Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas from the Graham Family!!

Thanks to all of you that come visit my blog every day!! I really appreciate all your nice comments and emails that I get from you...it really is amazing how many of you have become friends even if we have never met in person. Hopefully, some day, we can all meet in person...that would be great!!

I will be taking a week off from blogging...going to visit some family in Central Java, and will be back in Jakarta on New Year's Eve. Have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!!

This is my family...me, Kayla (6 yrs), Kelly (2 yrs), my wife, Tika, and our dog, Molly...

Santorini Re-Visited

Here is another "textured" photo...I used eight different textures in this one...

Water Bom Park

We took the kids to this water park in Jakarta...it was a blast! They had great slides for adults too!! It was the first time I visited a park in Jakarta where there were very few people, no one bugged us, and the food was good. We will go back for sure!!

The Old Schooners

I can't get enough of these old Bugis Schooners. I must have a thousand photos of them, but I still can't resist taking more photos of them...they are really cool boats!

Times Square

Hard to beat NYC this time of year. We were there last year just before the New Year, and it was great even if we did freeze to death. This year, the Grahams are staying put here in Jakarta, but it is fun to dream of our time in New York.

I added some texture to this photo, and processed it as an HDR from a single RAW photo...I like the results, and I am thinking of making a BIG print of this to hang in my office...

I played a nice round of golf today, and the weather was perfect...breezy, dark clouds, and fairly cool for this part of the world (about 85 degrees F)...gotta love vacation!!

Cloud Over Hong Kong

Happy Friday!!

If you ever go to Hong Kong, be sure to take the tram up to Victoria Peak, and walk along the path away from the tourists...you can see this view...

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

Working The Docks

I would not want these guy's jobs...they work in the hot sun for hours lifting bags of cement and carrying them from trucks to boats and back again. I get tired just looking at them...

Colors

Not much to say about this...I just like the colors...

Here's To YOU

Not sure what these guys were waiting for, but with their shoes off, looks like they were in for a long wait for something...they didn't look to pleased to have their photo taken, but the one guy raised his glass to me...funny!

One Man Walking

I never throw any of my photos away...well, unless they are totally out of focus or totally bad. You never know when you are going to find one of those hidden gems when you go back and look at older photos. An example is below. I was going through my old photos, and found this one. I never edited it though because the photo was a mistake. I wanted the guy sitting on the wall as his hat matched the color of the boat behind him, but this other old guy walked right into my photo, so I just accepted this photo as a mistake until last night. Now, when I look at the photo a few months later, I like it...and I like the guy walking...adds another dimension.

Bridge Of Angels

I tried three nights in a row to get down by the river to get this shot, but dinner plans and hanging out with non-photographers always prevented me from getting there. So, on our last night in Rome before heading back home, I told my wife I was going to head out on my own to get the shots I wanted without being hassled to "hurry up"...after a late dinner, Tika took a taxi back to the hotel, and I ran off and went running around Rome with my Leica and tripod in hand trying to get to all the spots I could...this was my last stop, and it was so peaceful down by the river and a glorious night (but really black sky)...

Another Shot With Texture

Here's another shot I worked on last night from India. I also used "On-One's" professional frames to get that "acid burn" look on the edges. The cool thing about using textures, is that you can take an ordinary mundane looking photo and turn it into something pretty cool...

Venice With Some Texture

It has been awhile since I messed around with some textures with my photos. When I get bored, it is fun to mess around with them....I used four different textures in this photo to reach this final look...if you have a plain old blue sky, textures will add that extra little lift to the photo making it a bit more interesting...a nice way to turn your photograph into a piece of art...

I Felt Like This Door

Ha ha...this textured wall was about how my stomach was feeling when I took this photo. My third day in India, and I had caught a parasite. It was not comfortable. I walked around with severe cramps...the type that make you bend over in pain...that didn't stop me from taking photos though...it takes more than a parasite to stop me..ha ha...

That's Amore...

You know that song by Dean Martin? "That's Amore"...well, it is the tune that goes through my head when I see a Moray Eel....

By the way, the two fish in the bottom left are sure brave, don't ya think? Look at the size difference between them and the eel? Can you imagine something that big relative to our size just inches behind you?

Sky Watch Friday - The Long Boat

Happy Friday!!

Have a great weekend, and be sure to check out other skies from around the world, HERE..

Island Paradise

On the one day we didn't go diving, we visited this remote island and the village. It was a Sunday, so all the villagers were dressed up in their nicest clothes for church. They sang for us, and treated us like kings...it was one of those "National Geographic" moments...in fact, Nat Geo was there just a few weeks earlier filming for a couple of days...they filmed one fishing family following them in their daily lives...I can't wait to see the show on TV...

While In Rome...I Like These Too

I was going through my photos last night I took in Rome last summer. I came across these two, and processed them...I like the way they turned out...the Colosseum is an amazing place, and it looks different from different angles, so if you go there, go there at different times of the day, and walk around the place and shoot different angles...

