New Site up now!

New Site up now!, originally uploaded by Photomike07 / MDSimages.com.

The switch has been thrown and the new and improved MDSimages site is up and running. As with any new site, there will be a little bit of a rough period as I work out all the kinks! Feel free to let me know if you have any loading issues, size problems, etc. I would REALLY appreciate it :)

The new site is www.MDSimages.com.

Check it out!

Oh yeah....about the image....

I uploaded this one a little while ago, but it seemed most appropriate to post it again. I was luck enough to have 3 images chosen for an art exhibit at the Palm Beach Photographic Institutes Infocus Exhibit, and this was one of them. The show opens tomorrow and the hang is for about 2 months. Kinda cool to be a part of it. I look forward to meeting some of the other great artists tomorrow!

Back home - Sunset over West Palm Beach

Back home - Sunset over West Palm Beach, originally uploaded by Photomike07 / MDSimages.com.

For some reason, those days that I choose to go on a hunt for the image seem to produce the least. I must have driven about 300 miles as I zig zagged back from the west coast of Florida. Just wasn't feeling the vibe ya know. Well, I guess it took gettting back to the places I know.

4th on Flagler - Fireworks 2010 - Vibrant green

4th on Flagler - Fireworks 2010 - Vibrant green, originally uploaded by Photomike07 / MDSimages.com.

I left the apartment not even knowing if I was going to snap a frame at all. Those of you insanely dedicated photogs know that sometimes its not that easy to "get in the zone" when with those who don't travel with the excessive gear package. Sure, we are all photographers with our phones, point and shoots, and the like, but you know, some of us are just a bit too involved with the process if you know what I mean. So, knowing I was with my daughter, it was raining, and I didn't really know where I thought I should set up shop, I wasn't giving too much effort into the idea of capturing anything this evening. Sometimes its more about who you are with than what you are doing ya know?

As luck would have it though, I ran into a friend Aaron who also has a couple of girls himself. We decided to head down to a convenient building down on the end of Flagler and take advantage of the overhang. Well, so did a few others, but that was cool. With the little ones content to hang out with each other, I was able to setup the excessive gear and get to work. These shots, however, found this nut job inconveniently just outside of the dry viewing area. Keeping the lense clear of liquid was a constant challenge, but persisnance prevailed!

Here's a couple more that I liked a bit.





Quickly after arriving back at the apartment and looking out at the excessive traffic leaving the waterfront, I once again reminded myself of how great it is to live so close to these events! Happy 4th everyone!

Magic hour in West Palm Beach

Magic hour in West Palm Beach, originally uploaded by Photomike07 / MDSimages.com.

We've all done it. Heart pounding as we race to a place to park the car. The suns dropping like a bowling ball. That light, that incredible light! Its fading fast...please wait till I get the shot!

Then of course, you glance at the LCD screen and think "thats not at all what I saw, where is that deep color, why is the sky blown out, how come I can't see the dark details?"

That is of course why I spend half my time creating the magic in the digital darkroom.

I can't do much about that fading light though. That will always continue to be a race! Unless of course if you are in someplace like Iceland in June, which is of course is exactly where my friend Trey Ratcliff is from Stuck in Customs. Six hour sunsets, hard to beat that!

Looking to the west for color - West Palm Beach, FL

Looking to the west for color - West Palm Beach, FL, originally uploaded by Photomike07 / MDSimages.com.

First off, I sometimes have to remind myself of how lucky I am. As a photographer and lover of light and color, sunsets are one of lifes truley magical experiences. When I get the urge (which should be daily since I am so close), all I have to do is head down, grab the bike, cruise over the bridge to Palm Beaches Bike Path, and enjoy the show. Mind you, not every night is a symphony of luminous design, but its still worth the trip. To get out, clear the mind, and recharge the emotional batteries is essentially the goal. As the skys opened up this evening, however, I had a feeling that a nice scene was about to unfold, and boy was I right. At first, I was a little bit upset that I didn't even have a camera to record the beauty that was about to unfold in the sky, but I quickly realized that the real moment for me was just to see it.....really see it. Sometimes when you are fiddling with the tripod, lenses, knobs, and all that ghack, you fail to really get pulled into the moment. So thats what I did.

