Greg Molyneux Photography

Category: Blog

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

  • Barnegat Bay dockside

    Barnegat Bay dockside

    A late evening HDR photograph taken just after sunset from Sunset Park in Surf City, New Jersey. The exposure looks out over a very calm Barnegat Bay and features the unfinished wood of the dock at the edge of the park with a small stone in the foreground.
    Barnegat Bay dockside — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    Part of me thinks the stone in the foreground needs to be swapped out for a Corona bottle, no? I’m down for changing my whole latitude.

    Last night almost didn’t happen. After a Mother’s Day dinner of steak and ribs I wasn’t sure whether or not I’d muster up the energy to head out for sunset. Game of Thrones was fast approaching and the cloud setup wasn’t screaming drop everything and grab your camera. But once my buddy Jeff swung by and mentioned he wanted to head to the M.T. Burton Gallery to measure out our spot for an upcoming gallery event I figured I might as well grab my camera and be prepared.

    We stopped off at Sunset Park in Surf City and the first thing that jumped out at me was how glassy the bay was. Outside of lazy one inch rollers, Barnegat Bay was just about as calm as you’ll ever see it at sunset. There was still a problem, though: the tide was in and I wasn’t seeing much for a foreground.

    As I was grabbing my gear and walking under the gazebo I noticed a rock resting gently on the bayside bulkead and thought to myself, this just might work. And it did! And to top it off I was bestowed with great color in the evening sky. Last night was one of those nights the color really lingered, too. This exposure—which is the composite of seven bracketed exposures—was taken a good 10–15 minutes after sunset. As such, the sub horizon sun angle was still painting the sky in soothing pastels of orange and pink. What a great welcome to the inevitable coming of Summer.

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  • Wisteria when you’re near

    A macro photograph of a freshly bloomed wisteria flowering plant. The shallow depth of field and deep vignetting evoke a moody feel among the flowers.
    Wisteria when you’re near — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/640

    I made some time with my camera yesterday albeit it brief. A steady wind backed by strong gusts made for futile macro conditions. Or so I thought. Having just uploaded my shots into Lightroom I quickly saw there were some winners in the set—in fact there were several. Luck was on my side, I somehow managed to snag some interesting selective focus with a shallow depth of field as blossoms erratically moved about the frame. Sometimes you gotta just go with it, right?

    Bonus points if you get the lyrically inspired play on words in the title.

  • A demure magnolia named Jane

    A vibrant macro photograph of a single jane magnolia blossom with a shallow depth of field and selective focus on the pistils.
    A demure magnolia named Jane — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/640

    My side yard where the back meets the front features a fence gate, a forsythia, some tiger lillies and one modest Jane magnolia. It’s taken a beating in recent years—it simply has not responded well to its transplant two years back. After a complete bust of bloom last Spring my magnolia bush appears to be getting some of its strength back. While hardly covered with blossoms, there’s at least some quality bloomage to enjoy.

  • Watching the sky unfold

    An HDR photograph taken at sunset from Rand's on Great Bay Boulevard featuring an imposing cloud deck backing in off the ocean awash in pinks and purples from the just departed sun.
    Watching the sky unfold — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    It’s not my wish to distract too much attention from this photograph with words, but wow. Just when tonight’s sunset seemed it would fizzle a light show exploded upon the imposing cloud deck that was back-building off the ocean. I had an entirely different shot dialed in—one facing toward the setting sun. And as much as I liked said composition it became impossible to ignore the drama happening off to the south and east. Knowing I’d be short on light, I composed a frame from the same spot and began bracketing.

    Considering there was such a sky show, I’d have liked to be over the flat marsh without any obstruction, bringing all the focus to the intricate pastel washed cloud patterns. But I had to work with what I had. I’m still pretty pleased for working in a pinch, and I’m very pleased I was out shooting tonight and able to bear witness.

  • Putting your heart on the line

    A macro photograph of freshly blooming pink bleeding hearts. Still small and bunched together, this photograph is processed with a fine art film grain.
    Putting your heart on the line — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/250

    Or hearts if you’re a Time Lord.

    It’s a grey, sullen day here in New Jersey. Rain, wind, and cold decided to bring shades of Winter back into the fold with highs that have struggled to get out of the 40s. But hey, it’s May tomorrow, right? Right?

    This shot is a holdover from this past Saturday; today seems as good a day as any to post a reminder that Spring is in fact here—even if it doesn’t know it yet. Bleeding heart flowers are a real favorite of mine, and my yard, front and back, is appropriately fashioned with them. An early season bloomer, I’ve got both white and pink varieties. I captured their development just as the hearts are beginning to take shape descending down to their final position on what amounts to be a flora close line. As soon as the good weather returns I’m sure I’ll be photographing them in full bloom.

