I have put up a short Gigapan Review. The gigapan is a cool little machine that lets you make photos that are insanely huge.

This is the same photography tech that was used on the Mars rover, and I was able to jam it into my backpack during my hike in southern Argentina. Panoramas on the web are always a tough thing to show and share. The default size is always short and wide, and it loses a lot of the effect. Then scrolling and moving about seems to take away a little bit too. I think a lot about how people consume digital media on the web, and I’m not sure there is a great way to show off a panorama just yet. I’ve used dozens of GUIs, and they all seem a little bit clunky.

However, despite all those comments above, you can go here to the Gigapan site to see the full-sized version, zoom in, etc etc.

As you can see, it was a beautiful and rough place. I can’t believe I hiked for so long and didn’t twist my ankle once. The late afternoons heading into sunsets always had these clouds that were darker than the sky, making it all extra moody.

Filed under the categories: Argentina, El Chalten, Patagonia, Travel

I’ve had (the pleasure) to go to Houston a few (too many) times this year.  I always end up staying downtown, which affords me some good opportunities to take photos at dusk.  Usually I am busy (being drained) and can’t actually get out to shoot at sunset, so whenever I have a chance, I do my best to get a good one.

This was shot from the top of the Magnolia Hotel, which is a very cool place to stay, if you ever make it down thataway.

Filed under the categories: Houston, Nikon D3X, Texas, Travel

Nothing makes me feel more like being in a foreign place than having the ceiling being entirely composed of cloth fluttering in the breeze.

Well, I am pretty sure that is what the Disney Imagineers intended when they designed this place. This was an Arabian-style restaurant right in the middle of Disney World, which has to be one of the coolest places in the world for photography. One of the problems there, frankly, is that there is so much to see that it is simply overwhelming. I think, now that I have been there multiple times, you just have to force yourself to drink in the details slowly over time. Wouldn’t being a Disney Imagnieer be just about the coolest job in the world?

My other piece of advice for parents (although, may Disney veterans already know this), plan a nap into the day. There is just no other way to do it with kids. Do the morning and lunch in one place… then maybe one ride on the way back to the hotel for nap time. Get a nice 2-hour nap in, then head out to different park for the evening. It will decrease stress levels by a factor of pi, and, besides, we adults are the ones that really like the naps, right? It’s a vacation, after all.

Filed under the categories: Disney World, Florida, Nikon D2XS, Orlando, Travel

Is it a sad thing to say that one of the most fun things I did in Vegas was walk around by myself and take photos? Yes, I think that sounds kinda sad.

But it’s true! What a great place for photography. The lights are insane, the textures are off-the-wall, and everywhere you look is a feast for the eyes. It’s also a real challenge to try to get everything just right in the photo. With so many light levels working against one another on your sensor, it takes a bit to get it right.

I just finished recording another podcast today with Jim Goldstein from EXIF and Beyond. Whenever that one comes online, I’ll share it with y’all. We talked a lot about HDR and how it can best be used. I usually dial it up or down based on the photo, and this one, like my others, follows the steps in my HDR Tutorial. I can’t think of a better situation for HDR than Vegas at night. I look forward to getting more time in Vegas to go take photos of the other casinos hotels. If you guys have any special requests, be sure to put them in the comments!

Filed under the categories: Las Vegas, Nevada, Nikon D3X, Travel

Being a lifeguard in LA must be a great job. Or it might be a boring job. Or it might have occasions of greatness filled with a long periods of boredom.

There was a lifeguard sitting here in the station on Manhattan Beach when I took the shot. I guess I could have asked her while I stood outside her station for 10 minutes with all my glass aimed right at her. I kept giving her a nod of confidence, indicating that everything was okay. I was really just waiting for the colors to get right in the reflection.

Filed under the categories: California, LA, Nikon D2XS, Travel

I saw the craziest and most unbelievable things in Patagonia. It was like nature rewrote its own rules to build this place. I’d like to make a reference to the ill-fated Genesis project in Star Trek II, the Wrath of Kahn, but I won’t.

I came across this shockingly clear and mysterious green lake. The water magnified the pure green algae that covered every strange underwater formation. There were also fish swimming around inside, but I kept the ISO so low on these shots, the fish got blurred out. I do have some higher ISO shots of the fish I will add at a later date. They were these little blue-colored fish. I think they were trout, but I’m not totally sure. Anyway, I felt lucky to be here in the Autumn, just after a small rainstorm, making all the trees nice and moist with a glistening glow.

Below that, I have posted a shot taken by my friend Dima. It is of yours truly with Yuri. He is looking particularly sour in this photo. If you’d like to see some other photos from Argentina, just click here.

Today I am on a radio show with Rodney Washington as the host. You can listen to it right here in the widget below at 2 PM CST. You can even call in – the number is (646) 716-4445. If you miss the show, it will be available for download (or podcast) after it is recorded. We are talking about photography, HDR, blogging, and all of that sorta thing.

In the meantime… if you are listenin’ to the show and lookin’ for somethin’ to click. Let’s vote up the site to see if we can get up to #1 in the 2009 Photoblog Awards! You’ll have to register on there so your vote is legit, but that is fast… Thanks in advance!

Filed under the categories: Argentina, El Chalten, Patagonia, Travel

This spot is about 5 minutes from my house.  Why don’t I go up here every night for sunset?  I don’t know.  I really don’t have a good excuse, because every time I go up there, I come away with something different.

On this night, I walked up there with my son right after the sun dropped below the horizon and we watched the day turn to night together.  One of the planets was brightly lit (Venus?) and appeared right above that cool-lookin tree that sits atop.  People from Austin know the one I’m talkin’ about.

Filed under the categories: Austin, Nikon D3X, Texas, Travel