forward.  Never retreat! The above image was made the first time I got to shoot with my Canon 5d and Tamron 15x30. I love the set up. It was a hand held shot literally jumping out of my truck while Amelia  slept. ISO 100 f8 at 22mm shutter speed 1/100 of a second. I carry my gear in Lowepro bags and Peak Design Acessories. Edited in On1 PHOTO 10 and Light Room CC. 

Finding Nemo

Amelia at 2 years old  

My very first blog, or lack there of was about my wife Sonia and I having a baby. Well she is two. My blog is about finding balance and learning that life needs a little time for everything. The first year was the craziest year of my life. The struggle to keep my job going and keeping photography business going seemed almost impossible. But Sonia and I managed. The things that didn't get done are starting to be finished. We are starting to settle back to our relationship as husband and wife. Our 5 year anniversary is upon us and we will spend a couple days  in Maine to relax. Finding Nemo!?! Yeah that's right. I can quote the movie. But that's the small part of why I titled this blog post as I have. The movie talks about how we let our past dictate our future. I never wanted to be a parent. I honestly never wanted to be a husband. I never took risk. I never put myself out there in fear of failure. Even though I failed better than I did anything else. I challenged myself only when it was best for me. Then my life changed. I said to myself one day, only you can make you better. Stop hiding behind the fears in front of you and make life great. Well then I met Sonia and life has never been better. It's out there for you people so find your Nemo! 

High ISO Noise.

Canon 5d Miii at ISO 4000 f8 1/3200  

With all the talk about new camera bodies and high ISO/low noise I decided to see what I could get out of my Canon 5d Miii doing everything wrong. What I mean by that is, when there are a lot of harsh shadows,  noise levels are more apparent. In this image I had to remove shadows in LRCC. And I cropped this image about 50%. So there was no reason the noise should be acceptable in the shadow areas. But to my surprise there was very minimal noise. I didn't do any noise removal or and other editing except cropping and shadow removal. Now the 5d Miii is fairly old technology in comparison to the Sony a6300 and the new Nikon d500 that's are just simply incredible in the high ISO performance area. But in years past shooting above ISO 1600 was risky for a clean image. So I find this to be very acceptable levels. Enjoy the cameras you have and understand their limitations and set your expectations accordingly.  

Song Birds

The past few days I've watched many new birds stopping by for a snack. I have been busy with getting the yard and sanctuary ready for spring. This morning I took a few moment to hone some of my skills. I have moved the feeders a little closer to my perch in an effort to make up for the 1.6 crop factor difference between my Canon 7d and my 5dmiii. I'm enjoying it. I also took the blue bird house and mounted it to an old metal pole from a swimming pool we had. It is also closer. But it's positioned where it should attract more blue birds. The pole itself is not easy for predators to climb. I am going to print this image. I'm am so pleased with the sharpness and the over all composition of the image. This is shot on the 5dmiii and Tamron 150x600 at 500 mm manual mode f/8 ISO 800 resulting in a shutter speed of 1/500 of a second. On top of my Sirui N3204x Tripod and PH-20 Gimbal head. As always carried in Lowepro Back Pack and Peak design Accesories.  I think I will print this on Canson Infinity Baryta Photographique Ink Jet Paper.  

Female Northern Cardinal at the "Stick"

Fine Art Printing

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My first few attempts using Canson Fine Art Papers

I have been very fortunate to have friends willing to spend some time explaining to me fine art printing. It isnt as easy as one would think. At least not at first. First and foremost buy good paper. Learn what papers capture your vision and use them. Shown here are a few types of Canson Infinity Papers. Arches Auqurelle Rag, Baryta Photographique 310. Platine Fiber Rag and PrintMaKing Rag. They all have some amazing qualities and amazing color gamut.

Spring Is Here!

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Well it looks like spring is finally upon us here in Western Massachusetts. Sonia and I are hoping to get the yard and house ready for Amelia's second birthday party over the next few days. But today I thought I would post some color rather than my recent black and white theme. Ed Heaton will be proud :)  This image was made a month or so ago at Mount Holyoke College's Bulb Show. I used my Tamron 180mm Macro on my Canon 5d Miii. Mounted on my Sirui N3204x Tripod and K-30 ballhead. I hope your day is full of vibrant colors as well as happiness and love!