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2013-05-17 15:45:13 (2 comments, 4 reshares, 37 +1s)

San Diego, clearing storm clouds and sunset city skyline

I've posted some of my other favorite photographs of San Diego on my blog, if you like San Diego (America's best weather!) be sure to take a gander: http://www.oceanlight.com/log/12-beautiful-photos-of-san-diego-california.html   Cheers and thanks for looking!

#sandiego

2013-05-16 23:50:53 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 73 +1s)

Scripps Pier at Night
Scripps Institution of Oceanography Research Pier, operating at night, stars in the sky, old La Jolla town in the distance.  More photos of La Jolla here: http://www.oceanlight.com/la_jolla_photos.html
Cheers!

#sandiego   #lajolla   #siopier   #starrynights   #astrophotography   #california   #nightscapes #nightphotography #potd     #landscapephotography  

2013-05-15 21:33:07 (4 comments, 9 reshares, 56 +1s)

Last Light on Yucca Point

Viewed from Razor Point (not far from the old Fat Man's Misery trail), Black's Beach cliffs and La Jolla in the distance, Torrey Pines S.R., San Diego.

#sandiego   #lajolla   #torreypines   #sunset   #potd   #landscapephotography  

2013-05-15 00:33:21 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Thanks +Jarek Klimek and Photoextract.com for including my penguin mother's day photo for in the Top G+ photos for May 12!

2013-05-14 15:30:46 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 25 +1s)

Torrey Pines view from Razor Point

View to La Jolla, about 20 minutes after sundown. The eroded sandstone sort of reminds me of Bryce Canyon amphitheatre in Utah. San Diego == Best. It is images like this, shot with the Nikon 14-24, that have me mulling over picking up more Nikon gear.  The detail I can pull out of this image, both foreground and distance, is really superb.  I am nominally a Canon shooter but I own the 14-24 for its legendary sharpness and versatility, and bought a D800 to serve as the life support for the lens.  Now I'm thinking a 24-70/D800 is required to keep it company before I begin my shooting for the summer.  Hmm, just got a agency check, perhaps need to blow it on more gear?  Cheers!

#sandiego   #lajolla   #torreypines   #sunset   #potd   #landscapephotography  

2013-05-12 17:55:38 (3 comments, 6 reshares, 43 +1s)

Happy Mothers Day

Gentoo penguin with two chicks, Antarctica.

2013-05-12 04:24:59 (5 comments, 2 reshares, 44 +1s)

Kelp Fronds and Sunlight, San Clemente Island

From some years ago.  I hope to reshoot this with a D800 sometime soon so I can make a 40"x60" wall hanging.  Cheers!

2013-05-09 15:19:14 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 41 +1s)

Humpback whales, mother and calf, Pailolo Channel, 1994

From the archives.  This from my first season working under permit with whale researcher Dan Salden in the Hawaiian Islands, almost 20 years ago.  Underwater photography of whales was simple, the equipment was comparatively primitive and the emphasis was on basic science and research support. My how things have changed.  Cheers!

#whale   #underwaterphotography   #hawaii   #aloha   #vintage  

2013-05-09 03:19:21 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 47 +1s)

British Museum, Central Foyer, London

Wow, what a ceiling.  The art, sculpture and other exhibits aren't bad either.  Cheers!

2013-05-08 13:15:17 (12 comments, 4 reshares, 61 +1s)

Milky Way Galaxy, Live Oak and Rocks, Joshua Tree National Park at Night

I have spent many evenings photographing the landscape and night sky at Joshua Tree National Park. The terrain is harsh and there are few trees other than Yucca and Joshua Tree. I did find one attractive live oak nestled up against some tall boulders, and made a point of photographing it when the Milky Way galaxy was high in the sky above it. This four image panorama, shot with the Nikon D800 and Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 lens, will print up to 100″ wide and 60″ and would make a great wall mural in your home or office! Cheers and thanks for looking.

More landscape astrophotography blog images: http://www.landscapeastrophotography.com/blog/

#starrynights #nightscapes #startrails #nightphotography #potd #astrophotography   #landscapephotography  

2013-05-07 14:39:31 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Scripps Institution of Oceanography Research Pier in beautiful La Jolla, California, with the setting sun perfectly framed within the pier pilings.

