New York Frame of Mind

I don't know if this is actually one of my favorite shots taken in NYC but you have to have one I 💙 New York in a New York Frame of Mind series. You certainly know where you are.

Rise Against---New York Frame of Mind

I had so much fun going through the back catalog for my top 20 shots back in December that I decided I would do the same, but only for New York shots. I probably travel to New York more than most cities and I take a lot of shots when I am there as there are so many interesting shots to take. I have hundreds and hundreds of New York shots in the catalog. So, I will go through them and pick out my 30 favorites or so. This shot is from way back in 2008 and I used it for a photo show that I had at the Chicago Photography Center when it was located at Belmont and Ashland. That was a fun show and this is still one of my favorite shots.

Empire State topped in red

Always lots of color at night in New York City. After all, they have a lot of tourists to please. This is taken across the street from one of the most expensive corners in New York City (at least for me) as I am standing across from B and H photo. If you are a photographer B and H is a "must see" destination on trips to New York. If I mention an upcoming business trip to New York, Cheryl's response is, "Oh, going to B and H again, are you?" Yup. Guilty.

Wonderfull Ice Falls at Starved Rock

A 15 minute or so hike from your car gets you into the St. Louis Canyon in Starved Rock State Park in Illinois. That hike nets you a wonderful view of some ice falls if the weather has accommodated, and it was pretty darn cold around the turn of this year. So cold, that not many braved the walk down to the falls, so I had the area all to myself. If you live in the area, definitely worth a visit.

Mission Accomplished

Of all the shots that I took on Saturday at Jono and Sam's amazing wedding, this candid shot of Sam and the girls is one of my favorites. I was playing the role of "second shooter" at the wedding as well as being a guest and enjoying myself as father of the groom. However, Jason, the main photographer, allowed me to shoot as much as I wanted and he may include some of my more candid shots and shots with the groomsmen (who he did not have time to shoot) in the album. Many professional photographers would feel threatened or otherwise wouldn't want that interference. Jason, a good friend of Jono and Sam's, is not that kind of person. So, here is a shot of Sam and the girls huddling up to stay warm, while Jason was busy shooting the guys at the bridge in downtown Naperville.

Female Cardinal winter feeding

During the cold snap two weeks ago, I went to Starved Rock to see if I could shoot some pictures of the Bald Eagles that winter near the dam on the Illinois River this time of the year. The eagles hang around dams in winter as the dam breaks up the ice and therefore the river rarely freezes over. This give as nice clean area in the river to fish. However, when I was there only a small part of the river, quite far away from the bank, was left clear of ice. It looked like the eagles were off to the Missouri River with its larger dams. At Starved Rock, I only saw one juvenile Bald Eagle hanging around and with most of the river encased in ice, the open water was too far away to get a good shot. However, there were plenty of cardinals around and I got a nice shot of this female with a seed of some sort in her beak.

Snow Tuffs?

What do you call little piles of snow on top of tree branches and the like? I don't know if there is a name but I call them "snow tuffs". They look like cotton balls in trees. Anyway, when the sun hits a portion of the scene, they can give a very three dimensional look to a picture.

An old time favorite in black and white

I can't remember if I posted this before on the blog, so I will post this as my favorite black and white picture, since I have been going through all of my favorite shots recently. This shot was a taken way, way, way back in 1978 or 1979 at the then named, Illinois Benedictine College, now, Benedictine University, obviously at a Halloween party. I wish I could identify those in the photo but my memory fades and besides, they are in costume. Back then, I was the photo editor of the college newspaper, The Torch, and eventually, the assistant editor in my senior year. It was quite an experience learning to write quickly while covering the who, what, where, when and if we knew, the why of a story. We spent long hours on Thursday nights putting the newspaper together. I used to drive the copy to a printer in downtown Naperville and then pick up the finished paper on Friday to deliver around the campus.

On the photojournalism side, I ran the darkroom, using chemicals to bring the pictures to life. Most of my photography was terrible in those days, but this shot stood the test of time and is about the only picture I have from those days. With a scan into Photoshop, I brought out the blacks and other details in the shot, which were fading with time in the original print. I still have the original camera I used to take that shot some 40 years ago. A Nikon F2. I should crack it out one day, buy some film and give it a try!!! A great shot (by my standards) and a great memory.

Cristian and Schroeder--an award winning team

We got to see my nephew Cristian and his horse, Schroeder, go through a training session last week out in Elburn, Illinois. They did these amazing jumps and Cristian did so well that this past weekend they took second in their first competition ever. Even more impressive is that at 10 years old, Cristian was the youngest competitor in an age group that extended out to 17 years. Pretty cool. There is an incredible amount of discipline you have to learn in that sport so that the horse knows exactly what you want to do but it also extends to how to care for the horse after training. I got a bunch of incredible shots during the training session, but this shot at the end with Cristian walking the horse back to the stables ended up being my favorite.

