Not only has Google+ changed the way I see the world, but it's made me turn my monitor from landscape to portrait orientation. It's kind of neat since I've never tried it before, but it works perfectly. No more whitespace...now I don't know where I'm going to put the bacon though :/

#usesforwhitespace #whitespace

Guess I'm no landscape photographer...

I've been on G+ for quite a while now and have always been a general photographer -- a little bit of this, a little bit of that.  I think I have a fair amount of landscape, nature, b&w, macro, street, portrait...it's fun switching up.  I love them all in their special way.  But I guess there's a draw back to not "specializing."  People don't understand what kind of photographer you are.

The reason I'm sort of ranting here is because circle shares often proclaim "nature photographers" or "landscape photographers," which I am rarely a part of.  In fact, I don't think I recall in recent months being included in one landscape/nature circle.  It's okay...I mean you can't be everyone's friend, nor can you expect to be in everyone's circle.  I get that, but I don't think I've been in one "landscape" specific circle, and that bothers me a bit.  Sure I've been in photography circles, which I'm really grateful to be a part of, but I love landscape & nature, so it kind of stings me a little.  I read into these things you know?  Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

I wrote a post about what type of photographer I am on Sept 30, 2011, http://goo.gl/r05fK, but things have changed.  Reminds me, I should post an update one day.  My primary passion is landscape & nature photography.  Street is also something I love, but I have not been spending enough time doing.  I need to get out of my comfort zone again and talk to strangers.

If you're feeling left out, don't!  Because I am too...so now we are not alone in our loneliness :)  There is a LOT of talent out there...a lot of much more creative, smarter, more experienced photogs, and they deserve to be in circles too!  But after being left out over and over, it starts to open up self-doubt.  Do you ever feel that way?  If you do, come wallow in sorrow with me...we can be the non-landscape photographers together!

Happy Monday!  Here's a "circle" that everyone is welcome to join.  What kind of photographer are you?

Camera: NIKON D800E
Exposure: 0.125 sec (1/8)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 14 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: -0.5 EV
Flash Used: No

Golden Fuji.

I took many photographs in Japan that I feel were special.  But there were two from Lake Motosu that I felt very lucky to have had the opportunity to capture, one I posted last year called "Twilight Fuji." and the one I'm sharing today.  It's amazing how light can change in just a few minutes.  The reason I feel so honored is because I took one trip with my friend to this location, and got a beautiful sunrise.  I know from personal experience, that sometimes you can visit a location many, many times and not see something so amazing.  There was another Japanese photographer next to me who got so excited each time the clouds opened up and the summit of Fuji-san was visible.  Just having seen it would've been enough, but luckily I had a functional camera too!

I'm also submitting this photo to the  #PlusOneCollection2012 .  Last year, I also participated in this project, and it's a great one!  I hope you consider joining as well.  It's put together by +Ivan Makarov and the submission deadline is Jan 16, 2013.

You can read more about it here:  https://plus.google.com/106711803105103787711/posts/h7A4z7eTdNz

The photo I submitted last year is called "Ruined."  Since then, I've learned a lot of about photography and believing in yourself.  Make the best of every opportunity.  Don't let any titles like "top photographer" or "best of the best" make you think you are any less!  Be yourself and forget about what others think.  Nothing matters more, when it comes to art, than being yourself!

#Landscapephotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.

There's something relaxing about watching the waves crash against the rocks...not sure what it is.

Feedback always welcome.

#SeaTuesday curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.
#MyTownTuesday curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Jamie Furlong.

Twilight Fuji.

As much as I believe photography has to do with the photographer, there is a lot to give to chance.  The weather needs to cooperate in order to get a shot.  Yes, consistency and dedication might allow a photographer to get a shot, but those are the luxuries of people with lots of money, retired, or people who make money from photography lol.  One day!  Where's my lotto card?!

Had a great opportunity to shoot Mount Fuji from Lake Motosu in Japan with my friend +GRANT OKUBO this cold, windy October morning.  We were truly blessed.

My Japan album is posted @ www.photosew.us/japan if you are interested in viewing more photos from my recent trip.

For #LandscapePhotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.
#plusphotoextract   #mtfuji   #mountfuji  

Hawaiian Winter

My last image for today. This one was my submission for "weather" for +Chrysta Rae's Photography Scavenger Hunt. (Thanks +Chrysta Rae!)

Typically during the winter months huge waves, think 30 to 50 feet high, roll into the North Shore of Hawaii. Many might know of a location called Waimea Bay, which is where a famous surf contest named after Eddie Aikau is held annually if the waves are big enough. Read more about Eddie here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Aikau

The day I took this picture, the waves were relatively small -- only about 15 to 20 feet. There was also VOG in the air, which is basically fog with volcanic ash, which created a hazy horizon. The sun was setting when this was captured. I used the 70-200mm, handheld, and I processed this image from 2 exposures. They were processed in Photomatix. I changed the saturation and adjusted some other settings like sharpness and noise reduction. Finally, I added some manual darkening and small tweaks with the Lightroom brush. I wanted to go for a painting type look. I posted a similar image for my G52 project, but that was processed a little differently from this one.

#TonemapHDRTuesday curated by +Drew Pion & +Stephanie Suratos.
#PlusPhotoExtract

Tree Burst.

This image was captured at Waiahole Beach Park.  Chinaman's Hat Island (aka Mokoli'i Island) is in the background.  Since getting the Nikon D800E, I rarely HDR using Photomatix, at most I'll work on 2 exposures through PS.  This was created using 5 exposures, Photomatix, and Lightroom for cleanup.

Feedback always welcome.  Have a great week!

This print available: http://photosew.us/limitededition/h432bfb96#h432bfb96

100% of all net proceeds from print sales donated to +Empowerment International.

Fundraising update $442 raised (including proceeds from print sales) and 4 prints sold! Thank you so much for your support.  Read more about my fundraising project here:  http://photosew.us/blog/2012/9/2012-fundraising-drive-for-empowerment-international

#TreeTuesday  curated by +Christina Lawrie & +Shannon S. Myers.
#SeaTuesday  curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.
#tonemaphdrtuesday  curated by +Drew Pion & +Stephanie Suratos.

Driftwood.

How many miles have they traveled? Where will they go next?

Have a great week!

For a limited time, 100% of the net proceeds from print sales will be donated to +Empowerment International.

Print available here: http://photosew.us/complete/h47970082#h47970082

If you do place an order in the next couple of weeks, it may take some time until I can verify and process your orders. I will try to get to them as soon as possible.

I'll be on and off for the next few weeks, so sorry if I can't followup and miss more posts on my stream than usual.

For #ThirstyThursday  curated by +Mark Esguerra & +Giuseppe Basile.
For #landscapephotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.

Aloha,
Wes

I was going through my old photos, and I totally forgot I had this one from last year.  Some might notice a similar photo I took, and that would be because the other was taken on the same day with a different composition.

This is a 3 exposure shot processed in Photomatix and Lightroom.  One of my earliest forays into HDR.

Feedback always welcome.

#SunsetSaturday  curated by +TJ Kelly.

Camera: NIKON D5100
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 16 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Flash Used: No

Some sunset...

Every so often the skies gives us a treat...this was one of them for me. The most colorful sunset this year...

Hope you are all having a great weekend! Feedback always welcome.

#SunsetSaturday curated by +TJ Kelly.

One of the coolest things is being added by someone you've been following for a long time.

On the flip side, it's really sad when you find out someone who had you circled, uncircled you.

