Category Archives: USA

Amazing Photography of The United States of America

Glass Alien Chihuly Outdoors

Posted on June 19th, 2017 by

The Lunchbox Has Landed

One of the great artistic resources living in the Ozarks is The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. It is arguably one of the finest American Art Museums in the world, and I am flabbergasted how often I run across people who don’t even know of its existence. Pamela and I recently made a trip down to Arkansas to visit the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock and on the way home we stopped in to see the Usonain house newly relocated to the grounds. We just so happened to coordinate our visit with a fun Dale Chihuly Outdoor display (another of our favorites). This is the first of a few I will be posting over the next few weeks. It reminded me of some sort of alien form (or if you are into Magic…Emrakul).

Glass Alien Chihuly Outdoors
Glass Alien Chihuly Outdoors

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 3 June, 2017
  • Focal length: 22mm
  • ISO: 500
  • Shutter speed: 1/400s

Technological Armageddon

Posted on April 17th, 2017 by

Such a Mess

I am a big fan of recycling when I can. Sometimes the powers that be, just make it TOO HARD! Other times I miss opportunities right in front of my eyes, like when I started to throw away my Starbucks cup and one of my relatives from California said, maybe you want to write your name on that cup so you know it’s yours. No, Ill just get another if I want something (into the trash). This was a recycling day in my home town a few years ago for electronic “junk”. Its sort of amazing how much waste we make. Out with the old and in with the new. The problem is, what do you do with all that we discard?

Technological Armageddon
Technological Armageddon

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/2.8
  • Camera: iPhone 4
  • Taken: 23 October, 2010
  • Focal length: 3.85mm
  • ISO: 80
  • Shutter speed: 1/180s
  • Title: Technological Armageddon

Abstract Web and Light

Posted on January 9th, 2017 by

Abstraction

I am working this weekend in New York, and I figured I would bring you something a bit “different” from the Big Apple. What do you thing….hmmmmmm?

Abstract Web and Light
Abstract Web and Light

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/2.8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 21 October, 2012
  • Focal length: 35mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/125s
  • Title: Abstract Web Light

Washington at Night

Posted on January 2nd, 2017 by

Happy New Year!

It’s a new year, time to say good bye to 2016 (thankfully) and hello to 2017. I can’t say that I enter this new year without a strong bit of trepidation. The country is more divided than at any time in my past memory. Perhaps I am deluding myself, all times are hard or joyous depending on your outlook. What strikes me worst of all, perhaps, is the seeming reality that we have forgotten our original National Motto, E pluribus unum (out of many, one).

Originally about the colonies and the formation of the Union, in more modern times it speaks too of our diversity. Out of many cultures, races, genders, sexual orientations, we are The United States of America. Our amalgamation makes us indelibly stronger. In the past few years, I have been all over the world and I have seen other peoples and cultures, how they differ from and are the same as us. I have seen beauty and horror, joy and sorrow, felt frightened and lifted up. I don’t know where we are headed in 2017, but it must be towards the causes of human dignity, toward the rights of all people, towards the preservation of inalienable right.

I heard a story recently about asking what made a true Frenchmen. It was explained, a TRUE Frenchmen is one who was born in France and who’s forebears were also Frenchmen, for generations back that lineage could be traced. I adore France! Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but in my country an American is anyone naturalized in the last second. That is a powerful difference, and one worth fighting to preserve.

Washington at Night
Washington at Night

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 27 May, 2012
  • Focal length: 35mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 13s
  • Title: Washington at Night

Instagram Favorites October – December 2016

Posted on December 26th, 2016 by

Limited Travel

Instagram Favorites

Happy Christmas (more exactly Happy Boxing Day!).

I haven’t been as many places this year as usual. This “lighter” travel schedule will very likely continue into 2017. It seems the airlines and hotel chains aren’t quite as excited as before to have me. Regardless I think posting semi-regularly some of my favorite Instagram posts is fun so here we go!

Hawaii November 2016

NYC December 2016

Windy Lanikai Mountain in Black and White

Posted on December 19th, 2016 by

Death on a Mountain Revisited

There are times, when I post process my images, that I have a terrible time deciding what the image wants to convey. I feel very strongly about this notion actually, every image has a story, and my responsibility is to find that story help the image to communicate this in the best possible way. Perhaps this duality might in part be reflected in my sister’s experience nearly taking a tumble down the side of a cliff. Last week’s image is my feeling of the scene, but this more expressionistic view is perhaps how I interpret my sister might feel about the same place. Which is your favorite?

Windy Lanikai Mountain in Black and White
Windy Lanikai Mountain in Black and White

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 13 November, 2016
  • Focal length: 16mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/125s
  • Title: WIndy Lanikai Mountain in Black and White

Windy Lanikai Mountain

Posted on December 12th, 2016 by

Death on a Mountain

Lanikai is one of my favorite places in the world, so when I took my sister to Oahu, Hawaii we, of COURSE, had to hike Lanikai Mountain! She actually did great despite a bit to huffing and puffing up the side of the “hill” but it was somewhere around this scene on the decent that I nearly lost her down the side of the mountain! Never fear, despite an ankle injury, she is otherwise fine but it goes to show in spite of any relative ease hiking always needs to be taken seriously! Next week, a different interpretation of this same image…since I liked it so much I figured I would translate it two different ways!

Windy Lanikai Mountain
Windy Lanikai Mountain

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 13 November, 2016
  • Focal length: 16mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/125s
  • Title: WIndy Lanikai Mountain

Cliffs in Hawaii

Posted on November 28th, 2016 by

Geologic Beauty

It’s a funny thing, the mind. I have visited this location in Oahu more than half a dozen times. It’s a great location for interesting carvings (probably done by bored kids) and a beautiful introduction to the diversity of landscape on the islands. I had it in my head this was the filming location for From Here to Eternity. I even told my sister how she had to see it. It was only after returning from Hawaii that I realized I was actually at the wrong stop!

Cliffs in Hawaii
Cliffs in Hawaii

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 12 November, 2016
  • Focal length: 16mm
  • ISO: 500
  • Shutter speed: 1/800s
  • Title: Oahu Cliffs5

On Living and Dying

Posted on October 31st, 2016 by

Constant Struggle

I miss the sea.

I find a certain solace just being near her. I often just sit and think. Ultimately this leads me to wonder about birth, life and death. I consider the island, born of the conflict of fire and water, made solid into land. The ocean though, does not forget and slowly begins reclaiming the land to its watery depths.

This was once a solid piece of land. The ocean began eating it away, leaving a spike of land that eventually collapsed. Slowly, the ocean will completely devour this too and return it to where it started. The circle is all around if only you wish to see.

On Living and Dying
On Living and Dying

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/5
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 26 May, 2015
  • Focal length: 24mm
  • ISO: 1250
  • Shutter speed: 1/6400s
  • Title: On Living and Dying

Before Congress Comes to Work

Posted on October 24th, 2016 by

WAKE UP CONGRESS!

I took this one early morning on my first trip by myself. I wanted to see if I could really “do it”. In retrospect, being afraid of solo travel is natural, but also a little funny at this point having been all over the world by myself. It’s really peaceful on the Capitol grounds before all the tourists and Congress men and women come to work. Really it was only me and a few cranky guards upset about my tripod! I though this really illustrated what they mean by Capitol Hill!

Before Congress Comes to Work
Before Congress Comes to Work

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 28 May, 2012
  • Focal length: 18mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/160s
  • Title: Before Congress Comes to Work