Visualization
Visualization is a key theme of my Landscape Photography Workshops and last weekend was no exception. Having been to Fort Hill many times I have not been fortunate to get the sky I was looking for (visualization). On Sunday it all came together. It is worth getting to a location well before sunrise, it is worth pre-visualizing the image, it is worth setting the camera on the tripod, making the image and getting a sense of satisfaction that is so total.As an added bonus, when the participants feel like they got some value from my workshops, it makes it so worthwhile. Thank you to all of you who come to these and other one day sessions - I truly appreciate your support and participation.A few more comments:This is not a 'let's go someplace pretty, take some pictures and have a nice lunch' weekend. It's a fun but intensive workshop for anyone serious about improving their photography. We worked hard from sunup to sundown, literally, but everyone came away with new skills, better aesthetic appreciation, and images they should be proud of. As always, I go for Shiv's teaching. His lessons are appropriate to my skill level, neither beginner nor pro. You'll learn more per hour from Shiv than from anyone else, and it's all good stuff.
Another image from last week's workshop
The Grist Mill in Brewster lends itself to exposure stacks even when the dynamic range does not exceed 5 stops.
A few comments that have come in from the Cape Cod Workshop
We had a wonderful group of great photographers on this 4 day workshop. The cold, damp, cloudy and rainy weather did not prevent us from having a good time, a learning experience and some interesting photography, albeit the "Light of Cape Cod" was missing.I would like to thank each and every one who attended and to let you know how much your participation meant to me.
The image above was captured at Highland Headlight AKA Cape Cod Light on the night of Super Moon - that is thick fog in the background.A few images from Dave Uliss as a slide show:
Here are some of the comments:Shiv's workshop was one of the best I've ever experienced. It was full throttle, non stop. The exercises(handouts); really helped me to stay focused and think about how to compose my images. I must say that I really began to see landscapes and subjects, with a new perspective. Most importantly, I captured images that I'm pleased with. I definitely will attend Shiv's workshops, in the future. Your time and money will be well spent. Paul Ware5/7/2012 4:11 PMYes, as I had started to share with you, on Sunday's coffee break; I began to feel as though in a meditative state of mind. Point of Rocks, although not a favorite spot was rewarding just the same. Eventually, an image came together for me.5/7/2012 4:11 PMYes, it covered far more than expected. Benefiting my growth as a photographer.5/7/2012 4:11 PMI would certainly recommend any of your workshops, to anyone. I was extremely pleased. Carole P. Kenny5/7/2012 3:41 PMIt was most helpful, and more than expected, thank you.5/7/2012 3:41 PMConsidering the weather I certainly admired your ability to have a meaningful lecture ready at all times. You had a seamless program, whatever the situation5/7/2012 3:41 PMeven with the gray skies and rain, the workshop was worth every penny.5/7/2012 11:18 AMIn spite of ridiculous weather conditions, Shiv was able to flexibly reorganize and regroup to make the most of a challenging situation. He is a great instructor and very approachable, responsive and encouraging.5/7/2012 9:28 AMShiv has a way of presenting material in a very clear manner. He is inspiring to all levels of photographers and is very accessible and helpful in the field as well as in the classroom. Susan Fahlund5/7/2012 9:24 AM
Cape Cod - any day any time
Took our house guests to the Cape. The weather was great, so lunch in Harwich Port and then Chatham. Last stop Brewester.This is at the Chatham Fish Pier mid afternoon light - NIK Color Efex 4 applied for effect.
This was at low tide in Brewester - once again a bit of drama with NIK filters.
There is beauty in a dead flower
This is a single flower from hydrangea bunch from our back
yard. Last year's bloom that was nice and crisp. The lines and forms were so inviting. This was shot indoors with cross-lighting so as to bring out detail and texture. Conversions to monochrome in NIK Silver Efex Pro.