To those who've circled me back, thank you!
To those who've uncircled me, I'm sad to see you go... :(
But that's Google+...circle your interests, and don't circle those that don't interest you. I sure wish they'd up the number of people you can circle though!

To those who've circled me, and I have not circled you back, hope you leave a comment so I can check out your profile!

Thanks for the great hangout today +Andy Gray, +Billy Wilson, +Elizabeth Lund, +Justin Hill, +Kellianne Hutchinson, +mark helm, +Mark Rodriguez, +Ugo Cei, +Shinae Nae Robinson, +Mary Sass Clark, +Steve Gill, +Boris Gorelik! (And +Olav Folland, +Katie Wright, +Don Noll post-publishing this post)

I'd like to apologize in advanced to anyone because I post images that are all over the spectrum of photographic genres. One day I'll post B&Ws, the next I'll post oversaturated HDRs, to the next when I'll do de-saturated vintage images. I wonder sometimes if that's a good or bad thing for people looking at my images. I know I love all kinds of photos. I'm not always looking for the perfect photo...sometimes it's just about the message or the moment. I wonder if that's looked upon as a negative by the photographic community though. I don't really limit my posts that way, but I think many artists on G+ do. I guess we only want to show our best side, but is that reality?

I just learned the word Hydrargyrum today...it's another name for mercury.

What do you think? Feedback always welcome! Good or bad.

#WetWednesday curated by +susanne schweiger.
#VividWednesday curated by +Ajay Hatti.
#WideAngleWednesday curated by +Asif Patel.

In the Beginning.

Revisiting the first location where I really got inspired to pursue photography further.  As much as I wanted to try something different, I just couldn't resist the urge to try and refine what I did last year.  I'm not sure I accomplished that, but I still love the area.

Feedback always welcome.

For #SeaTuesday  curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.
For #MyTownTuesday  curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Jamie Furlong.
For #LandscapePhotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.

For a limited time, 100% of net proceeds from print sales are donated to +Empowerment International!  I hope you consider purchasing a print.

Print available here:  http://photosew.us/complete/h460878dc#h460878dc

Good morning G+! Here's a splash of water to wake you up!

Hope you're all having a great Thursday. My contribution to #ThirstyThursday curated by +Mark Esguerra & +Giuseppe Basile.

Don't forget, #FidoFriday is tomorrow! Woof Woof!

#BreakfastClub

Pup.

How is your fine #FidoFriday  going?  Hope your weekend is off to a great start!

#FidoFriday  is curated by +mel peifer, +Lisa Lisa, +Suhaib Ayaz, and myself. +Fido Friday 

#TGLNicaragua  

With +Empowerment International & +The Giving Lens.

Come Sail With Me.

As soon as the tide comes in that is.  There's enough room for all of us!

Feedback always welcome.

For #ToneMapHDRTuesday  curated by +Drew Pion & +Stephanie Suratos.
For #TransportTuesday  curated by +Gene Bowker, +Joe Paul, +Steve Boyko, &+Michael Earley.

Camera: NIKON D5100
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 20 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: -
Flash Used: No

I went out for the 2nd day in a row to Makapu'u to shoot the sunrise.  It's amazing how quickly the sky went from having no clouds to lots of clouds.  Unfortunately, the colors weren't the greatest, so I had some fun in Nik and Lightroom.  Sometimes it's just fun to just paint with brushes and play with filters and sliders...actually, it's always fun :)

Feedback always welcome.  Hope you had a great weekend!

For #SkySunday  curated by +Patrick Scherkenbach & +Randy Scherkenbach.
For #SplashSunday  curated by +Christy Martin.

Camera: NIKON D800E
Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 14 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: -1.5 EV
Flash Used: No

Where I'm At.

Sometimes I'm too afraid that I'll disappoint, I fail to even try.  If I never try, I can never succeed.  I'm sorry to disappoint, but I tried.  Is that enough?

For #landscapephotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.
For #SunsetSaturday  curated by +TJ Kelly.

Half a Sun.

Is better than none!

Feedback always welcome.

#WideWednesdayPanorama curated by +Ken McMahon, +Lucille Galleli, +Andrew Marston.
#WideAngleWednesday curated by +Asif Patel.

Week 26 of 52 - Ryan.
#2012PROJECT52 - Water.

This is a little early, but I'll be leaving next week, so I'm not sure how frequently I'll be able to post...This morning I went to shoot at Makapu'u lookout near Pele's Chair with +Ryan Sakamoto and +Alvin Douglass.

I decided to go for a little bit of a surreal look.  This is a single exposure processed in Lightroom and Nik Color Efex.

Feedback always welcome.

Have a great weekend!

+GPLUS::P52::2012
+Project52-2012 (+Kate Church)

For #SunsetSaturday  curated by +TJ Kelly as well.

Camera: NIKON D800E
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 15 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: -1.5 EV
Flash Used: No

It sucks being a loser

Life is not fair. Even the greatest people have been losers on some days, and for some, it happens more frequently. Yeah, yeah...losers say it just to make themselves feel better, right? The cards are dealt, and we have to live with it. I like to be realistic, and I try to be as honest and forthcoming with all of you.

I do love Google+ for all the opportunities, all the wonderful things I’ve learned, and, most of all, the people I’ve met. This is a great community, and one that deserves honesty. It is largely a very positive community, but not all things that happen are happy or positive, that’s not a reflection of reality. So I’m going to be honest here, this has been a rough month...for my ego, which is okay, because I like to keep my ego as small as possible.

So if things are so great, why the gloomy post? Well, many of you know about the scavenger hunt that happened this month, and many of you also know about the One Plus charity book that’s coming out. The things I submitted for both never got selected. And that’s okay. The images selected were awesome, and they deserve to be there! Actually, I haven’t seen all the ones from the One Plus book, but that’s irrelevant. I’m not writing this post to argue that at all. What I am writing about though, is that this does suck. But why?

Because I've put time and effort into something for nothing. And it does hurt a little...deep down inside, regardless of how much I say, meh, it's just a contest.

I like to reflect on things, especially when it comes to things that I feel like I could have done better. So much so that I can’t sleep at this moment because I’m contemplating it. What could I have done? Maybe I should have picked a different photo? What about processing? Composition? I think I better understand why Trey doesn’t like contests.

And then I read this post from my friend +Valentino Valdez:
http://kennethjarecke.typepad.com/mostly_true/2012/02/chances-are-you-suck.html

That’s when I realized, I suck! The moment I think I’m good is the moment I’ve lost. Seeing other great images inspires me to get better. Critical comments help me get better. Losing helps me get better. This applies to more than just contests. It applies to +1s, circle shares, and anything to do with people acknowledging your work. Don’t let it discourage you. In fact, let it encourage you.

So yeah, it does suck being a loser, but so what? There’s nothing else in the world that motivates you to be a winner like losing. So it’s time to stop feeling sorry for myself, put on the creative thinking cap, and start shooting!

This is not a post to generate a sympathy response...it’s really a note to myself and to others who might be feeling the same. Just have to keep driving forward. Believe in yourself.

I am very happy for all those that won the scavenger hunt, and I am extremely happy with the One Plus book, both printed and digital! Please support the book and buy a copy! Limited editions are currently on sale with the digital copy available after Feb 21st. Digital is only $5, and about $4 goes to Kiva! http://plusonecollection.com/purchase/purchase-print-book/

#notetoself

This HDR image was taken with a Panasonic LX-5, 2 exposures, 0 and -2ev, processed in photomatix, and then coverted to B&W using Nik Silver Efex.

I had wrote this yesterday without knowing +Mike Shaw would feature me in his stream today. What an honor and thank you Mike!

