Hi there! I know it's a little late so this is going to be a quick one. I just purchased a new computer and still have to get a lot set up. I did install most of my essential software but there is still much to do and a little bit of a learning curve. Kim and I went to Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey today. it was my first time there. I have to say that I really enjoyed it and will probably go back some day. I shot a lot of photos and I am sharing one with you today. And it is not part of the aquarium but rather a view from it. This is a view of the Philadelphia skyline from the Camden waterfront.
This is not my best work but like I said I was a little rushed today. Tomorrow should be better, As always I thank you for visiting and ask that you check back soon. Until Next time...
It's Friday again and that means another "retro" photo. This one is from June 3, 2012.
This is the sunrise shot on the road between Cape May Courthouse and Avalon, New Jersey. I created this image with my Sony DSC-WX9. The quality is not as good as a larger sensor camera but I am pretty pleased with the results.
Thanks for stopping by and please come back soon! Until next time...
After all of the rain yesterday the sun has finally come out and most of the clouds cleared away. It feels a bit like Summer around here. I can sure live with that! Even if only for a short time before the brisk Fall weather kicks in. I was out on our deck enjoying the afternoon and noticed how healthy our Vincas are. We get them every year because they are so hardy. And that is what I am sharing with you today. In black and white.
I don't usually present flowers this way because most of my previous attempts have not turned out so well. But I am very pleased with this one. And just for contrast I will also show you the color version too.
What do you think? They both came out nice but I think I like the black and white better.
And before I go I just want to mention that today would have been my Mom's 83rd Birthday. Happy Birthday Mom :) I love and miss you so much but I know that you are always watching over me.
Today's photo is yet another one from our trip to the Jersey Shore this past weekend. I just can't seem to "leave" there. At least mentally. The shore to me means warm summertime weather and plenty of sun. Have I ever mentioned that I really don't like Winter? Don't get me wrong though. The Winter is pretty. It's just that I really hate the cold. But I look at it this way. Every day closer to Winter is a day closer to Spring.
Here is today's photo.
This is a view of the ocean from the Music Pier on The Ocean City Boardwalk.
And that's it for today folks. Please check back soon. Until next time...
On the way to breakfast on Saturday while Kim and I were in Ocean City we walked past the front of the motel we were staying at and I saw a few patches of some of the nicest daisies I have seen all season. They look like something you would see in the Springtime. I would normally stop and take a few shots but the rain was really bad at the time so I didn't have my camera with me. But as luck would have it the rain cleared that evening and I was able to get some great results on Sunday morning. What a wonderful difference a day made.
This is from the only patch that still had raindrops on them. I'm sure that in a few weeks they won't be so perky but at least I got to see them and capture some really good images. I will be sharing more at the Facebook group along with the unedited original. Please be sure to check them out. I am working on yet more projects that I think you will like. Be sure to keep an eye out :) Until next time...
After I shot the sunrise yesterday morning I started to head back down the boardwalk and to the motel. Because it was a beautiful morning however I made a couple of stops along the way. The sun is so easy to work with in the early hours of the day and with the boardwalk not being very crowded I thought it was a good time to photograph some of the scenery. This is one of my favorites.
This is Gillian's Wonderland Amusement Pier at 6th St and The Boardwalk. It is an indoor/outdoor amusement park that was founded in 1929. You can read about it at the official website here and here is the park's Wikipedia entry.
And continuing a recent theme I would like to share a short two and a half minute video I shot on the boardwalk. This shows how quiet it is that early.
As I mentioned before these videos are best when viewed in 1080P HD. And of course at full screen. Please be sure to check the Facebook page if you get a chance. I will be sharing the "before" version of today's photo and maybe some others that I shot that morning. I also post links to sites or articles that I think may be of interest for those photographically inclined. Thanks for stopping by and as always... Until next time...
