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.

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

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  

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.

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.

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.

Please watch, share, and talk about this video. Be the anti-bully.

"Kids will be kids. Boys will be boys (or girls). They are just cruel at this age."

THAT'S BULL.

Everyone should know what it means when you hurt someone else. I'm sorry.

"Be the difference."
Find that kid and stand up for them!
Stand by that kid standing by him/herself.

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

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

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

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.

RESHARE:
Last post for me today...but, wow, +Thierry Hennet this is beautiful!

Via +Christian Hansen, thanks!

Reshared text:
Winter in Lapland
After challenging my camera in the acid clouds of Dallol by temperatures exceeding 40°C, I gave it a try by -30°C in Lapland. I was amazed by the result. My fingers froze before the camera showed any sign of fatigue!

The past few days, I've been shooting sunsets because the clouds were nice. Everytime I've shot, I tried different locations to see if I could get a composition I liked. Finally, I found a spot that gave me a pretty decent composition. Granted this image is cropped, I had to shoot over a freeway rail and about 10 lanes of freeway.

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

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

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.

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.

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)

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

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.

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.

Officially completing the 2011 Road Trip album with all the remaining images I took. Thanks for "coming along with me!"

#BreakfastClub

Equality for all!

http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/03/26/what-is-the-red-equal-sign-all-over-facebook-and-twitter/

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

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

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

RESHARE:
Love this shot from +Rob Lopes.

Reshared text:
Spam Photography
Pepperdine University Lawn in Malibu - This is a 3 bracketed shot HDR'd 3 different ways then used Photoshop to mask in each HDR into the original unaltered photo and then Lightroom for final touches.

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.

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+).

Whoa, how awesome is this.

High school junior Sean Quigley, 16, of Winnipeg, posted his rock rendition of the famous Christmas song on YouTube three weeks ago, and now the video has gone viral, attracting more than 1.3 million views.

I actually like the rendition...but then again, I like the punk/rock thing. Enjoy!

Good night G+!

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!

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  

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 

Half a Sun.

Is better than none!

Feedback always welcome.

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

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

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)

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!

I've realized sometimes I need to look at things in a completely different way, again.

Good night G+!

#MirrorMonday curated by +Gemma Costa & Elizabeth Edwards (can't tag for some reason).
#NatureMonday curated by +Rolf Hicker.

Not to start a flame war, but hey Apple fans! Google Android had "voice commands" since August 2010!

Siri is not that revolutionary...Just an FYI.

(I'm running for cover now...please don't kill me)

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.

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.

RESHARE:
I just came across this post by +Kab Yaj, and it made me think.

There are a great many humanitarians out there...when do you put down the camera and help?  Do we criticize others far too early before knowing the whole story?

Please comment on the original thread.

cc:  +Colby Brown +Kathy Adams +Sue Ranscht 

Reshared text:
The picture depicts an emaciated child crawling towards a UN food camp during the Sudan famine. A vulture eagerly awaits for feasting.

This image won Kevin Carter the coveted Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1994.

And it made the world weep and re-evaluate our last practical judgment of reason. 

The public's reaction to the award-winning image was nothing short of outrage. Kevin came under heavy criticism for walking away after finishing his job. Haunted by the horror of his work, Kevin committed suicide just months after receiving the Pulitzer. He confided in friends that he wished he had intervened and offered some relief to the famine stricken child.

Where do you draw the line when life or death is presented right in front of you?

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  

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I DON'T NEED GOOGLE+

Lol, thanks +pio dal cin...there's actually some really good tips in this video if you watch carefully!

"Pricks" circle? BLOCK.
Hangout and another hangout.
Editting posts after they are posted? No way!

...so how many of you have an "Uglies" circle?

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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!)

The Journey - here, there, everywhere

Toys.

Old plastic bottles.
Cardboard boxes.
Branches.
Wire.
Dirt.
...
Want to play who can find the most white rocks?

For #SocialSaturday  curated by +Baki Karacay & +Naghmeh Khadembashi.

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

Enough said.  

#StandUp4Malala   #Malala   #malalayousafzai  

Temporary Waterfall.

For just a few seconds at a time, rough seas create mini waterfalls all over the rocks.  Have a great week!

Feedback welcome.

