CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-21 19:06:01 (10 comments, 3 reshares, 44 +1s)

Blast from the Past II

Until the album issue is fixed, I figured I could some of my older images. 

Here's a quick shot for +Sea Tuesday  #seatuesday  curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou :)

2013-05-20 20:44:14 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

          Top 1000 most followed active
        photographers sharing content on G+
                  Circle One: J to Z

This  is the second of two circles,  The first was shaerd on 16 May here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/103236949470535942612/posts/FPsHj9E2QEo.  The circles have been divided alphabetically to help give more exposure to people with fewer followers and shared at different times to help keep down the stream saturation. 

Please plus, comment and share.  This circle has no requirements for future participation but your support and encouragement is appreciated. 

It has been two weeks since I announced my intent to update my circle of the 500 most followed photographers on G+.  I decided to do things a bit differently this time and so I'll share the top 1000.   To buildthe circles and the list I enlisted the aid of  +Bill Wood 
+Gemma Costa... more »

2013-05-20 17:31:02 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 29 +1s)

I love Zion.  And for me, the light on this tree was magical.

Title: Temple Tree Star Trails
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm lens at 11mm. This is a combination of 100 individual photos, with each one 30 seconds, f/4.5 ISO 400, all stacked together for a total of 50 minutes. Tree illuminated by the infernally bright moon and headlights of a car. Taken around 11:00 pm 22 March 2013.
Photographer: Ken Lee 
Location: Zion National Park, Utah U.S.A.

Thank you for your love and encouragement!

2013-05-20 04:17:13 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 12 +1s)

Shameless self promotion Sunday!
Vote and share guys http://500px.com/photo/34554038  #500px  

2013-05-18 16:51:02 (26 comments, 0 reshares, 48 +1s)

Selections on Monday

Guys I'm going through everyone's profile in the sign up post and picking the handful who will do the mentorship with me.

Watch out for notifications on Monday on or before 630pm PST

I will personally notify the selected few via a common private post :)

Very excited and I hope you are too !

~Sairam

2013-05-17 16:25:13 (30 comments, 5 reshares, 69 +1s)

Framed: Chennai, India

"It's often the things we don't look for that surprise us"

A quick share of another of my images from home for 

Project 52 B&W
Week 20: Framed 
#P52BW13 | +Project 52 B&W 
Curated by +Tisha Craw, +Susan Porter, & +Lauri Novak 

#allThingsBlackandWhite #AllThingsMonochrome +All Things Monochrome curated by +Charles Lupica
#hqspmonochrome +HQSP Monochrome curated by +Blake Harrold +Trever McGhee +Johnny Minor and +Rinus Bakker
#streetphotography +StreetPhotography curated by +Tatiana Parmeeva , +Maria Roco

2013-05-16 17:44:19 (69 comments, 24 reshares, 119 +1s)

Waters of Rivendell: McWay Falls, Big Sur
"As long as I live," 
"I’ll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing." 
"I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood," 
"storm, and the avalanche." 
"I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens," 
"and get as near the heart of the world as I can."
~John Muir

My dream is to take a shot of  the following in the same frame:
1) Milky Way 2) Aurora Borealis 3) Erupting Volcano 4) Waterfall
5) Me

In this shot, I've got two of the 5, so I think I've not done that bad.
Shooting the galaxy is always a pleasure, but to see it over a waterfall feeding the ocean is something else!!! :D
Also checking how a vertical shot looks now on the new G+ :D
A belated birthday wish to +FrancescoGola   , ho... more »

2013-05-15 21:11:37 (22 comments, 0 reshares, 19 +1s)

Woot Woot

New Google+ blows Facebook out into oblivion! Wow!

