Greg Molyneux Photography

Category: Blog

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

  • These are for you

    A low key photograph of a late season pastel colored quick fire hydrangea backdropped by dark tones and smooth bokeh
    These are for you — 40mm | f/2.8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/640

    Friday’s are always better with flowers. At least I think so. With Fall here this is getting to be just about it for flower season. Until next year, little buddies.

  • Just another marsh shot

    An HDR photograph taken of the salt marsh on the south side of Great Bay Boulevard during golden hour.
    Just another marsh shot — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    Here’s my other shot from Monday. The shot I had all set up and dialed in before plans changed. It worked out for the best since I walked away with two keepers. And while I’m hardly a math magician even I can surmise two is greater than one.

    While compositionally sound, what I like most about this shot is the essence it captures. This is the Jersey Shore I know and love. The backwater coastal ways, the estuaries, the salt marsh. It’s where I find my peace.

    Long before I was into picture taking, I would take drives to the marsh—often with friends—to just take in the scene. Away from the angst and bustle of the real world, the busy world. We all need place where we can take a step back and decompress. That’s what the marsh is for me.

    Milestone alert: While yesterday was my 100th post on this website, this here shot is the 100th image I’ve shared. Thanks to all those who have visited, and thanks to all of those who someday will. Cheers.

  • Making my way

    A cross processed street level photograph of a lone car approaching, headlights on. Power lines and clouds mark the background
    Making my way — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/8

    Tonight I had solid clouds to work with but no color. Not exactly sure what to shoot I knelt down roadside, hands cupping my camera no more than an inch above the asphalt. The first test shot showed a promising composition. A second later I heard a car approaching, roughly a half a mile out.

    Knowing the photograph I hoped to produce, car approaching, camera aimed blind in nothing more than a general direction, I depressed the shutter. A quick glance down at the viewfinder showed luck was on my side. Success.

    Fun fact: This is post number 100 since the January launch. Woohoo!

  • You gotta move

    A serene coastline photographed at blue hour and processed for HDR; algae laden driftwood pieces mark the foreground with wisps of pink clouds setting beyond an old bridge and cool blue skies.
    You gotta move — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    Photography rule #648: be adaptable.

    Photography rule #648a: be fast—with your adaptability and your feet.

    In photography as it is with life, it’s always good to have a plan. Not just for the structure, but more for the mindset it creates. A mindset that has us thinking about our craft long before and long after we’re out in the field executing. Through the iteration our work becomes better and more our own. And our hairs grow grayer, too!

    Last night’s plan was all about heading south to Great Bay Boulevard to make the most of an ideal late afternoon cloud setup coupled with a perfectly timed low tide. Things were looking up!

    My buddy and I arrived on scene about an hour before sundown and everything looked great. After scouting a composition the minutes passed and the sky grew more bleak. Figures. Low level clouds made their way in, draping the southwestern horizon. Things went from good to bad in the span of 20 minutes, and this sunset, like many before before it, had bust written all over it.

    6:50 p.m. About five minutes past sunset. Nothing but blues and grays. No color in sight.

    Then Jon calls over, “check out over there.” I look to the northwest over my right shoulder to spot Jon’s finger pointing off along the horizon. A lone jet of pink streaking across the western horizon off toward the north. Perplexed I kinda stood there for a minute or two more amazed than anything else.

    6:55 p.m. Ten minutes past sundown. The pink is growing.

    Things are escalating quickly. The northwestern sky is lighting up pink and it’s spreading quickly. Too bad it’s spreading nowhere near my shot. All the color stayed to the northwest, a real oddity for sunset light.

    At this moment I knew I had to move. And fast. Decisively I scooped my tripod, camera fixed to its head, and began a 200m sprint toward the bayside beach. Running like a soldier with a rifle, I had my setup cradled and moved as quick as my 32 year old wheels would allow. I can still pick ’em up and lay ’em down.

    Knowing I had no more than five minutes of color left (max!) I arrived to the bay beach. I looked left. I looked right. I Spotted some neat driftwood and knew that was my foreground. It’s not like I had time to explore other options. Above is the shot I exposed. Who the hell needs a plan anyway?

  • Grooving on some sunshine

    A cross processed macro photograph of a late season quick fire hydrangea, its white petals fading to pinks and purples.
    Grooving on some sunshine — 100mm | f/3.5 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/60

    I took this on Friday so I’ve been a little lazy in getting this posted. My plan was to post this for #floralfriday but hooray laziness. That was sarcasm. Mostly.