Christmas in July.

This was taken this past weekend @ Makapu'u tidepools.  Hope you are all doing well!  I've been a little under the weather yesterday and today...

This image is a single exposure, processed in Lightroom and Nik Color Efex.

Feedback always welcome.

For #MyTownTuesday curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Jamie Furlong.
For #SeaTuesday  curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.

Camera: NIKON D800E
Exposure: 2 sec (1/1)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 15 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: -0.5 EV
Flash Used: No

Against all odds

Had the opportunity to shoot the sunrise with my friends @ Lanai Lookout yesterday. One of those guys that came along is +Ryan Sakamoto. You can see him standing out in the horizon.

My contribution to #SplashSunday curated by +Christy Martin.

I hope you are all having a great Sunday!

Make a Wish!

Or can you wish on a meteor like you can a star?  :P

Woke up @ 2am this morning to go out and capture some Perseid meteor shower pictures.  After picking up some eats and drinks for me and my friends, I got to Halona blowhole at around 3:10am...just in time.  15 minutes later and the sky was filled with clouds!

I got to see about 5 meteors in the 15 minutes with some I didn't even see because I thought I didn't get any captured.  Can you see the meteor?

I'm pretty new to shooting stars, and I'm still amazed at what the camera can pick up!  When I first started, I always thought ISO100 and small apertures...now I'm always pumping up ISO and using wider apertures.  I've been experimenting between f/2.8 - f/4 and ISO 800 - 1600.  This particular shot was taken at 14mm, ISO1600, f/4, 30sec.  I'll try and capture the Milky Way one day...

For #SkySunday  curated by +Randy Scherkenbach & +Patrick Scherkenbach.

Hope you had a great weekend!  Feedback always welcome.

#PerseidMeteorShower   #perseids  
#MeteorShower  

Mirrored.

I visited Shark's Cove on the north shore of the island for sunset yesterday.  It's my first time being in this particular part of the cove, but it felt like the landscape didn't belong in Hawaii.  It almost looked like a scene from the moon, minus the water.  The sunset was not really "colorful" but very golden and a little rainy.  There were some turtles and lots of hermit crabs!  Plus there was a weird gurgling sound every time the tide came in -- like someone was breathing really loudly.  Just a different experience.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Feedback always welcome.

#SkySunday  curated by +Patrick Scherkenbach & +Randy Scherkenbach.

Camera: NIKON D800E
Exposure: 0.011 sec (1/90)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 15 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: -1.5 EV
Flash Used: No

Not sure what 2013 will bring, but I've learned quite a bit in 2012 -- especially with the tremendous outpouring of support for my fundraiser and for all the things I've learned about photography.

I want to thank each and everyone of you for all of feedback, likes, +1s, and especially for those who gave a little to help Empowerment International.

I'm excited but equally anxious for the new year.  I'm hoping for the best.  I know there is a lot left to learn.

Wishing all of you the best year ever!
Wes

Just Beyond...

The horizon there's something beautiful coming!  First sunrise of 2013 from Eternity Beach.

Figured this shot reflected my mood pretty well at the moment...Have a great first week of the year!

#LandscapePhotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins .
#ThirstyThursday  curated by +Mark Esguerra & +Giuseppe Basile.

Sunrise @ Kahala.

Goodmorning G+!  This is a color version of a similar shot I posted a while ago.  Have a great weekend doing whatever you do.

For #SunriseSaturday curated by +Josh Davis.
For #LandscapePhotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.


------------------------
Please support the children of Nicaragua and consider purchasing a print.  For a limited time, 100% of all net proceeds will be donated to +Empowerment International.

Print available here:  http://photosew.us/earthwindfirewater/h420d6b9a#h420d6b9a

A very similar photo I posted in Sepia:
http://photosew.us/hawaii/h1e5fb7b9#h1e5fb7b9

Laguna de Apoyo.

I almost forgot to mention that Nicaragua has some pretty beautiful landscapes too!  This is Laguna de Apoyo viewed from Catarina, Nicaragua, at sunrise.

For #SeaTuesday  curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.

Feedback always welcome.

#TGLNicaragua   #empowermentinternational  
+The Giving Lens +Empowerment International 

I like Google, but I hate getting lied to.

In the past summer, during Beta, +Bradley Horowitz said the suggested user list would give all G+ users a chance to be featured. Now in 2012, almost 6 months later that still doesn't seem to have changed, and only features a handful of people.

Yesterday, Google rolled out "Personal Search" which is tied directly to Google's main search, and it features the same "suggested user" feature in a portion of the search results. Refresh photography a few times, and you see Trey, never change, but the 2nd and 3rd slot alternates between Thomas, Colby, Mike, and a few other photographers, all with 300,000+ followers.

I don't believe Google about this anymore...Considering how quickly they make changes, 6 months to live up to a promise is more than enough time.

What do you think?

Raising some money for +Charles Crawford - Winning Bid & Bidder: $100 (+Lupe M. Luevano)

UPDATE: BIDDING CLOSED.

Yes, we have reached the goal!

Please note: Payments to be made by April 10th 2012, midnight EDT!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

-----------ORIGINAL POST---------
I hope you will consider bidding on the following print. It's a 10 x 15" print on metallic paper of a sunset captured in 2011 near Barber's Point, Kapolei, Hawaii. The entire bid goes to support Charles' effort to walk again. You see, Charles has Multiple Sclerosis, and he needs an electronic brace known as a Bioness L300 to help him walk. He's rented one, but he is trying to save enough to buy his own.

So how do you bid?
Just click on the image and enter a $ amount as your bid.

Go here http://waldpfade.blogspot.com/p/photography-auction-fundraiser-on-g.html and bid on one, or more, of the images! :D

Go here to learn more:

http://goo.gl/Omb3C
THANK YOU!

More about this photo:
This photo is my very first composition inspired by Google+ community and used techniques I learned from Google+. It is an HDR composed of 3 exposures. It was processed in Photomatix and then cleaned up, a lot, in Lightroom. It's the first time I knew what I wanted to capture and was able to execute what I had visualized. It seems only right that what came from the G+ community goes back, at least a little, to someone from G+.

cc: +Bioness Project: Helping Photog to shoot again, +Photography auction Fundraiser +Nicole Burgoz
#bionessproject

Swirl.

Sunrise from the secret cave.

For #ThirstyThursday  curated by +Mark Esguerra & +Giuseppe Basile.
For #landscapephotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.

Don't forget 100% of the net proceeds from prints sales go to +Empowerment International!  You can purchase a print here:

http://photosew.us/complete/h43bdc310#h43bdc310

To my mom,
For putting up with me over the years, thank you.

To all the moms on Google+,
Happy mother's day!

I know this is a little late, but I really had a hard time choosing a photo to post today for some reason. I hope you had a great weekend and have a great week!

Aloha from Japan!

Flower Licking Good!

I know today was a good day of shooting because my hand was tired from carrying around the camera all day.  Shot the sunrise at Makapu'u, and then I headed off to Foster Botanical Garden to shoot some macro.  I had to keep up with my friend +Alvin Douglass who is always shooting something.  It's pretty hard to keep up with his dedication to photography.

Well, it's time for bed and time to say goodbye to another weekend.  I leave you with a Madagascar gecko.  Apparently s/he was really thirsty...or maybe the flower tasted good?  Unfortunately, this gecko did not talk.

This photo was shot at ISO 6400, processed in Nik Define/Color Efex and Adobe Lightroom.

Goodnight G+!

Feedback always welcome.

