France – Page 8 – Stuck in Customs
28
Jan 2014 : Tuesday
filed under  France, Paris

La Défense de la Matrix

Introducing another Arcanum Master, Dallas Nagata White

I know many of you are excited for the doors to open on The Arcanum! Many masters are making “intro” videos so that their 20 Apprentices (and everyone else in The Arcanum) can get to know them. The vast majority of the videos inside are private, but we are releasing a few here and there for fun, like this one from Dallas!

Daily Photo – La Défense de la Matrix

This whole area in and around La Défense in Paris is an amazing area for photography. Everyone knows that Paris is a delight for artistic reasons, but the area in and around this building is relatively quiet. I didn’t really see many other photographers around here, so it was free and easy. I did get in trouble a few times for using a tripod from some security guards. But it wasn’t anything too rough, and I just moved away till I could not be seen any more and kept taking photos. They would just ride around in golf carts and be a little frenchy-mean. You know the type… while they talked to me, they would just shake their head with haughty, disapproving eyes…

La Défense de la Matrix

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-11-11 21:04:06
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time4
  • Aperture11
  • ISO200
  • Focal Length14.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
22
Jan 2014 : Wednesday
filed under  France, Mont Saint Michel

The Double-inner Cloister in Mont Saint-Michel

Don’t forget about the freebie version of “Organize Your Photos!”

On the day we announced the new blog, we did a huge giveaway of this video series to local camera clubs! Be sure to pop over there to see all the details. It’s only valid for two more days, so check it out! 🙂

Daily Photo – The Double-inner Cloister

When touring the fortified monastery inside Mont Saint-Michel, one of the final areas after many twists and turns opens into this charming cloister. The arches and craftsmanship is remarkable and makes for at least a few hours worth of photos. It’s one of those amazing places where you just take a few steps then resign yourself to taking yet another photo!

Unfortunately, this place is not open at night, which was too bad because I was really looking forward to one of those sorts of shots. I think this place would be so moody in low light!

The Double-inner Cloister

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-11-13 17:38:41
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time1/60
  • Aperture8
  • ISO200
  • Focal Length14.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias-2

Comments
19
Jan 2014 : Sunday
filed under  France, Paris, Sony NEX-7

Edna

Beta Testing the new site!

We are rolling out the New Version of Stuck In Customs over the next 24 hours. A full update is coming soon and I’ll go through all the changes with you! Of the HUNDREDS of new things, one of the coolest is that it is now a responsive design that should be super mobile-friendly! Anyway, more info to come when it is official (probably tomorrow).

More about Edna from The Incredibles

I bet SOME of you in the audience know who this woman is, and if you do, feel free to educate everyone else! 🙂

Daily Photo – Edna

How awesome is this woman? I saw her while in Paris.

Or did I? No, not really… but there she is, evidently, yes? And I did take the picture.

But, amazingly, this is a store window display along the streets of Paris. Now that I say that, you see it, yes? Yes. But still, pretty cool I say! 🙂

Edna

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-11-11 22:12:03
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time1/30
  • Aperture5.6
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length14.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias-3

Comments
14
Dec 2013 : Saturday
filed under  France, Paris

The Purple Crystal Christmas Tree

Winner Selected for the Quadcopter!

You can go view all the details on this post. And here is a note from the winner, reprinted with her permission!

Hi Trey,

I am so excited to learn I won the Phantom 2 Quadcopter! Thank you so very much for having this contest. I am still in shock that I won this as I have been dreaming of getting one someday.

I can’t wait to start using it. I have several ideas of what I want to do with it first. Now I can capture video and photos of places I can’t get to physically. My wheelchair limits where I can go and as well as the terrain I need to be on. (I am famous for getting Stuck in Mud! As I usually get so engrossed in the wildlife I am photographing that sometimes I forget to check if I am heading for wet or muddy areas). So this will open up even more opportunities and places for me to photograph. I can go on and on about what I want to do but I won’t bore you with that.

I just want to thank you and everyone for this. You made a dream of mine come true!

Thank you again!

Sincerely,

Carrie “Sharkbayte” Conte

Daily Photo – The Purple Crystal Christmas Tree

Is it full of real crystal? Yes oh yes. Crazy eh? Only in France would they erect sometime so wonderfully ornate and over-the-top. Has anyone ever seen a timelapse of this thing going up? I’d love to see it. The engineering required must be mind blowing. I’m a big fan of when big engineering projects combine with big art projects.

The Purple Crystal Christmas Tree

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-03-17 22:40:56
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time1/15
  • Aperture8
  • ISO280
  • Focal Length16.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias-1

Comments
8
Dec 2013 : Sunday
filed under  France, Paris

Through the Hotel Lobby

Speaking of Paris

I added this photo to Google+ and was enjoying this new “Sparkle” feature. I know it’s kind of silly, but I think it is actually pretty cool! haha… sparkle unicorn baby! Yeah!

