Sunday, May 31, 2009

May 31st, 2009

Couldn't resist this shot of my daughter for her debut on my Photo-a-Day blog. This shot was achieved by using a telephoto lens, a long shutter speed and zooming in when the shutter was open . . . as soon as you trigger the shutter, you pull in on the telephoto lens. You get this great zooming effect and if you give the camera a little twist, all the better!

Shot at a full second at f5.6 with an ISO of 100. Converted to Black and White in Lightroom.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

May 30th, 2009

Dropped off a friend at the Weehawken Ferry in New Jersey . . . he was bound for Book Expo as I am for the weekend . . . couldn't resist a shot of NYC!

Shot with the camera placed on a flat surface, AP mode at 20th of a second at f8.0.

Friday, May 29, 2009

May 29th, 2009

Here's an orchid for today's image of the day . . . the background you see in this is actually an abstract painting I did and have hung in my dining room. I love orchids for their shape and simplicity. They are very nice to have around and make for great subjects.

This was shot with my Nikon 70-200 on the D2x mounted on a tripod. Lit with a single TD5 Spiderlite at an 8th of a second. ISO 100.

I'd also like to take a moment and thank fellow blogger, The Clay Muse, for her feature from yesterday. If you haven't caught it yet, check it out here: http://theclaymuse.blogspot.com!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

May 28th, 2009

Product photography . . . it's a mystery to me. I wanted to give it a try with some stuff I have a vested interest in. The subjects you see here are my favorite writing utensil - a MontBlanc "F. Scott Fitzgerald" fountain pen. My iPod - which I am never without. And my favorite watch - an Omega Seamaster "Planet Ocean' Co-Axial Chronograph. The hardest part of taking images like this . . . it's not the exposure or the processing. It's the set up! I have mucho respect for folks who can arrange the stuff you see in catalogs and make it work!

This was shot with my D2x on a tripod and the scene lit with a single TD5 Spiderlite. Shot at f6.0 with a shutter speed at an 8th of a second. I ran the image through Nik Software's Color Efex Pro 3.0. They have a really neat filter in there called Film Effects that let you emulate the look of certain films. For this particular shot, I wanted it to look as if I shot it with Kodax Extachrome 400xPro. The shot just reminded me of something you'd see in a magazine from the 70's (minus the iPod, of course!). That filter helped it a long a bit.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

May 27th, 2009

I am just loving the IR shots I've been getting lately! I snagged this shot after dropping my daughter off at school. This is Franklin Pond in Northern New Jersey. I am standing on a bridge, which is why it looks like I am hovering over the pond - side note, the bridge was covered - COVERED - in spiders! So I suffered for this shot big time - I have a huge fear of the creepy crawlies. I swear, I can still feel a few of them on me!

Shot with the D100 and the Sigma 10-20 set to Aperture Priority mode at f8 at 250th of a second. ISO is 100.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

May 26th, 2009

It's that season again where I have to play responsible homeowner and get rid of some unwanted squatters. That said, doesn't mean I can't document their illegal occupation of parts of my home . . . I swear, I must have at least a dozen of these small hornet's nests all around the house. I thought a close up of the different chambers on this one would be neat . . . but as soon as I tripped the shutter, one of the hornets (or is that a wasp? I can't tell the difference) showed up to add on to their home. I snapped off a dozen or so shots before he got wise to me and started doing some fly-bys. I took heed and retreated to my office to see what I got.

Shot with the Sigma 70-300 at 500th of a second at f5.6 with an ISO of 100.

Monday, May 25, 2009

May 25th, 2009

This one is for all those who have served . . . and those still serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Every one of you is the reason my family and I have the freedoms we enjoy. You will never be forgotten.

Shot with the Sigma 70-300 at 600th of a second at f8.0. ISO 100.


Sunday, May 24, 2009

May 24th, 2009

So I am gearing up for a workshop in November called Illuminating Creativity with world reknown photographer, John Paul Caponigro. The workshop is designed to bring my photography - and creative process - to 'the next level.' I am really looking forward to it and wanted to capture some images with more of an abstract feel to them. These dandilions are all over the place and I thought they'd make a great subject.

