Nighttime snow will forever mean one thing: incessant checking of the streetlights for evidence—and intensity—of falling snow. Snow lovers know what I’m talking about.
This winter has been somewhat vexing. There’s been plenty of snow but not enough opportunity for my camera and me to exploit it. With tonight’s passing clipper, I was not to be stopped. Even if it meant a quick jaunt to the streetlight one house down. But hey?
With one quick exposure into moderately falling snow and a streetlight I’ve gazed up at so many times before, my camera made real what my mind imagined. I knew immediately this was destined for a very deep sepia treatment and one cool outcome. I hope you enjoy.
The path before me — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures
The Winter of the Great Sunset™ continues. Snow and cold be damned, the sky has been putting on a show this season. Seriously, though? Who am I kidding? I love the snow. Anyway…
I returned to my tried and true Dock Road location to take advantage of the sun’s angle in the southwestern sky. While I’ve made shots from this location scores of times before, I wanted to find a slightly different take composing the scene—and by slightly different take I mean more visually pleasing; an arrangement that naturally fosters eye movement throughout the image.
To achieve this end I kicked the legs out wide—getting nice and low—and pulled my tripod back a few feet. This brought the small rock and sand that now marks the foreground into the frame, creating a nice starting point to guide your attention throughout the photograph.
I’m pleased I found this shooting position. I’ll certainly be revisiting in the future.
I’ll leave you when the summertime — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures
Since I was already down in Little Egg Harbor visiting with friends today, Great Bay Boulevard always hung in the back of my mind as the likely landing spot for tonight’s obligatory sunset chasing. I say obligatory if only because a) it’s a Saturday in winter—rending me home from work—and b) the setup looked favorable all day.
We found our general area and I began investigating as to where I’d eventually plant myself and my tripod. While meandering about the shoreline excellent light was holding sway out over the marsh and my mood was good. This is always a favorite part of the experience for me—framing the shot and appreciating the waning light of day. Always take a moment to step back from the viewfinder to take it all in.
I positioned myself precariously on some loose fitting jetty rock, or some facsimile of a lesser jetty rock. Regardless, it felt like a twisted ankle waiting to happen but served up the best view angle as far as I was concerned. Potential falls be damned, I set up the camera and tripod and began making the above photograph. It’s a composite of seven exposures later merged for processing in Photomatix Pro and Lightroom. I hope you enjoy.
It’s not often I photograph people. In fact, it’s pretty damn rare. However, while awkwardly positioned and semi-inverted, I fired off this shot while Ben was texting out our location to friends while we were setting up for sunset at the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area this past Sunday.
Out where we cannot be — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures
I got wet today folks. That’s right, I did what we shan’t do and fell through the ice. Levy any and all criticisms here, and yes I was immediately reminded of what we all learned from our parents as children. Now, while I was very near to shore and hardly in peril, the ordeal was still a bit of a stunner. Between the freezing temperatures as my right leg plunge down to the knee or my discarded camera and tripod, my immediate attention was to my camera, lens, and their collective well being. Frost bite be damned, I’ve dropped this pair once before and was having not so great flashbacks—I didn’t have time to be fretting over a wet foot. As it turns out, the camera and lens seem fine despite the fixed lens hood acting as something of a snow plow. But I digress.
Fractured ice aside, I had a blast shooting with Ben Wurst of Reclaimed today. We took advantage (mostly) of the unusually cold temperatures and ventured out on foot over wetlands we’d otherwise never have access to. While we were clouded out at the key moment rendering the idyllic sunset palette a bit stale, the array of clouds made for an interesting composition; made all the more dramatic with the dark sepia treatment. This is a composite of seven exposures to extract the great dynamic range from the scene.
With any luck if the cold stays, I can avoid falling in and successfully return to this spot for a more winter stunning sky.
Who watches the watcher? — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/13
We had a brief outbreak of light snow today and I wanted to get out to photograph it. With my friends up and their truck accessible, we took a cruise down to Barnegat Light figuring the snow pack and potential salt water ice flows would have something to offer as far as interesting pictures go.
It worked out just so that as the snow was pulling off over the ocean to the east, the sky cast a solemn beige-purple hue to the south west. It was this sky that I wanted to feature with my shot of the lighthouse.
Of note, this is one of my first times photographing Old Barney. I’ve got to get back soon and add this to my list of regular locations.
Winter has its ways — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 3 Bracketed Exposures
I’ve been privy to a spate of spectacular sunsets of late. While winter typically brings the goods, over the past seven weeks I’ve had this, this, and this happen; each better than the next. You could say the first rule to making good pictures is being there, and nothing has proven more true.
Get out there and freeze your butt off. It’s worth it.
and the heavens created the earth — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures
The stars aligned today. It’s hard to say waking up with a sore throat, beat down from the weekend can be a good thing, but on this day it is so. You see, my misfortunate allowed me to work from home and thereby be local and camera ready for sunset.
It paid off.
This was the best sunset I’ve yet to photograph. In fact, it’s one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen unfold. All day long I was poking my head out the window, looking toward the sky assessing the cloud situation. By 3:30 PM it was clear a solid sunset at minimum was in play. While my buddy and I were getting setup and noting the ideal cloud features and creative sun angles, the excitement of the infringing pinks marching down from the north was palpable. We knew this was going to be special. I mean the night before a ripping northeast snowfall, how couldn’t it be?
I once was a blogger and now I blog again—only this time with photographs.
I’d say for the past month or so I’ve been putting slightly more than a passing thought to having my own website once again. In a past life moonlighting as a web designer, I did a lot of blog and design works with friends. We had a blast. Our digital couch moved from Atlas Editorials to Babeled to Nuclear Fissionary; my friends and I took our passions, opinions, and occasional sarcasm to the blogs. It is now that I take my photographs to this space.
Starting back with my 365 photo project (366 as it was a Leap Year) that began on January 1, 2012, I’ve embarked on a most unexpected journey. A trek that has taken me from beleaguered photographic neophyte, to a serviceable photog with a passion for landscape and macro photography. Of late, wide angle work has really captured my interest and gets the bulk of my attention—this site should somewhat reflect that addiction. But who knows how my photographic interests will evolve from here?
The plan for now is to post various photographs to this site offering insights and explanations into what my mind is seeing. Photography has moved and relaxed me, and I hope you can find a small piece of solace to enjoy while you visit.
