Uploads from Surrealize

Dynamic Seattle Light

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:04:12 -0700

Surrealize posted a photo:

Spring is here... and we are finally starling to get some breaks in the weather. This shot was taken a couple of weeks ago on a day that had otherwise been rather gray and boring. But I looked out my window and saw that there was potential for a nice sunset to form and reflect against the clouds. I only had about 30 minutes and it was rush hour but I decided to risk it. I ended up getting to the 12th Street bridge just 5 minutes before sunset and man am I glad I made the trek! This was one of those "are you kidding me, is this real?" moments.

About the shot, I chose the Rizal bridge to try out my filters from Fotodiox for my Nikon 14-24 wide angle lens. I'm pretty happy with the results. I also went to the Rizal bridge for a bit of revenge! I had been to this bridge 2 other times during the previous week on days that I thought the sunset was going to be great only to watch the inevitable cloud of doom move in and the sunset ended up being a bust. This was payback, I got you this time oh elusive sunset! (shakes fist at sky)

Entrance to Enlightenment

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 08:36:04 -0700

Surrealize posted a photo:

This is the Meiji Shrine taken during one of my recent trips to Tokyo, Japan. I was only able to stay in Japan for 3 days and feel like I just scratched the surface of this amazing place. The sights, the food, the culture... words just can't describe. Everything was so organized, so clean.. and yet the population is so much greater. Everyone was so proud, even the taxi drivers wore suits and white gloves!

About the shot, this was a fairly difficult photo to take. As this was on a weekend, there were literally hundreds of people inside the courtyard. I tried to wait for the swarms of people to clear but it was impossible to get a shot without someone in it. The good news was that the entire structure is perfectly symmetrical. So the set of 9 exposures that I took only had about 5 people total. I was able to clone out and duplicate small parts of each side, taking the people out until I was essentially able to rebuild the scene, "people free".

A bit about the shrine. The shrine is located inside Yoyogi Park, just outside the Harajuku Station. The original building was destroyed during air raids back in World War 2. The present iteration of the shrine was funded through a public fund raising effort and completed in October, 1958. It's part of a large forested area inside of a very densely built-up city. There are many paths and large walk ways that make it perfect for a leisurely stroll. This location is incredibly popular and welcomes more than 3 million visitors in just the first few days of each new year alone. Many traditional Shinto weddings also take place here throughout the year and I was fortunate enough to witness one. Hope to post that later.

Have a fantastic week!

Save the Light

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:09:13 -0800

Surrealize posted a photo:

This shot was taken last year during our trip to Seaside, Oregon. Unforutnately for us, the weather was fairly wet and rainy the entire 5 days we were there. However, on one of the days, there was a brief break at sunset where the sun peaked through in a most interesting way. I have to say that I have never seen a sunset quite like this. There was a brief period, about 10 minutes before sunset, where the sky absolutely caught fire and the light rays reflected against the bottom of the cloud cover. The sunset itself was rather bland. It was this moment when everything hit that perfect cord and you knew you were witnessing something magical. I luckily brought a small tripod with me and in this case my new Fuji x100, which I tend to bring as my "just in case" camera when I don't want to lug around my big cameras.

What a treat we were in for. The sky continued to set ablaze and I was literally running to the beach from my nearby hotel to try and grab a shot before the phenomenon was over. By the time it was all said and done, I had about a 2 minute window to fire off a few shots and capture the golden rays before they hid behind the cloud bank and the color vanished. The most interesting foregrouhd subject I could find was the abandoned lifeguard station, which actually provided for a rather humorous subject and capture. I actually feel like I saved the last few rays of the sun before it disapated and went behind the coastal clouds.

I look forward to continue catching up on all your streams. I've made a few rounds but if I haven't gotten to you yet, drop me a line and tell me how you've been!

Seattle Magazine Cover - March 2012

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:27:51 -0800

Surrealize posted a photo:

I landed the cover for this month's issue of Seattle Magazine! What an honor, super excited :-)

My Girls

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:06:20 -0800

Surrealize posted a photo:

Hey folks, sorry I've been off for so long, been lots going on! I can't believe it's been almost a year since my last post. Things have been so busy being a new father... And priorities definitely changed for this past year! I wanted to give everyone a quick update on my daughter Madison's health. "Maddy B", as we typically call her, has been doing really well and dodged all the early bullets with her heart condition. There is still a chance for surgery but we are going to keep monitoring things until her second birthday, then make the call. But things are looking really good! We've been really lucky, she is such a happy baby!