Announcing Two Yosemite & Mono Lake - Photo Tours and Workshops in September 2012
Yosemite National Park is one of America’s most iconic landscapes offering some of the world’s most spectacular landscape photo opportunities. The valley is surrounded by high granite mountain walls carved by glaciers creating beautiful shapes. The waterfalls are spectacular as are the lakes and streams in the park.Mono Lake is unlike any other landscape in the world. Its beautiful tufas, alkaline water, desert-like vistas make it a remarkable place for photography. Sometimes it seems that you are on another planet or may be on a lunar surface. The late summer weather generally provides some interesting cloud formations.
Great Meadows WLR - Concord
Woke up to blue skies and decided to check out Great Meadows. There is not much happening except Canada Geese fighting for good nesting spots and Red Wing Blackbirds that were in abundance. The dried up marsh grasses and cattails make for fairly drab backgrounds but for this image I decided to leave a lot of negative space while composing. It is more like calling to the nothingness at Great Meadows today.
SW Florida Workshop Day 3
Venice, Florida was the venue on today's agenda. First stop the Venice Rookery. Despite the decimation of the Brazilian Pepper bushes there is still plenty to photograph on the island.
All the images above were captured with a Canon 7D and a 500 mm F4 lens mounted using a Sidekick.As the light got harsh we left for the Venice Dump - yes the dump. The dump has an abundance of vultures and eagles but we were found Sandhill Crane pairs - eight of them.
The two Sandhill images above were photographed with a Canon 7D and a 500mm F4 lens.Lunch and then on to the fishing pier:
Both the Tern, Ruddy Turnstone and the two Gull images were shot with a 7D and a 70 - 200 mm F2.8 lens.We waited for sunset - dinner and back to Fort Myers Beach. 
This last image was shot using a Canon 7D, 16 - 35 mm F2.8 lens and a Singh Ray VariND filter.All images in my florida posts with the exception of the Venice Pier were processed using Lightroom 4 only and no plugins. The Venice pier was processed in Photoshop CS5 with Nik Viveza and Nik Color Efex Pro plugins.
SW Florida Workshop - Day 2
Day two of the workshop was an early trip to Ding Darling WR. We were at the entrance soon after it opened. One of the members in the group was a car length ahead of ours and was fortunate to see a Bobcat scurry by in front of his vehicle.The first stretch of the drive had a yellow crowned night heron hunting along fairly dark mangroves - we took a few shots for the record.The next stop was the first turnout where we were greeted by a large flock of American White Pelicans, Brow Pelicans, a Reddish Egret and Tricolor FIshing.
As the morning progressed the Red Breasted Mergansers and Pied Billed Grebes were showing up every where.
After a productive morning at Ding Darling - we went to Sanibel fishing pier for some diving pelicans.
Lots of fun. Now on to a bit of exploring we headed back to Fort Myers Beach and went further to check out Harnes Marsh.It is a lot of walking as no motorized vehicles are allowed. Saw a few Snail Kites and a pair of Sandhill Cranes with young.
That was day two. Day three to come
SW Florida Workshop Day 1
An early morning trip out to the pools in the Fort Myers Beach area was productive. The bird were magnificent with their feathers blowing in the gentle breeze. The light was perfect as was the action.Here are some of the images from the beach:
The egrets were very active and there was plenty of fish to be eaten.
Next stop was Sanibel Island and the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. Ding Darling was quiet compared to the many trips I have done in the past but still a fun place to be. Lots of Brown and White Pelicans, Cormorants, Red Breasted Mergansers and Pied Billed Grebes.
We left Ding Darling and drove to Captiva for lunch at a favorite spot "Key Lime Bistro". One of the members had developed a problem with her Nikon D700 that refused to focus properly so the day before we rented a body that had to pick up from the hotel. Once assembled we left for our next photo location. Beautiful evening light made one forget the biting by the no-see-ums that some repellant took care of. Here are some images in the awesome light:
Then the sunset turned the skies a deep reddish pink - the water and the birds all seemed to get this glow.
SW Florida Workshop - Day 0
An early morning uneventful but bumpy flight to Fort Myers got us in on time. We collected our bags, rented the car and off to Fort Myers Beach. The workshop included a trip to Cape Coral for burrowing owls so day zero required a scouting trip to the area. The typical locations were devoid of owls but the vacant lots yielded some active burrows.Here are some images from this scouting trip:
India Trip Report - 3
Landing in Jabalpur we were greeted by a very courteous group of Kingfisher staff and were soon on our way driving to Bandhavgarh. We checked in at the Nature Heritage Lodge, a quick lunch an off to our first safari. Bandhavgarh is divided into three zones with only two being active. The zone closest to the resort is TALA and the one farthest is MAGDI. Our first safari was in Magdi the second zone.
