Greg Molyneux Photography

Category: Blog

Greg Molyneux’s latest photographs and words presented in reverse chronological order.

  • Keep Left

    Vibrant road signs photographed at sunrise
    Keep Left — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/30

    Mid-frenzy and flanked by powerful light during Sunday morning’s sunrise shoot I broke rank, disengaged camera from tripod, and went handheld to make some more spontaneous frames of my immediate surroundings. Rich golden light was pouring in from the northeast, and I wanted more than anything to capture the vibrant strength of the sun’s first light. Stronger than usual, just as I was experiencing it.

    The signs seen here sit right at my go-to Dock Road photo spot. They always draw my attention—especially the quirky homemade TURTLE X-ING sign. It gets serious points for character, and the turtles need our vigilance! Since I’m almost always at the spot for sunset, the change in light source direction illuminated the signs in a way I just don’t get to see on the regular. Enchanted, I kept creeping closer and closer and closer with my wide angle lens—bringing the scene tighter and tight together.

    I’m pleased with this vertical orientation photograph. I’m particularly pleased with the signage pointing off to all the sunrise light drama happening to the northeast (left) side of the photograph.

  • Easy Going

    HDR photograph of pastel sky colors at blue hour overlooking a marsh
    Easy Going — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    This photograph is from this past Saturday night—13 June—and kicked off what turned into a great 24 hours of shooting. A span that even included a sunrise! This photograph is also a reminder that your shooting plans—and, uh, success, failure, etc.—can change on a dime. I was in total laid back cruise mode on Saturday with no plans to shoot whatsoever. The thought never even crossed my mind. For me it’s a none too common experience to forgo even the slightest consideration for shooting in my agenda; it’s just that sometimes in summer, with sunset happening so late, it’s best to just let it go.

    This is all just a long way of saying that with one quick glance out the window revealing a variably cloudy sky full of potential, even the most ardent of planners can yield to spontaneity. One quick dash about the house to gather my things and I was off to Dock Road. I arrived at my usual spot and immediately noted a characteristic unique to this sky. With a well positioned low-level cloud deck about the westward horizon, the light was being direct such that all the coloration happened in the north-northwest direction. To explain this better, I used nearly the same position here—in a photograph taken just after sunset—that I used to photograph a sunrise a mere 9 hours later. Pretty neat.

  • In Morning

    HDR photograph of sunrise over the green marsh of Cedar Run Dock Road.
    In Morning — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    Wake up for sunrise, they said. It’ll be worth it, they said. Who cares if you’re tired? They said. Well score one for the they said internet meme crowd.

    I’ve been on a photo making tear these past 24 hours; racking up just over 300 exposures between my iPhone and DSLR. I’ve been shutter pressing, Instagram square formatting, Snapchat story making, Periscope broadcasting content creating machine—a legend in my own mind—or something like that.

    Mother Nature brought the goods—a unique northwest facing blue hour last night that I’ll be sure to post in all the usual places over the next few days, as well as some sights from the Seaside Heights boardwalk; finally ending with the sunrise photograph that you see above, taken just after 5:30 this morning. Summer’s in full swing, New Jersey, and I could not be happier.

    As far as this shot goes, it just so happened that after returning from Seaside and waking in a friend’s basement at 4:30 a.m. that the perfect confluence of timing brought me to Dock Road and to this sunrise. I’m not a morning person. This is well documented. But as I was driving home during the wee hours of the morning—just as first light was marking the sky in an ominous kind of deep purple—I knew the camera work would be worth my time. Besides, I could always nap it out after. And that’s exactly what I did.

    Dock Road was perfect this morning. I spent a good hour roadside taking in the sights, the sounds, and the bugs. But even those blasted no-see-ums couldn’t cramp my style. It was Greg Molyneux’s very own version of Sunrise Earth out there. And while I can’t say when my next sunrise will be, I’m sure glad serendipity worked out in my favor this time around.

    Now if you’ll excuse I’m off to spend the rest of the afternoon at the beach.

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  • See to the real you

    High key black and white macro photograph of a clematis flower
    See to the real you — 100mm | f/2.8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/250

    It wasn’t until showering this morning—OK. OK. This afternoon. So what if I like to sleep a little late?—that I realized I totally forgot about this photo. Taken in my backyard all the way back on May 24th I processed this baby up and apparently moved on to other things. Cripes. Memorial Day parties to host, work to pay the bills and exercise the mind, and naps. But mostly naps.

