Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!

I hope you all had a great day today!!

I will be taking a few days off from blogging...going to New York City for a few days...

I will be back NEXT year ( a couple of days...)

See you soon....!!

Photo Walk

Whenever I travel, I always look for a nice place to take a "Photo Walk". I have a couple of ideas for the area where my parents live, and hope to get out in the next couple of days to take a walk and take some photos....it's just too cold for my blood now. This is my buddy, Dave, below taking a photo of some kids on our photowalk in Jakarta...I just happened to have a copy of this photo with me...as you can tell, I am hurting for photos to post on the blog as I don't have my library of photos with me...I have close to 4 Terabytes of photos...not easy to just bring them along with me when I travel...ha ha...

Kayla Takes A Walk in The Frost

My daughter has never been in temps less than 80 degrees F...so when we took a walk this morning on the golf course behind my Dad's house, she was amazed by the cold...she actually liked it...I did too...a nice change from the constant HOT in Indonesia...

Back In The States For The Holidays

Well, after 5 flights, and over 20 hours sitting in airplanes, I have made it to Virginia. We flew from Jakarta to Taipei, then Taipei to Los Angeles, spent the night at my mom's cousin's house In Santa Monica, flew from LA to Phoenix, Phoenix to Chicago, and finally Chicago to Norfolk. Needless to say, I am dead tired, and my body clock is turned around...but, it is nice to be back in America again...it has been a couple of years since I have been back. It has been almost five years since I have spent Christmas here.

The weather is COLD, but luckily, we missed the big snow storm that hit DC and other areas near here big time with snow. Not a flake on the ground here.

I will try my best to still post photos daily on this blog, but it will be tough as I don't have my library of images here with me...I will do the best I can...but no guarantees...

Skywatch Friday - Typical Papuan Sunset

Happy Friday!!

Be sure to check out all the gorgeous skies from around the world....

(CLICK HERE)

Have a great weekend!!

Men Waiting...For Something

Each deep in their own thoughts...each waiting for something...each a mystery to me...

Mount Tangkuban Perahu

The hike to this point was strenuous....I am kidding...we actually were able to drive almost to the top, and it was an easy walk from the parking lot to this point....only in Indonesia.

The volcano itself is pretty cool, but I was more impressed with the trees growing around the rim. I don't know what kind of trees these are, but I think they are really unique...reminds of the trees you see on the northern coast of California...

Unearthing Asia

Forgot to mention that I was published in the magazine, Unearthing Asia. It is a new magazine, and this is the inaugural issue. I have a nice spread of photos in the story about Raja Ampat. The photo below is the title photo for the story. You can check out the magazine on-line...

(CLICK HERE)

Go to page 34 under "spotlight", and there is a photo of me and my wife, Tika...

Then go to pages 48-58 (The guide - Eco Paradise) for my photos in the story...

Kayla On The Swing

Obviously, I used some textures with this photo. There is a good link to a tutorial on how to use these textures just to your right...they are fun to experiment with, and only your imagination limits what you can do with textures...

Between Sales

This past weekend, four of us "Dads" took our daughters up to Bandung for the weekend...we visited a volcano while there...at the top were many vendors trying to sell their wares...these guys were taking a break...

Three Men In A Shop

Sorry about yesterday....had a busy day, and ran out of time to post a photo...I don't do that very often as I always try to post a new photo every day. Life sometimes gets in the way, though.

I don't usually do black and white as I really like lots of colors in my photographs, but sometimes a photo just screams to be in black and white...like this one below...

Have a great weekend....see ya on Monday!!

Yangshuo, China...Nikon D300, 70-200mm at 70mm 1/80 sec f/4.5

The JIS Rugby Team

Because I do a lot of photography, I am often asked to take team photos...I usually add a nice background or texture to make the team photos look better. I liked this one I made for the rugby team...I of course, added the sky and lightning as the normal skies here in Jakarta are usually plain white or gray. I created the lightning in Photoshop...

Left Over From Old Batavia Days

There still exists the old warehouses that the Dutch built during the spice trade in the old part of Jakarta which used to be called Batavia. This is an old door to one of those warehouses...I am sure it has seen some interesting things pass by through the years...

Pretty Much How I Feel Today

Not a great two days...

First off, the Florida Gators (my university football team) lost the SEC Championship against Alabama...The Gators were ranked number one in the country, and Alabama was ranked number two...one us had to lose...just wish it was Alabama...oh well...

Then, last night, I had NO internet connection....arrrrrrrgh!!

Then, the traffic to work this morning was a complete nightmare...!! More arrrrrrgh!!

Therefore, see the lady's expression on her face below?....that is how I feel today...

Skywatch Friday - Sunset in Cambodia

Happy Friday!!

Be sure to check out skies from all around the world HERE...

Have a great weekend!!

Walkin' The Plank

These guys make it look easy walking down this narrow, wobbly plank of wood carrying bags of cement...I tried it, and it is NOT easy...I nearly fell into the water, and that water is not something you want to fall into...

I used some textures in this photo...there is a good tutorial on how to use textures in your photographs, and some great textures to download as well...just click on the link at the right on this blog...

Scaffolding In Ayasofya

Apparently, the scaffolding inside Ayasofya (in Istanbul) has been there a long time, and will remain for some time to come...it is actually a site in itself...

Afternoon Light At Its Best

This girl was selling bananas from her small row boat in Cambodia...the sun was low in the sky casting that gorgeous golden light on her face...couldn't resist taking a photo...

Bangkok Traffic

The traffic in Bangkok reminded me of the traffic in Jakarta. I still think it is worse in Jakarta, but Bangkok used to rule before they introduced the sky way and the sub way...

Skywatch Friday - Cappadocia

Happy Friday!!

This from Cappadocia, Turkey...not the greatest sky in the world, but that "rock castle" sure is cool, right?

Be sure to check out other cool skies from around the world HERE..

Have a great weekend!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I got so caught up with everything that is going on at work, forgot it was Thanksgiving today!! We (Tika and I) hosted a HUGE feast on Tuesday where we cooked 7 turkeys in hot oil....man, was it good!! If you have never cooked a turkey in hot oil before, give it a try...WAY better than an oven baked Turkey!!

Any way, I have many things in life to be thankful for....my beautiful and loving family, and the opportunities I have to live such a full life...it keeps getting better and better, and I am thankful. I want to also send my thanks your way if you read this blog....thanks so much for all your nice comments!! Have a great day in your neck of the world whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not!!

Cheers!!

Scotty

A Portrait From India

I took this guy's photo in Northern India...

Who Is Watching Who?

Sorry I missed my blog entry yesterday....I am back to having major internet troubles AGAIN...

I am paying for a connection that provides 1MB per second in download speeds, and at best I am getting 0.8 kb per second....that is only 1250 times slower than what I am paying for...talk about frustration!!

Last night, I couldn't even connect to a single site....so, I am once again posting from my computer at work....arrrrgh!

Anyway, to the photo below....

I was just imagining what the turtle said to his family when it got home at night after seeing three humans on SCUBA...and I already know what the two girls looking on said after their dive seeing the turtle...who is looking at who?

A Flooded Small Boat Next To A Large Boat

I am departing with my usual style with this photo. The title explains what is in the photo cause it is difficult to see what you are actually looking at...ha ha....I just thought it was an interesting photograph...with the lines and color...

Santorini With Some Texture

The possibilities are endless when you play around with textures. I played around for about an hour with this photograph I took in Santorini. This style is not for everyone, but I think it is cool, and it allows someone like myself who can't draw or paint end up creating something very painterly like...

Skywatch Friday - Rainy Season In Jakarta

Happy Friday!!

When people think of Jakarta, they think "concrete jungle" when it is actually a pretty green city with lots of trees...

I caught this photo at just the perfect time when there is that blue/green cast that lasts only a minute or so late in the afternoon before the sun sets...forgive me if I posted this photo last year...I can't remember if I did or not...ha ha...ya, gettin' old.

Have a great weekend, and be sure to take a tour around the world HERE to see other skies...

Kathmandu

There is no place like Kathmandu for a morning walk...I can't take photos fast enough...there is so much going on all the time, it is difficult to take it all in at once, and even more difficult to catch the action in a single photo...

Sellin' Stuff

In Indonesia, most sellers carry their entire store on their shoulders...

Nikon D300 1/640 sec f/13 18-200mm lens at 112mm

A Peaceful Afternoon

Ahhhh...one of the things I love about photography is capturing good memories...

A Bench For Your Beer

No, I didn't put that beer bottle there on the bench....it's almost like the bottle liked the view so much, it crawled up onto the bench on its own...I will admit that I threw the bottle into the trash AFTER I took the photo...poor ole beer bottle.

Clear Water For Training

The water is not always this clear when diving in Indonesia, but when it is, it makes things extra special. This is a photo of a couple of groups of young divers making their very first dive...how lucky they were to have such nice conditions for diving...

Skywatch Friday - Sunset in Lombok

Happy Friday!!

I missed SWF last week as I was in Lombok diving...

So, this one is from Lombok...hard to beat dark clouds at sunset.

Be sure to visit some great skies from around the world HERE...
Have a great weekend!!

A Colorful Bar

There was nobody there...but a pretty cool little bar...

Nikon D300, 1/160 sec at f/5 18-200mm lens at 18mm

Bike Missing

On Gili Air, one of the Gili Islands off of Lombok (where I stayed), there are no motorized vehicles allowed...the only way to get around on the island is by walking, horse cart, or a bicycle. I was told bicycles are always stolen, but the island is small (you can walk around the island in an hour), so there is no place to hide a stolen bike....it always turns up somewhere. So, when I saw this bike leaning up against this small beach hut, I laughed, and wondered if it was stolen...

Nikon D300, 1/320 sec at f/9.0 18-200mm lens at 31 mm

The Spotted Box Fish

Many of you have emailed me asking for my camera settings on some of my photos...so, I will include those on each of my posts from now on...

This was taken with my Nikon D70, Nexus Housing, 1/60 sec at f/11, ISO 200 with my 60mm lens and one Nikonos SB105 strobe...my other strobe was not firing for some reason, but didn't matter with this little fish that is only a couple of inches long...

Flying Through The Blue

I love sea turtles...they are so graceful in the water, and have such a laid back personality. If you saw the movie, Nemo, they portrayed the turtle's personality perfectly...

A Lone Tree In Lombok

I am back from a week in Lombok. It was a great trip...

Thanks for all the nice comments (except the Viagra comment that somehow slipped into my blog) from last week while I was away. It was fun reading them when I got back last night.

Here's a cool shot from my second afternoon walking back to my hotel room...

My Favorite Underwater Photo

As you all know, my specialty is underwater photography....I have literally thousands of underwater photos, so choosing my favorite was near impossible...so, I did the safe thing and chose the photo of Kayla in my pool...hey, it still counts as an underwater photo...

I will be back on Sunday from my dive trip...hopefully, I will be able to share some new photos with you...see you in a couple of days...

My Favorite Street Shot

This was another tough category, as I really enjoy street photography. I like this one from China, though...

One of My Favorite HDR Photos

This was a tough one to decide as I take quite a few HDR shots, and have many favorites. But, I chose this one because it was one of my first HDR photos that I posted on this blog. I have learned many things since then...

My Favorite Indonesia Landscape

Well, this might be my second favorite...my favorite landscape photo is the one I posted on my 1000th blog post last week...but this one is pretty cool too...taken earlier than the other...

My Favorite Portrait of My Daughter, Kayla

Just a reminder....I am now in Lombok, probably diving or relaxing on the beach...

This has been a long time favorite in my family...my daughter, Kayla...those are fresh mangoes from our yard...yummy.

My Favorite Night City Shot

This is a pre-scheduled post. As you look at this photo, I am probably out on a dive taking some new underwater photos...

This week (Sunday - Friday), I will post some of my favorite photos from the past...

This was taken from "The Peak" in Hong Kong...

Actually, here is another shot from a different angle taken earlier that evening...

I couldn't decide which one I liked better...I didn't publish this one (below) before...

Sunrise at Borobudur

Happy Friday!!

I am off to Lombok this week, so will be pre-scheduling my posts for next week using photos from my archives...Since I just had my 1000th post to this blog, I will feature some of my favorite photos from this blog next week while I am gone...see you all in a week!!

