HDR DVD and the Clubhouse

We are having a good time in The Clubhouse! I hope that everyone that received the HDR DVD has successfully signed up and entered the Clubhouse. If you have not, be sure to contact support AT stuckincustoms.com with the email address you used when ordering the DVD. They will be sure to get you set up!

Daily Photo – Sunrise in America

Early morning shoots are often coffee-challenging. The photography is fun and invigorating, but it can be a little distracting when half of your simian brain is thinking about warm drinks and food. Usually, these early mornings are a bit too early to get coffee from anyplace that sells the stuff. Sometimes, my hotel room will have some coffee inside, but not in a to-go cup. Besides, I have to wake up so early, I can’t imagine getting up an extra 30 minutes before just to have some coffee!

This was taken off the Florida coast on a warm summer morning. At this exact moment when the sun breaks the horizon — well, this is a time when I am not thinking of coffee.

Sunrise in America

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2007-09-25 06:12:54
• CameraNIKON D2Xs
• Camera MakeNikon
• Exposure Time1/60
• Aperture4
• ISO100
• Focal Length10.0 mm
• FlashNo Flash
• Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
• Exposure Bias+1

The HDR Tutorial, Still Going Strong

I think it’s been over three years since I first posted the HDR Tutorial here on this site!  By the way, if you are new to the site, then what you are mostly seeing here is HDR Photography.

I go in and update the tutorial every three months or so, as I discover new techniques and further refine the process. We have SO many comments on there (especially on page 3 of the tutorial!) — I am not able to answer them all. But I am happy that so many people are learning this fun new sport. As usual, if you have any feedback, please let me know. The reason it is so good now is based on that very feedback, so keep it coming

Daily Photo – The Lonely but Beautiful Path

I have a lot of alone time. When I am out shooting, I am totally in my own world. In fact, I’m even double-in-my-own-world because I have my iPod on and I drift away into pure right-brain mode. It’s quite nice, in a way, because I do achieve a zen-like peace where time does not matter.

I’ve worked with a few photographers that will copy and paste a sky from one photo and put it into another photo. I don’t do that stuff – that is waaaay too much editing for me. All the clouds and colors you see are true and wonderfully there. I even sat with a guy once who would take a perfect moon out of one photo and paste it into another! I simply can’t bring myself to do anything like that… it’s just too over-the-top!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this new photo from Florida… I’ve got some more beautiful ones coming up in the next week, so stay tuned!

The Lonely but Beautiful Path

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2020-07-08 18:39:57
• CameraNIKON D2Xs
• Camera MakeNikon
• Exposure Time1/25
• Aperture4
• ISO100
• Focal Length10.0 mm
• FlashNo Flash
• Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
• Exposure Bias+2

These light sculptures are incredible to capture. I normally don’t like taking photos of “art”, and I rarely carry my camera around museums any more… I just feel strange taking a photo of something that is already a piece of art. I was explaining this to my mom a few weeks ago, and then she mentioned these shots from Palm Beach, which was a good example of where I go against my own rules. I think the asterisk here is that some pieces of art can be (and should be) captured to help the viewer evoke the same response that I did while I was there. I suppose you can say anything is art… lights, sculpture, architecture, and the like… And I shoot all of those things. Okay this is going too deep down a thread now, so I’ll just close it off by saying I don’t like taking photos of paintings on walls, but this kinda stuff seems fun and cool to me.

This first photo is a new one of this crazy-bizarre wall light. I don’t know what your Rorschach reaction to it might be… The other two photos are from the same restaurant there in The Breakers in Palm Beach. I didn’t eat in this restaurant… the first night I tried this other Italian restaurant that is part of the hotel called Mangia that had these bright yellow heirloom tomatoes with their caprese salad… they were the best tomatoes I had ever eaten… I had to go back the next night again since I couldn’t stand not tasting them again!

Edit: I found out these incredible sculptures are from an Israeli artist named Ayala Serfaty.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve spent mornings and evenings on the beach by myself. I think it’s quite alright, and I don’t entirely mind it at the time.

For me, it is even more strange, I think. Because I always have my camera with me, I suppose I’m not really alone because you are there too, along with the tens of thousands of others. We’re there at slightly different times, but still there together with the moment frozen. I’m not sure I can be good company to everyone at the same time, but there are always certain people with whom bare toes on the beach would be more than welcome.

I’ve got a great selection of music ready to go… I rented out the ballroom here at The Breakers for the grand event. Be sure to bring a few of your favorite MP3s on a thumbdrive and we’ll get em into the rotation!

I’ll take the seat on the left… no… okay, the one on the right. It’s alright… sit in whichever one you like. Where should we put our drinks? Ahhh the grass will be fine… okay, now, what to discuss? So many places to start!

It was a blustery day on the coast as I jumped out of the car between squalls to aim the camera in the most dangerous and interesting direction. This camera is fairly good at keeping out water, although I’ve never tested it in a torrent… nor do I want to… even though I do have the sweet Nikon D3x on my mind…