Travel – Page 433 – Stuck in Customs
19
Jan 2012 : Thursday
filed under  England, London, Nikon D3X, Travel, United Kingdom

Entering the Chunnel

Art.com Feature

Pop over to Art.com and check out the front page – does that guy look familiar?

SOPA / PIPA – Why I’m Against It

I think that we, the architects of the internet, are able to create bottom-up solutions for current and future problems. A good example of this is Creative Commons, and here I am at Google talking about how it affects “piracy” in my world of digital photography.  Jump ahead to the 11 min mark, when I start talking about this subject in particular.

Daily Photo – Entering the Chunnel

I remember the day as a kid I first heard about the Chunnel (the famous tunnel that connects England and France).  I wanted to go through it as soon as I could!  Well, it took a long time but eventually it happened.

I bought the tickets ahead of time and was sure to get to the station in London to take photos ahead of time.  I love all train stations – old and new.  Even the new train stations in London have sort of an old feel… it’s hard to explain.

When I was on the train and we left the station, I decided to turn on the GPS on my Android.  I’ll never forget it.  I saw my little dot ripping across the English countryside.   It was so awesome.  And then it disappeared when we hit the water.

Entering the Chunnel I remember the day as a kid I first heard about the Chunnel (the famous tunnel that connects England and France). I wanted to go through it as soon as I could! Well, it took a long time but eventually it happened.I bought the tickets ahead of time and was sure to get to the station in London to take photos ahead of time. I love all train stations – old and new. Even the new train stations in London have sort of an old feel… it’s hard to explain.When I was on the train and we left the station, I decided to turn on the GPS on my Android. I’ll never forget it. I saw my little dot ripping across the English countryside. It was so awesome. And then it disappeared when we hit the water.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

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18
Jan 2012 : Wednesday
filed under  California, Nikon D3X, San Francisco, Travel

Darkness in the City

Stuck On Earth hangout

We had a great hangout to talk about Stuck On Earth (iTunes Link), the community, and more.  Here is a recording.  Enjoy!

 

Daily Photo – Darkness in the City

Sometimes the art gets a little bit dark, yes?  These moods are kind of good and kind of fun… and productive in a few different ways.

I found this location through Stuck on Earth.  We have a Top 50 Secret Spots list in the app from my friend Thomas Hawk.  It got me a great shot looking in the other direction.  But then, I very simply turned around and saw this out the other window!

HDR Photo

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17
Jan 2012 : Tuesday
filed under  Iceland, Isafjordur, Nikon D3X, Travel

Chance of a Lifetime – Join me on an Around-the-World-Trip

CHANCE OF A LIFETIME ! ! !

Join me and +Tom Anderson (yes, the MySpace guy!) on a secret adventure around the world, from one side to the other and back around again. Countless cities. Endless adventure. You’ll be paid. You’ll be fed. You’ll be given shots to protect you from Dengue Fever.

Are you a DP/SHOOTER with impressive experience? Can you meet all the criteria below?

PROJECT
Shooting an independent documentary. This is going to be a bare bones ENG style crew with no “official” camera assist.

POSITION
DP/SHOOTER who has documentary experience. Must know how to set up & light interviews. Must be able to run & gun.
• DP/SHOOTER is expected to manage and prep all their own gear.
• Showrunner/Director will also assist with camera prep when necessary, or shoot B-camera.

FORMAT
We will probably shoot on something like the Sony EX3 (or its equivalent). We may also shoot some DSLR for b-roll/character saga sells.

CONTACT
email [email protected]
? Reel and references please!
? Reel and references please! (repeated on purpose)

HDR Phot <div itemscope itemtype=

Daily Photo – Epic Iceland

I have many things in common with Tom. One of them is the love of “Epic” scenes. These mostly come from movies, but it spans many different pursuits. He’s the only other guy I met that can also quote scenes from Lawrence of Arabia.

So, obviously I do like to find epic scenes in the world, and I feel like Iceland is full of them. Capturing them the right way is another ball of wax, but that is most of the fun.

Epic Iceland

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2011-06-20 23:21:36
  • CameraNIKON D3X
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time0.3
  • Aperture8
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length22.0 mm
  • FlashNo Flash
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias+3

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16
Jan 2012 : Monday
filed under  California, LA, Nikon D3X, Travel

Blade Runner

Big Chance-of-a-lifetime opportunity tomorrow!

Be sure to watch this space tomorrow…  something very very very very cool is coming…  I’m excited to offer it to you here on the blog!

Daily Photo – Blade Runner

I was staying at my friend Tom’s house (see the post tomorrow!!!) in the Hollywood hills, and we decided to head off to one of the nearby trails that overlooks the city.  I took photos in one direction of Century City, but then turned around to zoom in on downtown LA to get this shot.

