Note: I have edited this post after the winners were announced:

This was a photo contest for HDR MAX. Even though the contest is over, you can still try out the software for free. If you decide to buy it, you can use the HDR MAX coupon code of “StuckInCustoms” for $20 off.

The winners are:

• 1st place – Justin Kern -Hall of the Mountain King
• 2nd place – Tamara Bauer – Life Is All About Choices
• 3rd place – John McCormack – Three Brothers

Below are images that I personally made with HDR Max.

Filed under the categories: Musings

This little thing has been a nice distraction for my holidays. This is actually a perfect little fairy that I got for my perfect little daughter who still believes that everything is both real and unreal at the same time. She doesn’t yet realize (or care) about what is possible and impossible. She has this wonderful free-spirit that is delicate and innocent – a soft way of holding my hand with intent as her grip loosens while she falls asleep.

I got her this little winged muse for the holidays – a tiny jewelry box for little things that she likes to use to make herself pretty for me.

Having kids running around is very nice for the artist in me… (uh oh – stream of consciousness warning – but don’t worry I am not a blogger who listens to the same Enya song 37 times in a row) It reminds me that it doesn’t really matter what is real and not real that affects the state of mind… To her fairies and magical forest creatures are real and full of wonder. They affect what she thinks and what she does… Then as adults, we are not supposed to think about that stuff any more because it is for children, but don’t we still fill up our heads with other things that are not real? Not only do we fill our heads up with non-corporeal visions, but most of them aren’t any fun at all! So, I say, why not go ahead and fill up our adult heads with fantastical things that may or may not be real, and have fun with it? I fill my head with things that have a deep truth and a fantastical nature… I suppose you can see some of that bleed out in my photos… and many of these things that are in my head actually come true in unexpected ways. There are elements of my brain that are like Big Fish and The Fall — all of it is there and happening within various levels… I am glad movies like that exist and kids exist… reminding us of what is secretly acceptable.

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

It’s a bit hasty to say goodbye to the D2X, I suppose. I still have thousands of shots that remain unprocessed. There are some fab ones, and you will see many more of them for years to come. MOST of you could care less what kind of camera I use for this and that… I think 10% of people are interested in cameras, so I will simply “tag” my posts with a D2X or D3X, so you can keep track at home.

I’ll post the first D3X shot right around midnight, CST, so it will be up for the full day of Christmas.

Three Quick Stories… on a trip down memory lane with this camera…

Story 1: First Shot of the D2X
This one was the first shot I ever took with this beast. It was a 9-exposure HDR, which I later discovered was horribly overkill, but I was still learning. This vantage point, from the John Hancock building, holds many good memories and many levels therein.

Story 2: D2X Becomes Radiated Like the Hulk
The next shot I posted below is of my adventure in Chernobyl. This story was recently reprinted online right here, in case you missed that one. I am pretty sure the sweet D2X absorbed some of the Cesium-138 radiation, possibly dislodging an electron or two and making a slightly better camera than the traditional factory model. I am still selling the camera soon and I will need you to sign a waver on any possible radiation poisoning.

Story 3: D2X Nearly is Lost Forever
This is the biggest geyser in Iceland. It’s called Strokkur. By the time I had spent a small epoch there, freezing, trying to get the shot I wanted, it finally came time for my stiff joints to leave. This is already an extremely slippery place, but what I didn’t anticipate was how slippery it became when the superheated steam and mist quickly settles in billions of tiny spherical ice-particles on top of existing frictionless ice. I swear there was superconductivity here.

I completely lost balance, and, by an unexpected reflex, I launched my camera into the air with the tripod still attached. I was flat on my back with the air knocked out of me — the camera barreling down at me. It spun just right as I stuck out my hands to catch it, and as it snapped smoothly into my hands, I was looking over to the side to see the lens just a few centimeters from the ice. It was probably the most awesome thing I had ever done.

