This is embarrassing

I believe this French newspaper article is speculating that Google Glass is too geeky for the public, and they chose to put my photo right next to a naked Robert Scoble in the shower. This may be a new internet-low for me… not sure where the link is!

Daily Photo – Bathwater Warm Pool at Sunset

I didn’t actually get in this water, but I was imagining that this was exactly the same as my body temperature. It just kinda looks like that, doesn’t it?

I took this photo at the Disney resort on Oahu. I didn’t even stay here… just stopped by for a few hours with Tom to take photos! It’s very pretty there… certainly worth a visit.

Filed under the categories: Hawaii, Oahu, Travel

Speaking of fishing…

I’m running into an increasing number of people who call themselves “Pescatarians” – vegetarians that also eat fish. Have you run into these sorts too? I think I’m pretty close to that actually… I do find myself mostly eating veggies and fish lately…

Daily Photo – Fishing on Oahu

The rugged coasts along Oahu make for some lay-up (as Tom calls them) photos. Everything is quite rugged and dramatic. But, even if it was not for the drama of the scene, I think this fisherman is extra-dramatic! I didn’t see anything actually caught, but I would think it would be some giant dramatic fish.

Filed under the categories: Hawaii, Oahu, Travel

Photomatix Presets now in the mix!

Get the new Photomatix Presets! Ever since one of the newer versions of Photomatix (Don’t have Photomatix yet? Go use the STUCKINCUSTOMS discount to save money), I’ve been trying out a bunch of different presets. Those thumbnails really do a good job of giving you some indication as to the results of the preset. I’ve created a ton of these, and whittled them down to my favorite 23 for this package. You’ll notice that some of the presets look great for some photos and horrible on others. Then, when you load in a different set of photos, the situation will be reversed! This is because some of the presets are better for interiors, some better for exteriors, a mix, etc etc. Enjoy!

Daily Photo – The Lost Cliffs of Oahu

This is a very very very rare re-processing of a photo! I usually never go back to a work.. so, this is more the exception than the rule.

But I started trying a few different things with Photomatix (that you can see in the presets above), and I just like the overall feel of the photo better than the previous version. I don’t see myself going back to re-do whole swaths of photos… this one just grabbed me for some reason.

Filed under the categories: Hawaii, Oahu, Travel

Strong Winds

When I was up here on the cliffside with Tom, he was commenting about how he enjoyed all the strong winds. I was surprised, because I don’t like it windy at all. I find the wind (after a certain speed) to be rather annoying. But he likes a strong wind blowing around him! I didn’t think anyone would like such a thing… so this was interesting to me.

Given the choice, I prefer still air or a slight breeze at 72 degrees (21 C)!

Daily Photo – Along the Coast of Oahu

It doesn’t take too long to drive around the edge of Oahu — maybe just a few hours or so. This is pretty convenient to quickly check the whole island for weather and lighting conditions. When there is interesting weather in one part, there is probably something quite different in another part of the island. And since there is scenic stuff everywhere, this makes photo-taking a pretty fun and convenient experience!

Filed under the categories: Hawaii, Oahu, Travel

Online Photography Courses

We have a special 20% off deal that only lasts through the end of the month for all of our Online Photography Courses. It works on the Art of Photography, the newest one that is aimed at beginner and intermediate photogrpahers. Use the code Octoberfest20 at checkout to save 20%!

Daily Photo – The Secret Path Through the Bamboo Forest

I went on a hike through an amazing old forest while on Oahu. It was a wet and rainy day, and the muddy path was so slippery — there was almost a negative friction!

At one point about halfway into the hike, we came across this natural door over the pathway formed by the trees. I took a break from the slipping and sliding to get a photo.

At the end of the hike, we found a hose down at the bottom… we hosed each other off like a couple of dogs in heat…

Filed under the categories: Hawaii, Oahu, Travel

SmugMug Support Heroes

You guys know I’m a loyal SmugMug kinda guy (you can do it yourself too and save $60 with the STUCKINCUSTOMS discount code for SmugMug Pro), so I wanted to share this video. I think this is one of those “extra” things you get from a professional company. Even though I’m pretty savvy at this stuff, I still have to email “support” from time to time, and I always get a great response from actual humans that care. It seems like such a rare thing nowadays… anyway, here’s more on that below:

Daily Photo – Boat in Oahu

I waded out into the lukewarm water with my tripod to get this scene. I never had taken my tripod into water before like this, so I did not expect it to fill up with water. I guess it makes sense, upon reflection. And it turns out that it is a gift that keeps on giving. For weeks and weeks after this move, whenever I launch my tripod over my shoulder, I can still hear the water rolling back and forth through the tubes.

