Persistence

The sound of rain beat down on top of the camper this morning dousing my hopes of a trackside sunrise. I’m an early riser so I thought I would venture out anyway. Secured the rain cover over my backpack gear and tripod, donned my raincoat and ventured out. The lights from the track overwhelmed the area until the soft blue rays of pre dawn started to illuminate the sky above the stadium. On the other side from our camper lies the main entrance and the sun was was beginning its ascent towards the horizon. I was awarded for my persistence with this view.

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28mm f/11 ISO 200 9 Image HDR

Bristol

Today was the long drive to Bristol Motor Speedway. Not a bad drive at all. Good weather and a stop for lunch at Waffle House. There are no pit passes for this venue because of the lack of space in the center of the arena. I’ll do my best to get some interesting pictures but there is rain in the forecast. Great weekend to all.

​Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 230mm f/8 ISO 100 1/800 sec

Springtime approaches

I’m getting tired of taking pictures of what would be great sunsets and sunrises except for the fact that all the trees are still dead. Decaying leaves have cluttered the ground for what seems like an eternity in my mind. Maybe that’s because I’m still fresh in the photography world, but the lesson of “There must be beautiful things in front of the lens to make beautiful pictures” has been recited again and again in my mind. So here’s a little pick-me-up from last March in the hope of what’s to come.

Nikon D5100 18-55mm kit lens @ 18mm f/3.5 ISO 100 5 image HDR

#TravelTuesday El Morro

The Castillo San Felipe del Morro has defended the San Juan Bay since its completion in 1589. The part that was erected then is but a small fraction of what stands today. It was named in honor of King Philip II of Spain. The last time it saw active battle was in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. In the Treaty of Paris it was ceded to the United States along with all of Puerto Rico. After the Americans took over, El Morro became part of Fort Brooke and in 1961 it became part of the National Parks Service.

This view is from across the bay. The structure on the right is El Morro. The structure on the left is at the tip of the peninsula on the opposing shore. If you’re ever in Puerto Rico, don’t miss a trip to see El Morro at the edge of Old San Juan.

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 68mm f/16 ISO 100 5 image HDR