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2013-05-19 21:23:59 (6 comments, 1 reshares, 19 +1s)

School’s Out

I’ve already shared images of this schoolhouse from my recent jaunt to Oregon but wanted to share another perspective. It was unexpectedly quite cool visiting and shooting this dilapidated little structure literally in the middle of no man’s land. The farmers who own this 1904 schoolhouse were friendly enough to permit visitors from far away lands, carrying strange equipment, up close and inside access for as long as we wanted. Thanks for looking!

Nikon D800
Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8G

45°31'12" N 121°7'8" W

2013-05-15 21:22:39 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Runner’s High

Sitting on an outcropping overlooking Smith Rock and the high desert early in the morning, I really wasn’t expecting to see a runner. More like wishful thinking that an eagle or pronghorn antelope would come by. Nope. She moved just as fast though. (Oh, thanks for the terrible upload Fb. You “rock”.)

Smith Rock, Oregon

Nikon D800
Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G

44°22'10" N 121°8'5" W

2013-05-13 22:15:28 (8 comments, 4 reshares, 25 +1s)

Haystack Rock and the Needles at Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Nikon D800
Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8G

45°53'2" N 123°57'55" W

2013-05-07 16:42:08 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Prominent Terrain

I suppose photographers should know what they are photographing. In addition camera settings and equipment used, people want to know ‘where’ an image was made. I have the GPS tag from where I was standing but I was using a long lens shooting off into the setting sun. I certainly can’t shoot an azimuth after the fact accurately. I have tried taking into consideration where the sun was setting that time of year in relation to where my GPS marker says I was standing. Thing is, there are 3 clustered very distant mountains and a couple others even further out that now, a few weeks later, I’m not sure which this is. I’m moderately confident this is Black Butte. It’s most certainly not grand enough to be Mt. Washington or Three Fingered Jack, which is relatively nearby. I don’t think it’s one of the Three Sisters either, that would be a little too far south.Anyway, if anyo... more »

2013-05-05 14:33:09 (9 comments, 1 reshares, 21 +1s)

Cook Pond

Photographing locations within the 6.1 million acre Adirondack State Park takes more than photographic skill, patients, and time. It takes people skills too. The majority of the region (about 2/3rds), which includes many picturesque spots, are all privately owned. If not trespassing, the price of admission is permission. Upstate New York, as well as the ADK, is sprinkled with seasonal camps and cottages all over the place. Relative ghost towns during the harsh winter, little villages explode with downstate visitors during spring and summer. Virtually every pond, lake, stream and vista view I stumble on, outside the high peaks, is encircled by private land.

Cook Pond is a private pond in the western foothills of the ADK. It is nondescript, rather large, and has a few charming seasonal cottages clustered mostly alongside its eastern shore. Photographically that’s as... more »

2013-04-30 21:56:29 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Brasso

This is the first time I ever polished a gangplank. That's saying something, after having spent 14 years in the Navy. Boy, was this thing a mess! It took forever and I don’t plan on doing it again. 

Nikon D800
Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8G

The Dalles, Oregon
45°36'16" N 121°10'58" W

2013-04-28 23:13:51 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 17 +1s)

Slit

From the other night when there was a ‘red moon’. I ran out on a whim forgetting some gear that I like to think is why I wasn’t able to get much. There’s always black and white they say… haha

2013-04-23 21:41:26 (6 comments, 3 reshares, 26 +1s)

Ponytail Falls in Oneonta Gorge (AKA: Upper Horsetail Falls)

The trip to Oregon was fast and furious. It was a four-day, four-night, non-stop, fill up the data cards kinda spree. Basically we ran around like maniacs, photographing as much as we could with some prior planning involved. We ‘slept’ in the rental car but hardly slept (comfortably) at all. While there are many, many waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge deserving a lifetime of photographic attention and love, we allotted ½ day. 

Nikon D800
Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8G

45°35'18" N 122°4'7" W

2013-04-20 11:19:13 (6 comments, 4 reshares, 17 +1s)

Smith Rock

Smith Rock is in the high desert of Oregon and is generally considered the birthplace of modern American sport climbing (according to Oregon State Parks) and is host to cutting-edge climbing routes. It has thousands of named routes, many of which are advanced, and over a thousand bolted routes. The formations here were made of compacted volcanic ash known as welded tuff and basalt. 

This is the popular east face of ‘The Smith Rock’ group with the Crooked River. From left to right ‘Phoenix Buttress’ and the ‘Christian Brothers’. 