Filed under the categories: Hawaii, Oahu, Travel

Coming on Monday – Big European Event Announcement

This one is a little secret, but watch on Monday’s Trey’s Variety Hour for be big announcement! If you’re interested in a little European adventure with me, then you’ll want to watch for sure!

The show will be posted live here on the blog at 7 PM PT. See you soon!

Thanks for all the Dog Suggestions!

Thanks again for all the dog suggestions a few weeks ago. I read over all of them (so did the whole family), and I definitely think we are going with one of those poodle-mixes. Once the final decision is made, I’ll be sure to share the result, as well as a photo or two of course!

Daily Photo – Crazy Clouds in Oahu

The water in Oahu had an unusual quality of keeping that turquoise color even if there was very little sun in the sky. It seemed like just a bit of sunshine is all that was needed to get into that crystal water and bounce around like a jewel.

This was the only sunshine I got after countless days of stormy weather.

Filed under the categories: Hawaii, Oahu, Travel

On This Week In Tech

Here’s my appearance on TWIT recently.

Big Bang Theory

Anyone else a big fan of this show? It’s really one of my favorites… I don’t even know which character I like the best!

At first, I hated the laugh track, but then I watched some YouTube videos where they removed the laugh track, and it was just strange… so, as campy as it is, I guess I like it. I can’t figure out why though… it flies in the face of reason that I need to hear other people laugh when I consider myself quite the independent thinker!

Daily Photo – Aulani Resort & Spa in Ko Olina

I didn’t stay at this hotel, but I did visit for a few hours one evening to take photos for fun. Tom and I went over here since we heard it was pretty nice. Disney resorts are often built for photography, especially in the dusk hours when there is a cool mixture of natural and artificial light. I’d gladly return to this resort to stay for a few nights!

Filed under the categories: Hawaii, Oahu, Travel

The sound of waves

When you fall asleep, do you prefer the sound of waves, the sound of rain, the sound of a bubbling brook, or something else entirely?

Daily Photo – The Exploding Wave

Oahu had a peaceful coast where the waves would silently roll up on the beach and other, violent areas where the water would smash against cliffs and rocks. I’ll let you guess which of those is happening here!

Filed under the categories: Hawaii, Oahu, Travel

Daily Photo – Swimming Through the Grotto

The swimming pool at the Aulani (a Disney hotel) on Oahu is pretty incredible. I only saw the place at night, so I’m not sure how it looks during the day. But it looks like it was designed just so that it would look awesome at night!

It’s attached to one of those lazy rivers that bends around this way and that. I do like lazy rivers, but I don’t like all the Disney lifeguards watching me on every bend. What if I want a little lazy-river privacy? Well, I guess there’s no need for that with kids about and such.

Filed under the categories: Hawaii, Oahu, Travel

The Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack from Hans Zimmer! I was excited when I saw The Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack (iTunes link) was available for pre-order on iTunes. Not much longer now! I’ve got a few special photos set aside to edit while I listen… it will be a great evening! I was in his studio when he was recording part of it. You would not have believed the electronics and machinery that filled his studio to produce the sounds. It looked like he had filled every space with ENIACs and Big Iron sound-mixing machines to create tones that had never before been produced. Here is an article about one of my trips to his studio before the dark knight rose to take over his “little boudoir” as he calls it.

Daily Photo – The Downtown Lights From Afar

Tom and I drove up to the top of a dormant volcano to look down on Waikiki late one night. It was a rather long day of being out in the rain and muck — and it was still raining when we arrived here. By this time, my D3X was in serious malfunction mode! I could only get Live View to work, and I had to use that to take photos…. not exactly ideal conditions!

Filed under the categories: Hawaii, Oahu, Travel

Daily Photo – Boat on Oahu Beach

You can drive along the beach for hours and hours in Oahu but miss what is actually there. Often times, there is a row of trees or houses that block the actual beach, but it’s hard to know what is just on the other side!

Luckily, Tom and I walked through some of the fauna and found this scene. It was all set up so perfect — and there I was with my camera (which isn’t THAT much of a surprise).

Filed under the categories: Hawaii, Oahu, Travel