The rain is finally over...I think. It seems that the weather people can't get it straight this weekend. Especially down the shore where Kim and I are. We planned this trip as one last chance to visit Ocean City before most of it closes up for the season. This is also the weekend that the annual block party is taking place here. The rain kind of put a damper (pun intended) on the block party but it did stop in time for a fireworks show over the beach to cap off the night. I will post some pictures of the fireworks in a bit but for now I would lie to share a photo of the boardwalk from this evening.
Still a little wet but I think that makes for a nice picture. And at least it isn't windy anymore.
Before I call it a night I would also like to share a video with you. This is a time lapse of our trip to Ocean City yesterday afternoon. The drive took about an hour and a half but I was able to condense it down to just under two minutes. Please take a look.
This was shot using my Samsung Galaxy S4 with an app called Lapse It. The basic version is free and very limited but the Pro version is just $1.99. A bargain in my opinion.
Thanks for visiting and be sure to come back soon.
It's Friday and that means another "retro" photo. Well, I use the term retro loosely because some of the pictures I will be sharing will not be all that old. Some will be but not all of them. Today's photo is from last year at Jenkin's Arboretum in Devon, Pennsylvania. It is a closeup of a bee that I shot with my smart phone. A Samsung Galaxy S4. I had just purchased it and was trying it out. I must say I am impressed about how far camera phones have come. I don't think that can or will replace DSLR's any time soon but the quality is amazing.
Now there are countless reasons why a camera phone cannot replace a "regular" camera. The biggest one in my opinion is sensor size. The sensors on a cell phone camera are much smaller than that of a DSLR or even a dedicated point and shoot. Therefore they can't capture as much information and in turn cannot produce as large of an image. Sort of like how old 110 cameras were not as good as 35mm film cameras. And don't even get me started on Disc cameras :)
Before I go i would like to share one more photo with you. The sunrise today was so beautiful I could not resist. Take a look.
The weather today was picture perfect. A fine day to use up some vacation time at work. And I did just that! Being it was a nice day I thought it would be a great time to drive over to Valley Forge and shoot some photos. Apparently I wasn't the only one. The place was packed with tourists and photographers alike. I shot almost 200 frames today and I think I got some good stuff. It will take a while to sift through everything and process the good ones but I did get a couple done. Here is today's photo. This is one of the many recreated cabins throughout the park presented in black & white.
And here is another one showing some of the inside of the cabin.
This and all of the cabins at Valley Forge may look sturdy and secure and I suppose to an extent they are but they were barley a match for the severe and frigid winter of 1777 and 1778. Not to mention that not all of the soldiers camped there even had cabins. Add to that a shortage of proper clothing and food and we are only scratching the surface of the hard times that General Washington's troops endured. To learn more I encourage you to check out this link. Valley Forge of today is a beautiful park with plenty of open space and scenery to enjoy with the entire family. Even man's best friend is welcome there. On a leash of course :) We should however consider the extreme sacrifice that took place there that helped America gain Independence and afford us the luxury of such a place. Thanks so much for visiting and please check back soon. I have some cool stuff coming up! And be sure to check out the Facebook Group here for some behind the scenes and other extras.
As the year rolls on and we close in on Winter the days are getting shorter and shorter. I must say that I'm not a fan. There is one nice by-product however. The Sun rises later in the morning making it easier for me to catch it. Let me share this morning's sunrise with you.
I actually had a slightly difficult time shooting this. The morning was quite breezy and wind is not an outdoor photographers friend. The trees were swaying and though mounted on a tripod there was a little camera shake. The low lying clouds also hindered me a bit. I think it came out okay though. I like the colors.
Have you had a chance to check out the Facebook group yet? If not you can find it at this link. I am still working on it but I think it is getting up to speed. I have been sharing "behind the scenes" information and some "before and after" pics of my Photo of the Day plus some links I think might of be interest as I find them.I also encourage you to share any comments or questions you may have. You can even just visit to say "hello". I would love to hear from you!
Before I go I would like to share a short video I shot at Longwood Gardens on Saturday. Check it out .
