MINI-ROCK SWIRLS

Mini-Rock Swirls, Columbia MO

I took the dogs for a brief run at Grindstone Nature Area.  I was running late, so I rushed through our normal hike without taking any breaks until we got to Mini-Rock Falls.  When I got there I had exactly 10 minutes before I had to leave.  I made two photos worthy of sharing during those 10 minutes, including this one.  Photography never ceases to surprise me.  Sometimes I shoot for two hours and end up with nothing.  Other times I shoot for 10 minutes and get two gems.  For example, the other night I shot for two hours trying to capture lightning as a storm blew South of Columbia, and came home with nothing.

This is a single 1/2 second exposure.  I used a circular polarizer to cut the glare off of the water and allow the colors and textures of the rocks to shine through.  I was surprised how dreamy the water looks at this shutter speed.  I generally like a longer exposure, but in this case the water was moving fast enough and I was close enough to the action to get a nice blurring effect.  I checked the image on my LCD screen and saw I had good motion blur, so I didn't need to get out my neutral density filter and use a longer exposure.  It was a good thing too because I was in a hurry!

CreativeLIVE is live today.  The workshop is "Lightroom Fundamentals" with Laura Shoe.  You can watch live in high resolution for free here (and low resolution here).

Photo taken March 15, 2012

MISSOURI RIVER BLUES

Missouri River Blues, Rocheport MO

I took this 30 second exposure a while after sundown during the blue hour.  Nini and the dogs were getting anxious to get off the sandbar, up the steep dirt cliff, and back to the M.K.T. "Katy" Trail that leads back to the car.  This was one of the last shots of the night, if not the very last one.

This is a single 30 second exposure and it is the first single exposure I've shared of this sunset (all of the rest were HDRs you can see here, here and here.  When I have the time I like to keep shooting for about an hour after sunset.  Once the sun is down it's possible to get long exposures like this without using any filters.  I'm obsessed with the long-exposure effect on the water, as you can probably tell by now.

Photo taken Feb 22, 2012

DREAMY

Dreamy Mini-Rock Falls, Columbia MO

Hinkson Creek is slowly receding and I'm able to get just little further out into the creek without getting wet.  But after seeing this view the other day now I'm determined to bring my sandals and get in the frigid water for the ultimate Mini-Creek falls shot!  I should see if the Columbia MO parks department wants to use some of these photos to promote Grindstone Nature Area.  Maybe I should make a Grindstone calendar or iphone app or something?

This is a five exposure HDR.  The single exposures range from 30 seconds to 2 seconds in one stop increments.  The light on the trees in the background and the long exposure water really make this photo for me.  I'm never satisfied with my composition, but I think getting in the water will yield much stronger compositions.  The slow moving water behind Mini-Rock falls created some cool patterns I'll have to try and capture better in the future.

Photo taken Feb 17, 2012

AFTER SUNDOWN

After Sundown, Rocheport MO

The final of three sunset photos from our trip to the "best beach in Missouri" on the banks of the Missouri River.  I usually plan to stay for an hour after sundown and take photos during the blue hour when the light goes cold and blue.  I really love the way the camera catches that deep blue light.  This photo was taken just after sundown.  See my previous posts from the best beach in Missouri here and here.

This is a five-exposure HDR and the exposures range from .5 to 8 seconds in one-stop increments.  After the sun had set I was still set up facing directly toward the sunset.  But Nini pointed out that the Southeastern sky was glowing purple!  I quickly recomposed to get some of the purple light in the frame.  It was gone before I could get off six exposures, so I was left with five to work with!

Once again, CreativeLIVE is LIVE today and it's free.  The workshop is "Posing Masterclass" with Bambi Cantrell.  You can go to www.creativelive.com/live but if your internet is slow I recommend the low resolution link here:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/creativelive-lowres

Photo taken Feb 22, 2012

HIGH WATER

High Water at Mini-Rock Falls, Columbia MO

To get this photo I was standing on rock that had two inches of water flowing over it.  My hiking boots are awesome so my feet stayed totally dry.  Composing photos like this can be physically demanding.  Trying to balance in the middle of the creek, on slippery rocks, hunched over for the low perspective, holding your breath so your glasses don't fog, can really wear on your body.  Once I get everything set and finally stand upright and take a deep breath, I usually experience a moment of dizziness from the blood rushing back to my head!  It would be a lot easier if I just got in the water.  Right now it's a little cold though and in the summer we've seen water moccasins swimming in this area of Grindstone Nature Area.  I prefer cold water over snakes I guess, so maybe I'll get some waders and really get serious with this creek.

