Reflected sunset

Just as I broke the crew for dinner, I started to notice the sky starting to change color. I had been noticing the clouds all day, and thought there was gonna be a nice sunset. Looking west, I had no real clear view, so I grabbed my camera and headed the opposite direction...east across the street to the intracoastal. The sunset behind my back was painting the whole sky with these incredible colors! This is looking over the water towards Palm Beach. I guess the little cold front we just experienced had alot to do with it. A cold front of about 50 degrees that is......icy cold for us Florida folk!

Just over the Fence

Its time to reach into the crock pot of images that have been cooking for a little while. (Mike, what the hell does that mean?).....Not sure really (ooh, ok...) Hey, I'm beat......what do ya want from me.....

Geeez, what was all that about?!?!?!.....

Anyway, workin' on a pretty cool fundraiser for this Friday night. Its a Halloween theme called "Devils Night." We are working some pretty long days this week so we can focus the lights at night. Should be a pretty cool event! Hope to capture a bit and post if possible.

Oh yeah....

This shot was captured as I was treking up the coast of California a month or so ago. As always, I was chasing the light like a madman :)

More on all this later.....

A bay along the coast - BW

This is the the black and white version of the shot I posted a couple of nights ago (the wacky color version!) I like this one better. The Oregon coast....a magical place!

Entree' to the Partee'

Figured I would post a few more from the weekend. These 6' polar bears framed the entrance to the main dining area from cocktails.

A nice cool vibe was created in the "Hang out" area just outside of the ballroom. Bruce's little penguin island always gets a smile from me. Love those little guys!

Here is another view from the "Lounge Area" looking into the main dance and dining area. A nice cool feel for the theme.

It still amazes me, to this day, that we set up these environments up for one evening! Four hours later and poof.....the magic is gone!

A Winter Wonderland

A little magic, creativity, smoke and mirrors, ....... and a space is transformed for a special night for a few privileged guests. After a 10 hour setup, the room was ready for the guests to flood the room and celebrate! At about 3AM, the rig was down, the decor loaded out, and the ballroom was clear and reset to normal. Just another Saturday in the event world.

There is nothing worse about a setup like this than the schedule. The amount of coordination and cooperation that must take place for a one day load-in is insane. This was a small one, and there were still about 4 trucks, several vendors, and about 30 crew not counting the wait staff! Even though I have been doing this for about 25 years, I still get that feeling early in the day that we are never gonna be ready or that my design is going to fail. Its a stupid and unreasonable feeling, I know, but I think in some warped way that it keeps me on my toes. You see, failure is not really an option with these events. Come hell or high water..these guests are walking in on time....whether you are ready or not! No excuses, it has to be ready, nuff said!

To see these incredible environments have to come down...never to be seen again....is difficult for some to comprehend. I have often laughed at seeing the expression of a party goer returning to the war torn looking event space to recover a purse or set of keys about an hour into the strike. Trust me, its not a pretty sight at 2AM! I guess that's why I have always liked to capture our events with the camera. Its nice to be reminded of what we work so hard to create!

Time for dinner

Kind of a lame name for a photo....I mean really, ......whatever. I processed and named this image a while back and have no idea why I named it that.......but anyway....

I am kind of beat, but wanted to post a shot anyway. I just got back from a great show we did this evening. My crew rocked...as always...and the client was ecstatic! A well oiled machine we were! Eric was rockin' the house at the lighting console when I decided to leave. He was having a good time! God knows, I have run enough of these shows in my 25 years of doing this. Its nice to see someone else with a passion for the art. I have always said that lighting can make or break an evening. From when the guests arrive till the last person leaves, our talent is a crucial ingredient in the success of the event. I look forward to posting a few images this week.

But for now, here is another from the Oregon trip.

I am sure I have said it before, but I could spend weeks exploring this incredible coast. The coast where I live (Florida), albeit a pretty one, is no match for the slendor of the West! I have many others that I hope to post someday, but for now, please enjoy!

A bay along the coast

Well, although I have a file of about a million images that I can pull from to blog about daily, I still love diving in to the unprocessed and creating something with them. I hope to start Geotagging someday, because, to be honest with you, I have no idea where this was taken. Well, I take that back, kind of an idea. Somewhere along the Oregon Coast, the lighting and cloud cover was calling me to pull off to the next turnoff to capture what I could. The mid day sun was a bit contrasty, so I pulled out my infrared camera to capture this scene. I also processed a black and white that I think is more powerful, but my mind is a little focussed on the light show I am loading in in the early AM tomorrow, so I decided to post this colorful one. Hope you enjoy!