2013-05-12 18:19:39 (18 comments, 1 reshares, 42 +1s)

Illumined Intelligence: Chennai, India

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in the world. A quick share for :

Project 52 B&W
Night Lights
#P52BW13 | +Project 52 B&W 
Curated by +Tisha Craw, +Susan Porter, & +Lauri Novak 
#allThingsBlackandWhite #AllThingsMonochrome +All Things Monochrome curated by +Charles Lupica
#hqspmonochrome +HQSP Monochrome curated by +Blake Harrold +Trever McGhee +Johnny Minor and +Rinus Bakker
#streetphotography +StreetPhotography curated by +Tatiana Parmeeva , +Maria Roco

2013-05-12 10:40:53 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 30 +1s)

Sunrises seem to follow me wherever I go :)

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in the world! You make the world a better place to live in
#iphonography

2013-05-11 19:39:34 (29 comments, 1 reshares, 69 +1s)

Solitaire: San Francisco, someplace that only +Sam Breach knows how to get to

I often like to try to think out of the box, it keeps me stimulated photographically, and also makes me look at things differently. 

I love looking for lines, shape and form. I believe they define the images we take, and it's their interactions with each other that makes an image compelling.

I took this during the photowalk organized by the G+ wizard +Sam Breach . I don't think I even remember how we got here. All I know is that this was one amazing place!

For
Project 52 B&W
Flowers
#P52BW13 | +Project 52 B&W 
Curated by +Tisha Craw, +Susan Porter, & +Lauri Novak 
#architecturalvisions  
#sairaminthebay  

2013-05-10 17:15:44 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 26 +1s)

Added photos to Landscape Photography Contest.

2013-05-10 00:53:03 (34 comments, 0 reshares, 21 +1s)

Work In Progress: Question of the Day

I'm seeing all your wonderful #coffeethursday   images. I will stop by each of your images and comment later in the day! In the meantime, I thought I'd share what I'm working on now.. It's probably one of the toughest blends I've done.

Learning a heck of lot from this one blend and I even haven't started processing the image yet!

How much time and effort do you spend on creating an image in your mind's eye?

So far I've spent 2 hours on this blend and it's not done yet!

Why?

1) I want the image to look perfect even when I zoom in 300% (I try to atleast get close to that)

2) I do non-destructive editing. It allows me to revisit an image and make changes without having to start over :D

~Sairam

2013-05-09 14:16:28 (48 comments, 4 reshares, 79 +1s)

Blast from the past

I don't have a new image to share for #thirstythursday so I'd thought I'd share one of my older ones.

Send in your coffee pictures for #coffeethursday curated by +Jason Kowing +Maki Silberberg +Stuart Dyckhoff and myself :)

For #thirstythursdaypics curated by +Mark Esguerra and +Giuseppe Basile
#longexposurethursday curated by +Francesco Gola

2013-05-09 04:37:41 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 21 +1s)

Shameless Self Promotion time:

Put up my Joshua tree shot on #500px  . Vote and share guys :D

2013-05-08 20:56:47 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 26 +1s)

Remembering what is important or Full Steam Ahead

I had an eye-opening experience over the last few days on Google+ that has really made me think about why I'm here on Google Plus.

First. I'm here because I really enjoy the chance to share my work with folks who appreciate it. It's always interesting to hear people's reactions to my shots and especially from non-railfans who look at the shots with a different eye than I do.

Second. I'm here to be inspired by photography from some folks who shoot a huge variety of subjects. Just in transportation, I get the chance to see shots from around the world of subject matter that I'll probably never get to see in person.

Third. I'm here for my friends. Those people I've met on Google+ who I look forward to "seeing" each day. I feel connected to them on... more »

2013-05-16 16:52:25 (40 comments, 9 reshares, 87 +1s)

The Sentinels: Joshua Tree National Park

"Stand they shall, dawn to dusk",
"The guardians of time," 
"Age has changed their shape,"
"But not their resolve."