Our first creature was a wild boar, actually a whole family of about 8 boars. A number of Hanuman Langurs, Chital (Spotted deer), peacocks and peahens were in abundance as were owls, raptors and a numerous species of awesome birds. The next three days were spent in the TALA zone – each day presented us with a variety of wildlife but unfortunately no tigers. One had been located by an elephant scouting team and accessible only by traveling on elephant back. We decided not to do the viewing and hope for better luck by jeep.The fourth day’s AM safari was in the Magdi zone and did not yield any tigers but a potential as one of the jeeps had heard two tigers growling and crunching on a kill. The next safari yielded an extended viewing of one of the two tigers. The following day the safari was even better when each one did a 40 to 45 minute show. With the success of viewing tigers we decided to extend another day in Bandhavgarh and reduce the Kanha excursion by a day.Rather than showing individual images here is a slide show gallery representing the two zones in Bandhavgarh, scenes from the safari, a village in the area and its people:
India Trip Report Part 1
We are about at the midway mark of the India Photo Tour and Workshop. A brief recap of this first half follows. A brief night in Delhi and an early morning ride to Agra. We checked in at the beautiful Taj Gateway Hotel ( A part of the exclusive Taj Group of Hotels). After an awesome lunch where we were entertained by traditional Rajasthan musicians and puppeteers we departed to see the great Taj Mahal.
This next one is an image shot by one of the participants of the master puppeteer who supposedly has the second longest moustache – 2 meters long – end-to-end. Notice how it is wrapped around his ears and then back down his face.
It is unfortunate that photographers are not permitted to take tripods into most monuments in India and have to resort to high ISO photography to get enough shutter speed to prevent blurred hand held images.Here is an image close to sunset.
The evening was spent visiting a local art store where we were treated to the craft of marble inlay work. These skills have been passed down through the generations of the original artists who carved and inlayed precious and semiprecious gems on the walls of the Taj Mahal.It was planned that we photograph the Taj by moonlight. Trying to get a good image in the allocated half hour slot that is managed by the security guard at the Taj makes the opportunity very difficult for even a single decent night shot, particularly as you can’t use a tripod or even a monopod inside the secured area of the Taj. We had arranged to do our photography from the rooftop of a building that overlooks the Taj and where we had access to tripods, and hot masala tea (spiced tea made with ginger, cardamom, and other flavorful spices).
We had altered our schedule so as to capture a moonlit image of the Taj but that put us in a predicament for the following mornings sunrise image. The Taj is closed to the public on Fridays and is open only for prayer at specific times during Friday. As a result we ventured to Mehtab Gardens for the sunrise. What worked out even better is that we guided to a beautiful spot across the river that gave us an awesome view of the Taj as the sun rose above the horizon. It is unfortunate that there is so much smog and pollution in Delhi and in Agra. This make capturing pristine image a big challenge. 
After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and drove to Chambal – a small town situated in a terrain that has an extensive network of ravines and the Chambal River (a tributary of the Yamuna river). We spent the afternoon photographing numerous species of birds. The Indian roller, yellow and red wattle lapwings, hoopoe, sandpipers, the Eurasian thick knee, red vented bulbul, white cheeked bulbul, spotted owlets, to name a few. 
While we were photographing the birds, etc., opportunities to photograph local village scenes were ever present. The next two images are by Hal Oliver.
We had dinner and spent the night in the Chambal Jungle Lodge. This is a lovely lodge with individual cottages for the guests. During the night we heard at least three large packs of jackals howling in the vicinity of our cottages.The following morning a 10-mile drive took us to the river where we boarded our chartered boat for a river safari. A Red Vented Bulbul en route to the safari.