Gasping for Oxygen

As I quickly browse thru my image folders, I realize something......I was all over the place this summer! As I love to travel, this is certainly not a complaint. I hope this next year has me doing the same. For some reason recently, I just can't get enough of it. Perhaps someday, I will blog about why travel is so rewarding to me.....someday....

But for now...

This was captured when I was in Denver for the Democratic Convention. I had what was probably the easiest gig out there. Thanks Howard! Every mornings quest was too explore as much as I could. My 6 hour workdays had me checking in with the space I was managing every now and then starting at 2PM. Another experience for my personal file of memories that I will always be thankful for!

This image was captured on the way up Mount Evans just outside of Denver, Colorado. It was a knuck busting ride up to the peak at 14,000 feet! This road is known as the highest paved road in the country. Oh, and yes, the air was extremely thin up there! For more info, here is a link

www.mountevans.com/

More on all of this later.....

Jared's special sunrise

The sun had already risen and the lighting was starting to get bad. As a few of us were wandering around trying to figure out what to capture next, I noticed Jared out on the cliff edge and grabbed this capture. He had his kid with him in a little front carrying pouch. That was really cute actually! The original shot was kinda cool, but the lighting was a bit flat, so, here we are. Another totally over-processed image with a few textures. I just did know when to stop!

Sunrise at Blowing Rocks 2

The parking lot at Blowing Rocks is locked until 9AM....a total inconvenience for those hoping to catch sunrise. The only way to get there before sunup is to park about a mile south and trek up the beach. I barely got there in time to capture a few quick shots before the lighting was to harsh. Looks like I am getting up alot earlier next time!

A flick buddy of mine made the shoot all the way from Miami. Claudia (aka Fraggle Red) was there alot earlier and captured some great shots. Her link is as follows:
www.flickr.com/photos/cdomenig/2954773336/

Here is a bit about the park from their website:

Blowing Rocks Preserve is a magnificent barrier island sanctuary located on Jupiter Island, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River Lagoon. Blowing Rocks protects a variety of natural habitats, including beach dune, coastal strand, mangrove wetlands, tropical hammock and oak hammock.

Its rocky Anastasia limestone shoreline is the largest on the Atlantic coast. During extreme high tides and after winter storms, seas break against the rocks and force plumes of saltwater up to 50 feet skyward, an impressive sight for which the preserve was named.

Sunrise at Blowing Rocks 1

This weekend, a few of us from out local photo meetup met at Blowing Rocks to catch the sunrise. The cloud cover wasn't exactly what I had hoped for, but it was a lot of fun. Nothing like 30 or so phototogs taking over a beach at the crack of dawn, trying to stay out of each others shots, and tempting fate with the salt air and waves. Photography and image capture can tend to be a lonely endeavor, so these kind of outings are really cool when they happen!

This images was a blend of a raw image and an HDR. Enjoy :)

Cathedral St. Paul :: HDR

Here is a little info off of the Cathedral's website to go with this image. As with so many other shoots, I run arround like a mad man capturing the essence of the location, and neglect to grab any info. I guess thats another great use for the internet!

Check out the larger view on the view on black link for the detail on the red rim at the base of the dome. These cameras are freakin' amazing!

The Cathedral of Saint Paul is one of the largest and most historic churches in the United States. Its architectural grandeur and prominent site make it an integral part of the landscape of the capital city of Minnesota—whose name derives from the title of this great building. The Cathedral is rightly listed as a landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a treasure for all Americans and one that we can proudly compare to the great cathedrals of Europe.

St Pauls - behind the Alter

There was so much to explore in this cathedral I didn't know where to start. There was a mass scheduled in about an hour, so I had to shuffle. I am still amazed at how easy it was to wander around these cathedrals in the midwest with a tripod. I was never once questioned......in fact, I was even escorted around and educated a bit on the history and details! I think hanging out in the aisle slamming a Nikon D3 shutter during a mass would have been pushing it just a wee bit however!

St. Paul's Cathedral in Saint Paul :: HDR

By the final day of the convention, my events were over. With a little free time for shooting, I decided to head over to St. Paul to capture some images of this incredible cathedral. The over-processed crazy sky works for me because of the caos that was unfolding just outside of the camera viewfinder. The protesters were in full swing causing the local authorities to shut down the bridge into the older part of town and the convention center.....trapping most of them in a controlled space. I looked over the fiasco from the top of the hill, laughed a bit as I shook my head, captured some exterior shots, went in to grab a few interiors, called my driver, and safely headed back to my Minneapolis. I will post a few more shots of this incredible landmark over the next couple of days!