I don’t know if this is fog or a cloud or smog or a combination of all of them, but it made for a lucky and nice effect!

Blade Runner I was staying at my friend Tom’s house (see the post tomorrow!!!) in the Hollywood hills, and we decided to head off to one of the nearby trails that overlooks the city. I took photos in one direction of Century City, but then turned around to zoom in on downtown LA to get this shot.I don’t know if this is fog or a cloud or smog or a combination of all of them, but it made for a lucky and nice effect!- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

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15
Jan 2012 : Sunday
filed under  Beijing, China, Nikon D3X, Travel

The Forbidden City

New Authors Coming Online

We have many new authors over at Flatbooks.com (as well as many new ebooks!).  Check out the Authors section to see who is working on upcoming books.  Very exciting!

Daily Photo – The Forbidden City

Early one morning I decided to hike up the biggest hill in the middle of Central Axis to get a shot of the Forbidden City.

Once up there, it was an amazing view of the old city.  There’s not many cities in the world that have kept such a huge area so well preserved.  It’s about as close as you can get to time travel in the real world (so far).  And then, when the light is right in these strange hours, it is a completely transportive experience.

The Forbidden City Early one morning I decided to hike up the biggest hill in the middle of Central Axis to get a shot of the Forbidden City.Once up there, it was an amazing view of the old city. There’s not many cities in the world that have kept such a huge area so well preserved. It’s about as close as you can get to time travel in the real world (so far). And then, when the light is right in these strange hours, it is a completely transportive experience.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

Order a Limited Edition print of this photo<

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14
Jan 2012 : Saturday
filed under  Iceland, Isafjordur, Nikon D3X, Travel

The Minecraft Waterfall

The Video – DSLRs are Forever?

What’s going on with the future of cameras? How are many pros thinking about this? DSLRs versus mirrorless? Join me, Zack Arias, Gordon Laing from Cameralabs.com , Frederick Van Johnson, James Brandon, Kelli Seeger Kim, RC Concepcion.

Daily Photo – The Minecraft Waterfall

Speaking of Minecraft, our server is up and running again.  Drop a note below if you want to join.  I had to kick a kid and ban him from the server because he was destroying stuff and acting uncool.  The rules are simple… don’t destroy stuff, don’t steal, and don’t defile the farm animals.

This waterfall reminds me of one of those long never-ending waterfall/rivers from Minecraft.  Except, it’s kind of 100x more awesome because it is real.  There are hundreds of these all over Iceland.  The water just keeps coming and coming… I’m often curious as to where it all coming from because the hills beyond seem so gentle.

The Minecraft Waterfall Speaking of Minecraft, our server is up and running again. Drop a note below if you want to join. I had to kick a kid and ban him from the server because he was destroying stuff and acting uncool. The rules are simple… don’t destroy stuff, don’t steal, and don’t defile the farm animals.This waterfall reminds me of one of those long never-ending waterfall/rivers from Minecraft. Except, it’s kind of 100x more awesome because it is real. There are hundreds of these all over Iceland. The water just keeps coming and coming… I’m often curious as to where it all coming from because the hills beyond seem so gentle.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
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13
Jan 2012 : Friday
filed under  Beijing, China, Nikon D3X, Travel

From The Top of the Great Wall

Schemer

Have you heard of Google Schemer?  I believe it is in beta.  That is a link to my personal page… It’s a fun way to find things to do “in the real world” and I’ve been using it from time to time.

If you want an invite, watch my Google+ Stream later today for a little giveaway…

Daily Photo – From The Top of the Great Wall

Far in the north, this area of the Great Wall has been overgrown with vegetation.  Birds and little creatures are all over the place.  A path has been made over time, and it weaves in and out of these overgrown bits.  The wall is so wide that it’s sometimes easy to forget that you are standing on top of a huge structure.

From The Top of the Great WallFar in the north, this area of the Great Wall has been overgrown with vegetation. Birds and little creatures are all over the place. A path has been made over time, and it weaves in and out of these overgrown bits. The wall is so wide that it's sometimes easy to forget that you are standing on top of a huge structure.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest at the Stuck in Customs blog.

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12
Jan 2012 : Thursday
filed under  Nikon D3X, Travel

The Opposite Hotel

New Android App!

We released a new Android App called “Photo Voyages of Trey Ratcliff” – It’s available now!

Reminder – Live Hangout Tonight!