Shot with my Nikon P6000 set to shot Macro at a 60th of a second at f5.6. 


Saturday, May 23, 2009

May 23rd, 2009

Here is the last shot from my Fort Mifflin visit. The place was an absolute joy to visit and photograph. I can't wait visit again as I've been invited back shoot in September! Tomorrow will return to the original concept of me showcasing images I actually take on that given day!

This particular shot was captured with the Nikon D100 converted to shoot IR. The ultra wide expanse of this image was captured with the Sigma 10-20 lens set to f/11 at 1/500th of a second.

To see the entire gallery of my shoot at Fort Mifflin - including some actual ghost hunting shots, visit: http://www.pmkane.com/fortmifflin.

Friday, May 22, 2009

May 22nd, 2009

Here is one of my favorite shots from my trip out to Fort Mifflin. This was actually shot outside the walls of the fort and a bit of a hike away from the location. It's such a beautiful place, yet very eery and just a bit creepy!

Now about the process I used for this image. This was shot with my D100 converted for Infrared photography. When I brought this into Adobe Lightroom, I utilized a technique called cross processing. What this means is, had I shot this on film, the standard chemical process for developing the film is called C-41 . . . rather than developing the film the standard way, I would have had the lab process the film as Slide film - which uses a totally different chemical process . . . so when this happens, there's a dramatic color shift in the image . . . add to this the Infrared technique and you get the wild image you see below! Of course, I did all this digitally . . . but having the background helps legitimize the effect.

Captured with the Sigma 10-20 at f8.0 at 200th of a second. ISO - 100.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

May 21st, 2009

Simplicity . . . Never underestimate the impact of simplicity when making an image. Sometimes the most basic of shots becomes a powerful piece in your body of work. So any time I am out shooting, I am always looking around for something very simple and basic. This Lilly pad is just what I was looking for. It tells a story . . . or I think it does, anyway . . . why did this particular Lilly pad sprout up all by itself when a entire colony of pads were just a dozen feet away? What creature of the earth is making a meal out of the edges? I always want my images to inspire imagination - whether I know it at the time of exposure or not - sometimes it's a subconscious effort on my part!

This was shot with the Tamron 28-80 at f5.6 at 60th of a second. ISO 100

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

May 20th, 2009

Here's another shot from my weekend at Fort Mifflin. This place was just amazing and I have so many more things to show you. Again, I primarily used my D100 converted to shoot Infrared, hence the ethereal foliage and amazing skies!

This was shot with the Sigma 10-20 at f8.0 with a shutter speed of 200th of a second.

Quick note - I realize the last two weeks have been images that I shot during the weekends and I am sort of drifting from my 'photo-a-day' concept. After this week, I'll try and steer back to that concept of actually shooting the images on the day I post them. Hope you've been enjoying these!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

May 19th, 2009

So all around Fort Mifflin, there's this moat, filled with all sorts of aquatic wildlife and countless species of birds. Dotting the natural area are bird houses to encourage the natural environment. Caught this little guy checking out what I was doing and he took a moment to pose for me.

Shot with the 28-80mm at f5.6 at 200th of a second. Once I spotted the birdie, I took aim with the camera and then took a step closer - with each slow step I took, I snapped off another shot in fear that he'd take off. I managed to get within three feet of him before he had had enough and flew off.

Monday, May 18, 2009

May 18th, 2009

Here's my late entry for today's Photo-a-Day . . . and it's only a quick peek at what my weekend held! I spent Saturday and Sunday out at Fort Mifflin on the Delaware with the great folks from PARA to help raise money for this historic location. I was on hand to sign copies of Captured and Konxari Cards and even joined in the ghost hunts with several different teams! The below snap shot gives you a peek at what you'll see this week! The majority of my shooting there was done with the D100 converted to shoot in Infrared . . . can't wait to show them off! At the end of the week, I'll post a complete gallery site so you can see more than what I am just posting here! Enjoy!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

May 17th, 2009

A fitting image for the last of my Savanna images . . . this was shot not too long after the previous ariel photo. The difference is, this was shot through the aisle of the plane and out another passenger's window! It's not the sharpest sunset image, but I was just happy I caught it!