In addition to a number of birds, we were able to photograph the Indian Crocodile and the Gharial (a member of the crocodilians but exclusive to India).Here are a few of the river safari images:
Post lunch a short drive (few hours) to Bharatpur where we checked in to the Lakshmi Vilas Hotel, which is a converted residential palace of the Maharaja of Bharatpur’s brother.The following morning was our first safari in Koeladeo National Park. On entering the park we were greeted by a group of peafowl silhouetted against the rising sun.
Another image of the same sight.
We spent two and a half days for a total of five safaris in this park. What and abundance of birds and mammals. A small representation follows:
Here is an incomplete list of birds and mammals we saw and photographed over the course of the first 1/3 of the trip:Grey Francolin (Partridge), Indian Peafowl, Lesser Whistling Duck, Bar-Headded Goose,, Ruddy Shell Duck, Comb Duck, Spot Billed Duck, Northern Shoveller, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, Red Crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Brown Headed Barbet, Indian Grey Hornbill, Common Hoopoe, Indian Roller, Common Kingfisher, White Throated Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Greater Coucal, Rose-tinged Parakeet, Plum-headed Parakeet, Collared Scops Owl, Spotted Owlet, Brown Hawk Owl, Large Tailed Nightjar, Rock Pigeon, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Oriental Turtle Dove, Laughing Dove, Spotted Dove, Red Collard Dove, Brown Crake, White-breasted Waterhen, Common Moorhen, Common Coot, Purple Gallinule, Marsh Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Dunlin, Eurasian Thick-Knee, Great Thick-Knee, Yellow Wattled Lapwing, River Lapwing, Red Wattled Lapwing, Indian Skimmer, River Tern, Osprey, Black-Shouldered Kite, Black Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Red Headed Vulture, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Shikra, Little Grebe, Darter, Little Cormornt, Indian Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Intermediate Egret, Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Indian Pond Heron, Black Crowned Night Heron, Glossy Ibis, Black Headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Painted Stork, Black Necked Stork, Brown Shrike, Long Tailed Shrike, House Crow, Large Billed Crow, Eurasian Golden Oriole, White-browed Fantail (Flycatcher), Black Drongo, Oriental Magpie Robin, Indian Robin, Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Brahminy Starling, Common Myna, Bank Myna, Wire-Tailed Swallow, White-Eared Bulbul, Red Vented Bulbul, Common Babbler, Jungle Babbler, Large Grey Babbler, Ashy Crowned Sparrow Lark, Purple Sunbird, White Wagtail, Citrine Wagtail, White-browed Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Baya Weaver, Red Avadavat, Indian Silverbill,The Mammals: Gharial, Marsh Crocodile, a multitude of Turtles,,Rhesus Monkey, Hanuman Langur, Sambar, Nilgai, Wild Boar, Jackal, Indian Civit, Indian Hre, Five Striped Palm Squirrel, Indian Flying Fox, Shortnosed Fruit Bat.Next Update - as soon as possible when I can get a good internet connection.
Snowy Owl "irruption"
Snowy owls are not uncommon in Massachusetts as a few are reported each winter. In some years the population grows substantially, these are "irruption years" and this year is one of them.The Snowy owl is a northern bird that lives and breeds in the open arctic tundra and is highly adapted to extreme cold conditions. Those years where their food supplies are diminished they will fly further south in search of food. In the early spring they will head back north though some have been seen even in the early summer. The male is nearly all white while the female will have dark barred makings.The owls are a very strong muscular breed and are formidable predators. They will not hesitate to go after and kill hares and are partial to ducks. Ducks have a high fat content that the snowy owls need for insulation.
Mother and Child - Cape Cod Workshop
Going through some of the images from the final day of the workshop I came across this one from Coast Guard beach. Shot during the midday hours in contrasty light the monochromatic treatment appealed to me. I took it one step further and applied the antique plate effect from NIK Silver Efex Pro.
Cape Cod - Sunday Sept. 11
Got back late Saturday afternoon after doing my Macro and Close-up presentation in New York but had to do some shooting so decided to go and spend some time at the Cape. The clouds were not looking good all afternoon but decided to take a chance and stayed for sunset. This is the result - I guess just like the rest of New England the Cape is unpredictable.