Now that things have finally settled down with the new babe, new job, and several new photography gigs, I'm finally able to get back into my Flickr groove! I've got many photos that I can't wait to share from my travels last year. And I'm really excited for my new camera (D4) that will be on its way soon. I've also got some great news regarding some recent photo projects that I'll share in the coming weeks.

To kick it off, I wanted to share the most recent project, a new 2012 Seattle calendar featuring all my local work. PrintWest, a major Northwest printer, approached me about an exciting opportunity... They were looking to feature an artist that could help show off their new high color printer installation... and they picked me! It just became reality and I must say, it turned out amazing! Not only are the high color reproductions fantastic, but they have the capability to print a glossy varnish over select elements in each scene to make them pop off the page and almost look 3D! Unfortunately, the calendars were printed on a limited edition run to give out to their clients and are not for resale. However, I was given a few calendars for my own and after giving out to my own clients, I have a few extra. So tell you what, if anyone is interested, please drop me an email, tell me how you have been and send me your address so I can send you a copy! I only have 20 to spare so the sooner I hear from you the better :)

About this photo, it was shot in my studio with my D700 and two Elinchrom strobes (one softbox, one spot grid). Nothing fancy, just good light and of course happy subjects :) Though I will give this tip for baby photos, make sure the space you are shooting in is warm to keep the babe content!

Can't wait to catch up with you all and see all the great posts I've missed!

Little Fighter

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 09:55:54 -0700

Surrealize posted a photo:

I realize that it's been quite a long stint since I've made an appearance on Flickr and wanted to share with folks a bit about why. As many of you who follow me on Facebook know that my wife and I were expecting our first daughter in early April. So I was taking on a lot of projects around the house and with client work so I could spend the first few months with our little baby. Things didn't quite go as planned however and our vivacious little girl decided it was time to come into the world 4 weeks early! After a rather manic roller coaster ride complete with an emergency run to the hospital at midnight and a real scare for vitals of both mother and baby during birth, our precious little daughter was born. My wife Andria and I proudly announced our new addition to the family, Madison Brielle Hoover, or little "Maddy B".

On our final day in the hospital, Madison was found to have a heart murmur. After more thorough tests, it was diagnosed that she has 2 holes in her poor little heart. Though there is hope that the upper hole may potentially shrink or even close on its own, the lower VSD is the bigger concern that will likely require open heart surgery in the very near future as it is med-large in size. We will have to keep a close eye on her as she continues to develop.

As shown by her baby fist, we are confident that our little one has the strength to get through this and will keep everyone posted along the way. Obviously this has been quite the emotional couple of weeks for us and I'm not going to lie, it's taken quite a bit out of me creatively. I'm not quite sure yet when I'll be able to get back on the proverbial horse. But I'm confident that it will happen and if nothing else, I'll have more time to spend looking at all the great posts I missed while I was away.

About the shot, this was taken with my 85mm @ 1.4 and believe it or not, wasn't posed in the slightest. This little one loves to throw up the girl power fist randomly and I just happened to be taking photos of her when she did it this time. I definitely have a new photo obession and will throw in a few shots of the little one as she grows.

Seattle Waterfront at Twilight

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 08:22:09 -0700

Surrealize posted a photo:

Alright, a bit of a break from my travel posts and back to some hometown love. This is one of my favorite views of the amazing Seattle waterfront which is home to the world famous Pike Place Market and has grown into becoming quite the popular tourist destination. I've taken a lot of photos from this spot but could never quite get the right balance until this shot, which for me included the combination of sunset, interesting sky/clouds, traffic motion, Mt. Rainier clearly visible, and the Ferries docked. Typically my best photos from this spot are taken in the winter months as the sun sets more south on the horizon and the air seems so much clearer and crisper.

One of my favorite things to do is grab a bowl of chowder or some fish 'n chips to go then sit up on one of the many benches and take in everything that can be seen from this vantage. Looking across Elliot Bay towards the magestic Olympic Mountains, you can see boats of every imaginable shape and size, from small sailboats to large shipping vessels, from tug boats to passenger ferries. Glancing back at the city you'll find every nearly every mode of wheeled transportation; bike taxis, horse drawn carriages, exotic convertibles, charter busses, and even the occasional Segway. Then there's the people watching... and wow do we have some of the most ecletic, entertaining folks right here in Seattle, from hot pink hair and tutus to long haired rockers still living the days of grunge.

