Carol

26
Jun
2016
Portrait of a Thoroughbred

Portrait of a Thoroughbred

 

Week before last I escaped Tucson’s hot spell by driving over to California for a horse show. I spent the week catching up with daughter Michelle, watched the horses compete, socialized my new puppy Truffle, and got acquainted with a new camera and lens recently added to my gear bag.

Ever since I’ve been rummaging through the photos I took and applying some artistic license to my favorites. Back on the computer, it’s always fun to apply some artistic creativity to the original digital RAW files. Today’s PHOTO OF THE WEEK is actually PHOTOS plural, as I’ve posted several of my keepers newly added to my online portfolio!

This week’s headliner is an OTTB (off-the-track thoroughbred) mare named Ladybug, purchased as a four-year-old by Lauren Boswell of Tucson. Lauren has been training Bug herself over the years and successfully turned her into a competitive jumper. The duo had a great week while I was there – winning several classes against tough California competition. She’s a very pretty mare, and I was quite taken with her hand-crocheted fly bonnet, themed after her namesake! I took photos after photos of Ladybug with the camera set to burst mode, trying to catch just the right moment. Since she has the nervous habit of tossing her head up and down and gapping her mouth constantly most were throwaways best suited to illustrate horse dentistry. But this photo caught her with mouth closed and chin tucked into a very ladylike, demure pose that shows off her refined head and colorful bonnet.

In regards to that new camera, a Nikon D500, last night I attended a seminar for getting up to speed on its new features – and was told there are 1.2 million different setting combinations possible in that one camera body! Mind boggling.

Prints of Portrait of a Thoroughbred are available for purchase HERE.

Sony a7R II, 1/1000 sec at f/4.0, ISO 400, 200 mm (FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS). Handheld.

All photos are copyrighted and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Please respect.

SLIDESHOW – Click any image to start.

Posted by Carol in California, USA
19
Jun
2016
White Water Lily

White Water Lily

 

There’s not much to say about White Water Lily, other than that we have a pond in our backyard filled to the brim with water lilies. In winter they are a sad, limp, discolored array. But in summer the leaves spread and curl up to the sky and the vibrant white and yellow blossoms open to the sun by day, closing tightly again into buds for the night. Resident frogs fill the evenings with discordant croaking, and from their sunbathing vantage points quickly plop into the water to shelter beneath the blanket of lily pads when startled.

I spent a couple of hours early one morning photographing the blooms from every conceivable angle. On review, this image rose to the forefront for the simplicity of the composition, the strong, bold shapes created by light and shadow, and the translucence of the backlit petals.

White Water Lily was introduced to the public in New York City in an exhibit mounted by Agora Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in New York’s Chelsea art district. Prints are available for purchase HERE.

Nikon D4, 1/350 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100, 260 mm (200.0-400.00 mm f/4.0 lens). Handheld.

Photo is copyrighted and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Please respect.

 

 

Posted by Carol in Arizona, USA
19
Jun
2016
White Water Lily

White Water Lily

 

There’s not much to say about White Water Lily, other than that we have a pond in our backyard filled to the brim with water lilies. In winter they are a sad, limp, discolored array. But in summer the leaves spread and curl up to the sky and the vibrant white and yellow blossoms open to the sun by day, closing tightly again into buds for the night. Resident frogs fill the evenings with discordant croaking, and from their sunbathing vantage points quickly plop into the water to shelter beneath the blanket of lily pads when startled.

I spent a couple of hours early one morning photographing the blooms from every conceivable angle. On review, this image rose to the forefront for the simplicity of the composition, the strong, bold shapes created by light and shadow, and the translucence of the backlit petals.

White Water Lily was introduced to the public in New York City in an exhibit mounted by Agora Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in New York’s Chelsea art district. Prints are available for purchase HERE.

Nikon D4, 1/350 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100, 260 mm (200.0-400.00 mm f/4.0 lens). Handheld.

Photo is copyrighted and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Please respect.

 

 

Posted by Carol in Arizona, USA
12
Jun
2016
Navajo Pony After A Dust Storm

Navajo Pony After A Dust Storm

 

True to the adage that one seldom explores one’s own backyard, I have lived in Arizona since 1958 and never once visited spectacular Monument Valley on the Arizona/Utah border. In 2012 that changed when I joined a photo workshop with like-minded photographers, and spent a week touring the highlights of this unique and beautiful area. On arrival we were hit with the frustrating realization that we were hard on the heels of massive dust storm that obliterated light and turned the sky yellow with blowing sand.