    So here it is, mid-June and my clematis is finally getting its due. It’s certainly not my typical macro, but every now and then a high key black and white treatment on a flower photograph is just what the doctor ordered. And while this exposure doesn’t reach the heights of I’d love to see you in that dress, it does slot in nicely among my past work.

  • Lift the Veil

    Low key photograph of the Cedar Run Dock Road Octagon House
    Lift the Veil — 100mm | f/2.8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/160

    The Weather Gods hath decide to play a cold grey trick on we the residents of coastal New Jersey. After what was a perfect Memorial Day Weekend, the cold, the grey, and the rains have set in. Of course on a macro level while this precipitation is most welcome—drought has been creeping in—it does cramp anyone’s weekend warrior status.

    I made this photograph was made 5 days ago, and we still haven’t seen a reprieve in the weather. (I have a canceled flight to Austin Texas and a weeks worth of fireplace ignition to show for it). I imagine we all like to think of the Jersey Shore come June as a magical place of sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Too bad we’re just not there yet.

    Here’s to the summer warmth that inevitably awaits.

    For the Birders: can I get a little bird help? Is that a cormorant chilling on that post?

  • Petey Piranha?

    Shallow depth of field macro photograph of a purple peony
    Petey Piranha? — 100mm | f/2.8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/640

    No, it’s not the goop spitting Petey Piranha of Bianco Hills’ Super Mario Sunshine fame, ready to chomp your day. But it is my front yard’s lone purple peony. After it went all last season without a single blossom I was most pleased to see a solo bloom make open for business this past Memorial Day Weekend. While I have several pink peonies scattered about my property, its purple shade is hands down my favorite.

    Now that it’s made an appearance, who’s ready to play some Mario?

  • Bayside Living

    High drama at sunset befalls a lone house sitting along the bayfront of Little Egg Harbor in this HDR sunset photograph
    Bayside Living — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    Made just last night, I can assure you the light chasing on Long Beach Island’s southern tip was spectacular. A+ conditions, really. With pockets of haze and roiling cumulus clouds rolling west to east the setup was spectacular; late day light was creating all kinds of unique effects rendering ideal conditions for what’s easily the best photograph I’ve made in months—at least as far as I’m concerned.

    After bouncing around from spot to spot, we ultimately settled on this Holgate bayside locale to make photographs. This little hideaway Holgate park on the eastern shore of Little Egg Harbor, coupled with the hallmark cedar siding and the sharp lines on the edifice of this bayfront property seen above, provided a spot on composition as far as I’m concerned. The intense light bouncing off the clouds created an intense gradient of yellow to blue as you let your eyes move from left to right across the photograph. I think it might be a while before I make another shot that trumps last night’s drama.

    Last night was easily the most fun I’ve had behind the camera in months.

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  • You got a Piece of Heart!

    Cross processed macro photograph of bleeding heart flowers
    You got a Piece of Heart! — 100mm | f/2.8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/500

    I’ve been sitting on this photograph for just over two weeks now. It’s been processed up and ready to go and everything, I’ve just been slacking. Anyway, here’s one of my backyard bleeding heart flowers just after it hit full bloom this past May 1st. Later that very day I scored this fine sunset at Stafford Forge; always a bonus when you walk away with two keepers in one day.

    Even before my macro days began—and all the way back to my time as a youngster—I always enjoyed the company of these early season plants. Harbingers of good times, and a fun reminder of my all-time favorite video game franchise. Yes, that’s a hint toward the title I chose.

  • Southside on the Bayside

    HDR sunset photograph of clouds, water, boats, docks and light made from Beach Haven, LBI. overlooking Little Egg Harbor
    Southside on the Bayside — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    I’ve got 18.6 miles of opportunity just to my east. It’s time I embrace it. Long Beach Island is a wonderful place—and now that I’ve found purpose by way of camera—I want to connect with my geographic neighbor better. See it in a better light if you’ll excuse me the super cheesy phrase. Particularly I want to scout LBI’s southern side. A place I’ve spent plenty of formative time growing up failing to appreciate what was staring my square in the face. There’s got to be plenty of great places to make photographs over there, and I want to find them.

    As for this here photograph? It was made last night on the west end of Engleside Avenue in Beach Haven. Just outside the newly opened Tucker’s (it’s good to see that back). It’s a simple parking lot overlooking some docks and Little Egg Harbor. This time of year, late Spring, offers a straight away view of the sunset. Allowing you to really line it up if that’s your thing.

    Conditions were pretty great last night, cloud wise. A small cell with heavy downpours managed to form just to my south. For a moment there seemed a real chance lightning might happen. While that never materialized, it was a quality shoot all-in-all. Minus the bugs. To hell with them.