New: Google Currents

Google Currents is a fun way to read the latest, be stimulated, and see new things. You can get it now on your iPad or Android device — it’s free! I am on there in two places — I’m in the “Curators” and in the “Lifestyle” category. It’s kind of an alternative to Flipboard… and quite a good one! If you get it, tell me what you think.

Daily Photo – The Cathedral Under the Cathedral

What an awesome place this is… This is the cathedral that is on the bottom level of Sainte-Chapelle. I did my best to capture the feeling of this place, and I hope I did an adequate job.

This is a handheld HDR taken with 5 exposures. It was really quite difficult to hold the camera still. I felt a bit like a sniper in Call of Duty.

Limited Quantity! 2012 Calendar Now on Sale!

When they’re gone, they’re gone.

We’ve decided to do something new this year and put together a monthly calendar! This is an 11 x 8 1/2″ saddle-stitched calendar featuring 12 of my favorite images from the U.S. and around the world. We’re very excited to offer this … it’s very different for us to offer something in a physical medium. I mean, we do sell prints of the photos (just click through any photo on the blog to go to the SmugMug gallery and click “Buy” ) but we’re mostly into the digital goods. Nothing beats a nice wall calendar though, yes?

It’s a great gift for you, for your family, and for your friends.  Oh heck, get a few!

If you want to see more, see the 2012 Calendar page!

$19.99 (U.S. and Canada)*

Stuck in Customs 2012 Wall Calendar Full calendar with high-quality-saddle-stitched page High-quality glossy one-hundred-pound cover with eighty-pound pages inside 12 beautiful images from around the world

Filed under the categories: France, Nikon D3X, Paris, Travel

The Future of Photography???

As far as the photo below is concerned, would you guys find this photo-viewing experience to be better if you could change the focus? (you know, by clicking around different bits of the photo?)

Daily Photo – Little Girl in a Tiny French Market

There was a small market in France with all sorts of little wonderful objects. Little fanciful things rested and leaned here and there. I had a lot of fun moving around with my 50mm to grab shots as I peeked and poked about. I chose to compose this scene in just this way and focus in just this manner.

I believe the shot below tells just enough of a story, and sets up just enough of a scene to let the a wandering mind wander…

Am I just a romantic that likes to do things in this way? Am I a fuddy-duddy that finds the idea of people re-focusing my shot as they click about to be “tech for the sake of tech?” Maybe I am…

Filed under the categories: France, Nikon D3X, Paris

Thanks to the Stuck In Customs team!

We have so many moving parts around here, and it wouldn’t be possible without the team here. Be sure to check out the “About The Site” area at the bottom to see who all has been involved. Everything from website design to coding to hosting and a ton of other little things. Thanks guys!

Daily Photo – The Sorbonne

My friend (and website designer), Fabien Barral, met my wife and I in Paris to take us out to dinner. We left the hotel, and about 30 seconds out the door, we came across this street side cafe right by the Sorbonne, the famous university. Luckily, I think both of them were used to this behavior and chatted pleasantly while I snapped away.

I worked on this photo all day. People often ask me how long I work on photos. If you’ve seen the HDR Video Tutorial here on the site, you know it takes me anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours. This one was on the long side for sure… It was tough work, but I am happy with the results.

Filed under the categories: France, Nikon D3X, Paris, Travel

I'll see you at the Apple store tonight... Note this is NOT a photo of the Barton Creek location...hehe

Apple Store, Austin – Plus LIVE Video Feed

Join me tonight in Austin at the Apple Barton Creek store at 7 PM. It’s a free event. I’m talking about photography, my workflow, how I process images, and also there will be lots of Q&A.

Time: Tonight, Saturday, 7-9 PM CST (Your World Time: http://bit.ly/nUNHRU )
Where: watch live at http://keithbarrett.tv

I’ll be showing workflow and doing some cool new stuff. Come watch!

Any Polyglots?

How many of those words can you read down there from other languages?

Daily Photo – The Eiffel Tower Through Art

Oh darn, I hear you saying. Another photo of the Eiffel Tower. I know I know… I’m sorry… hehe.

Actually, you should see my Lightroom. I have so many interesting shots of the tower that I can’t hardly stand it. I’ve only processed a small percentage of them. Every time I dip my toe into that “unprocessed” category, I get all excited again.

Filed under the categories: France, Nikon D3X, Paris, Travel

SmugMug Video – Long Version

Here is a longer version of that video that I have on the SmugMug Review page. Again, SmugMug didn’t pay me for this… or pay me to post it or anything… if that ever happens, I’ll let you know.

Daily Photo – The Pantheon

Scott and I went out almost every night taking photos all over Paris. The Pantheon here was right by our hotel. It was a rainy night when we were arriving home, so I had a feeling it would be a good time for photography! My intuition is not always spot-on, but in this case it worked out pretty well.

Filed under the categories: France, Nikon D3X, Paris, Travel

Towering Shots

What is the highest tower you have been in?