This spectacular solar alignment occurs rarely, and is difficult to capture in a photograph since the weather is often overcast. This is what the perfect solar alignment through the SIO Pier pilings looks like — it is a spectacular sight! Cheers, and thanks for looking!

#sandiego   #lajolla   #potd  #landscapephotography #photography

2013-05-06 00:07:06 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 54 +1s)

Just another California sunset....  ;-)

2013-05-05 04:30:49 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 45 +1s)

Storm clouds over Mare Erythraeum, Mars.

2013-05-05 03:24:03 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 65 +1s)

God Beams, La Jolla, this evening. San Diego is the best.

2013-05-01 03:10:15 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 30 +1s)

Newport Pier

Super bendo fisheye view, no surf, low tide.  We used to jump off this pier when we were kids.  Cheers!

2013-04-30 22:41:16 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 16 +1s)

The Milky Way and Stars at Night over the Fire Wave in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

The Fire Wave in Valley of Fire: an interesting striped expanse of sandstone, now commonly photographed. I wanted to make some uncommon images of the Fire Wave, so I set up my camera with an intervalometer to photograph it all night long. This image shows the Milky Way rising in the night sky with the Fire Wave in the foreground. Distant lights of Las Vegas and nearby urban communities can be seen low on the horizon but the sky above was surprising clear of light pollution. The Valley of Fire sure is a beautiful place!  For some other Landscape Astrophotography blog posts: http://www.oceanlight.com/log/category/photography/astrophotography-and-night-scapes

Cheers and thanks for looking!

#starrynights #nightscapes #startrails #nightphotography #potd

2013-04-29 16:24:53 (6 comments, 5 reshares, 49 +1s)

New Work - April 2013

To skip the verbage and go straight to the new images: http://www.oceanlight.com/log/new-work-april-2013.html

I have been slowing down the release of new work on my web site. This is partly due to my desire to be more contemplative and rigorous during the editing of my images, but also I had my shoulder nearly rebuilt when three tendons were reattached during a major surgery in February. It is only in the last couple weeks that I have been able to get out again and photograph, and even now I have to hold back on what I can do. No wave photography, backpacking or scuba diving for me this year it seems, at least for 6-8 more months.

Included in this release are some favorite locations, such as La Jolla’s Torrey Pines State Reserve, Joshua Tree National Park and Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park. I have photographed them at night in order totry... more »

2013-04-28 20:07:50 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 42 +1s)

San Clemente Pier, under overcast skies an hour before sunrise.

2013-04-30 22:41:03 (11 comments, 4 reshares, 79 +1s)

Torrey Pines S.R., beach lit by full moon, can't imagine being able to get this shot including stars and virtually no noise in the old film days.  Cheers!

#starrynights #nightscapes #startrails #nightphotography #potd

2013-04-25 16:42:49 (16 comments, 2 reshares, 61 +1s)

I used to photograph whales and sharks. I photograph these animals now.  They are almost as dangerous as sharks, make the same splash as a whale, they travel in large pods communicating with unintelligible sounds, they eat strange food and swim faster than me.  And just like sharks and whales they do not like being kept in captivity.  Cheers!

2013-04-24 00:08:08 (3 comments, 5 reshares, 81 +1s)

Wedge backwash.  Note the +GoPro shooter with his 3D dual-cam water housing rig. #gopro   #surf   #wave   #potd   #newportbeach  

2013-04-23 00:55:52 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 51 +1s)

Stars, Clouds, Pacific Ocean, Torrey Pines Evening

Happy Earth Day!  I'm gathering my new images from the last few months and will be updating my stock website with them soon.  In the meantime, some other Astrophotography Landscape photos of mine can be found here: http://www.oceanlight.com/landscape_astrophotography_photos.html

#starrynights #nightscapes #startrails #nightphotography #potd  

2013-04-22 18:47:29 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 27 +1s)

My Thoughts About the Lightroom 5 Beta

The Lightroom 5 Beta seems like a modest upgrade compared to previous versions. But it's still a big deal because it could radically improve your workflow: http://www.michaelfrye.com/landscape-photography-blog/2013/04/22/lightroom-5-beta/