Nikon D800
Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8G

44°21'52" N 121°8'32" W

2013-04-17 23:33:03 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Waiting

Thought I would share a shot of us waiting for a 'pretty' sunrise that never really happened. My friend Everet and I chillin' on our first morning in Oregon near The Dalles looking at Mt. Hood. In fact, we flew all night from NY, landed in Portland around 2am, drove around aimlessly in the dark for a couple hours, guided only by our gps, in this rental car. I'm set up on the right near the fence and thought I would step back and snap a pic w/ my other camera while we impatiently waited and waited.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G

45°29'45" N 121°13'3" W

2013-04-16 21:39:32 (10 comments, 1 reshares, 31 +1s)

Finger Pointing

My son (he’s 4) says this looks like a big scary green monster. My 7 yr old daughter tells me she really likes it (she’s my biggest fan and likes all my images) and my wife says she doesn’t like pictures w/ a bright sun in it (um…ok). 

Near Humbug Creek, along the Sunset Highway, Oregon.

Nikon D800
Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8G

45°53'40" N 123°38'31" W

2013-04-14 15:08:03 (13 comments, 1 reshares, 18 +1s)

Skylight

The owners of this little, one room, abandoned, 1904 schoolhouse drove by why were we shooting from the street and gave us permission to enter. Like a couple schoolgirls, my friend Everet and I giggled, skipped, twirled, danced and sang all the way across the field to it. 

Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8G

45°31'12" N 121°7'9" W

From my previous exterior post:

“To the south of The Dalles, Oregon, and about half way still further to nowhere, sits this quiet one room schoolhouse. Surrounded by working farms and dwarfed by the countryside somehow the building hangs on. We were told the school was only active for its first 15 years and has never been used since, at least not by school children.”

https://plus.google.com/photos/106327532985588821638/albums/5859775337138478289/5864471354656714770

2013-04-10 22:16:46 (12 comments, 3 reshares, 19 +1s)

Slim Pickins

During the month of March, along the Columbia River in Oregon, there aren’t many opportunities for color. Well, other than green anyway. I’m sure than now, mid April, it is really starting to explode with all the splendor a box of Crayola crayons would provide. What can I say, I had to work with what was available at the time…it sure was some ‘slim pickins’. ;)

Nikon D800
Nikkor 24-70 f2/8G

45°40'32" N 121°15'49" W

2013-04-08 13:44:19 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

To the south of The Dalles, Oregon, and about half way still further to nowhere, sits this quiet one room schoolhouse. Surrounded by working farms and dwarfed by the countryside somehow the building hangs on. Absent of the original bell, which the owners (whom drove by while we were there and gave us permission to enter) are safekeeping it at their home nearby. The little bell tower of the schoolhouse has the year ‘1904’ carved into its base and is just barely seen from this distance. We were told the school was only active for its first 15 years and has never been used since, at least not by school children.

Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8G

45°31'12" N 121°7'9" W

2013-04-07 19:37:01 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

Saw a lot of people, of all different sizes and shapes, climbing many different routes, of varying levels of difficulty. 

Smith Rock, Oregon

Nikon D800
Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G

44°21'44" N 121°8'40" W

2013-04-06 11:47:32 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 15 +1s)

Haystack Rock and the Needles at Cannon Beach, Oregon.

2013-04-04 19:13:38 (4 comments, 3 reshares, 15 +1s)

Lower Mayer State Park, along the Columbia River, Oregon. Overlooking the Rowena Gap basalts, Washington State across the river.

This is a very popular sail boarding spot, perhaps during the warmer summer season, due to the predictable and steady prevailing winds. We had plenty of wind, but no sail boarders. 

Nikon D800
Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8G

2013-04-16 21:39:55 (12 comments, 2 reshares, 25 +1s)

Billion and One

Multnomah Falls has been photographed a billion times (that’s billion with a “b”) by a billion photographers in all sorts of weather conditions. It’s understandable as they are quite beautiful and unique with a transversing footbridge. In fact, there were a few thousand people milling about while I made this image during midday overcast light. Not one for crowds, I was glad to have only spent a few minutes visiting these beautiful falls. Oh, they have great (hot) coffee (hadn’t had any in two days) at the lodge, thanks Everet. ;)

Multnomah Falls, in the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Nikon D800
Nikkor Wide Angle PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5D ED Manual Focus Lens

2013-04-16 21:40:20 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 8 +1s)

The Crooked River Gorge and the Three Sisters, Oregon

Mountains from right to left: Faith (North Sister), Hope (Middle Sister) and Charity (South Sister)

Nikon D800
Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8G

44°23'26" N 121°11'44" W

2013-04-16 21:40:10 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Needles in a Haystack

Though the expression “ Needle in a Haystack” references something difficult to find, it is certainly not the case here. Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock is a very popular coastal destination in Oregon. These lava formations are referred to as The Needles. They are just a small part of the unique geological formation which can be seen along the shore.