I took this one over the weekend at JTNP with my buddies +Garry McCarthy and +J. Rae Chip , and my new buddy +Kimber The Dog . It was a perfect night for photography in many ways. The weather was nice, there were some interesting clouds, and most of there were beautiful stars. We had lots of laughs, and learnt a lot from our local astro master +Garry McCarthy about shooting in the dark, light painting and what not. When we got here it was a little past 4am in the morning. Until then, we had been shooting the meteors and the milkyway at the famous arch rock. I always wanted to shoot this rock and tree. Thanks to Garry for making it happen! Poor Kimber finally felttire... more »

2013-05-06 20:35:26 (13 comments, 0 reshares, 24 +1s)

This is where Captain Kirk battled the Gorn in Star Trek! And I got lucky!! You can see a meteor from the Lyrid meteor shower on the left!!!

Title: Arena Star Trails
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens, 33 minute total exposure. Each individual photo was a 30 second exposure, ISO 400 f/4. Mountain light painted with bright flashlight on side during several of the individual shots. Captured in the star trails is one of the Lyrid meteors on 20 April 2013 1:19 am during a meteor shower.
Photographer: Ken Lee
Location: Vasquez Rocks, California, USA

Thank you so much for your love and encouragement!!

2013-05-06 16:27:10 (21 comments, 1 reshares, 25 +1s)

Meteor Chasers:

Had a wonderful trip down to Joshua Tree National Park with +Garry McCarthy , +J. Rae Chip and +Kimber The Dog :)

Garry is probably one of the most fun guys to hang out with. He teaches you a lot about shooting stars, and boy was he intense at Light Painting! He light painted the hell out of everything we shot. We shared some great jokes along the way.

Did I mention this : "We waited for the clouds to rotate into position and also waited until the clouds moved behind the Milky Way while looking due North"

I'm sure +John H. Moore gets the reference :D

+J. Rae Chip  was having a blast shooting things with a magenta-blue white balance was it? Meanwhile Kimber was busy digging himself a warm bed, but then decided against sleeping. 

We saw the Milkyway, meteors and a nice sunrise. Totally worthstayi... more »

2013-05-04 15:51:49 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 15 +1s)

The Storytelling Landscape Photography mentorship is ready for sign-ups!

Ever gone on a trip somewhere and witnessed a spectacular scene unfold before your eyes. You reach for the camera, trying to capture that moment, preserve it for all time to come. When you come back home, you realize that picture you created doesn't remind you of the place you were at. Where has all that magic gone? Where is that story you thought you got? Look no further. This is a special program for tackling those very questions that boggle the brightest of minds. 

In addition to that, we'll also look at building compelling landscape imagery from the ground up, starting from the basics and adding layer by layer to create a masterpiece in the end ;)

 This program is brought to you through the +G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers. I will be taking on a handful of people for a<... more »

2013-05-02 17:05:19 (111 comments, 38 reshares, 58 +1s)

The Storytelling Landscape Photography mentorship is ready for sign-ups!

Ever gone on a trip somewhere and witnessed a spectacular scene unfold before your eyes. You reach for the camera, trying to capture that moment, preserve it for all time to come. When you come back home, you realize that picture you created doesn't remind you of the place you were at. Where has all that magic gone? Where is that story you thought you got? Look no further. This is a special program for tackling those very questions that boggle the brightest of minds. 

In addition to that, we'll also look at building compelling landscape imagery from the ground up, starting from the basics and adding layer by layer to create a masterpiece in the end ;)

 This program is brought to you through the +G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers. I will be taking on a handful of people for a<... more »

2013-05-02 14:36:12 (30 comments, 2 reshares, 96 +1s)

Captain of the ship
--------------------------------

A very happy birthday to +Giuseppe Basile ! Thanks for giving a reason for my addiction to seascapes! 

Also, belated birthday wishes to +JD Liddil and +Andy Bitterer :)

A quick share for #longexposurethursday   curated by +Francesco Gola 
#thirstythursdaypics   curated by +Mark Esguerra  and +Giuseppe Basile :)

2013-05-01 14:07:44 (19 comments, 7 reshares, 36 +1s)

One More Day: Get Ready

One more day until the rebirth of #coffeethursday . Remember to tag your coffee infused pictures with the curators ( We actually prefer to be called the Brew Crew) : +Maki Silberberg +Jason Kowing +Stuart Dyckhoff and myself. Watch out for weekly coffee themes and more. Your coffee never tasted this good! 