Topic: DSLRs are Forever? 
Subtext: You don’t always need DSLRs now or in the future to get DSLR-quality photos…

 

Daily Photo – The Opposite Hotel

 

What an amazing hotel in the heart of Beijing!  Thank you all for the suggestion to go here…  I love this kind of neo-modern-techno architecture, so it was a real treat to run around and take photos everywhere.  I was like a man possessed :)This is the lower pool area.  It was dark in there for sure.  I used a tripod to make sure the exposure was long enough to get the effect I was going for.The video on the right is from another part of the hotel… up in my room… where you can see some cool things as well as what was in my bag.

 

The Opposite HotelWhat an amazing hotel in the heart of Beijing! Thank you all for the suggestion to go here... I love this kind of neo-modern-techno architecture, so it was a real treat to run around and take photos everywhere. I was like a man possessed :)This is the lower pool area. It was dark in there for sure. I used a tripod to make sure the exposure was long enough to get the effect I was going for.The video on the right is from another part of the hotel... up in my room... where you can see some cool things as well as what was in my bag.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read more, including an exciting announcement for Android fans, at the Stuck in Customs blog.

Order a Limited Edition print of this photo

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11
Jan 2012 : Wednesday
filed under  Beijing, China, Travel

The Bird’s Nest From Above + New Hangout!

 

Live Hangout Thursday Night!

Topic: DSLRs are Forever? Subtext: You don’t always need DSLRs now or in the future to get DSLR-quality photos…

Daily Photo – The Bird’s Nest From Above

I was at the top of this tower late one night in Beijing.  It’s a cool tower (I don’t have a photo of it), but it’s the kind of tower that will look awful in about 10 years.  Anyway, this photo is not about the tower.

The famous Bird’s Nest stadium was spread out beneath me.  When I saw this scene, I knew I was going to shave off the top and the bottom.  The bottom was kind of interesting.  The top was dreadful.  It’s a bit painful to take a photo when I know I’m going to be cutting out so much, but I do it quite often anyway.

The Bird’s Nest From Above I was at the top of this tower late one night in Beijing. It’s a cool tower (I don’t have a photo of it), but it’s the kind of tower that will look awful in about 10 years. Anyway, this photo is not about the tower.The famous Bird’s Nest stadium was spread out beneath me. When I saw this scene, I knew I was going to shave off the top and the bottom. The bottom was kind of interesting. The top was dreadful. It’s a bit painful to take a photo when I know I’m going to be cutting out so much, but I do it quite often anyway.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

Order a Limited Edition print<

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10
Jan 2012 : Tuesday
filed under  California, Nikon D3S, Travel, Yosemite

No I don’t…

No I don’t…

It seems like every day I get a question about whether or not people pay me to post about things. People think I do this because my Klout (meaningless) is 83 and I have over 750,000 followers on Google+ and another 100K or so on Twitter + Facebook, but no, I do not:

  • …do paid posts from Nikon for money
  • …do paid posts from Sony for money
  • …do paid posts from Apple for money
  • …do paid posts from Google for money
  • …do paid posts from Facebook for money
  • …do paid posts from … you name it… SmugMug, American Airlines, Four Seasons, Banyan Tree, Fuji, American Express, etc etc… for money

The thing is… I can’t be bought. The blog is already profitable and we have a healthy and happy team of employees here at StuckInCustoms that I appreciate very much. This means I don’t have to accept money to post on the blog or various social networks to artificially “plug” something. If you ever see me mention a product or service, it’s simply because I wanted to… because it fits in with the story or it is a product or service I recommend.

When people see me write an article that is critical of future Nikon DSLRs and says that I am Sony-curious, some assume that Sony is paying me to say this. That is absurd. I am totally independent.

So, with me, you can be assured you’ll always get my pure opinion.

There are always behind-the-scenes stuff happening that we reject all the time. I’ll listen to any proposal, as long as it does not include me being disingenuous to you, my gentle reader.  If you’d like to read more about this policy and all the ins and outs on the website, visit my Ethics Statement.

There are continually confusing situations that I try to avoid. For example, Lytro offered to send me a free camera in exchange for me sending them my Lytro photos to be featured on their website. That would be seen as an official “endorsement” of sorts by me. Anyway, I told those jokers no way. Even though I would not be actively posting about it, the association could be seen as disruptive and not respectful of you.

Daily Photo – The Lonely Woods, Forever

Here is another photo from our recent Yosemite PhotoWalk last week. The valley floor is full of dense forests that can go on for an eternity. I had a wonderful time exploring these with all my fellow PhotoWalkers. I can’t wait to do it all again soon.

The Lonely Woods, ForeverHere is another photo from our recent Yosemite PhotoWalk last week. The valley floor is full of dense forests that can go on for an eternity. I had a wonderful time exploring these with all my fellow PhotoWalkers. I can't wait to do it all again soon.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest, including some info on why you won't find paid blog posts on stuckincustoms.com, here at Stuck in Customs.

Order a Limited Edition print of this photo
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