Shot with the Sigma 70-300 at an 80th of a second at f8.0. ISO was 100.

Starting tomorrow, I should have some very cool images from my weekend at Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia, PA!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

May 16th, 2009

Sometimes it's the simple things that really catch my eye . . . this image is actually the first shot I took while in Savanna. There were scenes like this all over, nature and man-made things blending in beautifully together. I love the back lit quality of the light and the bold shapes of the bars. Soft and hard all together.

Shot with a Tamron 28-80 at f5.6 with a shutter speed of 400th of a second. ISO was 100

Friday, May 15, 2009

May 15th, 2009

First up, Happy Anniversary to my wife, Heather . . . we celebrated last weekend with a trip to Savanna, but today's the official day of our marriage. Here's to many more decades of love and happiness!

So onto the image of the day . . . Savanna is full of history and it's cemeteries are no exception. This particular cemetery had a wall the back of it that was used for misplaced headstones. Stones dating back to the early 1800's were all over the place . . . it was a very serene location . . . quite . . . reflective.

This was shot with the 10-20 at a 40th of a second with an ISO of 400.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

May 14th, 2009

Another infrared shot from my trip out to Savanna last weekend . . . this one is a tinted sepia tone. The Lion is on a monument in one of the many beautiful squares in and about Savanna. It's such a pretty city . . . you could be walking down a pretty regular city street - office furniture sales on one side, bank on the other . . . and then all of a sudden you're in a serene park with monuments, trees people throwing Frisbees around . . . all very laid back and wonderful!

This was shot with my Sigma 10-20 on my D100 converted to shoot IR. The nice thing about the 10-20 is the very close, minimum distance focus range you have . . . I was standing right up on that lion when I shot this! f5.4 at 800th of a second shutter speed.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

May 13th, 2009

If you could have one super power, what would you choose? That's a question that I get asked at a lot of the comic book conventions I attend while promoting my own comic The Perfect Victim. And it's a very simple question for me to answer . . . the power of flight. Why . . . just take a look at today's image! Can you imagine having the ability to traverse the vast openness of the sky . . . the utter silence up there. Looking down to see how truly big the world we live on is? So let me pose that question to you . . . what super power would you like?

This image was captured on the D2x with a Sigma 10-20mm attached. Shot out the side window of our plane as we made our return trip home from Savanna. Shutter speed was 800th of a second with an f-stop of 11.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

May 12th, 2009

This shot is done with my D100 that has been converted to shoot in the infrared spectrum. I've seen IR photography covered in the various trade publications and online and had been dying to try it out. My recent trip out to Savanna was the perfect opportunity to break the camera out this season! I say that, cause the images really have the most impact when there's some green foliage in the shot. What happens is, you set a custom white balance on the camera and everything green in the shot becomes this ethereal white . . . The cemetery shot from a few days ago was also shot with this camera. It also works wonders when there are clouds in the sky - making them more dramatic - sadly, there were only clear skies in Savanna the day I was shooting with the IR camera, but I still got some amazing images!

This was captured with the Sigma 10-20mm at f8.0 with a shutter speed of 800th of a second.

Monday, May 11, 2009

May 11th, 2009

The subject of today's image of the day should give you an indication of where I was over the weekend and why I posted some oldies but goodies! This is a blossom from Magnolia tree in Savanna, Georgia. I was were there celebrating my 10th wedding anniversary with my wife! Was a surprise day trip . . . a quick out and back tour of the old south and boy, what great photo opportunities at every turn! We must have walked 20 miles on Saturday! The next few photos will showcase some of what I saw down there!

This was captured with the Sigma 10-20 at f5.6 with an ISO of 320. Don't foget to click on the image below to see the uncropped version!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

May 10th, 2009

Last of the oldies but goodies . . . Starting on Monday, I'll have all new images to show you from a trip taken this weekend. Some great stuff!! More on that later!

So this was taken on the way to the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. This is one of my favorite images. The way I see it, there are three horizons. Where the grass stops . . . where the mountain stops and where those puffy clouds stop . . . I couldn't have planned a better shot! Captured with my Sigma 10-20 while in a moving vehicle! f11 at 800th of a second!