This image, however, was from another one of those moments...when I was fiddling about with the gear. Enjoy :)

Austin Capital on a cool Texas evening

Austin Capital on a cool Texas evening, originally uploaded by Photomike07 / MDSimages.com.

A little gift that I received the other day reminded me of the images I have yet to process from my trip to Austin a while back. A special thanks to Cliff for the cool art that he sent me! Check it out

And, of course, the link to my last piece of performance art!

The last disastrous video LOL!

God Beams over West Palm Beach - and a search for enlightenment

God Beams over West Palm Beach - and a search for enlightenment, originally uploaded by Photomike07 / MDSimages.com.

During one of those o' so few evenings when the South Florida sky just opens up and screams at you, I decided to fly out the door and capture some of natures enlightenment. Sure, the camera sensor doesn't really see what I see, or in this case, what I wanted to see, but thats what post is for. Color, light, great music on the Ipod, and a sense of accomplishment from the day....thats about all you need sometimes.
So, on a somewhat related note, I feel like linking to a video I recieved today. As you must know by now, this blog has never been much of a source for ideas or product endorsements, but I really felt like sharing it. Life sometimes has a way of presenting you with challanges, or as I like to see it, opportunities for self growth disguised as hurdles. Since my divorce, I have been on a full on feast of self growth knowledge. There is no one that seems to cover all these areas that, lets face it, we can all use improvement in, as well as this cat I found called Brian Johnson. His debute product called Philosophers Notes (google it), is a buffet of knowledge and selfgrowth wisdom. Kind of like a cliff notes creation of 100 of his favorite reads while on a sabaticle in Fiji (man, thats sounds cool doesn't it?), he indeed pours his heart into this product. It has been my "Go To" folder on the ole' Ipod for sometime now. In fact, I can't think of a better way to start the day that with one of his delicious 20 minute morsels of insight. A great fuel for the mind for sure. Well, as you can see from the link to a video below, he has an other product out that looks kinda cool too. So, I ask you, what have you fed your mind today?

http://www.optimalliving101.com/why

Banyon on the Bike Trail - and a Sunfest 2010 wrap-up video

Banyon on the Bike Trail - and a Sunfest 2010 wrap-up video, originally uploaded by Photomike07 / MDSimages.com.

Well, the end of another great Sunfest weekend has about come to a close. I can honestly say that I enjoyed this one more that any I can recently remember. Although the music was quite lame and the food had a lot to be desired (unless you actually were looking for a full on artery block.....I mean, is it too much to ask for a fruit, vegetable, or salad ANYWHERE in this festival?) sorry, I'm back.....where was I now? Did I finish that sentence? Never mind...

For me, it was a few things. The time off (finally), the art booths (I always love seeing artists give their gift to the world, and of course best of all, the precious time with my child. I look forward to next year!

Here's a quick little wrap up of the fireworks finale' of the event. Enjoy :)

Palm Beach - a special place

Palm Beach - a special place, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

Sometimes I forget how lucky I am. In fact, just the other day I took a knee jerk reaction turn and headed over the beach with my little one after school and pounced about in the sand (not here as this is the intracoastal.....beach is much cleaner!). After spending a few wonderful moments there, I had to stop and wonder what in the world has prevented me from taking the 7 minute trip from my place over to this paradise recently.

In continuation of my little theme this week, I am posting a link to the music that inspired my creation of the image this evening. I first heard Josh Varnadore perform this live last year at a church that we were lighting a Passion Play in. I hope to hear more from him someday! Very catchy tune and a wonderful message. Hope you like :)

Warm night under the banyon tree

Warm night under the banyon tree, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

Wow, what a nice little blog break that was! Our events schedule this past week made it virtually impossible to live anything close to a normal life, but thats ok. Those who know me best understand that I kinda like a random and somewhat chaotic schedule. My only regret, especially after taking a peek at the closing ceremonies tonight, was that I didn't get to watch the Olympics more. Oh well, there's alway 2014.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a fantastic week. I have a lot to drone on about, but I'm a little beat now......so more on all this later.