Farewell D2X! You’ll soon be in the hands of some other cool photographer that emails me a good offer! I’ll keep processing your pics for years to come. But I gotta move on… I’m sure you understand… Maybe if you were able to grow with me through life, but you can’t. Since you have not yet achieved sentience, this should not hurt your feelings (too much).

Filed under the categories: Musings

Ahhh… Chinese royalty. Of all the royalty in the world, I don’t think anyone lived quite as well as the Chinese. Maybe that’s open for debate? I suppose luxury is a state of mind, but they certainly had all the component parts.

Here in Hangzhou, the royals would summer, languishing about these gardens and lakes, staring out across these lily ponds.

In other news, I have a new article that is a short version of my HDR Tutorial up over at Abduzeedo, which is one of the world’s top design blogs. I keep that site in my RSS news reader and can usually find some good design inspiration there!

Filed under the categories: China, Hangzhou, Musings, Nikon D2XS, Travel

A big thank you to all of you! Ever since I decided to bring art to the web, it has opened up a new world to me.

First, I thank you for the art YOU have uploaded to this techno-Salon of Flickr and the Internet. You all continue to inspire me and I am always humbled whenever I take a trip over to the top photos for the day. This could either depress or inspire me — but I actively choose the latter!

Second, I thank you for your excellent comments, including the critical feedback that helps me see things from various perspectives. I don’t always have time to respond, but I do read the comments. I know less than 1% of people actually take the time to do it; so thank you all that take the time. Even if you don’t comment… that’s okay! I hope you keep seeing enough to return for more.

I’ve been fortunate enough to travel and meet many great photographers around the world, who have helped and forced me to get better. There are so many more of you I look forward to meeting someday… It’s a long life, and I plan on getting there!

Third, I thank you those of you here that come to the daily blog at www.StuckInCustoms.com to enjoy the larger size photographs. The Flickr ones are much too small by default; don’t you agree? This has helped the blog continue to grow to well over a quarter million unique visits per month. I will try to keep up my promise of "One Beautiful Photo Per Day"! (please note I accidentally break this promise about 10-20 times a year).

Also, let me issue some apologies. See those unread emails at 20,107? I’m sorry but I just don’t have time to get to all of them — I hope you understand this. I feel VERY RUDE when I don’t answer such nice emails…but I just literally don’t know what to do about it! Additionally, Flickr has maxed out my contacts so I can not add any of you to mine — this is very unfortunate and I wish they would make some exceptions on occasion! (contact me Flickr VPs… we have other things to talk about too).

Many of the emails ask about my Photo Processing technique, which I continue to evolve and update at this tutorial location: stuckincustoms.com/2006/06/06/548/ — I hope you find it helpful.

Again, a sincere thanks!

I’ve lined up some stunners that I have been saving for the final two weeks of the year… stay tuned!

Filed under the categories: Musings

I really love Vancouver! It’s one of those places I always heard about… but I always discounted what was said because it was generally said by Canadians, who, unbeknownst to me, actually knew what the heck they were talking about.

Of the limited shooting I got to do while I was there, I was very happy it was stormy and rainly, since that’s the way it’s supposed to be up thataway. The first one is of the science museum, and I felt like it was a giant Tesla coil harnessing the power of the storm, or perhaps driving it. The others are scattered around everywhere from the picture perfect Stanley Park to the other side of the bridge on the way to Whistler.

Filed under the categories: Musings

It was a great (but freezing!) weekend in Chicago for the holidays. It was adventurous and relaxing. The first shot here is from the amazing tree in front of Bloomingdale’s off Michigan Avenue.

I also spent a lot of time in the Art Institute of Chicago, coming away from my favorite room with the great Impressionists — the room is filled with over $100 million in Renoirs, Monets, and Cézannes. After coming out of that forum, I always get a bit melancholy… a strange combination of inspiration while feeling like I have no talent at all.

The final shot is one of a wonderful little adventure journal that I thought you might enjoy. The other captures are little bits from here and there around my room… freezing some time, perhaps.