Oregon Dunes - Turning day into night

Here's another image I had hanging around in the "to blog" file. Yes, I actually have a few images ready to go in a file. Anyway, I opened it last night and had intended to just boost the levels a bit, but then ran a couple of Nik filters on it. This was captured in the late afternoon, but I love what the filters did to this image. It almost looks like we took a lighting rig out on the beach at night!

Time to get up already?!?!?!

And now for something completely different! Its a pretty well known fact that I am not a real morning person. You can see that from the time stamps on my blog posts and the lack of sunrise shots in my photostream. I have slammed the snooze button too many times to remember missing hundreds of sunrises.

This image was created while out of town at the Rep. Convention I was working at this summer. My local photoclub had a theme for the month of "think small". As I was checking out the room after I arrived, I noticed my reflection in these bottle caps and thought this small subject image might work. Well, out came the tripod, camera, and cable release. After about 30 or so different exposures, I had this ridiculous picture of me. Not a very flattering shot I might add!

This months theme is "UFO". I am totally lost for that one. Any creative ideas out there in flickr land???

Bok Sanctuary

Florida is relatively a flat state. If you dig down anywhere in the state, your digging up sand and shells. This was taken at a landmark called Bok Santuary in the middle of our flat state. It also just happens to be the highest part of the state at about 325 feet above sea level. Let it be known that if part of the Canary Islands happens to slide into the ocean causing a tsunami, you might be able to find me up here!

Sunset over West Palm Beach

I think its time for a few random images this week from the processed file, or in this case, over processed. I gotta say, if I ever saw a sky look like this, I think I would be running for shelter!

This is one of those images that you have to ask yourself.....is it photography, is it art, or is it just a piece of garbage. Either way, it was a great place to be that evening....and this is what I felt.

Have a great week!

Slide Scan Project : At the Port of Rhodes

Well, guess its time to end this week and this little project, for now. As for this week coming up and my posts....well...not sure yet. I have a few ideas kicking around in my head. I might, however, get back to some random images that I have already worked on. For now, hope you enjoyed our brief trip through Europe......I know I did :)

Slide Scan Project : A tough life

The life of a sponge seller looks to be a difficult one. What you can't see out of frame is the stiff competition. Lining the entire harbor of the Greek island of Rhodes were about 50 or so peddlers of these unique sponges. At night, all of these vendors had their areas lit up making a stroll down around there after dinner quite a magical one.

Slide Scan Project : Ruins at Naxos

I think I am gonna round out my posts this weekend with a couple images from Greece. Like any great European vacation, the Greek Islands is a great place to wind down. I am almost positive that this was captured in Naxos, although, it is from my body of slides and not really marked. Since my original had virtually no depth and was shot mid day, I created a little drama with textures and painted in the light and shadows. Hope you enjoy!

Slide Scan Project : The beauty of decay

When I was going through a few of my old slides, I stopped at this one. I can't even really remember taking it! If I had to guess, it think it might be from Prague.....all-right, lets say its from Prague. I have always appreciated the beauty of decay in these old cites.

Rick Steve's take on the importance of travel

I just came across this after visiting the world reknown, traveling guru, Rick Steves blog. He has long been a person I look up to and have used for travel info and insight on previous trips. His site is http://www.ricksteves.com/blog/ and this is a copy of a recent post of his which I found quite profound! Click on the link below to head over to it. Looks like he had quite a few heated comments on this one as well. Not sure why I am passing this on, but since I am posting this week about travel, I guess we can look at this as kinda like a commercial! Here it is.

Sarah Palin’s Small World

Slide Scan Project : On a little journey

Train travel has always fascinated me. I can think of no better way to enjoy European travel than to pack a lunch, charge the Ipod, grab the Eurail pass, pick a track, and open up your mind to just let life happen. Watching little villages go by as your looking out the window listening to cool music is quite the cinematic experience.

These images were captured a few years ago on one of these trips. I am not sure what was going through this little guys mind as he curiously looked out at the world passing by, but the twinkle in his eyes made me grab my camera. An instant click or two, and this quiet moment was captured.