Big week coming at Elements, Naperville

Cheryl and I went to Elements so I could check out the lighting at the venue for Jono and Sam's wedding this coming weekend. The main reception hall is a dark, dark room, but during the daytime in the area where the guys are getting ready, there will be plenty of light. This shot is taken off of a huge mirror outside of the reception hall. I am sure Jono's friend and main photographer, Jason, will try to make something of that location for wedding pictures. It has been a long time coming but we are in the final countdown!!!

Best of List--Number 20--Oregon Coast

This is the final shot of my top 20 shots in chronological order and it is also a very recent shot from Michael's and my December trip to the Oregon Coast. We caught the sunrise burning off the fog along the coast not too far from Astoria, Oregon, although I think it is foggy there quite a bit. It was fun putting this list together and I am not sure that all of these shots will stay on the list over the course of this year. A top 20 list, if you keep shooting, changes all the time. New favorite shots come in and have to fight to replace older shots and, occasionally, you find an old shot that speaks to you in different ways and you might make a change. For example, the shot of Michael in the Narrows at Zion (number 17) is in danger of falling off of the list as I don't have Michael in focus in that shot. I like the shot a lot but it is not technically perfect. I almost bumped it from the list but on Facebook or in Blogger, you are not printing it up to a huge size so the imperfection isn't noticeable. But, I know it is not perfect and to be on the top 20 and stay there, it has to stand as one of my best shots. I like that shot, but it has to fight for its spot. So, we will see what comes in over the year. Enjoy your top 20 and for those of you who are photographers, keep shooting.

Best of List--Number 19--Shipwreck on the Oregon Coast

Number 19 on my Best Of list is a recent shot, taken only this past December on a weekend trip up the Oregon coast from Portland. Michael and I got to the location just as the morning sun was about to top out over the Peter Iredale, a shipwreck that ran ashore back in 1906. We were able to get some nice shadow play, making for an unusual shot. I'm surprised that the ship's front hull structure is still intact, over 100 years after it ran aground in a storm.

Best of List--Number 18--2017 Solar Eclipse

This shot, number 18 of my top 20, was 8 years in the making. Ever since Stephie and I were fortunate to get under the moon's shadow in Beijing in 2009, we have been looking forward to experiencing another one. The 2017 event was circled on the calendar for many years and when I learned that my cousin's property was only 2 arc seconds from the longest eclipse spot in the United State and right on the centerline, I knew where we had to be. What a fun event, made even better with lots of family and friends around. I was lucky to get a good capture as I was trying to enjoy the eclipse as much as photograph it. We were so lucky in the weather (although hot) but that also made the experience of feeling the temperature change as the eclipse approached. Those who have been fortunate to be able to stand under the sun's shadow know that a solar eclipse is more than a "seeing" event. It is a whole body, every sensory experience. You see a 360 degree sunrise. You feel the wind shift. You feel the temperature change. You see "shadow bands" as the light changes. You see planets near the sun. You hear birds go to roost. All of these happen in the minutes you have under the shadow. Can't wait to see another one. The easiest date cuts through my cousin's property once again, in 2024. Sign me up and I hope you can see it as well.

Best of List--Number 17--Zion National Park

Shot number 17 in my Best 20 list, was taken in Zion National Park on our trip out west last year. Unfortunately, we weren't able to hike into The Narrows, a water hike up the river and one of the better hikes in the park. As the park just opened for the season, the hike was closed as the water would be too cold and deep farther in the canyon. In any case, we had an excellent time in Zion. Michael did the very difficult Angels Landing hike and Anthony and Bill and I did the some simpler hikes. Beautiful area.

Best of List--Number 16--Bryce Canyon

Number 16 of my "Best Of" list is from this past year's trip to Bryce Canyon. You have to put this national park on your bucket list as it just takes your breath away. It is sort of sad that there is no longer any physical effort to get to a location like this as the view in this picture is about 20 yards away from the parking lot. However, we did hike down to the bottom of the canyon so you can get some work in, if you want to. Hiking in doesn't improve the views, but it was fun. Now I know why we have national parks. A visit to Bryce, which isn't that far of a drive from Las Vegas (and you can throw in Zion National Park on the way there), makes this a very accessible park. We visited in March, right after the park opened for the year and before the crowds started showing up. Quite an amazing trip.

Best of List--Number 15--Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson

This shot is number 15 of my "Best of" list which came from a low level flight from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to Portland, Oregon which conveniently gives a great view of Mount Hood with Mount Jefferson lurking in the background. If you ever get to fly this route, make sure you pick the right hand side of the plane. Just an amazing view and, by the way, two of my favorite cities to visit in the Pacific Northwest.