    Each season, for the past three seasons anyway, I make a point to photograph my backyard quick fire hydrangea in the early Fall; after its white petals bleed out to soft pinks and purples, but before said petals fall to the ground for winter quarters. This was the product of my annual rendezvous.

    I’ll miss you flowers. Until next year.

  • Safe harbor

    An HDR photograph of Barnegat Lighthouse taken from the jetty rock at blue hour overlooking majestic pastel clouds over Barnegat Bay.
    Safe harbor — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    As I was taking the seven bracketed exposures for last night’s shot, I was looking back northeast over my right shoulder at the incredible scene happening to my rear. Old Barney awash in blue hour pastels, cast in a soft pink glow. There was too much great light and not enough cameras (in the interest of full disclosure I was firing off panoramas with my iPhone throughout the shoot). We’re talking first world problems of the highest order. In the span of a second my mind racked over the pros and cons of moving my tripod and repositioning my camera in the midst of the phenomenal sunset that was unfolding in real time. Normally I like to find my spot and stay there.

    After a brief pause of hesitation I decided to make the move. I did go to the lighthouse to shoot the lighthouse, after all. Knowing I had to move quickly, I dialed in with speed and took one set of seven brackets before hurrying back to my first location, facing sunset. That one set produced one hell of a final result. I haven’t taken many photographs of Long Beach Island’s most famous landmark but this one is surely best.

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  • Last Summer fire or first Fall burn?

    Overlooking a calm Barnegat Bay, this HDR photograph features an unbelievably intense sunset with striking orange, yellow and pink. All backed in a rich turquoise. Taken mere hours before the start of Fall.
    Last Summer fire or first Fall burn? — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    To equinox or not.

    At some point today, harried by one pained throat and an equally upset stomach, I determined today was the equinox. How couldn’t it be? It was the 22nd of the month and yesterday wasn’t the equinox, so… Excellent clouds were out and about all throughout the day, and I thought there’s no way in hell I am going to miss an equinox sunset shoot so long as I’m well enough to do so. Driven by my superstitious—watch Ancient Aliens for hours at a time—side comes out, and my mind all but assumes there has to be an outstanding sunset because, hello? Equinox. I mean this is just how the universe works. In honor of this assured collision of cosmic forces, I decided to up the ante and shoot from a new location: Barnegat Light.

    The 23rd?!? Really?

    Seriously? I can’t ever remember a solstice or an equinox happening on a 23rd. Insert incredulity.

    When I learned this I was already en route. Tweeting my despair I soon learned all was not lost. There was a technicality that would save me yet! Fall, you see, arrives at 10:29 p.m. for those of us on the East Coast. So while this photograph was taken during Summer, it’s still on the date with which Fall will arrive. Convenient.

    None of this, however, speaks for the real show. That sky. Wow. It all came together today. The air was remarkably clear, with the cold front that passed through last night visibility far exceeded its norm, making from uniquely sharp conditions. The cloud striations were great, the colors magical, and the air pure. It was a sight to behold in person, and I am so pleased to have a capture to share with you. This shot has vaulted to the top of my personal favorites. It’s gonna be a tall order to better this sunset. You’re on notice, solstice.

  • And the orange glow

    A low key HDR sunset photograph overlooking the tidal overflow of a lagoon flowing through a salt marsh.
    And the orange glow — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    I came away with two shots from last night’s sunset shoot. The one I posted yesterday and the one you see above. Only minutes after the first photograph, the sky had undergone a rapid transformation. From the deep blue sky and dramatic clouds to the smooth orange glow backed by an almost turquoise sky that we see here. Once that sun came under the cloud draping just over the horizon the warmth of the sunlight changed—dialing up the orange and yellow and intensifying shadows. This is a big part of what make sunset (or sunrise) so exciting—you can have numerous stunning scenes in the span of one half hour.

  • For the cloud fans among us

    In this HDR sunset photograph, large puffy clouds illuminate the sky in the final minutes of sun.
    For the cloud fans among us — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    A few thoughts from tonight’s shoot:

    • The tide was up
    • The northern wind was blowing
    • The light was great—especially early—this was taken about 30 minutes before sunset
    • The light was downhill from there—continuing the recent trend of better light before sunset
    • The cumulus clouds were putting on a good show

    September continues to prove itself a great month for photographs.