Thanks for stopping by and if you like what you see please tell your friends!
For today's photo I would like to share another picture from yesterday's trip to Longwood. This is an anthurium and was shot in the conservatory. A place where flowers thrive year round.
It always feels like Summer there. I know this is a short one but it's getting late. Please check back soon.
Flowers are one of my favorite things to photograph. In most cases they are stationary subjects unless of course they are outside and there is a good breeze going. But even when they are still it is not always easy to get a crisp sharp image. At least at close range. This is where a sturdy tripod and a remote shutter release come in handy. And that is what I used to capture today's photo.
These are Kim's roses. I shot this indoors using one of my tripods and my new wireless shutter release. It was fairly dark so I set a long exposure (30 seconds). I used a wide F-Stop (Aperture) to keep everything in focus and a low ISO (Film Speed) to keep grain at a minimum. Shutter speed, Aperture and Film Speed are all about light. And how much light you expose your camera's sensor to is the your Exposure. Remember, photography is all about light. Here is an excellent explanation as to how Exposure works.
Thanks for visiting and be sure to come back soon!
When I write a post I like to be as accurate as possible. Especially when writing about something historical. I am working on a full post (not Photo Of The Day) that involves some local history. I am having a problem however. There is not a lot of information online for me to read up on and confirm what I already believe to be true. What I do know I learned over 35 years ago in elementary school. I may have forgotten some details in that time. So I am going to have to take a trip to our local library. Hopefully I will get a chance to do this sooner than later. Until I do though I would like to share one photo with you. And here it is.
This is a spring house which, to the best of my recollection, was used by the Henderson family. Spring houses were common in the days before refrigeration. Built over springs, they kept a consistent low temperature to help preserve perishables. There are a lot of buildings in this area that once belonged to the Henderson's and even a family cemetery. In fact they have a road named after them. I don't want to get too far into their history at this time though because I would rather do my research and present accurate data. I really just wanted to show this to you. It is one of those things that people drive by everyday and don't give a second thought. A side effect of our busy lives.
I would also like to share a short 30 second video with you. I photographed this early on Sunday morning and there were very few cars or other noisy distractions. I thought a video would remind us of what this place may have looked and sounded a couple of hundred years ago when the spring house was still being used. It is actually rather peaceful.
The end of September has arrived and it's that time of the year when plants and flowers die off and the ground becomes covered with falling leaves. But in the midst of this something interesting is happening right in my own backyard. Wildflowers. Now there may only be a few stragglers at full bloom but there is also a lot of buds. I suppose that as long as the weather remains somewhat moderate and the frost stays away they will also come to bloom. I know that I have posted a similar photo before but hey, who doesn't like a little reminder of summertime? I had a little fun with this one. I hope you like how it came out.
I rarely use the flash on my camera. On board flashes are not generally a photographers friend but that is a topic for a future post. For this however I used the flash to darken the background. It also let me use a lower ISO (Film Speed) and in turn reduce noise (Grain). This was shot at the beginning of dusk and there was a lot of light from the day left. What do you think?
Thanks so much for visiting! I really do appreciate it! If you like what you see please consider following along by using one of the choices in the side bar. Feel free to leave feedback too using the "Contact Me" section. Also be sure to check out the blog's Facebook Group by clicking this link. And let your friends know too!
On Saturday I showed you a couple of photos from our trip to The Daniel Boone Homestead in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania. In particular the Boone house and the barn and blacksmith shop. today I would like to share a picture from inside of the house. This is the Parlor.
The Parlor was used for eating and entertaining and at one time was even used as a courtroom. The furniture seen in this photo is of period time but probably not used by the Boone family.
You can read more about The Daniel Boone Homestead and the Boone family here and here. Also if you haven't already read my Saturday post you can get there from here.
Thanks for visiting and be sure to check back soon. Until next time...