Oh and another quick plug. There's another thing coming out tomorrow too. Watch out for the sign up post of a brand new Landscape Photography Mentorship brought to you by yours truly! 

~Sairam

2013-04-30 16:23:20 (34 comments, 2 reshares, 71 +1s)

Waves of Emotion:
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.

This is a reshare of one of my earlier images. Really feel moved by all the support I got from you guys yesterday. Very honestly, I was quite skeptical about how people would respond to the mentorship news I posted yesterday. I must say I'm quite overwhelmed. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
A special thanks to +Robin Griggs Wood for the inspiration and constant support!

A quick share for

#seatuesday   curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou 
#LandscapePhotography +Landscape Photography curated by +Margaret Tompkins , +Carra Riley , +paul t beard , +David Heath Williams , +Bill Wood , +Jim Warthman , +Ben T , +jeff beddow ,+Jeannie Danna , +Tom Hierl , +Vishal Kumar
#photomanipulation  

2013-04-29 14:47:39 (155 comments, 20 reshares, 74 +1s)

The S.L.P Mentorship A New Horizon, Teaching

"Always Pass On What You've Learnt"
~ Master Yoda

I started photography in 2011. It was about a few months after I got my DSLR in the middle of 2010. In the first months of 2011, I used to use the DSLR as a Point and Shoot. Stay in Auto mode and fire away. While I liked what I saw, it was never quite what I wished to do. Somewhere in the middle of 2011, I pushed myself to learn photography properly, and got myself an account on Flickr and started posting images. I came across so many Pros there and I was floored by their images. 

I used to wonder how they got their images to look so good, how they got it looking like that out of the camera. Believe me, I didn't even know that you had to "process" your images then. I even sent some mails out to them asking them for guidance, but I got... more »

2013-04-28 21:19:16 (21 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

How to make a day awesome:

1) Persistently stalk +Joel Tjintjelaar 's stream for the Masterclass sign up post

2) Sign up successfully in under 5 seconds to ensure you are among 10 people who get in! This was harder than getting stage side seats to Pink Floyd

3) Get to know that you are one of the 5 early birds who registered!

I can't tell you all how excited I am! Finally getting to learn Joel's Black Magic Craft .. woohoo.. I think only +Sandra Canning knows how psyched I am! ;) 

2013-05-16 16:52:27 (41 comments, 2 reshares, 78 +1s)

Between Two Worlds: La Jolla Coves, San Diego

"For the man sound of body and serene of mind there is no such thing as bad weather; every day has its beauty, and storms which whip the blood do but make it pulse more vigorously."

I took this shot when +Jeff Sullivan and +Lori Hibbett had come down to San Diego. It was wonderful to finally meet them both, and they are such amazing people! It was also a chance for me to meet up with some local buddies +Garry McCarthy +John H. Moore +J. Rae Chip (and her lovely dog!) and +Sam Aminisam . 

The weather gods weren't all that cooperative that evening, but anytime with friends, is a good time ;) 

Oh and a very Happy Birthday to +Richard Franco  and +Gemma Costa !

P.S:
4 More days to the big reveal. If you missed the teaser yesterday, here is the link: https:/... more »

2013-04-28 01:27:56 (266 comments, 2 reshares, 46 +1s)

EXCITING EXCITING NEWS!!!

There's something I've been working on over the past 2 months and it's something I'm very very very excited about. 

Get excited and psyched my friends, because this Thursday , May 2nd,  you will find out what this is! 

I can't wait to tell you more! Stay tuned folks! In the meantime, try to figure out what S.L.P is :D ... 

2013-05-16 16:52:32 (19 comments, 6 reshares, 58 +1s)

Waiting for the Emperor: Somewhere in Big Sur, CA

"Let every dawn be to you as the beginning of life, and every setting sun be to you as its close."

First of all, Happy Birthday to my friend +Saji Saju ! I've really admired her sense of color, and wish her a wonderful year of photography and happiness ahead!