For #MacroMonday  curated by +Kerry Murphy, +Jennifer Eden, & +Kelli Seeger Kim.

Camera: NIKON D800E
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/13
Focal Length: 105 mm
ISO Speed: 6400
Exposure Bias: -0.5 EV
Flash Used: No

Woohoo! Going to be in a show!

So I'm really excited because this print was selected to be in a gallery called Contemporary Photography in Hawaii 2012.

It'll be my first appearance in any show, and I'm pretty excited.

Thanks to +Sandra Parlow, I decided to go with a gray matte, 2.5", unmounted (because it's glossy), with a black brushed metal frame. It should be ready in a couple of weeks!

If I could do this print again though, I would probably have chosen a matte finish, rather than glossy so that I could have mounted the picture before framing. The lustre coat makes a huge difference in glossiness.

I wish the selection committee told me what they liked about this particular image though.

Retreating.

Had a great weekend with my photog family in Hawaii.  Spent the mornings at Makapu'u yet again, but this time from the beach area.  Most of my other pictures of this area have been on the other side of the lighthouse you can see in the distance.

For #SplashSunday  curated by +Christy Martin.

It's Monday tomorrow :(

The Ala Wai

Here's another version of a photo I took in January of this year.  This is Waikiki reflected on the Ala Wai Canal.

My post from January:  https://plus.google.com/100275369366064591159/posts/j6KHR3sxXoo

Feedback always welcome.

#MyTownTuesday  curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Jamie Furlong.
#MonochromeMonday  curated by +Charles Lupica, +Hans Berendsen, +Jerry Johnson, +Steve Barge, +nurcan azaz, & +Manuel Votta.  (Wow that's a lot of curators :)

Camera: NIKON D5100
Exposure: 6 sec (1/0)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 14 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: -0.5 EV
Flash Used: No

Sunset over Downtown Honolulu.

I'd like to dedicate this picture to +Suhaib Ayaz, as it's his birthday today.  Both Suhaib and TJ both celebrate their birthdays today.  Suhaib is one of the folks on G+ that I've gotten to know quite well.  He's a wonderful photographer, dog lover, story teller, and a great source of knowledge to life in Pakistan.  Happy birthday Suhaib!

This shot was taken just a couple of days ago.  Honolulu does have a decent skyline, but nothing like the big cities of like Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, or New York...maybe that's a good thing.

For #widewednesdaypanorama  curated by +Ken McMahon and +Lucille Galleli.

-----------------------------------------------
Print available:  http://photosew.us/earthwindfirewater/h4167a360#h4167a360

Please support the children of Nicaragua and consider purchasing a print.  For a limited time, 100% of all net proceeds will be donated to +Empowerment International.

Chaos.

The ocean moves all around me,
but I'm going to stand still and wait it out.
Even in all the chaos,
this is a nice place to be.

Feedback always welcomed.

#SeaTuesday curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou
#MyTownTuesday curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Eric Leslie

Makapu'u Sunrise

I woke up late this morning, headed out the door @ 5:23am, sunrise was at 5:48am.  It takes about 30 minutes to get out the Makapu'u.  I didn't speed, so I missed it and got there after the sun had already risen.  I rushed, so I didn't check my camera setting, had ISO at 640.  Worst of all, on the last 2 minutes of the drive, I had to follow a moped going 20 mph watching the sunrise as she drove.  It was quite a funny morning.  Of course breakfast with good friends after the shoot is always the highlight of the day anyway.

Feedback always welcome.

For #MyTownTuesday  curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Jamie Furlong.
For #SeaTuesday  curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.

Camera: NIKON D800E
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 15 mm
ISO Speed: 640
Exposure Bias: -2 EV
Flash Used: No

Hawaii State Capitol Building

The inside of the building is pretty neat because it's completely open air. The offices of all the politicians are right there. The building is shaped to resemble a volcano, and here you can see the open roof in the middle of the building. (+James Petersen might agree that it's really an exhaust for all the hot air lol)

There's also a statue of Father Damien, a replica of the Liberty Bell, a huge metal disc hanging from the ceiling, and a statue of Queen Liliuokalani near by. The capitol is very close to downtown Honolulu.

I actually walked by the mayor while snapping these pictures. And a note to self, long exposures while walking my dog is difficult. This shot was captured at 127sec, f/5.6.

You can read more about the exterior: http://goo.gl/FkH3B

But the wiki gives you the most info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_State_Capitol

Feedback always welcomed. Happy Tuesday!

#MyTownTuesday curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Eric Leslie.

Tonight's sunset was totally unexpected. The skies were completely gray about 30 minutes before the sun went down. Then the clouds just opened up and this happened.

Whenever I process pictures, I really just go with the flow...it's been awhile since I've had the opportunity to really enjoy vibrant colors.

Feedback always welcome. Hope your weekend is going great! Goodnight G+!

For #SunsetSaturday curated by +TJ Kelly.

Shooting the sunset, and I found love in more than just one way.

I got to this harbor where I've attempted many times in the few months I've been serious about photography just trying to capture a shot I liked. A little before the sky started putting on its show, it started pouring! I thought about packing up and heading out, but I just couldn't resist waiting to see what kind of show the skies would put on. So I sat there, drenched, with a rain jacket on my camera, my shot framed, and a bunch of lens cloths trying to keep my lens dry between shots.

Just as I'm thinking, "Why am I doing this?" This young couple walked over to where I was shooting. They were fully drenched just walking from the parking lot, but that didn't deter this guy at all. The guy had a single rose and a guitar. She took off her sandles, and they sat, drenched. Then he handed her the rose, and he started playing a song. It was Coldplay's song, "Yellow."

I thought to myself, "Wow, this kid is talented."

I know, why am I listening right? But come on, they sat right next to me. What was I supposed to do? Put some ear plugs in? :P So I sat there listening, and mid way through the song, I said screw it. All that framing and wiping away the rain from my lens isn't going to keep me from getting a shot of this. I snapped this shot.

As they were leaving, I asked them for an email, the guy gave me his, so I'll be sending them this picture shortly.

The lesson learned for the day? Don't let anything keep you from love.

Coldplay's song Yellow: http://youtu.be/1MwjX4dG72s

It's rare to find days in Hawaii where there is practically no wind at all...at least not this still. Waikiki as seen with a reflection on the Ala Wai canal.

#WideWednesdayPanorama curated by +Charles Lupica & +Jason Dell.

The Fisherman & the Sea.

Shot at sunrise, it's like the planet is just waking up -- the clouds were spreading out, the sun slowly rising up, and the air just starting to warm up.

I've always found that fish seem to bite the most just after dawn and just before dusk.  The predator fish must be hunting those fish just waking up or admiring the sunrise/sunset!  Glad I'm not a fish...I would've been breakfast months ago!


Print available here:  http://photosew.us/p202129508/h43bdc31a#h43bdc31a

100% of net proceeds go to +Empowerment International to help the children of Nicaragua!

For #ThirstyThursday  curated by +Mark Esguerra & +Giuseppe Basile.
For #landscapephotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.

Feedback always welcome!

Mr. Gecko.

It's Gecko...Mr. Gecko.

Actually, it could be Ms. Gecko too...but meh.  I think this will be my last gecko picture...for today.  hehe.

For #wildlifewednesday   curated by +Mike Spinak & +Morkel Erasmus.  I seriously need to take more wildlife pictures...

Hope you are all having a great week!

Camera: NIKON D800E
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/9.5
Focal Length: 105 mm
ISO Speed: 500
Exposure Bias: -0.5 EV
Flash Used: No

Hoot.