Construction is a big business where I live. And there are many quarries to prove it. In fact I live just next to one. I cannot see it well from here but it is just a short, literally, 1 - 2 minute dive away. Well I drove to it this morning and shot some photos. Here is one I would like to share with you.
This is one of two local quarries, both of which are limestone. The other one is not in operation anymore. In fact this one was supposed to stop operation many years ago but somehow is still being used. I have no idea how deep they will dig but it sure is one big hole! I can just imagine what this land looked like before digging started.Here is a satellite view courtesy of Google.
How incredible is this weather we are having here this weekend? Today the temperature made it into the low 80's! Not bad at all for the last week of September. Kim and I decided we definitely did not want to waste such a beautiful day so we made a trip to someplace that neither of us had been to before. Only about a half hour away we drove to The Daniel Boone Homestead in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania. Wow! what a hidden treasure. At least it was hidden to us. Now, I knew about it and have even driven past signs for it but never went there before. When we arrived I was not just impressed with the wonderful historic buildings but the grounds they sit on. Very open and spacious and again, hidden in our modern day hustle and bustle. Today I am sharing two photos with you. The first one of course is the Boone House.
On this spot originally sat a one story log house built by Squire Boone in 1730. Through the years it evolved into the two story stone house you see here. Daniel Boone was born in the log house in 1734. The Boone family resided here until 1750. This home holds a very rich history that you can read about here and here. Also, if you ever happen to visit I encourage you to take the guided tour. It only costs $6.00 per adult and is very informative. It is obvious that the guides are not only knowledgeable but really enjoy the history that they offer.
The second photo I would like to show you is of the Homestead barn and the Blacksmith Shop.
Only part of the barn is original and it is Pennsylvania Dutch in design. Also, though Squire Boone was a blacksmith this shop was not original to the property. It was moved there from nearby Amityville, Pennsylvania (not from the famous book and horror movie!) and dates back to 1769. I will be sharing more in upcoming posts. I shot a lot of frames today and it will take some time to go over them. Please be sure to check back. I will also be posting some other photos and some "behind the scenes" at the Facebook Group. If you haven't had a chance already please take a look at it here. Thanks for stopping by and as always, Until next time...
About a week a go I bought a new "toy" for my camera. An RF remote shutter release. With it I can set up on a tripod and shoot without touching the camera. The advantage to the RF (Radio) as opposed to IR (Infra Red) is that I don't have to have a direct view of the receiver. This way I can set up and be as far as 60 meters away. It works great with the camera outside and me inside. And that is what I did to shoot today's photo. I set up the camera on a tripod and aimed it at our bird feeder. I then went inside and watched out the kitchen window for birds to arrive. Well birds did arrive. But I ended up photographing...
A squirrel! I need to work on the camera settings a little to get a sharper image but I don't think this came out bad. I'm sure I could never have gotten this pose if I were out there scaring all of the wildlife away. I hope to use this new "toy" a lot more. It was a great investment for $18.95 (with shipping) on Amazon. And the possibilities are almost endless. Until next time...
That's a fair question. What you see before you is a group of performers from Australia that call themselves "Strange Fruit". This was shot at a performance they made at Longwood Gardens earlier in September. They strap themselves on poles several feet in the air and act out a story set to music. It was actually quite entertaining and they are very talented. You can read more about them here.
On another note...
I have started something that I hope will be fun and compliment this blog. I have created a public Facebook Group by the same name as the blog, Exploration Photography. You can find it at https://www.facebook.com/groups/explorationphotography/ . I hope that this will be an interactive experience. It should be a lot easier for viewers to comment and even make suggestions. I will also occaionally give a little background into the Creation of some of the photos I share. I do hope you will check it out. Thanks so much for spending a little bit of your day here. I appreciate it! Until next time...
While trying to decide what to post for my Photo Of The Day I realized that I hadn't shared something from our recent trip to Ocean City. What trip to the beach, especially for me, would be complete without the obligatory picture of a...
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