Ever wonder what Eastern Oregon looks like? This about sums it it up! Any Questions?
Friday, November 11, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Spontaneous-ness
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Lights! Camera! Action!
Last night was fun I got to hang with some cool kidz (@darinwarnick, @joshgesler, @b3nelson and a few other twitterless facebook friends) and get some fun snaps! I attended the Level Up! Photography Extreme Sports Workshop, where we worked mainly on capturing action shots using different lighting set ups. Without going into to much detail shooting in skate parks if you have not done so can be like walking into the middle of a riot! You have kids of all ages doing all kinds of things and it feels like they are coming at you from all angles... crazy stuff! But once you find the rhythm and watch for the pecking order you can single out kids that have some good stuff going on and see if you can work the area they are in for some shots.
Anyways... I managed to grab a few keepers not break any gear, that's a good night in any photogs book!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Sump'in a bit different pa
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Me Likey!
An evening of patience during one of the few electrical storms we get each year paid off this time as I got come cloud to cloud lightning streaking in the skies above one of our most beloved and recognizable landmarks the Ed Hendler Bridge or more affectionately referred to as "the cable bridge".
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Hockey Season it coming soon to a rink near you!
It's almost hockey season kids! I have grown to really enjoy the game after watching my son play for almost 10 years and following our local Major Junior team (the Tri-City Americans) rise and fall and rise again with each passing season. Its hard not to love the game once you have given yourself a chance to understand it!
Here is some --> Hockey 101
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Mt Saint Helens
So this was the first time I had ever been to the Mt Saint Helens Johnston Ridge Observatory, we were in the area for a soccer tournament and had time for a quick trip between soccer games.
I found the facility itself to be a neat design built into the hill side with an absolutely incredible view of Mt. Saint Helens, but my trip there was a bit abbreviated and kinda reminded me of the Speed Zoo scene from the movie 'True Crime' with Clint Eastwood.
We had time to check out the view, then scamper back down for a short movie on the mountain and the eruption and the damage it caused and then a brief cruise through the interpretive center hitting a couple highlights on the way out and time for a group photo before heading back to the car and back to the motel for some rest before the next game.
The image is from the theater which shows a movie and when done has some curtains the open up for a spectacular window view!!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Sweet!
Found this cool video of a skate board trip thourgh New York and could not resist sharing... kudos to Josh Maready for such a cool idea!
Skating Through New York City - Watch more Funny Videos
Skating Through New York City - Watch more Funny Videos
Josh Maready straps a camera to the bottom of his skateboard and gets a unique view of Manhattan.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Boat Race Weekend!
This is the start / Finish line of the Lamb Weston Columbia Cup Hydroplane Boat Race Course here in Tri Cites, WA.
Right now it sits alone quietly overlooking the river, a calm before the storm type moment......as the boats will filter in this week to begin testing and trials the park will continue its transformation it anticipation of some 60,000 boat race fans over the course of the weekend (July 29-31th) as they converge on the mighty Columbia river in hopes of getting an eye full of the action that so many come here to see.
Links for this event is you wish to follow:
http://www.waterfollies.com/ (shedule of events)
http://www.h1unlimited.com/ (unlimited racing news, stats & teams)
http://gpwracing.com/ (gp boat racing news, stats & teams)
http://www.kndu.com/category/78290/hydroinsidercom-unlimited-hydroplane-racing (news)
http://www.gpwracing1.com/watch-live.html (live stream for testings & races)
http://www.kndu.com/category/169733/kndus-hydro-coverage (live race coverage)
http://www.610kona.com/ (radio coverage all weekend)
Where I live...
That's were I live in the worst part of the day... the lighting is horrible, contrasty and full of nasty shadows! So I try to make lemonade out of toilet water and some old unrecognizable fruit... which I thought might be a lemon. I often ponder about the cool photos I could make if I could just manage to get my ass out making photos when the light is right... haha!
Until then your just stuck with seeing photos from the place that I live... the middle of the day.
Until then your just stuck with seeing photos from the place that I live... the middle of the day.