Visited a bird park near Mount Fuji on the way back to Tokyo.  I convinced my friend to stop there because owls are cool!  :)  Not sure the species of this owl.  I only know this owl had the sign saying "Oofukurou Jyonakun" below it.

The owls were perched with no cage...you could touch these owls!  Of course the sign said not too...but walking through this section was an experience because the 6 owls would watch you as you walked by.  At first I didn't believe they were real!  But finally one decided to blink.  This shot was taken about 2 feet away from the bird @ ISO 6400 (yes, lighting was not good inside).

For more photos from my recent trip to japan, visit www.photosew.us/japan.

For a limited time, 100% of all proceeds from print sales via photosew.us are being donated to +Empowerment International!

Have a hoot of a week!

For #MacroMonday  curated by +Kelli Seeger Kim, +Kerry Murphy, +Jennifer Eden.
For #MonochromeMonday  curated by +Hans Berendsen, +Jerry Johnson, +Manuel Votta, +Steve Barge, +Nurcan Azaz.

Look both ways.

A little break from all the Nicaragua posts.  Last month I posted a picture of a rainbow (along with a little rant :/) but this is the view from the other side.  (Other post:  http://goo.gl/mHaBh)  Sometimes I forget to look both ways...getting too focused on a single perspective.

Headed out the door for another sunrise this morning!  Keeping my fingers crossed for great colors!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Feedback always welcome.

#SunsetSaturday  curated by +TJ Kelly.
#Breakfastclub  

Rushing. - I'm dedicating this photo to +C. Corey Fisk and to others who are unable to do the things they want due to disability.

Today is a special day because of a theme #HowWasYourDaySweetie , which is the idea of +Alan Shapiro.

So many times in life, I find myself rushing through things. Sometimes, I need to remind myself to just slow down. I've had things happen that could have been avoided by just slowing down. Worse, I've missed so many things by rushing by. I need to make everyday HowWasYourDaySweetie day. I hope you will also participate!

Ms. Fisk, Here's one for you and your family (including your little fidos, of course!) from Honolulu, Hawaii.

Warmest Aloha,
Wes

#HowWasYourDaySweetie
#ThirstyThursdayPics curated by +Mark Esguerra & +Giuseppe Basile (who I miss on G+).

Google+ has changed the way I see the world. I see things based on photos they taken and daily themes!

Just some examples...

When I see a leaf on the road, I think +Mike Shaw.
When I see a bird on the tree, I think +Sumit Sen.
When I see a food truck, I think +Tarik Abdel-Monem.
When I see Weimaraner, I think +mel peifer.
When I see a Booli Kutta, I think +Suhaib Ayaz.
When I see glass balls, I think +Nicole Burgoz.
When I see snow covered mountains, I think +Ada M.
When I see cool costumes, I think +Sue Ranscht.

When I see two birds (or any wildlife) mating, I think +Wesley Yeoh. (Why is that?)

Happy Monday!

#MonochromeMonday curated by +Hans Berendsen, +Bill Wood, +Charles Lupica, and +Jerry Johnson.
#MidairMonday curated by +Jeff Moreau?

Thoughts and prayers for Anielka, please. She just went to the emergency room for appendicitis...They think it might have even burst. It's been a few days since symptoms first showed up. Doctors have been giving her various medications, but she's finally in a hospital getting a serious look. It's a little harder finding a good doctor in Nicaragua.

Sunset over Volcan Masaya.

Masaya, Nicaragua.

I've temporarily lost my intrigue in sunsets and sunrises.  I don't know why.  There have been some beautiful ones in the past few days here at home in Hawaii.

When will it return?  I don't know.  But I'm not sad about it...I'm just waiting to go back to Nicaragua.

With +The Giving Lens & +Empowerment International.   #TGLNicaragua  

For #SunsetSaturday  curated by +TJ Kelly.
For #LandscapePhotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.
It's been awhile since my last theme post to these two!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hello There!

Here's another gecko shot...this was taken at a much more reasonable ISO220.  I'm still surprised by the low light performance of the D800E.

This is a good #BreakfastClub  shot, I think?  Goodmorning G+ and have a great week!

Feedback always welcome.

Another for #MacroMonday  curated by +Kelli Seeger Kim, +Kerry Murphy, & +Jennifer Eden.

Camera: NIKON D800E
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/6.7
Focal Length: 105 mm
ISO Speed: 220
Exposure Bias: -0.5 EV
Flash Used: No

Going with the Flow.

I think sometimes life gets too complicated because we let it.  Every so often, we just need to go with the flow.

To a frustration free week and more...

Feedback always welcome.

#MyTownTuesday  curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Jamie Furlong.
#SeaTuesday  curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.

Camera: NIKON D800E
Exposure: 0.25 sec (1/4)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: -
Flash Used: No

Sunrise @ Sandy's.

The beach is called Sandy's.  Actually, it's called Sandy Beach, but there's a lot of not so sandy spots too.

Have a great weekend!  Feedback always welcome.

#SunsetSaturday  curated by +TJ Kelly.

No Where to Run.

This was shot this morning right before the sun peaked out. You can see a slight red on the horizon, left and behind the rock. The sun was already out, but just hiding for awhile more.

I'm headed out the door for a bit, probably won't be back until way later tonight. I hope you've all had a great weekend.

#SplashSunday curated by +Christy Martin.
#DawnOnSunday curated by +Ray Bilcliff.

Rain Dance.

I rarely took street photos with my slr, but my android I took out everywhere.  This one was taken with my Galaxy Nexus and processed on phone.

This was taken near Tachikawa Station in Tokyo.

For #mobilemonday  curated by +Sinead Sam McKeown.
For #moodymonday  curated by +Philip Daly & +Carole Buckwalter.
For #monochromemonday  curated by +Hans Berendsen, +Jerry Johnson, +Manuel Votta, +Steve Barge, +Nurcan Azaz.

Don't forget, for a limited time 100% of proceeds from print sales at www.photosew.us are donated to +Empowerment International.

You can browse more photos from my recent trip to Japan here:  www.photosew.us/japan

Have a great week!  Feedback always welcome!

Eternity.

One of my favorite locations to shoot is at Eternity beach.  Go at the right time, and it's like your own personal beach.

Have a great week!

It's been awhile since I posted to these themes:

#MyTownTuesday  curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Jamie Furlong.
#SeaTuesday  curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.
#landscapephotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.

#Hawaii   #EternityBeach   #oahu  

Hooked.

Out at Makapu'u again -- one of my favorites spots on the island.

Hope you are all having a great weekend!  Feedback always welcome.

#LandscapePhotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.
#sunsetsaturday  curated by +TJ Kelly.

For a limited time, 100% of net proceeds from print sales will be donated to +Empowerment International.

Print here:  http://photosew.us/complete/h460878ea#h460878ea

Double Rainbow

One of the things I remember from high school is ROYGBV, pronounced Roy-Gee-Biv. What does it mean? Well, the colors in a rainbow always show in a specific order: Red -> Orange -> Yellow -> Green -> Blue -> Violet, thus ROYGBV. It must apply to all prisms, I assume.

So here's a double rainbow over Waikiki, Hawaii with Diamond Head in the back right. Rain incoming!

Just a note, tomorrow is Friday, and that means #FidoFriday, curated by +mel peifer, +Lisa Lisa, and myself! Woohoo!

Happy Thursday!

Ready, Set, Swim!

It's been awhile since I posted any "HDR" work using multiple exposures. This one is from sunrise this past weekend near Heeia Kea Harbor, Kaneohe, Hawaii.