For #mytowntuesday  curated by +Melanie Kintz & +Jamie Furlong.
For #Seatuesday  curated by +Julia Anna Gospodarou.
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/p202129508/h410e0720#h410e0720

Fundraiser for Empowerment International.

During July of 2012, I participated in a workshop with +The Giving Lens that took me to Nicaragua where I was introduced to +Empowerment International (EI).  The workshop was meant to be a learning workshop, where the participants taught the children about photography.  In the end though, I was the one who was taught the most.  It was an amazing trip that changed my life, and one that I will be doing again in 2013.  EI, Nicaragua, and, especially, the kids now hold a very special place in my heart, and it's one I hope will find a place in yours as well.

So until the end of the year, I'm going to be promoting my own fundraiser to help +Empowerment International.

How can you give?

I'm not a big fan of just asking for donations.  I feel like I need to give something back for your hard earned dollars.  Here are two ways you can give and hopefully get something in return that you can enjoy:

1.  Purchase prints through www.photosew.us.  All net proceeds will be donated to EI.

2.  Donate money directly to EI through this link:

http://www.razoo.com/story/2012-Family-Portrait-Sessions-With-Wes-Lum

If you donate more than $100, get a free family photo session.  Only available to folks in Hawaii on the island of Oahu...unless you are willing to pay my travel expenses.  If I win the lottery someday, I will include travel.

Fundraiser ends on December 31, 2012.

Please read more here:  http://photosew.us/blog/2012/9/2012-fundraising-drive-for-empowerment-international

Even if you can't give, for whatever reason, I understand...but please share this post!  Every little bit counts!

Thank you,
Wes

#TGLNicaragua  

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

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

Likeke Falls

My cousin was in town last week, so we went on a hike on the Old Pali Road, which has a path that leads to Likeke Falls.  It was an interesting hike, as we hiked under a highway, and basically went from one side of road to the other, but in a very long, roundabout kind of way lol.

Feedback always welcome.

Hope you are all having a great week!  If not, well, at least we're past the mid-point of the work week :).

#WaterfallWednesday  curated by +Eric Leslie.

Camera: NIKON D5100
Exposure: 0.333 sec (1/3)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 30 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: -0.5 EV

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Wow...stream is exploding with amazing photography.

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Another vision that finally came true... Milky Way clouds appear above glowing lenticular clouds and rugged peaks in this colorful night-time mountain scene.

This image is the result of a lot of planning to get things just right - factoring in snowpack, moonlight, light pollution, astronomical timing, camera gear, backpacking gear, special use permits, friends who'd even consider joining me for something like this, and (mother nature's trump card) the weather. And with a little flexibility on our timing, I'm happy to say that +David Kingham , +Dan Ballard, and I enjoyed what we considered to be a great success. It sure helped that luck was on our side with that glowing lenticular cloud!

This composite image was taken after a night-time hike above Loveland Pass west of Denver, Colorado. It features Cupid as the closest mountain (our target), Grays and Torreys Peaks, light pollution coming all the way from Denver (50 or so miles away), and the Milky Way up top. On the tech side, this image comes from one 4 minute long exposure for the foreground and 10 stacked 15 second exposures for the sky. #starrynights #milkyway #lightpollution

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Oh man...If this doesn't brighten your day, you must be dead.

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It's #FidoFriday... keep smiling... look at this for a while and you will smile...

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Want to create an animated scrapbook?

Thank you +Scott Horwath! My something new learned for today.

Comments to Scott please!

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Does anybody want to learn how to animate their Google+ Scrapbook photos?!

That's right, my very first tutorial! If you've been wondering how to make the scrapbook photos in your Google+ profile animate look no further. I have put together a short video that shows you step-by-step how to make a simple photo sequence rotate through your scrapbook section. Not only that but it will also facilitate panoramas!

What the heck is this guy talking about?
Please take a look at my profile page here: https://plus.google.com/109802541608339267117/posts
Ok, so it's not a fancy animation the likes of +Trey Ratcliff's page but hey, it's free!