Monday, July 25, 2011
8th & L St
Just could not resist capturing this scene... taken back in October they light the stairwell of this building with different colors as a way a showing some festive holiday cheer. The building is part of the Municipality of Anchorage (Alaska) and is home to a few different departments.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Two Sisters
This is a different view on some shots I took a over a week ago this spot is located in Washington along Hwy 730 near the Oregon and Washington State Line in an area called the Wallula Gap. The Wallula Gap was visited by Lewis and Clark and is recognized as a National Landmark for its geological significance.
Two Sister legend:
- "Coyote, the mischievous spirit hero of many native stories, fell in love with three sisters who were building a salmon trap on the river near here. Each night Coyote would destroy their trap, and each day the girls would rebuild it. One morning coyote saw the girls crying and found out that they were starving because they had not been able to catch any fish in their trap. Coyote promised them a working fish trap if they would become his wives. They agreed, and coyote kept his promise; however, over the years he became jealous of them. He changed two of the wives into these basalt pillars and turned the third into a cave downstream. He then became a rock nearby so he could watch over them forever."
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Day 193
Water Color Rainbows
Everybody seemed to be out shooting this bad boy... it was bright and had some intense color... for a short time from my vantage point it was a double rainbow. Very nice evenings as of late, I cannot complain one bit about our summer this year!!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Two Sisters
Two Sister legend:- "Coyote, the mischievous spirit hero of many native stories, fell in love with three sisters who were building a salmon trap on the river near here. Each night Coyote would destroy their trap, and each day the girls would rebuild it. One morning coyote saw the girls crying and found out that they were starving because they had not been able to catch any fish in their trap. Coyote promised them a working fish trap if they would become his wives. They agreed, and coyote kept his promise; however, over the years he became jealous of them. He changed two of the wives into these basalt pillars and turned the third into a cave downstream. He then became a rock nearby so he could watch over them forever."
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Day 181
Soccer practice... I put myself in harms way by hanging out behind the goal (without a net) and trying to capture some nice goalie saves. My objective was fruitless but I still came up with a couple decent shots... here is one I did some editing on.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
PHOTO TIP | Fireworks
Fireworks photos made easy! Well at least we are going to try…LoL! Truth be told capturing images of fireworks is not as difficult as it may seem and all you need to capture some beautiful images is a little bit of knowledge and the right equipment and of course…..Fireworks!
Consider your location:
Arrive early enough to your location so that you can get an idea of where you might want to shoot from.Consider where the fireworks will be shot from and what kinds of compositional elements you could use in your foreground, background or both. Often times composing a shot with a landmark will add a sense of identity to the image that a viewer can relate to making it more appealing. For you Photoshop wizards consider taking a clean shot (no fireworks or distractions) of your backdrop/scene in the moments just before the light is gone. Exposing the image so that you can make out the details in the scene makes it more identifiable, and then add layers of the fireworks blooms and trails later in post processing.
Equipment:
The use of a tripod is highly recommended to secure your camera from movement and shake. If you do not have a tripod you could try setting your camera down and use the self timer other things you might try would be a bean bag, brace your camera against something or use a firm and solid stance and grip. Whatever you chose to do, just make sure that your camera is secure and does not move, simply because longer shutter speeds will be used and any movement will show up making your shots look fuzzy and out of focus.
In combination with a tripod a remote shutter release is a great idea as it allows you to trigger your shutter without having to be in contact with your camera body. This will increase your chances of getting some good keepers. If you do not have a remote shutter release do not worry, try using the self timer on your camera.
Some other tips to remember, make sure you have lots of space on your memory card the big fireworks shows can last a bit so be sure to have plenty of space. Full batteries! Make sure your batteries are changed, there is nothing worse than getting worked up to get some great shots only to find you’re without a camera. L Use large file sizes, set your camera to take high resolution images, often times when working with your images in your post work you will find a need to crop or rotate your images and having a high res image will help ensure you get make quality prints.
