Zion National Park

In March, of this year I visited the Zion National Park in Utah. This is an amazing place that I would highly recommend if you go out west. Here are a few photos from that trip. This video runs 5 minutes. Comments welcome. Happy Shooting !



Crutch

The Story Behind the Photo

This was taken at my favorite place to shoot birds. The Venice Rookery, in South Venice, Florida. I had been watching this couple for several hours as the male kept leaving and returning with sticks for nest building. He would hand off the stick to the female and take off again, only to return with another stick or twig. This continued all day. I was lucky to get this shot at 1:57 in the afternoon. Shot with a Canon 5D and 400mm with a 2x converter at 800 ISO. The camera was set at 1/1000 sec at 7.1. Comments welcome...and as always Happy Shooting !

Photo Tip of the Week

Warm Up Those Tones !
Have you ever noticed that your shots sometimes have a cool, clammy feel to them? If so, you're not alone. The default white balance setting for digital cameras is "auto", which is fine for most snapshots, but it tends to be a bit on the "cool" side. So, when shooting outdoor portraits and sunny landscapes, try changing your white balance setting from auto to "cloudy". That's right, cloudy. Why? This adjustment is like putting a mild warming filter on your camera. It increases the reds and yellows resulting in richer, warmer pictures. I leave my cameras on cloudy 99% of the time....Try it and as always Happy Shooting !

Crutch

Hensley Settlement

In mid October, I was lucky enough to be included in a group that was invited to the Cumberland Gap Historic Park. The park is located on the Kentucky - Tennessee border. Dr. Jim Ford, Jim Ross, Pete and Liz Michael and myself were to be escorted to the top, to photograph the Hensley Settlement. To visit this part of the park, one must be accompanied by a park ranger. No vehicles allowed and one must make a short hike to the settlement. If you ever get this opportunity, take it. The weather was a bit foggy, as it had rained the day before. Everyone was excited at this opportunity to have this place to ourselves for the day. This short video will give you and idea of our experience. Special thanks to Ranger Scott Teodorski, of the Cumberland National Historic Park and volunteer, Dr. Gary McKenna, for hosting this photo shoot. I would be remiss, if i did not thank all the staff, of the park, for the excellent job of preserving and protecting this historic site, for future generations. As always, your comments are welcome and encouraged. Happy Shooting !

Charleston, S. C. 2009

I visited the Charleston area in late September. This was my first visit to the old town area, but will not be my last. I was a little late to take advantage of all the colors and flowers, but I plan to return in late spring next year. The weather was great and the city is very beautiful, as you will see in the short video. As always, comments are welcome. Happy Shooting !