I hope to post a couple later in the week from a couple of the events that I was able to capture. Until then......

Proudly describing his work

Proudly describing his work, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

So after the excitement of the implosion was over, it was time for Kevin and I to of course get a closer look. Most impressive was the neat little pile of debris that this 30 or so story structure created. Sheer brilliance in execution for sure.

Here is a shot of a member of the team discussing a few detail of his craft with Kevin.

After the Implosion

After the Implosion, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

As far as implosions go, I had no idea the artists that engineer this spectacle could execute it with such precision! Just after the building disappeared from the West Palm Beach skyline, my friend Kevin and I decided to do a little investigation of the area. I must say, within minutes, it seamed as it the pile of debris was neatly swept into its tiny little 45' tall pile quite literally in the center of what used to be 1515 Flagler Blvd. Damaged during the 2004 Hurricane Emily, this eyesore has been the poster-child of what bureaucratic red tape is all about. After this exhaustive process took its course, the developers were finally allowed to put it to rest.

For more images, check out the little collage below as well as the video I shot. Look for a few more images tomorrow!

A night of pink at the top of the Pointe

A night of pink at the top of the Pointe, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

So, a first for me. I was actually able to see the lighting for an event we were doing this evening....from my apartment balcony! Kinda cool. See the pink on the top floor of the left building? Simple event with pink uplights and dancefloor lights, but still kinda fun to see from my balcony. I know, I'm a geek!

And now for something completely different.....

Check out the shots below. Could be some of the last images taken of the 1515 building on Flagler. As of tomorrow morning at 9AM, that puppy is coming down! FYI, its the tall and thin building that is stripped of all of its glory. Kinda sad actually. Not that it was any great masterpiece, but at one time, it was the result of countless hours of planning, design, engineering, financing, and of course....plain old hard work! Well, like I said, in about 8 hours, boom!

I hope to capture a few cool shots as my friend Kevin has hooked us up with a cool place to view it. Not sure what I will come up with as I have never had the chance to photograph an implosion. We'll see!

A bit west of town and a bit of an apology

A bit west of town and a bit of an apology, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

Taken a wee bit back during a late afternoon of wandering about out west on a "chasing the light" session. (Good grief, what a horrible opening sentence to a blog. Hope it gets better!)

I feel like I have let down the viewers of my images here lately. While I have a million or so on the hard drive to work on, with many other opportunities to create around me, I haven't been allowing myself that time. Sure its busy this time of year here in South Florida, but I somehow was able to focus a bit on the art of it all last year about this time. I must say, however, that I have also been spending a bit of time developing a few new strategies in a totally unrelated field, so that might have a bit to do with it. Only so many hours in the day!

As I progress a bit in my life and head towards the big five o' (hey, lets not rush the next 5 years now), I seem to be pretty clear with a few goals. More than ever, I plan to become a bit more active in my real estate investments. I have been spending most of my time outside of Hy-Lite educating myself in all aspects of acquisition, planning my next moves, and fine tuning my strategies for the next few years. I don't want to head too deep into this just yet (in my blogsposts), but I am pretty excited about the whole process. I will say that a little further down my goal statement, say a couple of years or so, I am pretty passionate about rehabbing smaller apartment units "Green." I feel there is a tremendous opportunity there and in its infant stages. My other and more immediate goals are all part of a strategic plan to get me there.

So, why all this Mike? Do you think we even care?

Well, good point and well taken. Guess its just a quick excuse for my lack of energy here in my little art world getaway. I guess the real trick is to find that balance as to not overdo it in any one area. Yeah, balance.....always had a bit of a problem with that, but thats another story altogether!

More on all of this later.....