Skyscraper Island

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 07:44:21 -0700

Surrealize posted a photo:

This is the famous Shinjuku district of Tokyo, Japan where towering skyscrapers are all grouped together, like an island in the city. After looking through my Tokyo photos, it was rather crazy to see just how many of my photos were looking up at the tall monoliths. I remember feeling so small in a sea of buildings. In fact, it can be quite overwhelming to try to get your bearings in a city where nearly every building for as far as the eye can see is 20 stories tall! I'd get off the subway only to find myself smack dab in the middle of another set of tall buildings. It was hard to even find the skyline at times as everything is so efficiently packed together. They even found place for a pool on the 15th floor of the building in front.

To truly appreciate this view, you have to get to the top of another building from a decent distance back. This particular day, I had witnessed a fairly incredible sunrise from my hotel and did some quick weather research on where the sunset might be positioned behind the city. After bribing (literally) the management of a nearby building to give me access to their rooftop, I waited for what turned out to be a truly fantastic sunset. I was worried at first that the sunset might be a bust as a rather thick layer of haze was on the horizon. But as you can see, the haze actually turned the sunset into a spectacular rainbow of color.

Dreamy Santorini

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 07:34:22 -0700

Surrealize posted a photo:

This photo is of the beautiful Greek island of Santorini, taken from the small northernmost historic town of Oia that is quite famous for it's white walled buildings and blue domed churches. The cliffs of Santorini are nearly 1000 feet high and are actually the remnants of a volcanic crater that is believed to have exploded violently at approximately 1500 BC. This massive eruption is thought to have wiped out the Minoan civilation on the nearby island of Crete. The eruption seems to have inspired certain Greek myths and it has been speculated that the Minoan eruption and the destruction of the city at Akrotiri provided the basis for or otherwise inspired Plato's story of Atlantis. Akrotiri is still being excavated presently and already, they have uncovered multi story buildings and ancient walled murals/paintings that rival those found in Pompeii.

I've been very fortunate to travel to some rather exotic locations but I must say that Santorini is one of my absolute favorites. There are several settlements that make up present day Santorini. I stayed in a small 8 unit apartment complex in the nearby township of Fira that is quite a bit larger than Oia and is home to the main port for cruise ships that frequent this very poplular tourist destination year round. Every evening, I would sit on my private veranda and take in what is thought by many to be one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. Talk about the photographer's paradise, I literally never put my camera down for the entire week I was there. Around every corner was a scene that seemed straight from a postcard or story book.

I hope to post more from my travel portfolio over the coming weeks, including more shots from this beautiful Greek island. Hope you all have a fantastic week!

Iconic Reflection

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 07:22:12 -0700

Surrealize posted a photo:

This the world famous Sydney Opera House. I was fortunate enough to stay about 2 blocks from this iconic architectural marvel that is located in the Circular Quay along the Sydney Harbor. Though I was only in Sydney for 4 days, I saw some of the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets I've ever witnessed. I pinched myself several times as this one unfolded :)

Though there were thousands of people visiting this place every single day, I was really lucky to enjoy this brisk winter sunrise in complete solitude. Just me, a few seagulls, and the occasional ferry boat passing through (luckily not at the time of this shot). I honestly couldn't get enough of Opera House and shot it several times at all different times of day. There is fantastic light show that they put on each evening where they display a kaleidoscope of colors along the sides of the arched walls of the structure.

This area is known as the Circular Quay and is home to an amazing network of passenger ferries and tour busses that can take you virtually anywhere in Sydney. And believe me, there is lots to see in this truly beautiful city which I hope to share more of in the coming weeks.

Have great week everyone and if I haven't gotten around to your stream just yet, I should be there shortly. Cheers mates!

Urban Exhale

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:07 -0700

Surrealize posted a photo:

Australia's second largest city and thriving metropolis, this is Melbourne. It is quite well known for its eclectic artistic communities. Melbourne is often ranked as one of the world's most liveable cities and after a short visit there during my recent trip, I can certainly see why. The Yarra River runs right through the beautiful city and along each bank are scores of fantastic restaurants and cafes. The city seems so alive and full of energy!

I walked up and down the Yarra River looking for great photo opportunities each day. Though I have several shots taken from along the river bank, I really liked this one as it truly captured how full of life the city is. I was drawn to the very prominent traffic flow as people returned home from their jobs. Almost as if the city was exhaling after a long, busy work day. If you look a little closer, you can catch some of the hustle and bustle of this famous city and also see several trains in motion, a water taxi cruising by, and a few bicycle headlights.

Sorry for the drop off this summer. Took some time off for some projects and client work. I plan to be back for a while now and have loads of good material to carry me for a long time! Look forward to catching up on everyone's streams. Please drop a line if you stop by and I'll be sure to do the same!

Mirrored Amusement

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 07:03:22 -0700

Surrealize posted a photo:

This is the entrance to the famous Luna Park in Sydney, Australia. I had seen a picture of this place a while back when I was researching Australia. Actually, I only saw the face and thought that it was so very peculiar. I put this on the list of things to visit and didn't actually get around to it until my last day as there are just so many wonderful places to visit in Sydney and the surrounding area. In preparation for my trip, on the flight over, I actually sketched out a few of the shots I might shoot, trying to think of what would make a compelling scene. Knowing that it might actually be rainy for a bit of time as it's winter in Australia now and the forecast was rather gloomy, I wondered if I might be able to enhance the scene with a reflection in various puddles of water. I had actually pre-visualized a very similar shot to this, only at night in the rain instead of sunset. This day was honestly very sunny and I never saw a drop of rain, though I had been quite a way East on the coast. But for some reason when I got to this spot, either it had just dumped rain just a short time prior or there had been some kind of groundskeeping malfunction. I couldn't believe my luck! Not even thinking twice, I literally laid on the ground to get this lower perspective and refection of the face. It was hilarious, people actually gathered around me, probably thinking that I was having a seizure or getting ready to show off some wicked break dance moves. Ironically, they all stopped walking and got out of my way for the shot. Double lucky!

Knowing that I had a shot, I became rather intrigued by Luna Park and wanted to find out more about its history. I also remember hearing that we used to have a Luna Park in Seattle, Washington back in the early 1900's (1907-1913). To be honest, I thought that it was a complete coincidence that there was also a Luna Park in Sydney and was really drawn to the location due to the striking face and lights you could see across from the Circular Quay in Sydney Harbor. After a quick search on the interwebz and looking up the history, I found that there have actually been many Luna Parks scattered throughout the world. The first of which was in Coney Island, New York which many of heard of! In fact, Luna Park now actually directly translates to "amusement park" in several languages (Dutch, German, Bulgarian, Greek, Italian, Turkish and Hebrew). To learn a bit more about that this Luna Park and the over 40 other amusement parks scattered throughout the world that bear the same name, check out Wikipedia.

Looking forward to catching up on folks streams now that I'm back in the swing of things after being gone for an extended photo vacation. Hope you all have a fantastic week!

Shadow of the Rock

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Mon, 24 May 2010 06:22:33 -0700

Surrealize posted a photo:

This is the famous Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, OR, taken during one of my recent road trips to the coast. I got there just in time for this truly spectacular sunset after quite a bit of weeked traffic. I kept watching the clock as the sun continued to go down and wasn't sure if I would be able to see it. Luckily, I've been there many times before and new exactly where to park so I grabbed my gear and scurried down the beach. I fired off a couple shots from the other side of the famous Haystack Rock, but there were were really no clouds in the sky and the color wasn't popping just yet. As I turned around, I could see a band of clouds moving from the inland back out to sea. So I decided to move to the other side of the rock and wait for the color explosion that resulted only minutes later as the sky/clouds literally caught fire. This was the clearest I have ever seen it at Cannon Beach and you can even see the Tillamook Rock Lighhouse off in the distance (just to the right of Haystack), literally over a mile out to sea. Talk about perfect conditions, the tide was in so the water flowed up farther on the beach and allowed for the colorful sky to be reflected. I was also able to capture this very interesting foreground sand ripple in front of me that didn't have any footprints in it, which is pretty hard to find considering how many tourists visit Cannon Beach every year. Though the beach was very busy, I really lucked out in that everyone seemed to stop to watch the sunset so I scored a very rare peopleless sunset photo!

From Wikipedia: Haystack Rock is a 235-foot (72-meter) tall monolith (or sea stack) on the Oregon coast in the northwestern United States, the third-tallest such "intertidal" (meaning it can be reached by land) structure in the world. A popular tourist destination, the rock is adjacent to the beach and accessible by foot during low tide. Haystack Rock tide pools are home to many intertidal animals, including starfish, anemone, crabs, chitons, limpets, and sea slugs. The rock is also a refuge for many sea birds, including terns and puffins.