2013-04-20 15:26:58 (11 comments, 2 reshares, 59 +1s)

Torrey Pines Sunrise

It is baby rattler season in San Diego. I chickened out yesterday morning. I got up at 3am to venture out and take some photos on the Torrey Pines mesa, but then started worrying that I would have baby rattlers snuggling up next to me as I slept on the ground (while my cameras were taking pics) so I got back in my warm bed and went back to sleep. What a wuss. This morning I didn't wimp out and the sunrise was very nice, one of those mornings that makes one glad to be alive, with foxes running about, birds chirping, waves sounding along the beach, old men playing golf at the Torrey Pines course. San Diego is the best.  Here are more photos of San Diego: http://www.oceanlight.com/san_diego_photos.html Cheers and thanks for looking!

2013-04-19 19:42:39 (8 comments, 3 reshares, 78 +1s)

Elephant Arch under the Stars, Valley of Fire

A little light pollution from Sin City corrupts the right half of the sky, otherwise it was a pretty nice evening in this desert state park.  Cheers!

#starrynights   #nightscapes  #startrails #nightphotography #potd  

2013-04-16 18:50:35 (11 comments, 5 reshares, 62 +1s)

Boinked by a teddy bear.

2013-04-16 14:59:06 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 52 +1s)

Milky Way and Arch Rock with Bower 24mm f/1.4

This particular composition I credit to +Garry McCarthy , whom I believe is the first to conceive of just this alignment.  We've executed it a few times over the years, and I return to it once in a while just to see if I can make something different or better.  This was made with the Bower 24mm f/1.4 lens, shot wide open.  I used Live View to focus on the stars, which was easy due to the very wide aperture this lens offer.  The light collecting ability of this lens is impressive!  I was able to shoot the images that make up this panorama at only 13 seconds (which is on the short end for Milky Way exposures).  At this exposure time, the stars really do render nicely as points with effectively no streaking.  The wide aperture allowed for a lot of light from the Milky Way to be recorded.  However, there is one drawback to thesesettings... more »

2013-04-16 15:35:00 (9 comments, 5 reshares, 78 +1s)

Milky Way and Arch Rock with Bower 24mm f/1.4

This particular composition I credit to +Garry McCarthy , whom I believe is the first to conceive of just this alignment.  We've executed it a few times over the years, and I return to it once in a while just to see if I can make something different or better.  This was made with the Bower 24mm f/1.4 lens, shot wide open.  I used Live View to focus on the stars, which was easy due to the very wide aperture this lens offer.  The light collecting ability of this lens is impressive!  I was able to shoot the images that make up this panorama at only 13 seconds (which is on the short end for Milky Way exposures).  At this exposure time, the stars really do render nicely as points with effectively no streaking.  The wide aperture allowed for a lot of light from the Milky Way to be recorded.  However, there is one drawback to thesesettings... more »

2013-04-15 14:30:52 (10 comments, 2 reshares, 89 +1s)

Great White Shark Portrait

This great white shark photo (Carcharodon carcharias) was shot under dark skies, in early morning. These are tough conditions to shoot underwater with only available light. I prefer to shoot without strobes whenever possible but in the days of film this particular morning would have required I use artificial lights. Digital cameras, however, have changed all that and allow shooting in dark and flat lighting conditions that film did not. I hope to get back down to Guadalupe Island later this year to reshoot these sharks with the current cameras I am using (5D Mark III and D800). I think I have made 15 trips to the island (I’ve lost count) and I never get tired of Isla Guadalupe. Cheers and thanks for looking!

More great white shark photos: http://www.oceanlight.com/html/great_white_shark.html

More about GuadalupeIs... more »

2013-04-13 22:55:06 (2 comments, 4 reshares, 59 +1s)

Torrey Pines S.R., earth shadow and pre-sunrise.