PS.....was that a cool halftime show or what! Lights were awesome and well programmed. Hats off to the artists on that one. You should be proud of yourselves :)

Painted skys over West Palm Beach

Painted skys over West Palm Beach, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

Cool weather always brings the opportunity for some great skys, and this evening was no exception. After a quick glance out the window this evening, I scurried about (at a rapid pace whilst haphazardly stumbling about I might add) and grabbed the D3 and sticks. I am so blessed to have the balcony I have and this time of the year, the suns in a great spot! I tried for a different perspective and used a 70 to 200 lense to isolate a space piece of the luminescent sky. Hope ya like :)

Waiting for Santa - Merry Christmas to you all!

Waiting for Santa - Merry Christmas to you all!, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

There aren't many shows that seem to hold my attention long enough to allow me to mindlessly watch and consume. A Christmas Story, however, thats a different story altogether My dad always loved that one. So many classic lines......"you'll shoot your eye out" "why, its a leg!" "I double dog dare you"......so with this little marathon going on, I decided to setup the kit and take this shot of the pad just after I returned home for the night.

Merry Christmas to all my flickr, facebook, and blog viewing friends. Best of luck to you all for a happy, prosperous, safe, meaningful, and spiritual new year!!!

Waiting on the meteor shower

Waiting on the meteor shower, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

So, according to the experts, there is supposed to be a meteor shower tonight. Hmmm, ain't seen nottin' yet. The full kit is set up on the balcony with a fisheye lense cranking out a 7 exposure set every 20 seconds in hopes of capturing an HDR time-lapse of the show. Like I said, its a bit light on the actual show part. I guess I'll see in the morning!

Crazy skys in Palm Beach - and a Timelapse Tuesday video

Crazy skys in Palm Beach - and a Timelapse Tuesday video, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

We indeed have some rather cool skys down in South Florida. It has recently come to my attention that if I ever cause an accident while driving around here, there is a good chance its because my head is in the clouds. Yeah I know, I guess I gotta watch out for that!

So anyway, check out this link. This was taken from the ole' patio again, a convenient place to setup a timelapse from!

By the way, I am totally open to any suggestions to improving this quality. I usually upload these as .mov files and youtube compresses these to the extreme......a night and day difference from my original. Any ideas???

Wrapping up the day

Wrapping up the day, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

So these were taken a few weeks ago, when the South Florida sky seemed to have a little bit of character. There for a few days, we were truly blessed with the artistic brush strokes of mother nature. These days lately....well, not so much.

I must admit, the weather lately has gotten me in a bit of a creative rut here. I think its about time for a total change of scenery. More on that in a couple of days!

For now, I think its about time to start purging out a few images here on the blog. My normal approach has lately been to post one a day as I think that each one that gets to the "blog worthy" file should gets its day in the limelight. I know, maybe a bit lame to think that way perhaps. Well, the files a little larger than it should be and I think that its kind of giving me a safety net to fall back into, thus allowing me to slack a bit in creative exploration department. So, here we go.....let the purging begin...

I took a little walk amongst the wreckage that used to be Flagler Drive today. A plan is in place to create a more friendly waterside experience for us here in West Palm Beach......a plan that this blogger and citizen supports. Not sure however if they are on schedule, but this evening, it appeared that progress is certainly being made. A target date for completion is apparently around the end of the year, just in time for a New Years Party!

Timelapse Tuesday - An afternoon in HDR (and a link to the youtube timelapse video)

Timelapse Tuesday - An afternoon in HDR (and a link to the youtube timelapse video), originally uploaded by Photomike07.

Hey, its Tuesday.....and time for another addition of Time-Lapse Tuesday! As I patiently await the upload to youtube of the clip, I'll tell ya a little bit about it. First off, my balcony here is beautiful South Florida seems to be the easiest and most convenient location for the rig. For the most part, I can set up and go about the day without any worry......and actually find the camera there when I return! As I have posted before, the clouds are always a great subject for timelapse. This clip, however, has a little more going on a wee bit into it as I go about the afternoon having lunch, talking on the phone, and reading......all at hyper speed. I know, kinda silly....but hey, it is me ya know.