In other news, I will finally be able to go on one my dream photo vacations and will be traveling to Australia next week. I will be visiting Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, and Brisbane. Fingers crossed for some great weather! If anyone has some tips for places to shoot, please send me a Flickrmail!

School's Out... Forever!

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Mon, 17 May 2010 07:03:57 -0700

Surrealize posted a photo:

I happened upon this rusted gem on my way back from a recent trip to the Washington and Oregon coast. I'm still working on getting through selection of the coast shots but was really excited about this find and decided to process it first considering school is almost out. I'm not exactly sure how I even saw this bus that, as you can see, was very overgrown and was out in the middle of no where. The trees to the left almost completely obscured it from the roadway but my "spidey" senses started tingling and then saw what appeared to be an interesting overgrown rusted bus, out of the corner of my eye. Rather than kick myself for the next 10 miles down the road (like I usually do), I pulled over immediately and hiked down through a field of thorns and mud until I got to what appeared to be an old road. There was literally only a few pieces of asphalt exposed, like 1% of the old roadway, and the rest had all been completely overgrown. But at least it answered for me how the bus even got down there, considering how hard it was to even get to myself. Clearly this bus had been there for some time and was no longer feeling the love from it's youthful passengers. I was actually reminded of that scene in Office Space, where they finally had enrough of the printer and take it out to a field for a proper beat down. Anyway, there was just something about this shot that spoke to me. I liked the metaphor here, how the rust / disrepair of the bus contrasted against the beautiful blue sky. This school bus is definitely "out for the summer"!

Also, this last week was really exciting! I was recently published in a magazine from Chile called PuntoNet which is akin to "Wired" magazine in the US as far as I can tell (my Spanish is really, really rusty). I was part of the feature article titled "Flickreando" where 3 artists from around the world were selected; one from Spain, one from Chile, and myself from the US. How very flattering! In addition to having a 2 page spread, I was blown away surprised to also find out that I was selected for the cover (both front and back). I almost crapped my pants when I pulled the magazine out of the envelope and saw my photo on it! Anyway, sorry for the shameless plug, but it's a pretty good feeling anytime you get published :-)

Temple of the Sun

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Tue, 11 May 2010 07:40:12 -0700

Surrealize posted a photo:

Another pic from my recent trip to Thailand. This is the famous Wat Arun, taken from across the Chao Phraya River. This may have been the hardest I've ever had to work to capture a sunset. Not hard to find the best angle, but hard just to find a place to shoot from at all! I thought I was prepared for this shot and left my hotel well in advance so I'd have enough time to run around and a good photo location. The first problem that it was rush hour in Bangkok and I needed to get across town, more than 5 miles to get to this spot. This particular gridlock was so bad that even our little "Tuk Tuk" (3 wheeled golf cart) was unable to move. After 10 minutes of roasting in the near 100 degree heat and soaking in so much exhaust from the cars and busses that my skin actually started to darken, our Tuk Tuk driver told us to get out. He said simply "10 minute... that way ... go!" and so it was time to hoof it. All of the busses were actually vacant as the locals know they can apparently walk faster when it gets this bad!

The next problem was that I didn't actually know where I needed to go. I mean, I could see the spot that had been marked on a map and I had a pretty good idea of where I currently was, but it was tough to gauge exactly how far it actually was. So I started off with a brisk pace, carrying about 20 pounds of photo gear with me. I was confident that I'd have enough time. After 10 minutes, I looked back at the map and had only moved a fraction of the way. Hmmm.. perhaps Thai minutes are different, my pace starts to quicken. Another 10 minutes goes by, I can see the sun going down fast now, I know my time is running out. A quick check to the map... half way there. At this point, I freak out... this is my last night in Bangkok and my only chance to get this shot. The sunset looks to be incredible... I make the call to start jogging. The 20 pounds of photo gear feels more like 100. Sweat is no longer dripping but flowing down my face in this incredible heat. I'm camouflaged from all the exhaust that has now stuck to my skin.