Ok, I want one.
Did I mention the tutorial is free! By clicking play on the video link you'll be subjected to a 13 minute yawn fest watch as I take you through this quick, simple process.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!
I'll even provide you with a tiff file for FREE (you'll need Photoshop for my tutorial) that will do all the hard work for you! Get it here: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BwzBfXbrruPDMDRmYTNkYjEtNTFlNi00NDdjLThjMDctYjRhM2Y5Y2NiMjAy then click 'File, download original' in the top left corner.

What's the catch?
There is none! If you want a simple animated sequence of images in your scrapbook section or even just a single panorama then use it. If you like it please reshare publicly! If you have questions or suggestions please comment.

I am naturally someone who likes to teach/instruct, so I thought I would dip my toes in by: producing my first tutorial (with volume problems and low production value), upload my first youtube video, upload my first google doc...well the list goes on (this will probably be a disaster!)

Who's doing the voiceover, is that James Earl Jones?
No! Those dulcet tones are yours truly. : )

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

If You Give Me a Chance, I'll Show You My Heart

This is a photo I took for the January Scavenger Hunt that +Chrysta Rae organized. Thank you Chrysta for doing such an amazing job!

You can go here to view all the submissions for the Flower theme: http://goo.gl/7Qslm

#PaintItSaturday curated by +Alexius Jørgensen.
#BreakfastClub

Review of the transaction through Zenfolio.com & print from Mpix.com

I host my site, photosew.us, using zenfolio.com. It’s been up for a little over a month now, and I’ve been enjoying creating my “gallery.” I don’t expect sales, nor do I expect to really do much with it except put my favorite images in it. It does also let me provide special client albums when I do little side projects and photo sessions with friends and family, so that is very fun. Feels official when I tell my friends and family to enter their “Client Access Code” lol.

What I wanted to do is review the entire process when ordering prints using a site hosted by Zenfolio. Mainly because I wanted to see what the user experience is like and to see the final prints from Mpix, which is the vendor used to do the prints. I can’t deny I really wanted to see some of my pictures on print as well.

The ordering & transaction process
The process of selecting and ordering was very simple considering the options you have. You are not required to create an account, and the information requested is not overbearing.

When you select a photo to purchase, you are presented with a good number of options:
- Size (including suggested best fit for the image)
- Manual cropping & centering if you wish
- Type of paper (Color, Metallic, B&W)
- Lustre coating (UV protection)
- Color correction (Each image is adjusted by a person @ Mpix)
- Color conversion

Everything is handled though a very sleak UI that displays the preview image and cropping guides. You can also choose frames and mounting with a preview of the frame. Very neat. Once that’s done and added to cart, the rest of the process is fairly uneventful, which is really nice.

One thing to note, when you order, Color Correction and NON-Color Correction orders are processed separately, meaning you pay separate shipping. One improvement I wish they would make is to have details the items in the 2 shipments, because it took me awhile to find the “rogue” picture causing an extra shipment.

From an administrative perspective, I can set orders to be sent for processing automatically or manually approve each order that comes through. I can easily see the charges and fees taken by Zenfolio and the profit. Good if I ever get a customer I guess?

Waiting for the prints
Processing was quick. It took 1 business day to ship. I ordered on Sunday, and my order was shipping Monday. This included a mix of prints, 5 - 16” x 24”, 3 - 4” x 6”, and 1 - 12” x 24”, on various papers.

I happen to choose next day because it was a very reasonable increase in price. Only $5 dollars more than the standard shipping rate. Pretty nice to see that.

The packaging
Prints are handled through Mpix.com, which is a feature available with the “Premium” ($100/yr) & “Premium Business” ($250/yr) packages. Although ordered through Mpix.com, the actual packaged shipped listed the name as Photo Products and shipped from Pittsburg, KA. (There’s a Pittsburg in Kansas? Never knew that.)

Prints were packaged very carefully and included a sheet that included the names of the people @ Mpix who inspected and color corrected the photos. The boards used to reinforce the images had handwritten messages, which I think is very cool even if they were just order numbers and paper type.

The large print, 16” x 24” & 12” x 24”, photos were taped carefully to cardboard. The 3 metallic paper photos were taped into one bundle, and I did have to pull them apart, but I’m assuming that’s because the ink used won’t leak on to other images when placed together like that. Each photo also had a sheet of thin foam to protect it from the next cardboard backing.