#sandiego   #earthshadow   #potd  

2013-04-13 15:15:30 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 47 +1s)

Open Ocean Panoramic Photograph

I’ve spent a lot of time on the open ocean, in small boats, looking for big creatures. Some of the best days of my life have been spent on a glassy ocean surface, traveling one hundred miles or more under blue skies and summer breezes, waiting to see if we would meet something interesting to photograph. These days are not like what most scuba divers experience! Some days bring perfect summer conditions and then just zipping across the ocean is a pleasure, even if we see no animals. Other days — more typical days — involve an incredible amount of waiting, periodic episodes of frustration and, when the weather turns, discomfort. Most of my days on the open ocean resulted in no photos and no encounters. However, once in a while something special happens and a photograph results (example: http://www.oceanlight.com/spotlight.php?img=27967). A few years ago,we we... more »

2013-04-10 03:36:13 (6 comments, 2 reshares, 48 +1s)

Bower 24mm f/1.4 Full Resolution Sample Night Photograph

To download full res: click the photo to view it full screen, then click Options -> Download at the bottom of the page.

This is a full resolution photo of the Milky Way over Joshua Tree NP at dawn, shot with Canon 5D Mark III and Bower 24mm f/1.4 lens.  I'm providing it at full res for those who may be interested in this lens for night photography purposes.  It has some real potential, but compared to my principal night photography lens (Nikon 14-24 f/2.8) I am not yet fully convinced of its advantages.  I'll have to do more testing.

Pros:  One major advantage of this lens is it's maximum aperture: f/1.4.  This collects two stops more light than most wide angle lenses.  When we are shooting at the edges of what digital cameras can do (high ISO, wide open, longish shutter) then twostops... more »

2013-04-10 03:33:16 (11 comments, 2 reshares, 71 +1s)

Bower 24mm f/1.4 Full Resolution Sample Night Photograph

To download full res: click the photo to view it full screen, then click Options -> Download at the bottom of the page.

This is a full resolution photo of the Milky Way over Joshua Tree NP at dawn, shot with Canon 5D Mark III and Bower 24mm f/1.4 lens.  I'm providing it at full res for those who may be interested in this lens for night photography purposes.  It has some real potential, but compared to principal night photography lens (Nikon 14-24 f/2.8) I am not yet fully convinced of its advantages.  I'll have to do more testing.

Pros:  One major advantage of this lens is it's maximum aperture: f/1.4.  This collects two stops more light than most wide angles.  When we are shooting at the edges of what digital cameras can do (high ISO, wide open, longish shutter) then two stops is a bigdeal!... more »

2013-04-08 15:36:35 (11 comments, 4 reshares, 73 +1s)

Joshua Tree NP, impending dawn

This panorama of Joshua Tree National Park was made at astronomical twilight two days ago (during International Dark Sky Week!). Some slight color from the impending dawn appears behind and to the left of the moon.  Comet Panstarrs appears tiny just above the horizon in the left half of the image.  The moon is a 20% crescent and still nearly overwhelms the night sky with its brightness. A shooting star appear to the right of the moon.  The orange glow on the horizon is light pollution from the distant cities of Joshua Tree (left) and Palm Desert (right). This image will print 30" x 80" with no uprezing. Cheers!

#nightscapes  #starscape  #startrails #starrynights

2013-04-07 20:09:15 (6 comments, 4 reshares, 71 +1s)

Septentriones, rupes arch et volvenda stellas

Did you know that this is International Dark Sky Week, a celebration of our endangered dark night skies? This is the week to go stumbling about in the dark, tripping over boulders and scaring up rattlers in search of a beautiful view of the night sky far from urban light pollution. This is a rock arch last night in Joshua Tree National Park, easy to reach and even easier to photograph (hell, it doesn't move so what could be easier?). The North Star is seen as the point to the left of the arch. Other stars are tracing out circles with the North Star in the center as the Earth rotates.

