Lake Effect Snow

It has been a week of shoveling and blowing snow as an early Lake Effect Snow event hit central New York this week. 100 hours later, I have four feet (121cm) of the white stuff in my yard.  It is no wonder people have been searching and finding my article on Snow Photography from last January.  That article will explain why this photo was taken with an Exposure Compensation (EV) of +1.0.

Have I mentioned lately how much I like my Nikon D700 SLR Camera? Check out the ISO on this photo. No noise reduction was used.

An Irish Pub sign in the middle of a Lake Effect Snow event in Syracuse, New York.

An Irish Pub sign in the middle of a Lake Effect Snow event in Syracuse, New York. Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/40s, f/5.3, ISO 6400, EV +1.0, 100mm focal length.

I am ending 2010 as I started it, waist deep in snow.  For the rest of the year, I will be sharing photos of the season on Fridays with a recap on the 31st.

I will have more photography tips for you in 2011.  I would also like to know if you have any topics or questions you would like to see here.  Leave me a comment with your suggestions.

Happy Holidays!

Posted in Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Assignment: Four Seasons 2011

Back in October I showed you a couple of locations I had visited at different times of the year called Seasons.  In the comments, some people voiced an interest in doing a long term Assignment: Seasons 2011assignment taking that idea a step further to include all four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

You may do this assignment and present it in anyway you wish as long as you show four distinctive seasons from the SAME location.  Four different blogs, a collage, a year ending blog presenting all four photos or some other creative way.  You can use the astronomical solstices and equinoxes if you wish but that is not required. I suggest you select a location which you know well and is easy to get to.  A nearby park, favorite window view, historic structure or your backyard.

I am announcing this now in case some of you want to start with this year’s Winter solstice on December 22nd.  On December 28, 2011, I will recap the assignment with links you post below.

Leave a comment here so I will know if you want to participate.

Posted in Assignments | Tagged , | 55 Comments

View 154: Disney’s Human Element

Walt Disney World is filled with technological and architectural wonders from Cinderella Castle to the Tree of Life.  Yet, without the thousands of cast members, the parks would be cold and barren.  A photographer and blogger who lives near the Magic (as Disney fan(antic)s like to call it) documents what he calls the Human Element in the Disney parks.  On my last trip, I looked for such opportunities to do the same.

The Tam Tams are a group from West Africa which have been entertaining guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom for years and include guests in many of their dance routines.

A member of Tam Tams, a West African rhythms and dance group, lead Walt Disney World guests in a dance.

A member of Tam Tams, a West African rhythms and dance group, lead Walt Disney World guests in a dance. Many live shows at Disney involve audience participation as part of the fun. Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/250s, f/9, ISO 640, EV +0.3, 180mm focal length.

In this scene from the Festival of the Lion King live stage show, these two arial acrobats perform to the song Can You Feel the Love Tonight from the Disney animated feature. They are showing the joy in their performance as they look at each other.

Flying for Love during the Festival of the Lion King stage show in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Flying for Love during the Festival of the Lion King stage show in Disney's Animal Kingdom. Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/100s, f/5.6, ISO 6400, EV -0.3, 125mm focal length.

Keeping with the theme of human emotion, these two “cast members” are displaying a  human element, tenderness. 🙂

A pari of Asian tigers in Disney's Animal Kingdom share a tender moment.

A pari of Asian tigers in Disney's Animal Kingdom share a tender moment. Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/400s, f/10, ISO 200, EV 0, 300mm focal length.

Of course, you do not need to go to Walt Disney World to photograph the human element.  It is all around us.

Posted in Weekly View | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Abstraction

I have been looking over the goals I had set back in January (more on those at the end of the month) and I have been thinking of what goals I should set for next year.  With that thought fresh in my mind, I came across this photo I took a couple of weeks ago while shopping in the village of Skaneateles, New York of a colorful display of blown glass suncatchers at the back of one of the shops.

Glass Sun catchers at the back of a shop in Skaneateles, New York.

Glass Sun catchers at the back of a shop in Skaneateles, New York. Nikon D700, 28-300VR, 1/160s, f/16, ISO 200, EV 0, 72mm focal length.

As I processed it I began to see other compositions within the photo.  Rainbow swirls, green alien landscapes, autumn colors and purple fantasy.  I tried them all but most were a bit too blurry for me except this one.