The smaller prints were placed in a separate sealed cardboard package with photos in their own wax paper envelopes. You can clearly tell this was all hand packaged, as the envelopes were carefully folded to fit the photos, one was placed into another wax envelope.

I enjoyed opening the complete package and seeing the images one by one.

The prints
Probably the most important aspect of this experience is the final print results. I tried to test multiple combinations of products so that I can get a fairly good feel of the type of quality of workmanship I can expect from Mpix.

I ordered:
- Metallic
- Metallic with Lustre coating
- Color
- B&W

All of them had color correction. I will probably place another order in the future to compare one with and without the correction.

Before I go into detail about each paper type, I must say, these prints are much, much better than anything from Costco.

Color Paper
Kodak Endura Professional paper is used again. Back says, “DO NOT COPY”.
The finish is a semi-gloss, matte finish, that really looks good. Details are very good. Paper feels like the standard weight for photo paper. Colors gradients shift very nicely.

Metallic Paper
Kodak Endura Professional paper is used. Oddly, back does not say do not copy like the Color paper. I was really impressed with the colors. It just popped, just as described when ordering. You can clearly see the metallic when looking at whiter areas of the image. If you’ve seen car paint that has metallic pigments in it, that’s similar to what I see with this paper. It really gives the lighter colors a depth that’s hard to achieve with plain paper. The contrast between light and dark is much more evident on metallic paper. I love it...I’m not sure when I would not use metallic over plain paper in the future. Maybe on occasions when my print is sepia or a very mellow/desaturated image.

B&W Paper
Has no branding on the back. There’s a different feel to this B&W. If you’ve ever seen black paper used by artists, that you scrape away the black to reveal the white, that’s the impression I get from this. Maybe this is what they mean when the description of the print indicates “archival qualities.” In fact, if I didn’t need this print, I might try and experiment to see if the ink comes off the same way that artists paper works. The edges of the photo show a small white border between the printed black and the real edge of the paper. Maybe it was the cut of the paper that caused it to show the very fine border. The gradient is very smooth.

Things I’ve learned
You can see the images associated with this post for more details if you’re interested.

Prints are amazing. Seeing your image on a large print is a very gratifying experience. It’s like seeing your vision come to life beyond digital. I’m not quite sure how to describe the feeling other than being able to hold something...a materialization of what you captured.

A couple things left me still curious, and I want to try and compare this next:
- The same B&W image on color, metallic, and B&W paper.
- The same color image on color & metallic paper.

I also found out that an image that looks sharp on screen doesn’t always translate to sharp in print. I need to remember to really blow up the image on screen to determine if the sharpness will be adequate for large print. I was a little disappointed in my horse print because it clearly wasn’t as sharp as I thought.

Whether or not this hobby generates income for me in the future, I’m really enjoying this because it’s an extension of photography, which I know I love. I’m not sure how much more in depth I will go, maybe when the time comes that I need to look at prints more closely, I will. But for now, I’m just excited to have quality prints for the first time. The next step? Framing. :D

If you are interested in signing up for Zenfoilio, my referral code is D7D-PAB-EAZ.

Thanks for reading! Any thoughts or comments?

FULL DISCLAIMER: I am not getting paid or sponsored for writing this review.

+Zenfolio  +Mpix 
Thank you Vickie, Eric, Ronda, and Frank @ Mpix :)

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.

After years of raging an epic battle, man-made engineering could not overcome nature. The battle is not over. Who will finally give way? Check back in a few years.

Goodnight G+!

#TuesDecay curated by +Ian Ference.
#TonemapHDRTuesday curated by +Drew Pion & +Stephanie Suratos.

Do you use Evernote?

If so, you might be interested in being able to save a Google+ post to Evernote.

In my "bookmarks" circle I have myself and my Evernote email address. I share a post with the circle and check the "Also email 1 person not yet using Google+" whenever I want to save it.

There could be other uses to this email thing.

Disclosure: I actually found this tip in Maximum PC magazine.

The Journey - here, there, everywhere

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.

Gazing Out.

Nica life toddler style.  Patiently observing a group of photographers walking across the street with her bottle of milk.  Life's good.

#windowwednesday  curated by +Jules Falk Hunter +Simon Davis-Oakley +Martin OBER +Jason Kowing +Cheryl Cooper.

With +Empowerment International & +The Giving Lens.

