Shooting in the Rain: Phoenix vs. Hammerheads: Ultimate

Believe it or not as a sports photographer I have been very lucky with the weather. I have taken pictures in the freezing cold with snow this past winter, but I never had the opportunity to shoot in the rain... until last Sunday. The gear I use is weather resistant which means it should work in minor watery situations. I wouldn’t submerge my cameras to test them, but a mild rain / heavy drizzle they have always come through just fine. During the Phoenix game last Sunday it rained, hard enough for me to get out the raincoat, and rain gear to protect my Nikon D4. It looked like I was holding something up to my face that was big and heavy and wrapped up in a big black cloth, but I quickly got used to its Velcro openings and access holes for normal camera operation. Here’s some of my favorites from that rain soaked game.

Nikon D4 Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 @ 210mm f/6.3 1/1000 sec ISO 1600

Beach Week Continued... Gran Melia Puerto Rico

I didn’t get a chance to finish “Beach Week” last week so I’ll finish over the next few days. Last January we spent a long weekend at a resort in Puerto Rico called the Gran Melia. Part of the property is a private beach for vacationers to enjoy. I don’t want to sound snooty or elitist, but it is very nice to take a stroll along the beach at night or in the early morning twilight in Puerto Rico and not worry about getting jumped from behind a palm tree. I’m sure I could not say this about all the beaches there. The cleanliness of the beach area in the resort was impeccable.
All weekend long, peaceful waves lapped upon the beach and cool breezes drifted by. As the shade from the palm trees softened the midday sun, I decided that this may be my favorite beach... so far...

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28mm f/16 ISO 100 

July 2013 Free Calendar

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

Beach Week Day 4

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

Beach Week Part 3 Turks and Caicos

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