The sun is setting fast... too fast. I'm honestly thinking about the sad faces of all my friends and family who will never get to see this amazing sunset that will likely now be gone by the time I get there... IF I ever get there. One last surge of energy, I'm close. I can smell the water... wait, that's just sweat... but a quick check to the map confirms that I'm close. I can now see taller buildings along what must be a river bank. The color behind the buildings is really starting to explode. I catch a glimpse of water through a crack between two buildings... I can see the top of one of the Wat spires... I'm here. But now I'm not sure where to go. I walk down an alleyway and head towards what appears to be an opening. It's a ferry boat launch and there is no place to shoot from. And there it is, the sun is actually setting... ah... I've got to find a spot. I come back out to the main street and see another corridor. I sprint past a bunch of local fisherman toward the water. I can only imagine that site... a sweat drenched, red-faced man, now blackened and hobbling... it must have looked like I had just crossed a desert. I see a floating dock on top of the water, with the Wat Arun across the river behind it. Boats are flying down the river kicking up large waves that make the floating dock almost impossible to stand on but I have to as it's the only unobstructed vantage. Camera already set up for the right settings, I fire off 3 sets of 9 bracketed exposures. Phew... I got the shot... now time to relax :)

Sorry for the Flickr drop off, lots of stuff going on and quite a few client gigs that have kept me busy. I'm looking forward to catching up on all that I missed this week!

Wild Iron Horse

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:02:10 -0700

Surrealize posted a photo:

I decided to take a little break from my trip to Asia and instead, post one from my recent trip across the state. This is the Wild Horse Monument in Central Washington just outside of the town of Vantage along the Columbia River Gorge. The art piece is actually titled "Grandfather Cuts Loose The Ponies" and was created by David Govedare who is actually from my home town of Chewelah, WA! As you begin to drive up the eastern slope of the canyon, you can see what appears to be a herd of horses high up on the cliff edge. Sadly, though I've lived in the state all my life, I had never actually taken the time to stop by and see the steel sculptures up close. As it was a surprisingly warm Spring day, I decided to make the hike. Wow am I glad I did as I was treated to this stunning view just a little before sunset. There was virtually no wind and everything was so very clear. There are actually several iron horses that make up this great monument and I had a tough time selecting which of my shots to post. Ultimately, I decided on this one because of the really interesting lens flare and the fact that you could see the river and bridge so clearly from the cliff edge.

About this shot, this is a combination of 9 bracketed exposures to capture all of the light information, especially as I was shooting directly into the sun. Then, some post processing in my digitial darkroom (MAC, 30" screen, PS CS4) to balance out the scene. I was really excited about how the lens flare turned out in this one and paid careful attention to retain the sun rays and color circles that really stood out against the dark silhouette of the horse. This particular vantage was a bit tricky to capture as I was literally on the edge of the cliff balancing on one foot and a tripod. I had on my ultra wide angle lens (14-24mm / f2.8) and was able to capture this sweeping view from only a few feet away. I did have a little scare and lost my footing while trying to adjust my position. Luckily, I was able to use my catlike reflexes to shift my weight back on to my tripod and thankfully averted disaster... phew! Good thing I had my cable release on my camera as my hands were shaking pretty bad for the next 30 mins :-) Oh, and a word to the wise, this is rattlesnake country to if you decide to make the trek up there.. be very careful!

Hope you all have a great week!

Urban Energy

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:06:59 -0800

Surrealize posted a photo:

The ultimate urban metropolis, this is Tokyo, Japan. This photo was taken in the Shinjuku district on a rather busy weekend night. I had seen several jaw dropping photos of Tokyo over the years and couldn't wait to see all the amazing neon lights and mega skyscrapers. After finally getting to experience the city in person, it was far more unbelievable than I had ever imagined! You'll have to view it large to fully appreciate all the detail, I can literally stare at this scene for hours.

For this shot, I combined 9 bracketed exposures together to bring in all the color and light in the scene. Because it was so bright, I actually had to adjust my exposure balance by 2 steps as well as use my ND filter combined with a long enough exposure to capture all of the traffic motion. I actually waited through 9 lights in order to complete the set and capture all the lights from the cars whizzing by. At one point, a guy started coming toward me and I thought for sure he was security or something official and would ask me to get out of the street. Instead, it was a fairly intoxicated tourist that began dancing in circles in front of me while saying "take a picture of me, take a picture of me!" As I was in the middle of my set and didn't want to touch my camera, I pretended to take a picture of the man, while laughing histerically. That did the trick and off he went, likely to drink some more sake in this very popular party area :)

Bangkok Sunrise

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:03:31 -0800

Surrealize posted a photo:

