#5--
Man on Fire
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| .8 second exposure handheld via remote trigger F-2.8 @640 ISO |
This is exactly what my friend Dan and I set out to do (along with a handful of other photographers) on a warm full moon night in August in a cave along the Malibu sea coast. When the tide goes very low, there is entry into a very large cave (location undisclosed) that is prime for exploring.
Dan suggested we play with fire in the ocean (he is actually standing in water in this image).
Using a whisk attached to a rope and steel wool intertwined through the whisk, Dan lighted the steel wool and spun it in circles for the effect. This was by all means Dan's creation for which I had to execute from my end.
The uniqueness of this image is that, I've seen it done many times, but without the "model" in clear focus. In this instance, Dan is clearly Dan, and the sparks lit up the foreground beautifully. Even the light from the moon is visible in the top corner. To me, it was a fun moment in this year.
I used a remote shutter in my hand to trigger the camera for exactly .8 of a second at F-2.8 and 640ISO to get the nearly perfect exposure.
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#4--
"The Merced River Yosemite"
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| F-22 @ 5 Seconds 200 ISO |
This is exactly what happened with this image. I captured this during a trip to Yosemite in February, but it wasn't until nearly May that I looked completely through all the images I captured and found it. This was a surprise.
I'd had a series of from this river that came out well but somehow I left this one out.
When I found it, I realized that it was an image that is somewhat rare in photography because of the precise symmetry. I realized I had done it by either luck or by subconscious planning.
If you examine it closely, not only will you see the reflection in great detail, but you will also see the subtle details that speak to the symmetry. Even the branches from the tree in the foreground wisp the landscape but never merge or intersects with it. It's nearly a perfect outline of the mountain. I found this to be very impacting to the image. For its symmetry, beauty and shear peacefulness of scene it makes my top 5 of the year.
I captured this image with a fixed 20mm Canon Ultrasonic, 3 Stop Neutral Density filter and my Canon 5D Mark iii.
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#3--
The Milky Way over Joshua Tree
One of my favorites. On a warm night in May, me and a handful of photographer friends ventured out to Joshua Tree National Park. This was a big deal for me. You see, I had always wanted to visit the park. We arrived at sunset and took photographs all night. We mainly practiced some light painting through the night, painting trees blue, red, green...among other colors.
But it was this image that I loved. I silhouetted the tree against the backdrop of the awe inspiring Milky Way. There's not much I can say about this image except that it reminds me of how beautiful life really is in the big scheme of things. I guess that's why it's my desktop screen saver on my computer. :-)
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#2
Death Valley Star Trails
If photography was a sport, in my mind, ESPN would have labeled this an "Instant Classic". It is my favorite landscape photo of 2013.
During a trip to Death Valley with my fellow photographer friends in November, I captured a 3.5 hour star trail pointed at the North Star from the Badwater Salt Plain within the park. It is the lowest elevation in North America and me and my friends spent a whole night under those vibrant stars.
This image represents my 2013 perfectly. I renewed my love for landscape photography and discovered a whole new world once the sun sets. This image speak volumes to both.
I used 288 42-second exposures at ISO 3000 to capture this star trail image. It was stacked with star stacking software. It is an amazing sight to be there under the stars. I saw so many falling stars and one giant fireball that I captured on the final frame of this photograph. You can see the streak in the center of the image.
#1--
"We did it!"
Sometimes photos just happen even if they are planned. And sometimes you just capture happiness. This is what this photo represents. Happiness. That's why I placed it #1 for my favorite photo of 2013. While I do have an emotional attachment to this image, I realized that this is precisely why my brother only trusted me with his big day. And while I was exhausted after the day was over, I left happy.
I was happy, not only because I had the honor of being his Best Man or because I had the honor to photograph his special day, but because I really had fun! It's was a big deal!
I placed my camera on the dashboard way up in the windshield in order to get this shot. Using the lens racked back to 16mm and setting the camera on a 2 second delay and remotely triggered, I was able to capture a moment I know my brother will always cherish. He drove his lady to their reception.
But the way this photo turned out was not how it was planned. I had this image in my mind from the dashboard, but not how it came out in the end. That's because the dress was so big his bride had to ride in the back. It made the image better and more emotional in the end. As you can tell they locked eyes in the mirror and you can sense the joy of the moment. When I grabbed my camera after the ride was over to see what came out, I was ecstatic to say the least.
As a wedding photographer, there is a sense of joy you reach in every wedding, but I always leave every wedding knowing I could do better. This didn't happen at this wedding. I poured everything I had into it....and I hope it showed. ;-).....
On to 2014 my friends....Life Is Art. Make it!
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