An abstract piece I found in the suncatcher photo above.

An abstract piece I found in the suncatcher photo above.

It is not of much use after cropping so much.  If I had seen it at the time, I could have backed up some and used the Nikon 28-300VR lens to zoom in for a faux macro photo and make it a much better image for me to use.

This lead me to one of the goals I will be setting for 2011.  That is to practice seeing more photographic opportunities.  I have not decided how I will go about it.  Reading books, taking an online class or simply being more aware.  Any suggestions or tips?  Leave me a comment below.  Thanks!

Posted in Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Assignment 10: Recap

We conclude another year of assignments here at Views Infinitum.  We all pushed ourselves this year and I have seen a lot of improvement in everyone’s photography.  When I give out an assignment like this one, formally called Assignment 10: Autumn 2010, were you are given a topic without any kind of direction from me, I look to see what kind of creative photography you all come up with.  I was not disappointed in any of your efforts.

I was very pleased as I visited each of your blogs and links to see others who may or may not have participated looking and commenting.  That is the other reason for these assignments, to get people to see and talk about each others photography.

I have 19 submissions and 16 photographers to talk about so, as the popular Miller Lite beer commercials would exclaim, Here we go!

Nye posted her assignment submission first. She is a true American having migrated to the United States with her family at a young age.  She enriches us with her blog and photography with her mix of old and new world charms and vision.  Please visit Nye’s The Colors of Autumn.

Barb, a new comer,  shares with us two submissions from her Live and Learn blog: Look Carefully and Back to Fall – Denver which show a mix of autumn color, detail, and the creatures and flora who live with Barb in the mountainous state of Colorado.

Gerry, the photojournalist who keeps the citizens of Torch Lake, Michigan and us informed of local news, happenings, history and maybe even a little gossip from the local store.  Her contribution is called Storing up nuts against the Dreadful Dismals.  It is not as bad as the title suggests.  With the help of her Torch Lake Views contributors, Gerry took on the task of finding color and beauty in the late autumn and succeeded wonderfully.

Michaela was hard pressed to find what she was looking for when it came to autumn.  Living in arid Texas, fall colors are not too abundant.  Amazingly she found it right in her home’s front yard. Then proceeded to bowl us all over with special bokeh in her I *Heart* Fall blog article.

Birgitte, one of a triad of Denmark photobloggers, first gave us one of her astonishing photo collages in Autumn 2010, followed by Autumn in My Area.  The first shows a whirl of colors masterfully presented in a single collage with the latter a series of scenes where Birgitte lives as colorful autumn turns to golds and browns.

Dalia shows us leaves bursting with color, details, light and shadow in her Life’s a Blog post called Leaves. I want to note I have kidded people about this tree (hi, Michaela!) but it really is beautiful. 🙂

Karma (some call her Karen) found a fun way to present her autumn photos by coming up with a theme…A Rainbow of Autumn.  She added a complimentary music video to cap it all off.

I have been enjoying Isa’s photo essays all year and her one for Autumn was superb.  I am going to have to find me some roasted chestnuts this holiday season.

Dawn presented her view of autumn like it was a dream…Photo assignment: Autumn.

The golden color of Early Autumn is contrasted by the frosty Late Autumn blogs from Truels whose compositions get better and better all the time.

Carsten brings us color, reflections and views of forests I am still hoping to get close to someday in this slide show presentation called Autumn 2010.

Jennifer got some help from a nearby New York location (had to put that in, Jen!) in bringing us her Photo Challenge – Autumn 2010 photos.  Not bad for a point and shooter!

Now for a first for my photo assignments.  Michaela’s two daughters submitted their take on autumn.  First, Sara collected some colorful leaves and Mel tried her hand at heart bokeh.  Well done you two!

I chimed in with my hodgepodge post about my travels through time and space this fall in my Autumn Highlights blog post.

Lastly, which is becoming something of a tradition (I think it’s the West coast laid back lifestyle), Deanna brings us four very creative looks at her Autumn 2010.

I have already set up next year’s assignment schedule so enjoy the holidays and we will all meet back here in January.  Some of you have expressed interest in a long term assignment for 2011.  I have thought about it and will be back next week to give details.

Posted in Assignments, Nature, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments