Skywatch Friday - The Sky from Underwater

How about watching the sky from underwater?? you can still see the blue sky, some trees, and the sun poking through...one of the most unique dive spots in the world...

Have a great weekend, and be sure to visit all the other bloggers participating in Skywatch Friday!!

I am off to Lombok for a week of diving...Lombok is the island just east of Bali...so will be taking a break from blogging as there will be no internet connection where I am going...

See you next Sunday!!

Rock n' Roll

Thanks for all the emails and comments on my last post...it is official...I will start a new blog. It will be a couple of weeks before I have it started, but I am excited to try something new...so stay tuned...All I have to do now is get a new ISP...my current one is really really bad...took me over 27 minutes to just open my blog...arrrrrgh!

Thinking of a New Blog...What Do You Think?

I get many emails daily about my photography from people who read/view this blog, friends, friends of friends, and my students...most asking about my "work flow" in Photoshop..."how did you get that shot?"...."how do you get those punchy colors?"...."what did you do in Photoshop to get that look?"....etc.

When people ask what I do in Photoshop, I always write back and share...in the old days of film, photographers would rarely share their secrets. Things have changed with digital photography. These days, many professionals share their secrets, and it has really changed the education in photography and people are taking better photographs because of it.

Writing emails back, and often saying the same thing over and over eats up a lot of time, and I do have a full time job to do...SO, I am thinking of starting a new blog...

My new blog will have an occasional entry...not every day...but will be tutorial in nature...I can, for example, provide my "before" photo and "after" photo (like below), and then explain in detail what I did in Photoshop to get the end result...Or similar to Joe McNally's book, The Moment it Clicks, I can provide details on what I was thinking when I took the photo, and how the photo was taken (camera settings, compositional thoughts, lighting, etc)...

Just an idea...and before I put any time into it, I wanted to ask you folks that check my blog what you think about that idea??

BEFORE PHOTOSHOP...

AFTER PHOTOSHOP...

The Tree That Died With a View

I guess if you are going to be a tree and you are dying, might as well grow up here on this beach than grow up on the side of a Jakarta street...

My 700th Post

Not sure where the milestones lie when it comes to blogging...but I am making today a milestone...this is my 700th post since starting to blog...and I have had a different photo in almost every post...there have been just a couple of repeats (like the one below), but usually, the second time I post a photo, it has been improved since the first time....so, it's almost like a new photo...I really like the one below, and thought I would use it for my milestone 700th...to me, it is just a unique underwater photo that you don't see everyday...there are no fish in the photo...just reef and water...but it has a surreal look to it that I find calming...

Skywatch Friday - Early Sun on the Golf Course

Happy Friday!!

Hope you all enjoy cruising the world via all the great people who blog on Skywatch Friday!!

My photo this week is from a golf course in Kuala Lumpur...yes, I am one of those guys out there that enjoys a good walk spoiled by a round of bad golf...it is a sickness...

The Pink Anemonefish

Usually, the underbelly of the Anemone is a greenish color, but this one had a nice blue to it which accented well with the color of the Pink Anemonefish...

Waiting For Customers

We had just finished watching a soccer game in a remote stadium in Nepal, and I spotted this one guy with his little cart ready to sell some water and some snacks sitting on his makeshift chair or laundry basket...

Angkor At Sunrise

The first time I visited Angkor Wat in Cambodia, it was still little visited by tourists and I was able to walk around most of the temples pretty much by myself...when I went to take photos of the sunrise, there was only one other guy there...we both set up our tripods and sat by the little pond waiting for the sun to rise...

Then two years ago, I went back...wow, the tourists had discovered Angkor Wat. I was no longer alone in my walks...most everywhere I went (with exception of the more remote temples), I had to wait for hordes of tourists to move away before snapping some photos. The sunrise was packed!! There must have been over 300 people there...oh well, good for Cambodia, but not good for us photographers, and not sure if it is good for Angkor Wat either...

A Field of Lettuce

...that's what it looks like, any way...

Skywatch Friday - Nepal

Happy Friday everyone!!

I am off to Singapore this weekend...feel free to leave a comment, and I will have a good read when I get home...

Don't forget to visit all the other Skywatch Friday blogs...it's always a great trip around the world...

Gotta Love the Paint Jobs in Greece

I wonder if the neighbors all agree on what colors should be used when painting their houses on the cliffs...whatever happens, us photographers sure love it...

Zebras Sippin' Water

My patience paid off on this shot. My buddy and I were sitting in the safari jeep watching this small water hole in Namibia. There were a bunch of zebras standing around the water, and there were a couple of lions and some cubs near by...animals would cautiously approach the water while standing guard watching the lions (who seemed to care less about the animals). First there were three zebras sipping water, and I was wondering if a few more would line up and take a drink...then there were four, then five...but, they would never have their heads down at the same time, and there was a sixth one walking behind the other five messing up the composition. Finally, the sixth zebra walked to the left of the others...and then the waiting game came started as I waited for an eternity for all six zebras to dip their heads down for a drink. It happened for only a second, and I got the shot...right afterwards, the lions made some kind of move, and all six zebras took off...that is Africa for you...

The Little Boy With The Cool Hat

I was on a trek in Northern Vietnam in the mountains near Sapa when I spotted this little boy standing in a doorway...I like his hat.

Oh Yea, Here is My Photo For Today...

I think my buddy Klaus will like this one as he posted a similar photo on his blog about a week ago or so...a Cormoran, right Klaus? This one was sitting on the banks of the Zambezi river drying his wings...

Want A REALLY BIG Print??

We boys have to have our toys...my wife just shakes her head...

This is my newest toy....a 44- inch EPSON 9880 printer...and wow does it print... Our house will never be the same...I am going to re-print all of my photos hanging around the house...gotta put some new stuff up, and I want it BIG...I need a nice big photo to put over my printer (below)

I have also started a new small business printing photos for others, and printing my own stuff for others...interested?

Churches and Bells

If there is one thing in Santorini that there is no shortage of, it would be these blue topped churches and bells...

Skywatch Friday - Komodo Islands

Hey Fellow Skywatch Friday Bloggers!!

My photo this week is from the Komodo Islands...sometimes a dark gloomy sky is as beautiful as a bright blue one...don't ya agree?

My internet the past few days has been at a record SLOW...please forgive me if I don't make it to your blog to leave a comment...my connection is that slow...

You lucky folks out there with a fast connection, have fun cruising the world viewing the other skywatch photos...

Have a great Weekend!!

The Manta Rules

It is hard to describe the feeling when diving with these gentle giants, but every time I have been fortunate to dive with these magnificent creatures, it is an experience I shall never forget...

I captured this one with my super wide 10.5 mm lens while he hovered only inches above me for more than 5 minutes...I don't know if he was just curious or if he liked the bubbles hitting his belly...but it was one of those moments in life that will always be with me...

As The Storm Approaches The Kampung

OK, maybe you didn't notice, but Kayla, my daughter, likes the pink oar in the boat below...

Kayla must approve of my photo before I post it on the blog...but I do have have some say in the matter...if I didn't, all my photos would be of pink stuff...