A final look into the harbor

A final look into the harbor, originally uploaded by Photomike07 / MDSimages.com.

During our final "goodbye lunch" from the marina side cafe called Snappas (I think that was the name actually), I found myself a bit distracted from the conversation at the table. Not that I wasn't fully engaged as we were all in various stages of brainstorming about a million things (I love that by the way), but a scene that was being created just over my shoulder had me leaping from the table mid sentence to capture the foundation of this image I had in my head. I find myself doing that alot more often now (not leaving the table mid sentence like a hound chasing a squirel mind you), but previsualizing the scene and what I intend to create with the shot later.

Visualization and the law of attraction....powerful stuff. I find myself kinda deep in alot of that lately. Ask and it is given ya know. There's a million ways to phrase it, but getting a clear and focused vision of where you want to steer your life, visualizing it, and acting on it. Seems simple really, but it works!

I found myself doing this exact process this evening...with my nine year old. She has had this vision of multiple income streams for a while now. An art teacher that owns a highend cupcake bakery. Very creative for a nine year old I think. So I told her about a little place that just opened up in CItyplace the other day....a highend cupcake shop! She couldn't drag me there fast enough. It was a precious site watching her walk thru and take deep mental notes. After buying a couple of the "competitions" little morsels of goodness and a couple of business cards, she couldn't wait to get home to brainstorm with me and journal all of our thoughts on design, color, business plans, ingredients....heck, she even drafted out a floor-plan of the new place. Talk about visualizing.

Not sure where I am going with this actually, just felt like a bit of a ramble here.

I guess if I had any morsel of parting wisdom, it would have to be.....don't forget to dream! Stop and give yourself those precious moments in the madness of the day to be whatever you want to be. Its free to wander in this other world and you never know where it might actually take you. And in case that finds you running a cupcake shop, I'll have a double fudge please.

And, if you ever read this my little sunshine girl....thanks for those special moments you have given me to slow down and see this wonderful world thru your little eyes. I love you :)

A hike in the Swiss Alps - Zermatt

A hike in the Swiss Alps - Zermatt, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

I've been searching for "themes" of sorts to tie in my blog posts for the week, or at the very minimum....nuggets of wisdom. Not sure if any of that makes sense in the slightest, but yet I plunge forward....

Music is powerful. It is quite often the catalyst for setting the mood when I head out for capturing the feel of the location and......(good grief, this is going absolutely nowhere....)

aaaanyway, hope you like what I created in post. I applied a bit of a painterly look with Topaz and of course, photoshop. And as far as the music that drove the mood? (I guess thats the theme of the week....The music that drove the mood!)

A typical Boston scene (and time to get back to normal, whatever that is.....)

A typical Boston scene (and time to get back to normal, whatever that is.....), originally uploaded by Photomike07.

I must admit, I carry some really strange hours. Having worked in the events industry for about 25 years, and never having been much of a morning person, I guess this has worked out ok for me. Of course, disastrous results sometimes ensue when attempting to mesh this type of schedule with one who is polar opposite. Of course I have first hand proof of this, but we all learn our lessons and move on.

So what am I rambling about.....?

Well, as you can see from the times I normally post, it is usually quite late, and in turn, probably not the best time to experience cerebral clarity, but I blog on. Kinda funny, but the millions of ideas that seem to bubble up throughout the day seem to all but vanish when my image of the day gets uploaded......and so I blog on....

I usually try to pick out an image that meets my mood at the time. More often than not, I can't really connect with one, but instead choose one that stands out in color, detail, and vibrance. Then the challenge of creating a few words worth reading unfolds its ugly face. I have always craved the ability to write.....with passion and clarity....creatively taking a reader on an interesting journey. Yeah, like I said, I have always wanted to do that. Wonder if I will ever get there? ......and he blogs on...

So why this image Mike?

Well, guess its a little personal. Although its not my home, it indeed reminds me of what I am creating for a special little person in my life. A home. I have spent quite a bit of time with my little sunshine girl over the past 2 weeks. I love the way the holidays have been spaced this year. Seems like there was a lot of time off this way. Memories, great memories, can only be created by putting in the time. As a father, I realize this more and more each precious day that I am rewarded with this special gift I have been given. When she refers to our place as home too, I can't help but swell up a bit and realize that, ..... well,..... all is ok.....

Thnkx fer listening......to me that is. And as I sometimes tike to do, here's a link to some of the music that inspired me this evening

Boat in the harbour in Honfleur, France

Boat in the harbour in Honfleur, France, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

Kind of a departure from my usual style of upload here. Not that it really matters, but I think I was experimenting with Corel Painter (for all you digital darkroom cats out there). I say that cause its been hanging out in the upload file for a while...too long actually. I don't really love it, but its a nice soothing image for me as about 15 minutes ago, I was wondering what the PC desktop would have looked like had I actually dropped in out the window from the 6th floor condo that I live in. Yeah, that hard drive was spinning, gurgling, skeegan, and whining, while doing only God knows what. I mean, all I wanted to do was turn it off! Sometimes I look over and look at that read/write light blinking and wonder "what in the f**k are you doing!!!" I must say, its nice to come into the other room to the Mac. It never seems to be off doing some other "computing" that I didn't ask it to. Its always just there for ya and ready to rock!

Geeeeeeez, what kinda tangent was that? Good grief!

Anyway, this image is just another example of what can be done in post with the arsenal of tools at our disposal. Corel Painter, indeed, a program I hope to experiment with a bit more in the future. (on my trusty and dependable little Macbook Pro and Wacom tablet of course!)

Infinate reflections

Infinate reflections, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

On occasion, the image posted is the result of a creation not scene at the original moment of capture. It was a hazy lazy day in Key West that I found myself floating about in the shallow waters with a couple of friends. I shot a few images out there that day...some with boats, some underwater, some of us clowning around....but the simple ones of the clouds seem to interest me the most. As I studied one of them a little closer, I couldn't help but wonder what I could do if I mucked around a bit with it. I kinda like the result :)

A break in the Swiss Alps (while the timelapse camera clicks away)

A break in the Swiss Alps (while the timelapse camera clicks away), originally uploaded by Photomike07.

I had a few ideas while on this little trek up in the Swiss Alps, and here is one of them. Before I left the States for my trip, I had tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to procure a room with a great view of this most majestic of mountains. My thought was that the camera could live, safely on the balcony, whilst clicking away all day for a time-lapse capture. Well, I started thinking, how about a nice little break during a hike to do the same thing? I must admit, after loading a little Pat Metheny into the ipod playlist, throwing the hood over my head, and just sitting down to enjoy the view and fresh air for a couple of hours, I was in heaven!

Moonlight along the Oregon Coast

Moonlight along the Oregon Coast, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

My post this evening finds me with a bit of a backlog of shots I either have been wanting to post, have perviously talked about posting, or promised others that I would post soon. So, with all that being said, I'm not really sure why I put the headphones on and dove deep into the drive to find a blank palette to paint on. I guess it has a little to do with the afternoon I had. I decided to take a wee bit of a break and goofed off for a while today. This afternoon, I took my daughter to see The Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey in 3d IMAX. Definitely a must see!!! What a buffet of visual inspiration. It's hard to figure out what is animated, generated, and real. I guess when it all works, it really doesn't matter. What was even cooler was the opportunity to discuss the movie in a rather philosophical way with a 9 year old over dinner afterwards. Indeed, my life is good :)

A quick shout out to www.flickr.com/photos/skeletalmess/ for his cool textures that I was able to use to paint with tonight. Check out his stream!

