Today: Google+ Hangout Live from NASA at 11:15 EST

Join me on Google+ today at exactly 11:15 AM when I’ll be doing a LIVE Video Hangout. Only a limited number of people can get in, so be ready to click to join the hangout! New to this stuff? Here are some video hangout tips I made.

Yesterday I did a very cool live broadcast video hangout from NASA with Google+. We had people from all over the world connecting while I was on video on my laptop approaching the launch pad. We all went through a few levels of security together (I made everyone be quiet), then we approached the VAB, saw some of the media center, before finally getting to the launch pad. I’ll do another live Google+ Hangout tomorrow during my setup and you guys can ask questions…or just…hangout!

Interview with Scoble

Robert Scoble is here with me at the NASA event (along with many other people). After a little #NASATweetup session yesterday, he grabbed me for a quick interview about photography (click link to listen), and how I was planning to this trip in particular. Enjoy!

Daily Photo – Final Night of the Space Shuttle

I was completely soaked after laying in mosquito-invested waters for an uncomfortably long time. At one point, a concerned French news reporter came up to me and said, “Excuse me, but you’re quite covered in bugs.” It must have been pretty bad for him to come over and say that… I think perhaps he thought I was dead because I stayed in the same position for so long, trying to zen-focus on the shot.

This is the Space Shuttle Atlantis, in case you do not know. It’s also the final space shuttle launch, ever. So, it’s incredibly special, and I’m happy I got to spend time with the ship on its final night.

Bonus Photo – The Countdown Clock at Sunrise

And this is the famous countdown clock. Scott Kublin and I woke up before 5 AM to start setting up our remote cameras. One of them Leo Laporte Fed-exed to me overnight so we could have time to set it up… we put those inside the blast zone and set them up to automatically fire at the launch. We made a behind-the-scenes video to show how everything was done… it will be edited and shared soon… but, in the meantime, here is what I saw first thing in the morning upon arrival to NASA.

Filed under the categories: Florida, NASA, Nikon D3X, Orlando, Travel

It’s like 30, but with more Internet

Well, today is my 40th birthday.

I plan on having a midlife crisis between 2 AM and 3 AM and that involves a considerable amount of chocolate and then get over it.

Just as I was leaving Iceland, they had this giant poster in the airport. BTW, every Icelandic advertising poster looks the exact same, and they all copy 66′North, which I think originated the campaign. Everyone looks hard and windswept while the rugged Icelandic background is in the distance behind them… ANYWAY, there was this poster of a dude ice-climbing, and it said, “Life Begins at 40.” I think the ad was for some bank. But, it didn’t make me want to ice climb or do any banking with them, so I really don’t know what effect that ad or any of this has had on me.

Daily Photo – Bridge of the Dark Fairy

Now this place was hard to find. In fact, I tried to geo-locate it after the fact, and I could not even come close. It’s like one of those lost spots on earth, like the island with King Kong, or the deep paths to Silfen worlds…

After leaving the road, I scrambled down a few hillocks and walked along the stream a bit. Finding this quite mirror-world of sorts, I stopped for a photo.

Filed under the categories: Iceland, Nikon D3X

Want to follow the pre-launch activities?

Follow me @TreyRatcliff and the #NASATweetup hashtag on Twitter.

Also, Robert Scoble (and many others) will be with me at the launch, and I figure we’ll be using Google+ quite a bit too to post updates, photos, and the like, so that’s another fun place to watch.

Daily Photo – Sun Busting Through Stormclouds at NASA

I was in the Tweetup tent doing something terribly important but completely inscrutable when Stu Maschwitz came in and told me that the storm clouds were breaking upon our shores. So I got my little rig and went outside to see the matter.

We get these kind of huge powerful summer clouds in Texas too. The kind that roll in on a too-hot day and you have a feeling that something powerful is a-comin’. You tie down the cows and take the favorite sheep down to the basement because it’s gonna be a long night…

The sun darted in and out of the clouds, and I grabbed it just as it peeked through a small hole it tore in the thunderhead.

Filed under the categories: Florida, NASA, Nikon D3X, Orlando

Portfolio on Picasa

Because of Google+ (my profile), I’ve ended up putting some of my portfolio over on Picasa too.  I feel like I spend a good portion of my day just moving bits of data from one part of the web to another!  Anyway, I’m not as happy with it as I am with my portfolio over at SmugMug (see my SmugMug Review), but it does make it easy to share in Google+.

Daily Photo – Dinner at the Post Ranch Inn

This is the second photo I have released from the Post Ranch Inn (first one here).  It’s such a beautiful place, and, while not exploring the property, we were busy looking forward to a great dinner.

Just outside the restaurant is this earthy sculpture and waterfall.  It was very nice the way the evening light came and refracted through the water…  I don’t think I’ve ever been able to watch the sunset through a sheet of water, so it was quite nice.

And the food was great too… a multi-course fixed price menu… It wasn’t cheap, mind you.  It’s one of those meals where I ended up paying over $100 before the menus even arrived.  But it was all tasty and memorable.