I took this during my recent Big Sur trip, and more often than not I was struck by the blue hues of the water. What better way to showcase it than take an image during pre-dawn twilight. The sun had not risen, but the light was good enough to light up these cliff faces. The waves streaked in and out, as a cool breeze wafted across the coast. 

How was this shot taken:
The light was even enough to be contained within a single exposure. I used a slow shutter speed to bring out the foam in the waves and also catch some additionall... more »

2013-04-24 17:31:47 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Time for some shameless self promotion. I put up my Milky Way shot on #500px  . I'd really appreciate you guys stopping by and voting if you have time :D

2013-04-24 15:57:48 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Minimal Monday Wrap Up no72

Here's this week wrap up boys and girls. Another fantastic week! Such amazing work and so lucky I can do this little video week after week featuring so many fantastic photographers.

Here are all the links to the photographs in this week's wrap up. 

Crazy good. Let me tell you!
High five team! High five for #minimalmonday  !

https://plus.google.com/u/0/109014209938613931495/posts/EzgCu47xmnd
https://plus.google.com/u/0/101373961279443806744/posts/1QjVmewi1jo
https://plus.google.com/u/0/118391348074574561641/posts/BAXD2xNJBjC
https://plus.google.com/u/0/118006290503515817327/posts/UdazQEhh7fb
https://plus.google.com/u/0/110238778691555441741/posts/ZPkuyLCyDF5
https://plus.google.com/u/0/112763558414523707325/posts/aCYmhBxTbFMmore »

2013-04-23 17:55:00 (29 comments, 8 reshares, 59 +1s)

Bridge to the Mothership: Bixby Bridge, Big Sur

“When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.”
~ William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Note: Please see it large in the Light Box :)

Finally, I got to see the beautiful Milky Way again. Its' been so many months since I went out for a night shoot so I was itching to go again. This is the famous Bixby Bridge in Big Sur.

I've seen tons and tons of pictures of this Bridge taken at sunset or twilight. Now, I wanted a picture of the bridge for myself, and I wanted one that was unique. The solution? Simple. Put the Milky Way on top of the bridge. I know this shot hasn't been done as often :)

My friend and I woke up at4am... more »

2013-04-22 18:35:15 (26 comments, 2 reshares, 73 +1s)

Remnants of a Past Life: Mesquite Dunes, Death Valley

"We leave behind traces of ourselves so that others can see who we were"

While hiking through the dunes in Death Valley, I found this branch lying on the sand. It kind of spoke to me about how tough life is in the desert, how there's nothing to live off. I quickly framed this shot before moving on. There were some coyote tracks nearby, so moving on in this case meant walking back the way I came ;)

How was this shot taken:
I used a polarizer to darken the sky, and tried to lay emphasis on the patterns and texture of the sand and the branch.

How was this shot processed:
I used Nik's Silver Efex Pro 2 for the B&W conversion, and then used dodging and burning to get the look I wanted. 

For 
& #LandscapePhotography +Landscape Photographyc... more »

2013-04-18 15:02:02 (11 comments, 1 reshares, 12 +1s)

Stay tuned...                          Curating:
Good                                 +Maki Silberberg 
Things                               +Sairam Sundaresan 
Are                                    +Jason Kowing 
Brewing!                            +Stuart Dyckhoff 

#CoffeeThursday  

2013-04-17 17:24:28 (76 comments, 0 reshares, 108 +1s)

10000 followers??

Oh my! Apparently 500 people have added me over the last 2 days! Didn't realize how :) 

To all you new folks, here's a little spiel about myself : 

- I shoot landscapes and nature for the most part. My style can best be described as surreal dreamland, because that's what I experience each time I'm out shooting.

- If I'm bored of landscapes (very rarely), I try something else

- I love coffee

- I love coffee some more

- I love to interact with people, so feel free to ask me stuff, I will respond to the best of my ability.  

- I often post seascapes, because I love the seas and oceans. 