Musical inspiration I used for the edit

Honfluer - boats in the morning

Honfluer - boats in the morning, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

For a little while now, my weekly Sunday posts have been about the industry I have happy to be a part of....Special Event Lighting. While entrenched in the pace of this unique field, I have found it quite rewarding to reflect back on events as we were doing them and share with the world. As I reflect on my post tonight however (hence the image above...get it, reflection....aaaahhh, never mind...) I realize that I'm just not feeling it now. With a questionable season coming up, I must admit I am a little concerned. I know I have posted and blogged a bit about this before, so I don't want to harp on about it as I am trying to focus on the positive. I am embracing the fact that perhaps all of this, as it related to me, is perhaps just another step in the evolution of my journey. There is a lot of change in the air lately, but with all this uncertainty, there are opportunity's. I must admit that it has been a bit exhilarating to embrace some of these new possibilities.

So, all that being said, as my involvement in the events world starts to pick up, I am sure that I will be posting from time to time about them. For now though, my Son et Lumiere Sunday posts are on temporary hiatus. I set out a few months ago to give myself a little structure in my posts, but I guess I am starting to hate the structure. I guess my free spirited side is winning this one. Time-lapse Tuesday, however, is gonna hang in there for a little while :)

So, anyway, this reflective image was originally captured from my trip to Europe in 2007. A year that I will always remember as a renaissance to my love of photography and yet my introduction to the world of digital art. As a "painter of light", this has been a great progression for me personally, and yet another way to express my passion for color, light, and texture.

Good grief, what the hell am I babbling about!

As always, more on all of this later.....

Heading out to sea - World Wide Photowalk 2009

Heading out to sea - World Wide Photowalk 2009, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

Looking for a unique perspective on a location that I have frolicked (frolicked???) during my younger years while on a photowalk today with about 40 other photographers was kind of a challenge. I must admit, I had a few nice chats with some fellow shooters (isn't that what its all about actually?), but my shots are....well...chalk full of disappointment. A complete memory card full of garbage as it were. This one is definitely a case of "fix it in post." This image didn't really come to life until it got a complete overhaul in Photoshop CS4. I have another that I worked on a bit that I'll post later in the week. Well, I guess 2 keepers isn't too bad.

On a completely different subject, I have arrived safe and sound in Miami. Insane drivers down here....yikes. Saw an overturned van that kinda became part of a warehouse. As I passed the carnage, I couldn't help but yell out "Told ya to slow down ya jack ass!" Sorry, these drivers make me nuts!

Anyway... We are at The Turnberry Resort for a corporate event for the next 5 nights. Awesome bed, comfortable room, and a tired body. TIme for some shut eye before the madness in the AM. More on ALL of this later.....

A walk along Iguazu Falls - Brazil

A walk along Iguazu Falls - Brazil, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

I have always heard of this special place called "Iguazu Falls." On the border of Argentina and Brazil, this incredible force of nature has been carving is path for millions of years. This little peak into the falls is but a small piece of the labyrinth of rock and water that seems to go on for miles. While on an event in South America last year, I found the time to trek off to this magical place.

As a photographer, I was of course hoping to get the best in lighting conditions, but was presented with, well....., blah conditions at best. I still snapped several exposures....many that still have not even been processed yet, but this one seemed to stand out as a particular challenge. It seemed to have a few things going on...like composition, flow, and energy, but the lighting was awful! I eventually decided that I wanted to create a kind of painterly look to it, so I brushed in some color and texture with a plug in called Topaz, dodged and burned it a bit, and created this. The image below shows a before and after.

Landscape without a subject

Landscape without a subject, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

The most challenging part about traveling across the state via "Alligator Alley" is just that, the gators. I quite often find myself scanning the canals like a little kid, lookin' for gators. The designers of this speedway of sorts, in their infinite wisdom, placed very few turnoffs to actually pull over and appreciate the vast and seemingly infinite beauty of the Everglades. Having said that, you can likely envision the options I had as I crossed this little bridge and noticed a photo op. You got in! Swerve off the road as to prevent the jackass that was doing 90mph behind me from slamming into my vehicle. I then backtracked a few yards running awkwardly with the tripod and D3 bouncing into my side as the dust, dirt, and road debris from the oncoming traffic blew into my face at hurricane force. Not really the image you might have had in your mind while looking at this serene landscape, but there ya go :)