Daily Photo – The City of Lights

Oh God I didn’t want to go up the tower… but a strange thing pulled me up there… it sure wasn’t the crowds… And, by now, you know I’m not one of those people that just does things because everyone else is doing them… but I thought just maybe I could get a good shot.

I think the best shots come from the lower-tier instead of the upper-tier. It’s hard to say… although I don’t think I would ever be willing to stand in that line again.

By the way, in case you were wondering, using a tripod up there was not a problem for me. I was fast… but no one ever stopped me or gave me the business.

Filed under the categories: France, Paris, Travel

Almost Getting Caught

When you are somewhere taking a photo, do you keep taking photos until you get caught? Or do you just take photos and then retreat away before you get caught? As for me, always the former.

Daily Photo – The Light

La Sainte-Chapelle is really an amazing place. I can’t believe it took me so many trips to Paris to finally see it. It wasn’t exactly a blind-spot, but I knew it was some place that I had to visit at some point, and I finally got there.

Tripods were forbidden, so I decided to use a tripod to get a shot.

I did manage to squeeze off several rounds until security came up to make me stop. Of course, the only reason I ignore their rule is because I think it is does not have a solid foundation in logic or rational thought. I wasn’t bothering anyone. I wasn’t going to trip anyone because of the configuration of my tripod and body. Everything was cool.

Filed under the categories: France, Nikon D3X, Paris, Travel

What Languages do you know?

I barely know enough French to get by… and I know smatterings of a dozen other languages… but I don’t have full command of any of them. How about you? I get the feeling there are many multi-lingual people around here!

Daily Photo – Flying in France

I remember when I was learning French at Jesuit. I took four years of it, and one of the first things I saw was a little cartoon in a book. It was two little French girls on a ride just like this. One was saying to the other, “Aiiyeeeee! Sylvie! Tenez!!!!”

Anyway, I always think of that when I see little French children on a ride. I feel like calling it out, but it always seems a little creepy for a stranger to say such a thing.

Filed under the categories: France, Nikon D3X, Paris, Travel

Sample files in the Clubhouse

I released a set of the component photos for this a while ago in the clubhouse… it was very interesting to see the various interpretations. Another good thing about it was people can see how dark the clouds really were! It was one of those strange situations where the objects were well-lit but the clouds were quite dark.

Daily Photo – The Louvre in Heavy Clouds

People are always around this thing! If you’ve been there, then you know what I mean… getting a clean shot is almost impossible, unless you visit just after sunrise.

In this case, I don’t photoshop out the people, but I minimize them… so the photo isn’t really about the people, it’s about the Louvre. But, with a wide angle lens, you have to get right up on the thing.

Filed under the categories: France, Nikon D3X, Paris, Travel

北京的摄影走道

我准备一个摄影走道在北京里面。我希望你们能来了！再份额和告诉您的朋友!

我爱中国! 如果您们想看您的美丽的国家的照片，参观：http://www.stuckincustoms.com/category/travel/china/

时间： 在5:30 PM，星期六9月17日。

入会费：没有费用!!!

地点： 在鸡蛋前面, 北京

谁： 甚而所有年龄和家庭是受欢迎的。 任何照相机将做…甚而移动电话照相机!

计划： 我们将见面，问 “您好！”… 我将说与计划的一些个词，我们然后将开始步行! 它将是一个非常松弛和乐趣事件. 我解了您们以前为鸡蛋照相。。。

然而这次我们将帮助您采取您的＊最佳＊的照片！

我们一起庆祝摄影秀丽!

摄影走道.

Time: Saturday Sept 17 at 5:30 PM.
Location: In front of The Egg – Google Maps
Who: All ages and even families are welcome. Any kind of camera will do… even mobile phone cameras!
The Plan: We will meet, say hello… I will say a few words with the plan, and then we will begin the walk! It will be a very laid-back and fun event.

I look forward to meeting you there!

Filed under the categories: France, Nikon D3X, Paris, Travel

Daily Photo – Spiralstorm

There are secret vortexes everywhere, no? I think we all find our own, and we keep them secret. No one would ever talk about the best ones. I’m not exactly sure what happens in them. Perhaps there is something where the right and left brain switch sides and everything flows together.

This is another one of my most amazing and accidental finds in my recent explorations… can anyone figure out where this is? I’ll reveal it of course, but I think it is fun when people guess away…

Filed under the categories: France, Nikon D3X, Paris

Google Talk and PhotoWalk Tomorrow

This will be great! For all the PhotoWalk info, see this Google+ thread!

If you still haven’t RSVP’d, you can do so on the Plancast page. My PhotoWalks are free as usual.

Daily Photo – The Secret Workshop of Jules Verne

This is perhaps my favorite find on my most recent trip to Europe. How can a place so wonderful exist in our world? It’s amazing.

I got a recommendation from a close friend that told me I would love this place. And he was right! As usual, to see the full-size image, click on it below and then click Original in the menu that appears when you hover over the image in SmugMug.

This is the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle and is one of the least-known places in Paris. Everyone goes for the hot tourist spots, and this museum sounds rather boring, yes? But as you can see… au contraire!

Filed under the categories: France, Nikon D3X, Paris, Travel