Saturday, May 9, 2009

May 9th, 2009

Happy One Month Anniversary to the Photo-a-Day Challenge!! I can't even tell you how much I've enjoyed all this shooting! Any excuse to have a camera in my hand is a good one and this - well, this is just the best! To commemorate this event, check out the below video - and of course today's image of the day below that!


To see a larger version of the film, head over here!

And for today's image - another oldie, but goodie! This image, again shot in Orlando, won for Best-in-Show at a competition last year. I am particularly proud of this image as it's something not a whole lot of people would expect - but when they see it, they can't get enough of it!

Friday, May 8, 2009

May 8th, 2009

Posting an oldie but goodie cause I am working on something special for tomorrow! This was shot in Orlando at the end of last year with my Nikon D100 that had been converted to shoot IR or infrared! I love this function as it breathed new life into an old camera! This image won First Place at an local camera club competition in the Black and White category.

Shot with my favorite Sigma 10-20 lens, hand held at f8 at 500th of a second.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

May 7th, 2009

So it's raining out . . . again! My yard is starting too look like a scene out of Indiana Jones - a dense jungle holding untold secrets! If I don't get to mow it soon, I am going to loose track of where the house is! So this means some more close up work . . . wanted to go real simple with today's image. This image is inspired by a greeting card my wife (then girlfriend) got me a ways back . . . a funny little card that featured a simple image of a screw on the cover . . . I'll leave you to interpret the exact meaning, but the concept stuck with me . . . simplicity can be a marvelous thing!

Shot with my p6000 set to Macro Mode. I didn't set this on a tripod, rather simply put the camera down on my workbench in the garage, found some black paper for a background and took the shot!


Wednesday, May 6, 2009

May 6th, 2009

Sing it with me . . . Here comes the Sun, doo doo doo doo dooooooo! It's finally clearing up outside. I love shooting stuff like this! The light is just right, the colors are great . . . it just feels right!


Captured with my all time favorite lens, the Sigma 10-20mm set wide open at 10mm at a 500th of a second at f8.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

May 5th, 2009

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Wish the weather was a festive as the day! Itching to get out side and do some shooting, but it's been raining seemingly forever! That means, of course, some more close up work! I love old type writers. To think that some of the most ground breaking novels were banged out on these monsters . . . can you imagine writing a novel like War and Peace like that?!?!

Shot with a Macro lens and lit with the combination of my new SB900 shooting as a master flash and my reliable SB800 shooting as a slave. 60th of a second at f5.6. ISO 100.


Monday, May 4, 2009

May 4th, 2009

Always wondered about why there's a pyramid on the back of US Currency. Lots of conspiracy theories surround this and the 'all seeing eye' perched above it . . . thought it might make a good image of the day!

Shot with the P6000 set to Macro.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

May 3rd, 2009

Took a bit of a road trip and stared at the speedometer a whole lot . . . so I thought it fitting to take a picture of it. Now I do admit, I tried a shot while the car was moving, so it would be a bit more exciting than seeing the indicator resting on 0mph . . . but it was a bit tricky because - well - I was driving! So I waited until I was safely in the driveway and took the shot!

This was captured with with my Nikon p6000 set to macro. Set to AP mode with an ISO of 64.


Saturday, May 2, 2009

May 2nd, 2009

It's pouring out all day, so what's a guy to do? Head out under the porch and snag some rain droplets on the new leaves growing out under there. I am so done with April Showers!! Bring on the May Flowers - PLEASE!!!

Shot with a macro lens at .6 seconds at f4.0. ISO 100.

Friday, May 1, 2009

May 1st, 2009

First up . . . Happy Friday and welcome to May!

So how do you follow up some really strong, graphic images? Turn up the cuteness factor! I've been very fortunate to have my sister and her two adorable girls staying with us for the last week. This is the younger of the two and as you can tell, was born for picture taking! Look at those eyes!!

Taken with the 70-300mm Sigma with the new SB900 flash, shutter speed of a 60th of a second at f5.4.