Daily Photo – Through the Hotel Lobby

When we did our big event in Paris, pretty much the whole class stayed at this amazing hotel. Even though we didn’t really do any official shoots in the hotel, almost everyone set up here to get a bunch of shots all over this place. It was really awesome inside, but you couldn’t tell from the street. These places always make me wonder what it is inside every banal looking door around Paris. You never know!

Through the Hotel Lobby

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-11-09 02:37:39
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time4
  • Aperture8
  • ISO280
  • Focal Length16.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias+1

Comments
6
Nov 2013 : Wednesday
filed under  France, Paris

A hint of disarray

An online index of abandoned places

Help! Several years ago, someone sent me a website that had a list of all the awesome abandoned places around the world. It also had tips on how to get inside, safety, sample photos, and all other kinds of cool stuff. Do any of you know this site I’ve forgotten?

Daily Photo – A hint of disarray

The more I thought about taking the photo, the more I liked it. There is something wonderfully formal and French and chateau-like about it… but there is also something amiss. You can tell, after a moment’s pause, that this is an old forgotten hallway where they stick random bits of furniture. And then it makes you think about the whole house – what’s going on here where formal things are moved haphazardly around? I feel like I’m capturing it in the middle of a decay cycle.

A hint of disarray

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-11-08 13:43:36
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time0.5
  • Aperture8
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length21.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias-2

Comments
21
Oct 2013 : Monday
filed under  France, Paris

Walking through the parks in Paris

Thanks again for the great PhotoWalk in Paris!

I FINALLY got around to editing this photo below. It was so fun to meet everyone there – we’ll have to do it again some time! 🙂

Movie Slideshow from France

Here is a little movie-slideshow I made. To find out more about how I made it, see the Animoto Review.

Daily Photo – Walking through the parks in Paris

I love this park! I end up walking through it a lot because it is centrally located. It’s the Tuileries Garden and it’s located between the Louvre Museum and the Place de la Concord. During the photowalk, I decided to set up for a shot almost straight up that considered the classically shaped light poles and the trees.

Walking through the parks in Paris

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-11-07 19:33:21
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time1/125
  • Aperture8
  • ISO800
  • Focal Length14.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias-1

Comments
15
Sep 2013 : Sunday
filed under  France, Paris

Thumbs Up

Photos of Art

Do you ever take photos of other art, like statues and other things of this nature? I find it quite difficult to do something unique that does not feel like a derivative work. A good case in point is below… I find it to be a nice little challenge to do something new with the piece of art… maybe get an angle or explore an idea that would even please the original artist! An homage of sorts, perhaps.

Daily Photo – Thumbs Up

This comes from a cool and unexpected part of Paris called La Defense. Regulars know the area well, but I had never been there until this most recent trip. There were thousands of interesting angles, objects, lines, reflections, statues, and, well, everything! I only spent one evening there shooting, but it is definitely going to be on my list for next time… it’s not “traditional Paris” but it is still most photo-worthy!

Thumbs Up

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-11-11 20:30:28
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time1
  • Aperture5.6
  • ISO200
  • Focal Length28.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
8
Sep 2013 : Sunday
filed under  France, Paris

Evening approaching the Chateau

Miss Aniela

Don’t forget to check out the website of the great Miss Aniela! I know many of you have been there already, and most of you already know we spent the weekend together teaching a class at the chateau. Thanks again to everyone that purchased the video in the store or came to the actual event. If you go pop over to her website, you’ll see some of her more recent amazing work…

Daily Photo – Evening approaching the Chateau

This was a nice evening with a bunch of new friends at the chateau! I feel like we should do events like this more often… I was actually also loosely thinking about doing something crazy like this in Venice one day. I love Venice, and I haven’t really been back since I’ve been serious about photography.

I really enjoyed taking a ton of photos around this place and coming back to post-process. It’s fun going back in and seeing new angles and stuff… I get re-excited about the whole thing once again! 🙂

Evening approaching the Chateau

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-11-08 19:50:00
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time1/125
  • Aperture2.8
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length14.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
8
Aug 2013 : Thursday
filed under  France, Mont Saint Michel

Stairs to the Monastery

Scary Cats

Even though there were no tourists around while I was shooting below, there were a bunch of crazy feral cats. They were running around and acting extra-scary. In fact, they kind of freaked me out… I would turn dark corners and loony black cats would jump out or run across the path. If a wild cat bites you, can you catch something? I figure there are cat experts around here that know these things… !!

Daily Photo – Stairs to the Monastery

I went up and down those stairs about six times throughout the night to explore this amazing place. The best part was that it was completely bereft of tourists. Whenever you get to walk around a huge medieval walled town like this in the middle of the night with no one around, you really begin to feel like you’re not supposed to be there, as if you’ve broken into some place secret…

Stairs to the Monastery

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-11-12 21:21:16
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time2
  • Aperture5.6
  • ISO200
  • Focal Length14.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias-2

Comments