I've only been able to get through a small number of photos from my recent trip to Thailand but really like how this shot turned out and feel like it really represents what I experienced in Bangkok. This was taken just outside the hotel I was staying in which was a bit north west of downtown Bangkok where you could really take in the full skyline and brilliant sunrises! Every morning, just before the sun would come up, you could hear quite a lot of commotion as the street vendors and shop keeps prepared for the day. Tuk-Tuks and longboats, which normally take tourists around the city, are converted into cargo vessels, transporting large bags of clothing and food to eagerly waiting shops that line each and every street. By the time I would get down from the hotel each morning, every shop was prepped and ready for business, food was being cooked on grills, and the city was full of life. In addition to the colorful sunrise, I really liked how you can also see all of the primary forms of transportation in this shot. There is a longboat speeding down the canal and on the first bridge, you can see a few of the 3 wheeled taxis known as Tuk-Tuks, along with a very colorful pink regular taxi. If you look carefully, you can also see a sky-train crossing the 3rd bridge.

In order to capture the full range of color and light information, this shot is blended together from 9 different exposures. The real trick with this shot was making sure to wake up early enough to allow my gear to properly warm up from the cold air conditioning. My lenses were foggy for a good 45 minutes when I got outside but I suspected they might be so I made sure to allow for that time. It also helped that my schedule was still a little off so I up for more sunrises on the trip than usual :-)

Shuttle Launch Tube

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:02:39 -0800

Surrealize posted a photo:

I imagine that in the future, most airports will look like this one, where you can just hop right on a space shuttle bound for the nearest planet or galaxy. Not really a space station, this is the Bangkok International Airport and is one of the coolest structures I've ever seen. Down each terminal wing are long corridors of curved glass that let in a ton of beautiful sunshine. Subtle touches are everywhere including full orchid gardens around nearly every corner. Truly awe inspiring! No wonder Thai people are always smiling :)

I just got back from my vacation to Thailand / Japan and had a wonderful time. I must have taken one bazillion photos (at least) that I've only just begun to go through. I really lucked out with the weather and every day was sunny. It was also very warm and humid which I wasn't all that prepared for... but I definitely got my dose of Vitamin D for the year! Anyway, expect a steady stream of posts over the coming months.

As for the shot, another 9 expsosure set in order to capture the full range of light information, taken hand-held (though I do need to credit the railing with the assist). The taxi driver drove like a man possessed to the airport, and since I got there early, it gave me some extra time to troll around the beautiful airport and as luck would have it, found that the gate next door was completely vacant. I quite like the empty colorful rows of seats. Anyway, definitely another one to add to my collection of funky architecture!

Looking forward to catching up on everyone's streams! Hope you all have a fantastic week!

Semi Reflective

nobody@flickr.com (Surrealize) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:26:35 -0800

Surrealize posted a photo:

Another slight departure from my regular colorful posts and part of a black and white collection I’ll continue to add to over time. It may come as a surprise but I really do love black and white, which allows us to break an image down to its most basic elements and truly draw attention to the artistic composition or minimalist presentation. Sometimes color can actually be a distraction to the image you want to create or the focus you want to portray. In this case, I was actually split and though I have a color version, I decided to release the shot in black and white as I felt it really allowed the contrast and reflection to shine through. As many of my close friends and clients know, I actually like to shoot anything and everything, from rock bands to astronauts... or in this case.. semi trucks. OK, so I’ve never really shot an astronaut but I’ve definitely thought about it and it’s super high on my bucket list of things to shoot in my lifetime :-) Over time I plan to add a bit more variety to my stream and showcase some of my other work.

As for this shot, it was taken after a rather elongated rainy spell (not hard to imagine in Seattle). I decided to take a stroll through the SODO industrial area and actually had an idea to shoot some train tracks that I routinely pass by when I came across this huge mud puddle. At first, I passed right by this rather brown and dirty sight, but after my train shot, I decided to come back and take another look. As I walked around, I saw that there might be a pretty good reflection if I got low enough to the ground. The only bad part was that because the puddle was so big, I was actually sticking out in the street a bit. Just as I was about done with my 9 exposure bracketed set, a semi driver drove by while honking his big horn, literally almost causing me to jump in the puddle I had just shot. Even better is that when he drove by, he hit another puddle right next to me and the splash soaked the back of my jeans... Doh! Luckily I had just picked up my gear and was facing the other way so no worries there... Phew... Perhaps he was trying to warn me, but I think he knew he would scare the crap out of me. You win this round Mr. Truck Driver (shakes fist at sky) :-)