You can’t think of the northern Oregon Coast without thinking about the iconic sandy shores of Cannon Beach with its iconic Haystack Rock standing like a beacon but actually is a safe haven for hundreds of sea birds. However there is much more to see and explore along the northern end of the Oregon coast than just Cannon Beach. That said, don’t pass up an opportunity to spend an evening on the beach! All roads lead to Cannon Beach. In this case that’s more or less true. Highway 101 heads north and …
Sailing the British Virgin Islands aboard Arabella
I’ll never forget the look on my friends face when she said she was leaving the company we both worked for and was taking a position on a yacht to be a deck hand and steward. It was the same look I get when I start planning my next photography adventure – only this was that glimmer a hundred times over. She was, to put it lightly, floating on air. And soon she’d be floating on the ocean – aboard the gorgeous 3-masted schooner Arabella. As she gushed over the …
Show & Tell: Cascading waters in Oklahoma
When most people think of Oklahoma, they do not immediately think of rolling hills, tall trees, and most of all – waterfalls. However, there are pockets of the state that defy the generalizations most people have about Oklahoma. McCurtain County in the south eastern corner of the state is just such a pocket. And at Beavers Bend State Park you can indeed find cascading waterfalls – if the timing is right. Bound and determined to shake the ‘curse’ of my last two trips to Broken Bow and Beavers Bend, …
The PNW Chronicles – Southern Washington Coast
If you are traveling to the Pacific Northwest, and you’ve decided to fly into Seattle because the flights are cheaper, you might as well take in a little bit of the splendor that is Washington State before hauling tail down into Oregon. Or you could spend an entire week, or month, or likely year wandering just the endless beauty that is Washington. The first I can help with, the second, is still just a dream for me as well. So for the moment let’s just focus on the amazing sights …
The PNW Chronicles Vol. 2 – Prologue
If you had asked me back when I first picked up my first DSLR camera where I was planning to take it – I wouldn’t have had a clue. Within a few months I was taking it on my first photo trip to a state park in Mineral Wells, Texas. The following year it followed me to Montana and Wyoming. Then it went to the Pacific Northwest with me for the first time. The following year it was back through Texas on a full week of exploration and adventure. This …
Astrophotography – Seeing the Light in the Darkest Places
I remember vividly the wonder, and the frustration, in trying to capture my first astrophotography photographs. I was standing on the edge of the road in the middle of Yellowstone National Park, taking in the arch of the milky way as it reached overhead. It was one of the first times in my adult life, or ever that I could recall, that I was able to see the band of stars that make up our galaxy from the general star field stretching across the sky. The problem was, I knew …
Photo Backup Strategies
There are two ways to learn – by first hand experience, and by learning from other’s experience. And while in some situations learning things second-hand doesn’t always sink in quickly enough, in other cases simply seeing the fallout is plenty to motivate one to be proactive. Thankfully, on this particular topic, I’ve been lucky and have learned from the unfortunate misfortunes of friends and fellow photographers. Simply put, in the world of digital photography, one can never have your photos in too many (secure) locations. Additionally, you can never get …
Show & Tell: Edsel at Old Car City
Old Car City, USA had been on my list of locations to shoot if I ever made it to Georgia for quite some time. Having first learned about the junk yard turned automotive photography heaven while watching a video on KelbyOne some time ago, it had been in the back of my mind as quick trip destination ever since. My opportunity finally came up in February of 2016. Read more about Old Car City in my article in the Travel section. During my shooting time at Old Car City I …
Dallas and the flooded Trinity River
With rain in the forecast seemingly every day again lately, it might just happen that we come close to the rainfall totals here in Dallas that we experienced last year. And with the peek of the North Texas rainy season nearly upon us, and a few minutes to kill, decided to sit down and try to quickly put together a few thoughts on where and how to capture the Dallas skyline when the Trinity River is swollen or full on flooded. Most of my visits to the levees along the …