Model Shoot On The Boardwalk

One of the cool things about the book project I am working on is not only getting some great photos of the bay area, but also having the opportunity to shoot subjects that I typically don't do, as well as using techniques that really push ones skills to the test.

One of the locations I needed to photograph was John's Pass in Maderia Beach. Since it is a very popular tourist spot for shopping, dining and watersports, I decided to shoot once of the scenes with the human element, which means I had to get a model to help me out.

I asked a good friend of mine, Jenny, who graciously agreed to model for me, and she really was great. I literally had to give her no direction, for she was so natural in front of the camera, as I shot her walking down the famous boardwalk. Made for a great evening as we shot down on the boardwalk, and I got some great photos for the book. Thanks Jenny!

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Tampa Bay Book Project

A few months ago, I mentioned that I was working on a book project titled "Tampa-St. Petersburg: A Photographic Portrait". Well, all I can say this has been one hell of a project, for I have seen things in my city I never would of known was here, and I am having a blast working on the book project.

I went out on Friday night to shoot the cover for the book, which I am very happy with the results. I should be wrapping up the shooting in the next couple of months, and the book is scheduled for release sometime early next year. If anyone is interested in buying a copy, let me know, and I'll be sure to get one to you when it becomes available.

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View The Cover of "Tampa-St. Petersburg: A Photographic Portrait"
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Turn Back The Clock

Clearwater is going through a major renovation, with a new downtown, including the streets, buildings and landscape. It's all pretty exciting, as when completed this fall, it will give downtown Clearwater an old-time feel, Florida-style. Even though they have a way to go to completion, and the streets are all tore up, it's starting to take shape.

One of the cooler things they are doing is bringing back and restoring some of the original buildings to what they looked like when they were built a hundred years ago, and one of the buildings undergoing renovation is the old Clearwater Telephone Company building. Until recently, it looked like a bad 1950's stucco-style structure that was an eye sore. Now, they are tearing off the stucco, and revealing what it looked like back in 1914. When one section was removed, the original "Telephone" sign that says 1914 underneath it was found. Pretty neat.

Day Three: Gnarly

Time was flying by, for it was already Saturday, and we were all having so much fun, nobody was complaining about the lack of sleep the night before, for we were up and ready to roll over the Silver Falls State Park outside of Salem, Oregon. After a filling breakfast at our new favorite place, Pigs-n-Blankets, we headed out for a day filled of waterfalls and breathtaking views.

Once we got to Silver Falls, it there was no shortage of photo opportunities, for this is one park that has some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen, and the students really were in the groove now, for Chris & I saw some amazing shots from everyone. We even had a "MasterCard Moment" when Chris and his brother Tim posed in front of the falls and they actually turned out to be the shots of the weekend.

After hiking around the park for sometime, it was getting later in the day, so we all jumped back into the vans and head back to Lincoln City, but first we stopped at a lonely barn I spotted on the way out, which proved to be worthy of some cool farm shots.

After we got back to the hotel, we freshened up, then headed back down the coast for our final evening in Newport for some night shots of the bridges and marina. On our way out, we spotted some huge, and I do mean huge waves breaking out in Seal Cove, where not only were the Harbor Seals enjoying the waves, but several surfers were also enjoying the gnarly action.

The waves were breaking around 20-30 feet, sometimes a little bigger, and the surfers looked like little dots compared to just how massive these waves were. We even spotted a Gray Whale that came into the cove which was real exciting to see.

We finally made our way to the marina, and everyone got some great night shots of Newport. The workshop was coming to an end, but later that night, Chris & I threw a party for everyone back in our room at the hotel, which was the perfect ending to a fantastic workshop.

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Day Two: Coastal Explorers

With the weather forecast calling for overcast skies, it was perfect for focusing on the smaller things on the coast using filling the frame and macro opportunities. The morning had some sunshine, so we took advantage of it down on the beach, with some landscape, macro and portrait lessons. We spent the better portion of the morning really putting the students to the test, and they all were having a blast.

We took an afternoon break to recharge our batteries, for we were heading out a bit earlier in search of some great macro opportunities, since the skies were overcast, perfect for our next subjects. We came across a covered bridge outside of Lincoln City, which was on a small horse farm. It was a gold mine of opportunities, as we spent almost four hours on the farm getting some awesome shots, from flowers, curves, water and my favorite, running water capture at extremely slow shutter speeds to create works of art.

After a great afternoon, it was off to the coast to photograph the Yaquina Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon. Problem was that the spot that we wanted to shoot the lighthouse was now occupied by new homes, so it looked bleak to get a good shot of the lighthouse.

We came across a hotel right on the coast, and after talking to the manager (and $50 later), we were given access to a breathtaking view of the lighthouse from one of the rooms balconies. We all lined up on that balcony and got a great shot of one of the coast's most beautiful lighthouse as it beamed it's light out into the darkness of the Pacific Ocean.

So far, this has been the best workshop, for the scenery is unbelievable, and everyone was having a blast together. It was looking like day three was going to be a great time, but first it was back to the hotel for some much needed sleep!