Chillion Castle in Montreux - Photo painting

Chillion Castle in Montreux - Photo painting, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

Every once in a while, I think its a good idea to revisit an image. This one has a kinda significance to me for 2 reasons. First, during this trip a couple of years ago, my passion for photography was reborn as well as my initial dabbling into the world of HDR imaging. In fact, this one was absolutely the first one that I ever processed. Second, not since my backpacking days of the early 90's had I been back to Europe. Having recently separated from my wife, this trip seemed to be a way of "finding myself".....just like some of my earlier trips. I am still looking by the way. Funny how that can be a lifelong search isn't it?

So, anyway, I felt that this shot could use a little work with some techniques I have been working with. My intention was to give it a "painterly look" as well as pump up the vibrant color that I remember so well from that trip. Hope ya like :)

Waking up in a colorful world

Waking up in a colorful world, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

One of the greatest experiences of photoshop is that it is never really learned completely. There are so many little filters, brushes, dodads, and gizmos, that for the adventurous and curious artist in all of us, you are never really finished exploring. That experience is pushed even further when you add a few plugins like the one I used here. My origional attempt at this piece was to create an image that appears to be painted. I then turned the opacity of the effect down a bit, more so on the sky, and then brushed in a horizontal blur on the water to add more motion. I kinda like it :)

More to come perhaps in the next couple of days from my quick little trip to the keys. I took more snapshots that my usual fair of HDR brackets, but some of those snaps were under water! We'll see how those come out soon enough.

So, what's on the agenda for the week? We'll for me, we have a little wedding to light at the Breakers tomorrow then it slows down (actually crashes hard) until mid July. I hope to elaborate on that soon as think it requires a more substantial post. The beginning of the week will find me moving to a different unit in my building. Should be an easy move as its down one floor and on the other side of the building. More on that later too.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Dawn of a new day in Palm Beach

Dawn of a new day in Palm Beach, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

As is so often the case with my posts, the image of the day has virtually nothing to do with my actual location at the time. While the warm tropical air of Key West hovers over me on the balcony of my hotel room, I see the random glow of lighting far off near the horizon. After a sun soaked day of goofing of, I am all but completely drained. The thought of getting the tripod out, setting up a shot, and processing an image from the day is...well, just a thought. I have high hopes of getting up early to catch the beautiful start of the day however from just outside of my room. I mean, no kidding, this place is RIGHT on the water. Basically, fall out of bed and shoot! Until then, this is one from up in Palm Beach taken a little while ago. I tried a few little techniques on it. Hope you like!

As the sun rises again in Palm Beach

As the sun rises again in Palm Beach, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

I really really have no reason as all not to have more images from our beaches here during sunrise. For all the people nestled in the middle of the country, this 4 minute trek from where I live should seem like a no brainer. Hmmm, well, guess its the whole "getting up before sunrise thing" that kinda squashes for me. I know, lame excuse. Hope to prove that theory wrong over the next few weeks as work slows up and crashes to somewhat of a complete hault .....but thats a thought for a completely different post!

This image, captured a while ago, got the ole' painter technique and process. Hope you like :)

Parisian sun

I'm gonna take a different approach tonight. As mentioned before, I have often wished I could paint. Not that I can remember actually trying at any great length, perhaps I could if I had the patience! With this little series of images, I took the painterly approach. I frequently enjoy processing my images with HDR software, but a visit to Paris for me helps to extract another creative side. Capturing the full tonal range of an image as in HDR is great, but sometimes the soft painterly and somewhat impressionistic quality can help evoke a completely different feeling.

As I arrived for my first day of Parisian wandering, I started by trying to capture the general mood. Paris has a casual flow to it but at the same time, there are calculated lines and structure. It certainly is an incredibly intricated city as a quick overhead of the city layout will show you. I was hoping to catch both of these moods at the shutter click. It was only after I applied this painter effect that I think the real mood popped into view.

