blog

Underwood

Sun, 17 May 2009 04:01:20 +0100

I got a chance to get out of Ponte Vedra and make my way down toward Tampa this weekend. I was visiting my sister Sarah who was in town for a blood convention...no she's not a vampire...just works for a blood bank type company. Give Blood WOOOHOOOO!!!

Anyways, on my way down I passed a rundown old motel and couldn't resist the urge to hit the brakes and turn around to take a few shots with my camera. Here is what I got.

It was refreshing to know you don't have to go to the desert of Navada or Utah to find a rundown old motel to get some cool shots of. Hope you enjoyed!!!

Art Showing Part II

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:28:01 +0100

My artwork is still up at Shelby's in Atlantic Beach. Here are some examples of what it looks like. It's much better if you see it in person so make sure to check it out if you're in the area.

The artwork will be up for at least another week. Check it out!

Art Showing

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:22:38 +0100

It's been a while since I've posted a blog. I haven't forgotten, just been very busy lately. I've been working on some new stuff and will be posting it soon.

I am pleased to announce that I will be showing my artwork at Shelby's Coffee Shoppe in Neptune Beach starting April 9th. If you're in the Jacksonville area please swing by.

There will be live music, wine and appetizers and you can check out the artwork. I look forward to seeing you there. Make sure to bring some friends.

Just Off The Beaten Path

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:37:30 +0100

In my search to find some landscape photography locations I've been visiting some of North East Florida's parks and venturing off the beaten path to find "the shot". Near Florida's has a lot of Water Oaks. These trees grow to be really big and their branches go far in each direction. Often near the coast they grow at an angle rather than straight up often framing roads and pathways.

A few weeks ago I found a peaceful spot in Guana River State Park, a National Estuarian Reserves. I snapped a few shots of the Water Oaks near a quiet inlet from the Intercoastal Waterway and here's what I got.

I can't wait to be there to capture the Golden Hour glow through the trees. I'll share those pics as soon as I get some.

Hope you are enjoying the Blog. I finally got my comment section fixed so feel free to post something.

Florida Landscape?

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:16:27 +0100

I grew up in middle Tennessee with countryside and hills all around. There was plenty of places to get away from civilization and fade into the colors of nature. Ten miles in any direction from my house would find a different landscape. Streams, hiking trails and waterfalls were as common as dinners with whole family. At any given time at least one room in the house had almost packed or just unpacked bags for a night in some forest or cave. Ever heard the song "Boondocks" by Little Big Town?

I realized that was all going to change when I arrived in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida in 2004 . I found a flat landscape. The beaches are fun but I found them somewhat uninspiring. I tried my hand at surfing but seemed to be better at sitting on the board past the break; even though that proved difficult at first. I found it a very peacefull experience; sitting off the coast, beyond the noise of traffic and the crounded beach. It was the closest I could get to the peacefulness of the Tennessee hills. In these instances silence truly is worth it's weight in gold.

So, where do I go from here? A landscape photographer with no landscape. Dead end right? Well, I did some searching and found one of Florida's best assets, its rivers, inlets and marshes. They make for great photo locations, especially in low lighting and with long exposures.

Check out this shot from the Intercoastal waterway only a few minutes from my house.

I spent about an hour in a few inches of slush, being pricked by the pointy marsh grass, and shortly after sunset I captured this shot with a 30 second exposure. I had some challenges exposing the ground properly and not overexposing the sky. This can usually be corrected simply by using a split density filter (not too expensive), a piece equipment i didn't have at the time; so I got creative, using my flash light to expose the storm battered palm tree and marsh grass. I'm happy with the results, you can see how the clouds were moving overhead and the sunset provided a beautiful glow from just over the horizon.

I'll be posting some more pics in the next few days. Please keep checking it out and leave some comments. (I'm trying to get my comments section of this site working)

Landscape Photography

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:41:30 +0100

As an Adventurer and Photographer I love to blend my passions. I love to capture the beauty of the outdoors and attempt to bring its grandeur into the living room. I've learned that it's not easy to capture an expanse such as the Grand Canyon on a small piece of film or a digital sensor.

How many times have you taken a picture of an amazing landscape but were sorely disappointed at how uninspiring the print turned out? I've seen some amazing places; from Africa's Zambezi River to China's Qingshan Mountains. But many of the pictures I've seen only once. They're stacked in a box somewhere because they didn't make the favorites list.

Had I known then what I know now about photography I would probably have fewer pictures in the box and more on my wall. As it is, I have to rely on my memories to take me back to the moments where the pictures failed. As the years pass I may lose some of those enlightening moments but I plan to get it right from now on and capture the moments as best I can with my camera.

My skills have grown in the last few years and I've learned a lot. I believe in sharing information and that's why I'm sharing with you now. I have learned a lot about photography through online blogs and friends.I would love to share what I've learned with you. So keep an eye on my blog for some of my newest work and some oldies I'm rediscovering.

First Expedition is Coming!!

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:28:04 +0100

I'm really pleased with the response we received form our survey. We have a pretty good idea of what type of trips will be best and what people really want. We've been making phone calls and planning our first adventure. I'll be sharing more as soon as the details are together. I'm hoping to have that info up in the next couple of weeks.

Stay tuned and don't forget to leave your feedback. Don't forget to subscribe to this blog. You can also e-mail me at elevationexpeditions@gmail.com.

Your Next Expedition Awaits!!

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:04:58 +0100

Welcome to Elevation Expeditions. We are working diligently to build your dream expeditions. This is your chance to tell us what you want. It's simple, We've built an online survey that you can fill out. It's got 10 questions and won't take more than 2 minutes. Please Fill it out

We'd love to hear more feedback from you, please share your ideas and dream adventures here.