3 shot exposure, Photomatix, and Lightroom used to process this one.

Have a great week!

#LEadingLinesMonday curated by +Pam Chalkley, +CJ Sros, +Jakob Nilsson.

It's almost the weekend!  Hurray!

For #ThirstyThursday  curated by +Giuseppe Basile & +Mark Esguerra.  It's been a long time since I've post to #ThirstyThursday .

Feedback always welcome.

Camera: NIKON D5100
Exposure: 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 24 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: -0.5 EV
Flash Used: No

Just Go Around Me.

I took this shot this morning.  It was pouring rain about 20 minutes before the sun rose.  +TJ the Chocolate Labrador and I got to Makapu'u at about 4:30am, so I slept in the car for about an hour...or tried to, but TJ kept crying every 15 seconds wanting to go out and swim.  I thought the sunrise was going to be a disaster, but luckily there was just enough of a break in the clouds to let some light through.

I wasn't able to go out the past two weekends to shoot sunrises at my normal spots because of work, so this weekend, I've been shooting a lot!  I have to get my fix lol.  (And yes, I did take TJ to the beach after...)

For #SplashSunday  curated by +Christy Martin.
For #LandscapePhotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.

Camera: NIKON D800E
Bottom Half Exposure: 3 sec (1/0)
Top Half Exposure: 0.7 sec
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 14 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: -
Flash Used: No

Summit of Mount Misen.

One of the highlights of the trip was going to Miyajima, a small island near Hiroshima.  It was my last day of traveling around, so I planned to get up really early and get out.  Instead I woke up an hour late.  It takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to get from Hiroshima to Miyajima.  By the time I got there, it was already 9:30am, and I had to start heading back by 2:30pm, which didn't leave much time to explore, let alone hike!  But after getting to the "top" via ropeway, I had to hike the remainder, which was estimated to take 30 minutes.  I'm glad I did!  It was tiring, but well worth it.  Made my last adventure day in Japan very worthwhile and exciting.  I saw the floating Tori, the pagoda, Mount Misen, and I still didn't see half the island!  5 hours wasn't enough time...I really wanted to walk out to the Tori.

Don't forget, 100% of net proceeds from print sales go to +Empowerment International!

Print available here:  http://photosew.us/japan/h4a707468#h4a707468

#tonemaphdrtuesday  curated by +Drew Pion & +Stephanie Suratos.

Feedback always welcome!

Oahu Photowalk 2012
Honolulu, Hawaii

Great time meeting new faces in the "real world." Please tag yourselves. Hope to see you all again! My feet hurt though, so much walking lol. I'm glad the rain held off for most of the night too! The whole evening felt like that Seinfeld episode where Kramer drives his tank on E...

Thanks to +Tom Anderson for getting if organized and +Trey Ratcliff for the guest appearance!

#OahuPhotowalk #OahuPhotowalk2012

CC: +Tom Anderson +Trey Ratcliff +Dino Morrow +Arleen Boyd +Dallas Nagata White +Ed White +Brady Oshiro +Gabriel Yanagihara +Mad Marv +Ryan Sakamoto +Stanley Yamada +Doc Rock +Robert Nakama +Christopher Cabjuan +Bill Peters +Bryan Ward +Shiloh Swanson +Ali Alcon

(Sorry if I missed anyone, just tag the photo...I'll edit this post as well)

Just a Few Minutes Late.

In just a few minutes the light changes a lot...from the reds to oranges to yellows.  If you are shooting the sunset or sunrise, you have just a sliver of time to get the shot, and sometimes it's hard to tell if the colors are at their peak or not.  It's a fun challenge to try and find a composition, then get all the elements to cooperate.

For #ThirstyThursday  curated by +Giuseppe Basile & +Mark Esguerra.  And YES, Giuseppe is BACK!  Say hello to him if you have a chance!  :)
For #landscapephotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.

Have a great Thursday, and don't forget, tomorrow is #FidoFriday themed "VACATION"!

Camera: NIKON D800E
Exposure: 0.5 sec (1/2) & 1/8 sec (Manual blend)
Aperture: f/16
Focal Length: 15 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 1 EV
Flash Used: No

------------------------
Prints available here:
http://photosew.us/limitededition/h13fc0c6f#h13fc0c6f

Please support the children of Nicaragua and consider purchasing a print.  For a limited time, 100% of all net proceeds will be donated to +Empowerment International.

Delicate Beauty.

Happy Aloha Friday everyone!

For #FloralFriday  curated by +Tamara Pruessner.

Don't forget 100% of net proceeds from print sales are donated to +Empowerment International.

You can purchase prints and view the rest of my recent Japan album here:
www.photosew.us/japan

Gold.

Spent the weekend shooting a sunrise with some great friends near Lanai Lookout -- +Kelli Bee, +Ryan Sakamoto, and +GRANT OKUBO. The colors didn't happen, but we got rays instead. This image was processed in photomatix using 2 exposures, then touched up in Lightroom.

Feedback always welcome.

#SeaTuesday curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.
#MyTownTuesday curated by +Eric Leslie & +Melanie Kintz.
#ToneMapHDRTuesday curated by +Drew Pion & +Stephanie Suratos.

Autumn Sun.

It's been awhile since I last posted!  Really wanted to capture the fall colors in Japan.  Definitely got to see some!

For a limited time, 100% of the net proceeds from print sales will be donated to +Empowerment International.

Print available here: http://photosew.us/japan/h4a70af26

For #TreeTuesday  curated by +Christina Lawrie & +Shannon S. Myers.

Road to Santa Ana.

Travelling to the community of Santa Ana requires traversing some pretty rugged terrain.  Extremely muddy or extremely dry and dusty.  Take your pick.  Today, we had dusty.  Really, really dusty.  So dusty, that we could close the windows in the truck (with no AC, btw) and still have a hard time breathing.  The air was so thick with dust.  In addition to the rocks, ditches, and cliffs, you got cows.  This shot was captured while our truck shoved our way through a herd of cattle.  It's a fun road to travel.

+Richard Martin look at all the Fidos!   :)

#LandscapePhotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins 

So last year, I took a road trip along the west coast. I landed in Seattle, and as soon as I left the airport, I headed for Starbucks and to look for some road trip supplies (water, toilet paper, etc.). So there I am outside of Kmart, and this huge flock of birds are congregating around a trash bin. I figured what the heck, so I ran through and snapped pictures of the birds. I only hoped that none of them would bomb me. I did this for maybe 10 minutes. Luckily I survived, had a good time, and I'm sure I raised a few eyebrows.

I posted this picture last year, and +Jacki Huber said, "It looks like a big heart shape to me." From that point on, I have never looked at this picture the same.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! It's a great day to give an extra hug to the people you love.

What a great weekend. Yesterday I did two hikes, Kamehame ridge (for sunrise) then Kaena point (for sunset, from the Waianae side of the island).

My legs hurt.

This is how the day started @ Kamehame ridge. I hope you all had a great weekend!

Taken with Nikon D5100. Single exposure, processed in Nik Color Efex and Lightroom. Feedback always welcome.

#SubtleSundayLandscapes curated by +Steve Sieren.
#SkySunday curated by +Patrick Scherkenbach & +Randy Scherkenbach.

Feeling Blue.

Since coming back from Japan, my sleep schedule has been completely messed up.  I still haven't full recovered!  I've always had issues, but it's been awful this time around.  I haven't even really been able to get up early on a regular basis on the weekends to shoot sunrises!  I may have missed a really great one this past weekend too.  Oddly, Thanksgiving morning, I was able to get up.  I do hold the record for the most tardies in grade school.  Well, at least that's what my teacher told me...at 88 tardies in a single school year.  Yes.  I was NOT a morning person.