Filed under the categories: Chicago, Illinois, Musings, Travel

As night was falling in Dresden, I moved from location to location around the city to chronicle the changing light conditions across the old buildings…

Filed under the categories: Dresden, Germany, Musings, Travel

I spent a weekend in the seaside town of Malacca, which used to rival Singapore in the beginning of the 1900′s as the busiest port in SE Asia. Over time, the Dutch built up Singapore and allowed Malacca to stay small and quaint. It’s still the same way, with the old architecture lining the streets. The old warehouses and shops of the early century are now converted in to taverns, shops, and temples.

As I was moving around from place to place taking photos, I heard some acoustic guitar coming from a small empty tavern. I went in and met Aki here, who was warming up for a concert later than night in the same place. I asked her if she could take a photo while she practiced, and she said of course and then invited me to see her sing later that night.

Filed under the categories: Musings

I tip my hat to the great Kevin Kelly, who always seems to be surfing on the same wave, giving me hang-ten signs via his polemics. In case you don’t know who Kelly is, watch one of his great speeches at TED right here.

The One is already extending itself with me. I am totally comfortable with the fact that I was a human that used technology to extend myself, which I still do to ever increasing degrees. All the while, I have felt this unexpected coalition would flip and The One would start using me to feed The Machine compelling content… I just didn’t know when it would happen.

But you know that feeling when you have food poisoning, and you just KNOW you’re going to vomit later, so you might as well be tough and make it happen now? I’m certainly at that point with this daily blog at www.stuckincustoms.com, where I feel wonderfully compelled to go gather meaningful content to be added to The Machine.

I push the theory forward a bit more and separate The One and The Machine into sort of a "soul" and a "body". The One is an imperfect symphony of the thoughts and desires of everyone on the net, and The Machine is the guts that keep track of all the goodies. The One is right brained and The Machine is left brained, but I am out there, working for both, as a willing agent.

I have written pages more about this, and in the very likely case that this is hopelessly confusing to you, I’ll spare you the details! No worries… just keep coming back every day for another photo, served up fresh to give you a new view of the world!

And here is another photo, taken less than a thousand miles away, of an Amish boy who is not out gathering and filtering content for The One, and who is not likely to be. I shot this last one a little over a year ago, when both of us were on the same side of the equation.

Filed under the categories: Musings

I’m writing an article for Smashing Magazine entitled “10 Principles of Beautiful Photography”, and, in so doing, I am making one of the notions therein that it helps if you can learn to draw. Now, last year, I could barely draw a bath and my portraits looked worse than my 7-year-old’s!

But get this… I have a very good friend at work named Gustaf with whom I made a bet. Now, the guy is brilliant and a great designer, but he is absolutely terrible at Photoshop. I thought that was unacceptable, and I also thought my complete lack of drawing skills was unacceptable. Since I am mega-competitive, I made a bet with him that I could teach myself to be passable at drawing before he could teach himself to be passable at photoshop. I won the competition, as it should be, but he still has time to learn (he got a girlfriend and it kind of threw a wrench into the whole competition).

I’ve always admired people that can draw. “Man, I always wanted to do that!” I thought, remorsefully… But after practicing in secret for many months, I feel like I am a little bit better. I’m not great, by any means. Before getting into it, I knew there were natural savants out there that can naturally draw from birth. I knew I could not ever get to that level, but I wanted to get to a point where I felt better about my ability to capture a scene or feeling with just charcoal and paper.

Anyway, here are some of my favorite drawings over the past six months or so. They are in chronological order with the most recent ones on top.

Filed under the categories: Drawing, Musings

I’ve probably been to Yellowstone almost 10 times in the last 10 years. After the mega fires, some areas have been quick to rebound while others have not. This is one of the burned black trunks that remains, defiant.

One thing that was news to me, that I found out recently from a ranger, was that certain pinecones only spread their seeds once they burn and explode. This means, of course, that fires are necessary for the forest to grow; quite fascinating eh?

Filed under the categories: Musings