I started out as a photographer capturing landscapes and loved it. The feeling of harmony and connection with our beautiful world becomes palpabile in the early beams of dawn. With the sound of the echoing surf breaking on the beach, the chill in the air was refreshing and exhilarating. The extra hour afforded by the end of Daylight Savings Time meant I could convince my wife to accompany me to the cliffside before dawn. Sharing something this beautiful made the sunrise even sweeter.
Beach Week Part 3 Turks and Caicos
First the sad news. The picture below could be one of my all time favorites, but I was lazy. I like the picture, don’t get me wrong. It’s composed well enough: nice clouds in the sky, interesting subject, beautiful blues. The problem was me. I had a little point and shoot camera in my hand when I took it. It was bright and very sunny. So sunny it was hard to keep my eyes open. I thought it was a picture for the “B” role, one I would glance over but could never imagine on my wall. A week later, going through the pictures, my mistake was obvious. My other camera, the first moderately expensive camera I ever bought, was 25 yards behind me in the car. I didn’t go back for it, and I regret it every time I see this picture. Lesson learned. I don’t make that mistake any more.
Now the happy news. It was my wife’s and my last few hours on Turks and Caicos back in January 2012 and we were driving to the airport when we stumbled upon this little cove. We parked the car (which we had named “Cilantro”) on what appeared to be an abandoned beach on an unmarked inlet on the bay. A little sailboat was resting peacefully, just waiting for more fun in the ocean, and the sky had clouds that seemed to go on forever. The weather was perfect, just about 80 degrees with a slight breeze in the air. The clear aqua water beckoned for us to stay, but our time was at an end.
Nikon AW100
#TravelTuesday Point Sur State Historic Park
Beach week part two:
Along the coast of California just off of the Cabrillo Highway lies Point Sur. The dangerous rock formations had taken their toll on countless ships in the area, so in the 1870’s petitioning the U.S. Lighthouse Service Board began in earnest. On August 1st 1889 the fully operational Point Sur Lightstation came on line.
My wife and I were in California last year for the MotoGP race at Laguna Seca and we took a scenic drive down Coastal Highway to gape at the beautiful vistas of Big Sur. This picture was near the end of our trek to our dinner reservations at the Big Sur River Inn Restaurant which is inside the Big Sur State Park.
This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip because of the vibrant yellow flowers and deep blue in the sky; also how the lines give a great sense of depth to a two dimensional medium, your eye follows the beachline out to the lighthouse.
Nikon D5100 Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17mm f/8 ISO 100 3 image HDR
June 2013 Calendar
Here's your downloadable desktop calendar for June 2013. This picture was taken just before dawn on the beach in Ocean City Maryland. It was a struggle to get up and moving at 5:30AM on vacation, but approaching the beach I knew it was in the right move. Best wishes for a great June.
Nikon D5100 Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 @ 16mm f/13 ISO 100 5 image HDR
February 2013 Free Calendar
Taking a little break from our tour of Sedona, which will continue tomorrow, I give you your desktop calendar for February. The picture was taken on a recent trip to Puerto Rico in mid January. Temperatures were mild in the evening and pleasantly hot during the day. Sitting in the sun could arouse perspiration while reading a book and the ocean breeze would refresh the skin with its soft caress. February can be a grueling month here in the Northeast, so let this image be a respite for you, while you anticipate the warmer days to come.