Backs to the Beach
09/09/2010 07:33 AM Filed in: Lightbox
For many, summer means trips to the beach or a family vacation to a beach resort. The beach of choice for my family, for the past couple of years, has been Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. Different then the classic boardwalk beach towns on the New Jersey shore, or even Maryland’s own Ocean City, Rehoboth Beach has wonderful beaches and a great town to explore with something for both kids and adults alike.
As I was sitting on the beach watching my kids play in the sand and at the waters edge, I started to take some photos of others around me. This photo opportunity turned into this subject exploration, Backs to the Beach. Once the idea came to me, I grabbed my gear and took several walks up and down the shoreline to capture the images here.
Shooting conditions were not the greatest. The skies, for most of the time, were grey and overcast with the sun only peaking through every now and then. In those moments, I was there and ready to grab that golden light. These images were all taken with a Canon 40D DSLR and a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS Lens. The images were processed using Lightroom and enhanced in Photoshop using the Nik Software’s Viveza 2 filter. All images are presented here in a 16:9 letterbox format.
As I was sitting on the beach watching my kids play in the sand and at the waters edge, I started to take some photos of others around me. This photo opportunity turned into this subject exploration, Backs to the Beach. Once the idea came to me, I grabbed my gear and took several walks up and down the shoreline to capture the images here.
Shooting conditions were not the greatest. The skies, for most of the time, were grey and overcast with the sun only peaking through every now and then. In those moments, I was there and ready to grab that golden light. These images were all taken with a Canon 40D DSLR and a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS Lens. The images were processed using Lightroom and enhanced in Photoshop using the Nik Software’s Viveza 2 filter. All images are presented here in a 16:9 letterbox format.
Easter Photo Opportunities
04/03/2010 09:36 PM Filed in: Lightbox
I spent the afternoon at an annual family Easter party. The weather was perfect, the food was wonderful, and photo opportunities were there for the taking. There were lots of family and kid shots captured. Here, however, are three images taken when I strayed away from the festivities. Every location has photographic opportunities, even when that location might just be a backyard on a sunny spring day in April.
Team Arsenal: 2010 Spring Soccer, Game 1
03/29/2010 04:13 PM Filed in: Lightbox
If it is spring and a chilly, overcast, blustery day... It must be another season of travel soccer. This year and season, it is Team Arsenal. Here are six images from Team Arsenal’s first game. Due to the low light of a,cloudy and grey day, I shot these images in a Raw format and converted them in Adobe’s Lightroom. I created a reduced saturation, vintage look preset and applied it to 25 images selected out of more than 180 color proof images shot during the game. This preset details the uniforms and grass and has a healthy vignette to add some punch and focus to the subjects.
To see the full set of 25 artistically worked images, please stop by my Smugmug site. To get there, just click here. Oh... Team Arsenal won. Final score was 3 to 2.
Irish Lass
03/17/2010 12:06 PM Filed in: Lightbox
These images are from a portrait session I shot back in 2006. The family was traditional Irish and these images are of their little Irish Lass. She was a pure pleasure to work with. Shy at first, but warmed up to both me and the camera very quickly. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
Winter: Parting Shots
03/16/2010 03:04 PM Filed in: Lightbox
With spring officially upon us next week and the weather finally warming up in Maryland, it is time for a few parting shots of winter. The record snowfalls in the Maryland and the generally cold climate all season made this winter seem longer than usual. It, however, was one of the most enjoyable winters in a long, long time. So... With a fond farewell, here are a few images captured during some winter fun. Enjoy!!
Christmas Lights
12/21/2009 02:34 PM Filed in: Lightbox
Before the Holiday Season slips away, I want to show some images of the magic that is Christmas lights. Christmas might be my wife’s holiday, but the hanging of the lights is all mine. I am not quite as bad as Clark Griswold, but this years outing ended up being 5,150 white lights. The images below are a macro look at some of those magical little lights. These images were shot with a Canon 40D and an EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS lens. All were processed with Lightroom. Happy Holidays!!
Christmas Parade
12/21/2009 01:56 PM Filed in: Lightbox
Back in November, during the Thanksgiving weekend, my hometown of Westminster, Maryland had their Christmas Parade. With kids in hand, I, along with my wife and her family, attended. Naturally, I took a camera and the following images are a few from that outing. All were shot with a Canon 40D and a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens. No flash was used as I wanted to work with natural lighting. All the images were processed with Lightroom. Hey... Is that Ralphie and his trusty Red Rider Carbine-Action Air Rifle in the background? Happy Holidays!!
Morgantown: A Photo Road Trip
09/18/2009 10:37 AM Filed in: Lightbox
Here are some high contrast black and white images from a recent photography road trip taken during the Summer of 2009. These images were captured in Morgantown, West Virginia. They were taken with a Canon 40D DSLR and a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS Lens and processed using Adobe Lightroom. Morgantown is full of photographic opportunities and is a town containing a wonderful mix or old and new. These images were taken at various locations along the Monongahela River. The full photo series can be viewed at http://lightis.smugmug.com. Stop by and take a look. Enjoy!!
Last Beach Weekend
09/13/2009 12:15 PM Filed in: Lightbox
I grew up spending my summers at the beach in Cape May, New Jersey with my grandmother. I have some fond memories of that time in my life. Endless days on the beach and cool, windy nights on the boardwalk. It is not a surprise then that as an adult, I enjoy spending vacation time every year at the beach with my wife and kids. This year, the beach was Rehoboth, Delaware.
The following images were taken on the last real weekend of summer for my kids. It was the last weekend before school started in late August. I took these with my oldest son in tow as we walked the beach that Saturday morning. All are black and white, digital infrared images captured with a converted Nikon CoolPix 990. I boosted the contrast and cropped them to a 16:9 letterbox format.
The following images were taken on the last real weekend of summer for my kids. It was the last weekend before school started in late August. I took these with my oldest son in tow as we walked the beach that Saturday morning. All are black and white, digital infrared images captured with a converted Nikon CoolPix 990. I boosted the contrast and cropped them to a 16:9 letterbox format.
Variations
09/08/2009 02:57 PM Filed in: Lightbox
I am always amazed how one image can invoke different looks and feelings depending on how it is processed. From the original image straight out of the camera to a worked final image, photographers today have a vast range and palette at their fingertips to be expressive and creative with their work. This is true for both the professional and amateur photographer alike.
The image presented here and its variations are an example of this expression and creativity. The shot is simple… An on location portrait at a poolside birthday party over the summer. The first version is, for the most part, straight out of the camera. The versions that follow are worked and processed, each uniquely different from the other.
The image presented here and its variations are an example of this expression and creativity. The shot is simple… An on location portrait at a poolside birthday party over the summer. The first version is, for the most part, straight out of the camera. The versions that follow are worked and processed, each uniquely different from the other.
Out of Camera
Added Contrast & Rich Black Tones
Reduced Contrast with Enhanced Whites and Light Tones
Desaturated Colors with Red Tones
Aged Tones
Classic Black and White
End of School Year
07/01/2009 12:22 PM Filed in: Lightbox
The end of the school year brings out cameras for most parents and families. It also brings out cameras for photographers like me. In the first half of June, I had the opportunity to photography a Pre-K groups of kids in their final days of the school year. All were excited about the summer and filled with lots of energy. The shoot was a blast. I shot over 200 images and presented 113 to the school. Here are a few samples.
Holiday Fun from 2008
01/28/2009 05:08 PM Filed in: Lightbox
Since the blog was not online for the 2008 Holiday Season, my annual family fun photo didn’t get posted. These are so fun to do, however, it deserves a showing. Enjoy...