Not only did this compromise the scenery we hoped to photograph, it created a challenge for the camera gear which is easily damaged by the invasive grit. Changing lenses in the field was a recipe for disaster; the best solution was to carry two cameras each configured for different shooting scenarios.

A few days later the dust settled, the sky turned blue, and we discovered that the dunes had been swept clean into freshly rippled contours, a silver lining after all. Meanwhile I captured this image of a Navajo pony on the rez, haircoat embedded with red desert sand and eyes squinted against the blowing grit. I like his rough presence, bold shadow and the iconic landscape on the horizon.

Navajo Pony After A Dust Storm prints are available for purchase HERE

Nikon D3S, 1/750 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200, 44 mm (28.0-300.00 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens).

Photo is copyrighted and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Please respect.

 

 

Posted by Carol in Arizona, USA
05
Jun
2016
Sunrise Flight

Sunrise Flight

 

Sunrise Flight is a composite image created from two photographs captured in the Solomon Islands. We left our anchorage at dawn one morning to get an early start for a long day’s passage. The rising sun lit the cumulus clouds building up on the horizon, giving them an internal glow. I was concentrating on capturing images of the dramatic sky when a booby joined us briefly, winging his way parallel to the boat, his eye reflecting the early light. Two captures taken just moments apart – the empty cloudscape and the sunlit bird in flight – were meant for each other, so I married them in one image that captures the essence of the moment as I experienced it.

The vast expanse of sea and sky and the perfectly positioned wings of the bird together create an image that expresses the unfettered freedom of flight.

Sunrise Flight has been exhibited from coast to coast, including the San Diego Museum of Natural History and, most recently, PhotoPlace Gallery in Vermont, a contemporary photography venue. Prints of this award-winning image are available for purchase HERE

Nikon D4, 1/500 sec at f/2.8, ISO 100, 165 mm (70.0-200.00 mm f/2.8 lens)

Photo is copyrighted and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Please respect.

 

 

Posted by Carol in Solomon Islands, South Pacific, USA, Vermont
30
May
2016
The Bobcat

The Bobcat

 

We have the good fortune to live alongside Sabino Creek on Tucson’s eastside, a riparian area which as a result remains a wildlife corridor in an urban area. Bobcats, coyotes, javelina, jack rabbits, hawks, quail, roadrunners and more abound.

I spend a lot of time at the computer editing and refining my digital photographs. Truth be told, this is as much fun for me as the actual photography. One autumn morning my housekeeper interrupted my concentration to announce that there was a ‘gato muy grande’ in the backyard. I grabbed my handheld camera with a walk-around zoom lens already attached and tiptoed into the backyard to check him out.

This handsome bobcat, in full winter coat, was only about 10 feet away from the house but conveniently near his escape route into the riverbed. He gave me an intense look over his shoulder, I clicked twice, and he was gone.

It took some careful editing to bring this image to life, but it has become one of my favorites.

The Bobcat is available for purchase HERE

Nikon D4 1/1600 sec at f/5/6, ISO 800, 400 mm (80.0-400.00 mm f/4.5-5.6 lens)

Photo is copyrighted and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Please respect.

 

 

 

Posted by Carol in Arizona, USA
23
May
2016
Left to the Triple Combination

Left to the Triple Combination

This is a ringside shot of Saer Coulter aboard Don VHP competing in the Grand Prix during the 2013 HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, California. Saer is a California girl in her early twenties, a successful grand prix competitor who has graduated to international competition. On the day I took this shot, it was windy with blowing dust. The sky had a grungy tinge and the ringside banners stood straight out flapping during the competition.

On a really windy day, the jumps start falling without any assistance from the horses, and the jump crew is kept busy sandbagging the standards and trying to keep the course intact so that the competition can take place. In this class, the challenging triple combination (a series of three jumps closely spaced) was positioned on the long side of the arena. The approach involved making a left turn after landing from a jump set at the far end. Making the turn correctly is critical to positioning the horse to give him the best chance of clearing all three obstacles.

I prefer the monotone finish, which in my mind enhances the strong graphical elements of the composition and emphasizes the details of horse, rider and tack.