Filed under the categories: Big Sur, California, Nikon D3X

Google+ Invites – How-to-System

This system helps your friends get into the invite queue! It may take a bit, but all systems are go. I’ve met hundreds of people in Google video hangouts so far… may see you soon too!

[Note: Once you are invited, it may take a bit to get the email as Google+ is throttling incoming members.]

1) Already in Google+?  We need your help!  Jump to step 3!

2) Come to StuckInCustoms Facebook Page and see if you can find a thread that has remaining invitations. Put your email in that thread (not on the wall).

3) Accept your invite when it arrives, then return to the StuckInCustoms Facebook Page and pay it forward by saying, “I have 10-15 (whatever) invites for Google+ so leave your email below and I’ll get you in!”

4) To invite people in, create a new circle and fill it with email addresses that need access.

5) Share a post or photo with that circle, and it will ask you if you want to email people not in Google+. Say yes, and they will get an email invite!

And, if you are looking for me in Google+, here is My Google Profile.

Google+ Tips

- Come see this thread if you are looking for Tips on video Hangouts!

- Here is a Photographer’s List in Google+

- Here is Part 2 of the Photographer’s List in Google+

Daily Photo – Long Road in Montana

This is the road I got stuck on after my 4-wheeler caught on fire. Now, of course, I had all my photography equipment with me… who wouldn’t take a whole host of photo equipment on a 4-wheeler joyride? I don’t know! I mean, you gotta be ready just in case the dang thing catches on fire!

And further down that road, a few days later, I saw this… I posted this a while ago, but I’m re-posting in case you missed it…

Filed under the categories: Montana, Nikon D3X, Rudyard, Travel

OTW To Florida

I’m coming in for the final shuttle launch and I heard about a secret thing… Nikon has a special room/building at NASA that is full of lenses and all kinds of awesome stuff! I just need my NPS (Nikon Professional Services) card and I can be a kid in a candy store. Now, all of this sounds way too good to be true, but I’ll swoop in there to get the full scoop and let you know. (I even heard they have a 1200mm prime laying around!)

Daily Photo – The Endeavor Lifts Off

So, when I took this, I was using two different cameras. The first one was my D3X with the 28-300mm lens on a tripod, and that is how I got this one. It’s an HDR from a single RAW.

Not long after this, the buffer filled up and it started to shoot slowly, so I went to my second camera around my neck, the D3S with a 50mm prime. And I got the second shot below.

Filed under the categories: Florida, NASA, Nikon D3S, Nikon D3X, Orlando, Travel

Big Lenses

Are you the type of person that uses big lenses a lot? I admire you! I don’t…and after lugging this 600mm around for a while, I really got a good sense of what some of the hardcore bird/animal photographers do…

Daily Photo – Girl in Ocean

I got this 600mm from BorrowLenses.com to take photos of the shuttle on my first trip. Since the shuttle didn’t take off, Scott and I decided to go to the beach and take photos of girls from a distance like real creeps. I openly admit it… we looked downright creepy up there with two huge lenses, peering in every which direction until we saw something interesting.

Then I saw this gal splashing around in the waves with her friends… seemed like a good subject so I took a few shots. With the 600mm I was so far away, that she would have had no idea I was taking them. This made it all feel even more sketchy, but, you know, having said all that, I’m quite happy with the shot.

Filed under the categories: Florida, Orlando, Travel

Updated Google+ Invite System

See the new steps below… this has gotten a lot of people in, so it should work for now. I had 3 great video hangout sessions last night will all sorts of people… very interesting to meet and talk with people from all over the world. The video hangout may be the coolest thing!

1) Come to StuckInCustoms Facebook Page and see if you can find a thread that has remaining invitations. Put your email in that thread (not on the wall).

2) Accept your invite when it arrives, then return to the StuckInCustoms Facebook Page and pay it forward by saying, “I have 10-15 (whatever) invites for Google+ so leave your email below and I’ll get you in!”

3) To invite people in, create a new circle and fill it with email addresses that need access.

4) Share a post or photo with that circle, and it will ask you if you want to email people not in Google+. Say yes, and they will get an email invite!

And, if you are looking for me in Google+, here is My Google Profile.

“See More Photos…”

You may notice a slight change to the bottom of every post.  I took away the emphasis on “categories,” and say in more plain English:  See more photos from Iceland, Isafjordur, Nikon D3X, Travel.  This should help you explore more from this area if you find them interesting!

Daily Photo – Oceanscream

Early one morning while weaving through the fjords, a cell of dark clouds roiled across the sky. The low sun kept them in impossible colors and the air vibrated with a coming storm.

This is up on the edge of the arctic circle where one fjord may be covered in clouds while the next is wide open and clear. There are hundreds of little microclimates that change from one hour to the next, so if things don’t look good in one fjord, just spend 30 minutes driving over to the next one, and maybe something different will present itself. Surely by now, you see why I like Iceland so much in the summer…

Filed under the categories: Iceland, Isafjordur, Nikon D3X, Travel