I was testing a new 24mm f/1.4 lens this weekend and decided to leave a few of my other cameras out on their own to shoot up star trails while I was using the 24 to shoot milky way images.  For this image I use an old 5D Mark II with 15mm fisheye, a... more »

2013-04-05 17:27:27 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 13 +1s)

Photographers: I have a Canon 5D Mark II in very good shape. I have too many cameras and have decided to sell it. Its yours for $1475. I also have a Canon 1Ds Mark II in a Subal housing with glass dome that I will sell (camera and housing and dome, ready to go dive and shoot!) for $1950. I shot this blue whale portrait with the 1Ds Mark II camera and Subal housing, a once-in-a-lifetime op and the gear did not let me down: http://www.oceanlight.com/spotlight.php?img=27299

2013-04-04 23:37:06 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Night Photographers: I have a Pocketwizard Flex TT5 and Pocketwizard Mini TT1 for sale, for Canon, $200 for the pair. I used them to do remote triggering (up to 1000' away) of my cameras and flashes, but no longer need them. Shoot me a message if interested.

2013-04-02 15:56:11 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 11 +1s)

A cool article on the National Geographic news website about how Lighthawk.org pilots are helping researchers study whales from the air.

2013-03-26 17:35:40 (13 comments, 1 reshares, 49 +1s)

g+ cover test

2013-03-21 00:38:56 (0 comments, 5 reshares, 62 +1s)

Kalaloch Sunset

Last time I was up in Washington we took a cabin at Kalaloch and had the entire beach to ourselves for bonfire each night.  I'm up in Washington this weekend for volleyball (but no photography as I have not got my arm back from the shop yet), so this is the only image I can post.  Cheers!

2013-03-03 22:59:30 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 57 +1s)

Kelp Fronds and Sunlight

Shot a few years ago with my trusty ol' 1Ds Mark II, underwater in the kelp forests of San Clemente Island, my absolute favorite place to shoot photos or just kill time. For many more great kelp forest photos see http://www.oceanlight.com/html/kelp.html . Cheers!

2013-03-02 18:12:22 (7 comments, 2 reshares, 75 +1s)

Delicate Moonlight

Starting to plan out a few summer night photo outings, looking forward to getting my left arm back from the shop in March so I can heft a backpack and carry a few tripods. this one was from last year. Cheers!

2013-03-02 02:55:09 (5 comments, 3 reshares, 64 +1s)

Court of the Patriarchs, Zion NP

2013-02-28 01:16:27 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 71 +1s)

Morning Glory

I grew up on these shores. The views are awesome. Note nobody else in the water. Cheers!

2013-02-27 05:21:12 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 47 +1s)

Roosevelt Elk, Redwood National Park

Roosevelt elk, adult bull male with large antlers. This bull elk has recently shed the velvet that covers its antlers. While an antler is growing, it is covered with highly vascular skin called velvet, which supplies oxygen and nutrients to the growing bone; once the antler has achieved its full size, the velvet is lost and the antler's bone dies. This dead bone structure is the mature antler, which is itself shed after each mating season. Roosevelt elk grow to 10' and 1300 lb, eating grasses, sedges and various berries, inhabiting the coastal rainforests of the Pacific Northwest

2013-02-26 04:54:12 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 48 +1s)

If I hear one more shutter click I will bitch slap you back to Argentina!

2013-02-22 06:07:04 (3 comments, 3 reshares, 23 +1s)

Video sampler from Antarctica, Death Valley, South Georgia Island, Weddell Sea.  In each place I would just leave a camera on a tripod unattended shooting frames, and would find out later what I got.  Sometimes the results were pretty good!

2013-02-22 03:25:09 (3 comments, 4 reshares, 51 +1s)

Catalina West End

We were flying hoping to photograph blue whales.  We found a few just offshore of Santa Monica (so close to shore that some paddle boarders were out among them) but the whales were staying down most of the time so we left and swung out to do some aerial photography along Catalina and San Clemente Islands.  Cheers!

2013-02-20 02:23:14 (8 comments, 2 reshares, 61 +1s)

Shark Fin and Earth Shadow, Valley of Fire

In the midst of 3 days of gnarly volleyball in Vegas I managed to get out for a sunrise hike in the Valley of Fire. I did not see another soul, and it was cool and quiet, quite a respite from the noise and energy of the tournament. This is Shark Fin rock with a bit of earth shadow behind it. Cheers!

2013-02-15 04:38:36 (8 comments, 2 reshares, 31 +1s)

4 days in Sin City for a volleyball tournament this weekend.  I hope to get out for a couple hours to do some hiking in Valley of Fire or Red Rock Canyon or somewhere without slots. Cheers!