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Sedona Arizona Favorite Photos

Moon rise at Cathedral Rock

Lynn and I just returned from a great week in the Sedona-Cottonwood-Clarkdale, Arizona area.  This is a great spot for beautiful scenery, color and iconic southwest photo ops.  The photo of the moon rise at Cathedral Rock is an HDR.  The moon rise over the mountain makes it special.  I am thankful to an Arizona photographer that was shooting beside me for this rare opportunity.  I was ready to pack up my gear when the fellow next to me suggested that I might want to wait another minute or two...and voila...this is the scene that I was able to get.  My mystery friend said that he consults the iPhone app The Photographer's Ephemeris for the position of the full moon rising.  He drives from Flagstaff to Sedona upon every full moon to get the photo that I was lucky enough to stumble upon!

Sunset over Hangover Mountain

We took a 4 wheel drive trip up Schebley Hill Road in one of the Sedona iconic Pink Jeeps.  This might sound like an easy trip, but as soon as you leave the pavement you are on a non-maintained road that is about as bumpy as you will ever see.  Don't attempt this in anything but a 4 wheel drive vehicle with plenty of clearance.  There was still some mild smoke from the recent forest fires hanging over the mountains, but I was thrilled to get this sunset photo from the 6,000 foot summit.

The train station at Clarkdale is just a 30 minute drive from Sedona.  This is where the Verde Valley Railroad begins its 4 hour round trip journey along the Verde River to Perkinsville.  I love this 1940s era railroad.  You can buy an Economy Class ticket and shoot your heart out from the open, but covered cars that are next to every enclosed car.  The high desert scenery is magnificent and you just might see a bald eagle in flight.  

Sedona-Cottonwood-Clarkdale - It is paradise for the photographer.

Home Town Photos.

Safety Harbor Gazebo

I have found that some of the best photo opportunities are right here in my own backyard.  I try to pass through the historic Main Street in Safety Harbor near my home at least once a day to get ideas for photo projects.  I have been photographing the Safety Harbor Gazebo in John Wilson Park for many years. The city does a beautiful job of  rotating the flowers in front of the Gazebo seasonally.

Yesterday, during my visit to town I spotted this beautiful new planting and just felt the necessity to photograph this scene with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1, my tiny go-everywhere camera.  This camera also is my constant companion on my daily walks.  It is amazing the different things that I have photographed right in my own backyard...wildlife, landscapes, architecture, people and flowers.

 Butterfly on Red Flowers

The photo above was taken at a new park in town, Mullet Creek Nature Park. The local garden club is doing a great job in keeping the flowering plants blooming.

Neighborhood Sunrise

This sunrise photo was taken literally outside of my front door.  I was out just before sunrise to pick up the newspaper when I spotted this incredible sunrise.  I knew that I only had seconds before this scene would be gone.  I ran in the house and grabbed the Panasonic DMC-LF1 and took this picture just an instant before this beautiful scene disappeared. 

Learn your neighborhood...Walk around...Get some great photographs.

Africa in Monochrome

Recently I began a project that involved creating many of my nature images that I took while on several Africa safaris into monochrome images.

It is fun and sometimes it is rewarding to go back to your earlier photos and try to do something unique with them.  I think that the monochrome treatment offers that opportunity.

I use both Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 as well as One On Software's Perfect Black & White program in conjunction with Lightroom and Photoshop to get the best creative images from the color rendition.

Vervet Monkey 

Bat Eared Fox

All of these images were taken in Kenya, but these are just a few of my conversions.  I have many thousands of wildlife images from all over southern Africa.  I know that this endeavor should keep me busy for quite a while.

It's a great time for bird photography!

Tri-color Heron with egg.

This is the best time in Florida to take photos of birds on the nest, eggs and chicks.

Great Blue Heron with Tilapia.

This is my favorite image in a series of many bird photos. My interest was in getting the eye of the Heron and the the eye of the Tilapia in focus.  I was thrilled when I previewed this photo and noticed  that I got the bonus of the water dripping off of the nose of the fish.

Great Blue Heron chick.

It was tough getting a good photo of the chicks since they were nearly hidden in the nest and in deep shadows.  I like this photo with just the profile of the mother bird hovering over the baby.

Cormorant chicks.

It is hard to believe that one day these Cormorant chicks will be coal black one day. All of these shots were taken at Gatorland, near Orlando, Florida. 

Dreaming of our next Africa Safari

This is a photo of one of Kenya's famous Brothers...a famous cheetah family that prowls the Masai Mara.  Lynn and I have been on four African safaris and we look forward to our next adventure to the Dark Continent.

Of course the photographic opportunities were the first reason that we decided to take an African safari.  But, I will never forget the words of Sarah Taylor of the Africa Adventure Company who designed our first trip to Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana) in 2004.  She said "There is something spiritual about an Africa wildlife safari that will cause you to return again and again."  She was so prophetic.  We always return to the States thinking about our next trip.  And, not just for the wildlife, but for the spirit that is there...the people, the energy..Capetown!

Daily I dream and plan about our yet unscheduled trip to Tanzania to return to the Serengeti (The Tanzania side of the Masai Mara) and the Ngorongoro Crater.

Hopefully, soon.

   

Antique Autos

1929 Mercedes Benz SSK

Recently, I have been fortunate to have been able to visit some of the finest private collections of early and exotic autos in the U.S.  Earlier, I reported on my finds at the incredible Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum in Auburn Indiana.  Last weekend I was privileged to see the wonderful collection of cars at the Revs Institute/Collier Collection. I have chosen to display a few of my photos here.

Bobby Unser's Jorgensen Eagle

The Revs Institute does not allow any flash photography.  The museum is so well lit aesthetically that it isn't an issue.  Additionally, there are no ropes...very little distractions.  There are many black and white auto photos on the wall which you can clone out..or not.  All of these photos were taken at IS0 3200.

 Rolls Royce

The camera was my tiny Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1.  This camera is smaller than my iPhone.  I brought this camera into the museum since I was informed earlier that no photography was allowed in the museum.  I left my Olympus OMD-EM5 in the trunk of the car.

Duesenberg

My heart leaps when I come up on the elegant Duesenbergs. What an era the 20s and 30s must have been for the auto industry.  Of course, you had to be wealthy to own any of these cars, but even the Model T Fords were stylish...and affordable for the masses.

Packard Twelve

With car photography I prefer clean backgrounds so I usually clone out distractions...or even better I will build a Gaussian blur behind the vehicle in Photoshop. Thanks for coming along for the ride!