Moonlight on the Pacific

On a late night walk along the Pacific Ocean this past summer, I shot this photo of stars over the waters. The moon was almost full, so the bright light limited the visibility of stars, but placed nice light on the ocean wanes.

 I used a tripod placed on the rocky shore for this long exposure. Canon 7D with the EF-L 24 to 105mm at 24mm. Exposed at f 4.5, for 30 seconds at iso 2500.

Wedding Rings

The wedding season is quickly drawing to a close, though some couples choose to marry close to Christmas or New Years.

This is a photo from a wedding I did last week. I placed the couple's rings on a marble desk top with the bride's bouquet in the background. I wanted to capture the colors of her flowers as a reflection surrounding their rings. I used window light and a white cardboard reflector as my lighting sources.

Canon 7D with the EF-S 60mm f 2.8 macro lens, mounted on a tripod. Taken at 1/5 second at f 14, iso 800.

Butterfly

Day ten and the final day for the Photography Scavenger Hunt International Competition. The theme for day ten was "Butterfly" and this was my entry.

Our friends Jim and Melva invited my wife and I to join them on their boat one evening in July. I knew I needed a shot of a butterfly for the contest. Lo-and-behold, as we were cruising across Acton Lake, this little guy flew up beside us. Jim steered the boat as close as he could and we followed the butterfly as he crossed the lake. I snapped twenty or more shots as the light faded, but was lucky to get this image. Thanks, Jim!

Sony DSC-RX100 with built in zoom lens @ 37mm (full telephoto mode); f4.9, 1/1250, iso 200.

Turquoise

Day nine for the Photography Scavenger Hunt International Competition and the theme for day nine was "Turquoise."

This is McWay Falls, an 80-foot waterfall along the Pacific ocean coastline in California - a part of the area known as Big Sur.

Sony DSC-RX100 with built in zoom lens @ 16mm (moderate wide-angle); f11, 1/125, iso 125.

Stars

Day eight for the Photography Scavenger Hunt International Competition. The theme for day eight was "Stars." This was my submission for the theme and I'm pleased that it won an "Honorable Mention."

I took this shot at Hueston Woods State Park, at the edge of Acton Lake near the lodge there. It was about 3:00 am on a very clear, crisp summer night. My son, Sean, came along to keep me company. We didn't see another soul.

I set my tripod up on a stretch of cement walkway that leads to some wooden docks. I first tried setting up right on the docks, but the motion of the water made that idea unacceptable. I knew this would be a long exposure and the camera would need to be rock-steady.

I chose to shoot toward the western sky because the only city lights in that direction were from Brookville, Indiana and College Corner, Ohio. Other compass points were overwhelmed with light from Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton.

Canon 5D Mark III with a 28-70mm lens @ 28mm; f3.5, 30 seconds, with iso 3200.

Sprinkler

Day seven for the Photography Scavenger Hunt International Competition. The theme for day seven was "Sprinkler." While this photo was perhaps my favorite entry into the contest, it did not garner any awards.

I took this while on vacation to California to celebrate my son's 30th birthday. Our families were walking the grounds of the Spanish Bay golf resort near sundown when I happened upon this scene. I used a camera I had just received for my birthday a few weeks earlier; the Sony DSC-RX100. I think it performs very nicely for such a compact little camera.

Sony DSC-RX100 with built in zoom lens @ 10.4mm (full wide-angle); f9, 1/30, iso 200.

Bad Hair Day

Six days of judging are complete for the Photography Scavenger Hunt International Competition. The theme for day six was "Bad Hair Day." This photo was my entry. No awards for this one but I appreciate my good friend, Jim Brown, for being a good sport and serving as my model.

It was a simple, straight shot with little post-processing. Canon 5D Mark III with a 70 to 200mmm lens @ 200mm; f16, 1/250, iso 200.