Composition:
Arriving early enough to scout your location will help you with this step, by giving you a scene that you can see in daylight before it gets dark you get a sense of how you might want to frame your shots. Setup your camera in a location that will allow you capture what you want in your scene, but be mindful of things like where people might be walking or sitting or other objects so that you do not end up with elements that could be distractions. Your horizons are also something to consider during setup before the daylight fades, as it will be hard to correct for this on the fly and in the dark. Shooting vertical or horizontal is another framing consideration and will depend on your scene, camera, lens and what you are trying to capture.
Focal Length:
One of the most difficult decisions a photographer might have is what focal length to chose. Once it gets dark, fumbling with lenses and changing things around can change your scene and composition and might be difficult to redo in the dark, so making the right choice beforehand will help you get those keepers. A good choice might be to use a zoom lens so that you can go from a wider angle to a tighter one without having to make too many adjustments.
Aperture:
Often times the question that gets asked is “What aperture should I use?” Considering that fireworks are extremely bright, apertures in the mid range of f/8 to f/16 are where most accomplished photographers set theirs. These mid range aperture settings also help with clarity and sharpness since they tend to be the some of the sharpest aperture settings depending on the lens.
Shutter Speed:
This is probably the most critical setting you will chose and will depend on your camera what options you might have available. I personally like to put my camera in ‘M’ for manual mode and chose my aperture and then set my shutter to ‘bulb’. Using bulb allows me to open the shutter and keep it open as long as I have the shutter button depressed (I use a remote release). Using this technique you open the shutter as you hear the fireworks launch and then continue to keep the shutter open until the bloom or explosion is over, leaving you ready for the next one. If your camera does not have a bulb mode you can use shutter priority mode (TV or T) a long shutter speed of around 1-10 seconds depending on the lighting conditions and your camera should be selected and you may have to play with this setting to find the right exposure. Be careful not to leave your shutter open to long as the temptation to do so because it is dark might leave you with some over exposed images, especially if you leave your shutter open for multiple bursts.
ISO: Another misconception is for some is to use a higher ISO setting as a result of the low light. Remember fireworks are bright and using a higher ISO will increase your chances of overexposing your images. An ISO setting of 100 will give you nice clean noise free images.
Camera Mode:
For those that can, I find I get the most keepers when shooting in Manual mode for exposure and focus. Auto focus in the dark is difficult at best and you might find good results will be found if you can prefocus on the anticipated area where the fireworks will be and then shut off the AF. Once you have your focus set there really won’t be any reason to make changes and the use of the small aperture setting will increase you depth of field, which should also help to keep things in focus. For those that are not comfortable in manual mode many camera makers have a ‘fireworks’ mode or you could try another mode depending your camera it may vary, have fun, be creative and try a few different ones.
Experiment:
One of the great things about digital photography is the instant feedback we get, so check those photos as you take them make any adjustments as you need to and do not be afraid to experiment a little. Having your camera pointed at the sky might get the nice shots of the blooms but a wider perspective including some silhouettes, reflections, people sitting or laying the ground as the fireworks go off can all be very fun to try and capture too!
Consider your location:Arrive early enough to your location so that you can get an idea of where you might want to shoot from.Consider where the fireworks will be shot from and what kinds of compositional elements you could use in your foreground, background or both. Often times composing a shot with a landmark will add a sense of identity to the image that a viewer can relate to making it more appealing. For you Photoshop wizards consider taking a clean shot (no fireworks or distractions) of your backdrop/scene in the moments just before the light is gone. Exposing the image so that you can make out the details in the scene makes it more identifiable, and then add layers of the fireworks blooms and trails later in post processing.
Equipment:
The use of a tripod is highly recommended to secure your camera from movement and shake. If you do not have a tripod you could try setting your camera down and use the self timer other things you might try would be a bean bag, brace your camera against something or use a firm and solid stance and grip. Whatever you chose to do, just make sure that your camera is secure and does not move, simply because longer shutter speeds will be used and any movement will show up making your shots look fuzzy and out of focus.
In combination with a tripod a remote shutter release is a great idea as it allows you to trigger your shutter without having to be in contact with your camera body. This will increase your chances of getting some good keepers. If you do not have a remote shutter release do not worry, try using the self timer on your camera.