In the meantime, don't forget to check out all the great skies from around the world HERE!!

A Game of Chess

I have been reading through many of my favorite photography forums about the Leica M9. Always a good read and entertaining. I laugh at myself when reading these forums because I find myself only reading the good stuff about the M9 to help justify my thoughts on the camera. I do read the bad stuff too, but I always get a sinking feeling in my gut when I read those because it counters what I really want. It is like I have those two little devils sitting on my shoulder, one of them (The Leica Devil) saying, "Just get it, man....what are ya waiting for?" The other saying, "Dude...the money...DUDE...THE MONEY....you could get a new housing for your underwater camera for less than that stupid little camera".

You think these kids think about stuff like this....??
Not likely...

They just wonder why this crazy bald, white guy is sticking a lens in their face while they try to play a game of chess...

Been Thinking Seriously About A New Camera

I have been shooting a Nikon for years. I bought the first pro-digital available from Nikon..the D1x. At the time it was a 5,000 dollar investment, and it was only a 5.3 MP camera. But at the time, it had more than 5 times more MP's than most digital cameras on the market. That camera was stolen out of my house...I then bought the D70 and D2H which I brought to Africa with me. The D2H was fast, but had less MP than the D1x....only 4 something, but produced beautiful files. The D70, I still own, and use for my underwater photography....it is a great camera. I then sold the D2H when the D2x came out. I loved the D2x. Just before I took my trip to Nepal a couple of years ago, I dropped the D2x on the hard basketball court when I was shooting a game...it did not make it back in time for my trip to Nepal, so I made a trip to the camera store and picked up the D300 and a couple of new lenses. I have been shooting with the D300 for the past couple of years, and love it. I sold the D2x when it came back from the shop.

Yes, I am a crazy camera freak. Now, Leica just came out with the full frame, 18MP, M9. I am intrigued with the Leica Rangefinders, and have been reading everything on the web that I can find about the M9. I am tired of carrying all the heavy DSLR camera equipment around when I travel. The Leica would fit my style of photography perfectly. I want that camera!! The problem??....whoa, baby....it cost as much as a small car. The leica lenses....truly the best in the world, with truly the most expensive price tags to go with it. So, I will wait....but you know how it is when your REALLY want something??

A Nepal Crowd Watches Soccer

While in Kathmandu, my friends and I were invited to a soccer game between Nepal and Bangladesh. We jumped at the chance. When we got there, we were of course, cheering for Nepal...but the entire crowd was cheering for Bangladesh. We were confused...why cheer for the "other" team? Then we found out the Nepal team were mostly policemen, so the crowd was routing against them...funny. Bangladesh won with huge ovations from the crowd....poor policemen....I felt bad for them.

My Daughter, Kayla...With Some Textures

I started this blog with a photo of my daughter, Kayla when she was only two years old. She is now five years old going on twenty three. I know I am biased since I am her Dad, but she is just a great kid full of personality and rarely not smiling or laughing. She also loves to be my model which makes her photog Daddy happy...

This photo was created using some textures from Stuck in Customs....there is a link to the right if you are interested in getting some of these textures...they are great fun to play around with...

MY 1000th POST ON THIS BLOG!!

THIS IS IT!!
ONE THOUSAND posts on this blog!!

I thought about what I would do on my 1000th post, but as creative as I am at times, I couldn't come up with anything really cool, so thought I would just share the photo that got the most comments in the past three years....it also happens to be one of my favorite photos, and I have a two meter long print of this hanging in my living room.

I have been posting a new photo most every day (except Saturdays), and I hope to continue doing so for the next 1000 posts....I hope you all continue to check out my blog, and I welcome any new-comers....always great to meet new friends via this blog!

Thanks for visiting!!!

Skywatch Friday Archives

Happy Friday!!

Since I am approaching my 1000th post on this blog (just a couple more to go), I thought I would celebrate by visiting my archives and re-posting my very first Skywatch Friday shot.

Skywatch Friday is something that I always look forward to every week. I have only missed a couple since I started when Tom was hosting...it is great fun.

Click HERE to see other skies from around the world...