Nikon D800 
Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8G

45°53'2" N 123°57'55" W

2013-03-31 21:48:14 (7 comments, 2 reshares, 24 +1s)

The Color of Money

Green! Everywhere I look there is green. Back in the day, though, the color everyone wanted to see was gold. Today Humbug Creek is a little known area to gold prospectors, but in the mid 1800’s it was the center of a major gold rush. 

Near Humbug Creek, along the Sunset Highway, Oregon.

Nikon D800
Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8G

45°53'40" N 123°38'31" W

2013-03-29 18:41:30 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 13 +1s)

The geography of Oregon is vast. Most are familiar with the terrain of the western part of the state; the broken and rugged coast, big timber forest, frequent rain, pretty waterfalls and a few big mountains. Out in the middle of the nondescript high desert though, there is this beautiful place. I wasn’t expecting much at Smith Rock, having never really researched the area prior to this trip. Boy was I surprised! We ended up staying the night to shoot the next morning’s sunrise. Watching the first light, thankfully without overcast and cloudy skies, it was a real treat capturing the illumination as it slowly worked its way down the rock and into the valley floor below.

Nikon D800
Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8G

44°22'21" N 121°8'5" W

2013-03-28 19:22:01 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

The Crooked River Gorge and the Oregon Trunk Railway.

On the way to Smith Rock we found this little state park, The Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint, where we decided to spend the night. I’m really glad I knew nothing about its grizzly past when we were there. It would have ruined the view.

44°23'26" N 121°11'44" W

2013-03-27 16:07:35 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 14 +1s)

Ponytail Falls in Oneonta Gorge (AKA: Upper Horsetail Falls)

After spending the day in the high desert, these vibrant and lush forests were quite a change. Everything was just, well, so green. Having only the sounds of the rushing waters, it was mesmerizing taking these scenes in. 

One of the other things I noticed while visiting a couple waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge was the lack of litter and human impact. Other than trails, walkways and such, there didn’t seem to be the debris from inconsiderate humans lying about. I’d like to think, naively, people in general were good stewards of the land. Maybe volunteers had recently done some trail tidying up, I don’t know. For whatever the reason, the falls I visited were pristine. 

Nikon D800
Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8G

45°35'21" N 122°4'5" W

2013-03-26 22:03:59 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Two weeks ago a friend of mine and I planned a whirlwind trip to photograph as many places in Oregon as we could in just 4 days. We flew from Syracuse to Portland, rented a SUV, and decided to forgo proper lodging for the duration of the trip with the intent of nonstop shooting (and commuting) both day and night. Deciding to car camp along the way, it ended up being quite the adventure. From blizzard conditions atop Mt. Hood, to the arid high desert at Smith Rock, lush green waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge, then eventually to the Pacific Ocean and Cannon Beach. 

I’ll be sharing many of the images in this album, in no particular order, and hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them. All the images are geo tagged and I am working on compiling a map to share as well.

One of the first stops after flying into Portland, Oregon was a brief visit to The Dalles. This tunnelcha... more »

2013-03-08 18:24:18 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

It's wine o'clock, right? Which is all summer long here in the 1000 Islands region of upstate NY. This image is from a tourism shoot I did for the New York State 1000 Islands International Tourism Council. I'll post a few more soon.

2013-03-07 23:09:45 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Shooting luxury real estate requires a lot of travel and a lot of shooting. Using a Nikon D800 as my primary camera body, at 36.3mp, eats up a ton of data space. I have used LaCie products since I started this gig and recommend them without reservation. When I order 3 of the 1Tb LaCie Rugged Triple USB 3.0 Firewire 800 (at almost HALF PRICE) just a couple days ago their were 90 offered. It is now down to about 50 left. I thought I would share this info before they were all gone.

2013-03-05 13:27:30 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Chasing my kids, and now Newfoundland puppy, during family hikes leaves little time for well, anything other than chasing kids and a puppy. We snowshoe and xc ski in some remote and often unforgiving backcountry areas and full attention is required. The kids love find ice cycles. Sometimes I can photograph them before they become toys. ;)

2013-02-27 12:38:16 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

This doesn't make sense to me.

