Project 365 – Day 2
This pretty much sums up the holiday weather here … lots of rain and gloom. However, it has not dampened our spirits or outlook for 2015!
Rainy Day Behind the Wheel
Fuji X100s, 23mm f/2.0, 1/550 sec @ f/2.8, ISO800
… a photographic journal
MARTA Architecture
Project 365 – Day 1
Well, this year I am embarking on a very ambitious goal of capturing an image each day. Although I am committed to taking a photograph each and every day and will post each, there may be days when I am unable to post here. In these cases, I will update the blog a few days later. Some may say, “What’s the big deal?” This will be a huge challenge for me because my purpose is not to post just any snapshot. My purpose is to capture things that I feel have an artistic flare, mean something personal to me, or perhaps reflect something about the experiences of that particular day. I love to tap my creative side, but it is often difficult because I am primarily left brained. I hope this endeavor will help stretch my creativity, sharpen my skills, and open my eyes to things I would normally look past.
So with this in mind, I started the journey yesterday, 1-1-2015. As I was returning from dropping my friend Carl at the airport, I took an exit in midtown Atlanta and explored a MARTA station. I originally thought I would photograph an airplane or something associated with aviation, but there were more police and security agents around Jackson-Hartsfield than I could shake a stick at. They do not take kindly to parked cars and cameras! But, why not stick with the transportation theme? 🙂 I love photographing architecture, and the entrance to the West Peachtree MARTA station did not disappoint. The leading lines and sculpture were really cool.
Here’s to this year’s photo challenge!
Civic Center MARTA Station – Atlanta
Fuji X-T1, 14mm f/2.8, 1/100 sec @ f/4.0, ISO1000
2014 Final Sunset
Our family had a fantastic Christmas and New Year. One treat, in addition to the annual trip to TN to visit my brother’s family, was having my best bud Carl spend a week with us. We all had a great time together. It’s always fun seeing Carl and spending time with him. We have so much in common, including our love for photography.
We ventured to downtown Atlanta on December 31st for some random shooting, topped off by a skyline shoot at dusk. I toned this image to look a little atypical, and I like it a lot. I still hate that the foreground street lights are not being illuminated these days, because they add a lot of “spark” to this vantage point. Maybe someday the city and the state will get their acts together and turn them back on.
Thanks for coming to visit the Sisco’s, Carl! I know 2015 has a ton of good things in store for you.
Atlanta Skyline – December 31, 2014
Fuji X-T1, 35mm f/1.4, 13 secs @ f/8.0, ISO200
San Francisco – Another Vantage Point
San Francisco is a wonderful city. Never ever visit without a camera in tow. 🙂 Whether shooting casually along the streets, or visiting iconic locations, there is so much to shoot. It is a very vibrant city with lots of texture and diversity.
I wanted to do an evening shoot on my last night of a recent visit. Hoping to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge at dusk, I realized this would be virtually impossible with no car. There are little or no public transportation options after business hours. So I started looking for other options … the Warf area, Coit Tower, Lombard Street, Twin Peaks … as I mentioned before, there are SO many places and things to shoot.
I came across this location on Potrero Hill during my research. It was something different – less iconic, yet a stunning view, particularly with the foreground curving highway. So my colleague Logan and I set forth to find it. We took BART to the 16th street stop, then quickly came to realize our destination was much farther away than expected from the train station. We walked at least 30 minutes to get here, through some very rough neighborhoods of the Mission District and up several gargantuan hills. Unfortunately all light in the sky was lost by the time we arrived, but the view was still incredible. It was well worth the adventure. And not only did I get the image I wanted, and a fantastic dinner at an authentic, local neighborhood restaurant, but we could see AT&T Park as the Giants sealed their position in the World Series.
I wish the small real estate of your screen could to this justice (click on image to enlarge).
San Francisco from Potrero Hill area
Bruno Mars
I recently took a trip to San Francisco with several colleagues for Dreamforce 2014, the annual conference hosted by Salesforce.com. This year there were 144,000 paid attendees (not including staff and workers). The shear number of people was overwhelming, and hotels and convention space across many city blocks were used for sessions. The Moscone Center was “ground zero” for the conference, and this complex alone accommodates thousands. Dreamforce had several big names as drawing cards this year, including Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Will.i.am, and many more. The Tuesday evening gala featured Bruno Mars. I was fortunate to get a front row spot, however security made me put my “big boy” camera away after two songs. I was relegated to using my little Fuji, which did a fine job, too. 🙂
Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Tunes from the Tombs
Yesterday (Saturday), Kathy treated me to an afternoon date at Tunes from the Tombs, a music festival at Atlanta’s historic Oakland Cemetery. What a Father’s Day treat! We had never heard of it until a good friend, Phil, mentioned it to me last week. Oakland Cemetery is huge, full of history, and perhaps most notably famous as the burial place of Margaret Mitchell. The grounds are beautiful, and the mausoleums and headstones going back to the Civil War period are remarkable. There is also much history here from the Civil Rights era. It’s a great place to photograph … I’ll go back for sure.