This was shot at almost the same location as the Thanksgiving sunrise photo I posted...okay, in fact it was about 5 feet away from the other location lol.

For #landscapephotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.
For #seatuesday  curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.
For #mytowntuesday  curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Jamie Furlong.

Sunrise over Nā Mokulua.

In Hawaiian Nā means "the," Moku means "island," lua is short for elua, which means two. Thus the two islands in the distance are known as Nā Mokulua. The larger one on the left is Mokulua Nui, and the one on the right is Mokulua Iki. Iki means small, and Nui means big. It has been awhile since I took Hawaiian in college.

You can read more about the islands here: http://hawaiianforest.com/mokulua-islands-off-lanikai

I took this shot this morning near Kailua Beach. It's a 3 exposure processed in Photomatix, Nik, and Lightroom. Feedback always welcomed.

My contribution to #SunsetSaturday curated by +TJ Kelly.

A Hui Hou! (Until next time!)

Otodome Falls.

This waterfall is near another awesome waterfall in Japan called Shiraito Falls.  Unfortunately, when I went, the walkway to get near the Shiraito Falls were closed.   Still, it was nice seeing waterfalls in Japan.

My Japan album is posted @ www.photosew.us/japan if you are interested in viewing more photos from my recent trip.

For #waterfallwednesday  curated by +Eric Leslie, +Leon Turnbull, & +Gary Randall.
For #landscapephotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.

Inotani by Night.

A random day trip out to Inotani, a very small town near Takayama, Japan.  I traveled to Inotani to see the Tokoniji waterfalls, but the town itself was so cool.  Lots of smoke in the distance from someone burning trash, which is not uncommon in Japan.  Bought some fresh sashimi, a musubi, and some Calpico for lunch from a little store...actually the only store open that I found there.  The hike to find Tokoniji waterfalls was also very interesting -- I had to cross a few bridges and travel through a tunnel with cars flying by.  And oh yeah, a local telling me there are bears near the waterfall!  Luckily I made it unscathed...although my camera filter suffered some damage.

I hope the holidays are treating you all well!  Have a great week.

View more of the Japan album here:  http://photosew.us/japan

Don't forget, until the end of the year, all proceeds from print sales are donated to Empowerment International!

For #landscapephotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.
For #thirstythursday  curated by +Mark Esguerra & +Giuseppe Basile.

Moment of Clarity.

Photographing the ocean is a lot of fun because it's about timing. Clicking the shutter at just the right time to get the water effects you want. Trying to get the crashing of the waves along with the flow of water from another surge. Then hoping the surge isn't quite so big that all the rocks get covered. And of course hoping that no rogue wave comes crashing in and destroying your equipment. Sunrises become much more exciting.

I have a few more shots from a few feet to the left and a few feet back that look like totally different shots. I already posted one earlier with the rushing water. That was taken to the left a little with a bigger surge. That image was processed from one exposure.

This image is processed from 2 exposures and manually blended. Then I used Nik Color Efex to add warmth and saturation to the image. Finally, sharpened and slight adjustments to vibrance and saturation made in Lightroom.

Feedback always welcomed! Good or bad. Happy Tuesday!

#SeaTuesday curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.
#TonemapHDRTuesday curated by +Drew Pion & +Stephanie Suratos.

+Wesley Yeoh, I'll work on that color, b&w, sooc comparison :D

Puppy Eyes.

Happy #FidoFriday  to you!  It's been awhile since I've been home on Friday to help curated along with +mel peifer, +Lisa Lisa, +Suhaib Ayaz.

This shot was taken in the barrios of Granada, Nicaragua during the week workshop with +Empowerment International & +The Giving Lens,

#TGLNicaragua  

Ruined
Kapolei, Hawaii

This is my contribution to the #PlusOneCollection. While capturing this photograph, I was reminded about seeing the positives in any situation. Initially, I thought the people walking into my frame would've ruined the sunset I was trying to capture, but I later realized the human element added a lot to this photo. Disappointment blinded me from being able to see opportunity right in front of my eyes.

Thank Wooo!

Thanks to all of you who participated in #FidoFriday today -- whether it's sharing a picture, +1ing/sharing/commenting, or just browsing through all the pictures.

On behalf of +mel peifer, +Lisa Lisa, and myself, thanks again and have woof weekend! Stay safe and see you again next Friday (or sooner)!

Going Down?

From Foster Botanical Gardens in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Found this lizard climbing down the tree.  He decided to stop and pose for a shot before heading to his final destination.  Was thinking of processing this photo in black and white, but I decided to stick with color.  The focal plane with the tube extension is so small, it's really hard to get everything in focus.  I tried, but I slightly missed focus on the eye.  I had to try and line up the camera so that I could get the entire body in focus while standing in various bushes and trees with spider webs and weird flies.

Feedback always welcome.

Have a great week and goodnight G+!

For #MacroMonday  curated by +Kerry Murphy, +Jennifer Eden, and +Kelli Seeger Kim.  (It's still Monday for me :)

Camera: NIKON D5100
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/180)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 50 mm + 36mm extension tube
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: -1 EV
Flash Used: Yes, remote from below the lizard

A Few Seconds to Get It Right.

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."  - John Lennon

We photographers go out and hunt for those few precious seconds when light is just right.  We crazily click away trying to get the right composition and exposure, hoping that one will come out the way we envisioned.  Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't, but we get up and do the same thing all over again!

This was taken at Sandy Beach and is a 2 exposure, manually blended shot.  I don't do this often because I like to speed through my photo processing, but I should probably spend more time on fine tuning this workflow and getting it right.  There are some issues I'm not totally happy with, but I get a little impatient with my work sometimes and like to move on.  I could've spent another hour on this to perfect some issues...can you tell what they are?

Feedback always welcome.

For #MyTownTuesday  curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Jamie Furlong.
For #SeaTuesday  curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.
I guess this could be a #TonemapHDRTuesday  photo too?  (curated by +Drew Pion & +Stephanie Suratos)

Bridge @ Mombacho.

If there was any location in Nicaragua that reminded me of home, this would be it.  The flora and fauna were so similar (minus the sloths, which I couldn't see despite looking at a tree one was in for 10 minutes!).  It was a little chilly (freol) and the ride getting up to the top was a little crazy.  In the end, it was worth it!  Except for the poor truck that got a flat tire at the summit and started to leak oil on the way back home.

Don't forget to click #TGLNicaragua  for more posts and pictures!

For #waywednesday  curated by +Rob Tilley & +Peter Carroll.

+The Giving Lens  #TGLNicaragua   
+Empowerment International  #empowermentinternational  

If only someone told me this when I first got into photography.

The most important ones:

> Shoot Raw.
Yes, JPG is fine, and most of the time it'll do just fine, but if you decide to really get into processing, and you have that shot you really love, you'll understand why.
> Use the biggest colorspace possible. (ProPhoto RGB > Adobe RGB > sRGB).
> Use "Step-Up" rings for your filters.
That way you can use your filter with multiple lenses instead of buying one for each. Get the biggest quality filter size you can afford, preferrably 77mm as this seems to the most common amongst pro type lenses, and buy stepup rings for the various diameters of your lenses.
> Watch this: http://youtu.be/BI23U7U2aUY
Shoot a lot!

