#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

Beach Week

The solstice has passed us by and from here on out every day gets a little bit shorter. The good part is that Summer has just begun. My wife and I have just returned from our short trip to see Aspen Colorado, so I have plenty of pictures to process, and that will keep me busy in the weeks to come. We live a few hours from the Atlantic Ocean and this time of year stories, Facebook posts, Twitter updates and Google plus check ins happen at the shore. So this week I’m declaring “Beach Week”. For the next few days I will post my favorite beach pictures I have taken over the past few years, so sit back, relax, pour yourself a cold one, and enjoy.

Ocean City, Maryland One of the beach photographs I love is the one I made into the desktop calendar for June 2013. If you want to see the post and download it, click here. I was jumping up and down for joy watching the Sun glaze the sky with its assortment of color when I happened to turn around to grab a different lens from my bag and I saw the view pictured below. So next time you find yourself experiencing something miraculous, keep your senses open to what’s happening all around you. The moment may explode with possibilities.

Nikon D5100 17mm f/13 ISO 100 5 image HDR

Do You See What Eye See?

Photography has opened up a whole new world to me. I see light in ways I never thought of before. Sometimes nature’s wonders catch my vision and other times it’s a person’s smile. I stop and look at beauty in the world as others pass right by. Do people not see what I see? Isn’t anyone looking, or maybe they're just not paying attention? I want to live life to the fullest and experience everything I can while I’m here for such a short time. It’s not only my responsibility but a passion. We have five miraculous senses that we can use to soak up the universe. I see now more of what had been eluding me for years. I have photography to thank for that, and a quest to breath deep and live this life to the fullest.

The Closing

Spring is drawing to a close and Summer is beckoning; many days in recent weeks have been filled with rain. I have gotten a few breaks from time to time on an evening outing to snap a few pictures. We are preparing for the next trip so my next post will probably feature a Summer 2013 gallery. In the meantime I leave you with this image from the dam at Marsh Creek State Park. The sunset wasn’t particularly bursting with color, but I felt it made a nice black and white picture.

Nikon D800 Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm f/6.3 ISO 100 5 image HDR

Philadelphia Phoenix vs. New York Empire

Last Saturday I had the privilege to photograph the Philadelphia Phoenix in their battle against the N.Y. Empire. The Ultimate game took place at Cheyney University which is home for the Phoenix. In a hard fought contest the Phoenix were unable to rise against the Empire and were defeated 17-21. These are some of my favorites from the game.