Fun with Long Exposures

I'm always looking for new skills and knowledge to improve my photographic skills.  Light painting has been something that has fascinated me.  There are tons of very talented people out there that make some amazing creations by leaving the shutter open and using various light sources to "paint" an image.  One of the best examples is Denis Smith of Denis Smith Photography.  His images as well as story are inspiring.  Be sure to check his work out here.  He is also very open about his technique which is awesome.  So many times you see an image and wish there was a description about how it was captured.

I've gone out a couple of times and waved flashlights around for fun.  It is a great activity for kids and a lot of fun to watch.  For equipment all you need is a tripod, remote trigger, and manual settings on the camera.  Just open the shutter and let whoever has the flashlights dance around then close the shutter when you think you have something interesting. 

Granted if you want to make art like Denis Smith does your actions have to be a bit more planned out.  If you are just looking for something fun to do just find a few different colored flashlights (LEDs work great), put them on some string and start getting creative.

For the images below I had my niece, nephew and sister helping out.  My nephew and niece (2 and 4 at the time) had a blast.

My sister's attempt at a Christmas tree.  I think it worked well

I think this was a sword fight between my niece and I

I especially liked this one because of the ghosted image of my niece

The Eternal Chess Game

Pirates of the Caribbean in Magic Kingdom has always been a favorite of mine.  Often times it was the first ride that I would beg Mom and Dad to go on.  POTC is one of those rides that no matter how many times I ride it, I never get tired of it.  Like many of the larger attractions the imagineers spent a lot of time transforming the area into the world of a pirate.  If they didn't spend so much time would the ride itself be as fun?  I think so.  By adding in all the other touches it really completes the effect.  From the moment you hear the music when you approach to when you enter and start seeing all the detail that went into the waiting areas; the excitement builds.

One of my favorite details is the eternal chess game played by two long departed prisoners.  I'm not a huge chess player but evidently the game the two prisoners are playing is a stalemate.  The number of people who go on the ride and look at that scene and recognize that the game can't be won is probably small.  The fact that someone took the time to set the game like that is really a statement of how invested the imagineers are in adding depth that most don't even realize is there.

I can still remember asking Dad to lift me up so I could see into the dungeon.  Rach can attest that I still make a point to stop and look down.  I even scratched up my expensive flight sunglasses on our honeymoon trying to catch a glimpse.  Now that I have better camera gear and a lot more knowledge one of my goals was to get a picture of the game playing duo.  I knew going in that I didn't want to use external flash because the integrity of the scene wouldn't be the same.  That meant cranking the ISO up and using the bars on the windows as a kind of makeshift stabilizer.  It took a couple tries to get one that was as sharp as I wanted but in the end I went home with a keeper.

Undoubtedly on our trip next year I will shoot these two again.  Hopefully I can bring a tripod or figure out a way to get a shot using a lower ISO so there isn't as much noise.  A new D4 would be really helpful as the low light capability far exceeds my current camera but somehow I doubt that taking a picture of two skeletonized chess players will be enough to convince Rach to let me spend $6,000.

It's all in the eyes

It is said that the eyes are a window to the soul.  Just by looking at the eyes in a photograph you can almost feel the emotion the subject was feeling.  When I was first starting my journey as a professional photographer I was sitting in my bedroom just testing out my shiny new Nikon D200 and my lab mix Allie rolled over and looked at me.  Thankfully my camera was ready and I captured the moment.  It was one of those times when you don't really have time to think about the shot.  You just crop and shoot. 

While the photo has nice leading lines what really makes the image is her eyes.  If she was looking off instead of straight into the camera I don't think it would be nearly as endearing.  Her soft, almost golden eyes immediately draw attention.  This is also why, in many cases eyes are an essential part of portraiture.  So many times I see images where all the elements are there in the right proportion but the eyes aren't quite looking at the camera.  For me this takes a lot of the value of the picture away.  You no longer have that connection with the image.

