Seeing a storm during a sunset is a rare event. As I was driving from a nearby park home with the family, I saw a small rainbow on one side of the sky:
And the below image just a couple of minutes later on the other side:
Sneak Peek: Isadora Portraits
26Jul/10
My sister and I woke up pretty early this morning for a portrait shoot which I scheduled yesterday. Believe me, if I was not sure of this beautiful little lady’s talent to pose in front of the camera and of her artistic abilities, I wouldn’t have made such a quick decision. I have taken pictures of Jade, Isadora’s sister before and I knew that we would have no less than fabulous photo shoot this time around!
This particular picture was shot with the Nikon D700, Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D @ 1/3200, ISO 200 at f/1.8, almost wide open. I really love the bokeh and contrast the 85mm f/1.4D produces and it really is one heck of a lens for portraits! Along with the 50mm f/1.4G, this is my top used lens for what I do. I took this picture early in the morning using natural light, so no reflectors or off-camera flash were used.
Stay tuned for more tips from this photo shoot and for more amazing pictures of Isadora!
Great Photo Walk 2010!
24Jul/10
The Photo Walk 2010 was a total blast! My group was almost full and we had a good turnout this year with about 35 participants. Lola participated in the Photo Walk as well this time and she really enjoyed it, said she would do it again next year. Here is the group shot before more people arrived:
I have not had a chance to work on the photos yet, but I will hopefully do that at the end of this week and post our best images from the Photo Walk. Did you participate in a Photo Walk this year? If yes, please post links to your photos, would love to see them!
July 4th Fireworks
5Jul/10
I was not really planning on photographing the fireworks on July 4th, because I was enjoying a short vacation with my family at Glenwood Springs. When I was told that the fireworks would be fired from an open area behind the hotel where we were staying (less than several hundred feet away), I decided to take the challenge and see if I could capture anything interesting from that close of a distance. As I pointed out in my how to photograph fireworks article, it is generally not a good idea to stand too close to fireworks. I wanted to see what other challenges I would face, considering that I only had two lenses with me – Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II and Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G, shooting on an FX body.
Worldwide Photo Walk 2010 – Location
4Jun/10
The third annual Worldwide Photo Walk will be taking place on July 24th of this year. I have been participating as a Photo Walk leader from the very beginning (Boulder 2008, Estes Park 2009) and last year was just crazy, because we’ve had close to 50 participants!
This year, I want to change the location again and I need the help from last year’s participants in choosing the best location for the Photo Walk. Here is what I have in mind:
Where should the Photo Walk 2010 take place?
- Denver (45%, 14 Votes)
- Georgetown (35%, 11 Votes)
- Crested Butte (23%, 7 Votes)
- Aspen (16%, 5 Votes)
- Other (Please specify in comments section below) (13%, 4 Votes)
- Manitou Springs (10%, 3 Votes)
- Vail (6%, 2 Votes)
- Breckenridge (6%, 2 Votes)
- Colorado Springs (6%, 2 Votes)
- Fort Collins (3%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 31
Loading ...You might be wondering what Aspen and Crested Butte are doing in the list, since those towns are so far away from Denver. Well, I think that doing a Photo Walk in those places would be a total blast and I can guarantee great experience and images, as long as the weather cooperates. Aspen is absolutely gorgeous (a definite visit to Maroon Bells) and Crested Butte takes my breath away every time I go there. In terms of logistics and cost, we could all stay in Glenwood Springs and I can get a very good deal for hotel rooms there. We could leave a day earlier and stay in Glenwood, then drive to Aspen/Crested Butte in the morning. I know it sounds like a crazy plan, but it would certainly be a unique experience.
If driving and time/cost are a problem, we can also do the Photo Walk in Georgetown, which is also a beautiful town. Otherwise, Colorado Springs, Denver and other places nearby would also work.
No matter what location is selected, I am planning to do a free photography workshop for those who are interested (I can teach landscape photography, portraiture, camera gear and lighting techniques).
Please let me know as soon as possible.
Puerto Rico and Sand Dunes
2Jun/10
Two more wallpapers from Puerto Rico and Sand Dunes for those who want to download and use them as backgrounds. Both panoramic images were shot hand-held with the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G and stitched using the method described in my “Panoramic Photography Howto” article.
We’re Back!
30May/10
After a long and pleasant vacation with our extended family, we are now back! I apologize for not being able to post much during the last month or so, but I have a plethora of things to write about and plenty of images to post! I’m currently finishing up the Panoramic Photography Howto article, after which I am planning to post a review of the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G lens (I know I’m very late, but nonetheless) and if everything went as planned and I didn’t screw up the tests, I will also be publishing a sharpness comparison between modern Nikon ultra wide and wide-angle lenses.
And here is my sister Nodira together with my brother-in-law Khurshid and their son Sayeed:
It is hard to imagine that I have not seen my sis and mom for 8 long years!
Recognize the background scene? Yes, we went to Maroon Bells, on its season opening date! Except it wasn’t very pretty, because of the wind and no leaves on those aspens…
Western Meadowlark
23Apr/10
My last image of the Western Meadowlark did not come out so well, so when I saw one today I decided to take a picture and see how it comes out. I think this one is better, with that green grass in the background. Spring almost seems to have made to Colorado, but as soon as I plan to go and take some pictures of the blooming trees, it freaking snows (it is currently snowing outside again). It will be cold and windy this weekend and I’m hoping for a better weather next weekend, because I have 5 wide-angle lenses to test!
Western Meadowlark
Red-Winged Blackbird
22Apr/10
Red-Winged Blackbirds are very common in Colorado. They are permanent residents in most local parks, including Cherry Creek State Park, where I captured one of them while it was singing to attract a female. Spring is a great time for birds in Colorado, except when it gets very cold. It snowed today in Denver and the temperatures dropped below 40F, which is not abnormal for Colorado in April :)
Red-Winged Blackbird
Hoping for a sunny day next week, so that I can get out and do some spring birding!
Captured with Nikon D3s and Nikon 300mm f/4.0 AF-S + 1.4x TC.
Colorado National Monument
16Apr/10
The canyons at Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction are not as big as the ones in Canyonlands, but they are still beautiful. The landscape itself is different and plenty of plants and trees make this place another natural wonder of Colorado:
The below image was taken during a rain storm that was hitting parts of Grand Junction in multiple spots. The sun came out for a second and lit up the side of the canyon and I was lucky to capture the moment!
Captured with Nikon D700 and Nikon 16-35 VR lens.
