It is an adventure to be experienced - going up in a hot-air balloon. The most recent time was at the NJ Festival of Ballooning this year, as part of a photo group, arranged by Unique Photo here in NJ. If you haven’t been, check Unique Photo’s schedule for the next one (next year), as well as all the other photo activities and outings they arrange.
The first time I went for a hot-air balloon ride, was as a surprise arranged by my friends when I visited South Africa in 2014. For that trip, I only brought along a Fuji Read more inside...
We took one of the organized trips out to the sandbar in Grand Cayman, where large groups of stingrays converge at what is known as Stingray City. Walking on the sandbar, you are surrounded by stingrays. (They come for the bits of squid that the tour groups bring.) I've been told this should be on everyone's bucket list, and I agree. It was an incredible experience for me since I've had a deep lifelong fascination for nature and animals. This is how I got into photography in the first place as a youngster - wanting to record the wild birds that I Read more inside...
During my visit to South Africa, two of my friends, Jerry & Linde, arranged a surprise for me - an early-morning ride in a hot-air balloon in the Magaliesberg area. This was a first time for me - and I have to wonder now why I had never done this before - it is exhilarating! (This must be old news for those who have done this before.)
With this entire 2-week visit to South Africa, I decided to forego all the heavier, bulkier camera gear, and only take my Fuji X100s (affiliate). It's a specific decision where I forego the versatility of getting Read more inside...
To celebrate Nelson Mandela's birthday - July 18th - here are two images from my archives. I had the pleasure of photographing Nelson Mandela, then president of South Africa, at a function in March '98. I was one of several photographers covering the event where he addressed people attending a function.
The challenge with this photo-shoot was that no camera flash was allowed. Which is especially tough inside a dimly lit marquee tent in early evening. This no-flash rule was an attempt not to aggravate eye problems the president experienced. So all Read more inside...
It's been a long cold winter without much chance to roam around and explore with a camera. The past weekend it seemed like the weather was finally relenting and becoming warmer. Taking to the streets to shoot for myself a bit with no purpose in mind, I ended up with three images that I liked - all deserted New York city scenes. Or in the case of the image above, nearly deserted.
It felt good to let my thoughts roam for a while, getting some exercise and listening to music ... looking for anything that visually appealed to me in the camera's Read more inside...
I visited Cork for a few days to present two workshops on flash photography, and immediately fell in love with the historic city. It was a simultaneous pleasure just exploring the place, and taking a short break from a hectic schedule.
On the first evening, we walked around the city to soak in the look and atmosphere of the place. It had just rained, so the colors really stood out .. and I was drawn to the boldness of the colors, especially of the shopfronts. Since it was after hours, all the traffic had left that area, leaving a clear view of Read more inside...