This is a single exposure.  I used a circular polarizer reduce the glare and allow the colors to shine through, and a six stop neutral density filter to allow for a long 30 second exposure.  I like to take long exposures on the creeks I come across in town, getting lots of practice for PHOTO ADVENTURES to come.

Photo taken Feb 7, 2012

LEAF FALLS

Leaf Falls, Columbia MO

I named this little bit of white water on Hinkson Creek "Leaf Falls," since the leaves create a mini-waterfall.  We've been spending a lot of time at Grindstone Nature Area getting our dogs back in tip top shape after being spoiled rotten by Paul SR. while we were away in India.  Thanks Dad! ;)

This is a single exposure.  I used a circular polarizer to give some visibility to the creek bottom in the foreground and to reduce the glare on the white water that was even more blown out than it looks here.  I also used a neutral density filter to cut out six stops of light, allowing me to use a 25 second exposure.

Photo taken Jan 29, 2012

BEACH #5

Gentle Beauty Beach # 5, Havelock Island, India

The bright midday sun doesn't lend itself to long exposures, but I brought my ND filter and circular polarizer so that I could slow things down a bit and capture the soothing motion of the sea.

Beach #5 is not the main attraction on Havelock Island, and is usually overshadowed by the far more famous Radhanagar Beach (Beach #7), which is considered one of the best beaches in the world. I would have to agree that Radhanagar Beach is the best for swimming, as the water gets deeper close to the shore, the sea floor is free of rocks, and the beach itself is long and wide, offering plenty of space to find a private spot to hang out for the day or camp overnight on the beach. In addition, Radhanagar Beach offers a stunning view of the sunset.

But Beach #5 is more ideal for photographers wanting to get a shot of the colorful waters prevalent across all of the Andaman Islands. Two factors make the colors pop at Beach #5. First is the shallow water, which creates the turquoise and green colors for the first 200 meters or so, giving way to the blues of the deeper waters further out. Second, and more importantly, Beach #5 faces Northeast, allowing photographers to shoot away from the sun and preventing the colorful water from being blown out by the sun's harsh reflection. Radhanagar Beach on the other hand, faces West making it difficult to capture it's beautiful green and blue colors except for a few hours early in the morning. So if you want to get the colors at Radhanagar Beach, you have to go early the morning. The catch, however, is that it does not provide any view of the sunrise, which many photographers are eager to shoot, and is quite stunning at Beach #5. See this sunrise and I think you'll agree.

Daily photo: Jan 11, 2012, taken Jan 9, 2012

CHIDIYA TAPU SUNSET

Chidiya Tapu Sunset, South Andaman Island, India

Chidiya Tapu, also known as "Sunset Point" and "Bird Island," is one of the best places to see the sunset after flying into Port Blair, the main hub of the Andaman Islands.  The beach is located on the furthest Southern tip of South Andaman Island 25 kms South of Port Blair and takes about 45 minutes to get there by car (or over an hour by bus).  The road traverses through dense jungle/rainforest that opens up along the coastline in a few places.  There are "beware of crocodile" signs along the way, and the sign on the beach at Chidiya Tapu reads "Beware: Crocodile Infested Beach."  We didn't see any crocodile during our three days in the Andamans, and no one we met had seen one either, although our drivers said they do see crocodiles every now and then.

While Chidiya Tapu is probably the best sunset spot accessible from Port Blair, the horizon is obstructed by the hills of Rutland Island across the bay.  As a result, the best colors come out about 30 to 45 minutes after the sun dips below the hilly horizon.

This is a six exposure HDR and these were the last six shots I took before heading back to Port Blair.  The exposures range from one second to 30 seconds in one stop increments.

Photo taken Jan 8, 2012