#TravelTuesday Cork Ireland

Todays #TravelTuesday post celebrates the city of Cork Ireland. Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and it’s history dates back to the 6th century. The Lee River splits and winds gently through the city with the city center located on the island in between its channels. The river ends at Cork harbour which is one of the world’s largest natural harbours. Cork was our destination for our first night in Ireland. We landed in Dublin, rented a car (left hand drive) and drove through stunning green countrysides as far as the eye could see for 3 hours. We did make a few stops along the way, but the coziness of Cork city welcomed us with open arms after a long hard day of travel. We dined along the market square, and indulged with fragrant, full bodied wines and fresh seafood. It was a great beginning to a very memorable trip.

​Cork, Ireland

Nikon D5100 Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 @ 16mm f/13 ISO 100 1/6 sec single image HDR​

The Monster Mile at Dover International Speedway

In the fall we (the NASCAR side of my family) attend the AAA 400 race in Dover DE. It’s a great weekend to get away, take a break from work and reminisce about my racing days. The racetrack was given a makeover in 2008 which included the construction of a 46 foot tall fiberglass “Monster Monument” in the center of Victory Plaza. It is quite a spectacle. Everyone takes pictures of it and if you stand there with a camera long enough, many people will ask you to take their picture in front of one of NASCAR’s most identifiable monuments. Congratulations to Brad Keselowsk for his win there this weekend.

"The Monster" at Dover International Speedway, the Monster Mile​

​Nikon D800 Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm F/8 ISO 200 5 exposure HDR 1/2000-1/125 sec

October

Autumn brings wonderful things from a photographers point of view. Spectacular color changes, pleasant temperatures, and shorter days (so I don’t have to get up as early to catch a sunrise).
Nature’s final flourish fills the world with rustling leaves, crisp cool morning air, the sweet perfume of apple cider and pumpkin spice. Landscapes will be painted with various shades of light, hot tea will become the beverage of choice (or coffee with Bailey’s Irish Cream) and the aroma of burning wood from the hearth will greet me at home in the evening.
I feel the best time of the year is always the one I’m in, but Autumn comes with some excellent perks.

Download either of the calendars for October and distributed them as you see fit. You can supply these links to anyone for free download. Directions: Clicking the download links will take you to my Smugmug gallery. Choose the calendar you want Hover your mouse over the picture and click on the "save photo" option (the one at the bottom that looks like a file with an arrow in it) Open up the picture on your computer Right click anywhere on it and click "set as desktop background". Voila!

​October 2012 Calendar Fall Foliage

Nikon D5100 18-55mm kit lens @ 55mm f/5.6 ISO200 1/125 sec​

​October 2012 Calendar Spooky

​Nikon D5100 18-55mm kit lens @18mm f/10 ISO 100 1/60 sec

Amur Leopard

A few weeks ago I had a Sunday off and wanted to keep honing my photography skills, so I thought a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo was in order. Next week I will post the entire zoo collection but I found this image spoke to me and wanted to share it separately.

Is he thinking? Has something exciting beyond the cage caught his eye? Is he missing the open plains? Yearning for new experiences?

Or is he content? Waiting patiently for lunch? Happily knowing his meal will be the same as it was yesterday and the day before? Is he preparing to take another nap knowing no dangers are close by?

It bothers me that I don’t know. I might never have ever seen a Amur Leopard if this one wasn’t passing the years waiting for crowds of zoo-goers to “look at the big cat”. I was glad to have spent a few minutes (more then most passers by) with this great animal, but was a little sad at the same time.

​Amur Leopard

Nikon D800 Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 w/ 1.4 tele @ 280mm f/4 ISO 100 1/13 sec​

The smallest ray of ight

Sometimes the odds seem overwhelming, like dark clouds in the sky. Then a ray of light breaks through and changes everything. Beautiful moments happen every day for fleeting seconds. Whether we observe them or not is a choice each of us makes.

​The Smallest Ray of Light

Nikon D800 Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 27mm f/8 ISO 100 5 exposure HDR ​1/25-.6sec