A Rome Street

Gotta love the architecture in Rome...gotta love lots of things about Rome...the people, THE FOOD, the history...what a great place!!

Taipei Airport

Ever find yourself killing time when waiting for your flight? Well, there are some very cool airports in Asia, and I challenge myself to get a good photo when waiting for my flight...this one was in Taipei waiting for our flight to Rome...

Sky Watch Friday - Nice Clouds Over Water

Happy Friday!!

Have a super weekend, and be sure to check out other nice skies from around the world HERE...

Just Hangin' Out

We have a pretty good zoo here in Jakarta....my favorite part of the zoo is where the Orangutangs hang out...they are just so cool...

Another View of The Taj

I was very lucky to be at the Taj Mahal on a day where there was a blue sky. Last time I was there, it was so hazy, you could barely see the Taj...this time, it was clear...woo hoo.

I Am Back...Internet Working Again

Man....sorry about the lack of postings since Thursday...I was away in Bangkok since Thursday, but could not get to a computer when I was there, and then when I got home, my internet was not working...I think this is the longest I have gone without a posting...I try to post every day except Saturdays and Sundays...

Here is another shot from Raja Ampat. The current was raging when I took this photo, so it was difficult to hold my camera and stabilize myself to take the photo with the current so strong. What always amazes me is how the fish seem to stay in one place with no effort in strong currents...

Lit Palms

I am always looking for that perfect light. After a great afternoon dive, I was walking back down the pier to my room when I saw these palms lit up by the afternoon sun...couldn't resist...so ran back to my room for the camera. Usually the light is gone when you wait like I did, but it was still there...my favorite time of day...late afternoon sun.

Tornado in Black n White

I had actually posted this same photo a couple of weeks ago, but when I converted it to black n white, I liked the look...what do you think?

I am off to Bangkok for a couple of days...back in the driver's seat on Monday...

The Store Front

I often wonder what people actually buy at these small stores you see all over Asia. Maybe this place sells ropes? Or flowers on rope? The guy attending the store doesn't look too excited either way...gotta love Asia!!

Bara...CUDA

Remember that song, "Baracuda" by Heart? I am always singing that song in my head when I see Baracuda underwater...

Skywatch Friday - Papuan Sky

Happy Friday!!

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

Have a great weekend!!

I Told You I Liked Bikes and Walls

Well, here I go again...another photo of a bike against a cool wall with lots of texture...I can't resist...what can I say?

People Photos With The Leica

One of my early complaints about switching over to the Leica M9 from my Nikon was the ability to capture good people shots without a zoom lens. It took me a ton of practice. I am only armed with my 50mm lens, and that makes it more of a challenge to catch people. At first, I was slow to focus, and by the time I had my photo composed and focused, the subjects would move away or the moment was lost. I lost countless photos because of this. I am getting better, though. I can now focus pretty quickly and accurately. This shot is an example...I saw the one light in the corner, and the two kids standing next to the door. I knew it would make for a good shot, so I walked slowly towards the door, and the kids didn't move. I had already set my camera to a fairly high aperture to capture good depth of field, so all I had to do was compose, focus, and shoot. It took mere seconds, and I got the shot...right after, the kids moved inside. When I first got this camera, I would have missed it or it would have been out of focus. When you nail a shot like this with the Leica, it is a good feeling...an easy thing for the Nikon to do though...point and shoot with the Nikon, and you get the shot, but for some reason, it is just not as fun...

The Old Pier

A nice storm was brewing while we were getting ready to get back on the dive boat after a brief visit to this small island. I couldn't resist going under the pier to get a shot...this is the old pier. To my surprise, they had built a new pier since I was last there. This is the same pier that I took an underwater photo of billions of fish under the pier...

Back From India

So, the trip to India was great, except I got sick on the third day...your typical "Delhi Belly"...

Two years ago, on my last trip to India, the Taj was almost completely shrouded in fog. This year, it was pretty clear. Our guides said it was REALLY clear for this time of year...so, I guess I got lucky...I took this when I was still feeling good. The number of photos I took on this trip diminished as the week went on and as I felt worse and worse. I love Indian food, but I sure don't like the things that grow in it...

Never Tire Of This View

Every morning, I would walk down this pier to get suited up for a dive...it was one of those walks that you never get tired of doing...

Windows and Laundry

I am not sure what it is that attracts me to windows and laundry, but I am drawn to them...maybe it's the colors or texture, but I think a combination of the two make for good photographs...

Clown Fish

Most photos you see of Clown Fish are close-up...I thought it would be cool to get a wide angle shot, and this one turned out great as the anemone was all closed up with that gorgeous purple underside, and a big school of bat fish were in the background...I love it when things just seem to come together at the right time...