2013-02-24 20:53:38 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

I’ve just completed shooting some really cool estates and will share them when I can. I’ve also been coordinating a couple more involved gigs for early spring and prepping for a fun trip to Mt. Hood, which I leave for in just a couple weeks. Till then, I have been doing some early spring-cleaning of my hard drives. Boy does “it” (substitute word) pile up quick. ;)

For photographers, one of our most difficult and important decisions is figuring out which image to save, edit and share. We are aware that our newest posting defines people’s perception of our ability. 

This image, which is certainly not epic by any means, is simply one of a million shots we photographers bury in our archives, favoring far more dramatic and profound images to share. Actually, I typically spend more time staring at these more average scenes honing post skills than I do the big shots. They areperfect pi... more »

2013-02-15 14:51:45 (12 comments, 1 reshares, 27 +1s)

I’ve got it, and I’ve got it bad. It’s not the photographer’s equivalent of writers block. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I’m dying to get out shooting! It’s all I think about. Some photographers I know are lucky (and talented) enough to have the ability to globe trot, all the while turning out beautiful work. They are visiting some of the most amazing locations on earth. Sometimes I get caught up with envy. Other times I use this lack of travel and time as an excuse for not making better art. What is constant is my desire to shoot and create. I am rather fortunate though. I have a couple solid, time consuming and well paying photography gigs that feed my passion. But there is nothing like the feeling of no client constrains and shooting for myself. I’ve got a trip coming up to Oregon soon, and other work requiring travel being planned, which is keeping me sane at the moment. Till then, Iget out on shor... more »

2013-02-13 13:56:53 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Dirty Rotten Ice

Perhaps someday I’ll visit pristine Antarctica ice. Till then, I’m stuck on dirty rotten ice in NY. Though it probably wasn’t much colder in Antarctica than the day I shot this.

2013-02-16 14:27:16 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Decisions

Grindstone Island in the 1000 Islands region of upstate NY.

The only roads on this little island are dirt. That's considered a big island here, most are only large enough for a home or two to sit on. So, choose the path on the left and you end up at an amazing multi-million dollar summer home. Take the one on the right, and well, it leads to something a little more affordable. During my stay I was fortunate enough to be photographing the one to the left. lol

2013-02-07 13:01:59 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 19 +1s)

A walk along the shore of Lake Ontario, near Southwick Beach in upstate NY, one summer evening with my family. 

Nikon D800
Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8G

2013-02-05 19:31:09 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Greetings all.

I will be flying on JetBlue and was wanting to carry-on a RRS TVC-34L tripod without a case. Does anyone have experience with this and has it been an issue w/ anyone? Thanks

2013-02-16 14:23:19 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Unnatural Beauty

Natural beauty can easily be altered by unnatural elements. Nature knows this and, though it may take centuries, fights to restore itself to it’s untouched state.

2013-02-16 14:23:47 (13 comments, 0 reshares, 26 +1s)

Name Your Price

The business of real estate is selling material things. The business of real estate photography is documenting those items for marketing. The art of real estate photography is capturing the soul of a location. I strive to do that with every estate I am hired to photograph. Sometimes it is much easier to do than others. All I had to do here was sit and wait for the sun to set. There is more value to a property than just the dock, boat and home. It's a lifestyle. May sound cliché, but not to those buying these estates.

2013-02-16 14:24:03 (5 comments, 2 reshares, 26 +1s)

Thinking of summer, while it is just plain miserable outside.

From an estate shoot I did this past summer in Henderson Harbor, upstate NY.

2013-02-16 14:24:19 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 33 +1s)

An image from this past summer. My wife's parents place (campmd.com) on St. George Island in southern Md.  

2013-02-16 14:24:44 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Radar Point overlooking Lake Ontario in Henderson Harbor, NY.

2013-02-16 14:25:08 (10 comments, 1 reshares, 14 +1s)

Attention to Details

Photographers spend a lot of time looking through their cameras. We move around, playing with angles, trying to find the most compelling composition for a particular scene. Many photographers have had close calls and some have tripped over something or fallen while concentrating and jiving around. That didn’t happen to me this time, as I was laying flat on my stomach when making this image. The peninsulas of ice seen here are just like the one I was on while shooting this. Even though it was really, really cold, ice would occasionally fall down into the water and I was hoping to catch a shot of it. That didn’t happen, but I sure wish I’d seen that huge crack in the shelf of ice (bottom right of the frame) I was on though! 