#TGLNicaragua  

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  

This story makes me pissed on so many levels.

A group of adults trying to kill a CHILD and putting other kids in danger.
A group of adult men attacking a woman, more over, this woman is not even an ADULT yet.  She's 14 years old.

What the hell is wrong with these people?

Over what?  Trying to get an education????

I'm grateful this child is still alive.  I hope she continues this fight and someone gives her the protection she deserves.

In this day and age, I can't believe the amount of idiocy that still exists in this world.  I realize this does not represent a group, but there has to be more outrage and more people who speak out.

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

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Clearly this pup will get away with a lot in life with that stare!

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For #fidofriday with +Wes Lum +mel peifer +Lisa Lisa and +Suhaib Ayaz. +Fido Friday.

He looks guilty, but what he's really saying is "Mom, can I go now?" after this photographer tried to snap a few pictures of this cute boxer pup. :)

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

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.


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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

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

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)

If Einstein were Spanish...

We were walking along the street market in Granada and in a small side street, I saw this old man just sitting by his door.  

I said one of 10 phrases I knew in Spanish:  "Una foto por favor?"  
He nodded.
I snapped.
Showed him the picture and said "Gracias."
He nodded.
I walked away.

I wish I could've spoke to him more, because I would have enjoyed learning more about his past...I have a feeling there's an interesting story behind this man.

#PortraitTuesday  curated by +Laura Balc.

#TGLNicaragua  +Empowerment International 
+The Giving Lens  #empowermentinternational  

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

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Very beautiful stuff!  Hope you can check out +Tom Grubbe's work.  (39 people have him circled right now!)

Via +Luminita Zbranca.

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Mt Gibbs Reflection II

A long exposure shot of Mt. Gibbs reflected in this pond in Tioga Pass, CA.

Canon 5D mkII, Canon 17-40 f/4L@24mm, f13@58sec., ISO 50, Polarizer, Hoya NDX400, Singh-Ray 3-stop grad

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.

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.

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Wow! Stunning work by +Mike Berenson.

via +David Kingham.

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I did a quick snowshoe trek up to Mayflower Gulch with friends Jon Blake and +David Kingham that was dark and cold but still a lot of fun. And while I didn't come away with any new shots I really liked, I left anxious to try David's tutorial on Comet-Like Star Trail processing. So here's a reprocessed composite image from a hike I did to the same location last May.

I'd been hoping to give this approach a try someday and I was thrilled to finally be able to do it! Big thanks to David for sharing the technique! #StarryNights

Who doesn't love contests?

Really easy to enter, and the rules do NOT take away your copyrights. Found out about this contests from one my Facebook friends.

Here's a list of prizes from the site:

1. Olympus E-PL3 camera - Value $699 - Sponsored by Olympus
2. Nikon D7000 camera - Value $1300 - Sponsored by Adorama
3. Free lifetime membership to Viewbug.com - Value $500 - Sponsored by Viewbug
4. Nik Complete Collection Ultimate Edition - Value $500 - Sponsored by Nik Software
5. Lensbaby Ultimate Portrait Kit & Sweet 35 Optic** - Value $750 - Sponsored by Lensbaby
6. Gift Certificate to BorrowLenses.com - Value $500 - Sponsored by BorrowLenses.com
7. Two free years Animoto Pro - Value $500 - Sponsored by Animoto
8. Two hours photography business consulting from Marketing Essentials International - Value $500 - Sponsor Skip Cohen
9. Action Dashboard Five Pak - Value $629 - Sponsor Kubota Image Tools
10. Gift certificate for Red River printer paper - Value $500 - Sponsor Red River Paper Company
11. Assorted photo-related training materials and royalty free music from Tamara Lackey Photography - Value $500 - Sponsor Tamara Lackey Photography
12. Two years SmugMug pro service with free customization - Value $650 - Sponsor SmugMug
13. Lifetime pass to ApertureExpert.com (Aperture training and presets) - Value $500 - Sponsor Joseph Linaschke
14. Kelby Media Group bundle including 1 Year KelbyTraining.com - 1 Free Live Seminar in City of Choice - The Light It. Shoot It. Retouch It. Book & DVD Super Bundle by Scott Kelby - The Killer HDR Bundle by RC Concepcion and Matt Kloskowski - Value $600
15. Two hours combination photography, business, social media, portfolio review from BMG - Value $500 - Sponsor Bourne Media Group Scott Bourne
16. 20 top photography-related books from various authors - includes "GoingPro" by Scott Bourne & Skip Cohen - Value $750 - Sponsor Photofocus.com
17. Cash award - Value $500 - Sponsored by Photofocus.com/Scott Bourne

http://www.viewbug.com/contests/photofocus-contest

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Another great discovery today...Please see +Guillaume Megevand's album. He's got 44 followers.