- Oh I forgot, I love coffee :D

2013-04-15 17:41:27 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Great Photographers With < 10,000 Followers

The photographers here are all in my personal circles.  The choices are mine and mine alone.  No one asked, begged, or pleaded to belong.  No bribes were offered or accepted.  These are the people that I follow because I appreciate their great quality photography and their interaction.  Most I have met as I help curate several of the photography themes.  There are NO requirements to share this circle.  I would appreciate the people in this circle plus the post, leave a comment, and share the circle as public.  

Each profile has been verified by me.  Most have < 10,000 followers (when they were put into thecircle).... more »

2013-04-15 16:16:24 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 33 +1s)

who needs swimming pools?

Some of the most beautiful waters I've seen in my life. The big sur coastline is so breathtaking and the weather changes so dramatically. There's never a dull moment :)

Another iPhone shot for now. I've downloaded my images to my laptop. Will start working on them soon..

#bigsur
#iphonography
#naturemonday

2013-04-15 00:21:55 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

►Top Photographers Circle 3.0 / L-Z◄ - of ►Top Photos on Google+◄
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS by +Robert SKREINER
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
In this 2 Circles are included all ►Top Photographers,
who contributed and participated in the daily photo theme:
#10000photographers since the G+Page and Group 
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS by +Robert SKREINER
is established, respectively all, whose photos were shared as
►TOP Photos on Google+◄ until today.
This circle is renewed and expanded regularly! Those who have once or even several times not shared this circle are not included in this circle. Who wants to be included in the next circle again, please share this circle. This is only a fair rule.Who wants to be promoted must also concede this to the others.
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░... more »

2013-04-14 05:08:23 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 24 +1s)

David vs Goliath

David 1 Goliath 0 ... One of the scariest shoots ever. .. Blow by blow detail coming soon ... All I can say that it was the most dangerous shot I've ever got!

2013-05-16 16:52:05 (35 comments, 3 reshares, 60 +1s)

A Fire at Badwater: Badwater Basin, Death Valley

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky."
~Rabindranath Tagore

This is the Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America at an elevation of 282 feet below sea level. It got it's name because the salt deposits here make the water undrinkable. I've seen so many photographs of these salt cracks and wanted one for myself so I came out here with some friends to get a few shots. 

How was this shot taken:
I had to walk out into the salt flats for about a mile or mile and a half to find salt cracks that weren't trampled by humans. I picked an area that some nice foreground texture and waited for the sun to set. There were absolutely no clouds and it was looking like a real bummer, but then the sky just... more »

2013-04-11 16:30:37 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 30 +1s)

Infinity

Sunset at Dunedin Pier
South Island, New Zealand
I just returned from spending 3 weeks photographing the beautiful New Zealand South Island. Truly one of the most incredible and beautiful places I have visited. Stay tuned for more photos from my New Zealand trip.

2013-04-12 16:13:51 (26 comments, 3 reshares, 57 +1s)

Contentment: Bessie Beach, Chennai, India

"It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it."

Yes I know, you guys are expecting landscapes and related stuff from me. But once in a while, I like to post images that move me. This was taken back home, when I was walking along the beach with my friends. It was night time, and everyone was going back home. While walking on the sand, I saw this man, reading a book under the light his ice cream cycle was providing. He was unruffled, enjoyed the pleasant ocean breeze and was entirely engrossed in the book. He had worked hard during the day selling ice creams, and now was enjoying the ocean breeze while sitting on the soft sand. 

It really made me think about how much we have in life, and how we make mountains out... more »

2013-04-10 00:26:27 (17 comments, 2 reshares, 52 +1s)

Breaking Patterns: Downtown San Francisco

This year, I'm working on my composition skills. It's a target I've set for myself and in the process, I've found so many new ways of looking at things that I didn't know before. The most difficult of these ways has been trying to look at the subjects in my images as "forms and shapes", rather than their actual "semantic" selves. 

The mind then works towards arranging shapes in space as opposed to arranging semantic content. Not only does this simplify the thinking process, but also makes the design of an image the primary motive. 