I think this was the 3rd year of Tunes from the Tombs. There venues were quaint with local/regional musicians performing throughout the day across, playing a multitude of genres from Jazz to “Jugyard”. And to top things off, Atlanta food trucks were on hand with lots of yum.
Kathy and I loved Uncle Daddy and the Kissin’ Cousins. LOL It helped that they were playing in the shade. The full-on sun and lack breeze made for a hot afternoon, but it was a great time.
Uncle Daddy and the Kissing Cousins
Fuji X100s, 1/125th sec @ f/5.6, ISO 800
Uncle Daddy (of Uncle Daddy and the Kissing Cousins)
Fuji X100s, 1/160th sec @ f/4, ISO 800
Smooth Hound Smith
Fuji X100s, 1/160 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 1000
Historic Oakland Cemetery
Fuji X100s, 1/1800th sec @ f/4, ISO 800, Circular Polarizer
The 2014 Gang at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
It’s become a tradition of ours to always take a group shot at this park entrance sign in Townsend. 🙂
Mark, Carl, Evan, and Emily
Dogwood Over Middle Prong
Dogwood Over Middle Prong
5D MkII, 24-70L f/2.8, 1.3sec. @ f/9, ISO100
Middle Prong – Tremont Area
This stream is difficult to shoot … it’s large, with many boulders and obstructions. But, one never tires of wandering the stream, looking for new vantage points and listening to the soothing sounds of the rushing waters.
Enjoy.
Middle Prong of Little River – Tremont area of GMSNP
5D MII, 16-35L II, 21mm, 1.6 secs. @ f/10, ISO100
White Oak Sinks Phlox Extravaganza
This is what we came for. FLOWERS! This is White Oak Sinks, a hollow requiring a modest 2-mile hike from the main road. It is a small basic surrounded by steep hills. One side of this area has an incredible waterfall that literally disappears into the ground (see this LINK from a previous visit), and on the other end is a bat cave. But the true treasure of this basin is the carpeting of flowers in the April/May time frame. Our timing was perfect this year, and we ran across several yearly visitors who said this year was better than most recent years. Carl and I loved this area so much that we hiked in two days in a row.
The small purple flowers here are Phlox. Yellow Trillium also sprinkle through the basin, as well as other more obscure varieties like Columbine.
I’m including two of my favorite perspectives below, but I’m on the fence as to which I prefer. Which do you like best and why?
I’ve included pics of Emily, Evan, and Carl …. each in their “element”!
Phlox, White Oak Sinks @ GSMNP
5D MkII, 24-70L f/2.8, 24mm, 1/2 sec. @ f/9, ISO100
Phlox 2 – White Oak Sinks @ GSMNP
5D MkII, 24-70L f/2.8, 24mm, 1/2 sec. @ f/9, ISO100
Emily @ White Oak Sinks
Evan @ White Oak Sinks
Carl @ White Oak Sinks
Foam Flower
This Foam Flower is only one of the many, many species found throughout the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It was a bear to shoot, because these sway with the slightest wisp of wind. I love it’s form and the lovely greenery that surrounded it. I’m not a very good macro shooter. It typically frustrates me …. depth of field is razor thin shooting this close, backgrounds can be distracting, and the wind is never helpful. But when you get a macro “right”, it is truly a treat. Carl is a pro at it, and even manages to incorporate really cool insects.
Incidentally, while shooting this flower I heard something moving within a foot or so to my right. I was totally focused on the flower, looking through the viewfinder. As I pulled away from the camera and glanced camera-right, there was a 5 foot snake slivering past!! He had no interest in me, thank goodness. I think it was a non-poisonous king snake or water snake headed for the nearby stream. In any event, I had no desire study him closer. But, I noticed he had a large bulge from having recently eaten a rodent or an egg.
I love this image not only for the quality of the image, but because the Foam Flower represents the incredible balance of nature in the Smokies. This flower carries with it a certain soft, delicate “feel”, yet it was strong enough to survive the challenging winter and the ruggedness of the mountain forest including winds, storms, wildlife, and park visitors.
Foam Flower at Porters Creek
5D MkII, Canon 100mm Macro f/2.8, 1/80 sec. @ f/4