And if you want some PG-18 stuff, check out: https://plus.google.com/photos/104221419676072729128/albums/5664002274941472385

Intense album.

via +Christina Lihani.

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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.

Week 11 of 52 - Goodbye Sun.
#2012PROJECT52 - Spring/Autumn

We don't really have a spring or autumn in Hawaii, so I figured this would appropriate. I could have taken pictures of flowers, but I did that last week. I can't believe we're already 11 weeks into the year.

Happy Saturday everyone! Feedback always welcome.

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

#SunsetSaturday curated by +TJ Kelly.

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)!

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!

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As a Hawaii resident, I'm always amazed at how small the island is, yet it's big enough that you don't know everyone. Yes, we probably only have about 2 or 3 degrees of separation max on the islands, but still...

Here's a great shot from +J Mac. I love the lines, reflections, and contrast.

Good night G+!

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Ok, this is a big wall of text, but it's one of the coolest things I've read in awhile.

I was tempted to copy and paste the text, just to format it, but I think it's better as is.

Thank you +Brad Thompson.

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Parable of Time Management

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered over-achievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz" and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class yelled, "Yes." The time management expert replied, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?" "No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!" "No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is, "If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all. What are the 'big rocks' in your life, time with loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question, "What are the 'big rocks' in my life?" Then, put those in your jar first.
If this inspired you, share with others so they can benefit!

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

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Wow...Some of these images are just unbelievable. Please head the warning, some are graphic.

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LIFE 2011's Pictures of the Year
A must see, must share gallery (warning: few graphic images are included)

Every year is made up of countless moments that humble us, terrify us, sadden us. Moments that make us laugh, cringe, shake our heads in disbelief or wonder. Photographers strive to capture those moments, to tell us something of the times we live in. This gallery presents the pictures that did just that over the past year:

Source: www.life.com

Paths - Roadways, Railways, Walkways, and Stairways

Good morning G+! The path is not always easy, but the journey is our own. We all have different goals and expectations, some much more difficult than others, but in the end, what matters most is how we got there.

“When all's said and done, all roads lead to the same end. So it's not so much which road you take, as how you take it.” -Charles de Lint

#Breakfastclub

Just another day at the beach.

#TonemapHDRTuesday curated by +Drew Pion and +Stephanie Suratos.

I love reflections. Just need to learn how to use them more creatively. Sometimes it takes a good amount of patience/shots, just waiting for the water to be still.

#MountainMonday curated by +Michael Russell.
#MirrorMonday curated by +Catherine Vibert & +Jonny Scholes.

Two really important graphs to help illustrate that "greed" is not just something made up. When you look at the data comparing the growth of salaries, it's clear where the money is going. I'm not against the free market, but I am for common sense.

Read more here:
http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html

Skip ahead to the section "Income Ratios and Power: Executives vs. Laborers"

It's even more revealing to compare the actual rates of increase of the salaries of CEOs and ordinary workers; from 1990 to 2005, CEOs' pay increased almost 300% (adjusted for inflation), while production workers gained a scant 4.3%. The purchasing power of the federal minimum wage actually declined by 9.3%, when inflation is taken into account.

#Occupy #OWS

CHANGE OF PLANS: No more #DogSunday, but there will be #FidoFriday curated by +Shane Raynard and myself.

I've been looking for a reason to post pictures of my dog...now I finally have one! I should also add, thanks to +Eric Leslie for putting together the daily photograph themes.

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Sigh...

Goodbye #Whitespace .  Time to switch my monitor back to landscape.  Yippee!

I think I like this new layout.  I can finally see more and my mouse wheel will last a few more years :)

Thank you +Google!

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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

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