A quick share for 

Project 52 B&W
Week 10: Reflecting
#P52BW13 | +Project 52 B&W 
Curated by +Tisha Craw & +Susan Porter
#repetitivetuesday +Repetitive Tuesday curated by +Ping Doherty , +Andy Q. and +FrankSch... more »

2013-04-08 18:04:10 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Added my profile to the gglpls.com! #131137
http://www.gglpls.com/

2013-04-08 14:27:08 (32 comments, 5 reshares, 80 +1s)

Waves of Silence I: Marshall Beach, San Francisco

The mind fixed in the awareness of the ONE is like a rock; unaffected by doubt, stable, secure.

Photography to me is a form of meditation. I say this in no light sense. Yes, I am aware that I need to watch the light change, adjust my camera settings, change my composition and what not. But, I find that when I am out there in the field working on an image, I don't have thoughts, I don't have worries, and I don't have doubts. I experience a kind of bliss inside that is hard to put into words. What do you experience when you shoot pictures?

How was this shot taken:
I took this one when I was out on a photowalk with +Linda Villers , +Alex Lapidus  and +Frank Yuwono  out at Marshall Beach. This was taken way before sunset, the tide was high and the waves were menancingly pounding the shore.Af... more »

2013-04-07 03:28:33 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 24 +1s)

Revisiting Hunting Grounds

How often do you go back to places that you've shot at a lot? I do it as an exercise to train the eye and find new compositions. The weather today was quite nice and I think I've got two new shots that I've never got before :)

I will post one of them tomorrow :)

2013-04-06 18:56:24 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 19 +1s)

There's something very special about a 6am hike! After hiking up 5000 feet in altitude , fog enveloped us and it was such a blissful feeling! Here's some iCandy from my iPhone, more shots comin soon :)

2013-04-05 19:46:29 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 22 +1s)

A night scene of Mount Cook as the clouds roll over the mountain tops. New Zealand.

This image was created whilst finalising locations for a two week South Island Photo Tour that Dean Fitzpatrick and I are planning for April next year. Please let me know if you are interested and we will add you to our mailing list: chris@cmphoto.co.nz

ISO 640. f6.3 for 30 seconds.
Nikon D4. Nikkor 24-70 2.8.
Lexar Pro 1000x CF. 
Lowepro RoverPro 45L AW.
Edited on HP DreamColor.

Copyright Chris McLennan - www.cmphoto.co.nz 

Feel free to use the share button but no other usage without written consent.

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2013-05-16 16:51:56 (25 comments, 7 reshares, 54 +1s)

Tiki Taka Surf: Windansea Beach, San Diego

There is never a night or a problem that can defeat sunrise or hope.

This is one from the archives. I shot this sometime last year when the skies were good. Usually, I always head out for sunset, but this time I went to catch a sunrise. The great difference to me was the colors in the sky. No reds or oranges, just pinks, blues and magentas. It was truly a sight to behold!

How was this shot taken:
I find sunrise much more challenging to shoot than sunset. Maybe it's because I'm still groggy, or perhaps because the colors in the sky stay for 5-7 minutes before everything becomes a boring blue. I composed this one such the there was some wave action in the foreground. While it appears that the distant areas are blurred, it was because of a layer of haze that they appear so. About 5 minutes after I took... more »

2013-04-03 16:12:29 (18 comments, 3 reshares, 45 +1s)

Paint Hard 4.0: Starring : ME

Basically, this is the image I turned in for the +Style It! Shoot It! Share It! challenge in March. I hope I'm allowed to share it now.

The theme was "It's a Spring Thing" and this is what I came up with. Spring is all about color and vibrance. Unfortunately though, the weather in San Diego for the last few weeks has been uninspiring at best. We've only been having cloudy gray skies with no color or anything!

I decided the time was ripe to take matters into my own hands. Using my super powers, I started painting the color back into the world. It took some time to do this, but rest assured, the color is coming back :D

Tech:

This is the first time I've attempted composites. I basically asked myself, what would +Sam Breach do? Then, I went ahead and tried to recreate the idea I had inm... more »