The courtyard of the Louvre....a great convergence of glass and stone. The interior of this museum can be quite intimidating at first. The best bet is to focus more intently on a small area, artist, or style. Rest assured, it will always be there (and a great reason for another trip!)

With a million other photogs snapping pictures at all times of the day, I really hoped to isolate some details while still expressing the vastness of the architecture.

Paris is really the city of light (and cafes!) Starting at just a small snapshot, this image takes on a whole new feel with a paint effect.

As I stumbled upon this vantage point, the sun was just starting to paint the walls of the Seine River with this incredible warm light. The silhouette of Notre Dam in the background was an added bonus.

As the average traveler to Paris does, I snapped images at almost every turn. Through the magic of post processing, sometimes only then can the real emotion be portrayed.......the emotion that prompted you to click the shutter in the first place!

Venezia - alive again

Venezia - alive again, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

So, this is one of my first attempts at using the under painting and impressionistic brushes and techniques I learned from Fay Sirkis using Corel Painter. The original was actually a scan of a slide that I captured about 15 years ago. As you might guess, I have a ways to go, but the journey is quite fun :)

Reflections on a birthday

Reflections on a birthday, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

As I reflect back on another birthday.....wow, 45 already, a few things come to mind. First off, a day spent quietly canoeing and exploring with my daughter is for me about as good as it gets nowadays. There have been many Saturdays in the heat of the season that we were scrambling...setting up events, and making money. In 20 years, which of those 2 days am I really gonna remember? Life is enriched by your collection of memories, and I am grateful to have made such a great one today!

For me, birthdays are also a perfect time for me to reflect back on the year and re-align my self for the future. Goals frequently change as the years go on and now is the time to get a new list and plan of action. For me, its funny how the list doesn't have alot of "things" on it......material things that is. In fact, there are none actually. If I expand that a bit further, as I think back on the last 45 years and my best memories, there are none that involve tangible things at all. With all that in mind, the goal setting strategy for the next year is of to a great start...

Wait, I take that back, I could use a cup of coffee.......

The artist at work

The finishing touch to her work incredible work of art could only be created as the guests entered the ballroom for this special night. As only the eyes of a true artist can capture, various guests were introduced to the painting, giving it realistic details that the bride and groom will cherish for many years to come....a unique remembrance to this wonderful evening.



My thanks to the artist, Agnes Russo, for her conversation, inspiration, and kindness. Please check out some more of her work at:

www.eventpaintingbyagnes.com

Swiss Chalets

Swiss Chalets, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

The average post starts out with an inspiration. Something that happened during the day, a reflective moment, a rant.....now that I think of it, there really is no average post for me. More often that not, it actually begins with the image. Fifteen or so odd years ago, I had no idea what could eventually be of this image. For whatever reason, us photographers are kind of possessed. We are on a constant search for the next image.....dragging bags and packs of excessive gear to incredible places. Why is that? For me, it is quite simple. There is a beautiful world out there! I find great happiness in gathering and sharing those moments. Travel becomes a full time sensory overload as you open your eyes to the world. Scanning your surroundings for unique situations, color, patterns, light, emotion, .....the whole world becomes quite cinematic!

Wow, I am completely off track here....again....

I was inspired to post this image tonight based on an incredible artist I met. More on her in a minute....

I have always been inspired by paintings. How someone can create the illusion of reality, light, and emotion on a canvas has always intrigued me and to be quite honest, made me a little jealous. Perhaps taking a brush to canvas is something I really need to try someday. Put that on the bucket list I guess....

So, at the event that we did this evening, I met an artist.....a painter of live events. I hope to post an image of her at work tomorrow evening. She started the day at about 11AM when we were finishing up the lighting focus and tweek. With a blank canvas, she spent the day capturing the incredible setup, florals, architecture, hanging cherry blossoms, lighting, and as the guests walked in.....she proceeded to paint a few of the guests into the painting. I have never seen anything quite like it before!

My image for today, tough not painted by hand, is my art. Thanks for the inspiration Agnes!

Check back tomorrow for a shot of her at work and a link to her incredible artwork!