Some other tips to remember, make sure you have lots of space on your memory card the big fireworks shows can last a bit so be sure to have plenty of space. Full batteries! Make sure your batteries are changed, there is nothing worse than getting worked up to get some great shots only to find you’re without a camera. L Use large file sizes, set your camera to take high resolution images, often times when working with your images in your post work you will find a need to crop or rotate your images and having a high res image will help ensure you get make quality prints.
Composition:
Arriving early enough to scout your location will help you with this step, by giving you a scene that you can see in daylight before it gets dark you get a sense of how you might want to frame your shots. Setup your camera in a location that will allow you capture what you want in your scene, but be mindful of things like where people might be walking or sitting or other objects so that you do not end up with elements that could be distractions. Your horizons are also something to consider during setup before the daylight fades, as it will be hard to correct for this on the fly and in the dark. Shooting vertical or horizontal is another framing consideration and will depend on your scene, camera, lens and what you are trying to capture.
Focal Length:
Aperture:
Often times the question that gets asked is “What aperture should I use?” Considering that fireworks are extremely bright, apertures in the mid range of f/8 to f/16 are where most accomplished photographers set theirs. These mid range aperture settings also help with clarity and sharpness since they tend to be the some of the sharpest aperture settings depending on the lens.
Shutter Speed:
This is probably the most critical setting you will chose and will depend on your camera what options you might have available. I personally like to put my camera in ‘M’ for manual mode and chose my aperture and then set my shutter to ‘bulb’. Using bulb allows me to open the shutter and keep it open as long as I have the shutter button depressed (I use a remote release). Using this technique you open the shutter as you hear the fireworks launch and then continue to keep the shutter open until the bloom or explosion is over, leaving you ready for the next one. If your camera does not have a bulb mode you can use shutter priority mode (TV or T) a long shutter speed of around 1-10 seconds depending on the lighting conditions and your camera should be selected and you may have to play with this setting to find the right exposure. Be careful not to leave your shutter open to long as the temptation to do so because it is dark might leave you with some over exposed images, especially if you leave your shutter open for multiple bursts.
Camera Mode:
For those that can, I find I get the most keepers when shooting in Manual mode for exposure and focus. Auto focus in the dark is difficult at best and you might find good results will be found if you can prefocus on the anticipated area where the fireworks will be and then shut off the AF. Once you have your focus set there really won’t be any reason to make changes and the use of the small aperture setting will increase you depth of field, which should also help to keep things in focus. For those that are not comfortable in manual mode many camera makers have a ‘fireworks’ mode or you could try another mode depending your camera it may vary, have fun, be creative and try a few different ones.
Experiment:
One of the great things about digital photography is the instant feedback we get, so check those photos as you take them make any adjustments as you need to and do not be afraid to experiment a little. Having your camera pointed at the sky might get the nice shots of the blooms but a wider perspective including some silhouettes, reflections, people sitting or laying the ground as the fireworks go off can all be very fun to try and capture too!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
It's Hot!
Not only is the sauna hot... but summer finally decided to show up so its hot outside too! Temps in the 80's and 90's this week. Ok, I sounded a bit like a weatherman there... my bad. :-D
Monday, June 20, 2011
Ribs are yummy!
So we traveled to see family on Father's day and enjoy the company of friends and eat some yummy food! We enjoyed some tasty BBQ ribs, visited for a bit and then enjoyed a nice drive back home and for a good portion we drove and watched the sunset while it shared with us some great colors and warm light as it painted the countryside...
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Left some stuff behind
My work takes me to places that many do not get to see... the inside of homes hundreds of them, even thousands... literally! Most times its not a big deal... but on occasion I see some stuff that gets my mind working and wondering as to why. Why did this happen, how? Were they in a hurry? Why did they leave so much behind? How come they did not clean up the place? Why did they clean up the place? Where they upset? I will never know the stories behind such things, but I still cannot help but wonder...
Friday, June 17, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
SOCCER!
Soccer really is a cool sport... not sure why it has taken so long for it to catch on here, in the U.S.For the next few months it will consume my time as I play taxi for my son's team, travel, watch and photograph and whine about the refs... haha!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Soccer Season has begun
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