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Day One: On To The Coast

For the first day of the Oregon Coast workshop, we started out in Portland, Oregon for our morning shoot, and made our way to the Columbia River Gorge, which offered breath-taking views and several waterfalls to photograph. I wasn't in Florida anymore, as I was surrounded by mountains, rivers and falls that were mammoth. The students were all excited about getting some unique opportunities to shoot some beautiful scenery, and what a sight it was.

After a great morning in the gorge, we made our way back to the hotel to pack up and head to Lincoln City, Oregon for the remainder of our workshop, and we all were excited about shooting on the beautiful coastline. We made a quick stop in downtown Portland at a camera store, and then made the journey over to the coast.

Along the way, Chris decided to make a stop at a farm he has shot at before, where there was a lonely tree in the middle of rolling hills, which made for a pretty cool isolation shot in it's simplest form. We also spent some time in an apple orchard where lines of trees were abound, and it allowed us to kill off midday light so when we got to the coast, it would be prime time for shooting.

We made our way to our ocean-front hotel in Lincoln City, Oregon, and after unpacking, we went down to the coast to the stacks to get some amazing sunset shots along one of the most rugged coastlines I have ever seen. It seems as the mountains just shoot right of the ocean, with huge waves crashing into the beaches.

"Big Waves" was the phrase of the evening, as when we got to the stacks, it was low tide, but just before we left, the tide changed, and huge waves came crashing into the rocks, so we had to scurry out or we would of been totally surrounded by water, which is only around 50 degrees.

It was a gorgeous sunset, and a great way to top off our first day on the Oregon Coast. Tomorrow was shaping up to be another great day and everyone couldn't wait to get going.

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Oregon Coast

It's been an amazing past week, for Chris Hurtt and I just wrapped an outstanding photography workshop on the Oregon Coast. We meet some amazing students, and photographed some amazing sights, from the waterfalls, the rugged coastline, the Pacific Ocean, surfers, Portland, lighthouse, marina and a farm.

I have to catch-up on processing the photos, so I'll post them up as I finish them. As a bonus, I also spent 24 hours in Las Vegas, and snapped a few photos while being awed at just how massive and overwhelming Las Vegas and the Strip is. Stay tuned!

Hazy Sunset

The past week has been a weird one, for the entire Tampa Bay area, and much of Florida for that matter, has been under a thick cloud of smoke from the now hundreds of brushfires that are burning all around us. Let's just say that it really hasn't been the best week for taking any photos, since the skies are lacking any of that famous blue we have become accustomed to.

But the benefit to all this smoke and haze has been some of the most unbelievable sunsets I have ever seen, so I have been down on the beaches of Honeymoon Island capturing these breathtaking sunsets. Tonight however, I tried something a little different, by going back on the trails and capturing it as is went through the pines. It came out better then even I expected!

Unexpected Find

After spending the morning in Ybor City, we took a break, then headed out to Honeymoon Island for a picnic lunch to enjoy the warm afternoon out in the sun. We were going to go back to check on baby Great Horned Owl, but there was some bad weather moving into the Tampa Bay area, so we headed in another direction.

We made our way over to the rocky beach to sift through the surf for some seashells, then hiked over to our secret spot, what we call "The Fish Bowl". Not many know about this little hidden spot, and we really enjoy hanging out there, for it is a large salt pond that is home to thousands of fish. The water is usually much warmer here, and not very deep, so we can wade around this little treasure trove in search of life.

While walking along the shore of the pond, we came upon a Snowy Plover, running around as they always do. However, this one starting acting strange, and acted if her wing was broken. We knew right away this was a diversion that she was trying to lead us away from her eggs, so we walked no further, for they are almost impossible to see in the sand.

We sat down where we were, and the little Plover watched us, and then realized we were no threat, and went back to sit on her nest of three eggs. It was amazing that she trusted us enough to witness this, and she was as content as one could be. The eggs were barely visible as they lay in the shallow, scratched out sand, surrounded by sea shells. It was an unexpected and amazing find, as we spent the rest of the evening just sitting there and watching her.

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Ball Of Fire

With the really dry weather, combined with the smoke that we are still seeing in the area from the wildfires in Georgia and now some around other parts of Florida, we have been getting the most amazing sunsets.

I took a quick drive out to Honeymoon Island to see it firsthand, and sure enough, just as the sun was setting over the horizon, the skies turn a vibrant purple through the smoky haze. Pretty amazing sight to say the least.

Popping Up Babies

It's that time of year again when the babies are popping up everywhere, from Osprey, Owls, Hawks, Eagles and hundreds of others. It's kind of exciting to witness all of the new life that is happening all around, as being able to observe nature at it's best is very rewarding.

Two particular nests we are carefully watching are a nest of baby Osprey's that are just up the street from us. The parents built their nest on top of a parking lot light pole right in front of a Publix Grocery store. We see the daddy Osprey every day, several times fly overhead as he is on the lookout for a fresh fish to bring to his two babies.

The other nest we are watching is out on Honeymoon Island where a pair of Great Horned Owls had a baby themselves, and he is a blast to watch. This is without a doubt the most comical little one we have watched, for he keeps himself entertained high up in his nest, then poops himself out then flops down and falls asleep. We can't wait to see him fledge, for he should be great to photograph.

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