Left to the Triple Combination, sepia is available for purchase HERE

Nikon D4, 1/1000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400, 280mm (200.0-400.0 mm f/4.0) lens.

Photo is copyrighted and registered with the US Copyright Office. Please respect.

Posted by Carol in California, USA
16
May
2016
Eye To Eye

Eye To Eye

 

This is the wildlife image that holds the most meaning for me of all the photographs I have taken over the past ten years. I have it hanging in my kitchen where I see and marvel at it each and every day.

My husband and I are fortunate to have had access to a cruising yacht based in the South Pacific over the past several years. One of my favorite destinations is the small Kingdom of Tonga, where humpback whales migrate each year from the Antarctic to give birth and mate. We have visited several times during whale season and each time I took the opportunity to go out with whale watching professionals, over time learning the basic elements of locating and interacting with the whales in the water.

On our last visit in 2013, we were out for a cruise and scouting for whales on the way. The ocean was empty, no whales or whale watching boats in sight. Then suddenly we spotted a blow quite nearby.
Luck was entirely on our side. We had found a mother and very young calf that were floating quietly near the surface. They showed no signs of avoiding us or moving on, and no licensed whale boat operators were in the vicinity to ‘appropriate’ our find. I couldn’t resist such a golden opportunity. I quickly peeled off my clothes down to the swimsuit underneath and grabbed my underwater camera, fortunately already assembled and leak-tested and ready to go. There was a mad scramble gathering the bare necessities – fins, mask and snorkel – and then I eased into the water off the boat’s stern.

The two whales were maybe 150 feet away and I located them instantly through my camera’s viewfinder. I swam slowly and carefully towards them, minimizing any splashing or sudden movement, and they allowed me to approach without showing any skittishness. After a few minutes, mom turned and started swimming slowly away, giving me a rear view of her tail. But as I watched her go, snapping my last few photographs, I realized that her path was curving back in my direction. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the pair drifted back towards me until I found myself so close that I started backpedaling to avoid making accidental physical contact with mama’s long pectoral fin.

I spent nearly twenty minutes eye to eye with this calm and generous whale, while her baby slept and breathed above her, as we silently communicated with each other. I finally cut the session short when a third whale, probably her escort, arrived on the scene.

In itself the opportunity to swim alone and close to a cooperative whale is a rare and awe-inspiring experience. For the whale herself to voluntarily initiate that interaction was such an amazing, incredible privilege, never to be forgotten.

CBPP_20130831_Whale2-103-MI don’t often post photos of myself (especially in a swimsuit!), but my husband took this photo of the three of us from the deck of the boat.

Nikon D4, 1/180 sec at f/2.8, ISO 400, 35mm (17.0-35mm f/2.8)

Photo is copyrighted and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Please respect.

Eye To Eye is available for purchase HERE.

Posted by Carol in South Pacific, Tonga
09
May
2016
Perfect Storm

Perfect Storm

 

A new addition to my online gallery. This is PERFECT STORM photographed at Cape Reinga in New Zealand

Cape Reinga is the northernmost tip of New Zealand, reaching into the sea and marking the meeting of two oceans – the Tasman Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. On this day a perfect storm of weather convergence zones created fierce winds that whipped the ocean into a froth. The Cape is a narrow spine of land stretching its finger out into the ocean, and the footing was precarious as the 60 mph winds threatened to topple both my tripod and myself.

PERFECT STORM is available for purchase HERE.

Nikon D3S, 1/750 sec at f/8.0, ISO 400, 200mm (70.0-200.0 f2.8 lens).

Photo is copyrighted and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Please respect.

Posted by Carol in New Zealand, South Pacific
02
May
2016
High Heels, sepia

High Heels, sepia

Here’s one for the equestrian crowd!  High Heels, sepia is a new addition to my online gallery and the first square format photo I’ve posted.

It’s fun to hang out at ringside with a big lens, trying to capture the action and excitement of Grand Prix Showjumping up close and personal. Here the horse is in a bit of trouble over a really big oxer. He’s making a herculean effort to  keep from hitting the rail, while his rider hangs on for the ride, releasing the reins to give her mount more freedom to solve the problem.

I love how the rider and horse are both showing the soles of their shoes!

High Heels, sepia is available for purchase HERE.

Nikon D4, 1/1000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400, 280mm (80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6)

Photo is copyrighted and registered with the US Copyright Office. Please respect.

Posted by Carol in California, USA