This isn't to say that every portrait or image of a person/people has to have everyone looking directly into the camera.  For instance if there is a mother and child in the image and their eyes are locked on each other it is their interaction that is key instead of their interaction with the person viewing the photograph.  More than anything the interaction has to be present. Incidentally this is why I prefer to have brand new babies sleeping in pictures.  I don't mean to say that there should never be an image of a newborn with its eyes open.  I even have some of these types of images on my walls.  Since infants don't really start to engage their surroundings for a few weeks it is hard to capture the emotion and connection in their eyes.

Below is the image I started this post with.  It remains one of my favorite images of Allie in large part to her eyes.  They aren't the excited eyes of the dog that greets me when I come home.  Instead they are the eyes of a companion that always seems to know what I'm feeling.

Food Glorious Food

One of the most difficult things that I encounter when planning a trip to Disney World is deciding where to eat.  There are so many amazing places to eat that it is hard to prioritize where we want to go.  On the last few trips we have purchased the Disney Dining Plan.  There are several varieties of this plan but we have always gone with one of the more basic plans that includes one sit down, one quick service, and one snack a day.  For us this plan has more than enough food and we usually end up going to the general store before we leave to use up the rest of our snacks.

The sit down meals are where we have a problem deciding.  Epcot alone has enough great sit down experiences to fill an entire vacation.  The Living Seas is always a mainstay for our trips.  Kids love it because an entire wall is an aquarium.  The food is a little more upscale but not to the point where you don't have a clue what you are ordering.  Nine Dragons in China is another must for our family.  The food is amazing and the restaurant is usually not all that busy.

On our last trip Via Napoli had just opened.  All the reviews that we had read were very positive and the lure of brick oven pizzas were too much to resist.  We made reservations in advance because we knew that it would be difficult to get in as it was a new highly reviewed restaurant.  The pizzas didn't disappoint.  Mom and I each ordered pizza and Rach ordered an Alfredo dish.  The food combined with Disney's unique ability to completely immerse you in an environment added up to a very positive experience.

Incidentally these were the perfect size for Alex to put on his fingers and eat like the crazy kid he is.

Who else has pizza ovens like this?

Just a few short years ago

While looking through my catalog of pictures on my computer I came across one of my favorites of my son Alex.  At the time the image was taken he was less than one week old.  Now a rambunctious toddler it is hard to remember when he was this small. I miss the days where he was able to fit on my arm.  He was so peaceful and was a welcome distraction during my father's ongoing treatments.  Dad used to say that he was the best therapy there was.  We spent as many days as possible at Mom and Dad's so he could hold his grandson and take his mind off all that was going on. 

As a whole newborns are one of my favorite ages to photograph.  When they are that young they sleep a lot (which I really like for pictures) and will generally stay in whatever position you put them.  As long as they are fed, warm and clean they can be some of the easiest, and most rewarding, photos to capture.  With patience and practice I've really come to enjoy the unique challenges that young children.

Below is one of my favorite newborn poses.  It can be done with either one or both parents.  I've also used this pose with twins (mom holding one and dad the other).  The pose also works with the child being naked or clothed.  For a naked child you have to make sure the room is warm and that whoever is holding the little accepts the potential messes that are associated with infants.

Hard to believe this is the same kid!

One of my favorite places to stay

It is not secret that my family and I are huge Disney fans.  My wife have gone several times and have taken Alex once.  Growing up we were fortunate enough to make the trip to Disney about every other year.  In the more than a dozen times that I've been to Disney we have stayed at a variety of hotels on and off property.

Now that I have a family of my own I prefer to stay on property.  Staying at a hotel outside of the Disney properties means renting a car and driving everywhere we want to go.  Dad used to say that part of going on vacation for him was not having to drive everywhere and I feel the same.  There is something very calming to know that once I step foot on Disney property I won't have to worry about driving anywhere, finding parking spots, or filling the tank.