Canon 7D, 16-35 mm at 24 mm, ISO 100, f14, 1.6 sec
ALASKA - Lake Clark
Have been so busy with the workshops and collecting entries for the PSA International that I have had barely any time to review and process the images from the Alaska Tour. Blogging for each day may not be feasible so I will cover the trip in short individual blogs interspersed with all my other crazy activities. Part one of the tour was Lake Clark a relatively small area Southwest of Anchorage. Lake Clark is at the junction of three mountain ranges with two volcanoes Iliama and Redoubt. The east coast has rain forests while the West is is tundra and lakes. There are no roads to the park so we flew in from Anchorage in small planes that landed on the beach.Day one, as we approached the the lodge, high in the pines we sighted our first Bald Eagle.
Bald Eagle - Day 1
After a quick instructional lecture we headed off to vast areas of sedges and beach. The later part of June is too early for salmon runs so the Coastal Brown Bear feed on sedge grass and will also go the the beach to hunt for clams. the following are a few Coastal Brown Bears from Day 1.
Coastal Brown Bear eating sedge
Coastal Brown Bear Searching for Clams
Sow and First Year Cub Playing in Sedges
Day two to follow soon.................
Plymouth - Macro & Close-up - Part 1
Despite poor weather I had a great turnout for Part 1 of a two part series on Macro and CLose-up photography. 65 plus attended. Great feedback from the participants. Part 2 (the hand on session) will be this weekend and as there is a sizable waiting list, August 20 will be a repeat of Part 2. Thanks to Amy Davies and Graham Custard for organizing the program and a big thank you to all who attended.A few comments from part one as posted on the Plymouth Groups web:
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I thoroughly enjoyed this lecture, punctuated with examples and humor. It reminded me of my University days, listening to a professor, a true master and genius in his own specialty. A privilege to attend and absorb the information. But .... I have so far to travel in this macro journey !
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Great presentation; a lot of information to look over. I can't wait to go to Part II and actually do what Shiv was talking about.
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Very interesting and I learned alot
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While Shiv was clear and precise and had a lot of information to give it was way beyond anything I would venture into......but thank you for inviting him to share his EXPERT knowledge with all of us.....thank YOU Shiv.........
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Thanks, Shiv! I appreciated all the tips that you had to offer and look forward to learning how it is all done on Saturday! Thanks once again, Amy for opening yet another wonderful venue for all of us at PDP !
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Very well organized! Looking forward to class on Saturday!
- A very enlightening evening! If I heard Shiv correctly, I need to pack some aluminum foil, my granite counter top, and toothpicks for Saturday's shoot. I may add a camera just in case.
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Excellent presentation. Filled with tons of details about macro and photography in general. I left with a number of new insights.
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Still trying to process all of the information given out tonite, it was wonderful, intereting, entertaining, what a skilled professional!
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Excellent presentation. Hopefully will be able to participate in the 2nd part to this lecture when it is scheduled again.
Asiatic Lily and Sunflowers - July 25
A mid-day trip, first stop North Kingstown, RI to photograph the Asiatic Water Lilies.
Water Lily Bud
In Full Glory With One Gone By
Water Lily Montage
Next stop, Buttonwood Farm in Griswold, CT. The heat was fairy intense but not as bad as on Friday. Regret we did not stay for sunset which turned out to be quite good, may go back this weekend or sooner as the second field was only in bud.
Sunflower Pollination
The Right Field
A Buttonwood Farm Dreamscape
Macro & Close-Up Photography Workshop - Cape Cod Art Association - July 24, 2011
The workshop at the Cape Cod Art Association was a great day despite the occasional rain that did prevent the attendees from photographing in the rain. Rain drop covered flowers and grasses made for some beautiful images. Will post a few images created by the attendees when the submit.Below are a few quotes from the attendees:"I thought I knew something about macro photography. This class showed me I had a lot more to learn. Having both classroom and hands on was valuable as was then looking at the work. I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop!""Close Up photography has always been a challenge for me. This course was very helpful in better understanding macro techniques and the various camera accessories that are available to further enhance the effort. I am finally able to look forward to taking close up photos with confidence and enthusiasm."