Lake Ontario near the village of Sandy Creek in upstate New York.

2013-02-16 14:25:26 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 19 +1s)

Boy oh boy is it cold. Yesterday I spent most the day, and evening, standing on a block of ice. Ok, it’s a sandy beach buried in many feet of ice. Lake Ontario is ‘fresh’ water with quite a bit of algae and general muck near shore in some places. The almost always present prevailing winds not only adds misery to the viciously cold temperatures, it pushes the floating blocks of ice on shore and mixes everything into a big jumbled mess. 

Sunset on Lake Ontario near Sandy Point, NY

2013-01-22 17:10:08 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

I thought it would interesting to show what an almost 200% non-edited, cropped and enlarged, portion of a 36.3mp Nikon D800 camera body with a Nikkor 24-70 F/2.8G lens produces. The original final image is 7315×4115 @ 602 mb. 

2013-02-16 14:25:48 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 11 +1s)

I'm hold up at home today. While our weather is just plain cold, the region just a few miles to my south is getting hammered w/ lake effect snow. Lake effect snow is quite intense and localized. Rates of 3-4 inches per hour are being reported. Editing early autumn scenes like this is not what I want to be doing. I'd much rather be tromping through mountains of snow. 

2013-02-16 14:26:10 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 23 +1s)

Lost in the Adirondack State Park of upstate NY.

I'd love to share the location of this waterfall. Somewhere off the beaten path along the way to Lake Placid near Saranac Lake. If only I would have marked it on my gps. I have a general idea, and plan on looking for it again.

2013-01-17 00:57:24 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

It's exciting for me to announce the newest edition of +HDR One Magazine's monthly publication. I'm very proud to be a part with my 2nd installment in the series, 'HDR and Real Estate Photography'. 

The editor, +Jimmy McIntyre, has been a great mentor in guiding me as I develop monthly contributions. He is patient and always helpful. The magazine design credit goes to a very talented +Nikola Totuhov. He too is ready to share his council, even while on vacation, and it is greatly appreciated. ;)

I'm also humbled to share the pages with some many fine artist. Check it out!

http://www.hdrone.com/2013/01/december-issue-now-available-for-download/

2013-02-16 14:26:39 (13 comments, 5 reshares, 34 +1s)

Gnat Haven

As the sun set, the gnats got thicker and thicker. There were so many buzzing around me, I was beginning to think they would effect the long exposure of this image. I was actually fanning the lens w/ a large cloth, over and over, for well over 2 hours waiting for good light. If anyone was around, I'm sure they got a good laugh at me, having no idea what I was up to. Perhaps they thought I was making smoke signals or something. lol

Henderson Harbor, upstate NY.

This image is being submitted for consideration to #plusonecollection2012 . Part of the requirement is to share the image here as well. 

Today, the 16th of January, is the deadline. So if you are also considering, now is the time to do so for this worthy cause.

Special thanks to +Ivan Makarov & +Andy Lee.

2013-02-16 14:26:58 (6 comments, 3 reshares, 33 +1s)

This is the site of an abandoned granite quarry on Grindstone Island overlooking Thurso Bay. Grindstone Island is only accessible by boat and is the 2nd largest US island in the 1000 Islands Region.The St. Lawrence River, which divides Canada and the United States is in the distance.

2013-02-16 14:27:16 (15 comments, 0 reshares, 33 +1s)

A Familiar Place

I practice: I prep gear. I trek around. I compose the shot. I experiment with settings and equipment. I edit all sorts of ways. I sometimes post the results. I then head back out and do it all over again. I am never satisfied, so I practice. 

Like a performer who rehearses a show, an athlete who exercises the event, and a child who reads the same story over and over, a photographer has to practice as well. There are so many variables from the beginning of an idea to a final completed image. All of those steps, if altered, will change the result. When trying to reproduce a desired outcome, we rely on tried and true past experiences. The problem with most genres of photography is the conditions for which we work are never consistent. Of course we have meters and smart cameras and expensive gear, but most the time our camera systems do not see the subject the same... more »

2013-01-11 15:29:41 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

GREAT NEWS for everyone who attended the +A Slice of Time - SF Bay Photowalk 2013 last weekend.

As part of the competition that will go live this Friday morning Pacific Time, we will be giving away three fabulous Xume quick release adaptors.  Many of you saw them explained and in use at the photowalk, but here is a quick video to be sure you know all about them.  They are a pure dream when working with circular filters! :)  

A GREAT BIG thanks to Xume.  You can find them at www.xumeadapters.com :)