Here are some others:

> $$ When budgetting for a new camera try to include an extra battery, memory card, and a UV filter.
> Use a quality UV filter everyday. It may be the difference between a broken lens or a broken filter. Plus you can clean and handle the filter with less worry.
> Invest in good lenses rather than the body.
> Tag and keep your photos organized!
> Get Lightroom! Wow, what a difference Lightroom has made.
> Get Nik! Wow, what a difference Nik has made.
> Post processing is around 75% of what makes or breaks a photo.
> Try as many styles of photography as possible. (Still working on this one)
> Participate in G+ or Flikr or anytype of social network where you can interact and share with others, not just other photographers.
> Look at and watch other photographers you admire and analyze their work!
> Buy disposable lens wipes.
> Replace the camera strap that comes with your camera with a wrist strap or a Blackrapid style strap.
> When you look through your photos, filter them: All Pictures -> Maybe something there -> I like it -> (Optional) I like it a lot -> Process it -> Final photographs (Thanks Scott Jarvie!)

As always:

> Backup your data!
> Use a PC and spend the money you save on lenses. (my little jab at Apple lol)

Do you have anything you wish someone had told you before you started getting into photography?

My last post for the day. I know, I know...been posting a lot, but I had to catch up with all the stuff I wanted to get out there from the weekend. Have a great week. It's been pouring here...like crazy! Those are water drops on my lens. And this was made using 5 15 second exposures throughout the night. I had my camera going from my balcony in a safe, dry spot...sort of lol. I realize it's not the greatest composition, but it's storming...OMG.

#PhotographyTips #WishIKnew
#MyTownTuesday curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Eric Leslie.

Hope you are all having a great Monday!

Feedback always welcome.

#NatureMonday curated by +Rolf Hicker.
#MinimalMonday  curated by +Olivier Du Tré.

The typical back yard in Hawaii.

On the windward side of the island (Kaneohe, Kailua, etc.) they have the beautiful Ko'olau mountain range as a backdrop. In order to get to downtown Honolulu, windward residents have to cross through those mountains to get to the other side.

I randomly pulled over when driving one day...because I thought this tree would be so perfect for #TreeTuesday! There was a guy in his garage watching as I shot this photo, he must've thought I was going to steal some Papayas. I haven't posted a tree photo in awhile.

For #TreeTuesday curated by +Christina Lawrie & +Shannon S. Myers.

Week 1 of 52 - Hiding.
#2012PROJECT52 - New Years Day

The first sunrise of 2012 still hiding under the horizon. I'll be waiting.

+GPLUS::P52::2012 +Giuseppe Basile
+Project52-2012 +Kate Church
#PlusPhotoExtract

A Thanks Giving Sunrise.

Sunrise from Sandy Beach.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

For #thirstythursday  curated by +Giuseppe Basile & +Mark Esguerra.
For #landscapephotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.

Coming & Going.

Another morning spent @ Sandy's among the crashing waves and beautiful sunrise.  Luckily the wind was almost non-existent, so us photogs didn't have to deal with salt spray.  I decided to try and work on the 50mm this morning instead of my usual go to lens, the 14mm-24mm.

Hope you are all having a great week!  Feedback always welcome.

For #SeaTuesday  curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.
For #MyTownTuesday  curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Jamie Furlong.

Finding My Way...

It's been an interesting period since I got back from Japan last year.  First I dealt with jet lag that seemed to have disrupted more than just my sleep pattern.  My psyche has changed and my love for photography seems to be on hiatus.  I'm not sure what it is.  In a few days, I'll be headed back to Nicaragua again, and I'm hoping I can find myself again.

I actually miss that passion for photography.  It brought a sense of normality to my life that doesn't seem to be there at the moment.

I wanted to drop and say hello as I haven't been posting to G+ very much recently.

Thank you for all the FidoFriday posts today...I'm still going through them!  So many great shots.

Here's one more of my dog TJ!  Getting ready to jump into the water...wasn't easy keep him out this day...it was way too rocky for him to go swimming.

I tried to tie him up on the rocks and he got loose once.  I was actually down below near the reef.  Luckily, his leash was close enough for me to step on before he got in the water!  Sneaky guy I tell ya :D  He almost made it...I have no idea how I would've got him out though.

For #FidoFriday  :D

Have an awesome weekend!

Crazy World.

There's light up ahead.  Have a great weekend everyone!

#LandscapePhotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins,
#ThirstyThursday  (a day late) curated by +Mark Esguerra & +Giuseppe Basile.

#hawaii  

Taking a Break.

And it's only Monday!  Ugh.

Here's another scene from the markets of Granada, Nicaragua.

With +Empowerment International & +The Giving Lens.

#TGLNicaragua  
#moodymonday  curated by +Philip Daly.
#MonochromeMonday (+Monochrome Monday) Curated by +Hans Berendsen , +Jerry Johnson , +Steve Barge and guest-curators +Dominique Hilbert , +David Orr and +Martin Heller 

Happy 7th Birthday Brown Dog!

My partner in crime, +TJ the Chocolate Labrador, turns 7 years old today.  Don't mind the picture...It's kind of hard getting him to look at the camera when the ocean is right there.

#HappyBirthdayTJ  

What do you smell?

I smell #FidoFriday !

Join us tomorrow for good smelling fun!  Your curators are +mel peifer, +Lisa Lisa, and myself.  Don't forget to tag +Fido Friday.

We should do some themes one day...hmmmm, dog's dressed as frogs?  Dogs in action?  Dog's pooping?  Gross things dogs do?  What do you think?

Camera: NIKON D800E
Exposure: 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture: f/6.3
Focal Length: 50 mm + 36mm Tube Extension
ISO Speed: 5000
Exposure Bias: -1 EV
Flash Used: No

My Twelve Favorite Photos from 2012.

Over 2 months late, but I finally decided to take a moment to look over my photos from 2012.  When I compare them to my favorites from 2011, I feel like I've grown so much.

2013 has been very quiet in terms of landscapes and nature photography.  I haven't even had photos to post to themes!  So far this year has been about people.  I feel like I'll get back into landscapes soon enough, but for now I'm going to get back to processing my album from Nicaragua.

Week 19 of 52 - Manana.
#2012PROJECT52 - Sky & Clouds

A weird thing happened this sunrise...the clouds turned orange and so did the island and the water below it. It was pretty cool. I guess the reflection of the sunlight hitting the island and the water below gave everything an orange glow to it.

If you look real close you can see a couple of my photog friends hiding in the rocks :D.

In the distance, that is Manana Island, or Rabbit Island. To the right of Rabbit Island is Kaohikaipu Island, or Turtle Island. Both islands are designated bird refuges, and you need special permission to go there. Maybe one day :)

Have a great week! Feedback always welcome.

+Project52-2012
+GPLUS::P52::2012

Crossroads.

Every so often, I get to a point in my life, and I wonder if I should keep heading down the same direction.

This is taken with my phone (Galaxy Nexus) from the bell tower @ Iglesia la Merced, Granada, Nicaragua (http://iglesialamerced.org/).  We had a short break in the day, and +Jay Patel, +Varina Patel, and I  decided to do a quick walk around the town equipped only with our phones.

My first submission (I think) to #MobileMonday  curated by +Sinead Sam McKeown, and to #LeadingLinesMonday  curated by +Pam Chalkley, +CJ Sros, and +Jakob Nilsson.  I hope to do more in the future.

#TGLNicaragua  
#Empowermentinternational  

Could Be a Sunrise.

Goodnight G+!

#SunsetSaturday  curated by +TJ Kelly.
#landscapephotography  curated by +Margaret Tompkins.