I'm not sure when we started to stay in the hotels just outside of Epcot but the area quickly became my favorite.  There are five resorts in that area and three that I have stayed in.  Furthest out are the Swan and Dolphin hotels, then the Yacht Club, Beach Club, and Boardwalk.  Yacht and Beach Club's are closest to Epcot.  On one of our stays at the Beach Club we had a walkout room that was less than a five minute walk to the entrance to Epcot.  The Yacht and Beach Clubs also offer two awesome pools my favorite being Stormalong Bay.

Stormalong Bay features a shipwreck that boasts one of the tallest resort water slides in Disney.  The bottom of the pool is a sand like material that is easy on the feet.  It even has a whirlpool that sends you spinning in circles.  Aside from the pool is one of my favorite little eateries.  Beaches and Cream Soda Shop.  Modeled after an old soda shop it has great burgers and awesome ice cream.

On the other side of the lake is Boardwalk Hotel.  So far this is a personal favorite.  It is modeled after turn-of-the-century Atlantic City.  There are many little shops and places to eat along the boardwalk.  Rach and I honeymooned at Boardwalk and were lucky enough to have a room that faced Epcot.  This allowed us to watch the nightly fireworks from our balcony.  There is a great souvenir/grocery store, sweets shop, art gallery, and other restaurants and entertainment that attract guests from the surrounding hotels. 

Probably the best feature of any of these hotels is their proximity to Disney Hollywood Studios (or MGM as it will always be for me) and Epcot.  Epcot is a five minute walk while MGM is either a 15 minute walk or 10 minute boat ride.  For our last trip with a small child with this was ideal because we wouldn't have to wait for buses when going to two of the four parks.  It also made it easier to take a break from the parks and come back to the hotel when Alex needed a break.

For someone like me that enjoys staying out late to take pictures in the park and of the hotel areas it is an ideal place to stay.  Again I don't have to wait for buses and I can really take my time going where I need/want to go.  I can carry equipment with me and not have to worry about it getting damaged by someone with a huge shopping bag or stroller bumping into me and damaging it.

An added bonus for any of these hotels is the proximity to the Fantasia Gardens mini golf course.  Just a short walk from any of the hotels and you can play on two different incredible mini golf courses.  One is designed like an actual golf course with sand traps and other hazards.  The other is themed after the Fantasia movie and is more of what you would typically think of for a mini golf course.  My wife and I always have competitions when we play there and I'm looking forward to continuing that with my son.

Superior's North Shore

For my son's third birthday my wife planned a trip to the north shore.  She was also hoping that it would be a chance for me to get some landscape pictures and star trail pictures.  Initially I had mixed feelings.  I was excited to go on a mini vacation to celebrate the our son's birthday, but it was too early for any foliage (sticks just aren't that interesting in pictures).  As we drove further and further north I realized that the landscape would be interesting enough without leaves on the trees.  Our resort in Tofte, Mn was mainly surrounded by evergreens which made it even better.

The one benefit to the time of year we went was the rivers and waterfalls were in full force due to the spring melt.  It seems that no matter where you went there were waterfalls.  Even small ones that fall off mini cliffs at roadside.  I don't know that I've ever been in an area where there are as many state parks close by than Tofte.  Within just a few minutes drive we could be at several different parks.  Expanding that drive to about an hour and the number increases even more. 

During the few short days that we were up north we managed to go to Temperance State Park, Tettegouche State Park, and Split Rock Lighthouse (although that short trip was mainly due to Alex being car sick).  On any vacation I try to get a photo of where we stayed.  Most of the time it ends up being a couple interiors that go into a scrapbook.  This trip was unique in that there was a little private bay right in front of our unit. 

I decided to shoot a rather large panoramic to encompass the entire area.  To the left of the frame there is beautiful blue sky with some wispy clouds.  This transforms into this thick fog on the right side of the frame.  I've never seen fog like this.  Our entire trip there was this bank of fog that sat a few hundred yards off shore.  Periodically it would come in and blanket the shore line then it would quickly move back out.  Please check it out at my SmugMug site and look at it in a much larger size.