NASCAR is over for 2012

In an exciting NASCAR season, the championship again came down to the very last race which took place in Homestead FL this past Sunday. Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge race car, finished the season in the number one spot. Congratulations to him and his team for a battle well fought.
This picture was taken just after dawn on race day when we visited Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina back in May for the Coca-Cola 600. These are the trailers where all kinds of gear is sold. From shirts and hats to scanners and model cars. Being at a NASCAR event is indescribable. The sounds, smells and grit of racing life makes the whole experience one that you have to be there to fully enjoy.

Charlotte Motor Speedway trailers

Nikon D5100 Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 @ 11mm f/9 ISO 100 5 image HDR

Hiking, The Time is Now

For me hiking represents many things. Exercise, freedom, clean air, nature, relaxation, the list goes on. What brought this to my attention was last weekend while I was hiking I realized that there was hardly anyone around. Late Fall into early Winter is my favorite time to explore the woods and parks. Southeastern Pennsylvania gets stinking hot and humid in the summer and will soon be dead and frozen as the holidays approach. Right now (mid November through mid December) is perfect for a long walk on a brisk morning. There are no insects to wave off constantly, little worry of sunburn, the rainy season is over so muddy paths are rare, and there are few non serious hikers (you know the kind ... loud, pretentious, on the phone, dropping litter, etc).

When your first deep breath outside chills your lungs and shakes off the cobwebs in your mind, it’s the perfect day for an Autumn hike. Go hiking this weekend, stay safe.

Hike!

Nikon D800 Nikon 28-300 f/3.5-5.6 @ 28mm f/6.3 ISO 100 3 Image HDR

Misconceptions of sunset

Sunset for me as a photographer is a magical time of day, but why, is misunderstood by many people. I remember years ago wanting to get pictures of sunsets. I have one of the sun melting away into the Gulf of Mexico from a pier in Key West Florida. I clicked and clicked away, giddy with results on my camera display. Two minutes after the fire ball disappeared, the crowded wharf was evacuated, and my wife and I headed off to dinner. Little did I know that the sun’s light, stretching around the Earth, could spray buckets of colorful drama into the waning blue sky. Now, when I’m stalking photos, I watch as people leave the scene, smile to myself, sit back and soak in the ebbing spectrum of light that washes over the immense palette above me. Click click.

Purple to Dark Blue Sunset

Nikon D800 Nikon 28-300mm @ 28mm f/3.5 IO 100 1/3 sec

"The Importance of Being Earnest"

Last night I got to photograph the dress rehearsal for the upcoming play of the Upper Merion Underground Players. That is to say the theater program for the Upper Merion Area High School. They are performing Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” at the high school (map) on November 15,16, and 17 at 7:30PM. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. This farcical comedy first graced the stage in London in February of 1895, at the height of Wilde’s career. This humorous rebuttal to the stuffy, formal Victorian age was well received at its time and has had several revivals through the past century. It’s a tale of love, snobbery, marriage and false identity that pokes fun at everyone. Including Earnest.

Cast Members from the play

#TravelTuesday Boston

A few years ago my wife and I took a weekend trip to visit Boston. I am a big history fan and Boston plays a big role in America’s early days. We enjoyed two walking tours of the historic area while we were visiting, one about the city’s role in the birth of our great nation and one about its darker side. Both tours were given by Boston by Foot, were fun and informative, which brings me to a point I need to share. Private tours: If you are traveling to a city or region that you don’t know well invest in a private guide. Not necessarily for the whole visit, but for part of it. We have had guides in Boston, San Antonio, London, Rome and Florence. The money spent has provided stellar information and priceless time and money savings. Back to Boston... One of the pieces of art I found fascinating was commissioned for the bicentennial in 1976. The artwork is embedded into the streets around the Haymarket district. It represents the trash of the market. Bronze sculptures were inlaid into concrete, depicting litter that would have been discarded onto the street during busy market days. I find it strange, but when I think back on our trip to Boston, it’s one of the first images I remember.

The Streets of Boston