  • The Burned Lands

    An HDR photograph take just after sunset from the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area. The foreground is marked by the charred remains of a lone tree stump. Fresh grasses begin to fill in the ashen remains.
    The Burned Lands — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    While not like to evoke thoughts of General Sherman and his strategy of scorched earth, the charred remains of a solemn tree stump flanked by the onset of lush grass rising in the ashen remains of last month’s controlled burn make for a calming scene, particularly at sunset. Carefully planned fires are a way of life down here—in the quiet Pinelands of New Jersey—overgrown undergrowth and grasses are burned away allowing new, more healthy flora to take hold. And if it wasn’t purposeful humans setting the fires, nature and/or the careless ash of a cigarette butt would do the same—only more often; jeopardizing the homes and wildlife throughout our region. Kudos to the local fire service for safely making this happen.

    The Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area was transformed a few week’s back by a manmade blaze. In a matter of days fresh grasses began to spread, setting the stage for the next generation of growth at the outer boundaries of the Pines. As I was milling about looking for my shot, I spotted the remains of this torched stump hiding in plain site amidst a field of nothing but nascent grass the color of lime. Immediately I knew I had my foreground.

    The sky was hardly the greatest but conditions were solid all around. It’s my goal to return in the near future to use this stump as a foreground prop at least once more before the tall grasses return, swallowing the burnt remains whole. As always the cycle continues.

  • The brooding Hyacinth

    A low key black and white macro photograph of a lone Hyacinth flower. The shallow depth of field and stark contrast lend a strong mood to the picture.
    The brooding Hyacinth — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/200

    I’ve been waiting for this little guy to show up—one of my favorite early season flowers. At this point I was beginning to think it wasn’t gonna show this year. But finally, just the other day, this lone Hyacinth finally reared its welcomed head. Now ready for the camera, I spent some time this afternoon snagging a few macro photographs.

    Taking my first look at the shots in Lightroom, it became quickly apparent that sticking with color was going to be rather ho-hum. Fortunately, some strong contrast added to a black and white finish really stepped up the intensity to demand more attention.

  • Slow it down

    A low key long exposure black and white photograph taken over Barnegat Bay from Sunset Point in Ship Bottom, New Jersey. This photograph is marked by dark tones and strong contrast across the horizon.
    Slow it down — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 361 sec

    Tonight was a tease. All signs pointed toward a top notch sunset: rolling storm clouds, a clearing westward cloud deck, and even some small rainbows dancing about the horizon. The ground and houses were awash in a fierce golden light and the anticipation was on.

    Heh. So much for that.

    A last minute wall of clouds crept over the western sky consuming the sun some twelve minutes earlier than scheduled. This stout blockade all but assured the sky wouldn’t do its fickle light dance this night. But you know what? It worked out. My buddy Vin happened to stop by for pictures as well. Instead of seriously shooting the sunset we thought we were getting, we passed some time talking shop. In doing so I captured one 360 second long exposure photograph—the picture you see above.

    For the final processed imaged I wanted to convey movement and minimalism. Black and white naturally lends itself to this aim, but I furthered the drama with a low key approach—reducing the exposure and reigning in the viewer’s eye toward the action above and below the horizon; leaving ample negative space gives the image room to breathe, naturally working the eye through the moving clouds toward the center.

    If you’ve got some time be sure to check out Vin’s work!

  • Callery pears and a little bit of whimsy

    A high key photograph featuring a flowering callery pear tree in Spring. Warm pastel colors and a loose film grain give this photograph a soft whimsical feel.
    Callery pears and a little bit of whimsy — 40mm | f/3.5 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/125

    After work yesterday I was milling about my front yard taking in the fresh blossoms and the last of the late day sun. Three cheers for later sunsets. At this early stage of Spring my two callery pear trees are in their full blooming glory. As the fading light of golden hour was dancing on the blossoms I made a quick shot with my mobile phone for Instagram. Inspired, I thought let me grab my camera and make an even better picture.

    Racing against fading light I grabbed my Canon, affixed my 40mm pancake, and fired off some shots. Sticking with a similar vibe from the cell phone photograph, I kept my lens pointed skyward, selectively focusing on the branch and blossoms at the bottom left of the capture. When it came time for post-processing I was running through some packaged presets in Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro 4. I happily settled on the film grain preset. I felt the high key treatment really brought out the pastels and subtle hints of yellow and gold from the departing sun, and the grain brought an appropriately aged feel. This type of photograph is a departure from my norm—making it all the more worthwhile. I hope you enjoy.