The picture for this month’s desktop calendar is from our recent trip to Aspen, Colorado. We had to drive through Independence Pass which tops out at about 13,000 feet above sea level. I’m still working on the pictures from the trip, but be sure and watch for them later this month. Happy July!
Nikon D800 Tamron 24-70 f/2.8mm @ 36mm f/20 ISO 100 5 image HDR
Waterville, Ireland may not be the place you want to sit out on the beach in January and take in some rays, but it is a great spot to snuggle under a blanket and watch a sunset with your honey while sipping Irish coffee. The beach is located near the Southwestern tip of Ireland along the Ring of Kerry and boasts views across an inlet of the North Atlantic. Charlie Chaplin frequently visited this little hamlet and there is a bronze statue of him adorning the sidewalk in front of the beach. The town hosted the first Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival in 2011.
Nikon D5100 Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 @ 15mm f/13 ISO 200 1/320 sec
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
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
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
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