Sunset from the side of Agassiz Peak

This shot was taken just outside of Flagstaff, AZ. Kendrick Peak, I believe, is in the background.

Go here for a map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=flagstaff,+Az&sll=35.345375,-111.745377&sspn=0.336608,0.711365&g=sedona,+Az&ie=UTF8&ll=35.347056,-111.750183&spn=0.336601,0.711365&t=p&z=11

Although it was 65 degrees F in Phoenix (that day's starting location), it was in the mid 30s on the mountain when the sun was still up.

Another shot of the same scene, but slightly different can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/flibbajabba/3097198762/

The whole Arizona photo set can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/flibbajabba/sets/72157610980756804/

Both shots involved a lot of photoshop to whiten and brighten the foreground snow, enhance mountain details, and add more "glow" to the scene.

Fire Spinner in Drum Circle

At Downtown Jacksonville's ArtWalk, my girlfriend and I heard a drum circle from a few blocks away. As we got closer to Hemming Plaza to check it out, it became apparent there were ladies taking turns spinning burning ropes. It was a perfect opportunity to try out some long exposures and to get creative.

For this shot, I used a 1/3 second shutter speed. I started the exposure zoomed all the way in at 80mm, then quickly zoomed out while the shutter was open. The key was to pause briefly at the beginning of the exposure before zooming, as to make sure the initial shot would be brighter and more detailed than the zoom trails.

I didn't do much photoshop work other than upping the exposure a touch and cloning out an excessively-bright and distracting light in the top left corner. I also added a little bit of vignetting to draw more attention to the dancer and add to the "zoomed in" feel of the shot.

It was a fun shoot. I'd say the two biggest challenges were catching the dancer at a good angle and position, and keeping the lens from bouncing around too much as I zoomed out during the exposure.

Camera Model: NIKON D50
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 80mm - 44mm
Exposure Time: 0.400 s (1/3)
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO equiv: 200
Exposure: Manual

Ode to f/2.8

I love you, f/2.8. You're my everything, anything and always. You're so sharp and you know how to focus on the important things without leaving too much out. And you're not a whore - that's really important. Not everyone gets a shot with you, and that makes me feel special. I'm so lucky to have you.

Sometimes, however, I feel bad because I'm always calling you. Maybe I ask too much from you. After all, you can't do everything. I realize that now and I promise to never take you for granted.

Also, maybe this is a good time to tell you I've been spending more time with f/4 and f/8...