Best ofList--Number 14

This is one of my favorite model shots, taken on a table top mountain in Sedona, Arizona. The story of this shot involves a seminar that I participated in back in 2016, with professional photographer, Jared Platt, of Chandler, Arizona as instructor. I got picked (randomly) as one of three lead photographers at the seminar, to try to shoot for the cover of a teen fashion magazine, which went under before they got a chance to run our shots. This shot was done under pressure at the end of the seminar, as we only had about 15 minutes of this beautiful light to take the shot. Each of us as lead had a team of 3 other photographers to assist and/or shoot as well. I got a lot of help from my team, but this is my shot, as I set up the lightening, the location on that part of the hill and I set up the pose. It was also my idea to use a local Indian musician who happened to be on the hill, Calvin Mockingbird, to join the shoot.

Still, without a lot of help from my fellow photographers and training at the seminar, I would not have been able to get this shot. For example, one of my fellow photographers is standing just off camera right, shading the musician as he was way to bright with sunlight hitting him from the side. A little bending and twisting got him in the shade and slightly darker than my model. It was a fun, pressure filled shoot, but the art director, who was hovering my shoulder, loved the shot, even though they never got a chance to use it for the magazine. She thought it would make a nice two page spread. Even so, Jared got a number of our shots, including one of mine, in a sister magazine, but that is also part of the magazine game. You never know what will happen to your shots after you turn them in. Anyway, I like the shot and considering the pressure to get it done in a limited window, I like the way it turned out.

Best of List--Number 13--Hermosa Beach Pier

Number 13 on my Best Of list is a sunset at Hermosa Beach Pier, added by a beautiful sky and a group of sun watchers who remained after the sun had already set. I love the colors on this one and that is why it joins the top shot list.

Best of List--Number 12--Above Multnomah Falls

This is sort of a sad shot as this scene is very likely not there anymore, at least in the way it looked here back in May of 2016. About a year from when Michael and I hiked up above Mulnomah Falls, outside of Portland Oregon, by the way, one of the more difficult hikes of my life, a fire started by a couple of teenagers playing with firecrackers during one of the driest periods ever recorded, burned thousands of acres of near pristine timberland up above the falls. The historic lodge at Multnomah Falls was saved but this area up above the lodge is likely very much changed. I don't believe this hike is open any longer and likely won't be open for years as the Forest Service lets the area heal.

In any case, this typical forest scene ranks as number 12 in chronological order of my favorite all-time shots . I was taking lots of pictures on this hike to slow Michael down and let me catch my breath and I caught this wonderful stream up above the falls. Michael can move over territory like you can't believe! I like to stop and take pictures which helps me recover. The unusual look is due to some filters I added to bring in a dreamy quality to the shot.

Best of List--Number 11--Man, Horse, Gettysburg

I have posted this shot many times as it is one of my favorites. Recently, it was selected out of thousands of submissions as one of the 47 finalists on ViewBug, a photo contest site. It didn't win but it showed really well. The story of this shot comes from a trip I took with a buddy to see the 150 year anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg, back in 2013. I saw this rider overlooking the coming battlefield (which was about 5 miles from the actual site) with fog rolling in as the evening sun set. I grabbed a quick shot with my 200mm lens which gave great compression of the background. All the elements came together to catch a great shot. I have tried a couple of times to find the rider and I have recently found his name and unit but he has subsequently dropped out from doing reenactments and I haven't found a direct contact number. In any case, number 11 of my top 20 remains a favorite.

Best of List--Number 10--Pelican Feeding Time

Pelican's are surprisingly quick when they are feeding as they dive to catch a meal. However, right at the top of their arc, they pause for a moment and allow a lucky photographer to catch a shot. I was able to do that at sunset on the beach in Naples, Florida back in January 2012. This is shot number 10 in my Best Of collection.

Best of List--Number 9--San Francisco

This is a shot of San Francisco taken from Colt Tower near sunrise in 2012. I was still shooting with the wonderful Nikon D700. It was a very overcast day and a boring shot of an overcast sky with an almost black and white city (see the original shot below). So, I played with the contrast and some filters and one filter made the sky really pop. Now the city looks sort of black and white on purpose with all the buildings of a similar color design. As a result of the editing, I took what was a throwaway shot and made it into one of  my favorites. Whenever I see this picture, I remember not to throw away shots so quickly. Sometimes you can find gold in those San Francisco hills. The original shot is here below:

Best of list---Number 8--Hermosa Beach Pier

I rarely travel with a tripod but whenever I do (and then bring it out from the hotel room) I always get interesting pictures. This is a 6 second shot taken backing 2011 with my old Nikon D700. The long exposure smooths out the surf, which was pretty calm prior to sunrise. When I am on the west coast, I suddenly become a morning person. Have to take the tripod on a few trips this year.

Happy (Cold) New Year

I thought I might interrupt the string of "Best of" shots to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Hard to take a shot to depict "cold" and yet hopeful but this shot did it for me.  I did a lot of photo manipulation to this shot with filters and color changes. The original shot with a nice "sun dog" to the right is below. I took the shot yesterday morning on the way to Starved Rock. Got some other shots from that trip to post later. In the meantime, have a great year!!!