Slide Scan Project : A hike in the Swiss Alps

Any day in the Swiss Alps is a great day indeed. One of the coolest things I remember about my hikes in the Alps was how easy it was. There were a lot of places in Interlaken, Luzerne, and Zermatt that had cable cars for skiing in the winter season. They usually ran these in the summer to give you the chance to get to the top of mountains and then hike down. There was even a place that you could take a bike up to a place via bus and bike the whole way down. Now thats biking!

Slide Scan Project : Munich Train Station

As I kick back this evening trying to figure out what I want to post, my decision seems to be leaning back to my Europe slide scans that I started a little while back. I have to admit, it might be Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations travel show flickering on the TV now thats awaking the wonderlust in me again. What an awesome show by the way. To travel with a cool crew and work on a global travel show....sign me up!

Anyway, I digress again! I think this weeks gonna be some posts of slides I scanned from my back packing days about 10 or so years ago. Hope you enjoy the brief journey with me!

Now lets jump on the train here in Munich, Germany before it leaves the station without us!

Just before the guests arrived

These are a few images from my event this weekend. Just a little get together for a young man and a few of his close buddies! It was an urban theme in the Harriet at Cityplace. The DJ was rockin' and it felt good to be groovin' with beat of the music at the lighting console. Its been a while since I worked with my crew on an event locally as most of my recent work has taken me out of town. Sarah and Alan rocked and were a pleasure to work with. Thanks you 2!

As you can see, there was a table of treats for the lucky young guests to enjoy. I gotta tell you, I was quite impressed with the restraint of these kids. They didn't attack the candy like I had anticipated. The security guards at the end of the night however, quite a different story altogether! It was as if they had never seen food at all before. That is of course, if you consider candy a food! They quite literally attacked this incredible art-piece like a pack of rabid wolves. This repulsive display of gluttony continued till not a spec of sugar was left. There "swine like" motions of scooping and hoarding handfuls of candy....stuffing wads in jacket pockets, bags, and containers....was a vile commotion for most anyone to witness. Makes you wonder what exactly was being secured as these guards slopped at the candy troff like wild pigs!

Although this was an incredible evening for the guests and a good time seemed to be had by all, it was for me quite a sad experience to watch this gorge fest. In the events industry, it is ultimately up to all of us vendors to assist in creating a magical evening for our clients. We are all on stage from before the first guest arrives until the last guest leaves. If anyone of us violates this unwritten code, then the magic is shattered for the guests....no matter how few there are left at the end of the night. The house lights never come up, the tables should never be broken down, and the band gear should never be struck until the event is over and the last guest has left......that is the way I was brought into this industry. When I see otherwise, my stomach turns. The guests are never supposed to see this as the magic is then revealed. I am sure that some of the guest were absolutely appalled as they attempted to grab a little treat from the candy table before they left. They should have never had to be in the company of this pack of ignorant hogs. If that was the last vision of this fabulous night for any of these guest, than that is quite sad!

Just my thoughts..........

Lizard

Guess it's been a long day cause at 1:15AM, this seems like a great image to post. I've got a million other images, but this just seems to work for me tonight.....

Hey, what can I say.....he is kinda cute though!

Deep forest

Well, I thought I posted this last night, but I guess I didn't. I usually post to flickr first and then upload from there. So, well, here it is.....a day late.....

After capturing this shot a while ago while traveling through the center of my wonderful state of Florida, I butchered it a few times with textures. Pixels have been moved, bent, and tortured beyond recognition. It has been sitting in a file as I continually have wondered whether to delete it or not.

This seems like a perfect night to post it however. My head is disheveled, congested and lacking any kind of focus.....it feels like a giant cobweb.....very similar to this image! I HATE colds in Florida. Somehow they seemed a little easier to handle in the cold up North. Maybe thats cause I got to miss school when I was a kid. Well, at least I haven't been sick like this in a long time.....now where's that Robitusin!

Net in the Sunrise at Friday Harbor :: HDR

I really don't have anything profound to say about this because I am watching the VP debate, so, enjoy! And, oh yeah, if you are an American and are reading this, remember to vote! If you live in a country that has this privilege, you should embrace it.

Lighthouse in the San Juan Islands

This little lighthouse was perched on the hillside in the San Juan Islands. As everyone was on the left side working with a flash system with a "Salty Dog" model that Moose setup, I decided to investigate the uncrowded right side. This little lighthouse was on stage with a very blah sky, so I decided to overexpose with the intent to paint in a cool texture later. Hope you like!