Sittin' On The Dock of The Bay

I couldn't help but whistle that tune when I look at this photo...

We visited a remote Papuua village on the Saturday before we left. The entire village met us on this pier (this was taken as we were leaving) singing. They then escorted us to the beach where the adults stood on one side, and the kids all stood on the other side, and we had chairs to sit in between the two groups. Each group sang several songs....it was amazing. The kids were especially fun to watch as they sang with such enthusiasm and rhythm.

As we left, this lady was sitting on the dock with her blue umbrella...had to get a shot...

All Lined Up

I am in India for the week...taking some new photos...India is always a mecca for photos, so I can't wait to see what I will bring back...

This week, I will share some other photos from my trip to Papua last week...

These fish caught my attention...I just liked the way they were all lined up...almost like they were posing for me...does the little banner fish look out of place? I guess he is running with the big boys...

A Sunset To Remember

Happy Friday!!

Sunsets are not only beautiful looking into the sun, but don't forget to turn around and look behind you...sometimes the colors are even more amazing...

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

I am off to India today for a week...will try to get some posts made before I leave...

Have a great weekend!!

Mixed Breeds

I love the expression on these fish's faces...and isn't it cool that some of these fish are red, and some are silver? As I approached this group, they didn't budge...I was able to get my wide angle lens within a few inches of them, and they just stared at me as if to say, "what up, Dude?"

Moon Rise Over The Pier

I just heard last night that Mount Merapi is erupting, and that there was another earthquake and tsunami in Sumatra...all is fine here in Jakarta, but my heart goes out to those that are living near the natural disaster zones...we live in the "ring of fire" here in Indonesia, and that ring is showing its power lately...

On our last night in Papua last week, we had a BBQ out by the water. I looked over the pier and saw this "Genie" like cloud formation. I knew that if I didn't get a photo of it right away, it would soon disappear...so, I left my food on the table, ran back to my room, got my tripod, set up my Leica, and shot away...a few seconds later, the cloud formation broke up as expected...

A Tornado Of Fish

Sorry for the late posting...I am having big internet problems again at home...I now have no internet in my home office, and have to connect via the phone plug downstairs in our living room...a real pain!!

The trip to Papua was outstanding, but I was not really happy with my photos I took underwater...I took over a thousand photos, and I am happy with maybe 8 of those. I usually get a bigger percentage of keepers, but I was using new strobes, and a different lens than I am used to using, and I think that threw me off...most of the photos I took are not properly lit, and many were fuzzy...but, I am happy that I got a least a few keepers. It reminds me of the film days when I was lucky to get one keeper (if that) per roll of film...often, entire rolls of film would be total trash...

So this photo below was from a site called, "Blue Magic"...I don't think I have ever seen so many fish in one dive...there were perhaps 10 different schools of fish all swimming together at one point...there were so many fish, it was dark underwater...an unreal dive!!

Africa Archive Number Five

Happy Friday!!

Our last day of diving today...tomorrow, I will visit a Papuan village, and just hang out. We leave early Sunday morning...it has been a fantastic trip!!

Here is one of my favorite Giraffe photos...

Africa Archive Number Four

Things are going well here in Papua. Had three great dives today. Tomorrow will be our last day of diving...boo hoo...We went to see the Mantas yesterday, but came up empty. We will give it another try tomorrow.

Here is another favorite Africa photo of mine of a Water Buck...

Africa Archive Number Three

It must be cool to be king of the jungle...these lions were just on a leisurely walk through the park...

Africa Archive Number Two

Another memorable experience in Africa...

This in Chobe National Park. There were tons of elephants, and this herd walked right in front of our safari jeep, and into the water to cross the river...

Africa Archive Number One

I am sitting on a very remote island in the center of Raja Ampat in Papua. Believe it or not, there is an internet connection here. I will be diving here for the next 5 days or so...trying to get some good underwater shots. I had three great dives today, but my camera was not working on the third dive...so far, I have not taken any shots that say, "wow"...but hopefully, that will change in the next couple of days!

So, since I don't have any editing capabilities out here, I brought with me some of my old shots from Africa that I will share this week. This is the first from the archives. I remember this day well, as it was one of my favorite days on my trip. My buddy and I waited till late afternoon to get on a float plane that took off on the river that leads to Victoria Falls. We then made a few passes over the falls, and then landed back on the river...it was amazing!!

Into The Mystic

Happy Friday!!

Today is one of the best kind of Fridays...the kind that come just before a vacation!!

I am off to Papua for a dive trip tomorrow, and I will be taking my new underwater strobes with me...so, be ready for some new underwater photos!!

Today happens to also be skywatch Friday!!

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

Fish and Coral

There were hundreds of these little fish darting in and out of the coral. When I would approach them with my camera, they would dart inside and hide, so I had to time my shot perfectly to get them when they came out of their holes...pretty little guys, aren't they?